m of the false news that they had
communicated to Lady Rebecca or their interest in his wooing.

And his wooing was very gentle and wonderful to Pocahontas. No Indian
lover, she knew, ever won his squaw in this way. She listened to his
words with amazement when he told her that he wanted her to be his wife,
to make a home for him in this new land. When she gave him her word she
felt much as if she were the very heroine of one of the tales she had
listened to so often about the lodge fire, a deer perhaps that was to be
magically transformed into human shape, or a bird on whom the spirits
had bestowed speech--so immeasurably superior did the English still
appear to her.

It was some weeks later that Sir Thomas Dale, grown impatient for a
settlement of their differences with Powhatan, decided to go to
Werowocomoco and take Pocahontas with him to act as peacemaker. With
them, on Argall's ship, went John Rolfe and Master Sparkes and one
hundred and fifty men.

When they tried to land at a village near Werowocomoco the Indians were
very arrogant and opposed their passage. In return the English fired
upon them and when the terrified savages ran into the forest to escape
the white men's weapons, the victors burned all the lodges of the town
and wantonly spoiled the corn stacked up in a storehouse.

Pocahontas, who was sorrowful at the enmity between those she loved,
besought Sir Thomas:

"Let me go among my people. They will harken to me and I will hasten to
my father, and when he beholdeth me once more he will deny me nothing.
And it is a long time since I have looked upon his face," she pleaded.

But Sir Thomas refused. He was not minded to lose this valuable hostage;
even though Pocahontas might be eager to return, he was sure that the
old chieftain would never let her leave him.

"Prithee, then," she suggested sadly, "send messengers in my name,
saying that ye will abstain from further fighting for a night and day.
If the messengers bear this feather of mine," here she took a white
eagle's feather from her headband, "they may pass in safety where they
will." As they were leaving she charged them: "And beg of my father to
send my brothers to see me, since I may not go to them."

Now that she was so near home again she was homesick for the sight of
some member of her family that she had not seen for many moons. Her
father would not come, she felt sure, because he would not wish to treat
with the white men in person.