CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
Words would fail to describe the meeting of Captain Audley with his wifeand daughter. Mistress Audley, could tell her husband that she had beenbuoyed up, not by false hopes, but by trusting One who orders all forthe best; and their hearts were lifted up in gratitude to Him Who hadseen fit to reunite them on earth; albeit, having the same blessedfaith, they had looked forward to a joyous meeting in Heaven. Vaughansoon after returned, and became the husband of Cicely; but Lettice hadto undergo another trial. Captain Layton had to fulfil his promise tohis crew to go in search of a Spaniard, the object of his previousadventure being accomplished. He was not a man to swerve from his word,although he would fain have remained at the settlement, and enjoyed thatrest which those advancing in life desire. It happened one evening thatas Roger and Gilbert were walking along the banks of the river, theycaught sight of a small boat pulling rapidly down the stream, with twomen in her. Directly afterwards they encountered Fenton.
"I have just seen that fellow Flowers shove off with another man," hesaid, "and when I demanded where they were going, he would give me noanswer. He has been holding correspondence with a strange Indian whocame up from the mouth of the river, and has since been trying to gainover several of the ill-disposed in the settlement, for some objectwhich has not transpired."
"Then let us follow him," exclaimed Roger, "the _Rainbow's_ boat is nearat hand, and we may speedily overtake the traitor, if traitor he is."
They hastened on board the _Rainbow_, and wisely putting some provisionsand water into the boat, pulled away in chase of Flowers. The skiffpossessed by the latter was a fast one, and though they pulled on allnight they failed to come up with her. Sometimes they thought that theymust have passed her; if so, they hoped to meet her as she was comingdown at daylight. Just as they were nearing Hampton Roads, they caughtsight of a stout ship standing out past Old Comfort Point, with theskiff of which they were in search towing astern. They immediatelyredoubled their efforts; but before they could come up with her, thebreeze freshening, she stood away out to sea.
"That craft is a Spaniard, though she shows no colours," exclaimedRoger.
"No doubt about it, sir," observed Ben Tarbox, who was pulling thestroke oar, "and that accounts for why Master Nicholas was praising theSpaniards. To my mind he is half a Spaniard himself; I thought no goodwould come of his beads and his crosses, his paters and aves."
"What; was he a Romanist, then?" asked Gilbert.
"As arrant a one as I ever set eyes on," replied Ben; "and, if he hadhad his will, he would have liked to make us all Romanists too, and burnus at the stake, as they did in Mary's time."
"He is welcome to his religion," said Roger, "but if he is playing falseto the settlement, he will have yet to repent it. Lads, we must hastenback on board the _Rainbow_, and go in chase of yonder Don. If she hasany evil design, she will be hovering round the coast for some time tocome."
His proposal was received with a loud cheer, and the crew giving way,the boat, aided by the flood-tide, pulled back to James Town. The_Rainbow_ was ready for sea, with the captain on board. A short note toLettice, telling her that they had gone to catch the Don, and notomitting such expressions of affection as his heart prompted, was allRoger had time to write. The breeze being fair, and the river now wellknown, the _Rainbow_, under all sail, was soon rounding Old ComfortPoint. She had not got far down the Chesapeake when a sail was seenahead, standing to the southward, which made Captain Layton and his crewonly the more eager to come up with her. For all that night and thenext day the chase continued; but the _Rainbow_ kept the Don in sight,and, ere evening closed in, ranged up on her quarter, firing a broadsideand receiving hers in return.
"We'll make short work of it, lads," cried the captain, ordering thehelm to be put to starboard, and running on board the Spaniard.Grappling-irons secured her, and, led by Roger, the British crew werequickly on her deck. Among the Spaniards was seen Nicholas Flowers,fighting desperately; but they could not long withstand British muscleand valour, and, ere five minutes were over, the Spanish ensign washauled down, her crew cried for quarter, and the patache _Nuestra Senoradel Pilar de Saragossa_ became a prize to the _Rainbow_.
She was richly laden, with a large store of provisions on board; these,with the best part of her lading, and all her arms and ammunition, weretransferred to the _Rainbow_. The captain having no wish to detain thesurvivors of her officers and crew, they were allowed to go on board,with sufficient provisions to carry them back to their own country,provided they were not captured by a Salle rover on their homewardvoyage. The _Rainbow_ having seen _Nuestra Senora del Pilar deSaragossa_ safe out of the harbour, with her teeth thus drawn, proceededup the river, carrying Master Nicholas Flowers and his companion, oneDick Trunnion, who swore that he had been beguiled to undertake theadventure by Nicholas, not knowing his object. He, moreover, declaredthat Master Nicholas was the very man who had piloted the Armada whichcame so proudly to conquer England, dethrone the queen, and establishthe Holy Inquisition in the land; and that he had plotted to deliver upthe settlement to the Spaniards, who would speedily have committed allthe heretics who declined to conform to their faith to the flames. Ontheir arrival at James Town, Master Nicholas was delivered over to theauthorities, and his guilt being proved, he was hanged on board a shipin which Sir Thomas Gates shortly afterwards returned to England. Thearms were claimed by the authorities; the rich lading of the prize wasdivided among the crew of the _Rainbow_, the officers coming in fortheir share.
"Lads," said Ben Tarbox, as the division of the spoil was being made,"there is a young maiden whom we all know in the settlement, thefirstborn here, and the only one alive of our countrymen andcountrywomen who once dwelt in the land. She is dowerless andfriendless, except her young brother and an old grandfather, who maybesleeps in his grave by this time. I am ready to give half of my share,and I invite those among us who have no kith or kin to give up suchportion of theirs as they may think fit; being very sure that it wouldbe thus better expended than it will be after the fashion many of us areapt to get rid of our rhino. Those who think with me hold up theirhands, and those who don't, keep theirs in their pockets."
Ben's appeal was liberally replied to, and no one refused to give ahandsome portion of his share to the fatherless orphan.
Meantime, Mistress Lettice had been labouring diligently to instruct theuncultivated mind of Virginia, who rapidly improved under her tuition.From no one, however, did she obtain so much instruction as from herbrother, who, during every moment he could spare from his duties,devoted himself to teaching her. Her astonishment at seeing the lovelyPocahontas, dressed in the English fashion, and possessing far moreknowledge of English customs than herself, knew no bounds, andinstigated her to still greater exertions; so that, ere long, shedistanced the young bride in book-learning, if not in otheraccomplishments. Harry Rolfe, indeed, at length became persuaded that,while his wife remained in the country, she would make but slow progressin such accomplishments as he wished her to acquire, and resolved totake her to England. Mistress Audley warned him of the danger oftransplanting the flower of a southern region to a northern clime; buthe disregarded her admonitions, and sailed some months after hismarriage. News then came of the admiration his young bride, thebeautiful savage, as she was called, excited at court; then, that shehad given birth to a son, and afterwards, that she and her husband wereabout to return. But, alas! by the next ship came the account of herearly death; though Harry brought back his boy to the land of hisadoption, regretting that he had ever left it.
Roger had for some time been rewarded with the hand of Lettice, but theold captain, discontented, as many were, with the state of the colony,proposed to return to his old home on the shore of Plymouth Sound, stillkept up by his faithful steward Barnaby Toplight. Captain and MistressAudley, hearing of his intentions, the former especially longing to seeonce more his native land, determined to accompany him. Roger andLettice, though not weary of the colony, w
ere unwilling to let him goalone to a solitary home, and he gladly accepted their offer to returnwith him. Virginia had daily grown in their affections, and as theyfelt sure that her presence would cheer the declining days of hergrandfather, they invited her and Oliver to accompany them, it beingsettled that the latter should return after a time to Vaughan, should heso wish.
The _Rainbow_ arrived safe in England; Oliver and his sister wereaffectionately received by their grandfather. From that day forward hewould scarcely part from Virginia, so completely did she entwine herselfround his heart.
"Ah!" she used to say, "I obeyed my Indian grandfather, Oncagua, fromfear; but I like to do what you tell me because I love you, and you areso kind."
She little thought how firmly her image remained impressed on the sternwarrior's heart, of which he afterwards gave a strong proof.
Oliver and Virginia remained with the old man, who, however, worn out byage and disappointment, died in their arms, tended dutifully by them tothe last. Oliver had long desired to go back to the colony his sisterrefusing to be separated from him, and her education being nowconsiderably advanced, they obtained the sanction of Mistress Audley toreturn thither. They sailed in the _Rainbow_, under the command ofRoger Layton.
While he was away, the old captain invited Mistress Audley and herhusband to stay with him and their daughter; a home they neverafterwards quitted, as Captain Layton dying, they lived on with Letticeand Roger, who gave over the command of the ship to Fenton; for Gilberthad settled with his brother in the colony. Having established a home,he persuaded Virginia, ere long, to become its mistress.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
Some years passed away. Powhattan was dead; the Indians appeared asfriendly as ever, but the tie which had bound them to the palefaces wasbroken.
Several towns and villages had sprung up in various directions; some onthe banks of the river below James Town; others some way above it, inthe interior. Among these was Williamsburg, which had been founded onthe spot where Rolfe and his party had been attacked by the Indians,when by Canochet's timely warning they had been so providentially savedfrom being cut off. The whole face of this part of the country was nowcompletely changed; comfortable dwellings, orchards, gardens, and fieldscovered the ground before occupied by the dark forest, while a bridgewas thrown over the stream, which was usefully employed in turning amill to grind the corn of the settlers. Among the principal people inthe neighbourhood was Vaughan Audley, who resided on an estate aboutthree miles from the town, while Gilbert and his young wife had been forsome time established in a cottage close to Williamsburg. Their oldfriend Fenton never failed to pay them a visit when the _Rainbow_ cameto James Town to bring them news of their relatives at home, as also thevarious necessaries they required from the old country. They were, ashas been said, on the best of terms with the Indians, who camefrequently into the town, mixing freely with the settlers, oftenbringing presents of deer and wild turkeys which they had shot, and fishwhich they had caught in their streams, and those fruits which aboundedin their forests. Even those who at one time had been looked upon asenemies now took much pains to show the settlers that they wished tolive in amity with them. Thus were lulled any suspicions the Englishmight have entertained of the natives, and they fondly hoped that theywere to retain peaceful possession of the country.
Virginia was seated with her husband one evening, when a dark formappeared at the open door. "Manita," said a voice, "one who held you tohis bosom when you were still a helpless infant comes to warn you andhim whom you love of a sudden and fearful danger. Escape with me, and Iwill protect you--remain, and your doom is sealed."
"Who are you, that we should thus trust you?" asked Gilbert.
"Oncagua," answered the Indian; "she once knew me; does she forget menow?"
"Oh, no, no!" exclaimed Virginia, starting up and grasping the Indian'shands, which she placed on her head; "my ever kind protector; I shouldindeed be ungrateful could I have forgotten you. What my husbanddesires, I will do."
"We thank you, chief," said Gilbert, "but we have friends here whom wecannot desert; whatever may be the danger, we must remain and share itwith them."
The chief stood lost in thought. "I understand you," he said, "you areright. I came to save her alone, but her friends must be my friends.Tell them to be prepared for a sudden attack from the surroundingtribes, or ere another sun has set not a paleface in the country will beleft alive. I know no one I would entrust my message to, but havejourneyed night and day, across streams, and through forests, and overhills to utter the warning. Swear that you will follow my advice, or Iwill stay and perish with you."
Virginia, knowing that Oncagua spoke the truth, entreated Gilbert to doas he wished. He no longer hesitated; and the old chief, taking anotherfond look at Virginia, disappeared from the door-way.
Happily, Oliver Dane, who lived with Vaughan Audley, was expected thatevening to pay them a visit. Anxiously they waited his arrival.Virginia could not help fearing that the Indians might have attacked himon the way, and Gilbert was equally alarmed for Vaughan and Cicely'ssafety.
"I cannot leave you, dear one, alone," he said; "and yet there is not amoment to be lost."
"Do not fear for me," she answered. "Go and warn our neighbours,--persuade them to put the town into a state of defence. I will wait heretill Oliver arrives, and give him such directions as you may leave withme."
Gilbert sat down with his hands on his brow, considering what steps itwould be necessary to take; for the lives of all the inhabitants of thecolony might depend upon his decision, should no one else have receiveda warning of what was about to occur. His plans were quickly formed; hemust immediately despatch to James Town and other places further offbold and trusty messengers to induce the inhabitants to take propermeasures for their preservation; while he himself determined to collecta body of friends, and to hasten as fast as their steeds could carrythem to the assistance of Vaughan, leaving Oliver for the protection ofVirginia. It cost him much to decide thus, but he intended to try andpersuade Vaughan and Cicely to accompany him back to the town ratherthan to attempt defending the house, which was ill-calculated to resista prolonged attack by the Indians. It took him but a brief space oftime to arrive at this decision. Hastily buckling on his sword, placinghis pistols in his belt, and taking down his gun from the wall, he stoodready to set out.
At that instant Oliver, now grown into a fine young man, arrived.Gilbert briefly told him of the warning brought by Oncagua, andexplained the measures he intended to take.
"Oh! let me accompany you to Vaughan's," exclaimed Virginia, when sheheard of his intention to go there. "I shall be of assistance to Cicelyand her little ones, and I cannot bear the thoughts of being separatedfrom you at a time of such fearful peril."
"If she wishes it, I will place a pillion on my horse, and she can ridebehind me," said Oliver. "I would far rather fight for my kind friendsthan remain behind; and I doubt whether the peril to her will be greatershould she accompany us than should she remain behind."
To this Gilbert consented; and while Oliver went to prepare the steeds,he sallied forth to find the principal persons, to whom it was necessaryto impart the information he had received. Scarcely had he got tenpaces from the house when a voice, which he recognised as that of hisold friend Fenton, hailed him.
"You have, indeed, arrived most opportunely," he said, as he graspedFenton's hand; and then taking him by the arm, hurried him along withhim while he detailed what he had heard, and the proceedings he intendedto adopt. "We want a man of courage and judgment to take command of thetown, and I can answer for it that you will do so. People will obeyyou," he added.
"In truth, I was on my way to tell you and Vaughan of a warning I myselfreceived this morning, on my arrival in the river, from our old friendCanochet," answered Fenton. "Scarcely had I dropped my anchor than hecame on board from the southern side and desired to see me privately inthe cabin. He then told me that his tribe were friendly, but he
hadjust cause to doubt the Indians of Powhattan's country, and thatalthough he could not give me any definite information, he was very surea speedy outbreak was in contemplation. He advised that I should inducemy friends to come on board the _Rainbow_, and to sail away immediately.He quickly returned on shore, and I hastened to inform the Governor ofwhat I had heard. Your messenger will, I trust, induce him to take moredetermined measures for defending the town than he might otherwise havethought necessary."
Captain Fenton's arrival was of great assistance to Gilbert in winninghis fellow-townsmen to a sense of their danger. The chief magistrateimmediately sent round and summoned all the adult population of theplace to meet him without delay. Letters were then despatched to JamesTown and in other directions with the request that those who receivedthem would send on the warning to places further off. Gilbert thenasked for volunteers to accompany him to the assistance of his brother.Four only appeared,--indeed, the magistrate afforded no encouragementfor the men to go, wishing to keep them for the defence of the place.Gilbert was in despair, when a grey-headed old man on a rough pony,armed with a big gun, a cutlass, and a huge pair of pistols, cameclattering up to the council-house.
"What!" he exclaimed, when he heard Gilbert's last appeal; "are none ofyou ready to go and help the daughter and son-in-law of my oldcommander, Captain Amyas Layton? And from what I hear, they and theiryoung children will be put to death unless a dozen or more true men areready to fight in their defence. You all know me, Ben Tarbox,--some ofyou knew my old captain, and have sailed with him, too,--I don't want toweaken the defence of the town, but I ask for just a few stout hands whowill defend Master Audley's house; and when the Indians find that we cankeep them at bay, as I am sure we shall, they'll not think it worthwhile to come and attack the town."
Ben's appeal was responded to by even more men than he required. Hechose eight, which, with the four who had before volunteered, himself,Gilbert, and Oliver, made fifteen, all well armed. As they expected tofind four men at least with Audley, they would muster twenty--a numbersufficient, inside a log-built house, to withstand a whole host ofIndians.
A considerable portion of the night was spent before they were all readyto set out. Gilbert found Virginia and Oliver ready to mount, andwithout loss of time they commenced their journey. Those on foot werehardy, active men, who could almost keep pace with their horses for thedistance they had to go. Gilbert was vexed at the delay which hadoccurred, lest in the mean time, eager to commence their work ofslaughter, the Indians might have attacked the house. He and Oliver,riding on either side of Virginia, accompanied by Ben and the rest ofthe horsemen, pushed on, leaving the men on foot to follow as fast asthey could. The horses' hoofs were scarcely heard on the soft ground.They had got almost within sight of the house, when Gilbert caught sightof the figure of an Indian running at full speed. Another and anotherstarted up. It was evident they had been taken by surprise. Gilbertcalled to his companions, who dashed on; but the Indians turning intothe still uncleared forest on the right, were lost to sight. Theirflight, and the hour they were on the road, showed that their intentionswere evil.
"They were probably waiting till the family should come out of the housein the early morning to set upon them," observed Gilbert to Oliver."Thank Heaven we are in time to prevent their design."
Though anxious to place Virginia in safety, he was doubting whether,with the enemy so close at hand, it was not his duty to wait for therest of the party on foot.
"No, no, Master Gilbert; you go on and get the young lady safe insidethe house, and I'll trot back and let our friends know that there areIndians abroad, so that they may not be taken by surprise," cried Ben,who, not waiting for an answer, set off at once; while Gilbert and therest of the horsemen galloped on, closely surrounding Virginia, tillthey reached the front of Vaughan's house. Gilbert's shouts quicklyawakened Vaughan, who, recognising his brother's voice, hastened down tothe door. In a few words Gilbert explained the reason of their comingto his brother, who having had no suspicions of the Indians, confessedthat he should have admitted them into the house without hesitation.The appearance of the Indians in the neighbourhood decided him onremaining to defend his house, instead of seeking for protection in thetown, as Gilbert had at first proposed. The horses were immediatelytaken round to the back of the house, and, as they would certainly bekilled if left in the stables, they were all brought inside and placedin an unfurnished room.
"I am indeed grateful to you, my brave sister-in-law, for thus coming tomy help," exclaimed Cicely, as she embraced Virginia.
Vaughan and Gilbert, with the other gentlemen, and the labourers who hadslept in the house, immediately set to work to block up all the lowerwindows and doors, only leaving sufficient loopholes for their muskets.Every receptacle they possessed for holding water was also filled fromthe well, both to afford them the means of quenching their thirst and toenable them to extinguish any fire which might burst forth. While theywere thus employed, Ben's voice was heard announcing the arrival ofhimself and the party on foot, who were at once admitted at the backentrance. To prevent the Indians from finding shelter in the outhouses,they were, under Ben's superintendence, quickly pulled down, thematerials enabling them still further to fortify the house.
Daylight found them still busily occupied. The fact of their not beingas yet attacked convinced them that it was but a small party of Indiansthey had surprised; probably they, however, would summon a larger body,should they have determined to attack the house. The garrison wereanxious to ascertain if their foes were near; but the stealthy way inwhich the Indians are accustomed to approach an enemy made it dangerousto send out scouts, who would almost to a certainty have been cut off.Oliver and Gilbert, however, took post by turns on the roof, whence theycould obtain a view round on every side, and get sight of the Indiansshould they draw near.
The morning passed away in perfect quiet; the hour indicated by Oncaguawas approaching,--Gilbert only hoped that other places were as wellprepared as they were. Dinner had been partaken of, and most of themen, who had been up all night, were lying down to obtain the rest theyneeded, when Oliver, looking through a trap which opened on the roof,exclaimed, "They are coming!"
The next instant the word was passed through the lower rooms,--the mensprang to their feet, and each one hastened to his appointed post. Theyhad not long to wait, for issuing from the border of the forest appeareda large band of Indians adorned with war-paint and feathers.
"I only wish we had one of the _Rainbow's_ guns mounted on the roof, andwe'd pretty soon make those fellows put about ship," exclaimed Ben, whenhe saw them. It was almost impossible to count the Indians as theyspread out on either hand, but Gilbert calculated that there were atleast several hundreds of them. Trusting to their numbers, they came onfearlessly, uttering their dreadful war-whoops.
"Wait till I give the order to fire," cried Gilbert, who, at Vaughan'srequest, had taken command. "Let not a shot be thrown away, nor a wordbe spoken."
The Indians came on, again and again uttering those terrific whoops, butno reply was made. They might have supposed that the house wasuntenanted; still they advanced till they got within range of thegarrison's fire-arms.
"Go back whence you came, or advance at your peril," shouted Gilbert.
The Indians replied by a shower of arrows.
"Now fire, my lads," cried Gilbert, and all the men having collected onone side, discharged a volley which brought well nigh a score of Indiansto the ground. The rest wavered, though they did not fly. Time wasthus afforded to the garrison to reload, and another volley almost asdestructive as the first was fired. Many sprang back and gazed aroundwith looks of astonishment, supposing that the defenders of the housewere twice as numerous as was the case. Still, urged on by theirchiefs, they discharged another flight of arrows, but, shot at random,they caused no injury. Gilbert again ordered his men to fire, but theIndians, as they looked round and saw so many of their tribe struck downon the ground, were seized wit
h a panic, and as the bullets again flewamong them, they turned and fled.
Some of the party proposed mounting their horses and following them up,but Gilbert advised that they should retain their advantageous post, asit was probable that the Indians would rally and return to the attack.They had, however, received a lesson not easily forgotten, and wherethey had expected to overcome a few unprepared people, they had met witha determined resistance. Great reason had Gilbert to be thankful toOncagua for his timely warning. A vigilant watch was kept during thenight, but no enemy appeared.
The next morning one of their party volunteered to set off to the town,and in a short time he came back with the intelligence that it had beenassailed by the enemy, who had been driven back with great slaughter.James Town in the same way had been preserved; but in a few days sadnews came from the remote ones, where, before the messengers arrived theIndians had begun to put into execution the sanguinary plan they hadconceived for the destruction of all the palefaces in the country, andseveral hundreds were massacred. More ships arriving shortly afterwardswith fresh settlers, a fearful retribution overtook the Indians, and thecountry which once they called their own knows them no more.
Gilbert, grateful to the old chief for the service he had rendered,despatched Oliver Dane at the head of an expedition by water to invitehim to James Town, where he might be safe from the vengeance of hiscountrymen, should they discover that he had warned the English of theirintended treachery. Oliver returned in two weeks, bringing Oncagua withhim. "The old chief has come, at your call," he said, "though my dayson earth are few; but ere I go, I would gain more of the wonderfulknowledge which changed my Manita into what I now see her; and that,more than the fear of my foes, induced me to accept your invitation."
From that day forward Oncagua seldom went beyond the house andsurrounding garden. He gained, however, knowledge he did not seek, forVirginia, aided by Cicely, laboured diligently to instruct him in thetruths of the Gospel, and ere he was summoned from earth he couldexclaim with confidence "I know that my Redeemer liveth."
The trials and dangers through which our various friends had gone, hadtaught them also an important lesson, to put their trust in their lovingFather, all mighty to save, and gratefully to acknowledge from their ownexperience that whatsoever He orders is for the best.
THE END.
The Settlers: A Tale of Virginia Page 13
