SALUTING his commandant, the sergeant of the guard, who held the prisoneron the right, reported that this young savage had been seen skulking in theforest near the fort, and that, deeming his presence and movements verysuspicious, he had sent a party of men to capture him. They had gone outby a rear gate, and, making a long detour, had surprised him just as he wasmaking off through the underbrush, and after a sharp tussle had secured andbrought him into the fort.

   At the first appearance of his friend, Réné had started upwith an exclamation of joy to go to him, but his uncle sternly bade him keephis seat. He obeyed, but scowled angrily at the soldiers, who still retainedtheir hold of Has-se, as though fearful that if they let go he might in somemysterious way vanish from their sight.

   Laudonniere commanded them to release their hold of the prisoner and to retirefrom the room, but to remain within call. They did so, and the young Indian,left to face the council, drew himself up proudly, and folding his arms,stood motionless. Réné tried in vain to catch his eye, thathe might, by a sympathetic glance, assure him of his friendship; but theother betrayed no recognition of his presence, nor once looked in his direction.He was dressed in the full costume of a young warrior who occupied the honorableposition of Bow-bearer to a great chief, and in his hair gleamed the FlamingoFeather that proclaimed the station in life to which he was born. His handsomefigure, proud face, and fearless bearing caused the members of the councilto regard him with approving glances, and it was with less of sternness inhis tone than usual that, after the door was closed, Laudonniere said,

   "Now, sir, explain to us the meaning of this sudden departure of thy people,and the reason of thine own action in thus acting the part of a spy uponus."

   With flashing eyes the young Indian answered in the French that he had learnedof Réné: "My name is Has-se. I am the son of a chief. My fatherand my people have been friendly to you and your people. This country isours, and in it we go where we please when we are ready to go, and stay wherewe please when we are ready to rest from going. I have done nothing thatI should be brought here against my will, and until I am set free I willanswer no questions. Has-se has spoken."

   Réné's face flushed with pleasure at this brave speech of hisfriend, and even Laudonniere admired the young Indian's coolness and courage,but he nevertheless felt it his duty to maintain his dignity, and questionedhim sternly. To all his questions however, Has-se remained dumb, absolutelyrefusing to open his lips. The expression, "Has-se has spoken," with whichhe had ended his defiant speech, signified that he had said all that he hadto say, and nothing should induce him to speak further unless his conditionof being set at liberty were complied with.

   At last Laudonniere called in the soldiers and ordered them to take the prisonerto the guard-house, and there treat him kindly, but to watch him closelyand on no account allow him to escape. When Has-se had thus been removed,Laudonniere turned to the members of the council, and asked what, in theiropinion, should be done with him.

   Le Moyne, the artist, declared that the young Indian should be set free atonce, and treated with such kindness that he might thereby be induced togive them the information they sought to gain. Then Réné deVeaux, blushing at his own boldness, jumped to his feet and made a vehementlittle speech, in which he said that Has-se was his dear friend, and that,as he himself had said, they had no right to make a prisoner of him, besidesmuch more to the same effect. He became so excited in his defence of theIndian lad that finally his uncle interrupted him, saying,

   "Softly, softly, Réné! Thou art right to defend thy friendif indeed he be not our enemy, but thou hast no authority for finding faultwith those who are much older and wiser than thyself."

   Blushing furiously at this rebuke, Réné sat down, while hisuncle continued: "I am also of the opinion that this young savage shouldbe courteously entreated and set at liberty. Thus shall we win favor withhis tribe, with whom it behooves us to remain on friendly terms."

   The others of the council did not, however, agree with this, but thoughtthe better plan would be to retain the Indian lad as a hostage, and demandof his tribe a great quantity of provisions as his ransom.

   As they were in the majority, Laudonniere hesitated to act contrary to theircounsel, and finally said that they would hold him for at least one day,and that in the mean time Réné should visit him, and endeavorto extract from him the desired information regarding the movements of hispeople.

   When Réné, armed with his uncle's authority for so doing, passedthe sentinel and entered the guard-house, he found the Indian lad seatedon a rude bench in one corner, with his face buried in his hands. He sprangto his feet at Réné's approach, and stood silently regardinghim, not knowing but what he too had become an enemy. Carefully closing thedoor behind him, the impulsive French boy stepped quickly over to where theother stood, and embraced him, saying, as he did so, "Surely, Has-se, mybrother, thou canst not think that I am aught but thy friend?"

   Thus reassured, Has-se returned the embrace, and said, "I know thou art myfriend, Ta-lah-lo-ko, and I did wrong to doubt thee for a moment; but itmaddens me to be thus caged, and I am become like Nutcha the hawk when restrainedof his liberty, suspicious of all men."

   Then both boys sat down on the bench, and Réné questioned Has-seregarding the sudden departure of the Indians, and why he was there alone.

   Has-se replied that while he had no secrets that all men might not know,he would have died rather than answer the questions of those who held hima prisoner, and as such commanded him to speak. To his friend Ta-lah-lo-kohe would, however, talk freely and with a straight tongue. He said that afterthe destruction of the storehouse containing their supply of provisions formany months, Micco, their chief, had decided that it would be best for hispeople to remove to the land of the Alachua, their friends, who had provisionsin plenty, and remain there until the next season of corn planting. He causedtheir departure to be made secretly, for fear that the white men would seekto detain them as hunters for the fort, if they learned of the intended movement,and he wished to avoid any shadow of trouble between his people and theirwhite brothers.

   "He had undoubtedly the right to act as seemed to him best," saidRéné; "but why didst not thou accompany thy people, and whatbrings thee here to the fort?"

   "To see thee, Ta-lah-lo-ko, and thee only, did I come," answered Has-se."I learned, after we had been some hours on the journey, that which affectsthee so nearly that I could not leave thee in ignorance of it and withouta warning. What I learned is, that Chitta the Snake regards thee with a deadlyhatred, and has sworn to have thy life."

   "Mine!" exclaimed Réné, in great surprise. "Why does the Snakebear malice towards me? I have no quarrel with him."

   "That I know not, unless he suspects that it was thou who taught me the trickof wrestling that overthrew him, and thus lost him the position of Bow-bearerthat he so greatly desired to obtain."

   "It may be so," said Réné, musingly, "though how he could learnit I cannot think, nor why, even if he had knowledge of it, it should because for his wishing my death."

   "Ah, Ta-lah-lo-ko, thou dost not know Chitta. His nature is that of the serpentwhose name he bears, and for real or fancied wrongs to himself his revengeis cruel. Having once conceived a bitter hate against thee he will have thylife, or risk his own in attempting to take it."

   "In that case," said Réné, "I am deeply grateful for thy warning,and will take care that master Chitta does not find me unprepared for him,in case he seeks me out."

   "Now," said Has-se, "I would speak of another matter. I know that you whitemen have but little food within the fort, and must soon suffer for want ofit if more is not obtained. There is none left in this country, but the Alachuas,to whom my people have gone, have an abundance. If one of thy people wouldgo with me to them, and offer them things such as thou hast and they havenot, in exchange for food, he could thus obtain a supply for the fort. Ifmany went, the red men would be afraid; but with one they would talk, andif he were my friend then would his safety be assured. Wilt thou go withme to this distant land, Ta-lah-lo-ko?"

   "Why," answered Réné, hardly knowing what to say to this suddenand unexpected proposal, "thou art a prisoner, Has-se, and dost not evenknow if my uncle will release thee. How then dost thou speak with such confidenceof journeying to the land of these Alachuas?"

   With a meaning smile Has-se answered: "Walls and bars may answer to cagemen, but they cannot confine a sunbeam. If thou wilt go with me, then meetme when the light of the second moon from now touches the waters where Allapattathe great alligator delivered us from Catsha the tiger. With my life willI answer for thy safety, and at the next full moon, or soon after it, thoushalt return to thy people."

   Réné would have talked more of this plan, but just then thedoor of the guard-house was opened and the sergeant appeared, saluting, andsaying, " 'Tis the hour of sunset, Master De Veaux; the guard is about tobe relieved, and I must request you to retire and leave the prisoner forthe night. Surely you must be tired of talking with such a pig-headed youngsavage."

   Not caring to exhibit his real feelings towards Has-se before the sergeant,Réné bade him goodnight very formally, and added, "Mayhap Iwill see thee on the morrow; but count not on my coming, for I may not deemit worth my while to visit thee."

   "I should think not," said the sergeant, as he closed the door behind themand barred it. "A young gentleman such as Master De Veaux can find but littlepleasure in intercourse with such ignorant creatures. For my part, were Icommandant of this fort, I would make slaves of them all, and kindly persuadethem to my will with a lash. They -- "

   "Hold there!" cried Réné, as he turned towards the sergeantwith flashing eyes. "An thou speakest another word in such strain of thosewho have favored us with naught save kindness, I will report thee to thatsame lash of which thou pratest so glibly."

   The astonished sergeant muttered something by way of apology, butRéné, not waiting to hear it, hurried away to report to hisuncle the result of his mission to the prisoner, and then to his own quartersto think over the startling proposal made to him by his friend.

   The next morning Has-se had disappeared, and was nowhere to be found. Witha troubled countenance the sergeant of the guard reported to Laudonnierethat he had looked in on the prisoner at midnight, and found him quietlysleeping. He had visited the room again at sunrise, and it was empty. Thesentinels at the gates, and those who paced the walls, had been closelyquestioned, but declared they had seen nobody, nor had they heard any unusualsound. For his part he believed there was magic in it, and that some of theold Indian witches had spirited the prisoner up the chimney, and flown awaywith him on a broomstick.

   Although troubled to find that his prisoners could thus easily escape fromthe fort, Laudonniere was relieved that the disposal of Has-se's fate hadthus been taken from his hands. He said to Réné, "I am gladthat thy friend has escaped, though I like not the manner of his going, andI trust he may come to no harm, I would, however, that we had been able tosend a company, or even one man, with him to this land of the Alachuas ofwhich he told thee, for mayhap we might thus have obtained provision; butwithout a guide, I know not how it could be discovered."

   "Could I have gone, uncle?" inquired Réné, eagerly.

   "Thou, lad? No, thou art too young and tender to be sent on such a perilousmission. It should be one of double thy years and experience. Let no suchfoolish thoughts fill thy head yet a while."