Townsend shows how Yapassus—unhappy with his people’s treatment under Powhatan—betrayed Pocahontas out of desperation. Unable to secure proper protection from Powhatan, Yapassus, as his people’s chief, likely feared worsening relations with the settlers. He knew that if he didn’t do their bidding, they’d retaliate—and without protection from Powhatan, Yapassus’s own people would be left vulnerable.