served Vaughan, with a sigh; "but have
their captors put them to death, think you?"

Canochet considered an instant: "Revenge is sweet," he observed; "but an
Indian can be moved by other motives. They may have deemed it prudent
to preserve their lives, either to exhibit them to their tribe as
trophies of victory, or to exchange them for any of their own people who
may be captured--though I must not conceal from you that the women and
relatives of those who have been slain will certainly demand their
death. It is believed, however, that our great chief Powhattan, from
having preserved the life of Captain Smith, is favourable to the
English; and they may dread his vengeance more than that of the whites,
should they injure their young captives."

This information afforded but doubtful comfort to Vaughan and Roger;
they would be ready, they said, to pay any amount of ransom for their
friends, if Canochet could manage to communicate with their captors. He
promised to do so, and at once sent off a party to discover their trail
and to follow them up; though he acknowledged that he had no great hopes
that they would be overtaken. In the mean time, he and the rest of his
band, accompanied by Vaughan and Roger, proceeded to the camp. They had
now still more reason than ever to hasten their visit to Powhattan, in
the hopes that he might assist in the recovery of the captives should
their lives have been spared.

Rolfe ordered his men to get into marching order, and, accompanied by
the Monacan chief, they proceeded on their journey. The day was already
far spent, so that they had gone but a short distance before it was
necessary to camp, in order that the hunters might go out in search of
game. There was no slight danger to the huntsmen, for Pomaunkee's
people might possibly have followed them, and be on the watch to cut off
any one leaving the camp. Hunger, however, overcame their fears, and
the huntsmen returned in safety with three deer, sufficient to afford
food both to the English and natives. The fires had already been
lighted, and the cooks at once set to work to roast the joints of
venison, on spits formed of wood, supported on forked sticks; while the
rest of the Indians squatted round with eager eyes, watching the
process.

The Indians, confiding in their numbers, seemed to consider that no
attack would be made on them, but Rolfe, after the experience he had
gained of the treachery of the natives, deemed it p