Chapter 7

Roger recognized one great truth. His men were now well fed and safe but they were unhappy. They wanted, they needed women. Three of the women who accompanied Roger into the wilderness chose men to marry during the winter. The remaining five showed no interest in the other men. Counting the 7 men who were married when they left Roanoke that left 42 men with no women and they were becoming unhappy. Roger talked with Margarita and Sunny then came up with a plan. He talked to the men and made them an offer.

Roger's offer was well received by the men. He promised them if they would work hard with him and get the crops in as early as they could he would take half of them on an exploration trip. He gave them his promise that they would try to find women either in the Spanish Colony of Florida or in the Indian camps they might come across. If they wanted an Indian wife he would help them meet the bride price for her. He also told them he would give a few of them permission to go back to the coast if they wished and try to find other English women to marry. He reminded them though that there were very few English in the new world at this time so that prospect might well not pan out. Those who did not accompany Roger on his spring expedition were assured they could accompany him in a later expedition to find a wife. He also promised if they wanted he would authorize them to go on their own in search of a wife.

Thus began Roger's plans for expansion of his small colony. After the crops were in he did as he promised. He took Margarita and Sunny with him and a group of 21 men on a trek toward Florida. Margarita hoped to find some of her family and friends alive and further hoped to convince them to move to Birmingham with her and Roger.

The first three days of their walk was uneventful then their luck changed. Early the morning of the fourth day just as the men were moving to eat their breakfast Indians attacked. The first warning of the attack was a strangled cry one of the men let out when an arrow struck him in the stomach. He grabbed his stomach and slowly collapsed onto the ground. Other arrows came flying toward the men who were scrambling to find cover. The arrows were followed by a screaming mass of Indians brandishing tomahawks and knives. The few men with firearms had already discharged them with minimal success. Only two Indians were hit.

Roger rolled behind a log and took a moment to make sure Margarita and Sunny were safe. He smiled with relief when he saw Margarita and Sunny hidden behind a small pile of brush a few feet from him. Sunny was holding her knife and watching the attackers. Margarita held her pistol and was also watching the attackers. One of the Indians saw the two women hiding and moved toward them. Margarita watched him come then when he was about ten feet from her she carefully took aim and shot him. After he fell she began picking off the Indians nearby.

Roger relaxed and turned his attention to the other Indians attacking his camp. He began taking careful aim with his rifle and dropping one Indian after another. By the time the Indians decided the attack was a bad idea all but four of them were injured badly enough they could not walk. The four Indians still mobile moved into the woods at a trot. Roger was upset when he saw Sunny and some of the men moving through the camp killing the Indians who were not dead. He moved to stop them but stilled his response when he felt Margarita's hand on his forearm.

"Roger, let it be. They are dead anyway. It is a kindness to finish them off. Infection would surely kill those who remain alive if we don't kill them. Besides, leaving them alive would make you seem weak in the eyes of the tribe and your men. I know it is not civilized but it is necessary, at least until you have established your power in this area.

After the Indians were disposed of, the injured colonists were treated and their delayed breakfast was served. The one dead man was buried and the group moved out following the trail of the running attackers. They followed the trail for two days before coming upon a small encampment. Roger intended to enter it peacefully but when they showed themselves to the occupants they were immediately attacked.

The unprovoked attack angered Roger and he and his men fired back. Before the battle was over the remaining men of the camp were dead as were four of the women and three of the young boys. After the battle ended Roger's group moved into the camp. Sunny began talking with the survivors as she and Roger walked around. They spoke for several minutes then she turned to Roger. "Roger, it seems we have killed all the men and some of the women and children. These women cannot live alone now that their men are gone. They will starve or be carried off as slaves by the next tribe that runs into them. They are scared, distraught, and willing to do almost anything you wish them to do if you will spare their lives and treat them well.

"I think they would be willing to move to our settlement. I know if you take them in they will be hard workers and will be loyal to you." Sunny smiled and continued, "I also suspect that soon they will take some of our unattached men to be their mates. An Indian woman needs a man just as much if not more than one from Europe. These women know how to take care of a man in the wilderness. I am sure your men would appreciate the chance to take one of the women as their wife, also."

Roger didn't have to think too long about the offer Sunny made. He looked over at Margarita. She smiled and nodded her head yes. Roger turned his attention back to Sunny. "I don't see anything wrong with that. You need to be sure they understand they have to follow my rules. They also need to realize we do things differently than they do and they will be expected to learn many new and strange things if they come to our settlement.

"I still want to continue on to Florida, though. I promised Margarita she could visit her family and I want desperately to trade for some horses if I can. Do you think we should take the women with us or leave them and some of the men here until we get back?"

Sunny looked at Roger for a moment then turned to Margarita. They talked rapidly for several minutes then Margarita turned to Roger and said, "Roger, we think the women should come with us. It will be safer for them and they can perhaps help us carry things we may trade for when we go home. We should, perhaps, leave them in the woods outside the settlement so we do not frighten the Spanish but I still think we need to take them with us."

The small group spent the remainder of the day and that night in the Indian camp while the women collected and packed the items they wanted to take with them. Roger promised they would return by way of the camp if possible and if anything was left that they still wanted they would try to take it with them.

Early the next morning the now larger group moved out. Much to Roger's surprise a very beautiful Indian woman began walking near him, Margarita, and Sunny. She seemed to always keep her eyes on him and twice she moved to him and offered him a drink from a skin of water she carried. She was heavily laden with a pack containing he knew not what.

At the noon break the Indian maiden was the one who served him and his two wives then she took a seat nearby and ate her small meal, never taking her eyes from Roger. Finally Roger had enough and turned to Sunny. "What is going on with that woman," he asked.

Sunny looked over at Margarita with a guilty expression then turned back to Roger. In her halting English she began speaking, "She is your new woman Roger. Her name is Beautiful Deer. She was the wife of the Chief of her tribe. You killed him during the attack and now she is your woman. You may do anything you wish with her but it would be a kindness if you would just accept her as your woman. You can give her to another man, but if you do she will probably kill herself. You may use her as a slave or you may use her as a wife. She is yours completely until you sell her, give her away or kill her."

Roger sat in shock for a moment. He finally moved when he heard Margarita giggling. She gently touched his arm and he turned to her. Before he could speak she said, "Sunny and I thought you would react this way. You did catch on faster than we thought you would, however. If you want my opinion I think you should take her as your wife also. She already respects you as no other man she has ever seen. She thinks you have great magic. Your weapons never run empty, you command many men, and are seemingly invincible in battle.

"Of course, I am afraid Sunny and I added to your desirability when we admitted we were your wives and you more than adequately fed and cared for us. We admitted that many times your ardor was more than we could handle so she thinks you are a god of sex, also."

Roger sat in shock. He was literally speechless. He looked over at the Indian woman. She was watching him with an expression verging on fear. It seemed she instinctively knew her fate was being discussed. Roger sighed and stood. He told his followers it was time to leave. When she saw the rest of the group standing, Deer, as Roger decided he would call her, stood and moved beside him to follow when he walked off. She kept her eyes on him the rest of the day.