The Flamingo Feather

y and careless boyhood, and started for Paris. Less than a month before both his noble father and his gentle mother had been taken from him by a terrible fever that had

with a letter telling his uncle of his sad position could return. When at length he came again, bringing a kind me

e way. Behind him rode old Fran?ois, who had been his father's valet and was now his sole friend and protector. The big tears rolled down the boy's cheeks as he turned

and with them goes my boyhood; for hereafter I

d. "Thou art already a man in feeling, and thine Uncle Laudonniere will presently make thee one in fa

my only uncle, I have but little knowledge o

company with his Excellency Admiral Jean Ribault. He brings strange tales of those wonderful lands beyond the sea, and rumor has it tha

le and the New World. Fran?ois answered these to the best of his ability, and even drew largely upon his imaginat

k ere it was ended and they entered Paris. Here they were finally set down be

ain a better view of him, exclaimed, "In good sooth, Réné, thou'rt a likely lad; and if thy heart be as tru

; and ere they slept it was fully decided that, in spite of his youth, he should make one of th

ents, in all of which young Réné de Veaux bore manfully his share. He became each day more useful to his uncle, who intrusted him with

ere had taken leave of his King and Admiral Jean Ribault, who was to follow him in a few months with a still larger company. On a bright May morning uncle and nephew reached the l

of France floated proudly from the mizzen, and amid the booming of cannon and the loud acclamations of the throngs assembled on

d rushed on deck with joyous exclamations to catch once more a glimpse of the blessed land. The cry that had brought them such pleasure had come from the mast-head, and it was some time before those on deck could detect the dim blue cloud, low-lying in the west, that was said to be land. Even t

it was proved beyond a doubt to be land, for some palm-trees and tall pines became distingui

as deemed prudent, and for the first time since leaving Fr

thought he recognized the inlet as one leading into a broad river, on the opposite side of which was located an Indian village called Seloy. This place he had visited two years before in company with Admiral Ribault, and he

dst. After a few minutes of suspense, during which Réné dared hardly to breathe, they shot into smooth waters, rounded a point of land, and saw before them the

d on the beach, and the women had left their work in the fields of maize and hurried with the children to the security of the forest depths. When, however, the fleet came to anchor and the Indians could distinguish the meaning of their banners, their alarm was changed to joy; for they had learned to love the

e that caused the forest to ring with its echoes. As the pious leader of the expedition stepped on shore, he took Réné by the hand, and both kneeling on the sands, gave thanks to Him who guided them thus far in safety in their perilous

made way for him when, still holding Réné's hand, he began to walk towards the lodge of their chief. He was as anxiou

he Indians, the shining and inflated fish-bladders that the men wore suspended from their ears, the moss-woven kirtles of the women, and above all, at

all white men were born with beards, and that their closely cropped hair never grew any longer; so that this smooth-faced boy, whose golden hair hung in ringlets over his shoulders, was a much greater curiosity to them than they were to him. The old chief took an immediate

er known as the River of May, and there erect a fort and found his colony. So, after an exchange of presents, they parted, and taking to their boats, the white men regained

of what they called dolphins, but what are today called porpoises, sporting in the great billo

found them standing off and on at the mouth of the great River of May. By the aid of a chart, made

rrival. When Réné and his uncle, followed by a company from the ships, landed, they were received with shouts and extravagant gestures of joy by the friendly Indians, and conducted by them to the top of a hill upon which Admiral Ribault had set a pi

was immediately begun. He named it Fort Caroline, in honor of King Charles IX of F

the only ones of their race in all that vast unknown wilderness. As Laudonniere remained in command of Fort Caroline, Réné de Veaux