To many within Fort Caroline the serious illness of their chief brought great sorrow; but others, seeing in it an opportunity for the carrying out of their own plans, rejoiced accordingly.  These others were those who were dissatisfied with the present aspect of affairs, and despairing of a change for the better while remaining at Fort Caroline, were secretly planning a mutiny.  Its object was to compel Laudonniere to abandon the fort and the New World, and to lead them back to France in a ship which they proposed to build from such materials as they had at hand.

The mutineers were headed by no less a person than Rene’s old friend Simon, the armorer.  He had always been inclined to grumble and growl, and his feelings had been deeply wounded by being arrested, confined in the guard-house for one day, and finally discharged (because of the necessity for his services), with a sharp reprimand from Laudonniere for having, though unconsciously, aided Rene’s departure.  The old growler had always secretly sided with the mutineers, and after this he openly took part with them, and soon became their leader.

It thus happened that as the good Le Moyne, who, during the illness of Laudonniere and most of the other officers, was acting as lieutenant in command of the fort, sat writing one morning, there came to him Simon, the armorer, followed by most of the garrison.  The old soldier gave a military salute, which Le Moyne returned, and then he said,

“We have come, Master Le Moyne, these good men here and I, to make certain propositions that we desire should be laid before his Excellency the commandant.”

“Well,” said Le Moyne, in a tone of mild surprise, “have to them without further delay, and return quickly to thy duties.”

“It may be,” replied Simon, “that we will return not to them at all; at least not in the wise meant by thy use of the word.  We are starving.”

“Ye have not overmuch to eat, tis true,” said Le Moyne; “but we hope for better things.”

“We are dying of the fever.”

“To a certain extent this is also true.”

“We are threatened by an enemy.”

“And have stout walls behind which to defend ourselves.”

“We are abandoned and forgotten, and our bodies will rot in this place ere succor is sent us.”

“Admiral Jean Ribault is never the man to abandon or forget those to whom he has promised succor,” replied the artist, with a flush of color in his pale cheeks.

“This country yields no gold, and is unfitted for human residence.”

“Yet Micco’s people live and thrive here, and have a plenty of the best raised from its soil.  As for gold, the mere fact that it has not yet been discovered proves nothing against its existence.”

Without replying to this, Simon continued: 

“These be our grievances, and to remedy them we pray his Excellency to allow us to construct here as speedily as may be a vessel such as will suffice to carry us back whence we came.  We also pray that he will in person lead us from this evil place back to our own country, always supposing that his health permits.”