Pocahontas sighed half sadly, half happily. "Bear to him my loving
greetings. Brother," she said, "and say to him that Matoaka's thoughts
go to him each day, even as the tide cometh up the river from the sea."
"He hath agreed," said Catanaugh, "to a truce until taquitock (fall of
the leaf) if the English will send important hostages to him, whom he
may hold as they hold thee."
"And Cleopatra and our other sisters and old Wansutis, how is it with
them all, and...." and Pocahontas strung the names of most of the
inhabitants of Werowocomoco together in her enquiries. She listened to
all the news they had to tell her of the great deeds accomplished by the
young braves and the wise speeches made by the old chiefs in council, of
the harvest dances, of the losses on the warpath, and of old Wansutis,
who had grown more strange and more silent since Claw-of-the-Eagle's
death. Then Pocahontas told them of the manner of his going; and
Catanaugh's eyes flashed as he heard of the three palefaces his friend
had slain.
They had not noticed how long they had sat there chatting until they saw
Sir Thomas himself coming down from the ship, accompanied by Rolfe and
Master Sparkes.
"These two, Princess," he said, "will be the hostages we send to thy
father; and thy brothers will remain with us."
The two Indians looked at the white men keenly. From the glance their
sister gave Rolfe they knew he must be her affianced husband. And Rolfe
looked with the same curiosity at his future brothers-in-law. They were
tall like their father, strong and well-built, men such as other men
liked to look at, no matter what their color might be. But it was
Nautauquas in particular that pleased him. He recalled that John Smith
had said of him that he was "the most manliest, comliest, boldest spirit
I ever saw in a savage."
After they had conversed for a little, Rolfe and Sparkes, accompanied by
certain Indians to whom Nautauquas confided them, set out on their way
to Werowocomoco. They did not fear that harm would come to them, but
they begrudged the time they must spend away from the colony. On their
arrival Powhatan, who was still angry with the English, refused to see
them, so Opechanchanough entertained them and promised to intercede
with his brother for them. Nautauquas's messenger had brought him the
news of Rolfe's relation to his niece.
In the meantime the truce was extended until the autumn and the
Englishmen were sent back to Jamestown. Nautauquas and Catanaugh had
enjoyed their time on the island among the palefaces, Catanaugh being
interested only in the fort and its guns and in the ship, and
Nautauquas, not only in these, but in talking as well as he could with
the colonists. He and Pocahontas again went hunting together on the
mainland, for the Governor allowed them full liberty to come and go as
they pleased, feeling sure that Nautauquas would keep his word not to
leave Jamestown until the Powhatan sent back Rolfe and Sparkes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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