Hereupon arose a great clamor.  A mob of soldiers and artisans beset Laudonniere’s chamber, threatening loudly to desert him, and take passage with Hawkins, unless the offer of the latter were accepted.  The commandant accordingly resolved to buy the vessel.  The generous slaver, whose reputed avarice nowise appears in the transaction, desired him to set his own price; and, in place of money, took the cannon of the fort, with other articles now useless to their late owners.  He sent them, too, a gift of wine and biscuit, and supplied them with provision for the voyage, receiving in payment Laudonniere’s note,—­“for which,” adds the latter, “I am until this present indebted to him.”  With a friendly leave-taking he returned to his ships and stood out to sea, leaving golden opinions among the grateful inmates of Fort Caroline.

Before the English top-sails had sunk beneath the horizon, the colonists bestirred themselves to depart.  In a few days their preparations were made.  They waited only for a fair wind.  It was long in coming, and meanwhile their troubled fortunes assumed a new phase.

On the twenty-eighth of August, the two captains, Vasseur and Verdier, came in with tidings of an approaching squadron.  Again the fort was wild with excitement.  Friends or foes, French or Spaniards, succor or death:  betwixt these were their hopes and fears divided.  With the following morning, they saw seven barges rowing up the river, bristling with weapons and crowded with men in armor.  The sentries on the bluff challenged, and received no answer.  One of them fired at the advancing boats.  Still no response.  Laudonniere was almost defenceless.  He had given his heavier cannon to Hawkins, and only two field-pieces were left.  They were levelled at the foremost boats, and the word was about to be given, when a voice from among the strangers called that they were French, commanded by John Ribaut.

At the eleventh hour, the long-looked-for succors were come.  Ribaut had been commissioned to sail with seven ships for Florida.  A disorderly concourse of disbanded soldiers, mixed with artisans and their families, and young nobles weary of a two-years’ peace, were mustered at the port of Dieppe, and embarked, to the number of three hundred men, bearing with them all things thought necessary to a prosperous colony.

No longer in dread of the Spaniards, the colonists saluted the new-comers with the cannon by which a moment before they had hoped to blow them out of the water.  Laudonniere issued from his stronghold to welcome them, and regaled them with what cheer he might.  Ribaut was present, conspicuous by his long beard, the astonishment of the Indians; and here, too, were officers, old friends of Laudonniere.  Why, then, had they approached in the attitude of enemies?  The mystery was soon explained; for they expressed to the commandant their pleasure at finding that the charges made against him had proved false.  He begged to know more, on which Ribaut,