Manteo now spoke: "The Eagle shall have the canoe too," pointing to the unfinished boat. "Many leagues he has to go, and his heart will sing within him, if Occom will but give him the canoe."
"'Tis the Eagle's," Occom replied.
"We shall follow them by water," Manteo said to me. "In this way we can take two steps to their one."
The men had gathered around me, and now one of them spoke respectfully:
"Dost thou still follow the trail, captain?"
"Yes," I answered, looking at the group about me. "Why askest thou?"
He cleared his throat hesitatingly.
"The men are fearful, sir. Fifteen days have we followed thee, but it is plain that the colonists are not to be found, and while we still go deeper into these woods, the Governor might sail away and leave us."
I turned to the others. "Are ye all of this mind?" I asked.
It was plain that they feared to go on, though they cared not to say so.