nner came to their wigwam bearing bread, turkeys,
and venison, much to the delight of the half-starved colonists.
Refreshed by a good meal, they slept heavily in the still forest, and
early the next morning went to pay their respects to Powhatan, who was
in his "Chief Place of Council" awaiting their visit in his gala robe
of luxurious skins and elaborate feather head-dress. His greeting was
courteous, but he at once turned to Captain Smith and asked:

"When are you going away? I did not invite you to come."

Although taken by surprise, quick-witted Captain Smith did not show
his feelings, but pointing to a group of Indian warriors standing
near, he said:

"There are the very men who came to Jamestown to invite us here!"

At this Powhatan gave a guttural laugh and changed the subject at
once, by asking to see the articles which Captain Smith had brought
for exchange. Then began a long and hot discussion in which neither
the Captain nor the wily Emperor gained a point. Powhatan refused to
trade unless the white men left their firearms on their barges and
would barter corn only for the coveted articles. Captain Smith would
not accede to his demands even to get the much-needed corn, and was on
his guard because of the warning he had received, knowing that
Powhatan was only waiting for the right moment to kill him.

The debate went on for hours, during which there had been only one
trade made when Smith exchanged a copper kettle for forty bushels of
corn. Annoyed at this, he determined to take matters into his own
hand. Beckoning to some friendly Indians, he asked them to go to the
river bank and signal to his men on the barges to come ashore with
baskets to take back the corn for which he had traded the kettle.
Meanwhile he kept up a brisk conversation with the old Werowance to
divert his attention, assuring him that on the next day he and his men
would leave their firearms on the ships, trusting to Powhatan's
promise that no harm should come to them.

Powhatan was too clever to be fooled by any such delightful promise;
he knew the quick-witted Captain was probably playing the same game
that he was, and feared lest the white man should be quicker than he
at it. He slyly whispered a command to a young warrior, and at a sign
from him two gaily decorated squaws darted forward and, squatting at
the feet of the Captain, began to sing tribal songs to the beating of
drums and shaking of rattles, and while they sang Powhatan