E. A. B. Shackleford

“ Under the great pine, Virginia lay motionless, while two Indian princes bent over her, doing all in their power to bring back a sign of life, and a child knelt by, crying.
Life came back; the weary brain began slowly to awake. The great blue eyes opened. She tried to smile; but that awful scene came before [179] her,—Barnes, Gray, Smith, even Beth, all that she had called her people, lying dead about her. She closed her eyes; but soon she opened them again, and found that she was lying on the low rush tussan in the wigwam. Nantiquas was standing, looking down at her. ”

“ Your people shall be my people. We shall be all to each other now.”
“My Owaissa will be all to Iosco forever.” When one soul which truly loves looks deep into another and reads there the answering love he has longed for, he knows what a great treasure he has better than any one could tell him; and to both souls comes the sense that they are no longer separate beings, but one in each other. A golden light has spread over the world, which, thank God, nothing earthly has the power to destroy. ”

“ I think I am usually, don’t you, Iosco?”
He nodded as he replied, “Owaissa is like a bird, her eyes are so bright, her laugh is so merry.”
“I try to be,” she went on, “and I am very happy indeed. Every one is so kind to me; but sometimes I can’t help wishing very much that I could see some of my own people. I should like to know if my father is alive, and if he sometimes thinks of me. He went away when I was only ten days old: I know he could not forget his baby.” ”

“ Beth was her great comfort through this lonely time: she was one to love, one who really needed her, and the two children truly loved each other. Iosco grew quite strong after a time: he never forgot what Mrs. Dare had done for him, and that it was in saving his life she had hastened her own death. He had always been fond of Virginia, and now his love was mingled with gratitude. There was hardly an hour of the day he did not bring some little offering for “Owaissa,” or tell her stories, or sing songs to her. Time softens the greatest and sharpest sorrow. ”

“ But, even so, the day shall dawn dull and hard for us, as we have seen; but when the blessed evensong calleth, it shall be bright as yonder sky for our people, and the next day shall dawn and set with peace and plenty for them, through God’s great mercy. ”

“ A reward was offered for every white scalp from Croatoan or Ritanoe, or wherever the seven whites had escaped to.
The old places were slowly coming nearer and nearer, and the great throb of happiness that leaps into one’s heart as he is coming home, filled Virginia’s heart with thankfulness and love.
“O Iosco, I am so glad I did not go right to my own people; I would never have seen Croatoan again. I am sure there is not another place in the whole world so beautiful. I love it, every spot of its ground. Are you glad we are all to be together again for a while?” ”

“ More than one grave had been made; the Indians looking on in awe and wonder at the Christian burial. Mrs. Dare had learned many Indian words, and in a quiet way she had done much for the neglected women and children, for there were such among those poor savages, as there are to-day in our own civilized towns and villages; and in that way she won not only their hearts, but the hearts of the men also. There is no surer way in the world to a man’s heart than through his children.
All this time the baby Virginia grew. The soft down on her round head had changed to a halo of golden curls. ”

“ The cold rain or the hot sun never made her ill; she seemed to open like a flower, gaining strength and beauty from all that nature gave. One day when swinging in her willow cradle under the blue sky, laughing and playing with her toes, as children do, the old woman or mother of the tribe, bent and wrinkled, browned and weather-beaten, came slowly up the hill with several of the squaws. Patience sat on the ground holding the baby Elizabeth, who, as soon as she saw the old squaw, gave a wild cry of fear, and buried her face on Patience’s shoulder, moaning and sobbing. ”

“ But a feeling of jealousy rose in his heart when Virginia said, “Iosco will help me, I must go and find him, and tell him; I know he will be glad.”
As she sprang up to go away, Nantiquas caught her hand. “Will Owaissa let Nantiquas go for her to the camp of the pale tribe and find her father?”
“Oh, how good you are!” she cried, her cheeks glowing, and her eyes sparkling. “But the white men will never know what you want. You cannot talk their language, and they may think you mean them harm.” ”

“ Dare, Virginia, and those few faithful souls, were answered. The poor Indians, who had had glimmerings of a higher life, through Manteo, their dearly loved chief, now listened eagerly to the message of the church, as Martin Atherton told it in a simple, direct way, while they sat in a circle on the ground about him, sometimes with great reverence kissing the sacred Book from which the holy teachings came.
Twice a day the sound of prayer and praise went up from the little congregation. Virginia had taught him the language of the people. ”

“ As the governor saw the dissatisfied faces, he continued, “I shall return as soon as it is possible: I am sure you cannot doubt that. Am I not leaving you good security, my daughter and her child, this dear little one?”
He laid his hand on the swinging cradle in which he had put the baby; and then, raising the other hand and looking up, he said in a clear, distinct, and reverent way, “Before you all, my friends, and before my God, I swear I will be faithful to you. I will do to you as I hope and pray I may be done by. ”

“ When the old Indian saw Iosco, he caught his hand, crying, “The people of Manteo do groan for Iosco. They offer sacrifices every day for his return. But he comes not. Old Ranteo comes far to find him and fetch him back. The brave Christian Werowance, Iosco!”
It was Owaissa who answered, turning from the stranger with whom she had been earnestly talking, “Do they really want Iosco back at Croatoan? I knew they would, some day. I am so glad, dear Iosco.” ”

“ Indians have a superstition that any one knowing the secret of the private name of a maid can work charms and witchery about her. So to Nantiquas it was a solemn, if not a sacred thing to repeat the word Virginia. But he did it quite correctly, and she clasped her hands with joy. “Say it all over once more, please,” she urged. And he repeated clearly, “White, Dare, Virginia; does Nantiquas say it as Owaissa does?”
“Oh, yes,” she said enthusiastically. “When will you go, Nantiquas?”
“Nantiquas will go even as the canoe waits by the water. Does Owaissa wish it?” ”

“ Poor Iosco lay gasping, delirious, and exhausted. Manteo thought he was dying, and caught Mrs. Dare’s hand almost fiercely as he cried, “Ask the Great Spirit! Oh, ask him quickly!”
She knelt down quietly by the poor boy, Virginia knelt too, and all followed their example. There had been regular hours for prayer before Howe and Gage had been lost; since then, all were welcome who cared to come to Mrs. Dare’s wigwam for devotions. She felt keenly a woman’s dislike to put herself conspicuously before the world, even though it were a little heathen world ”

“ The tiny waves lapped his moccasins, but he heeded them not. At last, as if worn out with his solitary struggle, he threw himself on the ground, and lay so still, he looked more like a dead than a living form. There alone, with only the screech of the owl in the forest, or the call of the heron to break the [136] stillness, in the dim light of the moon, alone with nature, Iosco was struggling with himself. He seemed to be two beings; one, the better self which Mrs. Dare’s teachings had awakened, which saw and dimly realized the light and glory of the living Saviour ”

“ There was Manteo’s tall figure tied to a tree like any mean captive. By him stood Barnes and two or three of the roughest white men. A little way off stood Gray and one or two others, who seemed dissatisfied and distressed at what was happening. In front, flushed with anger and indignation, was Virginia. She was [123] speaking, he could hear her, more like an eagle defending her young, than a dove: “Shame on you, Barnes! Shame on you! Shame on you all, to touch the man who has saved our lives, and cared for us all these years! You are worse than the savages you despise. ”

“ They sat silently for a few minutes, then Virginia looked up into Iosco’s face. “You know,” she said softly, “sometimes I feel sure my father will come for me and take me away.”
Had she felt Iosco’s hand, she would have been astonished at its icy coldness, and would have wondered what made him clinch his fingers as if he were in pain. From that day a wild dread of the white man’s return haunted Iosco. [110] An Indian never shows his emotion, so he only said quietly, “Did I ever tell Owaissa the story of Battao? It is a beautiful one from the far north, a captive of my father’s told it to me.” ”

“ A nice lot of cowards the fellows here are; why don’t they go and fight them savages, and let us take their lands to pay us for coming away across the water; frighten them, let ’em see we mean business. [30] If we don’t, they’ll finish us all. I wouldn’t make friends with any of ’em; carrying them around the world as if they were white Christians; and just because they call one a chief, he must be treated like a king. I hope some day I’ll have the pleasure of putting my sword through that red shining-faced Manteo. ”

“ He had been made a leader rather by circumstances than by birth; and he looked frightened and bewildered now, as the torch cast a lurid, flickering light over his handsome face.
“I think,” he was saying, “as long as Manteo is a powerful chief, we had better go back with Ranteo; we will be as safe there as anywhere. It was certainly good of him to offer us shelter, for it will mean war with Wanchese for him. What say you, men?”
Hopeful Kent was in the group, and spoke up at once:—
“I fear we shall then be making slaves of ourselves. Manteo can do what he likes with us when we are in his camp. ”

“ A sudden wild yell in the forest sent terror to every heart. The men had all they could do to keep back Wanchese and his braves. Several of the settlers had been already wounded, and one killed. They could not hold out much longer against their present enemy, and if help had come to Wanchese they were surely lost. Only one moment did this thought depress them, for the instant the savages heard the cry, they sent up one fierce and wild answer, and turned to meet the new foe, now rushing upon them, headed by Manteo. ”

“ Cleopatra covered her face with her brown hands to hide her tears, but she could not keep back the sobs, as she replied, “Cleopatra’s father, the Werowance Powhatan, says the pretty Owaissa shall fly to-day with his child, and not die until the sun goes down and the moon comes out and the sun shines again, but when it hangs on the great pine, the Owaissa and six [177] of her tribe, who shall live till then, shall die before Powhatan.”
Iosco could see Owaissa comforting the child. He heard her say, “There are other things more cruel than death, Cleopatra, when one’s heart dies. ”

“ We could not go alone; but do not let us hurry. Let us see you back at the old place, and this white face can teach your people and all of us about the Great Spirit, the dear Jesus. Mistress Wilkins said this land needed such as he is [192] to hallow it—a priest.” Virginia said the last word reverently.
“The pale-face is good. The light of the Great Spirit is in his eyes. He shall stay as long as he will, and teach the people as Manteo would have wished; and surely Owaissa will never hurry from the people who love her,” Iosco replied. ”