436 AN ALARM AND A PURSUIT.

been the cause of all the mischief, and of another that was hurt in
his knee, and put them out of their pain. Then the man that was
not hurt at all came and kneeled down to them, with his two hands
held up, and made piteous moans to them by gestures and signs
for his life, but could not say one word to them that they could
understand.

However, they signed to him to sit down at the foot of a tree
thereby, and one of the Englishmen, with a piece of rope-twine, which
he had by great chance in his pocket, tied his two feet fast together
and his two hands behind him; and there they left him, and with
what speed they could made after the other two which were gone
before, fearing they or any more of them should find the way to their
covered place in the woods, where their wives and the few goods they
had left lay. ‘They came once in sight of the two men, but it was
ata great distance; however, they had the satisfaction to see them
cross over the valley towards the sea, the quite contrary way from
that which led to their retreat, which they were afraid of; and
being satisfied with that, they went back to the tree where they
left their prisoner, who, as they supposed, was delivered by his
comrades, for he was gone, and the two pieces of rope-yarn with
which they bound him lay just at the foot of the tree.

They were now in as great concern as before, not knowing what
course to take, or how near the enemy might be, or in what
numbers; so they resolved to go away to the place where their
wives were, to see if all was well there, and to make them easy,
who were in fright enough to be sure; for though the savages
were their own country-folk, yet they were most terribly afraid
of them, and perhaps the more for the knowledge they had of
them.

When they came there they found the savages had been in the
wood, and very near that place, but had not found it; for it was
indeed inaccessible by the trees standing so thick, as before, had
not the persons seeking it been directed by those that knew it,
which these did not; they found therefore everything very safe,
only the women in a terrible fright. While they were here they
had the comfort to have seven of the Spaniards come to their
assistance; the other ten, with their servants and old Friday, I