Rene de Veaux, as became his rank, was invited to occupy the lodge of
Micco the chief, in which he shared the bear-skin couch of his friend
the chief's son and Bow-bearer. Here, during the week that his wound
took to heal completely, he rested as happily as though the world
contained no cares or anxieties. He spent most of this time in adding
to his knowledge of the Indian language, with which, with Has-se and
the beautiful Nethla as teachers, he quickly became familiar. Thanks
to the glowing descriptions of the power and glory of the white men
given by his friends, Rene found himself treated with distinguished
consideration by the Alachuas, who regarded him with the greatest
interest and curiosity. He was always spoken of by them as the young
white chief, and his slightest wishes were gratified as soon as he made
them known.
At the end of a week Rene felt sufficiently strong and well to set
about accomplishing the mission that had brought him to this pleasant
country. Accordingly he sought an interview with the Alachua chief,
and displayed before him the trinkets contained in the package that he
had so carefully brought with him from Fort Caroline. As the chief
gazed with delight and amazement at what he regarded as a most
wonderful treasure, but what in reality was only a lot of knives,
hatchets, mirrors, and fish-hooks, Rene explained to him the distress
of the white men in Fort Caroline, caused by the destruction of their
winter's supply of provisions.
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