He had not gone far when some Indians crept out of the woods. They took the two men by surprise and killed them. Then the savages hurried after Smith. He fought hard and managed to make a prisoner of one of the Indians. Quick as a flash, he bound his prisoner in front of him. In this way he made a shield for himself. The Indians could not shoot at the white man without running the risk of killing one of their own people. By this time they had driven Smith into a swamp. The brave man was sinking deeper and deeper into the mud. It was not long before he sank up to his waist in it. He could no longer run nor fight. He would have to give himself up. He made a sign to his enemies that he would let them take him. Even after they had taken him ashore he had hope. With quick thought he drew a small compass from his pocket and offered it to the leader of the party. He told the Indian to look at the needle. He showed how it pointed. He explained that anyone who carried it could tell in what direction he was going. The savage was so pleased that he would not let the others do Smith any harm. They started for their home with their prisoner. They did not travel like white men. They walked in single file and made no noise. They carried Smith to several Indian villages. Everyone was curious to see him. Many of their people had never looked at a white man before. They said to each other: "Is he a friend or an enemy to us? He is certainly very wise and brave." They looked at the compass and saw that it would really tell directions. They thought: "No common man could have such a wonderful thing as that." Smith wrote a letter to his friends in Jamestown and asked the Indians to send it to them. When the Red Men had done this and found that those queer marks on a piece of paper told a story to the white men, they were even more surprised. They said: "We do not dare to kill our prisoner, he is too powerful." What should they do with him? While they were trying to make up their minds about this, they kept Smith shut up in a hut. They were not cruel to him, however. O, no. They brought him quantities of food to eat. There were bread made of corn, roasted deer meat, and all the dainties which they themselves liked best. Smith thought: "They are trying to make me fat before they kill me." This thought took away all wish for food. The poor man could scarcely eat. Day after day went by until at last the Red Men said: "We will take our prisoner to the great chief, Powhatan, and he will tell us what to do." Smith was brought out and carried in a strange procession to the village in which the chief was then living. He was kept there for some time before the chief would receive him. When the day came at last, Powhatan was dressed in the grandest Indian fashion. He wore a long robe made of feathers. His face and arms were painted. His people stood around him. He wished Smith to think he was great and powerful.