While the vessels came to an anchor those on board eagerly looked out for the return of the boat, when they hoped that their many doubts and fears would be brought to an end. At length she came, bringing a stranger seated in the stern-sheets. The eyes of all on board were directed towards him. As the boat approached, he stood up and waved his hat, gazing eagerly at the ship.
“It is Roger Layton,” shouted Gilbert, whose vision was one of the keenest of all on board.
“Yes, yes! it is he! it is he!” echoed Lettice, forgetting the presence of bystanders. The boat came alongside, and Roger sprang on deck; he, too, at first seemed not to recollect that there were others besides Lettice lookers-on, and, advancing towards her, he took her hand and pressed it to his lips, afterwards greeting Mistress Audley in the same manner.
“My father and sister are well,” he answered to Audley’s eager queries, as they warmly shook hands. He was quickly, however, plied with eager questions by many others, to which he could but briefly reply. The fleet had arrived safely, the ketch Susan excepted, which had foundered during the gale. The smaller vessels had gone up the river as far as James Town, where a settlement had been formed, and the larger, including the Rainbow, lay at anchor in Hampton Roads, whence he had come over to visit the commander of the fort. No great progress had been made in the settlement, for the commanders had disputed among themselves; the only true man among them being Captain Smith, who was the life and soul of the enterprise.
“And my husband, Captain Audley, have you gained any tidings of him?” asked Mistress Audley, in a trembling voice.
“Alas! Mistress Audley, we have not,” answered Roger; “as yet we have had a hard matter to hold our own, surrounded as we have been by savages, whose friendship is doubtful. Notwithstanding this, our brave friend Captain Smith, Rolfe, and I, have made excursions in all directions, and, whenever we could, have communicated with the Indians, making inquiries for a white man residing among them. Even now, Captain Smith is away up the country, and he promised me that he would continue his inquiries. I, indeed, should have accompanied him, but my father is disheartened with the way affairs have been carried on, and poor Cicely is so much out of health that we were on the point of sailing for England. I trust that your arrival will cause him to change his plan, and you may depend on it that I will use my influence to induce him to do so.”
“Of course you must,” exclaimed Gilbert, “why, I have been looking forward to all sorts of adventures with you, and Vaughan there will greatly object to your going.”
“Indeed shall I,” said Vaughan, “and I propose, with your leave, going on shore with you, and proceeding overland to where the Rainbow is lying, concluding, as I do, that we shall get there sooner than the ship.”
“You are right, and I shall be glad of your company,” said Roger; “it will be the best proof to Cicely that you are not fathoms deep below the ocean, as she has been inclined of late to believe.”
“What, has the long-boat with Master Raven not arrived?” asked Vaughan.