The second morning out I stood leaning on the rail, gazing far out in front of me. "Ugh," said someone, and raising my eyes, I saw standing near me a savage, red and fierce in his paint and skins, the feather of an eagle in his coarse black hair, his dark gleaming eyes upon my face. It was the Indian whom I had seen with Raleigh one night at Lady Wiltshire's.
Margaret had sat by me that evening, and had been kinder than her wont. Several times as her clear laughter had rung at some jest of mine, I had seen the piercing eye of the Indian wander from Lady Wiltshire, who was questioning Raleigh about him, and rest for an instant upon Margaret's face, wonder and admiration upon his own; and then meeting my eye, he had turned his face hastily away.
Sir Walter, on leaving, had halted by us an instant.
"Manteo has been spellbound by thy wondrous beauty, Lady Margaret," he cried gayly. "Thou hast added one more victim to thy long list," and he cast a teasing look at her.
A slight flush had crept into her pink cheeks at his words.
"Since when hast thou turned flatterer?" she cried, archly tossing her golden head. "I had thought thee more sincere, Sir Walter."
I thought of that merry evening, as I saw the Indian upon this vessel.
He uttered some guttural words in his native tongue, a few of which I understood, the dialect being very similar to the one I had learned upon the island Eldorado, although some of the words were different. I could not put the words together that I understood. There were the words "night" and "maid" that I comprehended, but I could make no sense out of the two, so I shook my head, and tried a few words in the language of the natives of the island.
He seemed much excited when I spoke to him in something that resembled his native tongue, and stalking forward to where a group of men stood, he said something to one of them, and catching him by the sleeve, conducted him to where I stood. The man was a strange-looking individual, with pale hollow cheeks and little green cat eyes, that could not meet my own, but shifted to and fro whenever they caught my look; gaunt and hungry he seemed as he stood in front of me, dressed in a long black doublet.
The Indian, grave and stately in his skins, spoke several words rapidly in his own tongue.