The Indians seldom wantonly killed their captives. When a
sufficient number had been sacrificed to avenge the memory of
such braves as had fallen in fight, the remaining captives were
either adopted as tribesmen or disposed of as slaves.
So valiant a warrior as this pale-faced cau-co-rouse was too
important a personage to be used as a slave, and
Wa-bun-so-na-cook, the chief, received him as an honored guest[1]
rather than as a prisoner, kept him in his own house for two
days, and adopting him as his own son, promised him a large gift
of land. Then, with many expressions of friendship, he returned
him, well escorted by Indian guides, to the trail that led back
direct to the English colony at Jamestown.
[1] "Hee kindly welcomed me with good wordes," says Smith's own
narrative, "assuring me his friendship and my libertie."
This rather destroys the long-familiar romance of the doughty
captain's life being saved by "the king's own daughter," but it
seems to be the only true version of the story, based upon his
own original report.
But though the oft-described "rescue" did not take place, the
valiant Englishman's attention was speedily drawn to the agile
little Indian girl, Ma-ta-oka, whom her father called his
"tomboy," or po-ca-hun-tas.
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