THE CAPTAIN'S PIPE.
It was a lovely evening in June, and, the labors of the day being ended,
while the hour for nightly devotion had not yet come, Plymouth enjoyed
an hour of rest.
Seven houses now lined The Street, leading from the Rock to the Fort,
and of these the highest on the northerly side was that of Captain
Standish, built so near to the Fort indeed, that John Alden, if so idly
minded to amuse himself, could easily salute each gun of the little
battery with a pebble upon its nose. He was in fact thus occupied on
this especial evening, while the captain sitting upon a bench beside the
cottage door smoked a pipe wondrously carved from a block of chalcedony
by some "Ancient Arrowmaker" of forgotten fame, and presented to
Standish by his admiring friend Hobomok, who, having silently studied at
his leisure the half dozen principal men among the Pilgrims, had settled
upon Standish as most nearly representing his ideal of combined courage,
wisdom, and endurance, so that he already was beginning to be known as
"the Captain's Indian," just as Squanto was especially Bradford's
henchman.
"'T is a goodly sight--a sweet and fair country," said the Captain half
aloud, and Alden just pausing to note that his last pebble had gone down
the throat of the saker, turned to inquire,--
"What is it, master?"
For reply the captain took the pipe from his mouth, and with the stem
pointed to Manomet, where mile after mile of fresh young verdure rose
steeply against the rosy eastern sky, while the sun sinking behind what
was to be the Captain's Hill shot a flood of golden glory across the
placid bay cresting each little wave with radiance, and burying itself
at last among the whispering foliage of the mount.
"Saw you ever a fairer sight, lad?"
"Nay, 't is fair as the Hills of Beulah whereof the elder spake last
night," softly replied John.
"And fairer, for we can see it with our eyes of to-day," replied the
captain dryly. The younger man glanced briefly at his master's face, and
failing to read its complex expression, contented himself with a
somewhat uneasy smile as he turned to gaze upon the scene in thoughtful
silence.
Standish noting with one of his quick glances his follower's
embarrassment, took counsel with himself, and as he quietly refilled his
pipe said,--
"Mark me well, lad, I mean not to cast aught of discredit on the elder's
teaching, nor to shake any man's faith in Beulahs, or Canaans, or hills
of Paradise, for doubtless Holy Writ gives warrant for such forecasting;
and surely approved masters of strategy, and warfare both offensive and
defensive, like Moses, and David, and Joshua, did not fight for the
guerdon of a fool's bauble, or a May-queen's garland. But yet, mind
thee, John, there are other great soldiers given us as ensamples in that
same Holy Writ who seemed to set no store upon the Beulahs, and cared
naught for milk or honey; men like Gideon, and Samson, and Saul, and
Joab; and still the Lord of Hosts led these men forth, and fought for
them and fended them, so long as they fought for themselves and were
careful to catch the order and obey it. I know not, Jack, these matters
are too mighty for a poor soldier like me to handle understandingly; and
still somehow it seemeth me that this same Lord of Hosts will know how
to deal mercifully even with a rough, war-worn fellow like me, who
repenteth him of his sins and hath freely given himself to do battle in
Christ's name against all Heathenesse, and to stand forth with this
handful of saints against His foes and theirs, and that, although he
cannot clearly see the Hills of Beulah, nor cares for such luscious
cates as suit some stomachs. Dost catch my meaning, boy?"
"Ay, master, and well do I wish my hope of God's favor were as fairly
founded"--
"Nay now, nay now, did not I this minute tell thee that I care naught
for sweets? Save thy honey for some maiden's lips. Ah, and now I think
on 't, here is a quiet and leisure time wherein to study out the
strategy of that wooing emprise I was telling thee of--nay, did I tell
thee?"
"Wooing--what--I--I know not fairly," stammered John Alden, but the
captain still gazing upon Hither Manomet, where now the purple bloom of
twilight was replacing the glory of the sunset, marked not the pallor
stealing the red from beneath the brown of the young fellow's cheek, nor
heard the discordant falter of his voice.
"Ay," replied he thoughtfully,--"my wooing of Priscilla Molines, thou
knowest. I thought I spoke to thee of it, but at all odds the time has
now well come when I should address the maid. I ought indeed to have
done it long ago, and mayhap she will be a bit peevish at the delay, for
doubtless her father told her ere he died of our compact, but there has
been no convenient season, and truth to tell, Jack, I have no great
heart toward the matter--yon green plateau lies betwixt me and"--
And in the sudden silence John Alden's gaze went out over the steel gray
waters, out and out to the far horizon line where the rose tint had
faded from the sky and a low line of fog gathered slowly and sadly.
"I'll tell thee, boy," suddenly resumed the captain rising from the
bench and confronting his companion, while lightly touching his breast
with the mouthpiece of the pipe upon whose cold ashes John mechanically
fixed his eyes,--"thou shalt woo her for me."
"I--I woo her--nay, master, nay"--
"And why nay, thou foolish boy? 'T will be rare practice for thee
against some of these lasses grow up, and thou wouldst fain go a-wooing
on thine own account. Nay, then, can it be that a young fellow who would
gayly go forth against Goliath of Gath were he in these parts is craven
before the bright eyes and nimble tongue of a little maid? Dost think
Priscilla will box thine ears?"
"Nay, but"--
"Nay me no buts and but me no nays, for the scheme tickles my fancy
hugely, and so it shall be. Thou seest, Jack, it were more than a little
awkward for me to show reason why I have not spoken sooner, and the fair
lady's angry dignity will be appeased by seeing that I stand in awe of
her, and woo her as princesses are wooed, by proxy. Thou shalt be my
proxy, Jack, and see thou serve me not so scurvy a trick as--ha, here
cometh the governor."
And, in effect, Bradford striding up the hill with all the vigor of his
one-and-thirty years was already so close at hand as to save John Alden
the pain of a reply.
"Good e'en, Governor," cried Standish going a step or two to meet his
guest.
"Good e'en, Captain,--Alden. There's more trouble toward about the
Billingtons."
"What now?" demanded the captain with a stern brevity auguring ill for
the frequent offender.
"Nay, 't is no willful offense this time, nor is the father to blame
except for not training his boys better; but the son John hath run away
to go to the salvages his brother says, and the mother saith he is
stolen, and whichever way it may be, he has been missing since yester
even at bedtime, and now we have to go and look him up."
"'Ill bird of an ill egg,'" growled Standish. "Mayhap 't were better not
to find him."
"And yet we must," replied Bradford gently. "And as Squanto reports that
the boy shaped his course for Manomet, my idea is that it were well for
us to take our boat and coast along the headland and so on in the course
we came at first, observing the shore, and noting such points as may be
of use in the future. Mayhap we shall come as far as the First
Encounter, and make out whether those salvages whom Squanto calls the
Nausets are still so dangerously disposed toward us. At any rate we will
try to discover our creditors for the seed-corn springing so greenly
over yonder."
"Pity that Winslow hath gone to Sowams to visit Massasoit," remarked the
captain dryly. "We shall miss his subtle wit in these delicate affairs
of state."
"Yes, and if it comes to blows we shall miss no less Stephen Hopkins's
doughty arm," replied Bradford. "But sith both are gone, we had better
leave the Elder in charge of the settlement along with Master Allerton,
John Howland, who is a stout man-at-arms, John Alden, Gilbert Winslow,
Dotey, and Cooke."
"Seven men in all."
"Yes, and with Winslow and Hopkins away, that leaves ten of us to go on
this expedition, and I shall take Lister lest he brawl with Dotey, and
Billington not only that he is the boy's father, but lest he raise a
sedition in the camp."
"Well thought on. I tell thee thou hast a head-piece of thine own, Will,
though thou art so mild spoken."
Bradford laughed with a glance of affectionate recognition of the
soldier's compliment, and then the two arranged the details of the
proposed expedition, while Alden standing straight and still as a statue
watched the gloom of night blotting all the color from sky, and sea, and
shore, even as the fog crept stealthily in swallowing all before it, and
a great dumb wave of sorrow and dismay surged up from his own heart, and
swallowed all the brightness of his life.
Suddenly from the Town Square at the foot of the hill rose the sound of
a drum not inartistically touched, and both the governor and the captain
rose to their feet.
"Bart Allerton hath learned to use the drumsticks as if he had served
with us in Flanders," said the soldier complacently, as they turned down
the little sinuous footpath.
"Yes," replied the governor gravely. "He does credit to thy teaching,
Captain, and yet methinks there may be danger that a vain delight in
his own performance may cause the lad, and haply others, to forget that
this, for lack of a bell, is our call to prayer. Couldst thou find it in
thy heart, Myles, to direct that in future the drum shall sound but
three heavy and unmodulated beats?"
"Oh ay, if it will please thee better, Will. Didst ever read of the
tyrant Procrustes?"
"What of him?"
"Only that he would force all men to fit to one measure, though he
dragged the life out of them. Dost fancy the God to whom we shall
presently pray is better pleased with a dreary noise than with some hint
at melody? Alden, come on, lad, 't is time for prayers, and thy woesome
face suits the occasion. What's amiss, lad?"
"Naught's amiss, master," replied the youth more briefly than his wont,
and with a sudden spring from a projecting bowlder he passed the two
elder men and arrived first at the Common house.
"That younker's face and voice are not so blithe as might be. Hast been
chiding him, Myles?" asked Bradford as they followed down the hill.
"Nay," replied the captain. "But like enough he's thwarted at missing
the chance of a brush with the redskins to-morrow, and 't is a pity."
"Nay, Myles, look not so pensive on 't," responded the governor
laughing. "There are men, believe it if you can, who love the smell of
roses better than of blood. To my fancy John Alden--but there, light
jesting is surely ill befitting the hour of prayer."