The Princess Pocahontas | Page 3

very summit of the tree. But the braves did not waste
time in climbing after it; they leapt up in the air like panthers, caught
the branch and swung it vigorously back and forth so that the creature's
feet slipped from under it and it fell into their outstretched arms.
Not waiting even to investigate the white bundle of fur, the warriors,
surrounded by their curious fellows, bore it to Opechanchanough, and
laid it on the ground before him. He knelt and lifted up the cap of rabbit
skin with flapping ears that hid the face, then cried out in angry
astonishment:
"Pocahontas! What meaneth this trick?"
And the white fur bundle, rising to her feet, laughed and laughed till the
oldest and staidest warrior could not help smiling. But
Opechanchanough did not smile; he was too angry. His dignity suffered
at thus being made the sport of a child. He shook his niece, saying:
"What meaneth this, I ask? What meaneth this?"
Pocahontas then ceased laughing and answered:
"I wanted to see for myself how brave thou wert. Uncle, and to know
just how great warriors such as ye are act when an enemy is upon them.
I am not so bad an archer, Uncle; I would not shoot thee, so I aimed
beyond thee. But it was such fun to sit up there in the tree and watch all
of you halt so suddenly."
Her explanation set most of the party laughing again.
"In truth, is she well named," they cried--"Pocahontas, Little Wanton."
"I have yet another name," she said to an old brave who stood nearest
her. "Knowest thou it not?--Matoaka, Little Snow Feather. Always
when the moons of popanow (winter) bring us snow it calls me out to
play. 'Come, Snow Feather,' it cries, 'come out and run with me and
toss me up into the air.'"

Her uncle had now recovered his calm and was about to start forward
again. Turning to the two who had captured Pocahontas, he
commanded:
"Since we have taken a prisoner we will bear her to Powhatan for
judgment and safekeeping. Had we shot back into the tree she might
have been killed. See that she doth not escape you."
Then he stalked ahead through the forest, paying no further attention to
Pocahontas.
The young braves looked sheepishly at each other and at their captive,
not at all relishing their duty. Opechanchanough was not to be
disobeyed, yet it was no easy thing to hold a young maid against her
will, and no force or even show of force might be used against a
daughter of the mighty werowance (chieftain).
Seeing their uncertainty, Pocahontas started to run to the left and they
to pursue her. They came up with her before she had gone as far as
three bows' lengths and led her back gently to their place in the line.
Then she walked sedately along as if unconscious of their presence,
until they were off their guard, believing she had resigned herself to the
situation, when she sprang off to the right and was again captured and
led back. She knew that they dared not bind her, and she took
advantage of this to lead them in truth a dance, first to one side and
then to the other. Behind them their comrades jeered and laughed each
time the maiden ran away.
The regular order of the warpath was now no longer preserved. They
had advanced to a point where there was no longer any possibility of
danger from hostile attack. Werowocomoco lay now but a short
distance away; already the smoke from its lodges could be seen across
the cleared fields that surrounded the village of Powhatan. The older
warriors were walking in groups, talking over their deeds of valor
performed that day, and praising those of several of the young braves
who had fought for the first time. Pocahontas and her captors had now
fallen further behind.

Though well satisfied with the results of her enterprise and amusement,
Pocahontas had no mind to be brought into her home as a captive, even
though it be half in jest. Her father might not consider it so amusing
and, moreover, she did not like to be outwitted. She was so busy
thinking that she forgot to continue her game and walked quietly ahead,
keeping up with the longer strides of the warriors by occasional little
runs forward. The braves, their own heads full of their first campaign,
kept fingering lovingly the scalps at their girdles, and paid little
attention to her.
She stooped as if to fasten her moccasin, then, as their impetus carried
them a few feet ahead of her before they stopped for her to come up,
she darted like a flash to the left and had slid down