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Show 282 THE LILY AND TH£ TOTEM. the surrender of their king. It was J>robably enormous, according to the equal standards of Indian and Frenchmen, in this period nnd region. Willingly came the two chiefs to take the place of Olata Utin3 . They were admitted on board the bark, where he w:1s kept in chains. They were warriors, and as they approached ],im, they broke their bows and arrows across, :tnd threw them before him : Then, as they bchchl his bonds, they rushed to his feet, lifted up and kissed his chains, nnd supported them, while the Frenchmen unlocked them from the one captive to transfer them to the hands and feet of those who came to take Lis place. These looked not upon the bonds as they were riveted nbout their limbs. They only watc!Jcd the movements or their king with eyes that declared a well-satisfied delight. J lc rose fz·om his place, and shook ]Jimself slowly, as a lion might be supposed to do, rousing himself after sleep. Never wM head so eroflt, or carri:~ ge so like ouc who feels all his recovered greatnes:;. He w:wed his hand in signal to the shore, where hundreds or his people were :~sscm1lcd to greet his dcliverane3. The signal was understood, a mantle or fringed and gorgeouslydyed cotton was brougl1t him by one of his sons. His maeann., or war-club, and a mighty bow from which he could deliver a shaft more than five English f..Jct in length, were also brought J,im. Over his shoulder t!JO mantle was thrown by one of his attendants. The war-club was carried before him by a page. But, before he left the vessel, he bent his bow, fixed one of tho shafls upon the deer sinews, which rormed the cord, and drawing it to its head, sent it high in air, until it disappeared for a few seconds from the sight. This \Vas a signal to his people. Their king, like the arrow, was freed from its confinement. It had gone like a bird of mighty wing, into the unchained atmosphere. A CAPTI'ITY OF THE GREAT I'ARACOUSSI. 283 cloud of arrows from the shore followed that of their sovereign. To tl1is succeeded a great shout of thanks and deliverance" lie! He ! yo-he-wah ! I le-hc-yo-hc-wah." Tho echo of which continued to ring through tl1c ,·aultcd forests, long after the Paraooussi had disappea.red within tl1eir green recesses. CHAPTER Ill. Tn£ Paracoussi, on parting with Lnudonnicrc, renewed his assurances of good will, and repeated the promises which had been gi,·cn to ensure his deliverance from captivity. The engagement required that a certain number or days should be allowed him, in which to gather supplies in sufficient quantity to discharge his ransom. Laudonniere left his lieutenants, Ottigny and n•grlach, with t11e two hostages, in one of the barks, to receive the provisions which Utina was to furnisl1, wl1ilc lw himself returned to La Caroline. The lieutenants moored their vessel within a litlle creek which emptied into the l\Jay, and adopted all necc.!;sary precautions against sM·age artifice. The vigilance of Alphonse D'Erlach, in particular, was sleepless. lie knew, more certainly thnn his superior, the necessities and J.nngcrs or the French, and the subtlety of the Indians. By day and night they lurked in t110 contiguous thicKets, watchrul of every opportunity for ass.<tult. An arqucbusc presented in wontonneS'l ngrLiust the ledge which skirted the ri,·er, would frequently expel a group of shrieking warriors, well armed and covered with the war paint; and, with the dawn of morning, the first thing to salute the eyes or our French~ men would be long strings of arrows, t>lantcd in the earth, their barbs or flint tnmod up\vards, from which long hairs shreds from |
