Part 14 (1/2)
”Oh, no, no!” exclaimed Virginia, starting up and grasping the Indian's hands, which she placed on her head; ”my ever kind protector; I should indeed be ungrateful could I have forgotten you. What my husband desires, I will do.”
”We thank you, chief,” said Gilbert, ”but we have friends here whom we cannot desert; whatever may be the danger, we must remain and share it with them.”
The chief stood lost in thought. ”I understand you,” he said, ”you are right. I came to save her alone, but her friends must be my friends.
Tell them to be prepared for a sudden attack from the surrounding tribes, or ere another sun has set not a paleface in the country will be left alive. I know no one I would entrust my message to, but have journeyed night and day, across streams, and through forests, and over hills to utter the warning. Swear that you will follow my advice, or I will stay and perish with you.”
Virginia, knowing that Oncagua spoke the truth, entreated Gilbert to do as he wished. He no longer hesitated; and the old chief, taking another fond look at Virginia, disappeared from the door-way.
Happily, Oliver Dane, who lived with Vaughan Audley, was expected that evening to pay them a visit. Anxiously they waited his arrival.
Virginia could not help fearing that the Indians might have attacked him on the way, and Gilbert was equally alarmed for Vaughan and Cicely's safety.
”I cannot leave you, dear one, alone,” he said; ”and yet there is not a moment to be lost.”
”Do not fear for me,” she answered. ”Go and warn our neighbours,-- persuade them to put the town into a state of defence. I will wait here till Oliver arrives, and give him such directions as you may leave with me.”
Gilbert sat down with his hands on his brow, considering what steps it would be necessary to take; for the lives of all the inhabitants of the colony might depend upon his decision, should no one else have received a warning of what was about to occur. His plans were quickly formed; he must immediately despatch to James Town and other places further off bold and trusty messengers to induce the inhabitants to take proper measures for their preservation; while he himself determined to collect a body of friends, and to hasten as fast as their steeds could carry them to the a.s.sistance of Vaughan, leaving Oliver for the protection of Virginia. It cost him much to decide thus, but he intended to try and persuade Vaughan and Cicely to accompany him back to the town rather than to attempt defending the house, which was ill-calculated to resist a prolonged attack by the Indians. It took him but a brief s.p.a.ce of time to arrive at this decision. Hastily buckling on his sword, placing his pistols in his belt, and taking down his gun from the wall, he stood ready to set out.
At that instant Oliver, now grown into a fine young man, arrived.
Gilbert briefly told him of the warning brought by Oncagua, and explained the measures he intended to take.
”Oh! let me accompany you to Vaughan's,” exclaimed Virginia, when she heard of his intention to go there. ”I shall be of a.s.sistance to Cicely and her little ones, and I cannot bear the thoughts of being separated from you at a time of such fearful peril.”
”If she wishes it, I will place a pillion on my horse, and she can ride behind me,” said Oliver. ”I would far rather fight for my kind friends than remain behind; and I doubt whether the peril to her will be greater should she accompany us than should she remain behind.”
To this Gilbert consented; and while Oliver went to prepare the steeds, he sallied forth to find the princ.i.p.al persons, to whom it was necessary to impart the information he had received. Scarcely had he got ten paces from the house when a voice, which he recognised as that of his old friend Fenton, hailed him.
”You have, indeed, arrived most opportunely,” he said, as he grasped Fenton's hand; and then taking him by the arm, hurried him along with him while he detailed what he had heard, and the proceedings he intended to adopt. ”We want a man of courage and judgment to take command of the town, and I can answer for it that you will do so. People will obey you,” he added.
”In truth, I was on my way to tell you and Vaughan of a warning I myself received this morning, on my arrival in the river, from our old friend Canochet,” answered Fenton. ”Scarcely had I dropped my anchor than he came on board from the southern side and desired to see me privately in the cabin. He then told me that his tribe were friendly, but he had just cause to doubt the Indians of Powhattan's country, and that although he could not give me any definite information, he was very sure a speedy outbreak was in contemplation. He advised that I should induce my friends to come on board the _Rainbow_, and to sail away immediately.
He quickly returned on sh.o.r.e, and I hastened to inform the Governor of what I had heard. Your messenger will, I trust, induce him to take more determined measures for defending the town than he might otherwise have thought necessary.”
Captain Fenton's arrival was of great a.s.sistance to Gilbert in winning his fellow-townsmen to a sense of their danger. The chief magistrate immediately sent round and summoned all the adult population of the place to meet him without delay. Letters were then despatched to James Town and in other directions with the request that those who received them would send on the warning to places further off. Gilbert then asked for volunteers to accompany him to the a.s.sistance of his brother.
Four only appeared,--indeed, the magistrate afforded no encouragement for the men to go, wis.h.i.+ng to keep them for the defence of the place.
Gilbert was in despair, when a grey-headed old man on a rough pony, armed with a big gun, a cutla.s.s, and a huge pair of pistols, came clattering up to the council-house.
”What!” he exclaimed, when he heard Gilbert's last appeal; ”are none of you ready to go and help the daughter and son-in-law of my old commander, Captain Amyas Layton? And from what I hear, they and their young children will be put to death unless a dozen or more true men are ready to fight in their defence. You all know me, Ben Tarbox,--some of you knew my old captain, and have sailed with him, too,--I don't want to weaken the defence of the town, but I ask for just a few stout hands who will defend Master Audley's house; and when the Indians find that we can keep them at bay, as I am sure we shall, they'll not think it worth while to come and attack the town.”
Ben's appeal was responded to by even more men than he required. He chose eight, which, with the four who had before volunteered, himself, Gilbert, and Oliver, made fifteen, all well armed. As they expected to find four men at least with Audley, they would muster twenty--a number sufficient, inside a log-built house, to withstand a whole host of Indians.
A considerable portion of the night was spent before they were all ready to set out. Gilbert found Virginia and Oliver ready to mount, and without loss of time they commenced their journey. Those on foot were hardy, active men, who could almost keep pace with their horses for the distance they had to go. Gilbert was vexed at the delay which had occurred, lest in the mean time, eager to commence their work of slaughter, the Indians might have attacked the house. He and Oliver, riding on either side of Virginia, accompanied by Ben and the rest of the hors.e.m.e.n, pushed on, leaving the men on foot to follow as fast as they could. The horses' hoofs were scarcely heard on the soft ground.
They had got almost within sight of the house, when Gilbert caught sight of the figure of an Indian running at full speed. Another and another started up. It was evident they had been taken by surprise. Gilbert called to his companions, who dashed on; but the Indians turning into the still uncleared forest on the right, were lost to sight. Their flight, and the hour they were on the road, showed that their intentions were evil.
”They were probably waiting till the family should come out of the house in the early morning to set upon them,” observed Gilbert to Oliver.