y?"
"Yea, Brother, very happy. He is dear to me because I know him and
because I know him not. Thou surely hast not forgotten how Matoaka ever
longed for what lay unknown beyond her."
"Hath thy manitou spoken?" questioned Nautauquas again.
"The God of the Christians is my god now," she answered.
"So should it be," said Nautauquas, although Catanaugh scowled; "a woman
must worship the spirits to which her brave prayeth. Then all is well
with thee?"
"All if my father will but make peace. I would I might go to see him.
Doth he love me still?" she asked wistfully.
"He saith," answered Nautauquas, "that he loveth thee as his life and,
though he hath many children, that he delighteth in none so much as in
thee."
Pocahontas sighed half sadly, half happily. "Bear to him my loving
greetings. Brother," she said, "and say to him that Matoaka's thoughts
go to him each day, even as the tide cometh up the river from the sea."
"He hath agreed," said Catanaugh, "to a truce until taquitock (fall of
the leaf) if the English will send important hostages to him, whom he
may hold as they hold thee."
"And Cleopatra and our other sisters and old Wansutis, how is it with
them all, and...." and Pocahontas strung the names of most of the
inhabitants of Werowocomoco together in her enquiries. She listened to
all the news they had to tell her of the great deeds accomplished by the
young braves and the wise speeches made by the old chiefs in council, of
the harvest dances, of the losses on the warpath, and of old Wansutis,
who had grown more strange and more silent since Claw-of-the-Eagle's
death. Then Pocahontas told them of the manner of his going; and
Catanaugh's eyes flashed as he heard of the three palefaces his friend
had slain.
They had not noticed how long they had sat there chatting until they saw
Sir Thomas himself coming down from the ship, accompanied by Rolfe and
Master Sparkes.
"These two, Princess," he said, "will be the hostages we send to thy
father; and thy brothers will remain with us."
The two Indians looked at the white men keenly. From the glance their
sister gave Rolfe they knew he must be her affianced husband. And Rolfe
looked with the same curiosity at his future brothers-in-law. They were
tall like their father, strong and well-built, men such as other men
liked to look at, no matter what their color might be. But it was
Nautauquas in particular that pleased him. He recalled that John Smith
had
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