The Lily and the Totem; or, The Huguenots in Florida

by William Gilmore Simms

  XIV.

  THE SEDITION AT LA CAROLINE.--Chap. I.

  MOUVEMENT.

  There was bustle of no common sort in the fortress of La Caroline. Thebreezes of September had purged and relieved of its evil influences thestagnant atmosphere of summer. The sick of the garrison had crawledforth beneath the pleasant shadows of the palms, that grew betweenthe fortress and the river banks, and there were signs of life andanimation in the scene and among its occupants, which testified to thefavorable change which healthier breezes and more encouraging moralinfluences, were about to produce among the sluggish inhabitants of ourlittle colony. There were particular occasions for movement apart fromthe cheering aspects of the season. Enterprise was afoot with all itseagerness and hope. Men were to be seen, in armor, hurrying to and fro,busy in the work of preparation, while Monsieur Laudonniere himself,just recovered from a severe illness, conspicuous in the scene, appearedto have cast aside no small portion of his wonted apathy and inactivity.He was in the full enjoyment of his authority. He had baffled thedisease which preyed upon him, and had defeated the conspiracy by whichhis life and power had been threatened. He was now disposed to thinklightly of the dangers he had passed, though his having passed them, insafety, had tended greatly to encourage his hope and to stimulate hisadventure. He now stood, in full uniform, at the great gate of thefortress, reading at intervals from a paper in his grasp, whileextending his orders to his lieutenants. He was evidently preparing tomake considerable use of his authority. It is, perhaps, permitted to aGascon to do so, at all seasons, even when he owes his security tobetter wits than his own, and has achieved his successes in his owndespite. Our worthy captain of the Huguenot garrison upon the river ofMay, was not the less disposed to insist upon his authority, because ithad been saved to him without his own participation. It might havebeen difficult, under any circumstances, to persuade him of that, andcertainly, the conviction, even if he had entertained it, would, at thisjuncture, have done nothing to dissipate or lessen the confident hopewhich prompted his present purposes. The present was no ordinaryoccasion. It was as an ally of sovereigns that Laudonniere wasextending his orders. He had, already, on several occasions, permittedhis lieutenants to take part in the warfare between the domesticchieftains, and he was now preparing to engage in a contest whichthreatened to be of more than common magnitude and duration. A warfarethat seldom knew remission had been long waged between the rivalwarriors, whose several dominions embraced the western line of the greatApalachian chain. Already had the Huguenots fought on the side of thegreat potentate Olata Utina, commonly called Utina, against anotherformidable prince called Potanou. He was now preparing to second witharms the ambition of Kings Hostaqua and Onathaqua, who were preparingfor the utter annihilation of the power of the formidable Potanou. Ofthe two former kings, such had been the account brought to Laudonniere,that he at first imagined them to be Spaniards. They were described asgoing to battle in complete armor, with their breasts, arms and thighscovered with plates of gold, and with a helmet or headpiece of the samemetal. Their armor defied the arrows of the savages, and proved thepossession of a degree of civilization very far superior to anythingin the experience or customs of the red-men. Subsequently it wasascertained that they were Indians like the rest, differing from therest, however, in this other remarkable trait, that, while all the othertribes painted their faces red, these warriors of Hostaqua and Onathaquaemployed black only to increase the formidable appearance which theymade in battle. The golden armor used by this people, and the excessof the precious metals which this habit implied, were sufficientinducements for our Huguenot leader to attempt his present enterprise.It had furnished the argument of the conspirators against him, that hedone so little towards the discovery of the precious metals; havingprovoked that cupidity, which his necessities alone compelled him torefuse to gratify. His error, at the present moment was, in employingother than the discontents of his colony in making the discovery. But ofthis hereafter.

  Laudonniere had not been wholly neglectful, even while he seemed tosleep upon his arms, of the reported treasures of the country. He hadsent two of his men, La Roche Ferriere a clever young ensign, andanother, to dwell in the dominions of King Utina, and these two had beenabsent all the summer, engaged in rambling about the country. Others,as we have seen, were sent in other directions. Lieutenant AchilleD'Erlach, the brother of the favorite Alphonse, had been absent inthis way, during all the period when Laudonniere was threatened byconspiracy; and it was now decreed that, even while his brothercontinued absent, Alphonse should depart also. The eagerness ofLaudonniere would admit of no delay. His curiosity had just receiveda new impulse from a present which had been sent him by Hostaqua,consisting of a "Luzerne's skinne full of arrows, a couple of bowes,foure or five skinnes painted after their manner, and a chaine of silverweighing about a pounde weight." These came with overtures of friendshipand alliance, which the Huguenot chief did not deem it polite todisregard. He sent to the savage king, "two whole sutes of apparell,with certain cutting hookes or hatchets," and prepared to follow up hisgifts, by sending a small detachment of picked soldiers, under AlphonseD'Erlach, still more thoroughly to fathom the secrets of the country,but ostensibly to unite with Hostaqua and his ally against the potentsavage Potanou, who was described as a man of boundless treasures, also.

  The bearer of these presents from Hostaqua was an inferior chieftainnamed Oolenoe. This cunning savage, of whom we shall know morehereafter, did not fail to perceive that the ruling passion of ourHuguenots was gold. It was only, therefore, to mumble the precious wordin imperfect Gallic--to extend his hand vaguely in the direction of theApalachian summits, and cry "gold--gold!" and the adroit orator of theLower Cherokees, on behalf of his tribe or nation, readily commandedthe attention of his gluttonous auditors. His arguments and entreatiesproved irresistible, and the present earnestness of Laudonniere, at LaCaroline, was in preparing for this expedition. To conquer Potanou, andto obtain from Hostaqua the clues to the precious region where the goldwas reputed to grow, with almost a vegetable nature, was the motive forarming his European warriors. It was also his policy, borrowed from thatof the Spaniards, to set the native tribes upon one another;--a fatalpolicy in the end, since they must invariably, having first destroyedthe inferior, turn upon the superior, through the irresistible force ofhabit. But, even with the former object, we do not perceive that therewas any necessity to take any undue pains in its attainment. Tribes thatlive by hunting only, must unavoidably come into constant collision. Nodoubt the natural tendency of the savage might be stimulated and mademore inveterate and active, by European arts; and Laudonniere, howeverHuguenot, was too little the Christian to forbear them. With this policyhe proposed to justify himself to those who were averse to the presententerprise. One of these was his favorite, Alphonse D'Erlach, the youthto whom he owed his life. This young man, on the present occasion,approached him where he stood, eager and excited with the businessof draughting the proper officers and men for the present hopefulexpedition. At a little distance, stood the stern old savage, Oolenoe,grimly looking on with a satisfaction at his heart, which was notsuffered to appear on his immovable features. The artist of the_statuesque_ might have found in his attitude and appearance, anadmirable model. While his eye caught and noted every look and movement,and his ear every known and unknown sound and accent, the calm unvaryingexpression of his glance and muscles was that of the most perfect andcool indifference. They only did not sleep. He leaned against a saplingthat stood some twenty paces removed from the entrance of the fort, aloose cotton tunic about his loins, and his bow and quiver suspendedfrom his shoulders, in a richly-stained and shell-woven belt, the groundwork of which was cotton also. A knife, the gift of Laudonniere, was theonly other weapon which he bore; but this was one of those very preciousacquisitions which the Indian had already purposed to bury with him.

  As Alphonse D'Erlach approached his commander, a close observer mighthave seen in the eyes of Oolenoe, an increased brilliancy of expression.Th
e sentiment which it conveyed was not that of love. It is with quick,intelligent natures to comprehend, as by an instinct of their own, inwhat quarter to find sympathies, and whence their antipathies are tofollow. Oolenoe had soon discovered that D'Erlach was not friendly tohis objects. With this conviction there arose another feeling, that ofcontempt, with which the extreme youth, and general effeminacy ofthe young man's appearance, had inspired him. He did not _seem_ thewarrior,--and the Indian is not apt to esteem the person of whoseconduct in battle he has doubts. Besides, the costume of D'Erlach wasthat of dandyism; and, though the North American savage was no humbleproficient in the arts of the toilet, yet these are never ventured uponuntil the reputation of the hunter and warrior have been acquired. Ofthe abilities of D'Erlach, in these respects, Oolenoe had no knowledge;and his doubts, therefore, and disrespects, were the natural resultof his conviction that the youth was suspicious of, and hostile to,himself. Of these feelings, D'Erlach knew nothing, and perhaps cared aslittle. His features, as he drew nigh to Laudonniere, were marked withmore gravity and earnestness than they usually expressed; and, touchingthe wrist of his commander, as he approached him, he beckoned himsomewhat farther from his followers:

  "It is not too late," said he, "to escape this arrangement."

  "And why seek to escape it, Alphonse?" replied the other, with somethinglike impatience in his tones.

  "For the best of reasons. You can have no faith in this savage. If therebe this abundance of gold in the country, why brings he so little. Whereare his proofs? But this is not all. But lately our enemy, jealous ofour presence, and only respectful because of his fears, we can have noconfidence in him, as an ally. He will lead the men whom you give him,into ambuscade--into remote lands, where provision will be found withdifficulty,--require to be fought for at every step, and where the bestvalor in the world, and the best conduct will be unavailing for theirextrication."

  "To prevent this danger, Alphonse, you shall have command of thedetachment," said Laudonniere, with a dry accent, and a satirical glanceof the eye.

  "I thank you, sir, for this proof of confidence," replied the other, noways disquieted, "and shall do my best to avoid or prevent the evilsthat I apprehend from it; but----"

  "I have every confidence in your ability to do so, Alphonse," said theother, interrupting him in a tone which still betrayed the annoyancewhich he felt from the expostulations of his favorite. The latterproceeded, after a slight but respectful inclination of the head.

  "But there is another consideration of still greater importance. Yoursecurity in La Caroline is still a matter of uncertainty. You know notthe extent of the late conspiracy. You know not who are sound, and whodoubtful, among your men. Le Genre, Fourneaux, Le Genevois, and LaRoquette, are still in the woods. You are weakening yourself, lesseningthe resources of the fortress, and may, at any moment----"

  "Pshaw!" exclaimed Laudonniere, with renewed impatience. "You are onlytoo suspicious, Alphonse. You make too much of this conspiracy. It doesnot seem to me that it was ever so dangerous. At all events, the dangeris over, the ringleaders banished and in the woods, and will rot there,if the wolves do not devour them. They, at least, shall not be madewolves of for me."

  D'Erlach bowed in silence. His mouth was sealed against all furtherexpostulation. He saw that it was hopeless--that his captain had got afixed idea, and men of few ideas, making one of them a favorite,are generally as immovable as death. Besides, Alphonse saw that theobligations which he had so lately conferred upon his commander, inbaffling the conspiracy of Le Genre, by his vigilance, had somewhatwounded his _amour propre_. It is a misfortune, sometimes, to have beentoo useful. The consciousness of a benefit received, is apt to be veryburdensome to the feeble nature. The quick instinct of Alphonse D'Erlachreadily perceived the condition of his captain's heart. A momentarypause ensued. Lifting his cap, he again addressed him, but withdifferent suggestions.

  "Am I to hope, sir, that you really design to honor me with thiscommand?"

  "Certainly, if you wish it, Alphonse."

  "I certainly wish it, sir, if the expedition be resolved on."

  "It is resolved on," said Laudonniere, with grave emphasis.

  "I shall then feel myself honored with the command."

  "Be it yours, lieutenant. In one hour be ready to receive your orders."

  "One minute, sir, will suffice for all personal preparation;" and, withthe formal customs of military etiquette, the two officers bowed, as theyounger of them withdrew to his quarters. In one hour, he was on themarch with twenty men, accompanied by Oolenoe and his dusky warriors.