This Country of Ours

a. This time Reté de Laudonni?re was captain. He had been with Ribaut two years before, and no

d set up. It was wreathed in flowers, and baskets of corn stood before it. For the Indians looked upon it as an idol, and made offerings to it. They kissed it with a great show of reveren

lighted with the nati

ound his colony among

e river which Ribaut

now the St. John's

ere they intended to build the fort; wearied with their long march thr

d together he bade them give thanks to God for their safe arrival. So standing beneath the waving palms, with the deep b

was not a man who had not a shovel or hatchet or some tool in his hand. The work went on merrily, and soon above the banks of the river the fort rose, secure and st

angers were about, and he feared lest they should mean evil towards him. So he gathered his warriors together, and on

, making signs of peace, and leaving most of his warriors behind him, came down into the ca

Then with many signs and gestures he told the Frenchmen that his great enemies the Thimagoes were near, and that if the

s made between the Indians and the Frenchmen, Laudonni?re promising to help Satouriona against his enemies, the Thimagoes. With this tr

cers to find out who the Thimagoes really were of whom Satouriona spoke with such hate. Guided by some Indians, this officer soo

le to crush his enemies with the Frenchmen's help, had

feathers, gathered at the call. Then seeing that Laudonni?re wa

r you will stand by your promise to show yourself a friend of

withstanding I will go with him. But first I must gather food for my garrison, neither are my ships ready. An enterprise

he heard it, was filled with wrath. He was not, howeve

ierce animals. Beside the fire was placed a large bowl of water, and near it Satouriona stood erect, while his braves squatted at his feet. Standing thus he turned his face, distorted with wrath and hatred, towards the enemy's country. First he muttered to himself, then he

enemies be poured out and

the savage host, and all the woods

a few days they returned singing praises to the Sun, and

them so that he might send them back to the chief of the Thimagoes as a proof that he at least was still friendly, for he al

he has broken his oath, and I will

went to the chief's village. Leaving some of the soldiers at the gate, and charging them to let no Indians go in or out, he went into Satouriona's hut with the o

ght that Satouriona wa

ni?re

eupon the chief, "angry at the heart and astonied wonderfully," stood a long time w

such warlike guise they were afraid and fled to the woods. And not

did not understand what the chief said

s they were brought before Laudonni?re the prisoners greeted him humbly. They lifted up their hands to heaven, and then thre

elighted at the return of his braves. He was still more delighted when the Frenchm

sameness of the life. The food was bad, the work was hard, and there seemed little hope that things would ever be better. And for all their hardships it seemed to them the Governor wa

rged the doctor to put poison in his medicine. But the doctor refused. Next they formed a plot to hide a barrel of

utineers back in it. In their place the captain left behind some of his sailors. But this proved a bad exchange. For these sailors were little better than pirates, and very soon they became the ri

r a time they ran short of food, and found themselves forced to put into a Spanish port. He

arned that the heretic Frenchmen had settled in thei

s ship. And as days passed, and there was no sign of the mut

f it and they began to grumble. Why should men of noble birth, they

epped forward, and asked leave to read a paper in the name of all the others. Laudonni?re gave permission. The paper was read. It was full of complaints about the hard work, the want of food, and other grievances. It ended wit

romised that as soon as the two ships were finished the

scontent was as deep as ever. Laudonni?re now again became very ill and the malcontents had it all their own way

y refused to open the door. The mutineers, however, were not to be easily held back; they forced open the door, wounding one man who tried to hinder them, and in a few minutes with drawn swords in hand, and angry scowls on their faces, they crowded round the sick

rt, threw him into a boat and rowed him out to the ship which lay anchored in the river. All the loyal colonists had by this time been disarmed, and the fort was compl

s unbroken, and he refused to sign. Then the mutineers sent him a message saying that if he did not si

building, and on the 8th of December they set sail. As they went they flung taunts at those who stayed behind, calling them fools and dolts a

s friends rowed out to him, set him free from h

w ships to take the place of those which the mutineers had stolen. But they never thought of tilling the ground and sowing seed to provide bread for the future. Thus more than three month

ghty threats, they were eager to make terms. But Laudonni?re was not sure whether they really came in peace or not. So he sent out a little boat to the mutineers' ship. On the deck of it there was an officer with one or two men only. But below, thirty men, all armed to the teeth, were hidden. Seeing only these one or two men in the boat the mutin

f the ringleaders were condemned to death.

loyal soldiers near, "will you stan

e, sharply, "are no comrade

were shot and their bodies hanged on gibbets ne

long-expected ship from France did not come. Rich and fertile land spread all round them, but the colonists had neither ploughed n

with so much pain and care was hardly enough to keep body and soul together. They grew so thin that their bones started through the skin. Gaunt, hollow-eyed spectres they lay about the fort sunk in misery, or dragged themselves a little way into the forest in search of food. Unless help came from France they knew t

not enough to carry them all to France, so gathering all their last energy they began to build another boat. The hope of getting back to France seemed for a time to put a little strength into their fami

lies of fish to the starving men. But they demanded so much for it that soon the colonists were bare of everything they had possess

of thy merchandise," they jeered,

lthough the Indians sold it grudgingly the colony

ed with the chief of the Thimagoes for whose sake they

oes the Frenchmen seized their chief, and kept him prisoner until

ief had been set free: and even then they would not bring it to Fort Caroline, but forced the Frenchmen to come for it. The Frenchmen went, but they very quickly saw that they were in great danger. For the village swarmed

They had not gone far beyond the village when a wild war whoop was heard. It was immediately followed by a shower of arrows.

sharp encounter followed, and soon the Indians fled again into the forest. But again and again they returned to the attack, and the Frenchmen had to fight every yard of the way. At nine o'clock the fight began, and the sun was setting when at length the Indians gave up the pursuit. When the

ding a ship had come to nothing. But rather than stay longer the colonists resolved to crowd into the two small vessels

sails gleaming white in the sunlight was making for the mouth of the river. As he gazed another and still another ship hove in sight. Thrilling with excitement Laudonni?re sent a messenger down to the fort with al

e Spaniards? They were neither one nor the other. That little fleet was English, under command of the famous admiral, John Hawkins, in search of fresh water of which they stood much in need. The English Admiral at once showed hims

n, however, he saw the ships in which they meant to sail homewards he shook his head. "It was not possible," he said, "for so many souls to cross the broad Atlantic in those tiny barques." So he offered to g

wded round him clamouring to be gone, threatening that if he refus

r, was generous. Instead of money he took the cannon and other things now useless to the colonists. He provided them with

as ready, and they only waited for a fair wind in order to set sail. But as they waited, one day, the fort was again thrown into a state of excitement by the appearance of another fleet of ships. Ag

nwelcome to many. For the colonists had grown utterly weary of that sunlit cruel land, and they only longed t

d not come alone but had brought their wives and families with them. Soon the fort which had been so silent and mournful was filled with sounds of tal

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