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Page 26
With this speech, and once more giving Le Moyne a stiff military
salute, the old soldier turned and marched away, followed by the rest
of the mutineers.
As soon as he was once more alone, Le Moyne made his report to
Laudonniere, and so excited did the sick man become on hearing it that
his fever took a sudden turn for the worse, and he was soon raving
deliriously, and calling upon R�n� de Veaux not to desert him for his
enemies the Indians.
Meantime matters proceeded so rapidly outside that the keel of a small
vessel in which the mutineers hoped to cross the ocean to their own
country was laid that very day, and the labor of collecting suitable
material for ship-building was entered upon with the fierce energy of
men who believed they were working to save their lives.
So actively did this work proceed that in less than a month the hull of
the little vessel was completed, and she stood ready for launching.
At this time parties were out in several directions from the fort, some
securing pitch from the pine forests for use upon the vessel, others
searching the cypress swamps for suitable spars, and still others
making unskilled efforts to secure a supply of game and fish for
present use, and for salting down to provision their ship during her
proposed voyage. These last were the most unsuccessful of all who were
out, owing to their limited knowledge of wood-craft. They were at the
same time the most anxious to succeed in their quest; for the supply of
corn in the fort was now wholly exhausted, and the garrison was
subsisting almost entirely upon fish and the leaf buds of the cabbage
palm, which they had discovered how to prepare.
On the day that marked a month from the date of R�n� de Veaux's
departure, the working parties whose duties took them into the forest
were suddenly attacked by great numbers of savages, and driven in the
greatest confusion back to the fort, after sustaining severe losses in
killed and wounded. The advance of the savages, who followed them
closely, even up to the very gates, was only checked by a heavy fire of
artillery, which so alarmed them that they fled in a panic to the
shelter of the forest, nor stopped until they had retreated to a most
respectful distance.
Towards evening a body of the enemy were seen gathered in plain view on
and about the great shell mound upon which the Feast of Ripe Corn had
been held some weeks before. The sight of them so enraged Simon, the
armorer, who was now generally recognized as commandant, that he
determined to sally forth at the head of a strong party and bring about
a decisive battle, which he had no doubt would result in a victory for
the whites.
Although he could muster but about fifty able-bodied men, so sadly had
fever and lack of proper food ravaged the garrison, the old soldier,
who held the fighting qualities of the savages in great contempt,
deemed this number amply sufficient for his purpose, and marched forth
confidently at their head. They met with no enemy until they had
nearly reached the shell mound, and were preparing to charge upon the
savages, who still remained gathered about it.
Suddenly the whites found themselves completely surrounded by a great
number of Indians, who seemed to spring, as though by magic, from every
bush and from behind every tree. So secretly had their approach been
made that the first notice Simon and those with him had of the ambush
into which they had fallen, was a vast discharge of arrows and spears
into their ranks. These were accompanied by such blood-curdling yells
that they affected the white men almost as fearfully as the roar of
their own artillery had terrified the savages in the morning.
Rallying from their first panic, they made a desperate attempt to force
their way back to the fort, and struggled like men who knew their lives
were at stake. In spite, however, of their bravery and the terrible
execution of their swords, they were being overpowered by numbers, and
it seemed impossible that a single one of them should escape with his
life.
As, completely exhausted by the terrible and unequal struggle, they
were about giving way to despair, a most welcome and unexpected
diversion was made in their favor. A great cry arose beyond the line
of savages, and they were so suddenly and fiercely attacked in the rear
by an unseen foe that they fled in the utmost terror in all directions.
Not even waiting to learn who had lent them this most timely aid, the
soldiers hastened to regain the fort and seek shelter behind its
ponderous gates.
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