om the fort in search of food, were helping
themselves to some ears of green corn in a field, when Indians fell upon
them and killed them.

In this desperate pass Laudonniere took a high-handed step. He sent a
party up the river, seized {87} Outina, and brought him a prisoner to the
fort. This had the desired effect. His people pleaded for his release.
The Frenchmen agreed to give him up for a large supply of corn and sent a
well-armed party to his village, with the captive chief. The Indians
brought in the corn, and the Frenchmen released Outina, according to
agreement. But when the former started from the village, each with a bag
of corn on his shoulder, to march to their boats, which were at a landing
two or three miles away, they were savagely attacked from both sides of
the road. They were compelled to drop the corn and fight for their
lives. Wherever there was opportunity for an ambuscade, arrows showered
upon them from the woods. They kept up the running fight bravely,
returning a steady fire, but probably made little impression on their
hidden foes swarming under cover. By the time they reached the boats
they had two men killed and twenty-two wounded, and but two bags of corn.

It is evident that the social life of these Indians was organized on the
community-system, just as we have seen it to be among the Iroquois, of
the North. They could supply the Frenchmen with corn in considerable
quantities, taking it out of a {88} stock kept for the whole community.
Unlike the Iroquois, however, they lived by families, in individual
houses.

The distress at Fort Caroline was now extreme, owing to famine within and
war without. In this dark hour, one day, four sails appeared, steering
toward the mouth of the river. Was this the long-expected relief from
France? Or were these Spanish vessels? Presently "the meteor flag of
England" floated out on the breeze, and soon a boat brought a friendly
message from the commander, the famous Sir John Hawkins. Being a
strenuous Puritan, he was a warm sympathizer with the Protestants of
France. Returning from selling a cargo of Guinea negroes to the
Spaniards of Hispaniola--not at all a discreditable transaction in those
days--he had run short of water and had put into the River of May, to
obtain a supply.

Touched by the pitiful condition of the Frenchmen, he opened his
ship-stores, gave them wine and biscuit, and sold them other supplies
very cheaply, taking cannon