boarded, and overpowered them, before they could seize their arms. In
fact, they were mostly drunk. After a short career of successful piracy,
they had suddenly found themselves attacked by three armed vessels. The
most were killed or taken, but twenty-six escaped. The pilot, who had
been carried away against his will, cunningly steered {85} the brigantine
to the Florida coast; and, having no provisions, they were compelled to
seek succor from their old comrades. Still they had wine in abundance,
and so they appeared off the mouth of the river drunk, and, as we have
seen, were easily taken. A court-martial condemned the ringleader and
three others to be shot, which was duly done. The rest were pardoned.

In the meantime the men in the fort had been inquiring diligently in
various directions. There was still much talk of mysterious kingdoms,
rich in gold. Once more they were duped into fighting his battles by the
wily Outina, who promised to lead them to the mines of Appalachee. They
defeated his enemies, and there was abundant slaughter, with plenty of
scalps for Outina's braves, but, of course, no gold.

The expected supplies from France did not come. The second summer was
upon them, with its exhausting heat. The direst want pinched them.
Ragged, squalid, and emaciated, they dragged themselves about the fort,
digging roots or gathering any plant that might stay the gnawings of
hunger. They had made enemies of their neighbors, Satouriona and his
people; and Outina, for whom they had done so much, sent them only {86} a
meagre supply of corn, with a demand for more help in fighting his
enemies. They accepted the offer and were again cheated by the cunning
savage.

Laudonniere draws a pathetic picture of their misery. In the quaint old
English translation of Richard Hakluyt it reads thus: "The effects of
this hideous famine appeared incontinently among us, for our bones
eftsoones beganne to cleave so neere unto the skinne, that the most part
of the souldiers had their skinnes pierced thorow with them in many
partes of their bodies."

The thoughts of the famished men in Fort Caroline turned homeward with
eager longing. They had still remaining one vessel and the Spanish
brigantine brought by the mutineers. But they must have another. They
began with furious haste to build one, everybody lending a hand. Then
came a disastrous check. When things were well under way, the two
carpenters, roaming away fr