.

"O enter then His gates with praise,
Approach with joy His courts unto:
Praise, laud, and bless His name always,
For it is seemly so to do.

"For why? The Lord our God is good,
His mercy is forever sure;
His truth at all times firmly stood,
And shall from age to age endure."

This grand hymn rose and swelled and vibrated in the still November air;
while in between the pauses came the warble of birds, the scream of the
jay, the hoarse call of hawk and eagle, going on with their forest ways
all unmindful of the new era which had been ushered in with those solemn
sounds.

CHAPTER II.

THE FIRST DAY ON SHORE.

The sound of prayer and psalm-singing died away on the shore, and the
little band, rising from their knees, saluted each other in that genial
humor which always possesses a ship's company when they have weathered
the ocean and come to land together.

"Well, Master Jones, here we' are," said Elder Brewster cheerily to the
ship-master.

"Aye, aye, sir, here we be sure enough; but I've had many a shrewd doubt
of this upshot. I tell you, sirs, when that beam amidships sprung and
cracked Master Coppin here said we must give over--hands couldn't bring
her through. Thou rememberest, Master Coppin?"

"That I do," replied Master Coppin, the first mate, a stocky, cheery
sailor, with a face red and shining as a glazed bun. "I said then that
praying might save her, perhaps, but nothing else would."

"Praying wouldn't have saved her," said Master Brown, the carpenter, "if
I had not put in that screw and worked the beam to her place again."

"Aye, aye, Master Carpenter," said Elder Brewster, "the Lord hath
abundance of the needful ever to his hand. When He wills to answer
prayer, there will be found both carpenter and screws in their season, I
trow."

"Well, Deb," said Master Coppin, pinching the ear of a great mastiff
bitch who sat by him, "what sayest thou? Give us thy mind on it, old
girl; say, wilt thou go deer-hunting with us yonder?"

The dog, who was full of the excitement of all around, wagged her tail
and gave three tremendous barks, whereat a little spaniel with curly
ears, that stood by Rose Standish, barked aloud.

"Well done!" said Captain Miles Standish. "Why, here is a salute of
ordnance! Old Deb is in the spirit of the thing and opens out like a
cannon. The old girl is spoiling for a chase in those woods."

"Father, may I go ashore? I want to see the country," said Wrestling
B