, its magnificent palaces, its superb temples, its armies of
horse and foot, with their guns, dealing death and destruction among
their foes, and capable of battering down strong walls. The Indian
maiden listened with wondering ears; for some time she spoke not, at
length she sighed. Rolfe inquired what grieved her.

"That I can never hope to see the wonders you speak of. Till now, I
thought my father the most powerful king on earth, and you have shown me
that our people are but children compared to those existing beyond the
mighty ocean."

To the latter remark Rolfe made, no reply, as he did not wish further to
wound the maiden's vanity. "Would you desire to visit those distant
lands and see the wonders I have been describing?" he asked.

"I cannot leave my father and my people," she answered. "But go on--
tell me more about your country--I will try to bring the scenes you
describe so well before my eyes."

Rolfe continued, as desired; and the Indian girl seemed never weary of
listening to him. Thus, whatever others might have done, he found the
journey too speedily brought to an end. The governor received the
Indian chief in a becoming manner, with all the pomp he could assume.
Banners were flying, music playing, and guns firing. The sound of the
artillery especially seemed to affect the chief; and when he saw a shot
fired across the river strike a tree and tear off a large branch, he
lifted up his hands in wonder, and exclaimed, "Who can stand against a
people so armed?"

Vaughan had hastened home with a sad heart to break the intelligence of
Gilbert's loss to his mother. At her house he found Captain Layton, who
had already heard through the forethought of Roger what had occurred.

"Do not be cast down, Mistress Audley," he said, after Vaughan had given
her the account; "we have certain notice from Gilbert himself that the
Indians did not kill him and Fenton when they were first seized; and the
savages well know that it will be more to their interest to preserve
their lives than to take them; and as they tell me that the great chief
who has just come to the settlement has no small power among the people
of this country, we may trust to his being able to recover them before
long. I have much hope, also, that with his assistance we may at length
find your husband. I had determined, on the return of my son, to sail
along the shore of the Chesapeake, and to make inquiries among all the
natives I can mee