Patience had crouched close to Mrs. Dare, and was helping her to soothe the babies, when she asked, “If the Indians get us all, what will they do with us?”
Mrs. Dare held her baby more tightly as she replied, “Patience, even if they are savages, they are under the power of our God whom they do not know, and he can take care of us if the Indians do break through the palisade; they can do nothing without his knowing it. You and I cannot fight, dear, but we can pray.”
Patience sat a few moments silent before she spoke again. “Do you know,” she said, “I don’t feel afraid, that is, very much afraid, for the stars have just come through the clouds; though there are only two or three, they are watching us, and they are so sorry; they are blinking very hard to keep their tears back. See how they blink and twinkle. I know they are angels’ eyes.”
A sudden wild yell in the forest sent terror to every heart. The men had all they could do to keep back Wanchese and his braves. Several of the settlers had been already wounded, and one killed. They could not hold out much longer against their present enemy, and if help had come to Wanchese they were surely lost. Only one moment did this thought depress them, for the instant the savages heard the cry, they sent up one fierce and wild answer, and turned to meet the new foe, now rushing upon them, headed by Manteo.
Then the Englishmen fired a fresh volley, helping Manteo to drive Wanchese rapidly back to the shore. The fight was over for the time, just as morning dawned. Ranteo, with three other Indians, all in paint and war toggery, were standing without the palisade. Howe went to see what they wanted. All expected only a command to surrender, and become Manteo’s prisoners. But no, Ranteo only handed Howe a soft, well-cured deerskin, saying, “Manteo sends Ranteo to take the skin to the Blue-eyes, and will the Blue-eyes and the beautiful lady go with Ranteo to Manteo’s wigwam?”
He would not come inside the palisade, and Howe was not very anxious to have him, as he felt he could not trust Barnes. But he took the skin and message to Mrs. Dare.
As she listened, her eyes filled with tears, and she said, “How noble and good of Manteo! But I will not leave the others. Can we not all go now? Surely this dreadful night is enough.”
Howe shook his head. “Those Indian bodies outside craze the men. Nothing will satisfy them now. Many of them would go through anything in the world to shoot an Indian again. But go with your baby; you will be safer there than here,” he said.
“No,” she replied firmly; “I will stay with my people to the last. Thank him for me, Howe, and tell him what I say.”