es　of　Opechancanough　were　as　fathomless　as　a　pool　at　midnight；　and　as　devoid　of　mirth　or　friendliness　as　the　staring　orbs　of　the　carven　imps　upon　the　temple　corners。
  〃Singing　birds　have　lied　to　Captain　Percy；〃　he　said；　and　his　voice　was　like　his　eyes。　〃Opechancanough　thinks　that　Captain　Percy　will　never　listen　to　them　again。　The　chief　of　the　Powhatans　is　a　lover　of　the　white　men；　of　the　English；　and　of　other　white　　men；　…　if　there　are　others。　He　would　call　the　Englishmen　his　brothers；　and　be　taught　of　them　how　to　rule；　and　who　to　pray　to〃　…
  〃Let　Opechancanough　go　with　me　to…day　to　Jamestown；〃　I　said。　〃He　hath　the　wisdom　of　the　woods；　let　him　come　and　gain　that　of　the　town。〃
  The　Emperor　smiled　again。　〃I　will　come　to　Jamestown　soon；　but　not　to…day　nor　to…morrow　nor　the　next　day。　And　Captain　Percy　must　smoke　the　peace　pipe　in　my　lodge　above　the　Pamunkey；　and　watch　my　young　men　and　maidens　dance；　and　eat　with　me　five　days。　Then　he　may　go　back　to　Jamestown　with　presents　for　the　great　white　father　there；　and　with　a　message　that　Opechancanough　is　coming　soon　to　learn　of　the　white　men。〃
  I　could　have　gnashed　my　teeth　at　that　delay　when　she　must　think　me　dead；　but　it　would　have　been　the　madness　of　folly　to　show　the　impatience　which　I　felt。　I　too　could　smile　with　my　lips　when　occasion　drove；　and　drink　a　bitter　draught　as　though　my　soul　delighted　in　it。　Blithe　enough　to　all　seeming；　and　with　as　few　inward　misgivings　as　the　case　called　for；　Diccon　and　I　went　with　the　subtle　Emperor　and　the　young　chief　he　had　bound　to　himself　once　more；　and　with　their　fierce　train；　back　to　that　village　which　we　had　never　thought　to　see　again。　A　day　and　a　night　we　stayed　there；　then　Opechancanough　sent　away　the　Paspaheghs；　…　where　we　knew　not；　…　and　taking　us　with　him　went　to　his　own　village　above　the　great　marshes　of　the　Pamunkey。
  CHAPTER　XXXII　　IN　WHICH　WE　ARE　THE　GUESTS　OF　AN　EMPEROR
  I　HAD　before　this　spent　days　among　the　Indians；　on　voyages　of　discovery；　as　conqueror；　as　negotiator　for　food；　exchanging　blue　beads　for　corn　and　turkeys。　Other　Englishmen　had　been　with　me。　Knowing　those　with　whom　we　dealt　for　sly　and　fierce　heathen；　friends　to…day；　to…morrow　deadly　foes；　we　kept　our　muskets　ready　and　our　eyes　and　ears　open；　and；　what　with　the　danger　and　the　novelty　and　the　bold　wild　life；　managed　to　extract　some　merriment　as　well　as　profit　from　these　visits。　It　was　different　now。
  Day　after　day　I　ate　my　heart　out　in　that　cursed　village。　The　feasting　and　the　hunting　and　the　triumph；　the　wild　songs　and　wilder　dances；　the　fantastic　mummeries；　the　sudden　rages；　the　sudden　laughter；　the　great　fires　with　their　rings　of　painted　warriors；　the　sleepless　sentinels；　the　wide　marshes　that　could　not　be　crossed　by　night；　the　leaves　that　rustled　so　loudly　beneath　the　lightest　footfall；　the　monotonous　days；　the　endless　nights　when　I　thought　of　her　grief；　of　her　peril；　maybe；　…　it　was　an　evil　dream；　and　for　my　own　pleasure　I　could　not　wake　too　soon。
  Should　we　ever　wake？　Should　we　not　sink　from　that　dream　without　pause　into　a　deeper　sleep　whence　there　would　be　no　waking？　It　was　a　question　that　I　asked　myself　each　morning；　half　looking　to　find　another　hollow　between　the　hills　before　the　night　should　　fall。　The　night　fell；　and　there　was　no　change　in　the　dream。
  I　will　allow　that　the　dark　Emperor　to　whom　we　were　so　much　beholden　gave　us　courteous　keeping。　The　best　of　the　hunt　was　ours；　the　noblest　fish；　the　most　delicate　roots。　The　skins　beneath　which　we　slept　were　fine　and　soft；　the　women　waited　upon　us；　and　the　old　men　and　warriors　held　with　us　much　stately　converse；　sitting　beneath　the　budding　trees　with　the　blue　tobacco　smoke　curling　above　our　heads。　We　were　alive　and　sound　of　limb；　well　treated　and　with　the　promise　of　release；　we　might　have　waited；　seeing　that　wait　we　must；　in　some　measure　of　content。　We　did　not　so。　There　was　a　horror　in　the　air。　From　the　marshes　that　were　growing　green；　from　the　sluggish　river；　from　the　rotting　leaves　and　cold　black　earth　and　naked　forest；　it　rose　like　an　exhalation。　We　knew　not　what　it　was；　but　we　breathed　it　in；　and　it　went　to　the　marrow　of　our　bones。
  Opechancanough　we　rarely　saw；　though　we　were　bestowed　so　near　to　him　that　his　sentinels　served　for　ours。　Like　some　god；　he　kept　within　his　lodge　with　the　winding　passage；　and　the　hanging　mats　between　him　and　the　world　without。　At　other　times；　issuing　from　that　retirement；　he　would　stride　away　into　the　forest。　Picked　men　went　with　him；　and　they　were　gone　for　hours；　but　when　they　returned　they　bore　no　trophies；　brute　or　human。　What　they　did　we　could　not　guess。　We　might　have　had　much　comfort　in　Nantauquas；　but　the　morning　after　our　arrival　in　this　village　the　Emperor　sent　him　upon　an　embassy　to　the　Rappahannocks；　and　when　for　the　fourth　time　the　forest　stood　black　against　the　sunset　he　had　not　returned。　If　escape　had　been　possible；　we　would　not　　have　awaited　the　doubtful　fulfillment　of　that　promise　made　to　us　below　the　Uttamussac　temples。　But　the　vigilance　of　the　Indians　never　slept；　they　watched　us　like　hawks；　night　and　day。　And　the　dry　leaves　underfoot　would　not　hold　their　peace；　and　there　were　the　marshes　to　cross　and　the　river。
  Thus　four　days　dragged　themselves　by；　and　in　the　early　morning　of　the　fifth；　when　we　came　from　our　wigwam；　it　was　to　find　Nantauquas　sitting　by　the　fire；　magnificent　in　the　paint　and　trappings　of　the　ambassador；　motionless　as　a　piece　of　bronze；　and　apparently　quite　unmindful　of　the　admiring　glances　of　the　women　who　knelt　about　the　fire　preparing　our　breakfast。　When　he　saw　us　he　rose　and　came　to　meet　us；　and　I　embraced　him；　I　was　so　glad　to　see　him。　〃The　Rappahannocks　feasted　me　long；〃　he　said。　〃I　was　afraid　that　Captain　Percy　would　be　gone　to　Jamestown　before　I　was　back　upon　the　Pamunkey。〃
  〃Shall　I　ever　see　Jamestown　again；　Nantauquas？〃　I　demanded。　〃I　have　my　doubts。〃
  He　looked　me　full　in　the　eyes；　and　there　was　no　doubting　the　candor　of　his　own。　〃You　go　with　the　next　sunrise；〃　he　answered。　〃Opechancanough　has　given　me　his　word。〃
  〃I　am　glad　to　hear　it；〃　I　said。　〃Why　have　we　been　kept　at　all？　Why　did　he　not　free　us　five　days　agone？〃
  He　shook　his　head。　〃I　do　not　know。　Opechancanough　has　many　thoughts　which　he　shares　with　no　man。　But　now　he　will　send　you　with　presents　for　the　Governor；　and　with　messages　of　his　love　to　the　white　men。　There　will　be　a　great　feast　to…day；　and　to…night　the　young　men　and　maidens　will　dance　before　you。　Then　in　the　morning　you　will　go。〃
  〃Will　you　not　come　with　us？〃　I　asked。　〃You　are　ever　welcome　amongst　us；　Nantauquas；　both　for　your　sister's　sake　and　for　your　own。　Rolfe　will　rejoice　to　have　you　with　him　again；　he　ever　grudgeth　you　to　the　forest。〃
  He　shook　his　head　again。　〃Nantauquas；　the　son　of　Powhatan；　hath　had　much　talk　with　himself　lately；〃　he　said　simply。　〃The　white　men's　ways　have　seemed　very　good　to　him；　and　the　God　of　the　white　men　he　knows　to　be　greater　than　Okee；　and　to　be　good　and　tender；　not　like　Okee；　who　sucks　the　blood　of　the　children。　He　remembers　Matoax；　too；　and　how　she　loved　and　cared　for　the　white　men　and　would　weep　when　danger　threatened　them。　And　Rolfe　is　his　brother　and　his　teacher。　But　Opechancanough　is　his　king；　and　the　red　men　are　his　people；　and　the　forest　is　his　home。　If；　because　he　loved　Rolfe；　and　because　the　ways　of　the　white　men　seemed　to　him　better　than　his　own　ways；　he　forgot　these　things；　he　did　wrong；　and　the　One　over　All　frowns　upon　him。　Now　he　has　come　back　to　his　home　again；　to　the　forest　and　the　hunting　and　the　warpath；　to　his　king　and　his　people。　He　will　be　again　the　panther　crouching　upon　the　bough〃　…
  〃Above　the　white　men？〃
  He　gazed　at　me　in　silence；　a　shadow　upon　his　face。　〃Above　the　Monacans；〃　he　answered　slowly。　〃Why　did　Captain　Percy　say　'above　the　white　men'？　Opechancanough　and　the　English　have　buried　the　hatchet　forever；　and　the　smoke　of　the　peace　pipe　will　never　fade　from　the　air。　Nantauquas　meant　'above　the　Monacans　or　the　Long　House　dogs。'　〃
  I　put　my　hand　upon　his　shoulder。　〃I　know　you　did；　brother　of　Rolfe　by　nature　if　not　by　blood！　Forget　　what　I　said；　it　was　without　thought　or　meaning。　If　we　go　indeed　to…morrow；　I　shall　be　loath　to　leave　you　behind；　and　yet；　were　I　in　your　place；　I　should　do　as　you　are　doing。〃
  The　shadow　left　his　face　and　he　drew　himself　up。　〃Is　it　what　you　call　faith　and　loyalty　and　like　a　knight？〃　he　demanded；　with　a　touch　of　eagerness　breaking　through　the　slowness　and　gravity　with　which　an　Indian　speaks。
  〃Yea；〃　I　made　reply。　〃I　think　you　good　knight　and　true；　Nantauquas；　and　my　friend；　moreover；　who　saved　my　life。〃
  His　smile　was　like　his　sister's；　quick　and　very　bright；　and　leaving　behind　it　a　most　entire　gravity。　Together　we　sat　down　by　the　fire　and　ate　of　the　sylvan　breakfast；　with　shy　brown　maidens　to　serve　us　and　with　the　sunshine　streaming　down　upon　us　through　the　trees　that　were　growing　faintly　green。　It　was　a　thing　to　smile　at　to　see　how　the　Indian　girls　manoeuvred　to　give　the　choicest　meat；　the　most　delicate　maize　cakes；　to　the　young　war　chief；　and　to　see　how　quietly　he　turned　aside　their　benevolence。　The　meal　over；　he　went　to　divest　himself　of　his　red　and　white　paint；　of　the　stuffed　hawk　and　strings　of　copper　that　formed　his　headdress；　of　his　gorgeous　belt　and　quiver　and　his　mantle　of　raccoon　skins；　wh