“Pocahontas!  What meaneth this trick?”

And the white fur bundle, rising to her feet, laughed and laughed till the oldest and staidest warrior could not help smiling.  But Opechanchanough did not smile; he was too angry.  His dignity suffered at thus being made the sport of a child.  He shook his niece, saying: 

“What meaneth this, I ask?  What meaneth this?”

Pocahontas then ceased laughing and answered: 

“I wanted to see for myself how brave thou wert.  Uncle, and to know just how great warriors such as ye are act when an enemy is upon them.  I am not so bad an archer, Uncle; I would not shoot thee, so I aimed beyond thee.  But it was such fun to sit up there in the tree and watch all of you halt so suddenly.”

Her explanation set most of the party laughing again.

“In truth, is she well named,” they cried—­“Pocahontas, Little Wanton.”

“I have yet another name,” she said to an old brave who stood nearest her.  “Knowest thou it not?—­Matoaka, Little Snow Feather.  Always when the moons of popanow (winter) bring us snow it calls me out to play.  ‘Come, Snow Feather,’ it cries, ’come out and run with me and toss me up into the air.’”

Her uncle had now recovered his calm and was about to start forward again.  Turning to the two who had captured Pocahontas, he commanded: 

“Since we have taken a prisoner we will bear her to Powhatan for judgment and safekeeping.  Had we shot back into the tree she might have been killed.  See that she doth not escape you.”

Then he stalked ahead through the forest, paying no further attention to Pocahontas.

The young braves looked sheepishly at each other and at their captive, not at all relishing their duty.  Opechanchanough was not to be disobeyed, yet it was no easy thing to hold a young maid against her will, and no force or even show of force might be used against a daughter of the mighty werowance (chieftain).

Seeing their uncertainty, Pocahontas started to run to the left and they to pursue her.  They came up with her before she had gone as far as three bows’ lengths and led her back gently to their place in the line.  Then she walked sedately along as if unconscious of their presence, until they were off their guard, believing she had resigned herself to the situation, when she sprang off to the right and was again captured and led back.  She knew that they dared not bind her, and she took advantage of this to lead them in truth a dance, first to one side and then to the other.  Behind them their comrades jeered and laughed each time the maiden ran away.

The regular order of the warpath was now no longer preserved.  They had advanced to a point where there was no longer any possibility of danger from hostile attack.  Werowocomoco lay now but a short distance away; already the smoke from its lodges could be seen across the cleared fields that surrounded the village of Powhatan.  The older warriors were walking in groups, talking over their deeds of valor performed that day, and praising those of several of the young braves who had fought for the first time.  Pocahontas and her captors had now fallen further behind.