Few among the colonists had any love for Captain Smith. True, his popularity had been great for a while after he had forced Wingfield to abandon the pinnace a second time; but it soon waned6, and his days were made miserable7 with suspicion and taunts8.
“I will leave them to their fate and go in search of the South Sea, which men say is only two hundred miles to the westward9,” he said to himself.
Acting10 upon this determination, he took67 six men and two Indian guides, and started up the James. Soon he came to the Chickahominy, upon whose chocolate-colored breast the wild geese and swans were floating.
At the same time he left Jamestown an Indian was traveling with all speed to carry a message from Wingfield to Opechancanough.
“Father Smith comes your way. Kill him, and twenty guns will be your reward,” was the message.
Seeing a column of smoke rising from among the trees, Captain Smith commanded his men to row him ashore11. Perhaps there might be an Indian village there, where he could learn something about the route to the South Sea. Taking with him the two Indian guides, he ordered the others to row to the center of the stream and await his coming.
Hardly had he disappeared when his orders were disobeyed. Robinson and Emry refused to row back. They would do some exploring on their own account.
Opechancanough had received the message sent by Wingfield. As soon as Captain Smith was out of sight, his men pounced12 down upon Robinson and Emry68 and added their scalps to their belts. Then they started in pursuit of Smith.
Not suspecting the danger dogging his footsteps, Captain Smith was horrified13 to see one of the Indians drop to the ground. Catching14 hold of the other, he bound him in front of himself, and turned to face the enemy. Arrows flew like hail, wounding him in the thigh15. Throwing off the Indian, he plunged16 into the stream, hoping to escape his pursuers. In his disabled condition he was soon captured, and taken by the gloating savages17 to Opechancanough.
Although expecting every minute to be killed, he did not lose his presence of mind, but began devising plans for delaying death, if only for a short while.
Taking from his pocket a little ivory compass, he handed it to the cunning chief.
“Look at this, Opechancanough. Turn it about and try to touch the little moving point.”
Opechancanough did so, and tried to put his finger upon the quivering needle, but found a hard substance came between. Still he could see through it, and turn it whichever way he would, the needle always swung to the same spot.
A grunt19 expressive20 of admiring awe21 burst from the chief and was echoed by his69 men as they gazed in amazement22 upon the wonderful thing.
Opechancanough and his warriors23 then drew aside to hold a consultation25 as to the disposal of their prisoner. At the end of a few minutes four warriors came forward, and seizing the prisoner bound him to a tree. The rest then took their positions in front of him, with arrows strung ready to end his life.
Resigning hope, and commending his soul to God, the unhappy soldier awaited the fatal signal from Opechancanough. Just as the warriors raised their bows, the chief held up the compass and they unstrung their arrows.
“We will take the pale face to Powhatan; unbind him,” said Opechancanough.
Smith, with his hands tied behind him, was placed between two guards and the journey to Weriwocomoco was begun. This place was the chief home of Powhatan. Here he had his treasure-house filled with skins, copper26 beads27, and long ropes of pearls, and bows, arrows, and the deadly tomahawk lay heaped together. On the one side lay greed; on the other, death. The whole history of his dealings with the colony lay in those two piles.
When Smith arrived there he was carried into a large room with mats of woven rushes upon the floor. In the center a roaring blaze sent its puffing28 breath in wreathing clouds to form a canopy29 over the bedstead throne placed beside it. Two hundred warriors entered and ranged themselves in double rows around the walls. From behind them peeped the squaws dressed in fantastic garb30. Their faces and shoulders were crimsoned31 with the juice of the pokeberry. Tufts of downy heron feathers swayed above their jetty locks, and strings32 of white beads encircled their necks.
As Powhatan entered, an unearthly shout split the air and sent cold shivers over the prisoner.
Tall and gaunt as a blasted pine was the King of Virginia. Sixty years had etched their passing in numerous fine lines upon his features. Crafty33 eyes, partially34 obscured by half-closed lids, gave a sinister35 look to his countenance36. A magnificent robe of raccoon skins covered his majestic37 form, and the great bushy tails ringed in black waved as he walked. Four youthful maidens38 acted as his bodyguard39, for the decrepit40 chief greatly loved the young and gay.
Calling around him the priests of Okee, Powhatan inquired of them the will of the Terrible One concerning the prisoner.
“Let it be as Okee wills,” said the King. “Bring a stone and lay his head upon it.”
A huge stone was placed in front of the old war-horse. Dragging Smith forward, his head was laid upon its cold bosom42. The savage18 warriors, with uplifted clubs, crowded around to have a share in beating out his brains.
From among the women in the background sprang Pocahontas, and threw herself at her father’s feet.
“O Powhatan, spare the life of the stranger. Beware lest you anger the Great Spirit of the pale face. He is mightier43 than the Okee of the ‘real man.’ Will Powhatan not listen to Pocahontas, daughter of the Water Lily?”
At the sound of that loved name, Powhatan’s eyelids44 flickered45 for an instant, but no sign of relenting showed upon his face.
“The pale face shall die; Powhatan has spoken.”
Bending her body, she clasped the head of Captain Smith to her beating bosom and faced her father. Then the soul of Virginia 72 Dare battled with Powhatan for the life of the captive.
“Powhatan takes the life of the stranger; he shall also slay46 his best-loved daughter. Pocahontas has spoken.”
With a passionate47 movement she laid her face against that of the prisoner, and her cloud of hair covered them both with its dusky mantle48.
For three long minutes a deathlike silence hung over the crowded room. Only the falling of a crackling branch sawn asunder49 by the fiery50 tooth of the flame disturbed the pulsating51 air. Powhatan moved on his throne and the spell was broken.
“Pocahontas has saved the pale face from death. He shall be kept a prisoner to make hatchets52 for Powhatan and beads for Pocahontas.”
Captain Smith was then removed to a lonely house in the woods, under a guard of four warriors.
Each day Pocahontas came with food for the young soldier, and as he ate he told her many stories of the lands across the sea.
“To the eastward53 lies the land of the pale faces. There they live in great houses, tall as trees. Many openings for the sunlight to come in are filled with a substance clear as water, but hard and brittle54. The73 walls are hung in great pieces of cloth to keep out the winter’s cold. When the warriors go a-journey they ride upon a four-legged animal called a horse. Also the squaws and maidens cover their whole bodies.”
“Yes,” replied the courageous56 Captain. “Not even an arm can be seen.”
“Tell Pocahontas what lies beyond the setting sun.”
“To the westward live a people whose skin is much like that of Pocahontas. Perhaps in the beginning of things your people wandered from that land to this. There they walk with their feet pressed against ours.”
Pocahontas marveled much at his wonderful narratives57, and the child’s love for the pale face grew in strength every day.
“O Pocahontas,” came in accents tremulous with emotion, “you have saved my life and given back hope to my heart. You are as dear to me as a daughter to her father; hereafter I will be your father and I shall call you child.”
Seizing his hands, she pressed her lips upon them and her happy heart made answer.
“Pocahontas is content, for then she will be a child of the pale faces.”
After two days’ imprisonment58 a horrible figure dressed as Satan appeared before Smith. Unearthly yells, such as lost souls doubtless utter, came from the throats of two hundred black figures who accompanied this apparition59. Powhatan and his warriors had come to see if they could make the Captain tremble before the terrors of the devil.
Not a muscle of Captain Smith’s face moved, although an icy hand gripped at his heart. His composure astonished Powhatan. Truly this was a wonderful warrior24 whom not even Okee could force to cringe. It were better to have his friendship than his enmity. No doubt he was an oracle60 of the Great Spirit.
So Powhatan left off his incantations and sat down before the prisoner. He was now, he said, the friend of Father Smith, whom he would henceforth love as a son, and would give him land over which to rule. He should go back to Jamestown and send him two great guns and a grindstone.
This the Captain gladly promised to do.
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1
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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glistening
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| adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
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colonists
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| n.殖民地开拓者，移民，殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 ) | |
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ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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squandered
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| v.（指钱，财产等）浪费，乱花( squander的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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6
waned
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| v.衰落( wane的过去式和过去分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡 | |
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7
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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taunts
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| 嘲弄的言语，嘲笑，奚落( taunt的名词复数 ) | |
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westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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10
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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12
pounced
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| v.突然袭击( pounce的过去式和过去分词 )；猛扑；一眼看出；抓住机会（进行抨击） | |
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horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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thigh
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| n.大腿；股骨 | |
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16
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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17
savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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18
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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19
grunt
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| v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝 | |
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20
expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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21
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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23
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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24
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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25
consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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26
copper
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| n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的 | |
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27
beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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28
puffing
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| v.使喷出( puff的现在分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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29
canopy
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| n.天篷，遮篷 | |
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30
garb
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| n.服装，装束 | |
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31
crimsoned
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| 变为深红色（crimson的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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32
strings
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| n.弦 | |
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crafty
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| adj.狡猾的，诡诈的 | |
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partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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36
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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majestic
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| adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的 | |
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38
maidens
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| 处女( maiden的名词复数 )； 少女； 未婚女子； （板球运动）未得分的一轮投球 | |
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39
bodyguard
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| n.护卫，保镖 | |
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40
decrepit
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| adj.衰老的，破旧的 | |
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41
granite
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| adj.花岗岩，花岗石 | |
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42
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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43
mightier
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| adj. 强有力的，强大的，巨大的 adv. 很，极其 | |
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44
eyelids
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| n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色 | |
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45
flickered
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| （通常指灯光）闪烁，摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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46
slay
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| v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮 | |
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47
passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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48
mantle
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| n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红 | |
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49
asunder
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| adj.分离的，化为碎片 | |
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50
fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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51
pulsating
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| adj.搏动的，脉冲的v.有节奏地舒张及收缩( pulsate的现在分词 )；跳动；脉动；受（激情）震动 | |
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52
hatchets
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| n.短柄小斧( hatchet的名词复数 )；恶毒攻击；诽谤；休战 | |
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53
eastward
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| adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部 | |
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54
brittle
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| adj.易碎的；脆弱的；冷淡的；(声音)尖利的 | |
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55
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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56
courageous
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| adj.勇敢的，有胆量的 | |
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57
narratives
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| 记叙文( narrative的名词复数 )； 故事； 叙述； 叙述部分 | |
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58
imprisonment
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| n.关押，监禁，坐牢 | |
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59
apparition
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| n.幽灵，神奇的现象 | |
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60
oracle
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| n.神谕，神谕处，预言 | |
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