Powhatan nodded in approval, uttering now and again a word of praise.
When Opechanchanough had finished his recital the shaman, or
medicine-man, rose and sang a song of praise about the brave Pamunkeys,
brothers of the Powhatans.

Then, one after another, Opechanchanough's braves told of their personal
exploits.

"I," sang one, "I, the Forest Wolf, have devoured mine enemy. Many suns
shall set red between the forest trees, but none so red as the blood
that flowed when my sharp knife severed his scalp lock."

And as each recited his deeds his words were received with clappings of
hands and grunts of approval.

Powhatan gave orders to open the guest lodge and to prepare a feast for
the victors. Then Opechanchanough rose again to speak. After he had
finished another song of triumph, he turned to Powhatan and asked:

"Brother, how long hath it been that thy warriors keep within their
lodges, leaving to young squaws the duty of sentinels who cannot
distinguish friends from foes?"

Powhatan gazed at the speaker in astonishment.

"What dost thou mean by such strange words?" asked the chief.

"As we returned through the forest," explained Opechanchanough, "before
we reached the boundary of thy fields, while we still believed that a
part of the Monachans might lie in ambush for us there, an arrow, shot