al made by foes of the Powhatans or the call of another
party of their tribe about to join them. In the latter case it boded ill
for him. He clasped a stone knife he had managed to secrete at
Werowocomoco. He could not overhear what the Indians were saying, but
they were evidently arguing. Then when they seemed to have come to some
decision, they started on once more.

Though the forest was so sombre. Smith's eyes had grown more accustomed
to the blackness and he began to distinguish between the various shades
of darkness. Once or twice he thought he saw to the side of them another
figure, moving or halting as they halted, but when he looked fixedly he
could distinguish nothing but the trunk of some great tree.

On and on they went, mocked at by owls and whippoorwills, crossing
streams over log bridges, wading through others when the cold water
splashed at a misstep up in his face. At last the blackness turned to
grey, in which he could make out the fingers of his hand. Dawn was near.
Why, thought the Englishman, did they delay striking so long? If they
meant to kill him, he hoped it might be done quickly. The phantom figure
which had accompanied them after the halt following the wildcat call
must soon act. Even a brave man must wish such a night as this to end.

Then the world ahead of him seemed to grow wider and lighter. The trees
had larger spaces between them and the figures of the Indians were like
a blurred drawing. Was it a star shining before them, that light that
grew brighter and brighter?

"Jamestown!" he cried out in his own tongue. "Jamestown! Yon is
Jamestown! God be praised!"

The Indians gathered about him and began to question him eagerly. Would
he give presents to them all; would they have the guns to carry back
with them?

As they stood in a little knot, each individual of which was growing
more distinct, a young man ran up behind them.

"Claw-of-the-Eagle!" they exclaimed.

The boy put into the hands of the astonished Smith a necklace of white
shells he remembered to have seen Pocahontas wear.

"Princess Pocahontas sends greetings," he said, "and bids thee farewell
for to-day now that she hath seen thee safe again among thy people." His
own scowl belied the kindliness of the message.

So John Smith knew that Pocahontas had accompanied him through the
forest and that if death had been near him that night, it was she who
had averted it from him.

[Illustration: Decorative]

CH