" cried all three, "and we'd be strong enough too,
never fear," added Hugh.

The temptation to John Smith was a strong one, and he walked up and down
weighing the matter. What consideration after all did he owe to those
who had not considered him? He had no fear of failure; he had come
safely through too many dangers not to be confident. It was only the
first step that he doubted. The men, he could see, were growing
impatient, yet he did not speak. Suddenly an arrow whizzed close to his
ear and fell at his feet.

"The savages!" cried Dickon.

Smith peered towards the woods beyond the water and imagined he could
see half hidden behind a birch tree a naked figure.

"Let us go back and warn the Council," he said, turning towards the way
he had come. "I scarcely think that they will attack us, particularly if
we stay together."

He stood still a moment lost in thought. Then he said:

"That's the word, Dickon, _if we stay together_! Nay, frown not, Hugh.
Put out of thy mind all that we have spoken of this last half-hour, as I
shall put it out of mine. We must stand together, men, here in this new
world. Ye three stand by me because we're all neighbors and
Lincolnshire-born; but here in this wilderness we're all neighbors,
English-born, just like a bigger shire. It's no time now when savages
are about us all, to be thinking of our own little troubles. We must
e'en forget them and stick together for the good of us all. Will ye
promise, men?"

"Since 'tis so thou hast decided, Captain," answered Dickon.

"I'm for or against, as thou wilt," said Hugh, "but I'd been glad hadst
thou chosen to fight instead o' to kiss."

And Hob, who had not spoken a word of his own invention up to now, spake
solemnly:

"I'll not blab. Captain, how near thou wast to the fightin'."

When they got back to the site of the future Jamestown Smith, who had
made up his mind to do what seemed to him right no matter what reception
his advice received, told President Wingfield of the hidden bowman and
warned him of the danger to those who might straggle away from their
companions. But the members of the Council, whether they would be
beholden to Smith not even for advice, or whether the friendly attitude
of the Indians at first which was now just beginning to change,
influenced them, refused to believe that the savages intended to molest
them and refused to admit the necessity of putting up a palisade or
taking other precautions against them.