The Story of Pocahontas and Captain John Smith

Part 1

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THE STORY OF POCAHONTAS AND CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH

TOLD AND PICTURED BY E. BOYD SMITH

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY

BOSTON AND NEW YORK

COPYRIGHT, 1906, BY E. BOYD SMITH ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Published November 1906.

LIST OF COLORED PLATES

PLATE

1. POCAHONTAS

2. JOHN SMITH

3. HOW CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH WON HIS SPURS

4. STRANGE TALES OF A STRANGE PEOPLE

5. THE COMING OF THE WHITE MAN

6. THE LANDING OF THE COLONISTS--1607

7. THE AMBUSH

8. BATTLE WITH THE INDIANS

9. CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH A PRISONER

10. THE DANCE OF VICTORY

11, 12. POCAHONTAS SAVES CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH'S LIFE

13. CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH AGAIN FREE

14. POCAHONTAS BRINGS FOOD TO THE COLONISTS

15. CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH GOES IN SEARCH OF CORN

16. POCAHONTAS'S WARNING

17. CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH SAILS FOR ENGLAND

18. POCAHONTAS IS CAPTURED BY ARGALL

19. MARRIAGE OF POCAHONTAS

20. THE LANDING OF POCAHONTAS IN ENGLAND

Part 2

21, 22. POCAHONTAS AT THE COURT OF JAMES THE FIRST

23. THE MEETING OF POCAHONTAS AND CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH

24. CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH GOES TO SEA AGAIN

25. POCAHONTAS LONGS FOR HOME

26. THE END OF THE STORY OF POCAHONTAS

THE STORY OF POCAHONTAS AND CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH

1. POCAHONTAS

Long, long ago, when the Indians owned the land, there lived in Virginia, near the river afterwards called the James, a little girl, the Princess Pocahontas, daughter of the great chief Powhatan.

Pocahontas was her father's favorite child, and the pet of the whole tribe; even the fierce warriors loved her sunny ways.

She was a child of nature, and the birds trusted her and came at her call. She knew their songs, and where they built their nests. So she roamed the woods, and learned the ways of all the wild things, and grew to be a care-free maiden.

2. JOHN SMITH

In far-away England was a doughty youth, John Smith, who dreamed of battle and adventure. Though but a boy, he had already fought as a soldier in the wars of France, and later in Flanders.

And these two, the wild little Indian girl and the warrior boy, now so far apart, in time were to meet and become great friends.

At home again in Lincolnshire after dangerous travels, the youth still longed for the strife and glory of the fray.

He retired to a quiet spot in the wood, and lived in a camp of his own making, where he read tales of war and knights-errant, and in his enthusiasm fought imaginary enemies. At last he could bear dreaming no longer, and started off again to roam the world in search of adventure.

3. HOW CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH WON HIS SPURS

He journeyed across France to join the armies fighting the Turks, but was robbed on the way by false companions, and suffered much hardship. At last he reached Marseilles, where he took ship with a party of pilgrims going to the East. A great storm arising, the pilgrims superstitiously blamed him for it, and threw him overboard. By good fortune he was able to swim to a small island, whence he was soon rescued by a Breton ship. He stayed for some time on this ship, taking part in a sea fight with a Venetian vessel, and received, after the victory, a share of the spoils.

Now, with money again in his pocket, he wandered through Italy, and then crossed over to Styria. Here he joined the army of the Emperor Rudolph and was appointed captain of a company of cavalry, and did good service.

During the siege of the town of Regal, the Turks, who held it, challenged any captain among the besiegers to come out and fight one of their champions.

Captain John Smith was chosen to meet the Turk, and on a field before the town they fought, and the Turk was beaten and lost his head. On the next day another Turk challenged the victor and was also overthrown. And then came still a third, who, after a desperate battle, met the same fate as the other two. For this brave service Prince Sigismund gave the Captain a coat-of-arms with three Turks' heads as the device. And thus Captain John Smith won his spurs.

But after this he was less fortunate, for, being wounded, he was taken prisoner by the Turks and made a slave. In time, however, he escaped and fled to Russia, and from thence at last found his way home to England again.

4. STRANGE TALES OF A STRANGE PEOPLE

Meanwhile Pocahontas, now grown to be a girl of some twelve years, often listened eagerly to the stories of the old men of her tribe, who, on these warm spring days, sat and smoked together, and told of the things they had done and seen long ago. Some remembered a white-faced people who, nearly twenty years before, had come to Roanoke Island from no one knew where,--men with yellow hair, dressed from head to foot in cumbrous garments, and bearing wonderful weapons which spat out fire, with much noise. Many believed them gods, while others thought they were devils. And Pocahontas listened in wonder, ever curious to hear of this strange people so unlike her own. The old priest mournfully prophesied that the strangers, being of some mighty race, would come again from out the great waters and overrun the whole land.

5. THE COMING OF THE WHITE MAN

And scarcely had he spoken when it seemed that his warning had come true, for runners, wildly excited, cried out that a fleet of mighty winged canoes had been seen afar on the ocean, advancing like great clouds.

Then Pocahontas, with many of her people, hurried to the hills, and there, overlooking the sea, they saw in truth three strange craft slowly sailing up the bay.

These were the ships from England, bringing a new colony, a band of pioneers, and adventurers in search of gold, to take possession of the broad lands of America.

6. THE LANDING OF THE COLONISTS--1607

Part 3

That night the ships dropped anchor in the bay. On the morrow the colonists disembarked, and Captain Gosnold, their leader, claimed the land in the king's name. Among the first, as one of the Council, was Captain John Smith, who had again left home in quest of adventure and glory, this time in the new world. To the eyes of the weary travelers, after their long voyage across the sea, Virginia, on that bright April day, seemed a land of promise. With great hopes and renewed courage they set to work to build the town which they called Jamestown, in honor of their king,--a town which lives to this day.

But after a time they grew dissatisfied, for they failed to find the gold mines they had hoped for. And they became discouraged, and quarreled, and things began to go ill with them.

To make matters worse Captain Gosnold after a few months sickened and died.

7. THE AMBUSH

Fortunately for the good of the colonists, who had completely lost heart and were anxious to give up the undertaking, Captain John Smith soon became their leader. Ever active and enterprising, he inspired the others by his example. He vigorously put things in order, and set the idlers to work to complete their half-finished houses, and to build the forts to protect them from the Indians, who now showed a warlike spirit.

Next he went off to explore the country, and to trade with the natives for corn, for the settlers began to lack food.

On one of these expeditions, when he had gone ashore with an Indian guide, a band of hostile braves, who had been on the watch among the trees, lay in wait to attack him, led by Opekankano, Pocahontas's uncle, while he, unconscious of their presence, gave orders to his men to stay by the boat and keep a sharp lookout for danger.

8. BATTLE WITH THE INDIANS

Suddenly, in the heart of the deep woods, the stealthy redskins sprang upon him, shrieking like fierce beasts of prey. And in a moment the arrows flew thick and fast.

Captain John, though taken unawares, made a brave fight, gravely wounding two of his enemies with his pistols, and protecting himself from the arrows by holding his Indian guide in front of him, as a buckler.

But there were too many against him, and as he could not beat them off he tried to retreat to the boat, always shielding himself with the guide. Unfortunately, just as escape seemed near, he stumbled into a swamp and was held fast by the heavy bog, and chilled by the cold water. Being thus helpless he was forced to surrender, and the triumphant Indians seized him as their prisoner.

9. CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH A PRISONER

At first they decided to kill him at once, then some thought it better to lead him to their village, that the whole tribe might rejoice in the triumph. But, as one of the Indians shot by the Captain had in the meantime died, the more impatient clamored for speedy vengeance. So they bound him to a tree to use as a target.

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