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Show 276 pursued. One of the sons of the Paracoussi, a mere boy, had been taken with his father. 1t was no\V determined to dismiss this boy to the village, accompanied by one of the Frenchmen, who had been thither before, and who knew the character and condition of the country. His instructions were to restore the boy to his mother and his kindred, and to say that his father should be delivered also, if an adequate supply of provisions was brought to the vessel. The ancient chronicle, briefly, but very touchingly, describes tl1c ;vclcome which ;vas given to the enfranchised child. All were delighted to behold him, the humblest m:~.king as much of him as if he had been the nearest kindred, nod c!l.ch man thinking himself never so happy as when permitted to touch l1im with his hand. The wife of Utina, with her father, eame to the barks of the Frenchmen, bringing bread for tho present w:mts of thG company; but the policy of the Indians did not suffer the pleadings of the woman to prevail. The parties could not agree about the terms of ransom; the red-men, meanwhile, practised all their arts to delay the departure of the vessels. It was discovered that they were busy with their forest strategy, seeking mthcr to entrap the captain of the French, than to bargain for tl1c recovery of their own chieftain. Laudonniere was compelled finally to return with his prisoner to La Caroline, as hungry as ever, and with no hopes of the future. llere, a new danger awaited the captive. Furious at their disa ppointment, the sbn'ing Frenchmen, as soon as the failure of the enterprise was known, armed themselves, and with sword and matchlock a.ssail<Jd the little cavalcade lvhich had tho chief in custody, as tllCy were about to disembark. With gaunt visages und staring eyes, that betrayed terribly the cruel faminll under which they were perishing, and cries of such terrible wratb1 118 1 CAPTlVIT\" OF 'fl U: GREAT PARACOUSSl. 279 left but little doubt of tl10 direst purpose, they darted upon their prey. But Laudonnicre manfully interposed himself, surrom1ded by his best men, between their rage and llis victim. Captain La Vasseur and Ensign D'Erlach, each seized upon a mutineer whom they bold ready to slny at a stroke gi\·en; and other good men and true, coming to the rescue, the famishing mutineers were shamed and frightened into forbearance. But bitterly did they complain of the lack of wisdom in their m1ptain, who had released the son, the precious hope of the nation, retaining the sire, for whom, hal'ing a new king, the savages cared nothing. Their murmurs drO\'e Laudonnierc forth once more. Taking the Para~ coussi with him, after a brief delay, he proceeded to explore otl10r l'illages along the river. The red-men planted two crops during the growing season. Their maize ripen ed gradually, and fields tha~ yielded nothing during one month, were in full grain in that ensuing. For fifteen days the French commandant con~ tinned his explorations with small success; when tho Paracoussi, whom nothing had daunted, of his proper and lmughty firmness, during all his captivity, once more appealed to his captors: "That my people did not supply you with maize and beanos when you sought them last, was because they were not ripe. ] spakc to you then as a. foolish young man, anxious to set foot once more among my people. l should have known that the grain could not be ready then for gathering. But the seasou is now. It is ripened e\·erywhere, and, in the present abundance of my "people, they will gladly yield to your demands, and gi\'e full ransom for their king. Take me thither then, once more, and my people will not stick to give you ample victual." The necessities of the French were too great to make them hesitate at a renewal of th<) attempt, where all others had proved so |
