Captain John Smith and Pocahontas

So you are the Capt. John Smith...

who some termed

the worst rogue in our kingdom...

and others, the boldest adventurer.

To being Capt. John Smith,

I plead guilty, Your Majesty.

And guilty also

to having tried to serve my king...

and the Colony of Virginia

to the best of my ability.

We have heard strange

and conflicting tales...

both of Capt. John Smith and Virginia.

That is why we have brought you into

our presence when we heard of your return.

So that we might hear the account

from your own lips.

Master Saunders, you will take this down,

not missing a word.

Take your ease, Captain,

if it will give your words an easier flow.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

Sire, my story would have its beginning

in Jamestown.

It is spring of the year 1607.

Here, on the fever-ridden banks

of the James River...

a few tents and crude lean-tos

marked the beginning...

of the first permanent settlement

in the New World.

All's well.

But at the moment,

it did not look very permanent.

The bulk of the settlers...

disillusioned when they discovered Virginia

had more hardships than gold to offer...

were already making plans

to abandon the settlement.

Do you all wish to die of fever in a

plague-ridden swamp, like Capt. Gosnold?

I say, forget this

poverty-stricken mound of mud.

We've got three good ships

anchored in the river.

And to the south lies the Spanish Main,

and all the wealth of the Indies.

- That has the smell of piracy.

- Piracy, say you?

Did they call Drake a pirate?

Hawkins a pirate?

Not when they came sailing home

laden with Spanish gold, they didn't.

What about Smith?

He'll have something to say about this.

Capt. John Smith.

That high and mighty gentleman

has done his last objecting.

At this moment, as you well know...

he's aboard the Goodspeed in chains,

by my orders.

And there he stays

to await his trial for mutiny.

No man's worked harder

to establish this colony.

It was not fair to set chains upon him.

"Conserve the food. Till the land.

"Clear the forest. "

That's Capt. John Smith for you.

It's a fair program of common sense.

Common sense be hanged.

And I mean Capt. Smith to hang

one of these near days.

We didn't come out of England

to be grubbers of the soil...

and make friends with the Indians.

- Agree with me, Davis?

- Aye.

- It was gold we came for.

- Aye, and it's worth saying twice.

Gold. Snatch gold out of this wilderness

and back to London, rich as lords.

Be that as it may, but you had no authority

to imprison John Smith.

Mind you, Mr. Rolfe. Understand one thing.

From today, I command this expedition.

It goes where I order it, when I order it.

And if any man objects, there's more than

one set of chains aboard the Goodspeed.

But hanging held slight appeal for me.

I had torn my blanket to shreds,

and pretending to hang...

waited for opportunity to knock.

It did.

Bo'sun! Bo'sun of the watch!

The prisoner's hung himself.

But I was determined

not to leave Jamestown...

at the mercy of a few selfish men.

Turkey gobbles.

But since when do birds cry out in the night

as if they had human throats?

Something was prowling in the woods

between me and Jamestown.

And I would have wagered my scalp...

that the only feathers they had

were stuck in their hair.

Quiet.

Capt. Smith.

Indians, going to attack.

No, you fool.

Arouse the men silently.

We'll forget that for the present,

Wingfield. The Indians are about to attack.

Indians. What tale is this?

- And how did you get off that ship?

- Keep your voice down.

They wait for daylight...

but you're like to bring them before

if they think we've been warned.

Good. We'll teach them a lesson

they won't forget.

The lesson is like to be taught us,

since they outnumber us five-to-one.

And are fair aching to slit our throats

'cause of your treatment of them...

and abuse of their women.

- What's to be done, John?

- Get this sot on his feet.

Out with the light.

Now spread the word to the others.

Indians are about to attack.

Then take up defensive positions

behind the shelters.

And get word to the ship for help.

Move quickly,

or you'll never see the rise of the new sun.

We tried to get a message

through to the ships.

But each attempt was ended by the arrow

of a silent watchman.

Outnumbering us, they would be swarming

over before we could make our guns tell.

All we could do was wait.

Wait tensely.

Guns ready.

Out beyond the little band of settlers,

the war drums pounded our doom.

I think I heard something

in the brush over there.

No. You'll give away our position.

Walk, man. Don't stand and sweat.

The fool.

Now.

- They're quitting.

- Just keep sheltered and load.

We're not getting off this easy.

How you got off that ship,

I have no way of telling, yet...

but there's not room for two men

giving orders here.

So if you've a mind to settle the matter

here and now, I'll...

Look there!

They mean to burn us out into the open.

I'll form a water party

down by the river, Captain.

No. There's better work

than trying to empty the river. Rolfe.

- Get to the ship. You'll have

to swim for it. - Yes, Captain.

- Have them man the cannons.

- At what target?

The settlement. They are to fire our site

on ball and grapeshot.

One thing more.

Give me a signal shot of powder

Then cut loose with all you can cram

into the muzzles.

You'll kill us all.

Save the Indians the trouble.

Not if we labor fast. Go on, man.

And the rest of you, a ditch below

the river bank, and dig as you hope to live.

Follow me.

Don't listen to the loudmouth cockerel, lad.

It'll be your death.

He who does not dig, gets no shelter.

- Come on.

- Lads, listen to me.

He gives orders as if he'd been chartered

by the King himself.

We'll see for how long.

If John Rolfe could reach the ships

in time to give the message...

we still had a chance.

But at this moment, the odds were long

against Jamestown surviving.

The signal. Take cover.

John.

- It was an able piece of work, John Rolfe.

- The sight of you and the men lifts a load.

- I was afraid the work too well done.

- At least half our company is safe.

It's small enough.

Great credit lying in a hole

when there's fighting afoot.

I have memory of you

at the very bottom of the hole.

Come, lads.

There's work aplenty for all.

- How go the tally, John?

- Not so good, Captain.

We were short enough before the attack.

And now, between Indians

and the ship's cannon...

most of what we did have is gone.

Now here's a list I made:

Of dried fish, 200 pounds, of salt...

By whose orders

do you assume this authority?

By whose order do you question it?

I'm a gentleman,

born to a higher rank than any here.

That is of concern only to you

and your mother, not me.

It's a matter I also intend to settle

between us, here and now.

Men.

I suggest we put this matter to a vote.

I have a candidate.

He saved our skins.

And he'd be a man who would tweak

the devil's own tail, if need be.

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