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Show 380 THE LILT AND THE TOTE~l. "Without doubt!" replied Ribnult, somewhat wondering at the question. ''Deem it not strange, then, senor," continued the soldier,'' tlmt. I execute faithfully the orders I ba\·e rccci\•cd from111y commandant!" And, speaking these words, he drove his poignard into the heart of the victim, who fell upon his face, in dcatl1, without uttering a groan. Ottigny and the others perished in like mauncr, and with no farther preliminaries. Why pursue the det.-lils with the rest? In this mannncr each unconscious band of the Huguenots, thus surrendering to the clemency of i\lclcndcz, was simply ferried across the river to execution. And still the boat returned for and with its little compliment of ten-it was only a proper precaution that rleriied that more should be brought-and the succecUmg voyagers d reamed not, e\·en os they sped, their comrades were sinking one by one under the bands of their butchers. Mon;~ than a hundred perished on this occasion, but four of the number a\·owing themselves to be of the Uomnn Catholic Church, and be· ing spared accordingly. CHAPTER IV. OF THOSE WHO REFt.JSED TO FOLLOW THE FORTUNES OF RIBA ULT. WE have seen that two hundred of the followers of Ribault had refused to submit to the arrangement, by which that unhappy commander had sacrificed himself and all those who accompanied him into the camp of Melendez.. These two hundred hn.d been THE rORTUNES OF RIDAULT. 381 counselled to the more manly course w!Jich they had taken, by the youthful but sagacious lieutenant, Alphonse D'E rlach. 'l'his young man well understood tlJCir enemy. II is counsel, if followed hy Ribault, would Jlrobably ha,·c resulted in conquest rather than misfol'tuuc. "We arc strong,"-snidD'Erlnch to his companions-" strong enough to maintain ourselves in nny position, which we may take and hold with stcndfnstncss. We have three hundred and fifty soldiers, all with arms in their hands, and it requires only that we shall usc our a.rms and maintain our independence. Why trent nt all with tho Spaniards? 1'hey may assist us across this strait, but why cross it at nll? To gain I~ a Caroline ? That, according to his own showing, is ~~!ready in his hands. Indeed, of this, you tell us, there can be no question. What then? Of wktt ami! to seck the post which ],e has garrisoned, and which, properly fortified, is beyond our utmost strength. It is evident tk~t, fm·tifying IA~ Caroline and l1is new post on the banks of the Salooe, he has no available force with which he dares assail us. In the meantime, let us leave tl1is position. Let us retire furtl1er to the south, regain the coast upon which our YCsscls were wrecked, rebuild them, or one at least, in which, if your desire is to return to Frrmcc, we can rc-cmbark; or, as I 'vould counsel, retire to a remoter settlement, where we mny fortify oursch•cs, nod establish the colony nncw, for wlticJ, we first came to Florida. Why ab:m. don the country, when we arc in sufficient stl'cngth to kcf'p it? Why forego tho enterprises which offer us gold and sih-cr in nbuu. dance, a genial climntc, a fertile soil, a boundless domain, in which our fortunes and our faith may be made equally secure. As for the savages of Florida, I know t!Jcm and I fear them not. They nrc terrible only to the timid and the improvident. With duo |
