The Argosy, April 1912 — page 65: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

AS THE DICE FELL. No, though I was doomed, yet my only hope for momentary safety was to stick to my semi-sheltered position and to hold off the enemy, as long as might be, with vigor- ous sword-play. As to Smith, I could not hope to reach him, even by sacrificing my life in the effort. His own overconfidence and his dis- regarding of what he considered my cow- ardly advice had brought him to his pres- ent straits. And I could do naught for him. Though the ring of savages threatened me, they did not at once attack. ‘They con- tented themselves with holding me at bay; doubtless awaiting further orders from their king. Thus while half-consciously keeping watch for the first sign of their onfall, I was able to see something of what was go- ing on in front of the dais. Smith, wriggling powerless in his bonds, lay prone upon the ground. Powhatan, a gentle smile on his cold dark face, stood gazing down at him. Then he stepped back on the dais and spoke a word of command. Three or four warriors swung Smith into the air as though he were a truss of hay, and dropped him on the dais at Pow- hatan’s feet. The king glanced down at him again and sald: “Well, white man, is this the end of your lies and your boasting? Can you call on no magic now to save you? Surely it were a slight thing for so great a magician to free himself.”’ Smith made no reply. But the face he raised to that of the sneering savage above him bore no sign of fear. “Your death,” continued Powhatan, “was ordained when first I learned of your approach. My war party believed your idle talk of magic and they feared it. There- fore they spared you. But J am not a child to be fooled with tricks.” He paused as if to give his captive a chance to reply, but Smith did not speak, neither did he for a single instant abate the glare of cold fury that blazed from his little eyes. “You are a brave man,” vouchsafed Powhatan, “for a white-face, and you have given me entertainment this day. Where- fore, you shall die at once and not by the torture. Your follower yonder will afford us sport enough when we wall him into that corner later, and listen to his screams of ol hunger and suffocation. Yet if you have the courage, he has the wit. It is sad the two qualities could not have been combined in you, then you might have escaped death.” “T shall escape death,” returned Smith, speaking with a quiet certainty, at odd vari- ance with his wonted bluster, “I shall not die.” Even the stolid Powhatan looked sur- prised. “T shall live,” went on Smith coolly, “to see my life’s work succeed. How I shall do it, I do not know, but I do know my destiny, and it 1s too strong to be turned aside by a gang of redskin savages.” “You speak as one who is certain,” scoffed Powhatan, “but I fear none will agree with you.” “T ask no one to agree with me,” Smith replied with that same lofty assurance. “But, in this, mine hour of peril, it is borne in upon me that I shall not perish until this land, to which I have devoted my life, is given into the hands of the white man. Until England’s foot is so firmly planted on these shores that never can her colonists be driven hence.” He spoke rather to himself than to the glowering savage; and in the last part of his strange prophecy he lapsed unconscious- ly into English. : “In another tiny space of time,” said Powhatan, grimly, “ere the shadows of the sun can move a hand’s breadth, this last of your many vain boasts will be as dead as the breath that spoke it.” Smith did not answer. He did not seem to have heard. His truculent, ruddy face was aglow with some mystic light that ap- peared to spring from within his gallant soul. “Tt is in my mind, white man,” said Powhatan, after an instant’s pause, “to speak to you what is in my heart; that you may bear the message with you into the spirit world.” Again he paused; then resumed: “When first the white men touched these shores—more than two hundred moons ago —I and my people were eager to be their friends. We crowded down to their ships at the mouth of the Great River. We brought them gifts. for our welcome?” Even before he spoke the next words, I well remembered the treatment accorded the simple Indians by the first futile colony cComicloool. What was their return. CO