AN AWFUL DANGER.
"Found you a good burial place in yonder wilderness?" asked Dorothy
Bradford of her husband the next morning as he sat beside her in their
little cabin on the high quarter deck of the Mayflower.
"Ay truly, wife," replied the husband cheerily. "And much did we muse as
to the remains so honorably interred. One of those we found was a little
lad scarce as old as our baby John, and almost mine eyes grew wet in
thinking of him so far away."
"Cruel that thou art to speak of him," exclaimed the young mother
wildly, "when thou knowest I am dying for sight of the child and of home
and my mother and all that I hold dear. I asked, hadst thou found a
grave for poor me in this wilderness whither thou hast brought me to
die."
"Nay, then, dear wife"--
"Mock me not with fair words, for they are naught. If I indeed am dear
take me home to all I love. Here I have naught but thee, and one might
as well love one of these cold gray rocks as thee."
"Have I not been kind and gentle to thee, Dorothy?" asked Bradford
bowing his face upon his hands.
"Ay, kind enow," replied she sullenly. "And gentle, as brave men still
must be to helpless women, but as for love! Tell me now, William
Bradford, dost thou to-day love me as thou couldst have loved Alice
Carpenter who flouted thee and married Edward Southworth instead? Nay,
now, them darest not deny that thou dost love her still!"
"Peace, woman!" exclaimed Bradford raising his face, stern and pale as
his wife had seldom seen it, and then as he marked her fragile features
and woe-begone expression his tone changed to a gentle one. "Nay,
Dorothy, thou wrongest thyself and me. I told thee of certain passages,
past before I knew thee, because I would have no secret between my wife
and me, and it is ill-done of thee to use my confidence as a weapon
against me. And again thou wrongest me grievously; Edward Southworth's
wife is naught to us; we twain are made one, and our lives are to run in
the one channel while both shall last. It is for me to shape and hew
that channel, and for thee to see that its waters run clear and sweet,
and, if you will, to plant posies on the banks. Let us never speak again
of these matters, Dorothy, but rather turn our minds to making a fair
home of the place whither God hath brought us, and doing our best by
each other. Trust me, wife, thou shalt never have cause to complain for
lack of aught I can win for thee or do for thee. Nay, Dorothy, my wife,
weep not so bitterly!"
"Master Bradford, are you within?" asked John Howland's voice outside
the door.
"Ay. What is thy errand, John?"
"The governor prays you to attend a Council convened in the great
cabin."
"I will come," and laying his hand tenderly yet solemnly upon the bowed
head of his wife Bradford murmured,--
"God help thee, Dorothy, God help us both!" and without waiting for a
reply so left her.
In the cabin he found the principal men of the company seated around a
table covered with charts, scrolls, and instruments of various sorts.
Standish with a brief nod made room for the new-comer, and Carver in his
measured tones explained: "Some of us were talking with Master Jones
upon the question of seating ourselves by yonder river as he strongly
adviseth, and I thought it best, Master Bradford, to call a general
Council and settle the matter out of hand. Here are such charts as the
Mayflower saileth by, and here is Master Smith's maps whereon we find
this bay, and much of the coast beyond, laid fairly down. Master Hopkins
counseleth a place called Agawam[2] some twenty leagues to the
northward, whereof he hath heard as a good harbor and fishing ground.
Others say that we should explore yet farther along the shores of this
land which Smith calleth Cape Cod, even as he nameth the whole district
New England, which is verily a pleasant reminder for us, who in spite of
persecution and harshness must still love the name of the land wherein
we have left the bones of our sires."
[2] Ipswich.
"It needs not so many words, Governor," interrupted Jones rudely. "If ye
will not be satisfied with the place ye saw yesterday, Coppin, our
pilot, knoweth of another river with plenty of cleared land about it,
and a harbor fit for a war-fleet to ride in, lying two or three leagues
to the southwest of this place. What think you of taking your pinnace
and going to look at it?"
"We will have in the pilot and hear his story for ourselves before we
answer that query," said Carver with dignity, while Standish less
temperately demanded,--
"And why, Master Jones, didst not tell us this at first rather than at
last? Well nigh hadst thou forced us to land where we could if only to
be rid of thy importunity."
"Why of course I had rather landed you here, and been off for home
rather than to carry you further and be burdened with your queasy
fancies," retorted Jones brutally. "I'm no man's fool I'd have thee to
know my little fire-eater, and thou 'lt be no gladder to say good-by
when the time comes than I."
"Here is Robert Coppin, friends," interposed Brewster mildly, as a hardy
fellow entered the cabin and nodded with scant ceremony to the company.
"Sit thee down, Coppin," said Carver making room for the pilot beside
him. "We would have thee show us upon the chart this river whereof
Master Jones says thou knowest."
"Well, it should be hereaway methinks," replied Coppin bending over the
map and tracing the coast line with a horny forefinger. "Is it yon? Nay,
I am no scholar and steer not by a chart I cannot make out. I know the
place when I see it, and I'll find it again if I'm set to it."
"Thou 'st been there, then?"
"Ay, we lay there three weeks when I sailed in the whaler Scotsman out
of Glasgow, and more by token we named the place Thievish Harbor, for
one of the Indians stole a harpoon out of our boat and away with it
before we could reach him. 'T is a goodly river, broader and deeper than
yon, and has a broad safe harbor."[3]
[3] Jones River, Duxbury.
"And why didst thou not tell us of this place sooner, Master Coppin,
sith thou art our pilot?" sternly demanded Winslow.
"Well, master," returned Coppin slowly, and casting a furtive look at
Jones who was draining a pewter flagon of beer, "I did tell Master Jones
yonder, but he said he had liefer you seated here, and I was to hold my
tongue"--
"Thou liest, knave," roared Jones menacing him with the flagon. "Thou
liest in thy throat. Or if thou didst mumble some nonsense in mine ears,
I paid no heed, doubting not that thou hadst told it all before to thy
gossips among these pious folk. But, Governor, if it is your pleasure to
seek out this place, I will lend you some of my men and set you forward
at your own pleasure."
"Thanks for your good will, master," replied Carver coldly. "What say
you, friends? Shall we try it?"
Murmurs and words of assent were heard on all sides, and Standish
said,--
"My mind, if you will have it, is that this matter should be shrewdly
pressed, and an end made of it as soon as may be. Our people dwindle
daily; they who were well a se'nnight since are ill to-day, and may be
dead to-morrow. Our provision waxeth short and poor, and be it once
spent our good friend Jones will give us none of his we may be sure. We
are no babes to be cast down by these things, nor frighted at facing
them, but sure it is the part of wisdom to use our strength while it is
left to us, and to explore this place, and any other whereof we may
hear, with no farther delay. My counsel is to tell off a company of our
soundest men, and set forth with Coppin this very hour, or as soon as we
may."
"Well and manfully spoken, Captain Standish," replied Carver, and from
more than one bearded throat came a grim murmur of approval, while
Hopkins significantly added,--
"Let them who will, be treated as babes and set down here or there
without their own consent. I for one am with thee, Captain, in the
bolder course."
"If thou 'rt with me, thou 'rt with the governor and the brethren. I
have no separate design, Master Hopkins," replied Standish coldly. "I
did but give my mind subject to the approval of the rest."
"And so good a mind it seemeth to me, that I propose we follow it
without delay. What say ye, friends?"
"I like the scheme so well that I fain would set forth this moment,"
said Bradford, over whom the depression of his interview with Dorothy
still hung.
"Then in God's name let the thing go forward," said Carver solemnly
raising his hand. "And, it is my mind that such among us as have in some
sort the charge of the rest should be the men to go upon this emprise,
both because they are best fitted to judge what is needed, and because
they will be hampered by no need of orders from headquarters. I propose,
then, that leaving Elder Brewster in charge of those who remain aboard,
the party should consist of me as your governor, and Captain Standish as
our man of war, with Master Winslow, Master Bradford, and the Brothers
Tilley from the Leyden brethren, to whom we will join Master Hopkins,
Master Warren, and Edward Dotey of London."
"Will it please your excellency to add my name?" asked John Howland
eagerly. "Well I wot I am not a principal man, but I have a strong arm,
and would fain follow thee, if I may."
"A strong arm, a stout heart, and a ready wit," replied Carver looking
kindly at his retainer. "And gladly do I number thee of the company.
That then counts ten of us, and we shall have Thomas English in charge
of the pinnace with John Alderton our seaman, and that methinks is
enough."
"Enough to meet the danger if there be danger, and to divide the glory
if there be glory," said Myles placidly, and Bradford softly and
pensively replied,
"No such glory as thou didst win in Flanders, friend, but truly the
'glory that fadeth not away.'"
"Hm!" retorted Myles as softly, but pulling his red beard with a grim
smile. "I'm not greedy, Will, and I'll leave those honors for thee."
"Nay," began Bradford rousing himself, but at that moment the whole brig
was shaken, and the councilors startled from their dignity by a
tremendous explosion which drove them from their seats, while the air
was rent by yells and shrieks in various tones and degrees, and a
stifling smoke and smell of gunpowder filled the cabin.
"The magazine has blown up!" shouted Standish. "Man the boats, and fetch
the women and children!" And he rushed to his own cabin where Rose lay,
not well enough to rise. But Bradford, seated near the companion-way,
had already sprung down and presently returned leading by the ear a
blubbering boy, his hands and face besmirched with gunpowder.
"Here is the culprit, Master Carver," announced he placing him in front
of the governor.
"John Billington!" exclaimed Carver sternly. "Ever in mischief, what
hast thou done now? Speak the truth, boy, or 't is the worse for thee."
"I did but take dad's gun from the hooks in our cabin, and she went off
in my hands," whimpered the boy.
"Nay, 'twas more than that, for we heard not one but several
explosions," persisted the governor.
"There was a keg of gunpowder under the bed," confessed the boy
reluctantly, "and--and--some of it flew out upon the floor."
"Flew out without hands!" exclaimed Hopkins, but Carver raised his
finger and asked mildly,--
"And what didst thou with the powder on the floor, John?"
"I made some squibs as father did last Guy Fawkes Day," muttered the
boy.
"And dropped the fire among the loose powder on the floor, and so sent
all off together!" broke in Hopkins again. "And if the keg had caught,
thou wouldst have blown the ship to pieces! Thou unwhipt rascal,
thou 'rt enough to corrupt a whole colony of boys. If my Bartholomew
ever speaks to thee again I'll break every bone in his body, as I'd well
like to thine, and will"--
"Nay, nay, Master Hopkins!" interposed the governor sternly. "It is
never well to threaten what we cannot perform. We break not bones nor
put to the torture in our new community; but, John Billington, I shall
counsel thy father to take thee ashore and whip thee so soundly as shall
make thee long remember that gunpowder is for thee forbidden fruit. Go,
now, to thy cabin, and remain there till he comes, while I go to see
what harm thou hast wrought."
"Mistress Carver would fain see the governor without delay," announced
Lois, Mistress Carver's maid, in a quavering voice. "Jasper More was so
frighted by the noise that he is in convulsions, and we know not but he
is dying."
"Is Doctor Fuller here?" demanded another voice. "Mistress White would
see him presently."
"And this is thy work, boy!" exclaimed Carver solemnly. "Go!"
And the boy crept miserably away, foreboding the whipping of which he
was not disappointed.