SCENE II
Reading edition
TIME: Midnight of same day. PLACE: Jamestown.
POCAHONTAS.POWHATAN.
CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH.MEDICINE MAN.
JOHN ROLFE.BRAVES.
SETTLERS.
[POCAHONTAS enters, running. She knocks at the door of Captain Smith's cabin.]
SMITH (within.) Who knocks?
POCAHONTAS. Pocahontas!
[CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH comes from the cabin.]
POCAHONTAS. Powhatan is coming! He is coming with his braves! They come creeping while you sleep!
SMITH. What is this?
POCAHONTAS. They come to kill you and the women and the children!
SMITH. Rolfe, Rolfe, do you hear that?
[ROLFE comes from the cabin.]
ROLFE. I heard! I'll go and warn the people!
SMITH. Tell them to run quickly to the fort!
ROLFE. I'll tell them!
[He goes, running.]
SMITH. It is brave of you to warn us, Pocahontas.
POCAHONTAS. I could not bear to have the little children killed.
SMITH. You have saved them and their mothers and their fathers. Me, you have saved twice.
[Pocahontas starts to go.]
POCAHONTAS. Good-by, white chief. I go now to my wigwam.
SMITH. Girl! Girl! You must not go! The braves will know you warned us!
POCAHONTAS. They will not know, white chief. At midnight they were to leave the camp. I will get back by that time.
SMITH. It is midnight now. They have missed you by this time, Pocahontas.
POCAHONTAS. What shall I do? What shall I do?
SMITH. You must stay with us.
POCAHONTAS. I cannot leave my father, white chief.
[She starts to go.]
SMITH. You must not go! The braves will not let you live! I fear your father could not save you from them!
[Enter ROLFE, running.]
ROLFE. To the fort! To the fort! The Indians are upon us! To the fort!
SMITH. Come, Pocahontas! There is our fort across the road. You will be safe in there.
POCAHONTAS. How can I leave my father!
[Enter MEN, WOMEN, and CHILDREN, running. They enter the fort.]
SMITH. Come, Pocahontas! Come!
[He leads her into the fort just as the INDIANS creep in from the forest. They see Pocahontas and rush at her, but Rolfe shuts the gates.]
BRAVES. Pocahontas! Pocahontas!
MEDICINE MAN. 'Tis Pocahontas who has warned them!
BRAVES. Yes, yes! 'Tis Pocahontas!
MEDICINE MAN. Do you hear that, Chief Powhatan?
POWHATAN. I hear.
A BRAVE. She has betrayed her own people!
SECOND BRAVE. We should never take her back to us!
THIRD BRAVE. We should not let her live!
MEDICINE MAN. Aye, braves, aye! We should not let her live! We will demand her from the white men!
BRAVES. Yes, yes!
MEDICINE MAN. Shall we offer them peace in return for Pocahontas?
BRAVES. Yes, yes, yes!
MEDICINE MAN. Do you hear that, Chief Powhatan?
[There is a long pause.]
POWHATAN. Go, take the peace flag to them, and ask for Pocahontas.
[The MEDICINE MAN raises a white flag and goes to the fort. Captain Smith and many men come out.]
SMITH. Do you come to offer peace?
MEDICINE MAN. We offer peace, great chief, if you will give up Pocahontas.
SMITH. And what if we will not give her up?
MEDICINE MAN. We will make war upon you.
SMITH. We will not give her up.
MEDICINE MAN. Then not a man of you shall live! Nor a woman! Nor a child!
SMITH. Pocahontas is our friend. We will not give her up to you.
MEDICINE MAN. Shoot them, braves! Shoot them, as they stand there!
POWHATAN. Do not dare to shoot one arrow! I, Powhatan, speak.
(To Smith.)
I see you are my daughter's friend, white chief.
SMITH. I am, and would be yours, if you would let me.
POWHATAN. Your white braves take our land from us.
SMITH. They shall pay you. As I am chief here, they shall pay you.
POWHATAN. Your white braves take our corn from us. They will not let us fish in our own rivers.
SMITH. I did not know such wrongs were done you. My braves shall pay for everything in full.
POWHATAN. Then there shall be peace between us. Bring the peace pipe, braves. We will smoke in friendship with our brothers.
SMITH. And Pocahontas will be pardoned? You will take her back as your own daughter?
POWHATAN. Pocahontas will be pardoned, white chief. She shall come and go, as she may please, between our wigwams and yours, my brother.
[A brave comes with the peace pipe, which he gives to Powhatan, who hands it to Captain Smith.]
SMITH (taking pipe). 'Tis for eternal peace between us!