It being determined by Laudonniere, in the necessities of his
people, to seize upon the person of the great Paracoussi, Olata
Ouvae Utina, in order, by the ransom which he should extort, to
relieve the famine which prevailed among the garrison, he proceeded
to make his preparations for the event. Two of his
barks were put in order for this purpose, and a select body of
fifty men was chosen from his ranks to accompany him on the
expedition. But this select body, though the very best men of
the garrison, exhibited but few external proofs of their adequacy
for the enterprise. So lean of flesh, so shrunk of sinew, so
hollow-eyed were they, that their picture recals to us the description
given by Shakspeare of the famished and skeleton regiments
of Henry of Monmouth at the famous field of Agincourt—`A
poor and starved band,' the very `shales and husks of men,'
with scarcely blood enough in all their veins, to stain the
Indian hatchet, which they travel to provoke. But famine
endows the sinews with a vigor of its own. Hunger enforced to
the last extremities of nature, clothes the spirit of the man in the

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passions of the wolf and tiger. Lean and feeble as are our
Frenchmen, they are desperate. They are in the mood to brave
the forest chief in his fastnesses, and to seize upon his own heart,
in the lack of other food. The very desperation of their case
secures them against any misgivings.

The dominions of Holata Utina were distant from La Caroline,
between forty and fifty leagues up the river. His chief town,
where he dwelt, lay some six more leagues inland, a space over
which our Frenchmen had to march. Leaving a sufficent guard
in their vessels, Laudonniere and his company landed and proceeded
in this quarter. He marched with caution, for he knew
his enemy. His advance was conducted by Alphonse D'Erlach,
his standard-bearer—one, whose experience and skill had been
too frequently tried to leave it doubtful that his conduct would be
a safe one. He had traversed the space before, and he knew the
route thoroughly. The progress was urged with as much secrecy
as caution. The cover of the woods was carefully maintained,
the object of the party being a surprise. They well knew that
Utina had but little expectation of seeing them, at this juncture,
in his own abodes. None, so well as himself, knew how feeble was
their condition, how little competent to any courageous enterprise.
They succeeded in appearing at the village of the chief
without provoking alarm. He himself was at home, sitting in
state in the royal wigwam, with but few warriors about him.
The fashion of the Indian, with less royal magnificence, in other
words, with less art and civilization—is not greatly unlike that of
the Turk. Olata Utina sat crossed legs upon a dais prepared of
dressed skins of the deer, the bear and panther. The spotted
hides hung over the raised portions of the seat which he kept,
upon which also might be seen coverlets of cotton ingeniously

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manufactured, and richly stained with the bright crimson, scarlet,
and yellow, of native dye-woods. This art of dyeing, the savages
had brought to a comparatively high state of perfection. His
house itself stood upon an artificial eminence of earth, raised in
the very centre of his village, and overlooking it on every hand.
It was an airy structure, with numerous openings, and the breeze
played sweetly and capriciously among the coverlets which hung
as curtains before the several places of egress and entrance.
Utina himself was a savage of noble size and appearance. He
carried himself with the ease and dignity of one born to the
purple. His form, though an old man, was still unbending and
tall. His countenance was one of great spirit and nobleness.
With forehead equally large and high, with a dark eye that
flashed with all the fires of youth, with lips that opened only to
discourse in tones of a sweet but majestic eloquence, and with a
shrewd sagacity, that made him, among a cunning people, a
recognised master of all the arts of the serpent, he was necessarily
a person to impress with respect and admiration those even
who came with hostility.

It is probable that Utina knew nothing of the approach of the
Frenchmen, until it was too late to escape them. But, before
they entered the opened space assigned to the settlement, he was
advised of their coming. Then it was that he threw aside his domestic
habit and assumed his state. Then it was that he resumed
his dignity and ascended the dais of stained cotton and flowing
deer-skin. His turban of purple and yellow cotton was bound
skilfully about his brow, his bow and quiver lay beside him, while
at his feet was extended his huge macana, or war-club, which it
scarcely seemed possible that his aged hands should now grasp
with vigor sufficient for its formidable use. His hands, when the

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Frenchmen entered the dwelling, held nothing more formidable
than the earthen pipe, and the long tubulated reed which he busied
himself in inserting within the bowl. Two of his attendant warriors
retired at the same moment. These, Laudonniere did not
think proper to arrest, though counselled to do so by D'Erlach.
He knew not that they had been despatched by the wily Paracoussi
for the purpose of gathering his powers for resistance.

Laudonniere appeared in the royal wigwam with but ten companions.
Forty others had been dispersed by D'Erlach at proper
points around the village. Of their proximity the king knew nothing.
His eye took in, at a single glance, the persons of his
visitors; and a slight smile, that looked derisive, was seen to overspread
his visage. It was with something like good humor in his tones
that he gave them welcome. A page at the same time brought forth
a basket of wicker-work, which contained a large collection of pipes
of all sorts and sizes. Another basket afforded a sufficient quantity
of dried leaves of the tobacco and vanilla. The Paracoussi
nodded to his guests as the boy presented both baskets, and Laudonniere,
with two others of his company, helped themselves to
pipes and weed. Thus far nothing had been said but “Ami,” and
“Bonjour.” The welcome of the Indians was simple always, and
a word sufficed among them as amply as the most studied and
verbose compliment. The French had learned to imitate them in
this respect, to be sparing of words, and to restrain the expression
of their emotions, particularly when these indicated want or suffering.

But the necessities of our Frenchmen were too great and pressing,
at the present time, to be silenced wholly by convention; and
when, as if in mockery, a small troncher of parched corn was set

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before them, with a vessel of water, the impatience of Laudonniere
broke into utterance.

“Paracoussi Utina,” said he, “you have long known the want
which has preyed upon our people,”

“My brother is hungry,” replied Utina, with a smile more
full of scorn than sweetness—“let my brother eat. Let his
young men eat. There is never famine among the people of
Utina.”

“And if there be no want among the people of Utina, wherefore
is it that he suffers the French to want? Why has he forgotten
his allies? Did not my young men fight the battles of
Utina against the warriors of the mighty Potanou? Did not
many captives grace the triumph of Utina? Has the Paracoussi
forgotten these services? Why does he turn away from his
friends, and show himself cold to their necessities?”

“Why will my pale brother be talking?” said the other, with
a most lordly air of indifference. “The people of Utina have
fought against the warriors of Potanou for more than a hundred
winters. My French brother is but a child in the land of the
red-people. What does he know of the triumphs of my warriors?
He saw them do battle once with the tribes of Potanou, and he
makes account because he then fought on behalf of my people.
My people have fought with the people of Potanou more than a
hundred battles. Our triumphs have been witnessed by every
bird that flies, every beast that runs, every fish that swims, between
the villages of Potanou and the strong house of the Frenchman
where he starves below. What more will our pale brother
say, being thus a child among the red-men?”

“Why parley with the savage?” said Alphonse D'Erlach,
“if you mean to take him? I care not for his insolence which

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chafes me nothing; but we lose time. You have suffered some
of his warriors to depart. They are gone, doubtless, to gather
the host together. We shall need all the time to carry our
captive safely to the boats.”

These words were spoken aloud, directly in the rear of Utina,
D'Erlach having taken a place behind him in the conference. The
Paracoussi was startled by the language. Some of it was beyond
his comprehension. But he could not misunderstand the tone
and manner of the speaker. D'Erlach was standing above him,
with his hand stretched over him, and ready to grasp his victim
the moment the word should be spoken. His slight form and
youthful features, contrasted with the cold, inflexible expression
of his eyes and face, very forcibly impressed the imagination of
the Indian monarch, as, turning at the interruption, he looked up
at the person of the speaker. But, beyond the first single start
which followed the interruption, Utina gave no sign of surprise
or apprehension.

“Awhile, awhile, Alphonse—be not too hasty, my son;” was
the reply of Laudonniere. He continued, addressing himself to
the Paracoussi:

“My red brother thinks he understands the French. He is
mistaken. He will grow wiser before he grows much older. But
it will be time then that I should teach him. It matters now
only, that I should say to the Paracoussi Utina, we want, and
you have plenty. We have fought your battles. We are your
friends. We will trade with you for mil and beanes. Give us
of these, according to our need, and you shall have of the merchandize
of the French in just proportion. Let it be so, brother,
that peace may still flourish between our people.”

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“There is mil and beanes before my white brother. Let him
take and divide among his people.”

“But this will not suffice for a single meal. Does the Paracoussi
laugh to scorn the sufferings of my people?”

“The Paracoussi laughs because the granaries of the red-men
are full. There is no famine among his people. Hath the Great
Spirit written that the red-man shall gather food in the proper
season that the white man may sleep like the drowsy buffalo in
the green pasture? Let my white brother drive from his ear the
lying bird that sings to him: `Sleep—take thy slumber under
the pleasant shade tree, while the people of Utina get thee
food!”'

“Would the Paracoussi make the Frenchmen his enemies? Is
their anger nothing? Is their power not a thing to be feared?”

“And what is the Paracoussi Olata Ovae Utina? Hath he not
many thousand warriors? The crane that rises in the east in the
morning, though he flies all day, compasses not the land at sunset,
which belongs to my dominions. East and west my people
whoop like the crane, and hear no birds that answer but their
own. Let my pale brother hush, for he speaks a foolish thing
of his warriors. Did I dream, or did any runners tell me that
the bones of the Frenchmen break through the skin, lacking food,
and their sinews are so shrunken that they can never more strive
in battle? Who shall fear them? I had pity on my brother
when I heard these things. I sent him food, and bade my people
say—`take this food which thou needest; the great Paracoussi
asks for nothing in recompense, but thy guns, thy swords, and
thy lances; weapons which they tell me thou hast strength to use
no longer.”

“Did they tell thee so, Utina? But thou shalt see. Once

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more, my brother, I implore thee to give us of thy abundance,
and we will cheerfully impart to thee from our store of knives,
reap-hooks, hatchets, mirrors, and lovely beads, such as will
delight thy women. Here, behold,—this is some of the treasure
which I have brought thee for the purposes of barter.”

The lordly chieftain deigned not a single glance to the European
wares, which, at a word from Laudonniere, one of the
French soldiers laid at his feet. The French captain, as if loth
to proceed to extremities, continued to entreat; while every new
appeal was only answered, on the part of the savage prince, with
a new speech of scorn, and new gestures of contempt. At length,
Laudonniere's patience was exhausted, and he gave the signal
which had been agreed upon with his lieutenant. In the next
moment, the quick grasp of Alphonse D'Erlach was laid upon
the Paracoussi's shoulders. He attempted to rise, and to grasp,
at the same time, the macana which lay at his feet. But D'Erlach
kept him down with his hands, while his foot was struck
down upon the macana. In that moment, the war-conch was
sounded at the entrance by several Indians who had been in waiting.
It was caught up and echoed by the bugles of D'Erlach;
the blast of which had scarcely been heard throughout the village,
before it had been replied to, four several times, from as many
different points where the French force had been stationed, ten
soldiers in each. One desperate personal struggle which the
Paracoussi made, proved fruitless to extricate him from the grasp
of his captor; and he then sat quietly, without a word, coldly
looking his enemies in the face.

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