in Smith, nor father to say I
may go there or shall come here; but yet would serve you as keenly as
might any man, save mayhap my strength, which will increase, be not so
great as would be found in those older."

Whether this valiant soldier was pleased with my words, or if in good
truth boys were needed in the enterprise, I cannot say; but certain it
is he spoke me fairly, writing down upon a piece of paper, which he tore
from his tablets, the name of the street in which he had lodgings, and
asking, as he handed it to me, if I could read.

Now it was that I gave silent thanks, because of what had seemed to me
a hardship when my mother forced me to spend so many hours each day in
learning to use a quill, until I was able to write a clerkly hand.

It seemed to please this great soldier that I could do what few of the
lads in that day had been taught to master, and, without further ado, he
said to me boldly:

"You shall journey into Virginia with me, an' it please you, lad. What
is more, I will take upon myself the charge of outfitting you, and time
shall tell whether you have enough of manliness in you to repay me the
cost."

Then it was that Nathaniel raised his voice; but the captain gave him
no satisfaction, declaring it was the duty of a true lad to stand by his
mother, and that he would lend his aid to none who had a home, and in it
those who cared for him.

I could have talked with this brave soldier until the night had come,
and would never have wearied of asking concerning what might be found in
that new world of Virginia; but it so chanced that when the business was
thus far advanced, the apprentices were done with striving to break
each other's heads, and Captain Smith, bidding me come to his house next
morning, went his way.

THE PLANS OF THE LONDON COMPANY

Then it was that Nathaniel declared he also would go on the voyage to
Virginia, whether it pleased Captain Smith or no, and I, who should have
set my face against his running away from home, spoke no word to oppose
him, because it would please me to have him as comrade.

After this I went more than once to the house where Captain Smith
lodged, and learned very much concerning what it was proposed to do
toward building a town in the new world.

Both Nathaniel and I had believed it was the king who counted to send
all these people overseas; but I learned from my new master that a
company of London merchants was in charge of the enterprise