THE FLORIDA POCAHONTAS. 151 



" * Soldier,' said the lady, ' he was your chief, you left 

 him in a hostile country; you do not know his fate — 

 will not honor, a soldier's name, tempt you to return, and 

 seek to bring some tidings of his death ?' 



*' ' Ha ! where is the honor to all my comrades who 

 are buried in those woods ? There is no honor there, 

 my lady.' 



" ' Where is your religion man ? You swore on the 

 cross in our Holy Mother Church to defend your liege 

 and propagate your faith.' 



" ' By My Lady, I kept my oath ; but where there is 

 no standard, and even the priest is slaughtered by the 

 savages, there is no piety in staying.' 



" ' Have you ever loved since you left the Tagus ?' 



"The soldier's eye glanced quick at the lady's, but he 

 did not answer, and the young girl peered from her 

 veil beside her mother, on the comely form of the 

 soldier. 



" ' Ortez, I will give you the fairest girl in all the colo- 

 nies if you will do this one thing for me.' 



" ' I can't. What is love worth if you cannot enjoy 

 it ? I have been been a true soldier in many a war ; but 

 this is no war. We have lost our ship, our lives, our 

 horses, our chief, everything is gone of that array, and 

 never a real have we won to repay us all. What, then, 

 could I do alone ?' 



" ' Soldier, you are a poor man now, are you not V 



" ' As poor as a muleteer.' 



" Do this for me and I will make you rich.' 



