The Flamingo Feather | Page 2

ended and they entered Paris. Here they
were finally set down before a modest dwelling near the King's palace,
in which Laudonniere was lodged.
Upon meeting his nephew, the chevalier embraced him warmly, and
then holding him forth at arm's-length to gain a better view of him,
exclaimed, "In good sooth, Réné, thou'rt a likely lad; and if thy heart be
as true and bold as thy face promises, we'll soon make a man of thee
such as even thy noble father would approve."
That evening uncle and nephew talked long and earnestly together
concerning the latter's future; and ere they slept it was fully decided
that, in spite of his youth, he should make one of the expedition that,
even as François had reported, Laudonniere was fitting out for the New
World.
The next three months were occupied in busy preparation for the long
voyage, not unmixed with vexatious delays and grievous
disappointments, in all of which young Réné de Veaux bore manfully
his share. He became each day more useful to his uncle, who intrusted
him with many important commissions, and who, stern old soldier as
he was, learned in this time to love the boy as though he had been his
own son.
At length all was in readiness. The stores and munitions of war had
been placed on board the three ships that formed the little fleet, the last
colonist had embarked, and Laudonniere had taken leave of his King
and Admiral Jean Ribault, who was to follow him in a few months with
a still larger company. On a bright May morning uncle and nephew
reached the little seaport town before which lay their ships, and
hastened to embark and take advantage of the favorable wind that
promised them a fair start on their long and perilous voyage.
As Laudonniere stepped on board his flagship his broad pennant was
flung to the breeze from the mainmast-head, the _fleur-de-lis_ of
France floated proudly from the mizzen, and amid the booming of
cannon and the loud acclamations of the throngs assembled on the quay

to bid them Godspeed, the ships moved slowly down the harbor
towards the broad ocean and the New World that lay beyond.
For many weeks they sailed ever westward, seeing no ship save their
own, and becoming every day more weary of the vast, endless expanse
of sea and sky. It is no wonder, then, that when on the morning of the
22d of June the welcome cry of "Land, ho!" rang through the flag-ship
every soul on board rushed on deck with joyous exclamations to catch
once more a glimpse of the blessed land. The cry that had brought them
such pleasure had come from the mast-head, and it was some time
before those on deck could detect the dim blue cloud, low-lying in the
west, that was said to be land. Even then one man, who was known as
Simon the Armorer, was heard to mutter that it might be land and then
again it might not; for his part, he believed the whole world had been
drowned in a flood, as in the days of Noah, and that the only land they
should ever see would be at the bottom of the ocean.
As the day wore on, and before a light breeze the ships were wafted
towards the blue cloud, it was proved beyond a doubt to be land, for
some palm-trees and tall pines became distinguishable, and above all
other sounds came, faint but distinct, the heavy, regular boom of surf.
By noon the ships had approached as near to the coast as was deemed
prudent, and for the first time since leaving France their anchors were
dropped and their sails were furled.
They had come to anchor off the mouth of an inlet, before which
extended a bar upon which the great seas were breaking and roaring so
frightfully that no passage for the ships among them seemed to offer
itself. Laudonniere thought he recognized the inlet as one leading into a
broad river, on the opposite side of which was located an Indian village
called Seloy. This place he had visited two years before in company
with Admiral Ribault, and he determined to reassure himself as to the
locality; therefore, bidding Réné accompany him, he entered a small
boat, and ordering another, full of soldiers, to follow them, he gave the
word to pull straight for the breakers.
Just as Réné thought the boat was to be swallowed by the raging seas,

his uncle guided her, with great skill, into a narrow passage that opened
in their very midst. After a few minutes of suspense, during which
Réné dared hardly to breathe, they shot into smooth waters, rounded a
point of land, and saw before them the village