"If there were any hopes of finding them," said one, "but the deeper we go, the fainter are our chances to ever get out alive, and we do but endanger ourselves without helping them. As this is a private enterprise of thine, captain, we have made so bold as to mention this matter," and a chorus of approval went up from his comrades.
"So be it," I replied. "As thou sayest, this is a private enterprise of mine, and you can all go back; but I would ask that you first help me with the finishing of the canoe."
"Aye! aye!" they answered, and with their axes and hatchets they fell to upon the half finished boat. In an hour it was finished, and putting it on their shoulders, they carried it the few feet that separated us from the river.
I made ready to separate from the men. They had put a musketoon with some ammunition and provisions in the canoe, and all was in readiness. I think at the last they felt some remorse of conscience, as I prepared to set out alone far into the unexplored regions that lay in front of us. I shook them all one by one by the hand, as I stepped into the boat, and bade them tell Governor White that they left me sound and well. Then, picking up my paddle, I prepared to push off. Occom had promised to guide the men back to Roanoke Island, and now stood silent and apart, waiting the moment to start.
A light foot sounded upon the boat. Manteo had stepped aboard, and picking up one of the paddles was about to dip it into the water.
"Manteo," I said, "go back with the others. I go far into the country, and may not come back again."
"Manteo will go with his brother," he interrupted me. "What would the Eagle do alone? He could not follow the flight of the beautiful one," and thrusting the paddle against the bank, he gave a shove that sent us far out into the stream.
The men raised a great cheer as we left them; a few more strokes and we were out of sight, alone in the little canoe upon the breast of the great river.
We still paddled upon the stream, the Roanoke Manteo called it. Three days had we passed on its breast; only once had we seen a human being besides ourselves, and that a lone Indian, who seeing us approach had made for the shore in haste, and leaving his canoe had plunged into the trees, so that as we passed we only saw the empty canoe as it rocked idly to and fro upon the water. Manteo had grounded our boat upon the beach a few yards from the Indian, and we stepped ashore.
"We near the beautiful one," he said. "It is best that the canoe be concealed here, and we should follow them upon the land."