We went back to the time when James Billington, son of John, caused us
all such a fright by his wayward behavior.
Because James was not a favorite with any of us girls, being prone
to tease us at every opportunity, and spending more of his time in
mischief than in work, I must be careful how I speak of the lad, lest
I fall into that sin which Elder Brewster warns us to guard against:
allowing one's feelings to control the tongue, thereby speaking more
harshly against another than is warranted by the facts.
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I must, however, set it down that James was not a favorite with any
save his parents; but seemed ever watching for an opportunity to make
trouble for others, and just before the harvest time did he succeed in
throwing the entire village into a state of confusion and anxiety.
On a certain afternoon, I cannot rightly recall the exact time, it was
noted by Sarah and myself, that, contrary to his usual custom, James
had not prowled around where we children were at work in the fields
with the intent to perplex or annoy us, and we spoke of the fact as if
it was an unusually pleasant incident, little dreaming of the trouble
which was to follow.
That night, while father was reading from the Book, and explaining to
us the more difficult passages, the mother of James came to our home,
asking if we had seen her son.
Even then but little heed was given to the fact that the boy had not
returned for his share of the scanty supper; but mayhap an hour later
every one in the settlement was summoned by the beating of the drum,
and then did we learn that James Billington had disappeared.
The first thought was that some of the evil-disposed savages had
carried him away, and, acting upon the governor's orders, Captain
Standish set off with eight men to hunt for the missing lad.
I have never heard all the story of the search; but know that they
visited more than one of the Indian villages, and perhaps would not
have succeeded in their purpose but that Squanto was found at Nauset,
and, aided by some of his savage friends, he speedily got on the track
of the missing boy.
Captain Standish and his men were absent three days before they came
back, bringing James Billington, and when his mother took him in
her arms, rejoicing over his return as if he had really escaped some
dreadful danger, Governor Bradford commanded that she and her husband
give to James such a whipping as would prevent anything of the kind
from happening again, for, as it appeared, the boy had willfully run
away, counting, as he said, to turn Indian because of savages' not
being obliged to work in the fields.