A sudden puff of wind brought the sail around, hiding his fallen
countenance. The wind freshened, coming from the bay, and the
boat was off like a startled deer. When I next saw him he had
recovered his equanimity, and, with a smile upon his rugged
features, was waving us a farewell. I looked at the beauty opposite
me, and, with a sudden movement of pity for him, mateless, stood
up and waved to him vigorously in turn.
CHAPTER IV IN WHICH I AM LIKE TO REPENT AT LEISURE
WHEN we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the
silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village
upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up
that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.
When at length she succeeded in abstracting her attention from the
clouds, it was to answer in the negative, in a tone of the supremest
indifference, after which she relapsed into her contemplation of
the weather.
Further on I tried again. "That is Kent's, yonder. He brought his
wife from home last year. What a hedge of sunflowers she has
planted! If you love flowers, you will find those of paradise in
these woods."
No answer.
Below Martin-Brandon we met a canoe full of Paspaheghs, bound
upon a friendly visit to some one of the down-river tribes; for in
the bottom of the boat reposed a fat buck, and at the feet of the
young men lay trenchers of maize cakes and of late mulberries.
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