“I pray God that it may be as you say. For a palisaded fort of stone with half a thousand men is no slight obstacle even for the brave fellows of the fleet of the Vengeance.”
“All of us who have been at Fort Caroline know of the love which the great Paracousi bore for Jean Ribault. Dariol, the trumpeter, who was with the first expedition, has lived among them longer than I; and he has boasted that he will go among them without fear.”
“It is in my mind to sail directly to the country of this chief; his boast may not prove an idle one,” replied De Gourgues. And then to the guard, “Pass the word below to Dariol the trumpeter. We shall see.”
Presently the man came from the fore-castle and stood before us.
“You have no fear of the Indians of Florida, Dariol?” asked De Gourgues.
“None more than I have of M. Killigrew or M. de Brésac, my Captain,” replied the man with a smile.
“You have lived among them longer than M. de Brésac?”
“A year and more, my Captain.”
“They were friendly to M. de Laudonnière?”
“Until the madness for gold, when his soldiers broke faith with them.”