een
neglected, and famine was added to sickness, Capt. Smith had so won the
confidence of the Indian chieftains, that notwithstanding the gross
irregularities of his young men, they brought him supplies of corn and
game, which they freely gave to the English in their destitution.

Captain Smith having thus provided for the necessities of the greatly
diminished colony, set out with a small party of men on an exploring
expedition into the interior. He was waylayed by Indians, who with
arrows and tomahawks speedily put all the men to death, excepting the
leader, who was taken captive. There was something in the demeanor of
this brave man which overawed them. He showed them his pocket compass,
upon which they gazed with wonder. He then told them that if they would
send to the fort a leaf from his pocket-book, upon which he had made
several marks with his pencil, they would find the next day, at any spot
they might designate, a certain number of axes, blankets, and other
articles of great value to them. Their curiosity was exceedingly
aroused; the paper was sent, and the next day the articles were found as
promised. The Indians looked upon Captain Smith as a magician, and
treated him with great respect. Still the more thoughtful of the natives
regarded him as a more formidable foe. They could not be blind to the
vastly superior power of the English in their majestic ships, with their
long swords, and terrible fire-arms, and all the developments,
astounding to them, of a higher civilization. They were very anxious in
view of encroachments which might eventually give the English the
supremacy in their land.

Powhatan, the king of the powerful tribe who had at first been very
friendly to the English, summoned a council of war of his chieftains,
and after long deliberation, it was decided that Captain Smith was too
powerful a man to be allowed to live, and that he must die. He was
accordingly led out to execution, but without any of the ordinary
accompaniments of torture. His hands were bound behind him, he was laid
upon the ground, and his head was placed upon a stone. An Indian warrior
of herculean strength stood by, with a massive club, to give the death
blow by crushing in the skull. Just as the fatal stroke was about to
descend, a beautiful Indian girl, Pocahontas, the daughter of the king,
rushed forward and throwing her arms around the neck of Captain Smith,
placed her head upon his. The Indians regarded this as an indic