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Show J3G THE Ll LY ANI) TilE TOTEM. his doubts by Lis faith in the interposition of the Deity, :md went forth to the encounter, himself heading tllC forlorn IJOpc, as i~ were, without any mi.<~givings of the result. He k·lltW that the Deity would, in some m:mncr, make himself mnnift!flt in succor for the true bclic'·cr, even then engaged in the maintenance of llis cause. lie had foreseen the threatening aspects of the hca· vcns, the wild tumults of the sea, the s ullen and angry cr~pl"iccs of the winds. IJcfdt that storm and Wrror were in pro~pcct, and that they were mc:u1t as his defences against his enemy ! But this did not prevent l1im from adopting all proper human precautions. He did not peril his prows beyond the shoals which Cll\' ironcd the entrance to his harborage. He did not tru~t them beyond the natural bars at the mouth of the Selooe, leaving them to the unrestraiued fury of the demon \'i'iuds that sweep the blue waters of the gulf. Nor, assuming the hare possibility tlmt the protection of the Deity might be \'i'ithhcld from the true belieyer, ns much for the trial of his valor as his faith, in the moment of encounter with the heretic, was the Adelautado neglectful of the means for further struggle, should the assailants, successful with his shipping, approach the shores of Selooe in the endeavor to destroy his army. This he sought to protect by the best possible defences. J lis troops were under arms in order for battle. Every JlOssible advantage of trench and picket was employed for giviog them additional securities. J lis people had already taken possession of the lndiau village, from whence tho savages had been expelled; and their dwellings were converted into temporary fortresses, each garrisoocd with its selected band. It is wonderful, Low the veteran chieftain toiled, in the endeavor to secure his position. While he felt how little the Deity needed the strength of man, in working out the purposes of destiny, he well knew how Til!,; FAT£ OF LA CAROLINE. 337 necessary it was that man should show himself wortl1y, by his prudence aud preparations, of the intervention and the care of Deity. We Ua,·e seen the issue of the unfortunate attempt of Ribault upon his enemy; with the absence of immediate danger, the first tmuults of exultation on the part of the ~pauiards, subsided into :l sullen and humiliat ing repose. As night came on, tl1ey momcntly began to feel the increasing annoyances of their situation. That they were in temporary security from the hc•·ctie l•'rcueh, left them free to consider, and to feel, the insecurity and the unfriendly solitude of their situation. The frail palm covered huts of the Floridian savages, on the banks of their now raging river, with the tempest ro:lring among the affrighted forest trees, afforded but a sorry shelter to their numerous hosts. Darkness and thick night closed in upon them in their dreary and comfortle! I!J abodes, and their hearts sunk appalled beneath the terrific bursts of thunder that seemed to rock the \'Cry earth upon which they stood. They were not the tried veterans of Spain. ~boy among them wore weapons for the first time, and all were totally inexperienced in that foreign hemisphere, in wl1ich the clements wore aspects of terror \'l'hich l1ad never before entered their imaginations. Their officers were mostly able men and good soldiers, but even these had enjoyed but small experience in the new world. The levies of Melendez had been hmriedly made, with the view to anticipate the progress of H.ibault. They were not such as that iron-hearted leader would ha\'C chosen for the terrible warfare which be had in view. Chilled by the ungcnial atmosphere, confounded with torrents such as they had never before beheld, and which seemed to threaten the return of the deluge, they exaggerated the evils of their situation and 15 |