THE PURITAN TWINS By Lucy Fitch Perkins ILLUSTRATED BY THE AUTHOR [Illustration] HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY BOSTON NEW YORK CHICAGO SAN FRANCISCO The Riverside Press Cambridge By Lucy Fitch Perkins * * * * * _Geographical Series_ THE DUTCH TWINS PRIMER. _Grade I. _ THE DUTCH TWINS. _Grade III. _ THE ESKIMO TWINS. _Grade II. _ THE FILIPINO TWINS. _Grade IV. _ THE JAPANESE TWINS. _Grade IV. _ THE SWISS TWINS. _Grade IV. _ THE IRISH TWINS. _Grade V. _ THE ITALIAN TWINS. _Grades V and VI. _ THE SCOTCH TWINS. _Grades V and VI. _ THE MEXICAN TWINS. _Grade VI. _ THE BELGIAN TWINS. _Grade VI. _ THE FRENCH TWINS. _Grade VII. _ _Historical Series_ THE CAVE TWINS. _Grade IV. _ THE SPARTAN TWINS. _Grades V-VI. _ THE PURITAN TWINS. _Grades VI-VII. _ * * * * * _Each volume is illustrated by the author_ * * * * * HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press CAMBRIDGE MASSACHUSETTS PRINTED IN THE U. S. A. [Illustration] CONTENTS I. THE PEPPERELLS AND THE CAPTAIN 3 II. TWO DAYS 39 III. ON BOARD THE LUCY ANN 63 IV. A FOREST TRAIL 87 V. THE NEW HOME 113 VI. HARVEST HOME 157 SUGGESTIONS TO TEACHERS 181 [Illustration: map] I THE PEPPERELLS AND THE CAPTAIN One bright warm noonday in May of the year 1638, Goodwife Pepperellopened the door of her little log cabin, and, screening her eyes fromthe sun with a toilworn hand, looked about in every direction, asif searching for some one. She was a tall, spare woman, with a firmmouth, keen blue eyes, and a look of patient endurance in her face, bred by the stern life of pioneer New England. Far away across thepasture which sloped southward from the cabin she could see longmeadow grass waving in the breeze, and beyond a thread of blue waterwhere the Charles River flowed lazily to the sea. Westward there wasalso pasture land where sheep were grazing, and in the distance aglimpse of the thatched roofs of the little village of Cambridge. Goodwife Pepperell gazed long and earnestly in this direction, andthen, making a trumpet of her hands, sent a call ringing across thesilent fields. "Nancy! Daniel!" she shouted. She was answered only by the tinkle of sheep bells. A shade of anxietyclouded the blue eyes as she went round to the back of the cabin andlooked toward the dense forest which bounded her vision on the north. Stout-hearted though she was, Goodwife Pepperell could never forgetthe terrors which lay concealed behind that mysterious rampart ofgreen. Not only were there wolves and deer and many other wildcreatures hidden in its depths, but it sheltered also the perpetualmenace of the Indians. Toward the east, at some distance from thecabin, corn-fields stretched to salt meadows, and beyond, across thebay, she could see the three hills of Boston town. [1] [Footnote 1: See map. ] As no answering shout greeted her from this direction either, theGoodwife stepped quickly toward a hollow stump which stood a shortdistance from the cabin. Beside the stump a slender birch tree bentbeneath the weight of a large circular piece of wood hung to its topby a leather thong. This was the samp-mill, where their corn waspounded into meal. Seizing the birch tree with her hands, she broughtthe wooden pestle down into the hollow stump with a resounding thump. The birch tree sprang back lifting the block with it and again shepulled it down and struck the stump another blow, then paused tolisten. This time there was, beside the echo, an answering shout, andin a few moments two heads appeared above the rows of young corn justpeeping out of the ground, two pairs of lively bare feet came flyingacross the garden patch, and a breathless boy and girl stood besidetheir mother. They were a sturdy pair of twelve-year-olds, the boy an inch or moretaller than his sister, and both with the blue eyes, fair skin, androsy cheeks which proclaimed their English blood. There was a gleam ofpride in Goodwife Pepperell's eye as she looked a her children, butnot for the world would she have let them see it; much less would shehave owned it to herself, for she was a Puritan mother, and regardedpride of any kind as altogether sinful. "Where have you been all themorning?" she said. "You were nowhere to be seen and the corn is notyet high enough to hide you. " "I was hoeing beyond that clump of bushes, " said Daniel, pointing toa group of high blueberries that had been allowed to remain in thecleared field. "And I was keeping away the crows, " said Nancy, holding out her woodenclappers. "Only I fell asleep. It was so warm I just could n't helpit. " "So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth and thy want as anarmed man, " quoted the mother sternly. "Night is the time for sleep. Go now and eat the porridge I have set for you in your littleporringers, and then go down to the bay with this basket and fill itwith clams. Put a layer of seaweed in the basket first and pack theclams in that. They will keep alive for some time if you bed them so, and be sure to bring back the shovel. " This was a task that suited the Twins much better than either hoeingcorn or scaring crows, and they ran into the house at once, ate theirporridge with more haste than good manners, and dashed joyfully awayacross the fields toward the river-mouth, a mile away. They followed apath across the wide stretch of pasture, where wild blackberry vinesand tall blueberry bushes grew, then through a strip of meadow land, and at last ran out on the bare stretch of sand and weed left by theebb tide toward the narrow channel cut by the clear water of theCharles. Here they set down the basket and began looking about for the littleholes which betray the hiding-places of clams. [Illustration] "Oh, look, Dan, " cried Nancy, stopping to admire the long line offoot-prints which they had left behind them. "Dost see what a prettyborder we have made? 'T is just like a pattern. " She walked along theedge of the stream with her toes turned well out, leaving a track inthe sand like this: [Illustration] Then the delightful flat surface tempted her to further exploits. Shepicked up a splinter of driftwood and, making a wide flourish, beganto draw a picture. "See, " she called rapturously to Dan, "this isgoing to be a pig! Here 's his nose, and here 's his curly tail, andhere are his little fat legs. " She clapped her hands with admiration. "Now I shall do something else, " she announced as she finished the pigwith a round red pebble stuck in for the eye. "Let me see. What shallI draw? Oh, I know! A picture of Gran'ther Wattles! Look, Dan. " Shemade a careful stroke. "Here 's his nose, and here 's his chin. They aremonstrous near together because he has nothing but gums between! Andhere 's his long tithing-stick with the squirrel-tail on the end!" [Illustration] "It doth bear a likeness to him!" admitted Dan, laughing in spite ofhimself, "but, sister, thou shouldst not mock him. He is an old man, and we should pay respect to gray hairs. Father says so. " "Truly I have as much of respect as he hath of hair, " answered naughtyNancy. "His poll is nearly as bald as an egg. " "I know the cause of thy displeasure, " declared Dan. "Gran'therWattles poked thee for bouncing about during the sermon last Sunday. But it is unseemly to bounce in the meeting-house, and besides, is henot the tithing-man? 'T is his duty to see that people behave as theyshould. " "He would mayhap have bounced himself if a bee had been buzzing abouthis nose as it did about mine, " said Nancy, and, giving a viciousdab at the pictured features, she drew a bee perched on the end ofGran'ther Wattles's nose. "Here now are all the gray hairs he hath, "she added, making three little scratches above the ear. "Nancy Pepperell!" cried her brother, aghast, "dost thou not rememberwhat happened to the forty and two children that said 'Go up, thoubald head' to Elijah? It would be no marvel if bears were to come outof the woods this moment to eat thee up!" [Illustration] "'T was n't Elijah, 't was Elisha, " Nancy retorted with spirit, "but itmatters little whether 't was one or t' other, for I don't believe twobears could possibly hold so much, and besides dost thou not think ita deal worse to cause a bear to eat up forty and two children than tosay 'Go up, thou bald head'?" "Nancy!" exclaimed her horrified brother, glancing fearfully towardthe forest and clapping his hand on her mouth to prevent furtherimpiety, "thou art a wicked, wicked girl! Dost thou not know that theeye of the Lord is in every place? Without doubt his ear is too, andHe can hear every word thy saucy tongue sayeth. Come, let us rub outthis naughty picture quickly, and mayhap God will take no notice thistime. " He ran across Gran'ther Wattles's portrait from brow to chin, covering it with foot-prints. "Besides, " he went on as he trotted backand forth, "thou hast broken a commandment! Thou hast made a likenessof something that 's in the earth, and that 's Gran'ther Wattles! Nancy, thou dost take fearful chances with thy soul. " Nancy began to look a little anxious as she considered her conduct. "At any rate, " she said defensively, "it is n't a graven image, and Ihave neither bowed down to it nor served it! I do try to be good, Dan, but it seemeth that the devil is ever at my elbow. " [Illustration] "'T is because thou art idle, " said Dan, shaking his head as gravelyas Gran'ther Wattles himself. "Busy thyself with the clams, and Satanwill have less chance at thy idle hands, and thy idle tongue too. " Nancy obediently took hold of the basket which Dan thrust into herhands, and together they walked for some distance over the sandystretches. Suddenly a tiny stream of water spouted up beside Dan'sfeet. "Here they be!" he shouted, plunging his shovel into the sand, "and what big ones!" Nancy surveyed the clams with disfavor. They werethrusting pale thick muscles out between the lobes of their shells. "They look as if they were sticking out their tongues at us, " saidNancy as she picked one up gingerly and dropped it into the basket. "But, Dan, Mother said we were to bed them in seaweed!" "I see none here, " said Dan, leaning on his shovel and looking abouthim. "The tide hath swept everything as clean as a floor. " "I 'll seek for some while thou art busy with the digging, " said Nancy, glad to escape the duty of picking up the clams, and off she trottedwithout another word. The flats, seamed and grooved with channelswhere pools of water still lingered, sloped gently down to the lowerlevel of the bay, and farther out a range of rocks lifted themselvesabove the sandy waste. [Illustration] "I 'll surely find seaweed on the rocks, " thought Nancy to herself asshe sped along, and in a few moments she had reached them, had tossedup the basket, and was climbing their rugged sides. "There 's a mort o' seaweed here, " she said, nodding her head wisely asshe picked up a long string of kelp; "I can fill my basket in no timeat all. " There was no need for haste, she thought, so she sat downbeside a pool of water left in a hollow of the rocks, to explore itscontents. The first thing she found was a group of tiny barnacles, andfor a while she amused herself by washing salt water over them to seethem open their tiny cups of shell. In the pool itself a beautifullavender-colored jelly-fish was floating about, and just beyond lay astar-fish clinging to a bunch of seaweed. She found other treasuresscattered about by the largess of the tide--tiny spiral shells, stonesof all colors, and a horseshoe crab, besides seaweed with prettylittle pods which popped delightfully when she squeezed them with herfingers. Then she heard the cries of gulls overhead and watched themas they wheeled and circled between her and the sky. When they flewout to sea she sat with her hands clasping her knees and gazed acrossthe bay at the three hills of Boston town. She could see quite plainlythe tall beacon standing like a ship's mast on top of Beacon Hill, andfarther north she strained her eyes to pick out Governor Winthrop'sdwelling from the cluster of houses which straggled up the slope ofCopp's Hill and which made all there was of the city of Boston in thatearly day. [Illustration] For some time she sat there hugging her knees and thinking long, longthoughts, and it was not until the sound of little waves lappingagainst the rocks roused her that she woke from her day dream andrealized with terror that the tide had turned. The channels and lowerlevels of the bay were already brimming over, and the water was deepabout the rocks on which she perched. At almost the same moment Danhad been surprised by a cold wave which washed over his bare feet, and, turning about, was dismayed to find a sheet of blue watercovering the bay and to see Nancy standing on the topmost rockshouting "Dan! Dan!" at the top of her lungs. For one astonishedinstant he looked at her, then, throwing down his shovel, he plungedunhesitatingly into the icy bath. And now Nancy, realizing that therewas not a moment to lose if she hoped to reach the shore in safety, let herself slowly down off the rocks, leaving the basket behind her, and started toward her brother. The water was already so deep in the channels that their progresstoward each other was slow, but they ploughed bravely on, feeling thebottom carefully at each step lest they sink in some sand-pocket orhollow washed out by the tide. Some distance away toward Charlestowna fishing schooner rocked on the deeper water of the bay, and afisherman in a small boat, attracted by the shouting, looked up, and, seeing the two struggling figures, instantly bent to his oars andstarted toward them. Though he rowed rapidly, it was some minutesbefore he could reach the children, who were now floundering about inwater nearly up to their necks. [Illustration] "Hold fast to my shoulder, Nancy, " he heard Dan cry. "I can float, andI can swim a little. Keep thy nose above water and let thy feet gowhere they will. " Nancy, spluttering and gurgling, was trying hard tofollow Dan's directions, when the boat shot alongside, and a cheeryvoice cried, "Ahoy, there! Come aboard, you young porpoises!" To the children it was like a voice straight from heaven. Danimmediately helped Nancy to get into the boat, and then she balancedit while he climbed aboard. When they were safely bestowed among the lobster-pots with which theboat was laden, the man leaned on his oars and eyed them critically. "Short of sense, ain't ye?" he remarked genially. "Nigh about drowndedthat time or I 'm no skipper! If ye ain't bent on destruction ye 'dbetter get into dry clothes. Ye 're as wet as a mess of drowndedkittens. Tell me where you live and I 'll take you home. " He flung a tarpaulin over the shivering figures and tucked it aroundthem as he scolded. "'T is all my fault, " sobbed poor Nancy. "Dan camein just to get me out. " "Very commendable of him, I 'm sure, " said the stranger, noddingapprovingly at Dan, "and just what he 'd ought to do, and doubtlessyou 're worth saving at that, though a hen-headeder young miss I neversee in all my days!" "She went to find seaweed to bed the clams, " explained Dan, coming tohis sister's defense, "and the tide caught her. Thou art kind indeedto pick us up, sir. " "Oh, " groaned remorseful Nancy, her teeth chattering, "it 's allbecause I 'm such a sinner! I made a likeness of Gran'ther Wattles inthe sand and said dreadful things about the prophet Elijah, or mayhap't was Elisha, and Dan said a bear might come to eat me up just likethe forty and two children, and instead of a bear we both were almostswallowed by the tide!" "Well, now, " said the stranger, comfortingly, "ye see instead ofsending bears the Lord sent me along to fish ye out, just the same asHe sent the whale to swallow Jonah when he was acting contrary! Lookslike He meant to let ye off with a scare this time. Come now, my lass, there 's salt water enough aboard and if ye cry into the boat, ye 'llhave to bail her out. Besides, " he added whimsically, looking up atthe sky, "there 's another squall coming on, and two at a time is toomany for any sailor. If I 'm to cast you up on the shore same as thewhale, ye 'll have to tell me which way to go, and who ye are. " "Our father is Josiah Pepperell, " answered Dan, "and our house isalmost a mile back from shore near Cambridge. " "So you 're Josiah Pepperell's children! To be sure, to be sure! Mighthave known it. Ye do favor him some, " said the fisherman. "Well! well!The ways of the Lord are surely past finding out! Why, I knew yourfather way back in England. He came over here for religion and I camefor fish. Not that I ain't a God-fearing man, " he added hastily, noticing a look of horror on Nancy's face, "but I ain't so piousas some. I 'm a seafaring man, Captain Sanders of the Lucy Ann, Marblehead. Ye can see her riding at anchor out there in the bay. Ihave n't set eyes on your father since he left Boston and settled inthe back woods up yonder. " He sent the boat flying through the water with swift, sure strokesas he talked, and brought it ashore at the first landing-placethey found. Here they drew it up on the bank and, taking out thelobster-pots, turned it upside down so the rain would not fill it. Twogreat green lobsters with goblin-like eyes were hidden away under thepots, and when the boat was overturned they tumbled out and started ata lively pace for the water. "Hi, there!" shouted the Captain, seizing them by their tails, "whereare your manners? By jolly, I like to forgot ye! Come along now andtake supper with the Pepperells. I invite ye! They 're short of clamsand they 'll be pleased to see ye, or I miss my reckoning. " There werepegs stuck in the scissor-like claws, so the creatures were harmless, and, swinging along with one kicking vigorously in each hand, theCaptain plunged into the long meadow grass, the children followingclose at his heels. The clouds grew darker and darker; there was a rumble of thunder, and streaks of lightning tore great rents in the sky as they hurriedacross the open meadow and struck into the pasture land beyond. "Head into the wind there and keep going, " shouted the Captain as thechildren struggled along, impeded by their wet clothing. "It 's fromthe north, and we 're pointed straight into it. " Past bushes waving distractedly in the wind, under the boughs of youngoak trees, over stones and through briars they sped, and at last theycame in sight of the cabin just as the storm broke. Goodwife Pepperellwas standing in the door gazing anxiously toward the river, when theydashed out of the bushes and, scudding past her, stood dripping onthe hearth-stone. Her husband was just hanging his gun over thechimney-piece, and the noise of their entrance was drowned out by aclap of thunder; so when he turned about and saw the three drenchedfigures it was no wonder that for an instant he was too surprised tospeak. "Well, of all things!" he said at last, holding out his hand toCaptain Sanders. "What in God's providence brings thee here, Thomas?Thou art welcome indeed. 'T is a long time since I have seen thee. " "God's providence ye may call it, " answered the Captain, shaking theGoodman's hand as if he were pumping out the hold of a sinking ship, "and I 'll not gainsay it. The truth is I overhauled these small craftfloundering around in the tide-wash with water over their scuppers 'n'all but wrecked, so I took 'em in tow and brought 'em ashore!" Their mother, meanwhile, had not waited for explanations. Seeing howchilled they were, she had hurried the children to the loft abovethe one room of the cabin and was already giving them a rub-down andgetting out dry clean clothes while they told her their adventure. "Thank God you are safe, " she said, clasping them both in her arms, when the tale was told. "Thank Captain Sanders as well, Mother, " said Daniel. "Had it not beenfor him, I doubt if we could have reached the shore. " "Let this be a lesson to you, then, " said the Goodwife, loosening herclasp and picking up the wet clothing. "You know well about the tide!Nancy, child, why art thou so wild and reckless? Thou art the cause ofmuch anxiety. " At her mother's reproof, gentle though it was, poor Nancy flopped overon her stomach, and, burying her face in her hands, gave way to tears. "It 's all because I am so wicked, " she moaned. "My sins are asscarlet! Oh, Mother, dost think God will cause the lightning to strikeus dead to punish me?" She shuddered with fear as a flash shonethrough the chinks of the logs and for an instant lighted the dimloft. Her mother put down the wet clothes and, lifting her little daughtertenderly in her arms, laid her on her bed. "God maketh the rain tofall on both the just and the unjust, " she said soothingly. "Rest herewhile I go down and get supper. " She covered her warmly with a homespun blanket, and, accompanied byDan, made her way down the ladder. She found her husband putting freshlogs on the fire and stirring the coals to a blaze, while the Captainhung his coat on the corner of the mantel-shelf to dry. She went up tohim and held out her hand. "Captain Sanders, " she said, "but for theethis might be a desolate household indeed this night. " The Captain's red face turned a deeper shade, and he fidgeted withembarrassment, as he took her hand in his great red paw, then droppedit suddenly as if it were hot. "Oh, stow it, ma'am, stow it, " hebegged. "That is, I mean to say--why, by jolly, ma'am, a pirate coulddo no less when he see a fine bit of cargo like that going to thebottom!" To the Captain's great relief the lobsters at this moment created adiversion. He had dropped them on the hearth when he came in, and theywere now clattering briskly about the room, butting into anything thatcame in their way in an effort to escape. He made a sudden dash afterthem and held them out toward Goodwife Pepperell. "Here they be, ma'am, " he said. "I 'd saved them for my supper, and I'd take it kindly if ye 'd cook them for me, and help eat them, too. It 's raining cats and dogs, and if I was to start out now, I 'd have ahard time finding the Lucy Ann. Ye can't see a rod ahead of ye in sucha downpour. " "We shall be glad to have thee stay as long as thou wilt, " said theGoodwife heartily. "Put the lobsters in this while I set the kettle toboil. " She held out a wooden puncheon as she spoke, and the Captaindropped them in. Then he sat down with Goodman Pepperell on the settlebeside the fireplace, and the two men talked of their boyhood inEngland, while she hung the kettle on the crane over the fire andbegan to prepare the evening meal. "Daniel, sit thee down by the fire and get a good bed of coals readywhile I mix the johnny-cake, " she said as she stepped briskly aboutthe room, and Daniel, nothing loath, drew a stool to the Captain'sside and fed the fire with chips and corn-cobs while he listened withall his ears to the talk of the two men. [Illustration] "Well, Thomas, how hast thou prospered since I saw thee last?" askedGoodman Pepperell. "Tolerable, tolerable, Josiah, " answered the Captain. "I 've beenmining for sea gold. " Daniel wondered what in the world sea goldmight be. "Ye see, " he went on, turning to include Daniel in theconversation, "my father was a sea captain before me, and my gran'thertoo. Why, my gran'ther helped send the Spanish Armada to the bottomwhere it belonged. Many and many 's the time I 've heard him tellabout it, and I judge from what he said he must have done most of thejob himself, though I reckon old Cap'n Drake may have helped some. "(Here the Captain chuckled. ) "He never came back from his lastvoyage, --overhauled by pirates more 'n likely. That was twenty yearsago, and I 've been following the sea myself ever since. I was wreckedoff the Spanish Main on my first voyage, and I 've run afoul ofpirates and come near walking the plank more times than one, I 'mtelling ye, but somehow I always had the luck to get away! And here Ibe, safe and sound. " At this point the lobsters made a commotion in the wooden puncheon, and the Captain turned his attention to them. "Jest spilin' to getout, ain't ye?" he inquired genially. "Look here, boy, " to Daniel, "that water's bilin'. Heave 'em in. " Daniel held his squirming victims over the pot, and not without aqualm of pity dropped them into the boiling water. Then he ventured toask a question. "What is sea gold, Captain Sanders?" "Things like them, " answered the Captain, jerking his thumb at thelobsters, which were already beginning to turn a beautiful red coloras they boiled in the pot; "as good gold as any that was ever dug outof mines ye can get for fish, and there never was such fishing in allthe seas as there is along this coast! My! my! I 've seen schools ofcod off the Cape making a solid floor of fish on the water so ye couldwalk on it if ye were so minded, and as for lobsters, I 've caught 'emthat measured six and seven feet long! Farther down the coast thereare oysters so big one of 'em will make a square meal for four or fivepeople. It 's the truth I 'm telling ye. " Goodman Pepperell smiled. "Thomas, " he said, "thou hast not lost thypower of narration!" Captain Sanders for an instant looked a bit dashed, then he said, "Well, believe it or not, Josiah, it 's the truth for all that. Why, talk about the land of Canaan flowin' with milk and honey! This herewater 's just alive with money! Any boy could go out and haul up ashilling on his own hook any time he liked. " Daniel, his eyes shining and his lips parted, was just making up hismind that he would rather be the captain of a fishing-smack thananything else in the world, since he knew he could n't be a pirate, when his mother came to the fireplace with a layer of corn-meal doughspread on a baking-board. She placed the board in a slanting positionagainst an iron trivet before the glowing bed of coals, and set a potof beans in the ashes to warm. "Keep an eye on that johnny-cake, " shesaid to Daniel, "and don't let it burn. " Then she turned away to setthe table. [Illustration] This task took but little time, for in those days there were fewthings to put on it. She spread a snowy cloth of homespun linen onthe plank which served as a table, and laid a knife and spoon at eachplace; there were no forks, and for plates only a square of wood witha shallow depression in the middle. Beside each of these trenchers sheplaced a napkin and a mug, and at the Captain's place, as a specialhonor, she set a beautiful tankard of wrought silver. It was one ofthe few valuable things she had brought with her from her Englishhome, and it was used only on great occasions. When these preparations were complete, she took the lobsters fromthe pot, poured the beans into a pewter dish, heaped the goldenjohnny-cake high upon a trencher, and, sending Dan to fetch Nancy, called the men to supper. The storm was over by this time, the lastrays of the setting sun were throwing long shadows over the fields, and the robins were singing their evening song. The Goodwife steppedto the window and threw open the wooden shutters. "See, " she said. "There 's a rainbow. " "The sign of promise, " murmured Goodman Pepperell, rising and lookingover his wife's shoulder. "Fine day to-morrow, " said the Captain. "Maybe I can plant mylobster-pots after all. " Nancy, looking pale and a little subdued, crept down the ladder andtook her place with Daniel at the foot of the board. Then they allstood, while Goodman Pepperell asked a blessing on the food, andthanked God for his mercy in delivering them from danger and bringingthem together in health and safety to partake of his bounty. [Illustration] II TWO DAYS The grace finished (it was a very long one and the beans were nearlycold before he said amen), Goodman Pepperell broke open the lobstersand piled the trenchers with johnny-cake and beans, and the wholefamily fell to with a right good will. All but Nancy. She was still abit upset and did not feel hungry. "Thou hast not told me, Captain, what voyage thou art about toundertake next, " said the Goodman, sucking a lobster-claw with relish. The Captain loved to talk quite as well as he loved to eat, but hismouth was full at this moment, and he paused before replying. "I 'mgetting too old for long voyages, Josiah, " he said at last with asigh. "Kind o' losing my taste for adventure. Pirates is prettyplentiful yet, and for all I 'm a sailor I 'd like to die in my bed, so I have settled at Marblehead. They 're partial to fishermen alongthis coast. The town gives 'em land for drying their fish and exempts'em from military dooty. But I can't stay ashore a great while beforemy sea legs begin to hanker for the feel of the deck rolling under'em, so I 'm doing a coasting trade all up and down the length ofMassachusetts Bay. I keep a parcel of lobster-pots going, some hereand some Plymouth way, and sell them and fish, besides doing acarrying trade for all the towns along-shore. It 's a tame kind o'life. There, now, " he finished, "that 's all there is to say about me, and I 'll just take a turn at these beans and give ye a chance to tellabout yourself, Josiah. " "'T is but a short tale, " answered the Goodman, "God hath prosperedme. I have an hundred acres of good farm land along this river, and Ihave a cow, and a flock of sheep to keep us in wool for the Goodwife to spin. I have set out apple trees, and there is wood for thecutting; the forest furnishes game and the sea is stored with food forour use; but the truth is there is more to do than can be compassedwith one pair of hands. The neighbors help each other with clearingthe land, log-rolling, building walls, and such as that, but if thiscountry is to be developed we must do more than make a living. Thereare a thousand things calling to be done if there were but the men todo them. " The Captain skillfully balanced a mouthful of beans on his knife as heconsidered the problem. Finally he said, "Well, here 's Dan'el, and, judging by the way he waded right into the tide after his sister, Icalculate he 'd be a smart boy to have round. " "He is, " said the Goodman, and Daniel blushed to his eyes, for hisfather seldom praised him, "but he is not yet equal to a man's work, and moreover I want him to get some schooling. The Reverend JohnHarvard hath promised his library and quite a sum of money to founda college for the training of ministers right here in Cambridge. Thehand of the Lord hath surely guided us to this place, where he mayreceive an education, and it may even be that Daniel will be aminister, for the Colony sorely needs such. " "There, now, " said the Captain. "Farming ain't such plain sailing; isit? Have ye thought of getting an Indian slave to help ye?" "Truly I have thought of that, " said the Goodman, "but they are atreacherous lot and passing lazy. There was a parcel of Pequot womenand girls brought up from beyond Plymouth way last year after theuprising. The settlers had killed off all the men and sold the boys inthe Bermudas. I might have bought one of the women but I need a man, or at least a boy that will grow into one. The Pequots are about allgone now, but the Narragansetts are none too friendly. They helpedfight the Pequots because they hate them worse than they hate theEnglish, but they are only biding their time, and some day it 'slikely we shall have trouble with them. Nay, I could never trust anIndian slave. Roger Williams saith they are wolves with men's brains, and he speaks the truth. " "Well, then, " said the Captain, "why don't ye get a black? They aremore docile than Indians, and the woods about are not full of theirfriends. " "Aye, " agreed the Goodman, "the plan is a good one and well thoughtout, but they are hard to come by. There are only a few, even inBoston. " "There will soon be more, I 'm thinking, " said the Captain. "A shipwas built in Marblehead last year on purpose for the trade. CaptainPierce is a friend of mine, and he 's due at Providence any time nowwith a cargo of blacks from Guinea. Ye could sail down the bay withme, and there 's a trail across the neck of the Cape to Providence, where the Desire will come to port. I expect to spend the Sabbathhere, but I lift anchor on Monday. Ye can tell Captain Pierce ye 're afriend of mine, and 't will do ye no harm. " [Illustration] "Oh, Father, " breathed Dan, "may I go, too?" The Captain chuckled. "Art struck with the sea fever, son?" he said, looking down into the boy's eager face. "Well, there 's room aboard. I might take ye along if so be thy parents are willing and thou artminded to see a bit of the world. " Up to this time Goodwife Pepperell had said no word, but now shespoke. "Are there not dangers enough on land without courting thedangers of the sea?" she asked. Her husband looked at her with gentle disapproval. "Hold thy peace, "he said. "What hath a pioneer lad to do with fear? Moreover, if hegoes I shall be with him. " Nancy leaned forward and gazed imploringly at the Captain. "Dost thounot need some one to cook on thy boat?" she gasped. "I know well howto make johnny-cake and I--" then, seeing her father's stern look andher mother's distress, she wilted like a flower on its stem and wassilent. The Captain smiled at her. "Ye 're a fine cook, I make no doubt, " he said genially, "but ye wouldn't go and leave Mother here all alone, now, I 'll be bound!" "Nay, " said Nancy faintly, looking at her mother. Then the Goodwife spoke. "It pains me, " she said, "to think ofchildren torn from their parents and sold into slavery, even thoughthey be but Indians or blacks. I doubt not they have souls likeourselves. " "Read thy Bible, Susanna, " answered her husband. "Cursed be Canaan. A servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren--thus say theScriptures. " "Well, now, " broke in the Captain, "if they have souls, they 'veeither got to save 'em or lose 'em as I jedge it; and if they neverhave a chance to hear the Plan of Salvation, they 're bound to be lostanyway. Bringin' 'em over here gives them their only chance to escapedamnation, according to my notion. " "Hast thou ever brought over a cargo of slaves thyself?" asked theGoodwife. "Nay, " admitted the Captain, "but I sailed once on a slaver, and I ownI liked not to see the poor critters when they were lured away. Itseemed they could n't rightly sense that 't was for their eternalwelfare, and I never felt called to set their feet in the wayof Salvation by that means myself. I reckon I 'm not more thanchicken-hearted, if ye come to that. " The meal was now over, the dusk had deepened as they lingered aboutthe table, and Goodwife Pepperell rose to light a bayberry candle andset it on the chimney-piece. "Sit ye down by the fire again, while Nancy and I wash the dishes, "she said cordially. "Thank ye kindly, " said the Captain, "but I must budge along. It 'snear dark, and Timothy--that 's my mate--will be wondering if I 'vebeen et up by a shark. It 's going to be a clear night after thestorm. " The children slept so soundly after the adventures of the day thattheir mother called them three times from the foot of the ladder inthe early dawn of the following morning without getting any response. Then she mounted to the loft and shook Daniel gently. "Wake thee, " shesaid. "'T is long past cock-crow, and Saturday at that. " Daniel opened his eyes feebly and was off to sleep again at once. "Daniel, " she said, shaking him harder, "thy father is minded to takethee to Plymouth. " Before the words were fairly out of her mouth Daniel had popped out ofbed as if he had been shot from a gun. "Oh, Mother, " he shouted, "amI really to go? Shall I go clear to Providence? Doth Captain Sandersknow? When do we start?" "Thy father arranged it with the Captain last night, " answered hismother. "He will come for thee in the little boat on Monday morningand will row thee and thy father to the sloop, which will sail at hightide. While thy father makes the journey across the Cape thou wilt goon to Provincetown with the Captain, or mayhap, if visitors are nowpermitted in the Colony, my aunt, the Governor's lady, will keep theewith her until thy father returns. She would like well to see my son, I know, and I trust thou wilt be a good lad and mind thy manners. Come, Nancy, child, I need thy help!" Then she disappeared down theladder to stir the hasty pudding, which was already bubbling in thepot. When she was gone, Nancy flung herself upon the mattress and buriedher face in the bed-clothes. "Oh, Daniel, " she cried, smothering asob, "what if the p-p-pirates should get thee?" Daniel was at her side in an instant. "Give thyself no concern aboutpirates, sister, " he said, patting her comfortingly. "I have thoughthow to deal with them! I shall stand by the rail with my cutlass inmy hand, and when they seek to board her I will bring down my cutlassso, "--here he made a terrific sweep with his arm, --"and that will bethe end of them. " "Oh, " breathed Nancy, much impressed, "how brave thou art!" "Well, " said Daniel modestly, "there 'd be the Captain and father tohelp, of course, and, I suppose, the mate too. There will be four ofus men anyway. " "_Nancy!_--_Daniel!_"--it was their father's voice this time, and thetwo children jumped guiltily and began to dress as if the house wereon fire and they had but two minutes to escape. In a surprisinglyshort time they were downstairs and attending to their morning tasks. Nancy, looking very solemn, fed the chickens, and Dan brought waterfrom the spring, while their father milked the cow; and by six o'clocktheir breakfast of hasty pudding and milk had been eaten, prayers wereover, and the whole family was ready for the real work of the day. There was a great deal of it to do, for nothing but "works ofnecessity and mercy" could be performed on the Sabbath, the Sabbathbegan at sundown Saturday afternoon, and the travellers were to makean early start on Monday morning. A fire was built in the brick ovenbeside the fireplace, and while it was heating the Goodwife made fourpies and six loaves of brown-bread, and prepared a pot of pork andbeans for baking. [Illustration] When the coals had been raked out and the oven filled, she washedclothes for Daniel and his father, while Nancy hurried to finish apair of stockings she was knitting for her brother. Daniel himself, meanwhile, had gone down to the bay to see if he could find theshovel and the basket. He came home in triumph about noon with both, and with quite a number of clams beside, which the Goodwife cookedfor their dinner. When they were seated at the table, and the Goodmanhad asked the blessing, he leaned back in his chair and surveyed theceiling of the cabin. From the rafters there hung long festoons ofdried pumpkin and golden ears of corn. There were also sausages, hams, and sides of bacon. "I doubt not you will fare well while we are gone, " he said. "Thereis plenty of well-cured meat, and meal enough ground to last for sometime. The planting is done and the corn well hoed; there is wood cut, and Gran'ther Wattles will call upon you if he knows I am away. I amleaving the fowling-piece for thee, wife. The musket I shall take withme. " "Why must Gran'ther Wattles come?" interrupted Nancy in alarm. "I amsure Mother and I do not need him. " "Children should be seen and not heard, " said her father. "It isGran'ther Wattles's duty to oversee the congregation at home as wellas in the meeting-house. " Nancy looked at her trencher and said no more, but she thought therewas already enough to bear without having Gran'ther Wattles added toher troubles. Daniel, meanwhile, had attacked his porringer of clams, and in his excitement over the journey was gobbling at a fearful rate. His mother looked at him despairingly. "Daniel, " she said, "thou art pitching food into thy mouth as if thouwert shoveling coals into the oven! Take thy elbows off the table andeat more moderately. " Daniel glued his elbows to his side. "Sit upstraight, " she went on, "or thou wilt grow up as crooked as a ram'shorn. " Daniel immediately sat up as if he had swallowed the poker. "I wish thee to practice proper manners at home, lest my aunt shouldthink thee a person of no gentility. Remember thou must not ask foranything at the table. Wait until it is offered thee, and then donot stuff it down as if thine eyes had not looked upon food for afortnight!" "But, " protested poor Dan, who was beginning to feel that the journeymight not be all his fancy had painted, "suppose they should n't offerit?" "I do not fear starvation for thee, " his mother answered briefly; "andoh, Daniel, I beg of thee to wash thy hands before going to the table!The Governor is a proper man and my aunt is very particular. " Shepaused for breath, and to get more brown-bread for the table. When she sat down again, Daniel said, "If you please, I think I 'drather go on to Provincetown with the Captain. " "That must be as we are guided at the time, " said his father. The busy day passed quickly, and before sunset a fine array of piesand brown loaves were cooling on the table, the chores were done, anda Sabbath quiet had settled down over the household, not to be brokenuntil sunset of the following day. When Daniel opened the cabin door the next morning, he was confrontedby a wall of gray mist which shut the landscape entirely from view. He had hoped to catch a glimpse of the Lucy Ann, in order to assurehimself that he had not merely dreamed the events of the day before, but nothing could he see, and he began dispirited preparations forchurch. They had no clock, and on account of the fog they could nottell the time by the sun, so the whole family started early to crossthe long stretch of pasture land which lay between them and themeeting-house in the village. They reached it just as Gran'therWattles, looking very grave and important, came out on the churchsteps and beat a solemn tattoo upon a drum to call the peopletogether. They came from different directions across the fields andthrough the one street of the village, looking anxious for fearthey should be late, yet not daring to desecrate the Sabbath by anyappearance of haste. Among the rest, red-faced and short of wind, whoshould appear but Captain Sanders? Sabbath decorum forbade any show ofsurprise; so Goodman Pepperell and his wife merely bowed gravely, andthe Captain, looking fairly pop-eyed in his effort to keep properlysolemn, nodded in return, and they passed into the meeting-housetogether. The Captain sat down with the Goodman on the men's side of the room, while Daniel went to his place among the boys, leaving Nancy and hismother seated with the women on the opposite side. It is hard tobelieve that a boy could sit through a sermon two hours long with hisfriends all about him and such a secret buttoned up inside his jacketwithout an explosion, but Daniel did it. He did n't dare do otherwise, for Gran'ther Wattles ranged up and down the little aisle with histithing-rod in hand on the lookout for evil-doers. Once, indeed, during the sermon there was a low rumbling snore, and Daniel washorrified to see Gran'ther Wattles lean over and gently tickle theCaptain's nose with the squirrel-tail. The Captain woke with a startand sneezed so violently that the boy next Daniel all but titteredoutright. Gran'ther Wattles immediately gave him a smart rap on thehead with the knob end of his stick, so it is no wonder that afterthat Daniel sat with his eyes nearly crossed in his effort to keepthem fixed on the minister, though his thoughts were far away rangingMassachusetts Bay with the Lucy Ann of Marblehead. At last, however, the sermon ended, the final psalm was sung, andafter the benediction the minister passed out of the church and thecongregation dispersed to eat a bite of brown-bread in the church-yardbefore assembling again for another two-hour sermon. The sun was now shining brightly, and, once outside the door, afterthe first sermon, the Captain wiped his brow as if exhausted, and afew moments later Daniel saw him quietly disappearing in the directionof the river. He was not of the Cambridge parish, so no disciplinecould be exercised upon him, but Gran'ther Wattles set him down atonce as a dangerous character, and even Goodwife Pepperell shook herhead gently when she noted his absence. [Illustration] Somehow, although it was a breach of Sabbath decorum to tell it, thegreat news leaked out during the intermission, and Daniel was thecenter of interest to every boy in the congregation during theafternoon. When the second long sermon was over and the exhaustedminister had trailed solemnly down the aisle, the equally exhaustedpeople walked sedately to their houses, discussing the sermon as theywent. All that day Daniel kept a tight clutch on his manners, but themoment the sun went down, he heaved a great sigh of relief and turnedthree somersaults and a handspring behind the cabin to limber himselfup after the fearful strain. [Illustration] III ON BOARD THE LUCY ANN The family rose at daybreak the next morning, tasks were quicklyperformed, and after breakfast the Goodman read a chapter in the Bibleand prayed long and earnestly that God would bless their journey, protect those who were left behind, and bring them all together againin safety. Then he and Daniel started down the path to the river, withNancy and her mother, both looking very serious, following after. Thetide was already coming in, and the bay stretched before them a widesheet of blue water sparkling in the sun. In the distance they couldsee the sails of the Lucy Ann being hoisted and Captain Sanders in hissmall boat rowing rapidly toward the landing-place. "Ship ahoy!" shouted Daniel, waving his cap as the boat approached. "Ahoy, there!" answered the Captain, and in a moment the keel gratedon the sand, and the Goodman turned to his wife and daughter. "The Lord watch between me and thee while we are absent one from theother, " he said reverently, and "Amen!" boomed the Captain. Then therewere kisses and good-byes, and soon Nancy and her mother were alone onthe shore, waving their hands until the boat was a mere speck on thedancing blue waters. As it neared the Lucy Ann, they went back to thecabin, and there they watched the white sails gleaming in the sununtil they disappeared around a headland. "Come, Nancy, " said her mother when the ship was quite out of sight, "idleness will only make loneliness harder to bear. Here is a task forthee. " She handed her a basket of raw wool. "Take this and card it forme to spin. " Nancy hated carding with all her heart, but she rose obediently, brought the basket to the doorway, and, sitting down in the sunshine, patiently carded the wool into little wisps ready to be wound on aspindle and spun into yarn by the mother's skillful hands. Meanwhile Daniel was standing on the deck of the Lucy Ann, drinkingin the fresh salt breeze and eagerly watching the shores as the boatpassed between Charlestown and Boston and dropped anchor in the harborto set the Captain's lobster-pots. All the wonderful bright day theysailed past rocky islands and picturesque headlands, with the Captainat the tiller skillfully keeping the vessel to the course and at thesame time spinning yarns to Daniel and his father about the adventureswhich had overtaken him at various points along the coast. AtGovernor's Island he had caught a giant lobster. He had been all butwrecked in a fog off Thompson's Island. "Ye see that point of land, " he said, waving his hand toward a rockypromontory extending far out into the bay. "That 's Squantum. MilesStandish of Plymouth named it that after an Indian that was a goodfriend of the Colony in the early days. Well, right off there I wasoverhauled by a French privateer once. 'Privateer' is a polite namefor a pirate ship. She was loaded with molasses, indigo, and such fromthe West Indies, and I had a cargo of beaver-skins. If it had n't beenthat her sailors was mostly roarin' drunk at the time, it 's likelythat would have been the end of Thomas Sanders, skipper, sloop, andall, but my boat was smaller and quicker than theirs, and, knowingthese waters so well, I was able to give 'em the slip and get out intoopen sea; and here I be! Ah, those were the days!" The Captain heaved a heavy sigh for the lost joys of youth and wassilent for a moment. Then his eyes twinkled and he began anotherstory. "One day as we was skirtin' the shores of Martha's Vineyard, "he said, "we were followed by a shark. Now, there 's nothing a sailorhates worse than a shark; and for good reasons. They 're the piratesof the deep; that 's what they are. They 'll follow a vessel for days, snapping up whatever the cook throws out, and hoping somebody 'llfall overboard to give 'em a full meal. Well, sir, there was a sailoraboard on that voyage that had a special grudge against sharks. He 'dbeen all but et up by one once, and he allowed this was his chance toget even; so he let out a hook baited with a whole pound of salt pork, and the shark gobbled it down instanter, hook and all. They hauled himup the ship's side, and then that sailor let himself down over therails by a rope, and cut a hole in the shark's gullet, or whateverthey call the pouch the critter carries his supplies in, and took outthe pork. Then he dropped him back in the water and threw the pork inafter him. Well, sir, believe it or not, that shark sighted the porkbobbing round in the water; so he swallowed it again. Of course itdropped right out through the hole in his gullet, and, by jolly! aslong as we could see him that shark was continuing to swallow thatpiece of pork over and over again. I don't know as I ever see anyanimal get more pleasure out of his rations than that shark got outof that pound of pork. I believe in bein' kind to dumb critters, " hefinished, "and I reckon the shark is about the dumbdest there is. Anyhow that one surely did die happy. " Here the Captain solemnlywinked his eye. "What became of the sailor?" asked Dan. "That sailor was me, " admitted the Captain. "That 's what became ofhim, and served him right, too. " They slept that night on the deck of the sloop, and before light thenext morning Dan was awakened by the groaning of the chain as theanchor was hauled up, and the flapping of the sails as Timothy hoistedthem to catch a stiff breeze which was blowing from the northeast. The second day passed like the first. The weather was fine, the windsfavorable, and that evening they rounded Duxbury Point and enteredPlymouth Bay just as the sun sank behind the hills back of the town. "Here 's the spot where the Mayflower dropped anchor, " said theCaptain, as the sloop approached a strip of sandy beach stretchinglike a long finger into the water. "I generally bring the Lucy Ann toat the same place. She can't go out again till high tide to-morrow, for the harbor is shallow and we 'd likely run aground; so ye 'll havethe whole morning to spend with your relations, and that 's more thanI 'd want to spend with some of mine, I 'm telling ye, " and he roaredwith laughter. "Relations is like victuals, " he went on. "Some agreeswith ye, and some don't. " "Our relations are the Bradfords, " said Goodman Pepperell withdignity. "And a better man than the Governor never trod shoe-leather, " said theCaptain heartily. "He and Captain Standish and Mr. Brewster and EdwardWinslow--why, those four men have piloted this town through moresqualls than would overtake most places in a hundred years! Ifanything could kill 'em they would have been under ground years ago. They 've had starvation and Indians and the plague followin' after 'emlike a school of sharks ever since they dropped anchor here well nighon to twenty years ago, and whatever happens they just thank theLord as if 't was a special blessing and go right along! By jolly!"declared the Captain, blowing his nose violently, "they nigh aboutbeat old Job for patience! 'Though He slay me, yet will I trust inHim, ' says old Job, but his troubles was all over after a bit, and hegot rewarded with another full set of wives and children and worldlygoods, so he could see plain as print that righteousness paid. Butthese men, --their reward for trouble is just more trouble, fer 's Ican see. They surely do beat all for piety. " "'Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, '" quoted the Goodman. "The Lord must be mighty partial to Plymouth, then, " answered theCaptain as he brought the sloop gently round the point, "for she's been shown enough favor to spile her, according to my way ofthinkin'. " [Illustration] It was too late to go ashore that night, and from the deck Dan watchedthe stars come out over the little village, not dreaming that it heldin its humble keeping the brave spirit of a great nation that was tobe. When Daniel opened his eyes next morning, his father and the Captainwere already stowing various packages in the small boat, and from thetiny forecastle came an appetizing smell of frying fish. "Here ye be, " said the Captain cheerily to Dan, "bright as a newshilling and ready to eat I 'll be bound. As soon as we 've had a bitewe 'll go ashore. I 've got to row clear over to Duxbury after I do myerrands in Plymouth, but I 'll hunt ye up when I get back. Nobody canget lost in this town without he goes out of it! I could spot ye fromthe deck most anywhere on the map. Then, my lad, if your father saysthe word, I 'll bring ye back to the Lucy Ann while he goes across theneck. Ye 'll get a taste of mackerel-fishing if ye come along o' me. Ye can make yourself handy on deck and keep a quarter of your owncatch for yourself if you 're lively. A tub of salt fish would be atidy present to your mother when you get back home. " "Oh, I want to go with you, " cried Daniel, remembering with terrorwhat was expected of him in the way of manners should he be invited tostay at the Governor's. He looked questioningly at his father, but wasanswered only by a grave smile, and he knew better than to plead. "Here, now, " cried the Captain, as Timothy appeared with a bigtrencher of smoking fish and corn bread, "tie up to the dock and stowaway some of this cargo in your insides. " Neither Daniel nor his father needed a second invitation, for the keensalt air had given them the appetite of wolves, and the breakfast wassoon disposed of according to directions. Then the two followed theCaptain over the side and into the boat, which had been lowered andwas now bobbing about on the choppy waves of the bay. When they weresettled and the boat was properly trimmed, the Captain rowed toward asmall stream of clear water which flowed down from the hills back ofthe town, and landed them at the foot of the one little street of thevillage. The Captain drew the boat well up on the shore and stowedletters and parcels in various places about his person, and the threestarted up the hill together. They had not gone far, when a childishvoice shouted, "There 's Captain Sanders, " and immediately every childwithin hearing came tumbling down the hill till they swarmed about himlike flies about a honey-pot. [Illustration] "Pirates!" cried the Captain, holding up his hands in mock terror. "I surrender. Come aboard and seize the cargo!" He held open thecapacious pocket which hung from his belt, and immediately half adozen small hands plunged into it and came out laden with raisins. "Here, now, divide fairly, " shouted the Captain. "No pigs!" and withchildren clinging to his hands and coat-tails he made a slow progressup the hill, Daniel and his father following closely in his wake. As they were nearing the Common House, two more children caught sightof him and came racing to meet him. The Captain dived into hispocket for more raisins and found it empty, but he was equal to theemergency. "Here, you, Mercy and Joseph Bradford, " he cried, "I 'vebrought you something I have n't brought to any one else. I 'vebrought you a new cousin. " The other children had been so absorbed intheir old friend they had scarcely noticed the strangers hitherto, butnow they turned to gaze curiously at Daniel and his father. Joseph andMercy were both a little younger than Daniel, and all three were shy, but no one could stay shy long when the Captain was about, and soonthey were walking along together in the friendliest manner. "Where 's thy father, young man?" said the Captain, speaking toJoseph. "I have a letter for him, and I have brought a relation forhim too. " "I wish you would bring me a cousin, " said one little girl enviously. "Well, now, " roared the Captain, "think of that! I have a fewrelations of my own left over that I 'd be proper glad to parcel outamongst ye if I 'd only known ye was short, but I have n't got 'emwith me. " "Father 's in there, " said Joseph, pointing to the Common House. "They're having a meeting. Elder Brewster 's there, too, and Mr. Winslowand Captain Standish and Governor Prence. " It was evident that somematter of importance was being discussed, for a little knot of womenhad gathered before the door as if waiting for some decision to beannounced. They had almost reached the group, when suddenly from the north therecame a low roaring noise, and the earth beneath their feet shook andtrembled so violently that many of the children were thrown to theground, while the bundles Goodman Pepperell was carrying for theCaptain flew in every direction. Those who kept their feet at allreeled and staggered in a strange, wild dance, and every child in thegroup screamed with all his might. The women screamed, too, callingfrantically to the children, and the men came pouring out of the doorof the Common House, trying to steady themselves as they were flungfirst one way, then another by the heaving ground. It lasted but a fewdreadful moments, and the Captain was the first to recover his speech. "There, now, " said he, a little breathlessly, "ain't it lucky I had mysea legs on! 'T wa'n't anything but an earthquake, anyway. " The instant they could stay on their feet, the children ran to theirmothers, who were also running to them, and in less time than it takesto tell it the whole village was gathered before the Common House. AsDaniel, with the Captain and his father, joined the stricken company, Governor Bradford was speaking. He had been Governor of the Colony forso long that in time of sudden stress the people still turned to himfor counsel though Mr. Prence was really the Governor. "Think ye not that the finger of the Lord would direct us by thisvisitation?" he said to the white-faced group. "We were met togetherin council because some of our number wish to go away from Plymouth tofind broader pastures for their cattle, even as Jacob separated fromEsau with all his flocks and herds. In this I see a sign of God'sdispleasure at our removals one from another. " John Howland now found his voice. "Nay, but, " he said, "shall we limitthe bounty of the Lord and say, 'Only here shall He prosper us'?" "What say the Scriptures to him who was not content with abundance, but must tear down his barns to build bigger?" answered the Governor. "'This night thy soul shall be required of thee. '" There was no reply, and the pale faces grew a shade paler as a secondrumble was heard in the distance, the earth again began to tremble, and a mighty wave, rolling in from the sea, crashed against the shore. Above the noise of the waters rose the voice of Governor Bradford. "Helooketh upon the earth and it trembleth. He toucheth the hills andthey smoke. The Lord is merciful and gracious. He will not alwayschide, neither will He keep his anger forever. He hath not dealt withus after our sins. " Seeing how frightened the people were, the Captain broke the silencewhich fell upon the trembling group after the Governor's words. "Lordlove ye!" he cried heartily. "This wa'n't no earthquake to speak of. 'T wa'n't scarcely equal to an ague chill down in the tropics! Theywould n't have no respect for it down there. 'T would n't more thangive 'em an appetite for their victuals. " His laugh which followed cheered many hearts, and was echoed in faintsmiles on the pale faces of the colonists. Governor Bradford himselfsmiled and, turning to the Captain, held out his hand. "Thou art evera tonic, Thomas, " he said, "and there is always a welcome for thee inPlymouth and for thy friends, too, " he added, turning to the Goodman. "Though thou knowest him not, he is haply more thy friend than mine, "said the Captain, pushing the Goodman and Daniel forward to shakehands with the Governor, "He is married to Mistress Bradford's nieceand his name is Pepperell. " "Josiah Pepperell, of Cambridge?" said the Governor's lady, comingforward to welcome him. "At your service, madam, " answered the Goodman, bowing low, "and thisis my son Daniel. " Daniel bowed in a manner to make his mother proud of him if she couldhave seen him, and then Mercy and Joseph swarmed up, bringing theirolder brother William, a lad of fifteen, to meet his new cousin, andthe four children ran away together, all their tongues wagging brisklyabout the exciting event of the day. The earthquake had now completelypassed, and the people, roused from their terror, hastened to theirhomes to repair such damage as had been done and to continue thetasks which it had interrupted. Meanwhile the Captain distributed hisletters and parcels, leaving the Governor to become acquainted withhis new relative, learn his errand, and help him on his journey, whilehis wife hastened home to prepare a dinner for company. It was a wonderful dinner that she set before them. There weresuccotash and baked codfish, a good brown loaf, and pies made ofblueberries gathered and dried the summer before. Oh, if only Daniel'smother could have been there to see his table manners on thatoccasion! He sat up as straight as a ramrod, said "please" and "thankyou, " ate in the most genteel manner possible, even managing blueberrypie without disaster, and was altogether such an example of behaviorthat Mistress Bradford said before the meal was half over, "Thou'lt leave the lad with us, Cousin Pepperell, whilst thou art on thyjourney?" "I fear to trouble thee, " said the Goodman. "And the Captain hath apurpose to take him to Provincetown and meet me here on my return. " "The land is mayhap safer than the sea should another earthquake visitus, " said the Governor gravely, "and he will more than earn his keepif he will but help William with the corn and other tasks. Likethyself we are in sad need of more hands. " Daniel looked eagerly at his father, for he already greatly admiredhis cousin William and longed to stay with him. Moreover, theearthquake had somewhat modified his appetite for adventure. "His eyes plead, " said the Goodman, "and I know it would please hismother. So by your leave he may stay. " A whoop of joy from the three young Bradfords was promptly suppressedby their mother. "For shame!" she said. "Thy cousin Daniel will thinkthou hast learned thy manners from the savages. Thou shouldst take alesson from his behavior. " Poor Daniel squirmed on his stool and thought if he must be an exampleevery moment of his stay he would almost choose being swallowed up bya tidal wave at sea after all. The matter had been settled, however, and that very afternoon the Goodman set off on a hired horse, with hismusket across his saddle-bow, and a head full of instructions fromthe Governor about the dangers of the road, and houses where he mightspend the nights. There was a queer lump in Daniel's throat as he caught the lastglimpse of his father's sturdy back as it disappeared down the foresttrail, and that night, when he went to bed with William in the loft ofthe Governor's log house, he thought long and tenderly of his motherand Nancy. If he had only had a magic mirror such as Beauty had in thepalace of the Beast, he might have looked into it and seen them goingpatiently about their daily tasks with nothing to break the monotonousroutine of work except a visit from Gran'ther Wattles, who came to seeif Nancy knew her catechism. The earthquake had been felt there sovery slightly that they did not even know there had been one, untilthe Captain stopped on his return voyage the next week to bring themword of the safe journey to Plymouth. IV A FOREST TRAIL To Daniel the days of his stay in Plymouth passed quickly. He hoedcorn with his cousin William and pulled weeds in the garden withJoseph and Mercy, and in the short hours allowed them for play therewas always the sea. They ran races on the sand when the tide was outand were never tired of searching for the curious things washed ashoreby the waves. One day they gathered driftwood and made a fire on theshore, hung a kettle over it and cooked their own dinner of lobstersfresh from the water. Another day William and Daniel went togetherin a rowboat nearly to Duxbury, and caught a splendid codfish thatweighed ten pounds. On another wonderful day John Howland took thetwo boys hunting with him. It was the first time Daniel had ever beenallowed to carry a gun quite like a man, and he was the proudest ladin all Plymouth that night when the three hunters returned bringingwith them two fine wild turkeys, and a hare which Daniel had shot. Heloved the grave, wise, kindly Governor and his brave wife, and grew toknow, by sight at least, most of the other people of the town. More than ten days passed in this way, and they were beginning towonder why the Goodman did not return. The Captain had come back fromProvincetown and had been obliged to go on to Boston without waitingfor him, and there was no knowing when the Lucy Ann would appear againin Plymouth Harbor. Then one day, as Dan and William were working inthe corn-field, they saw a tired horse with two people on his backcome out of the woods. Daniel took a long look at the riders, then, throwing down his hoe and shouting, "It 's Father!" tore off at topspeed to meet him. William picked up his hoe and followed at a slowerpace. When he reached the group, Dan was up behind his father on thepillion with his arms about him, and standing before them on theground was a black boy about William's own size and age. He had only alittle ragged clothing on, and what he had seemed to make him uneasy, perhaps because he had been used to none at all in his native home faracross the sea. His eyes were rolling wildly from one face to another, and it was plain that he was in a great state of fear. "He is but a savage as yet, " said Goodman Pepperell. "He was doubtlessroughly handled on the voyage and hath naught but fear and hatred inhis heart. It will take some time to make a Christian of him! Thoumust help in the task, Daniel, for thou art near his age and canbetter reach his darkened mind. As yet he understands but one thing. He can eat like a Christian, or rather like two of them! We must tamehim with food and kindness. " "What is his name?" asked Daniel, still gazing at the boy with poppingeyes, for never before had he seen a skin so dark. [Illustration] "Call him Zeb, " said his father. "Come, Zeb, " said William, taking the boy gently by the arm, andlooking compassionately into the black face. "Food!" He shouted theword at him as if he were deaf, but poor Zeb, completely bewilderedby these strange, meaningless sounds, only shrank away from him andlooked about as if seeking a way of escape. Daniel immediately sprang from the pillion and seized Zeb's other arm. "Yes, Zeb, _food_--_good_, " he howled, pointing down his own throatand rubbing his stomach with an ecstatic expression. It is probablethat poor Zeb understood from this pantomime that he was about to beeaten alive, for he made a furious effort to get away. The boys heldfirmly to his arms, smiling and nodding at him in a manner meant tobe reassuring, but which only convinced the poor black that theywere pleased with the tenderness of his flesh and were enjoyingthe prospect of a cannibal feast. With the slave boy between them, "hanging back and digging in his claws like a cat being pulled bythe tail, " as Dan told his mother afterward, they made slow progresstoward the village. News of the return spread quickly, and a curious crowd of childrengathered to gaze at Zeb, for many of them had never seen a negrobefore in their lives. Goodman Pepperell went at once to theGovernor's house, and when he learned that the Captain had come andgone, he decided to push on to Boston at once by land. "'T is aneasier journey than the one I have just taken, " he said. "There aresettlements along the way, and time passes. I have been gone nowlonger than I thought. The farm work waits, and Susanna will fear forour safety. I must start home as soon as I can return this horse tothe owner and secure another. I would even buy a good mare, for Istand in need of one on my farm. " "At least thou must refresh thyself before starting, " said theGovernor's wife cordially, and she set about getting dinner at once. While his father went with the Governor to make arrangements for thejourney, Daniel and his cousins took charge of Zeb. With MistressBradford's permission they built a fire on the shore and cooked dinnerthere for themselves and the black boy, who was more of a show to themthan a whole circus with six clowns would be to us. As he watched theboys lay the sticks and start the blaze, Zeb's eyes rolled more wildlythan ever. No doubt he thought that he himself was to be roasted overthe coals, and when at last he saw William lay a big fish on the fireinstead, his relief was so great that for the first time he showed arow of gleaming teeth in a hopeful grin. Daniel brought him a hugepiece of it when the fish was cooked, and from that moment Zebregarded him as his friend. It was early afternoon before all the preparations were completed andthe little caravan was ready to start on its perilous journey. Therewere two horses, and John Howland, who knew the trail well and waswise in woodcraft, was to go with them as far as Marshfield, where heknew of a horse that was for sale. Half the town gathered to see themoff. John Howland mounted first, and Daniel was placed on the pillionbehind him. Then Zeb was made to get up behind the Goodman, and offthey started, followed by a volley of farewells and messages from thegroup of Plymouth friends left behind. For a little distance they followed the shore-line, then, plunginginto the woods, they were soon lost to view. The road was a mereblazed trail through dense forests, and it was necessary to keep asharp lookout lest they lose their way and also because no travelerwas for a moment safe from possible attack by Indians. Hour after hourthey plodded patiently along, sometimes dismounting and walking for amile or so to stretch their legs and rest the horses. There was littlechance for talk, because the path was too narrow for them to go sideby side. The day was warm, and if it had not been for slapping themosquitoes which buzzed about them in swarms, Daniel would have fallenasleep sitting in the saddle. In the late afternoon, as they cameout upon an open moor, Daniel was roused by hearing a suppressedexclamation from John Howland and felt him reach for the pistol whichhung from his belt. His horse pricked up his ears and whinnied, andthe horse on which the Goodman and Zeb were riding answered with aloud neigh. Daniel peered over John Howland's broad shoulder just intime to see a large deer disappearing into a thicket of young birchessome distance ahead of them. "Oh!" cried Daniel, pounding on John Howland's ribs in his excitement, "let 's get him!" "Not so fast, not so fast, " said John in a low voice, pinning with hiselbow the hand that was battering his side. "Let be! Thou hast seenbut half. There was an Indian on the track of that deer. Should westep in and take his quarry, he might be minded to empty his gun intous instead! I saw him standing nigh the spot where the trail entersthe wood again yonder, and when he saw us he slipped like a shadowinto the underbrush. " He stopped his horse, the Goodman came alongside, and the two mentalked together in a low tone. "Shall we go on as if we had not seenhim?" asked the Goodman. John Howland considered. "If we turn back, the savage will be persuaded we have seen him andare afraid, " he said. "We must e'en take our chance. It may be he hathno evil intent, though the road be lonely and travelers few. Whateverhis purpose, it is safer to go on than to stand still, " and, tightening his rein, he boldly urged his horse across the open space. Daniel's heart thumped so loudly against his ribs that it sounded tohis ears like a drum-beat as they crossed the clearing and entered theforest on the other side. They had gone but a short distance into thewoods when they were startled by the report of a gun, and poor Zebfell off his horse and lay like one dead in the road. For a momentthey thought he had been shot, and the two men were about to spring tohis rescue, when Zeb scrambled to his feet and began to run like onepossessed. "He is but scared to death. Haply he hath never heard a gun go offbefore, " said John Howland, and, sticking his spurs into his horse, hegave chase. Fleet of foot though he was, Zeb was no match for a horse and was soonovertaken. "'T was but the Indian shooting the deer, " said John Howland, laughingin spite of himself at poor Zeb's wild-eyed terror. "'T is a promiseof safety for the present at least. Nevertheless I like not the lookof it. The red-skin saw us; make no doubt of that; for when I firstbeheld him he was peering at us as though to fix our faces in hismind. " "I, too, marked how he stared, " answered the Goodman, as he seized thecowering Zeb and swung him again to his seat on the pillion. "I have it, " he said, stopping short as he was about to mount. "Thesavage is without doubt of the Narragansett tribe. He caught a glimpseof the dark skin of this boy and mistook him for an Indian lad--one ofthe hated Pequots, who they thought were either all dead or soldout of the country. 'T is likely they have no knowledge of otherdark-skinned people than themselves. " "It may be so, " said John Howland, doubtfully, "but 't is as likelythey mistook him for a devil. It once befell that some Indians, finding a negro astray in the forest, were minded to destroy him byconjuring, thinking him a demon. To be sure 't is but a year since theNarragansetts helped the English destroy the Pequot stronghold, andthe few Pequots who were neither killed nor sold they still hold insubjection. Whatever their idea, it bodes no good either to Zeb or tous, for their enmity never sleeps. " Zeb, meantime, sat clutching the pillion and looking from one graveface to the other as if he knew they were talking of him, and theGoodman patted his shoulder reassuringly as he mounted again. Theywere now nearing a small settlement, and the path widened so the twohorses could walk abreast. "Thou 'lt have a special care in the stretch from well beyond MountDagon, " said John Howland, "for thou knowest of the notorious Morton, who founded there the settlement called Merry Mount. It was theworshipful Endicott who wiped it out. Much trouble hath Morton toanswer for. He hath corrupted the savages, adding his vices to theirs. He hath also sold them guns and taught them to use them, for whichcause the Indians of this region are more to be feared than any alongthe coast. They are drunken, armed, and filled with hate for any whomthey esteem their enemies. " Daniel's hair fairly stood on end. He had felt prepared for pirates, but Indians lurking in dark forests were quite another matter! Hewished with all his heart that John Howland were going with them allthe way to Cambridge, but he well knew that could not be. His spiritsrose somewhat as they came in sight of the settlement, and a heartysupper at the house of Goodman Richards put such life and courage intohis heart that before it was over the Indians were no more to him thanpirates! Then, while his father and John Howland arranged with GoodmanRichards for the purchase of a horse to take them the rest of theirjourney, Goodwife Richards stowed Dan away in an attic bed, while Zeb, worn out with fear and fatigue, slept soundly on the hearth. Courage is always highest in the morning, and Daniel felt bold as alion the next day, as he and his father bade John Howland and theRichards family good-bye and, with Zeb, again entered the foresttrail. The two boys walked on ahead, while the Goodman becameacquainted with the new horse, whose name, Goodman Richards had toldhim, was Penitence, but which they shortened to Penny. Later, when hehad assured himself that the animal was trustworthy, Goodman Pepperellput the two boys in the saddle and walked beside them, leading Pennyby the bridle. Taking turns in this way, they went on for somemiles without incident, until Dan almost forgot his fears, and evenZeb--watching his face and echoing its expression on his own--grewless and less timid. [Illustration] They had passed the place which Howland had called Mount Dagon andwhich is now known as Wollaston, and had crossed the Neponset River bya horse bridge and were walking along quite cheerfully, the two boysat some distance ahead of Penny, when they saw a little way ahead ofthem an Indian standing motionless beside the trail. Dan immediatelydrew Zeb behind a bush, and when an instant later his father came up, the Indian disappeared as suddenly as he had come. The Goodman looked troubled. "It is the same one we saw yesterday, Ifeel sure!" he said. "I like not his following us in this way, Daniel. I must trust thee even as though thou wert a man. Do thou get uponthe horse's back with Zeb behind thee. I will walk ahead with my gunready. Should the savage attack us, do thou speed thy horse like thewind to the next village, and bring back help. Remember it is thy partto obey. Three lives may hang on it. " With his heart pounding like a trip-hammer Dan mounted Penny. Zeb wasplaced on the pillion behind him with both arms clutching his waist, and the Goodman strode ahead, his keen eyes watching in everydirection for any sign of danger. There was not a sound in the forestexcept the soft thud of the horse's feet, the cawing of a crowcircling out of sight over the tree-tops, and the shrill cry of a bluejay. "Confound thee, thou marplot, thou busy-body of the wood, " mutteredthe Goodman to himself as he listened. "Wert thou but a human gossip, I 'd set thee in the stocks till thou hadst learned to hold thine eviltongue!" But the blue jay only kept up his squawking, passing the news on tohis brethren until the forest rang with word of their approach. It did not need the blue jays to tell of their progress, however, forthough no other sound had betrayed their advance, two Indians werecreeping stealthily through the underbrush, keeping pace with thetravelers, and when they had reached a favorable spot in a smallclearing, they suddenly sprang from their hiding-place. With ablood-curdling cry they leaped forward, and, seizing one of Zeb'slegs, tried to drag him from the horse's back. The yells of the Indians were as nothing to those that Zeb then letloose! The air was fairly split by blood-curdling shrieks, and thehorse, terrified in turn, leaped forward, tearing Zeb from the graspof the Indian and almost unseating Dan by the jerk. But Dan dug hisknees into the horse's sides, flung his arms about her neck, and, holding on for dear life, tore away up the trail with Zeb clinginglike a limpet to his waist. Never was a ride like that. Even John Gilpin's was a mild performancebeside it, for Zeb shrieked every minute of the way as they spedalong, with the horse's tail streaming out behind like the tail of acomet, and the daylight showing between the bouncing boys and Penny'sback at every wild leap. Even if Daniel had not been minded to obeyhis father's command, he could not have helped himself, for Penny tookmatters into her own four hoofs, and never paused in her wild careeruntil, covered with foam, she dashed madly into a little hamlet wherethe village of Neponset now stands. Samuel Kittredge was just starting for the forest with his axe on hisshoulder, when his ears were smitten by the frantic shrieks of Zeb, and, thinking it must be a wildcat on the edge of the clearing, he started back to the house for his gun. Before he reached it, Penitence, with the two boys on her back, came thundering toward himat full gallop, and stopped at his side. "What in tarnation is the matter with ye?" he exclaimed, gazing inamazement at the strange apparition. "I declare for it, that nigger isall but scared plumb white! What ails ye?" "Indians!" gasped Dan, pointing toward the trail. "My father--quick!"No more words were needed. Samuel Kittredge dashed into his house, snatched his gun from the chimney, and, dashing out again, fired itinto the air. Poor Zeb! He slid off over the horse's tail on to theground and lay there in a heap, while a knot of men, responding to thesignal of Sam Kittredge's gun, gathered hurriedly before his house andstarted at once down the trail. "You stay here, " said Sam to Dan as he started away. "We 'll be backsoon with your father if the pesky red-skins have n't got him. " "Or if they have, " added another man grimly, and off they went. Goodwife Kittredge now took charge of Dan and Zeb, while her son, aboy of eleven, tied Penny to a tree beside their cabin. Zeb recoveredat once when she offered him a generous slice of brown-bread, butDan was too anxious about his father to eat. He stood beside Penny, rubbing her neck and soothing her, with his eyes constantly on thetrail and his ears eagerly listening for the sound of shots. It seemedan age, but really was not more than half an hour, before he saw themen come out of the woods, and, oh joy! his father was with them! Leaving Penny nibbling grass, he ran to meet them and threw his armsabout his father's neck, crying, "Oh, dear father, art thou hurt?" "Nay; the Lord was merciful, " answered the Goodman. "I fired but oneshot, and hit one of the red-skins, I am sure, for they both divedback into the woods at once. I hid myself in the thick underbrush onthe other side of the trail and waited, thinking perhaps I could creepalong beside it out of sight, but Zeb's roaring must have frighted theIndians. Doubtless they knew it would rouse the countryside. At anyrate I saw no more of them, and when these Good Samaritans came alongI knew I was safe. " "The lungs of that blackamoor are worth more to thee than many guns, "laughed Sam Kittredge. "'T is a pity thou couldst not bottle up a fewof his screeches to take with thee when thou goest abroad. They are ofa sort to make a wildcat sick with envy. " The men laughed heartily, and, leaving the Goodman and Daniel with Sam, returned to theirinterrupted tasks. Goodwife Kittredge insisted on their resting there for the nightbefore resuming their journey. "You must be proper tired, " said she, with motherly concern, "and if you go on now 't is more than likelythose rascally knaves will follow you like your shadow. You 'll standa sight better chance of safety if you make an early start in themorning. " "Your horse needs rest, too, " added Sam. "I 'll rub her down and giveher a measure of corn when she 's cooled off. Get to bed with thechickens, and start with the sun, and to-morrow night will find yousafe in your own home again. " To this plan the travelers gladly agreed. Early next morning, after ahearty breakfast in the Kittredges' cheerful kitchen they set forthonce more. The roosters in the farmyard were still crowing, and theair was sweet with the music of robins, orioles, and blackbirdswhen they again plunged into the forest trail. All day they ploddedsteadily along, delayed by bad roads, and it was not until late thatevening that they at last came in sight of the little house, whereNancy and her mother slept, little dreaming how near they were to ahappy awakening. When, at last they reached the cabin, the Goodman, fearing to alarm his wife, stopped on the door-stone and gently calledher name. He had called but once when a shutter was thrown open andthe Goodwife's head was thrust through it. "Husband, son!" she cried joyfully. "Nancy!--awake child!--it is thyfather and brother!" and in another moment the door flew open, and Nancy and her mother flung their arms about the necks of thewanderers. When the horse had been cared for, they went into thecabin. Nancy raked the coals from the ashes, the fire blazed up, andthe Goodwife gave them each a drink of hot milk. Zeb blinked sleepilyat the reunited and happy family, as Dan and his father told theiradventures, and when at last they had gone to their beds in the lofthe sank down on a husk mattress which the Goodwife had spread for himon the floor, and in two minutes was sound asleep. [Illustration] V THE NEW HOME Goodman Pepperell and his wife rose early the next morning, and, leaving the two children still sleeping; crept down the ladder to thefloor below. There lay Zeb, also sound asleep, with his toes towardthe ashes like a little black Cinderella. The Goodwife's mother heartwas stirred with pity as she looked down at him. Perhaps she imaginedher own boy a captive in a strange land, unable to speak the language, with no future but slavery and no friends to comfort his loneliness. "Poor lad--let him sleep a bit, too, " she said to her husband. They unbolted the door and stepped out into the sunlight of a perfectJune morning. The dew was still on the grass; robins and bobolinkswere singing merrily in the young apple trees, which, owing to a late, cold spring, were still in bloom, and the air hummed with the music ofbees' wings. The Goodman drew a deep breath as he gazed at the beauty about him. "'T is good to be at home again, " he said to his wife. "And 't is agoodly land--aye, better even than old England! There 's space here, room enough to grow. " He looked across the river to the hills ofBoston town. "I doubt not we shall live to see a city in place of yonvillage, " he said; "more ships seek its port daily, and there aresettlements along the whole length of the bay. 'T is a marvel wherethe people come from. The Plymouth folk are scattering to the northand south, and already villages are springing up between Plymouth andNew Amsterdam. God hath prospered us, wife. " "Praise be to his holy name, " said the Goodwife, reverently. "But, husband, " she added, "what shall we do with our increase? Thou hastbrought home a horse and the black lad. The horse can stay outof doors during the summer, but there is not room for him in thecow-shed, and the lad cannot sleep always before the fire. " "I have thought of that, " said the Goodman, "and when the crops are inI purpose to build a larger house. " "Verily it will be needed, " she answered. "The crops grow like weedsin this new soil. If there were but a place for storage, I could putaway much for winter use that now is wasted. Go thou and look at thegarden, while I uncover the coals and set the kettle to boil. " "Wait a moment, wife, " said the Goodman, "I have somewhat to tellthee. There is ever a black spot in our sunshine. Though the dangergrows less all the while as the settlements increase, it is still truethat the Indians are ever a menace, and I fear they are over watchfulof us. " Then he told her of the attack in the forest. "I have reasonto think the red-skins spied upon us all the way to Boston town, " hefinished. "I did not tell Daniel, but twice I saw savages on our trailafter we left Kittredge's. I wounded one in the encounter, and theywill not forget that. I know not why they should plot against theblack boy, unless it is to revenge themselves upon me, but it iscertain they tried to drag him away with them into the woods. " TheGoodwife listened with a pale face. "'T is well, then, that we have a watchdog added to our possessions, "she said at last. "Gran'ther Wattles's shepherd hath a litter of pups, and he hath promised one to the children. Nancy hath waited until Dancame home that he might share the pleasure of getting it with her. " "She hath a generous heart, " said her father, tenderly. "Aye, --she isa good lass, though headstrong. " When their mother reached the cabin, she found the Twins up anddressed and Daniel trying to rouse the sleeping Zeb. "Wake up, " heshouted, giving him a shake. Zeb rolled over with a grunt and openedhis eyes. "Take him outdoors while I get breakfast, " said the Goodwife. "Mercyupon me, what shall I do with a blackamoor and a dog both underfoot!" "A dog!" cried Daniel. "What dog? Where is he?" "Nancy will tell thee, " said his mother, and, not able to wait amoment to hear and tell such wonderful news, the two children rushedout at once, followed by Zeb. When their mother called the familyto breakfast half an hour later, Zeb had been shown the garden, thecorn-field, the cow-shed, the pig-sty, the straw-stack where eggs wereto be found, the well with its long well-sweep, and the samp-mill. Hehad had the sheep pointed out to him, and been introduced to Eliza, the cow, and allowed to give Penny a measure of corn. The children hadshouted the name of each object to him as they had pointed it out, and Zeb had shown his white teeth and grinned and nodded a great manytimes, as if he understood. [Illustration] "I know he 's seen eggs before, for he sucked one, " Dan told hismother. Zeb was given his breakfast on the door-stone, and Dan triedto teach him the use of a spoon, without much success; and afterwardshe was brought in to family prayers. His eyes rolled apprehensivelyas he looked from one kneeling figure to another, but, obeying Dan'sgesture, he knelt beside him, and for ten minutes he stuck it out:then, as the prayer continued to pour in an uninterrupted streamfrom the Goodman's lips, he quietly crawled out on all fours anddisappeared through the door. Dan found him afterwards out by thestraw-stack, and as there was a yellow streak on his black face, concluded he had learned his lesson about the hen's nest altogethertoo well. He was given a hoe and taken to the corn-field at once. Here Daniel showed him just how to cut out the weeds with the hoe andloosen the earth about the roots of the corn. Zeb nodded and grinnedso cheerfully that, after watching him a few moments, Daniel calledNancy and they started for Gran'ther Wattles's house in the village toget the puppy. They had gone but a short distance when Nancy, glancingaround, saw Zeb following them, grinning from ear to ear. "No--no--no--go back, " bawled Daniel, pointing to the corn-field. Zebnodded with the utmost intelligence and followed right along. "Oh, dear!" groaned Daniel. "I 've taught him to do things by showing how, and now he thinks he must do _everything_ that I do. " [Illustration] He sat down on a stone and gazed despairingly at Zeb. Zeb promptly satdown on another stone and beamed at him! In vain Daniel pointed andshouted, and shook his head. Zeb nodded as cheerfully as ever andconscientiously imitated Dan's every move. In spite of all they coulddo he followed them clear to Gran'ther Wattles's house. "Oh, dear!" said Nancy, "it 's just like having your shadow come tolife! You 'll have to work all the time, Dan, or Zeb won't work atall!" Even with the wonderful new puppy in his arms Dan took a gloomy viewof the situation. "I 'm sick of being an example, " he said. "I had tobe one at Aunt Bradford's all the time, for she told Mercy and Josephto watch how I behaved, and now here 's this crazy blackamoor mockingeverything I do! I guess Father 'll wish he had n't bought him. " The days that followed were trying ones for everybody. The Goodwifewas nearly distracted trying to house her family and do her work insuch crowded quarters. Zeb followed Dan like a nightmare, and theGoodman delved early and late to catch up with the work which hadwaited for his return. Among other duties there were berries to bepicked in the pasture and dried for winter use, and this task fell tothe children. It was work which Zeb thoroughly enjoyed, but alas, heate more than he brought home. On one occasion he ate green fruitalong with the ripe, and spent a noisy night afterward holding on tohis stomach and howling at each new pain. In vain the Goodwife triedto cure him with a dose of hot pepper tea. Zeb took just enough toburn his mouth and, finding the cure worse than the disease, roaredmore industriously than ever. She was at her wit's end and finallyhad to leave him to groan it out alone beside the fire. It was weeksbefore he learned to understand the simplest sentences, and meanwhilepoor Dan had to go on being an example. Finally one day the Goodman brought home a large saw from Boston, andhe and Dan showed Zeb how to use it. Then day after day Dan and Zebsawed together, making boards for the new house, while Nancy broughther carding or knitting and sat on a stump near by with the puppy ather feet or nosing about in the bushes. They had named the dog Nimrod, "because, " as Nancy said, "he is surely a mighty hunter before theLord, just like Nimrod in the Bible. He sniffs around after field miceall the time, and if he only sees a cat he barks his head off andtears after her like lightning!" [Illustration] * * * * * [Illustration] The summer passed quickly away, with few events to take them outsidethe little kingdom of home in which they lived. Twice the Captainstopped to see them when the Lucy Ann put in at Boston Harbor, and itwas from him they got such news as they had of the world without. ByOctober, Nimrod had grown to be quite a large dog and was alreadyuseful with the sheep, and Zeb could understand a good deal of whatwas said to him, though it was noticeable that he was very dull whenit concerned tasks he did not like. With Dan to guide him he was ableto help shock the corn and pile the pumpkins in golden heaps betweenthe rows. He could feed the cattle and milk the cow and draw water forthem from the well. While the Goodman and the two boys worked in thefields gathering the crops, Nancy and her mother dried everything thatcould be dried and preserved everything that could be preserved, untilthere was a wonderful store of good things for the winter. One day when all the rafters were festooned with strings ofcrook-necked squashes, onions, and seed corn braided in long ropes bythe husks, the Goodman appeared in the doorway with another load ofseed corn and looked in vain for a place to put it. "There is no place, " said the Goodwife. "The Lord hath blessed us soabundantly there is not room to receive it. As it is, I can hardly domy work without stepping on something. If it is not anything else, itis sure to be either Zeb or Nimrod. Truly I can no longer clean andsand my floor properly for the things that are standing about. " The Goodman sat down on the settle and looked long and earnestly atthe crowded room, whistling softly to himself. Then he rose and wentto the village, and as a result the neighbors gathered the very nextweek to help build the new house. They came early in the morning, the men with axes and saws on their shoulders and the women carryingcooking-utensils. Then while the men worked in the forest fellingtrees, cutting and hauling timbers, and putting them in place, thewomen helped the Goodwife make whole battalions of brown loaves andregiments of pies, beside any number of other good things to eat. Nancy, Dan, and Zeb ran errands and caught fish and dug clams andgathered nuts to supply materials for them, and were promptly on handwhen meal time came. There were so many helpers that in a wonderfully short time theframe-work was up, the roof boards were on, and a great fireplace hadbeen built into the chimney in the new part of the house. Also a doorhad been cut through to connect the new part with the old cabin, whichwas now to be used for storage and as a stable for Penny and Eliza, and a sleeping-space for Zeb. When all this was done and the roof on, the neighbors returned to their own tasks, leaving the Pepperells tolay the floors, cover the outside with boards, and do whatever wasnecessary to finish the house. It was late in the fall before this wasaccomplished and the family had settled down to the enjoyment of theirnew quarters. One day as Dan and Zeb were bringing in boards to sheathe the room onthe inside, they were startled to see two Indians peering out at themfrom the shelter of the near-by woods. Dropping the board they werecarrying, they ran like deer to the house, and Dan told his fatherwhat they had seen. The Goodman looked thoughtful as he went on withhis task of sheathing, and that very evening he worked late buildinga secret closet between the chimney and the wall. "It will be a handyplace to hide thy preserves, " he said to his wife, "and a refugeshould the Indians decide to give us trouble. " He cut a small squarewindow high up in the outside wall and contrived a spring, hidden inthe chimney, to open the door. When this spring was pressed a holewould suddenly appear in what seemed a solid wall, revealing thewell-stored shelves. This closet was the Goodwife's special pride, butto Zeb it was a continuous mystery. At one moment there was the solidwall; the next, without touch of human hands, a door would fly open, giving a tantalizing glimpse of things to eat which he could nevertouch, for if he came near, the door would close again as mysteriouslyas it had opened. Dan loved to tease him with it, and Zeb, fearingmagic, would take to his heels whenever this marvel occurred. One day the Goodman said to his wife: "Thanksgiving draws near, andsurely we have much cause for thankfulness this year, for the Lordhath exceedingly blessed us. There are yet some things to be donebefore the day comes, and I wish to meet it with my task finished. Ihear there is a ship in the harbor loaded with English merchandise, and to-morrow I go to Boston, and if thou art so minded, thou canst gowith me. " This put the Goodwife in quite a flutter of excitement, for she hadnot been away from home except to go to church for many months. Shegot out her best gown that very evening, to be sure it was in properorder, and while she got supper gave Nancy and Dan an endless stringof directions about their tasks in her absence. Early the next morning she mounted the pillion behind her husband, andthe three children watched their departure, Dan clutching Nimrod, whowas determined to go with them, and the Goodwife calling back lastinstructions to the little group until Penny was well on the road toCharlestown. The house seemed strangely lonely without the mother in it, but therewas no time for the children to mope, for there was all the work todo in their parents' absence. Dan took command at once. "You 'll bothhave to mind me now, " he said to Nancy and Zeb. "I 'm the man of thehouse. " "If thou 'rt the man of it, I 'm the woman, and thou and Zeb will bothhave to do as _I_ say, " retorted Nancy, "or else mayhap I 'll get theeno dinner! Mother said I could make succotash, and thou lov'st thatbetter than anything. Mother said above all things not to let the firego out, for it would be hard to bring a fire-brand all the way fromthe village. So do thou bring in a pile of wood and set Zeb tochopping more. " [Illustration] Dan counted his chances. "Very well, " he said at last, withcondescension, "thou art a willful baggage but I 'll give thee thyway! Only make the big kettle full. " All that day Nancy bustled importantly about the house, with hersleeves rolled up and her skirts looped back under her apron inimitation of her mother. She was better than her word and madejohnny-cake besides the succotash for dinner, and after they had eatenit said to Dan, "If thou wilt go out to the field and bring in apumpkin, I 'll make thee some pies for supper. " Dan dearly loved pumpkin pie, and in his zeal to carry out the planbrought in two great yellow globes from the corn-field instead of theone Nancy had asked for. "Mercy upon us, " said Nancy when he appeared, beaming, with one under each arm, "those would make pies enough forall Cambridge. Thine eyes hold more than thy stomach. " "There 's no such thing as too many pies, " said Daniel stoutly, "andif there 's any pumpkin left over, I 'll feed it to the pig. " "I 'll tell thee what we will do, " said Nancy. "We will make a greatsurprise for Mother and Father. When they come home they will be tiredand hungry and ready for a grand supper. Do thou and Zeb run down tothe bay and bring back a mess of clams. We 'll have the table allspread and a bright fire burning to welcome them!" Dan agreed to this plan and went out at once to call Zeb. He found himby the straw-stack with an egg in each hand. "Take them in to Nancy, "commanded Dan, pointing sternly toward the house. Zeb had meant todispose of them otherwise, for he had a bottomless appetite for eggs, but he trotted obediently to the house at Dan's order, and then thetwo boys started together for the bay, with Nimrod barking joyfullyand running about them in circles all the way. [Illustration] The fall days were short, and it was dusk before the evening choreswere done, and Dan came in to the bright kitchen with Zeb and Nimrodboth at his heels, and announced that he had a hole in his stomach asbig as a bushel basket. For answer Nancy pointed to four golden-brownpies cooling on a shelf, and Dan smacked his lips in anticipation. Zebcame alongside and, copying Dan, smacked his lips too. "Go away, both of you, " said Nancy. "You can only look at them now, for I have everything ready for Father and Mother, and we must n't eatuntil they come. " Dan looked about the room to see what Nancy's surprise might be. Itwas a cheerful picture that met his eye. First of all there was Nancyherself with her neat cap and white apron, putting the finishingtouches to the little feast she had prepared. She had spread the tablewith the best linen and decorated it with a bunch of red berries. Shehad even brought out the silver tankard from its hiding-place underthe eaves of the loft and placed it beside her father's trencher. Theclams were simmering on the fire, sending out an appetizing smell, andthe brown loaf was cut. The hickory logs snapped and sputtered, andthe flames danced gayly in the fireplace, setting other little flamesdancing in the shining pewter dishes arranged on a dresser across theroom. Nimrod was lying before the fire with his head on his paws, asleep, and Zeb, squatted down beside him, was rolling his eyeshungrily in the direction of the pies. "I hope they 'll come soon, " said Daniel, lifting the cover of thekettle and sniffing. "If they do not 't is likely they 'll find me asdead as a salt herring when they get here. " Nancy laughed and, breaking a slice of brown-bread in two, gave apiece to each boy. "Take that to stay your stomachs, " she said, "and, for the rest, have patience. " For a long time they waited, and still there was no sound of hoofsupon the road. Dusk deepened into darkness, and the harvest moon cameout from behind a cloud and shed a silvery light over the landscape. Nancy went to the door and gazed toward the road. "Dost think, brother, the Indians have waylaid them?" she asked Dan atlast. "Nay, " answered Dan. "They are likely delayed at the ferry. Should theferry-man be at his supper wild horses could not drag him from it, I 'll be bound. They 'll come presently, never fear, but it willdoubtless grieve them much to see me lying stiff and cold on thehearth! Nancy, thou takest a fearful chance in denying thy brotherfood. " [Illustration] But Nancy only laughed at his woebegone face. "Thou art indeed avaliant trencher-man, " she said. Then, suddenly inspired, she broughthim the extra pumpkin, which she had not used for the pies, set itbefore him upon the hearth-stone, and gave him a knife. "Carve thyselfa jack-o'-lantern, " she said. "'T will take up thy mind, and make theeforget thy stomach. " Dan took the knife, cut a cap from the top of thepumpkin, and scooped out the seeds. Then he cut holes for the eyes andnose, and a fearful gash, bordered with pointed teeth, for the mouth, and Nancy brought him the stub of a bayberry candle to put inside. Zebwatched the process with eyes growing wider and wider as the thingbecame more and more like some frightful creature of his paganimagination. They were just about to light the candle when Nimrod gavea sharp bark; there was a creaking noise outside, and Nancy, springingjoyfully to her feet, shouted, "They 've come!--they 've come!" Shewas halfway to the door, when suddenly she stopped, stiff with fright. There, looking in through the open shutter, was the face of an Indian!Dan and Zeb saw it at the same moment, and Nimrod, barking madly, rushed forward and leaped at the window. Giving one of his wildcatshrieks, Zeb instantly went up the ladder to the loft with the agilityof a monkey. The head had bobbed out of sight so quickly that for aninstant Nancy hardly believed her own eyes, but in that instantDan had been quick to act. He pressed the catch concealed in thefireplace, and, springing to his feet, seized Nancy and dragged herback into the secret closet. They nearly fell over the pumpkin, whichlay directly in their path, and it rolled before them into the closet. Once inside, they instantly closed the door, and, with wildly beatinghearts, sank down in the darkness. About a foot above the floor therewas a small knot-hole in the door, which the Goodman had purposelyleft for a peep-hole, and to this Dan now glued his eyes. In spite ofNimrod's frantic barking the house door was quietly opened, and whenthe dog flew at the intruder, he was stunned by a blow from the buttend of a musket, and his senseless body sent flying out of the door bya kick from a moccasined foot. Then two Indians crept stealthily into the room. They were surprisedto find it empty. Where could the children have gone? They prowledcautiously about, looking under the table and behind everything thatmight afford a hiding-place, and, finding no trace of them, turnedtheir attention in another direction. Dan was already near to burstingwith rage and grief over Nimrod, and now he had the misery of seeingthe larger of the two Indians take his father's musket from thedeer-horn on the chimney-piece, while the other, who already had agun, with grunts of satisfaction took the silver tankard from thetable and hid it under his deer-skin jacket. At first they did notseem to notice the ladder to the loft. Soon, however, they pausedbeside it, and after they had exchanged a few grunts the larger Indianbegan to mount. It was plain they meant to make a thorough search forthe children who had so miraculously disappeared. Dan remembered what his father had said about the Pequots; Nancy, withsick fear in her heart for Zeb, was shivering in a heap on the floor, her hands over her eyes, though that was quite unnecessary, since thecloset was pitch dark. Dan found her ear and whispered into it a briefreport of what he had seen. They could now hear the stealthy tread ofmoccasined feet above them on the floor of the loft. "While they 're upstairs, " whispered Dan, "I 'm going to slip out andget Father's pistol. It 's hanging behind a string of onions, and theyhave n't found it. " "Oh, no!" gasped Nancy. She clung to him, and in trying to get up hestruck the pumpkin, which rolled away toward the outside wall of thecloset. Just then there was a fearful outburst of noise overhead. There was the sound of something being dragged from under a bed acrossthe floor, something which clawed and shrieked and fought like awildcat. There were grunts and the thump of moccasined feet dancingabout in a lively struggle. "Now is my chance, " said Dan to himself, and, opening the doorcautiously, he made a dash for the pistol and snatched it from itshiding-place. As he was leaping back to the closet, he saw thebayberry candle lying on the hearth, and in that instant a wonderfulidea flashed into his mind. He picked up the candle, lit it from theflames, and scurried back to his hiding-place just as the legs of anIndian appeared at the top of the ladder. He shut the door swiftlybehind him, and, giving the candle to Nancy, told her to set it insidethe pumpkin. Crawling to the other end of the closet, Nancy did as shewas bid, while Dan, with his eye at the peep-hole, watched the twoIndians drag poor Zeb between them down the ladder and out the door. Eager to see where they went, Dan climbed up to the little window ofthe closet and peered out into the night. By the moonlight he couldsee the two men dragging Zeb in the direction of the straw-stack. Theywere having a hard time of it, for Zeb struggled fiercely, and theyhad their guns and the tankard to take care of as well, and inaddition, to Dan's horror, one of them was waving a burning brandwhich he had snatched from the fire in passing! Dan trembled so withexcitement that he nearly fell from his perch, but kept his wits abouthim. "Give me the pumpkin, " he said to Nancy, and when she reached itup to him, he set the lurid, grinning face in the window. "Now thepistol, " he said, and, sticking the muzzle through the opening besidethe jack-o'-lantern, he fired it into the air. The shot was answered by a chorus of yells from the three figures bythe straw-stack. Scared out of their wits by the unexpected shot andby the frightful apparition which suddenly glared at them out of thedarkness, the Indians took to their heels and ran as only Indians canrun, dragging poor Zeb with them. "They 're gone, " shouted Dan, dropping to the floor, "but they 've setthe straw-stack afire!" [Illustration] By the dim light of the jack-o'-lantern grinning in the window, hefound the catch of the door, and the two children burst out of thecloset. Seizing a bucket of water which stood by the hand-basin inthe corner, Dan dashed out of doors, followed by Nancy, whose fear ofIndians was now overmastered by fear of fire. If their beautiful newhouse should be burned! She ran to the well-sweep, and while Danworked like a demon, stamping on burning straws with his feet, andpouring water on the spreading flames, she swiftly plunged first onebucket, then another, into the well and filled Dan's pail as fast asit was emptied. In spite of these heroic efforts the fire spread. Allthey could do was to keep the ground wet about the stack and watch theflying sparks lest they set fire to the house. Over the lurid scenethe jack-o'-lantern grinned down at them until the candle sputteredand went out. [Illustration] The straw-stack was blazing fiercely, lighting the sky with a redglare, when in the distance they heard the beat of a drum. Gran'therWattles had seen the flames and was rousing the village. Then therewere hoof-beats on the road, and into the fire-light dashed Penny withthe terrified Goodman and his wife on her back. Once they knew theirchildren were safe, they did not stop for questions, but at once setto work to help them check the fire, which was now spreading among thedry leaves. The Goodwife ran for her broom, which she dipped in waterand then beat upon the little flames as they appeared here and therein the grass. The Goodman mounted to the roof at once, and, with Danto fetch water and Nancy to bring up buckets from the well, theymanaged to keep it too wet for the flying sparks to set it afire. Atlast the neighbors, roused by Gran'ther Wattles's frantic alarm, camehurrying across the pastures; but the distance was so great thatthe flames had died down and the danger was nearly over before theyarrived. [Illustration] There was now time for explanations, and, surrounded by an eager andgrim-visaged circle, Nancy and Dan told their story. "There 's a bravelad for you!" cried Stephen Day, when the tale was finished, pattingDan on the shoulder. "Aye, and a brave lass, too, " added another. Their father and mother said no words of praise, but there was a glowof pride in their faces as they looked at their children and silentlythanked God for their safety. "We can do nothing to-night, " said Goodman Pepperell at last, "but, neighbors, if you are with me, to-morrow we will go into the woods andsee if we can find any trace of the black boy. Doubtless by stealinghim and burning the house they thought to revenge themselves for theIndian whom I wounded on my way home from Plymouth. They must havebeen watching the house, and, seeing us depart this morning, knew wellthat they had naught but children to deal with. " "Aye, but such children!" said Stephen Day, who had been greatlyimpressed by the story of the jack-o'-lantern. "We 'll follow them, indeed, and if we find them"--his jaw shut with a snap and he said nomore. [Illustration] While the men laid their plans for the morrow, the children and theirmother stole round to the front of the house, and Dan began a searchfor Nimrod. He had been neither seen nor heard since the Indian hadgiven him that fearful blow and thrown him out. They found him lyinga few feet from the house still half stunned, and Dan lifted himtenderly in his arms, brought him into the house, and laid him downbefore the fire, where he had slept so peacefully only one short hourbefore. Nimrod licked his hand, and rapped his tail feebly on thehearthstone. Nancy wept over him, while Dan bathed his wounded head, and tried to find out if any bones were broken. "Poor Nimrod, " said the Goodwife, as she set a bowl of milk before thewounded dog, "thou art a brave soldier. Drink this and soon thou wiltbe wagging thy tail as briskly as ever. " She stirred the fire and lit the candles, and when the Goodman came ina few moments later, the little family looked about their new home tosee what damage had been done. Nancy's little feast was a sad wreck. There were the pies, to be sure, but the table-cloth was awry and theflowers were tipped over and strewn about the floor, which wascovered with the tracks of muddy feet. In the scuffle with Zeb thespinning-wheel had been overturned and the settle was lying on itsback on the floor. The room looked as if a hurricane had passedthrough it. The Goodman mourned the loss of his gun, and the Goodwifegrieved for her tankard, but all smaller losses were forgotten intheir distress about Zeb. Not only had he cost the Goodman a large sumof money, but in the weeks he had been with them he had found his ownplace in the household, where he would be sadly missed. Worst of allwas their anxiety about his fate at the hands of the Indians. "Come, " said the Goodwife at last, when they had heard every event ofthe day twice over, "we must eat, or we shall have scant courage forthe duties of the morrow. We have none of us tasted food since noon. " The clams were still simmering gently in the pot, and she gave themeach a porringer of broth, which they ate sitting in a circle aboutthe hearth-stone. Then she put the room in order, and though her heartwas heavy, tried to talk of the events of their day in Boston as ifnothing had happened. [Illustration] "We saw Captain Sanders in town, " she said to the children. "He hathbrought the Lucy Ann to port with a load of cod for the market andwith fish and game for Thanksgiving. I have his promise that he willdine with us if God wills. He hath not yet seen our new house. Alas! Ishall have no tankard to set before him; yet, ungrateful that I am, we are still rich in blessings! 'T is well we have a day set aside toremind us of them. " It was very late when at last the excitement had died down enough tothink of sleep. The Goodman went out to make sure there was no fireleft lurking in the grass, and to take a look at the horse and cow. As he passed the smoking ashes of the straw-stack, his foot strucksomething which rang like metal, and in the moonlight somethingglistened in the path before him. Stooping, he felt for it, and wasoverjoyed to grasp the tankard, which the Indian had lost in thestruggle with Zeb. He carried it in to his wife at once. She seized itwith a cry of joy. "'T is a good omen, " she said. "Mayhap thou 'lt find thy muskettoo. " Her husband shook his head gravely. "I 'll have need of oneto-morrow, " he said. "'T is well I still have my fowling-piece and mypistol. " Then he called the family together and, kneeling beside thesettle, committed them to God's keeping for the night. [Illustration] VI HARVEST HOME Before daylight the next morning the Goodwife stood in the door of thenew house and watched her husband set forth with the men of Cambridgeto search the forest for Zeb, and to punish his captors if they shouldcatch them. She had given him a good breakfast and filled his pocketswith bread for the journey, and when the men came from the village, she cut Nancy's pies and gave them each a generous piece to eat beforestarting. There were eight men in the party, all armed. The Goodwife'slip trembled a little and then moved in prayer as she saw themdisappear into the dark forest. "God grant that they may all return insafety, " she murmured, and then, giving herself a little shake, sheturned back into the house and resolutely set herself at the duties ofthe day. Nimrod whined and tried to follow his master as the men marched awaywith their guns on their shoulders, but, finding himself too weak, laydown again on the hearth and went to sleep. The Goodwife cleaned thekitchen, removing the last traces of the intruders, and then begana patient march back and forth, back and forth, beside the whirlingspinning-wheel. Now that the harvest was over and their food providedfor the winter, her busy hands must spin the yarn and weave the clothto keep them warm. Though she had meant to let the children sleepafter the excitement of the previous day, it was still early when theywere awakened by the whir of the wheel and came scuttling down fromthe loft as bright-eyed as if the adventures of the night before hadbeen no more than a bad dream. They helped themselves to hasty puddingand milk and took a dishful to Nimrod, who was now awake and lookingmuch more lively, and then their mother set them their tasks for theday. "Nancy, " said she, "I gave all thy pies to the men who have gone withfather to hunt for Zeb. To-morrow will be Thanksgiving Day and weshall need more. The mince pies are already prepared and put away onthe shelves, and thou canst make apple and pumpkin both to set awaybeside them in the secret closet. " "That makes me think, " said Daniel, and, touching the secretspring, he opened the door and rescued the jack-o'-lantern from thewindow-sill. It was only a wilted and blackened old pumpkin that he brought to hismother, but she smiled at it and patted the hideous head. "He hathbeen a good friend to us, Dan, " she said, "e'en as say the Scriptures, 'God hath chosen the weak things of the earth to confound the mighty. 'David went out against Goliath with a sling and a stone, and thou hastovercome savages with naught but a foolish pumpkin. " [Illustration] Nancy took the grinning head and set it on the chimney-piece. "Dearold Jacky, " she said, "thou shalt come to our Thanksgiving feast. 'Tis no more than thy due since thou hast saved us from the savages. " "Nay, daughter, " said her mother. "That savoreth of idolatry. Givethy praise unto God, who useth even things which are not to bring tonaught the things that are. 'T is but a pumpkin after all, and willmake an excellent feast for the pig on the morrow. Daniel, go to thefield and bring thy sister a fresh one for the pies and then hastento thine own tasks. They wait for thee. While thy father is awaysearching for Zeb, thou must do his work as well as thine own. " "Dost think, Mother, that he will surely bring Zeb back in time forthe feast?" asked Nancy anxiously. "Let us pray, nothing doubting, " answered the mother. "If it be God'swill, they will return. " There was a tremor in her voice even as she spoke her brave words, forshe knew well the perils of their search. All day long they worked, praying as they prepared the feast that they might share it a unitedfamily. Nancy made the pies, and Dan dressed a fowl, while theirmother got ready a pot of beans, made brown-bread to bake in the ovenwith the pies, and steamed an Indian pudding. All day they watched theforest for sign of the returning men. All day they listened for thesound of guns, but neither sight nor sound rewarded their vigilance. [Illustration] Dusk came on. The Goodwife set a candle in the window, and when herother tasks were finished, went back to her spinning. Not a moment wasshe idle, nor did she appear to her children to be anxious, but asshe walked back and forth beside her wheel Nancy heard her murmuring, "Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the mostHigh, thy habitation, there shall no evil befall thee, neither shallany plague come nigh thy dwelling. " Over and over she said it toherself, never slacking her work meanwhile. The supper which Nancy prepared waited--one hour--two--after Dan hadfed the cattle and brought in the milk, and still there was no sign ofthe searching party. Suddenly Nimrod, from his place on the hearth, gave a short sharpbark, and, leaping to the window, stood with his paws on the sill, peering out into the darkness and whining. Dan was beside him in aninstant. "I see them, " he cried joyfully, "a whole parcel of them. They are just coming out from behind the cow-shed. " Nancy and her mother reached the window almost at the same moment, andas the shadowy figures emerged from behind the cow-shed the mothercounted them breathlessly, "One--two--three--four--five--" "There 's Father!" shrieked Nancy. "He 's carrying something. Oh, dost think it is Zeb?" "Six--seven--eight--_nine! ten!_ There are ten men, when but eight setforth. Praise God, they have all come back!" cried the mother. Turningswiftly to the fireplace, she snatched from it a brand of burningpitch pine and, holding it high above her head for a beacon, ranout to meet them, with Dan, Nancy, and Nimrod all at her heels. Thetorch-light shone on stern and weary faces as the men drew near. "All 's well, wife, " came the voice of the Goodman. "Hast found the lad?" she called back to him. "Nay--not yet, " he answered, "but we think we have his captors. Holdthy torch nearer and have no fear. The savages cannot hurt thee. Nancy, Daniel, have you ever seen these faces before?" As he spoke he thrust forward two Indians with their hands securelytied behind them. "Oh, " shuddered Nancy, "I saw them at the window, " and Dan added, "Aye, 't was this one that kicked Nimrod. " Nimrod confirmed hisstatement by growling fiercely and snapping at the heels of the tallerof the two Indians. "Call off thy dog, " said the Goodman sternly, and though Dan felt itwould be no more than fair to allow Nimrod one good bite, consideringall he had suffered, he obediently collared Nimrod and shut him insidethe kitchen. The faces of the Indians were like stone masks as theystood helpless before their captors with the light of the flamingtorch shining upon them. "Go in with thy family, Neighbor Pepperell, " said Stephen Day. "Thereare enough of us and to spare to guard the savages. Mayhap a night inthe stocks will cool their hot blood and help them to remember whatthey have done with the slave lad. If not, the judge will mete out tothem the punishment they deserve. " "Right willingly will I leave them in your hands, " answered theGoodman, "for truly I am spent. " Whether the Indians understood their words, or not, they knew wellthe meaning of pointed guns, for they marched off toward the villagewithout even a grunt of protest when Stephen Day gave the word ofcommand. The Goodman was so weary that his wife and children forbore askingquestions until he was a little rested and refreshed. He sank downupon the settle with Nimrod beside him, and Dan removed his muddyboots, and brought water for him to wash in, while Nancy and hermother hastened to put the long-delayed supper on the table. "This puts new life into me, " declared the father when he had eaten afew spoonfuls of hotchpot, "and now I 'll tell somewhat of the day'swork. There was no general uprising among the Indians. At least we sawno evidence of it. 'T is more likely as I feared--they are the sameIndians that followed us from Plymouth, meaning to revenge themselvesupon me for wounding one of them when they set upon us in the forest. " "But how is it the lad was not with them?" asked his wife. "That is a question which as yet hath no answer, " replied her husband. "It may be they have killed him and hidden the body. " At this fearful thought Nancy shuddered and covered her face with herhands. "It may be, " went on the Goodman, "that they passed him on to someone else to avoid suspicion. At any rate he was not with them, and wecould find no trace. Though the savages undoubtedly know some English, they refuse to say a word, and so his fate remains a mystery. " "What further shall you do to find him?" asked the Goodwife. "See if we cannot force the Indians to confess, for the first thing, "answered her husband. His wife sighed. "I fear no hope lieth in that direction, " she said. "Their faces were like the granite of the hills. " "What of the gun, Father?" asked Daniel. "Didst thou find it?" "Nay, " answered his father. "They had it not, and that causes me tothink they have passed it as well as the boy on to others oftheir tribe. There is naught to be done now but wait until afterThanksgiving Day. " "'T will be but a sad holiday, " said the Goodwife. "Though he is but ablackamoor, the lad hath found a place in my heart, and I grieve thatevil hath befallen him. " "When I saw thee come out from behind the cow-shed I thought thouhadst a burden, " said Daniel. "I thought it was Zeb--wounded, ormayhap dead. " "Aye, " answered the Goodman. "I did carry a burden and had like toforgot it. I dropped it by the door of the cow-shed. Go thou and bringit in. " Dan ran out at once and returned a moment later carrying a huge wildturkey by the legs. His mother rose and felt its breastbone with herfingers. "'T is fine and fat, and young withal, " she answered. "'T will makea brave addition to our feast on the morrow, for, truth to tell, ourpreparations have been but half-hearted thus far. Our minds were takenup with thy danger and fear for the lad. " "Dwell rather on our deliverance, " said her husband. "The Lord hathnot brought us into this wilderness to perish. Let us not murmur, asdid the Children of Israel. The Lord still guides us. " "Aye, and by a pillar of fire, too, " said Nancy, remembering thestraw-stack. "And instead of manna he hath sent this turkey, " added Dan. Supper was now over, and after it was cleared away, and they had hadprayers, the mother sent the rest of the family to bed, while shebusied herself with final preparations for the next day. She pluckedand stuffed the great turkey, first cutting off the long wing-feathersfor hearth-brooms, and set it away on the shelf in the secret closetalong with Nancy's array of pies. It was late when at last she lit hercandle, covered the ashes, and climbed wearily to bed. The wind changed in the night and when they looked out next morningthe air was full of great white snow-flakes, and the blackened ruinsof the straw-stack were neatly covered with a mantle of white. The family was up betimes, and as they ate their good breakfast ofsausages, johnny-cake, and maple syrup, they sent many a thoughttoward poor Zeb, wandering in the forest or perhaps lying dead in itsdepths. It was a solemn little party that later left the cabin in the careof Nimrod and started across the glistening fields to attend theThanksgiving service in the meeting-house. They were made more solemnstill by the sight of the two Indians sitting with hands and feetfirmly fixed in the stocks, apparently as indifferent to the fallingsnow as though they were images of stone. The first snowfall, usuallysuch a joy to Nancy and Daniel, now only seemed to make them moremiserable, and they were glad to see the sun when they came out of themeeting-house after the sermon and turned their steps toward home. Atleast Zeb would not perish of cold if it continued to shine. They werejust beginning to climb the home hill, when they were surprised to seeNimrod come bounding to meet them, barking a welcome. "How in the world did that dog get out?" said the Goodwifewonderingly. "I shut him in the kitchen the last thing before we leftthe house. " Leaving their father and mother to follow at a slower pace, Nancyand Dan tore up the hill and threw open the kitchen door. There, comfortably dozing on the settle by the fire, sat the Captain! At hisfeet lay Zeb--also sound asleep with the wreckage of several blackenedeggs strewn round him on the hearth-stone! The Captain woke with astart as the children burst into the room and for an instant stoodstaring in amazement and delight at the scene before them. Zeb, utterly worn out, slept on, and the Captain, as usual, was the firstto find his tongue. "Well, well, " he shouted, rubbing his nose to a bright red to wakehimself up, "here ye be! And mighty lucky, too, for I 'm hungry enoughto eat a bear alive. If I could have found out where ye hide yoursupplies, I might have busted 'em open to save myself and this poorlad from starvation. He appeared nigh as hungry as I be, but he knewbetter how to help himself. He found these eggs cooked out there inthe ashes of the straw-stack, and all but et 'em shells and all. Nevereven offered me a bite! Don't ye ever feed him?" Before the children could get in a word edgewise their father andmother, followed by Nimrod, came in, and, what with the dog barking, the children screaming explanations to the Captain, and their ownastonished exclamations, there was such a babel of noise that at lastZeb woke up, too, and stared about him like one dazed. Nimrod jumpedon him and licked his face, and Zeb put his arms around the dog as ifglad to find so cordial a welcome. The Captain stared from one face toanother, quite unable to make head or tail of the situation. [Illustration] "Well, by jolly!" he shouted at last, "what ails ye all? Ye act like aparcel of lunatics!" The Goodman commanded silence, and briefly told the whole story to theCaptain. "Where did you find the lad?" he asked, when he had finished. "He was here when I came, " said the Captain. "Settin' on thehearth-stone eatin' them eggs as if he had n't seen food fer ase'nnight and never expected to see any again. The dog busted out ofthe house when I came in, and as I could n't get any word out of thelad, I just set down by the fire and took forty winks. It was too latefor meeting, and besides I reckoned I could sleep better here. " Hefinished with his jolly laugh. Zeb, meanwhile, sat hugging the dog and rolling his eyes from one faceto another as if in utter bewilderment. Perhaps he wondered if theCaptain meant to capture him, too, for life must have seemed to thepoor black boy just a series of efforts to escape being carried off tosome place where he did not wish to go, by people whom he had neverseen before. The Goodman at last sat down before Zeb on the settle andtried to get from him some account of what had happened in the forest. But Zeb was totally unable to tell his story. His few words of Englishwere inadequate to the recital of the terrors of the past twenty-fourhours. "Let the lad be, " said the Goodwife at last. "He 's safe, praise God, and we shall just have to wait to find out how he managed to escapefrom the savages and make his way back here. " She went to the secretcloset and brought out a huge piece of pumpkin pie. Zeb's eyes gleamedas he seized it. "He must n't eat too much at once, " said she. "Asnearly as I can make out by the shells, he 's had six eggs already. That will do for a time. Dan, build a fire in the fireplace in the oldkitchen. There 's warm water in the kettle, and do thou see that Zebtakes a bath. He is crusted with mud. He must have wallowed in it. Nancy and I will get dinner the while. " Dan beckoned to Zeb, and the two boys disappeared. Zeb had neverbathed before except in the ocean, and the new process did not pleasehim. "I believe he wished he 'd stayed with the Indians, " said Dan whenhe appeared an hour later followed by a well-polished but somewhatembittered Zeb. "I 've just about taken his skin off and I 'm all wornout. Oh, Mother, is n't dinner almost ready?" "Almost, " said his mother, as she opened the oven door to take a peepat the turkey, which had been cooking since early morning. "It onlyneeds browning before the fire while I make the gravy. " The table was already spread, and Nancy was at that very moment givingan extra polish to the tankard before placing it beside the Captain'strencher. The spiced drink to fill it was already mulling beside thefire with a huge kettle of vegetables steaming beside it. The closetdoor was open, giving a tantalizing glimpse of glories to come. "So there 's where ye keep 'em, " observed the Captain, regarding thepies with open admiration. "'T is a sight to make a man thankful forthe room in his hold. By jolly, it 'll take careful loading to stowthis dinner away proper!" He called Nancy to his side and opened the bulging leather pocketwhich hung from his belt. "Feel in there, " he said. "I brought alongsomething to fill in the chinks. " Nancy thrust in her hand, and brought it out filled with raisins. "Igot 'em off a ship just in from the Indies, " explained the Captain. Raisins were a great luxury in the wilderness, and the delighted Nancyhastened to find a dish and to place them beside the pies. "All ready, " said the mother at last. "Come to dinner. " There was no need of a second invitation, and the response to thesummons looked like a stampede. The Goodman and his wife took theirplaces at the head of the table with the Captain on one side and thechildren on the other, and because it was Thanksgiving, and because hehad had such a hard day and night, and most of all because he was soclean, Zeb was allowed a place at the foot of the board. The Goodman asked a blessing and then heaped the trenchers high withwhat he called the bounty of the Lord. There was only one cloud onDan's sunshine during the meal. On account of Zeb, who when in doubtstill faithfully imitated him, he was obliged to be an example allthrough the dinner. Even with such a model to copy, Zeb had greattrouble with his spoon and showed a regrettable tendency to feedhimself with both hands at once. The turkey was a wonder of tenderness, the vegetables done to a turn, the Indian pudding much better than its name, and as for the pies, theCaptain declared they were "fit to be et by the angels and most toogood for a sinner like him. " Beside each plate the Goodwife had placed a few kernels of corn, andat the end of the feast, when the Goodman rose to return thanks, hetook them in his hand. "In the midst of plenty, " he said to his children, "let us not forgetthe struggles of the past and what we owe to the pioneers who firstadventured into this wilderness and made a path for those of us whohave followed them. Though they nearly perished of hunger and coldin the beginning, they failed not in faith. When they had but a fewkernels of corn to eat, they still gave thanks, choosing like Danielto live on pulse with a good conscience rather than to eat from aking's table. As the Lord prospered Daniel, so hath he prospered us. " Then they all stood with folded hands and bent heads, while he gavethanks for the abundant harvest and prayed that they might be guidedto use every blessing to the honor and glory of God. And the Captainsaid, "Amen. " [Illustration] * * * * * SUGGESTIONS TO TEACHERS THE PURITAN TWINS will admirably supplement the study ofAmerican history and geography in grades 6 and 7. The nation-widerevival of interest in all that concerns the Pilgrim Fathers, begun atthe time of the Tercentenary in 1920, will continue for many years. Whether children are able to trace their ancestry back to the littleband that crossed the Atlantic in the Mayflower, or whether they traceit to voyagers of a less remote period--and the other volumes in theTwins Series are closely linked with many of these later ones--theirinterest in the days of the forefathers of our country should be thesame; for these early settlers gave to America the spirit of liberty, a respect for law and organized government, and a standard of cleanliving and right thinking which it is our duty to preserve and to passon to coming generations. The best suggestions to teachers consist of brief and helpfulreferences to authoritative books that will give an accurate pictureof the early days of our country in the making and of the Pilgrimcountry as it is to-day. Properly presented to pupils, the materialgleaned from these books will help them to form a more definite ideaof what every American should do to preserve intact the national peaceand prosperity which is their heritage. In the following list, titles marked with an asterisk contain materialwhich can be understandingly read by the pupils themselves. It will bebetter to have the teacher read to the class from the others. READINGS IN AMERICAN HISTORY AND GOVERNMENT *Tappan's _Elementary History of Our Country_, Chapters 4 to 9inclusive. These deal with the whole period of colonization. Thwaites and Kendall's _History of the United States for Schools_. Chapters 3 to 9 inclusive. This is a more advanced book whichamplifies the story. There are valuable suggestions for reading instandard literature. Guitteau's _Preparing for Citizenship_. Chapter 19 is of greatinspirational value. *Webster's _Americanization and Citizenship_. The following paragraphsset forth American ideals in their origin and development: 44, 52, 53, 54, 55, 63, 73, 117-121. *Tappan's _Our European Ancestors_. Chapters 16-20 inclusive. Thesedescribe the European rivalries which influenced the colonization ofAmerica. *Tappan's _Little Book of Our Flag_. Particularly chapters 1 and 2respectively, "The Flags that Brought the Colonists, " and "The PineTree Flag and Others. " Griffis's _Young People's History of the Pilgrims_. The conditionswhich led to the sailing of the Pilgrims are clearly sketched andemphasis is laid on the viewpoint of the Pilgrim boys and girls. *Griffis's _The Pilgrims in Their Three Homes: England, Holland, andAmerica_. The life of the Pilgrims in church and school, at work andplay, including their flight and refuge, is fully described. *Tappan's _American Hero Stories_. Five stories center around thecolonists, of whom, of course, Miles Standish is one. *Tappan's _Letters from Colonial Children_. These letters give an ideaof life in representative American colonies seen through a child'seyes. They present a vivid and historically accurate picture of thetimes. *Hawthorne's _Grandfather's Chair_. These stories have never grown oldor tiresome to children--and probably never will. No stories evergave a better introduction to our history from the settlement of NewEngland to the War for Independence. *Deming and Bemis's _Stories of Patriotism_. A series of stirringtales of patriotic deeds by Americans from the time of the Coloniststo the present. *Bemis's _The Patriotic Reader_. The selections cover the history ofour country from the discovery of America to our entrance into theGreat War. They give one a familiarity with literature--new andold--that presents the highest ideals of freedom and justice. *Longfellow's _Courtship of Miles Standish_. A well annotated editionis published in the Riverside Literature Series. Jane G. Austin's _The Old Colony Stories_. These novels, dealing withthe early settlers of Plymouth, have taken their place among theAmerican classics, and their combination of romantic interest, realliterary quality, and historical accuracy has won for them widepopularity. The titles alone bring before the mind a vision of themost famous colonists: _Betty Alden_, _A Nameless Nobleman_, _Standishof Standish_, _Dr. LeBaron and his Daughters_, _David Alden's Daughterand Other Stories_. Fiske's _The Beginnings of New England_. This is one of the mostreadable of the authoritative histories. READINGS IN GEOGRAPHY Edwards's _The Old Coast Road_. The South Shore road from Boston toPlymouth is one of the most historic roads in the country. Startingfrom Boston, Miss Edwards guides her readers through DorchesterHeights, Milton and the Blue Hills, Quincy with its Shipbuilding, Weymouth, Hingham, Cohasset, the Scituate Shore, Marshfield, theHome of Daniel Webster, Duxbury and Kingston. She concludes with aninforming chapter on Plymouth. Edwards's _Cape Cod, New and Old_. Delightful essays on theCape--brief, entertaining, and containing precisely those facts whichevery reader wants to know. DRAMATIZATIONS *Longfellow's _Courtship of Miles Standish_. Dramatized. This isequipped with suggestions for stage settings, properties and costumes. *Austin's _Standish of Standish_. Dramatized. Historically trueportrayals of character and atmosphere. There are suggestions forcostumes and other details of acting. Baker's _The Pilgrim Spirit_. This book contains the words spokenby the characters in the various episodes comprising the Pageantpresented at Plymouth, Massachusetts, during the summer of 1921. Itre-creates in masterly fashion the atmosphere of old colony times.