For more than a
month they had traversed broad sand barrens, crossed deep rivers, and
been lost in the mazes of dark swamps. They had discovered rare birds
of gorgeous plumage, strange and beautiful flowers, and many wild
animals whose nature was unknown to them, but no trace of the gold of
which they were in search.
Keenly disappointed, ragged, sick, and hungry, they at length came to a
village of Indians who had never seen nor heard of white men, and who
fled at their approach. The famished soldiers rushed into the lodges,
took whatever they could find to eat, and, building a fire, proceeded
to cook for themselves a feast. While they were thus busy, their
carelessly tended fire crept to one of the tinder-like palmetto lodges,
and in a few minutes more the whole village was in flames.
From their hiding-places in the surrounding forest, the savages,
witnessing what they supposed to be a wanton destruction of their
property, discharged a cloud of arrows at the white men, by which one
was killed and several were wounded. Flying from the place, the
wretched soldiers started for Fort Caroline, followed by their unseen
foes, from whom they did not escape until four more had paid with their
lives for their carelessness. When, some days later, the five
miserable survivors of this unfortunate expedition dragged themselves
into Fort Caroline, it was only to bring the news of their failure to
find gold, of the death of their comrades, and of the fact that they
had stirred up all the Southern Indians to war upon the whites.
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