leisurely aside and held out my hand.

"Come to Jamestown," I said, "to smoke of the Englishman's pipe and
receive rich presents--a red robe like your brother Powhatan, and a cup
from which you shall drink, you and all your people."

But the cup I meant was that of punishment.

The savage laid his dark fingers in mine for an instant, withdrew them,
and, rising to his feet, motioned to three Indians who stood out from
the throng of warriors.

"These are Captain Percy's guides and friends," he announced. "The sun
is high; it is time that he was gone. Here are presents for him and my
brother the governor." As he spoke, he took from his neck the rope of
pearls and from his arm a copper bracelet, and laid both upon my palm.

"Thank you, Opechancanough," I said briefly. "When we meet again I will
not greet you with empty thanks."

We bade farewell to the noisy throng and went down to the river, where
we found a canoe and rowers, crossed the stream, and entered the forest,
which stretched black and forbidding before us--the blacker that we now
knew the dreadful secret it guarded.

II

After leaving the Indian village, Captain Percy and Diccon found
that their guides purposely delayed the march, so that they would
not reach Jamestown until just before the beginning of the attack,
when it would be too late for them to warn the English, if they
suspected anything. Percy and Diccon, in this dilemma, surprised
the Indian guides and killed them, then hurried on with all
possible speed toward Jamestown. As they hastened through the
forest, Diccon was shot by an Indian and mortally wounded; Captain
Percy remained with him until his death, and again took up the
journey, now alone and greatly fearing that he would arrive too
late.

The dusk had quite fallen when I reached the neck of land. Arriving at
the palisade that protected Jamestown, I beat upon the gate and called
to the warden to open. He did so with starting eyes. Giving him a few
words and cautioning him to raise no alarm in the town, I hurried by him
into the street and down it toward the house that was set aside for the
governor of Virginia, Sir Francis Wyatt.

The governor's door was open, and in the hall servingmen were moving to
and fro. When I came in upon them, they cried out as if it had been a
ghost, and one fellow let a silver dish fall to the floor with a
clatter. They shook with fright and stood