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By Root 362 0

deer away from the crops, and he thought it was a fine game. Sometimes Georgie would join him, and I would smile to see the large boy capering like a court fool while little Edmund clapped his hands. Not a whole village of scarecrows, however, could have made the maize grow taller. Only rain would do that. But not a drop fell in all of September, and the spindly stalks turned brown. When at last we plucked the ears and stripped the husks, the kernels were as small and sparse as baby’s teeth. After a portion was set aside for planting in the spring, what remained was enough to last only two months.

The beans fared a little better, but most of the squash had rotted on the vine when the frost came. Everyone blamed the planters, who said it would not freeze because of its thick skin.

Whenever two people met, they talked about the weather and debated how many days it would be until the governor returned, and whether his ship would take the southern route or the more direct but dangerous northern one. All agreed he could not reasonably return before December. As winter drew closer, Betty Vickers would kneel down right in her garden or in the middle of the street and pray out loud for deliverance.

John White’s house was still the meeting place for the assistants. Ananias had returned home and made peace with Eleanor. He even began to listen to her advice. “He owes me that much,” she said. When I had an opinion, I would tell it to Eleanor, who would pass it to her husband, who might raise it with the assistants. He seemed to regret his part in ousting John White from the colony.

But Ananias was not strong enough to stand in the way of Roger Bailey, who took leadership of the assistants. At once the dispute resumed over whether or not to remain at Fort Ralegh. Bailey wanted to disregard the governor’s instructions and move the colony to Chesapeake. Ambrose Vickers and many of the colonists were also of this mind. But three assistants thought it wiser to remain on Roanoke Island and await relief. One of these was Christopher Cooper, who of late had set himself openly against Bailey.

“Our governor won’t return. We are on our own,” insisted Bailey.

This made Eleanor weep, and she used all her persuasion, including tears, to convince Ananias to wait for her father’s return. Thus he voted with Cooper and two other assistants to remain at The fort, leaving Bailey and his two supporters furious at being outnumbered.

“We’ll take this matter up again,” said Bailey darkly.

When Manteo had returned from his envoy to the Indians, he was surprised to find John White gone. Bailey and Ananias gave no explanation and made him feel so unwelcome he had gone back to Croatoan. Now that winter was approaching, they summoned him back and offered kettles and axe blades in exchange for food. Manteo opened his hands and said the Croatoan had no food to share.

“I don’t believe him,” said Bailey. “He wants us to starve.” He said this in front of Manteo as if he lacked understanding.

Ananias continued to probe Manteo about which Indians had food, but Manteo said the harvest had been poor everywhere. I listened, stirring the kettle in which the soup was already thin.

“What good is he to us?” Bailey asked Ananias, then turned his back on Manteo, dismissing him.

Manteo said nothing to defend himself. I was ashamed of Bailey and wanted to show Manteo we were not all so lacking in respect.

“Perhaps Lord Manteo will help us repair the broken weirs,” I heard myself say. “Then we can at least catch fish and dry them for the winter.”

There was a silence in which I could hear Bailey seething.

For a moment Manteo’s eyes met mine. Was it surprise or gratitude or simple interest that I glimpsed there? I turned back to my kettle, not daring to look at Bailey.

I heard Manteo say, “It would please me to do this for my friends.”

Ananias clapped his hands, breaking the tension, and proceeded to discuss the broken weirs with Manteo. It was not long before they were fixed and several of the men had learned how to maintain them and build new ones. Trust in Manteo