Captain John Smith had gone but a little way down stream, when he decided that he had taken the wrong course. He turned about and followed after his companions, coming upon them at the crisis of the struggle between his namesake and the young daughter of Powhatan. He paused only an instant, when he angrily cried out:
"What is the meaning of this?"
The other Smith merely glanced around at his leader, and kept dragging the captive along the trail. It was Bertram who hastily said:
"She is the daughter of Powhatan. We are going to take her to Jamestown, to hold her as a hostage, and make the chief give us what corn--"
Without waiting for anything further, the Captain sprang forward, calling angrily:
"Let go! Release her!"
Before the amazed fellow could comply, he was grasped by the back of the collar. Captain Smith shifted his gun to his right hand, so as to leave the other free. The fingers were as those of a giant, and the scared Englishman let go of the sobbing prisoner. As he did so the Captain gave a kick with his goodly right foot, which lifted his namesake clear off the ground, and sent him tumbling on his face, his peaked hat falling off, and his gun flying several yards away.
"I would do right to kill you!" called the leader, his face aflame as he glared down on the fellow, who began climbing shame-facedly to his feet. "Among all the Indians in Virginia there is not one so good a friend of the English as that little girl."
As he spoke he pointed towards the spot where she stood a minute before, but she was not there. She had taken instant advantage of her release, and fled beyond sight.