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Show 276 TilE LILY .AND THE TOTnr. Tic was now drawing nigh to that beautiful isl:md; and after leaving Enecaquc, he turned his prows in search of its sweet retrcnt!l. But, with all his caution, the bird had flown. Tho lord of Edclano had been advised of what he had to fear, and, at the approach of the Frenchmen he disappeared, crossing the stream between, to the oppositcforcst81and leaving l1is village at the mercy of the enemy. Dafficd of their revenge upon the offender, the Frenchmen vented their fury upon his empty dwellings. The torch was applied to the village, which was soon consumed. Returning to Eneca.quc, Laudonnicrc swept its fidds of nil their grain, with which be hastened back to his starving people at La Caroline. These, famishing still, "seeing mo afar off coming, ra.nno to that side of the river where they thougl1t I would como on land; for hunger so pinched them to the heart, that they could not stay until the ''ictuals were brougl1t them to the fort. And that they well showed as soon as I was come, ami had distributed that little maize among them wl1iuh I hnd gin•n to each man, before I came out of the ba1·kc; for they calc it before they had taken it out of the liUskc ." The necessity of tho garrison continued as great as ever. Tho wretched fields of the red-men afforded very scanty supplies. Other villages wcro sought and ransacked, those of A thorC, swayed by King Emola, and those of a Queen named Nia Cubacani. In ravaging the fields of tho former, two of the Frenchmen were slain. But the provi:sions got from Queen Nia C'ubaeani, were all free gifts. Tho pale faces seem to Lave been favorites with the female sovereigns wherever they went. In the adventures of the Huguenots, as in those of tho Spaniards under llernan do Soto and other chiefs, the smiles of tho Apalachian women "ocmcd to have been bestowed as freely as were the darts and CAPTIVITY OF TilE GREAT PARACOUSSI. 277 arrows of their lords and masters. In this way was the path of enterprise stripped of many of its thorns, and he wl10se arm was ever lifted against the savage man, seldom found the heart of the savage woman shut against his approach. This is a curious history, but it seems to mark usually the fortunes of the superior, invading the abodes of the inferior people. The women of a race are always most capable of appreciating the social morals of a superior The Parncoussi 0\ata Utina, now made an effort to obtain his liberty. The hopes of the Frenchmen, in respect to his ransom, had failed. His people had shown a stubbornness, wldch, to do the Indian monarch justice, had not been greater than his own. lie saw the poverty and distress which prcvniled among l1is captors, in spite of all their altcmpts at oonccnlmcnt. IJe saw th:tt the lean and hungry famine was still preying upon their ), carts. I le said to Laudonnicrc- '' Of what avail is it to you or to me, that you hold me here a capli\'C? Take me to my people. The maize is Jl.robahly ripcn('d in my fields. One of these slw.\1 be set aside for your uso wholly, with all its store of corn and beaus, if you will set me free in my own country." Laudonnicrc consulted with his chief men. They concurred in granting tho petition of the Paracoussi. The two barks were accordingly fitted out, and, with a. select detachment, L:tudonnierc proceeded with his captive to a. plncc called Patica, some eight or nine leagues disbnt from the village of Utina. The redmen fled at their approach, seeking cover in the forest.~, though their king, himself, cried to them to await his coming. To pursue them \Vas impossible. To trust the king out of their possession, without any equivalent, was impolitic. Another plan was |