the white
men. Would they partake of a feast which he had sent?

They set down their burden of tempting food, and the Captain's eyes
gleamed; with a profound bow he thanked Powhatan for his courtesy, but
he said:

"When we English make a feast for any one, we ourselves first taste
each dish before we offer it to our guests. If you would have me eat
what you have brought, you must first taste of each dish yourselves."

His manner was defiant as he stood waiting for them to accept his
challenge, and, seeing they made no move to touch what they had
brought, he said, still more defiantly:

"Tell your Chief to come on and attack us. We are ready for you!"

So soldierly was he, that the frightened Indians turned and fled,
while the colonists hastily threw away the food Powhatan had sent. The
old ruler had again been checkmated by his daughter's loyalty to the
white men and the Captain's courage.

Early the next morning, when the tide was right, the white men were
able to leave Werewocomoco, and all on board the barges drew sighs of
relief as they sailed away from the Emperor's stronghold.

While they had been absent from Jamestown a party had set out for a
neighboring island, but a great storm having come up, their boat had
been swamped and all on board drowned. As they were the men who had
been left in charge of the colony during Smith's absence, it was
necessary to send him word immediately, and one of the survivors,
Richard Wyffin, was sent on the errand. When he arrived at
Werewocomoco the colonists had left, and Powhatan was in a sullen fury
against them for having outwitted him. Wyffin's life was in danger,
and he must escape as quickly as possible. Pocahontas hurried to his
rescue and at a moment when there were no Indians to see, she took him
to a forest hiding-place where he could safely spend the night. Later,
under cover of the darkness, she crept to the spot, awakened him and
led him to the edge of the woods, directing him to take the opposite
trail from that on which her father's braves were watching to capture
him. And so he escaped and joined the other colonists at Pamunkey,
where they had gone from Werewocomoco, Captain Smith being determined
either to get corn from Opechancanough or to burn his storehouses, for
he, like Powhatan, had promised to trade with the white men. But he
proved treacherous, too, and Captain Smith, exasperated and desperate,
sprang on him and "in a fierce encounter nearly knock