Sometime between the founding of the so-called Lost Colony in 1587 and the return of colonial governor John White in 1590, the inhabitants of the English settlement on Roanoke Island disappeared. Approximately 100 men and women—among them, Virginia Dare, the first English child born in the Americas—vanished, almost without a trace. Almost being the key word, because the only remaining evidence of the settlers was the word CROATOAN carved on one tree and the letters CRO on another. These enigmatic clues have puzzled historians for centuries. Was the colony wiped out by hostile natives or disease? Did the English assimilate with the Croatan, a local Southeast Indian tribe? Tribal tradition favors the latter explanation, but it is impossible to settle the question with any certainty. “Croatoan” has since become something of a code word for fiction authors, a way to indicate a secret that might be better left unknown. Notable examples include a short story by Harlan Ellison and the 100 Bullets series by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso (without spoiling the details, the Lost Colony figures prominently in that story as well).