Seven years before the _Mayflower_ came, he had been stolen by one
Captain Hunt, who had visited these shores on a fishing voyage, and
by him was sent to Spain and sold as a slave. There a good Englishman
saw him and bought him of his master. He was taken to London, where
he worked as a servant until an exploring party, sent out by Sir
Ferdinando Gorges, was about to set sail for this country, when he was
given passage.
While he had been in slavery, the dreadful sickness broke out, which
killed or drove away all his people; therefore, when the poor fellow
came back, he found none to welcome him.
How it was I cannot say, but in some way he wandered about until coming
among the tribe of Indians called the Wampanoags, where he lived until
Samoset happened to come across him.
As soon as he knew that we of Plymouth were English people, he had a
desire to be friendly, because of what the good Englishman had done for
him.
I have heard father say many times that but for Squanto, perhaps all
of us might have died during that terrible winter when the good Lord
took fifty of our company, which numbered, when we left England, but an
hundred and two.