The Story of Pocahontas and Captain John Smith

Excerpt

1. POCAHONTAS

Long, long ago, when the Indians owned the land, there lived in Virginia, near the river afterwards called the James, a little girl, the Princess Pocahontas, daughter of the great chief Powhatan.

Pocahontas was her father's favorite child, and the pet of the whole tribe; even the fierce warriors loved her sunny ways.

She was a child of nature, and the birds trusted her and came at her call. She knew their songs, and where they built their nests. So she roamed the woods, and learned the ways of all the wild things, and grew to be a care-free maiden.

In far-away England was a doughty youth, John Smith, who dreamed of battle and adventure. Though but a boy, he had already fought as a soldier in the wars of France, and later in Flanders.

And these two, the wild little Indian girl and the warrior boy, now so far apart, in time were to meet and become great friends.

At home again in Lincolnshire after dangerous travels, the youth still longed for the strife and glory of the fray.

He retired to a quiet spot in the wood, and lived in a camp of his own making, where he read tales of war and knights-errant, and in his enthusiasm fought imaginary enemies. At last he could bear dreaming no longer, and started off again to roam the world in search of adventure.

3. HOW CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH WON HIS SPURS

He journeyed across France to join the armies fighting the Turks, but was robbed on the way by false companions, and suffered much hardship. At last he reached Marseilles, where he took ship with a party of pilgrims going to the East. A great storm arising, the pilgrims superstitiously blamed him for it, and threw him overboard. By good fortune he was able to swim to a small island, whence he was soon rescued by a Breton ship. He stayed for some time on this ship, taking part in a sea fight with a Venetian vessel, and received, after the victory, a share of the spoils.

Now, with money again in his pocket, he wandered through Italy, and then crossed over to Styria. Here he joined the army of the Emperor Rudolph and was appointed captain of a company of cavalry, and did good service.

During the siege of the town of Regal, the Turks, who held it, challenged any captain among the besiegers to come out and fight one of their champions.

Captain John Smith was chosen to meet the Turk, and on a field before the town they fought, and the Turk was beaten and lost his head. On the next day another Turk challenged the victor and was also overthrown. And then came still a third, who, after a desperate battle, met the same fate as the other two. For this brave service Prince Sigismund gave the Captain a coat-of-arms with three Turks' heads as the device. And thus Captain John Smith won his spurs.

But after this he was less fortunate, for, being wounded, he was taken prisoner by the Turks and made a slave. In time, however, he escaped and fled to Russia, and from thence at last found his way home to England again.

Meanwhile Pocahontas, now grown to be a girl of some twelve years, often listened eagerly to the stories of the old men of her tribe, who, on these warm spring days, sat and smoked together, and told of the things they had done and seen long ago....