"What is your security, my friends? His word? His pledge of mercy to you, when he showed none to your brethren? Look at the hand which he stretches out to you; it is yet dripping with the blood of your people, butchered, in cold blood, at La Caroline, and the Bay of Matanzas. Trust him not, if you would prosper--if ye would not perish likewise. Believe none of his assurances, even though he should swear upon the Holy Evangel." "But what are we to do, Monsieur D'Erlach? We have small provisions here. He hath environed us with his troops." "We may break through his troops. We have arms in our hands, and if we have but the heart to use them, like men, we may not only save ourselves, but avenge our butchered comrades." His entreaties and arguments were unavailing. It was sufficient for our broken-spirited exiles that Melendez had volunteered to them those guaranties of safety which he had denied to their brethren. They prepared to yield. "Go not thou with these people, my brother," said Alphonse D'Erlach, to that elder brother whom we have seen, with himself, a trusted lieutenant of Laudonniere. He flung himself tenderly upon the bosom of the other, as he prayed, and the moisture gathered in his eyes. The elder was touched, but his inclinations led him with the rest. "He hath sworn to us, Alphonse, that life shall be spared us, and that we shall be free to enter his service or return to France." "Would you place life at his mercy?" "It is so now!" "No! never! while the hand may grasp the weapon. If we would defy him as men, we should rather have his life at ours. Oh! would that we were men. Enter his service! Dost thou think of this? Wouldst thou receive commands from the lips of him who hath murdered thy old commander!" "No! surely, I shall never serve Melendez. I seek this only as the mean whereby to return to France." "And wherefore return to France? What hath France in reserve for us but the shot, the torture, and the scourge. Here, brother, here, with the wild Floridian, let us make our home. Let us rather put on the untamed habits of the savage, his garments torn from bear and panther; let us anoint our bodies with oil; let us stain our cheeks with ocre; and taking bond with the Apalachian and Floridian, let us haunt the footsteps of the Spaniard with death and eternal hatred, till we leave not one of them living for the pollution of the soil. This is my purpose, brother, though I go forth into the wilderness alone!" "Thou shalt not go alone, Alphonse. We will live and die together."