 57. Captivity among the Indians |
59. A Battle against Great Odds  |
Ōlim puella, quae Elizabēta appellābātur, oppidānīs suīs ita[1] salūtī[2] fuit. Subitō ab Indīs oppidum erat oppugnātum,[3] colōnīque statim sē recēperant in castellum parvum, quod barbarī diū expugnāre frūstrā cōnātī sunt. At dēficere iam coeperat pulvis ille paene magicus, quō[4] celeritātō exitiālī tēla Americānōrum aliārumque gentium multārum longissimē feruntur. Quārē colōnī vehementer erant animō dēmissī;[5] quamquam enim in villā haud longinquā cōpia pulveris satis magna relicta erat, nēmō eam putābat ūllō modō[6] ad castellum tūtō adferri posse, quod Indī in īnsidiīs undique latēbant. Multī tamen perīculum subīre[7] volēbant, sed[8] Elizabēta: “Ego ībō,” inquit; “puella enim sum, mēque carēreref>mē … carēre: spare me, lit. be without me, mē is abl. case..</ref> facilius potestis.”[9]
Consiliō ā duce probātō, puella mox ē castellō palam ēgressa est, lēniterque ad villam versus ambulāvit. Quā rē[10] novā permōtī, Indī prīmō ēventum tacitī exspectābant, et Elizabēta nūllō impediente[11] ad vīllam facillimē pervenit; cum autem, pulvere arreptō, ad castellum rursus celeriter currere coepisset, tum barbarī, quī iam sē ēlūsōs sentiēbant, tēla plūrima undique coniēcērunt. Sed puella fortis sine vulnere intrā portam castellī recepta est, colōnīque pulvere sublevatī impetūs Indōrum potuērunt sustinēre, dōnec amīcī auxilī ferendī causā ex oppidīs fīnitimīs frequentēs convēnērunt.
- ↑ ita: in the following way.
- ↑ salūtī: lit. for a safety, cf. praesidiō, p. 65, l. 4, and see the Vocab.
- ↑ erat oppugnātum: contrast expugnare. l.4..
- ↑ quō: abl. of means.
- ↑ animō dēmissī: cf. p. 37, l. 20.
- ↑ modō: For other renderings, sec the Vocab, freely, chance.
- ↑ subīre: subeō, -īre, -iī, -itus: risk, lit. undergo.
- ↑ volēbant: were willing.
- ↑ potestis: cf. potest, p.41, l.17, you could.
- ↑ re: performance.
- ↑ nūllō impediente: cf. nūllō dēfendente, p.44, l.17.