Smith put a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Enough stories for one night, Sam.” Smith walked to the ship’s ladder. Before he climbed down, he added, “Time to sleep now.”
Sam remembered Nate saying that Master Smith was a hard man to like. Tonight, Sam felt the same way. He waited until he could no longer hear Smith’s footsteps, then he went below and found a spot between the sleeping bodies to spread open his blanket. He lay awake, his mind buzzing, and he wished he could talk to Nate about what Smith had told him. But he knew his master had trusted him with a kind of secret. Although he wasn’t sure if he agreed with John Smith that a wise man should choose to tell only part of the truth, Sam was very sure that a wise man does not betray other people’s secrets.
Almost eighty healthy new settlers had arrived on the John and Francis. They were evenly divided between laborers and gentlemen. With so many new hands, rebuilding the fort went much faster than Sam expected. A makeshift storehouse was put up in a few days, and work was started on new sleeping quarters. In a few weeks, the burnt timbers in the fort’s walls were replaced, and the settlement looked almost the same as it did before the fire.
Once or twice a week, Indians came to the fort. Sometimes Pocahontas returned, and other times Indian men came. They brought presents of bread and dried corn, deer or raccoon meat. The messengers always approached the gate and waited until the guards located John Smith. Smith was the only Englishman that the Indians ever asked to see.
Smith greeted both the Indian girls and men outside the gate. All of the messengers recited a short speech from Powhatan, which included greetings and an invitation for Smith to visit. The messengers reminded Smith that Powhatan wanted to meet the colony’s “father,” Captain Newport. Sometimes the Indians came inside the fort with Smith to view the Englishmen’s strange dwellings.
Sam wondered if President Ratcliffe or the other gentlemen resented the way the Indians treated John Smith—as if Smith was the man in charge. Of course, none of the Englishmen would dare to voice a complaint because they needed the Indians’ food and goodwill.
In early February, Captain Newport decided to make the long-awaited visit to Powhatan. Since John Smith had shown his skill in dealing with the natives, the captain put him in charge of arrangements. Smith chose Sam and about forty strong men to go along. He ordered the men to pack armor, helmets, weapons, and ammunition, as well as food. He also had them load a large pile of the trade goods that Newport had brought from England.
With Smith as guide, the shallop traveled down the James River, into Chesapeake Bay, and north to the Pamunkey River, which ran parallel to the James. About twenty miles up the Pamunkey, Smith said he recognized the countryside around Powhatan’s town, Werowocomoco. Smith took Sam and nineteen men in light armor to locate the town. Captain Newport and the others waited on the boat.
Like the men, Sam wore an iron helmet and a jack, a quilted jacket made of linen with plates of iron sewn inside. Although the jack was heavy and didn’t offer as much protection from arrows as an iron breastplate, Sam liked wearing it better because it wasn’t as stiff.
They marched into the woods, where they met a band of Indian men. Smith greeted the leader, a son of Powhatan, and called him by name. Then Smith ordered his men to follow the Indians. Winding along trails through the woods, they reached a creek. On the far side was Werowocomoco. Sam could see many reed dwellings in the town. Women squatted by fires and clusters of children played nearby.
Powhatan’s son indicated a wooden footbridge across the creek and invited Smith to lead his men across. The flimsy bridge was built on forked stakes pounded into the mud. Poles had been laid across the stakes and lashed in place with vines.
Sam wondered how many men the bridge could hold without collapsing. The Englishmen wore heavy iron jacks and helmets and carried weapons, so they weighed a lot more than the Indians. Sam glanced down at the icy water moving swiftly in the creek, and he winced. If the bridge gives way and I fall in, I’ll sink with this heavy armor on, Sam thought. He looked at John Smith, who was talking with Powhatan’s son. Does my master see the danger?
Smith kept talking with Powhatan’s son as he positioned Sam and nine men as guards at the entrance to the bridge. He mingled the remaining Englishmen among the Indians. Then, Smith approached the bridge and stepped fearlessly onto the wobbly planks. Since Powhatan’s son was in the middle of a conversation, he could not hesitate without showing his fear, so he stepped boldly onto the footbridge, too. The wooden stakes jiggled and jerked. As the mingled group of Indians and Englishmen began to follow their leaders, the rickety bridge creaked and sagged.
Powhatan’s son glanced behind him at the group on the bridge and stopped. He waved at some Indians on the opposite shore, who pushed a large canoe into the water and paddled to the bridge. All the Englishmen and the Indians clambered off the bridge and into the boat. When they reached the village, Powhatan’s son urged Smith to hurry and visit his father. But Smith politely insisted on waiting until the rest of his men were safely across the creek.
Sam had learned to read John Smith’s thoughts in the set of his jaw. He knew his master was angry, and he thought he understood why. The rickety bridge was a way to test my master’s courage and cunning. John Smith passed this test by thinking quickly. Sam felt a chill in the air. What other tests does Emperor Powhatan have in store for us?
Smith lined his men up two by two behind him. After he gave the command to march, he looked at Sam and said, “Look to your back, lad! Warn the others.”
Sam nodded and whispered to the man beside him. “Watch out. Our commander doesn’t trust these Indians.” As the Englishmen marched into Werowocomoco, they passed Smith’s warning down the line.
When they came to a large dwelling in the center of the town, Smith ordered his men to halt. “This is Emperor Powhatan’s lodge,” Smith announced. He told the men to stand guard while he ducked into the entrance.
After several minutes, Smith returned. He was holding a roasted deer leg in his hand. “Powhatan has invited us to come inside to eat.”
The soldiers moved forward.
“Wait!” Smith looked at his men. “We will enjoy Powhatan’s hospitality, but we will put caution ahead of comfort. Enter the lodge two at a time. The others will remain at attention outside.” Smith motioned for two gentlemen to enter the lodge. Since Sam was up front near his master, Smith told him to go in with the gentlemen.
Powhatan’s lodge looked just like the other Indian homes that Sam had seen, except it was much larger and it was covered with sheets of bark rather than woven reeds. The walls of the lodge were supported by a framework of saplings lashed together. It took a few seconds for Sam’s eyes to get used to the dim, hazy light of torches. Many people were seated inside, some on wide benches against the walls, some on the ground.
Sam immediately began to sweat because the lodge was so warm. In the center, a hole had been dug in the dirt floor and lined with stones for a fireplace. Although most of the smoke escaped through an opening in the roof, the lodge smelled smoky.
An older man was seated near the fire, with others on each side of him. By the man’s bearing, Sam knew at once that this was the Emperor Powhatan. After hearing so many stories about this mighty leader, Sam had expected a huge hulk of a man with stout limbs and a scowling face. Instead, he saw a slim grandfather with twinkling eyes. A cape of raccoon skins was draped over his shoulders, the striped tails dangling over his chest. Like his braves, he wore a piece of tanned deerskin around his waist. Deerskin leggings covered his legs from his thighs to his ankles. The right side of his head was shaved, but on the left side his thin, gray hair was gathered into a knot and decorated with a ring of red-dyed deer fur. Thick strands of pearl circled his neck and glistened on his chest. Dangling from his earlobes were tiny bird claws holding loops of copper wire.
As Sam sat down behind the gentlemen, Powhatan studied the boy’s face. Sam lowered his eyes respectfully. The Indian emperor spoke sharpl
y, his tone ringing like a command.
Sam stiffened and met Powhatan’s gaze.
Leaning forward, Powhatan raised his bushy white eyebrows. Sam was sure the emperor was talking to him, and he looked nervously around the lodge, searching the faces of the other Indians for an explanation of what he was supposed to do.
Powhatan was surrounded by his warriors. Most of them were unclothed except for the piece of leather around their waists. Their naked bodies glistened as if they had coated themselves with oil. The warriors stared at Sam, their faces unmoving.
Behind the men stood women, with faces painted red and milky-white strands of pearls around their necks. Sam recognized Pocahontas sitting with other children in a corner of the lodge. When his eyes met hers, she smiled and held up her hands to indicate Sam’s gun.
Confused, Sam looked at his weapon. Powhatan repeated his command.
Sam knew at once that this was the Emperor Powhatan.
Suddenly Smith brushed past Sam and spoke in an angry tone. “No! My men keep their weapons. It is not our custom to lay our guns at the feet of a foreign king. Only an enemy would make such a request. Never a friend!”
Sam glanced quickly from his master’s face to Powhatan’s. John Smith stared at the emperor, his jaw as firm as iron.
Powhatan shrugged. Two women quickly came forward and handed Sam and the English gentlemen several cakes of bread. As soon as his men took the bread, Smith ordered them to leave and send two more men inside.
That night, their group camped in Werowocomoco. Smith ordered a double guard and refused to let the men wander around the town. In the morning, after the group returned to the shallop, an Indian messenger paddled out to them with an invitation from Powhatan. Smith nodded as the messenger spoke. “The Indians are inviting us to trade with them.”
The messenger pointed at Smith’s gun and said a few more words. He was telling the Englishmen to leave their weapons and armor behind when they returned to Werowocomoco. He also told Smith to be sure and bring the white father, Captain Newport, because Powhatan wished to meet and honor him.
In spite of these instructions, Smith ordered his men to wear their jacks and helmets and carry their guns when they returned to Powhatan’s town. This time, Captain Newport accompanied the group. One sailor carried a box containing the presents for Powhatan. Another sailor led the white greyhound on a leash. Several men carried boxes of trade goods.
When Powhatan met the Englishmen at the entrance to his lodge, he invited them to leave their weapons outside. But Smith refused politely, then introduced Captain Newport. Powhatan made a little speech, and Newport presented his gifts.
Powhatan beamed when he saw the greyhound. Running his leathery hands over the back and legs of the dog, he exclaimed over the animal’s snow-white fur. At a signal from Newport, the sailor sprinted around the clearing with the dog bounding alongside him. The emperor clapped his hands to show his pleasure.
Captain Newport handed Powhatan the red suit and plumed hat. Unfolding the clothing, Powhatan rubbed it against his face to feel its softness. He put the fancy plumed hat on his head and led the Englishmen into his lodge.
Inside, Powhatan spoke and Smith translated. “He says you’re a powerful leader of a mighty people, Captain Newport. He is honored to be visited by such a great commander.”
Powhatan continued speaking, but Smith fell silent. Pausing, the emperor frowned at Smith. When Powhatan resumed his speech, his voice was insistent. “Now he is saying that you are too important to trade like a common man, Captain,” Smith said. “So he’s offering to spread out his trading goods for you to inspect, and he invites you to do the same. Since you’re the guest, he wants you to have the honor of beginning this ceremony. But I don’t think you should—”
Newport’s face was flushed with pleasure, and he waved Smith aside. “I told you he’d be charmed by our presents, John. Of course we’ll spread out our trade goods. It would be demeaning to bicker like street peddlers.” Newport motioned for the sailors to open the boxes and spread out the trade goods. Along with hatchets and other iron tools, the sailors placed twelve shiny copper cooking pots on the mats.
Smith started to object, then swallowed his words. After the English goods were displayed, Powhatan signaled his braves to bring in baskets of corn and grain. Spread over the mats, the food looked plentiful. But Sam had seen his master trade a few hatchets for much more. Just one of the copper pots was worth that much food!
Newport nodded vigorously to show that the offer pleased him, and Powhatan signaled his men to carry away all the English trade goods. Smith watched in silence.
Afterward, during the meal, Smith pulled out a handful of blue glass beads and showed one of Powhatan’s sons how they sparkled in the firelight. The brave asked if he could hold the beads. Smith nodded, and the brave took them to Powhatan, who shrugged as if the beads were no more interesting than pebbles. But in a few minutes, the brave brought two bearskins to Smith and offered to trade them for the handful of beads.
Smith looked shocked. He refused and held out his hand for the beads. The brave hesitated, then called to one of the women. She brought another bearskin and a basket of dried corn.
Again Smith shook his head. When the brave added more baskets of corn to the pile, Smith reluctantly agreed to the trade.
Sam kept his eyes on the ground and forced himself not to grin. My master is every bit as cunning as the great Emperor Powhatan! he thought.
As the Englishmen stood to leave, the brave offered to trade more food for more of the sparkling beads. Smith held out his empty hands to show he didn’t have any more beads with him. The brave added a tanned hide to his offer, but Smith shrugged. “The beads are very rare and precious,” he explained. “They are like pieces of blue sky,” he said and waved his hand toward the heavens. Smith turned to leave, and the brave doubled his offer.
Just before he ducked out of the lodge, Smith said he would search the shallop. “Perhaps I can find a few more beads in one of the chests.”
Like Sam, the other Englishmen watched this exchange without comment. But as soon as they left Powhatan’s lodge, the smirks on the faces of the sailors were as loud as any cheer they might have given Smith for outfoxing Powhatan!
Before the shallop returned to James Fort, Smith bargained a pouch of cheap blue glass beads for a boatload of food and furs. Sam never heard Smith say anything to Captain Newport about squandering precious copper pots on a mere handful of grain. And Newport did not mention all the food and furs that they were bringing back to the fort. But Sam suspected the two men were communicating through their silence.
13
Jamestown
The winter of 1608 was bitterly cold, but Sam was too busy to complain. During the months of February and March, sailors and settlers worked side by side. They tramped across frosty ground in search of trees to build more housing. They split cedar into clapboard to fill the hold of the John and Francis with products to sell in England. They sailed the shallop up and down the river in search of gold, and they traded with Indians for dried corn and furs. Since game was scarce and lean in winter, hunters ranged for miles in search of deer, rabbits, and squirrels. Inside the fort, the men tanned hides, hung strips of meat to dry, sewed crude footwear from deerskin, and made nets to catch fish. When the ground began to warm, they prepared fields for spring planting.
Sam, Nate, and Richard were assigned chores in and around the fort. One afternoon, they were at work on the riverbank, splitting the trunk of a cedar into clapboard and loading the rough boards onto the John and Francis. It was a crisp afternoon, and the sun was clear and bright. After the boys finished their work, one of the gentlemen sent them to gather dead twigs for kindling.
The ground around the fort had been picked clean, so the boys had to walk a fair distance into the woods. They passed a group of hunters. “Out for a stroll, lads?” one of them said, smiling through his bushy beard.
Sam grinned. “We’re hunting, too�
��hunting for kindling!” he joked.
“Hope your hunt is as successful as ours,” said one of the men. He was holding one end of a thick branch from which hung a deer carcass.
The hunter holding the other end of the branch said, “Better not stay out too much longer, lads. You don’t want to be in the woods after dark.”
The hunters tramped on. As their voices faded into the distance, Sam heard one of them say, “I recognized Peacock and young Collier. But who’s the other boy?”
The men were now so far away that the boys could hardly hear them, but Sam was able to make out the answer: “That’s Richard Mutton. He came here with the spy, George Kendall. What a blackguard that Kendall was! Did you hear about that? They executed him for stealing a ship.”
Sam glanced at Richard to see if he’d heard the man’s remarks. Richard’s face was bright red, and he kicked the ground angrily.
“See that big oak?” Sam said quickly. “Last one to reach it has to carry a double load of kindling!”
Sam and Nate sprinted for the tree, but Richard hung back. “Wait,” he snarled. “Let’s make it a real race.”
The two boys stopped running and looked at Richard. “All right,” Nate said. “We’ll run two at a time. First round it’s you against Sam.” Sam and Richard scratched a line in the dirt and put their toes on it. “Ready,” Nate called. “Go!” The two boys leaped forward. Sam considered himself a speedy runner, but Richard’s height gave him an advantage, and he tagged the tree an arm’s length ahead of Sam.
“Okay,” Richard called, breathing hard. “Now you two go.”
Sam rested his hands on his knees and caught his breath. He had never been able to outrun Nate, whose legs were as long as a grasshopper’s, but he always gave it a fair try. This time, Sam managed to slap the oak a few seconds behind Nate.
Surviving Jamestown Page 15