In vivid, terrible words he recounted to them the horrible slaughter.
"Shall we let such cruelty go unpunished?" he asked. "What fame
for us if we avenge it! To this end I have given my fortune, and
I counted on you to help me. Was I wrong?"
"No," they all cried, "we will go with you to avenge our countrymen!"
So with hearts filled with thoughts of vengeance they sailed onward
to Fort Caroline.
The Spaniards had repaired the fort and now called it Fort Mateo.
They had also built two small forts nearer the mouth of the river
to guard the entrance to it. Now one afternoon the men in these
forts saw three ships go sailing by. These were the French ships
bringing Gourges and his companions. But the men in the forts
thought that they were Spanish ships and therefore fired a salute.
Gourges did not undeceive them. He fired a salute in reply and,
sailing on as if he were going elsewhere, was soon lost to sight.
At length, having found a. convenient place out of sight of
the forts, he drew to the shore. But when he would have landed he
saw that the whole beach was crowded with savages armed with bows
and arrows and ready for war. For the Indians, too, had taken the
strange ships to be Spanish. And as they had grown to hate the
Spaniards with a deadly hatred they were prepared to withstand
their landing.
Fortunately, however, Gourges had on board a trumpeter who had been
in Florida with Laudonni?re.
Pages:
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117