Opechancanough is our head, and
Opechancanough kindleth a fire indeed! We will give to this one
what fuel we choose, and to-night Nantauquas may look for the
bones of the white men!"
He ended, and a great clamor arose. The Paspaheghs would have
cast themselves upon us again but for a sudden action of the young
chief, who had stood motionless, with raised head and unmoved
face, during the werowance's bitter speech. Now he flung up his
hand, and in it was a bracelet of gold carved and twisted like a
coiled snake and set with a green stone. I had never seen the toy
before, but evidently others had done so. The excited voices fell,
and the Indians, Pamunkeys and Paspaheghs alike, stood as though
turned to stone.
Nantauquas smiled coldly. "This day hath Opechancanough made
me war chief again. We have smoked the peace pipe together - my
father's brother and I - in the starlight, sitting before his lodge, with
the wide marshes and the river dark at our feet. Singing birds in
the forest have been many; evil tales have they told;
Opechancanough has stopped his ears against their false singing.
My friends are his friends, my brother is his brother, my word is
his word: witness the armlet that hath no like; that
Opechancanough brought with him when he came from no man
knows where to the land of the Powhatans, many Huskanawings
ago; that no white men but these have ever seen.
Pages:
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356