120 FLORIDA DAYS.

ten." Ribaut had brought them here, but had
only waited long enough to see that a fort was
built, and.then he had returned to France, full
of promises of what he would do for them at
court, how he would "imprint their names
in the King's ears," so that their "renown
should thereafter thrive unquenchably through
the realms of France," -as brave men, willing
to trust themselves to solitude and their enemies
for the sake of planting a colony in the King's
name. That said, he sailed away to find
"much weariness and care," which, naturally
enough, blotted promises out of his mind.
 But for the twenty-six sailors left in their little
fort, everything was calm and peaceful; they
had no enemies to conquer, which might have
kindled their ambition, and, gradually, hope of
their commander's return became too blurred
to make them alert and keen. Their lives were
only sunshine and sleep; the fort upon the little
island they had chosen was overgrown with
grass; weeds sprung up about the cannon on
the crumbling ramparts. Time touched the
men so softly for a while, that one fancies they