ested Hopkins, always anxious to be
stirring.

"Nay, 't is but poor soldiership to part from our arms even for so brief
a space," said Winslow. "There be other matters, cloaks and haversacks,
and such like, that can be carried, but the arms and armor should abide
with them who wear them."

"Master Winslow may do as seemeth good in his own eyes, but my armor
goeth now," retorted Hopkins in a belligerent tone. And loading himself
with his breastplate, steel cap, matchlock, and bullet pouch, he strode
obstinately away to the boat, lying some three or four hundred yards
distant, waiting for the tide to float her.

Standish watched him disapprovingly, and, turning to Carver, he inquired
significantly,--

"What saith our governor?"

"Let each man do as seemeth good to himself," replied Carver placably.
"'T is of no great import."

"My snaphance goes nowhere out of reach of my right hand," announced
Standish somewhat sharply, for the want of discipline grieved him, and
Bradford, Winslow, and Howland silently indorsed both his action and his
feeling. The courteous Carver said nothing, and did nothing, but a
sailor seeing the governor's armor lying together, carried it down to
the boat, thinking to do him a service.

Reaching the shore, Hopkins found the boat surrounded by a few inches of
water, and, not caring to wade out to her, laid his load upon the shore,
to wait until she fairly floated,--an example followed by the rest, some
of whom strolled back to the camp, while others stood talking to those
who had slept on board, until a summons to breakfast quickened their
motions; but just as the laggards entered the randevous the same
horrible noise that had so startled Edward Dotey burst forth again,
while one of the sailors yet lingering by the shore came rushing up,
shouting like a madman,--

"Salvages! Indians! They are men!" and, as if to prove his words, a
shower of arrows came rattling into the randevous, one of them
transfixing the lump of boiled beef laid ready for breakfast.

"Why didn't you bring up your pieces again, ye fools!" cried Standish
angrily. "Run, now, and recover them before the enemy seizes them, while
we men of wit cover your course."

Not waiting to dispute the style of this command, the unarmed men
hastened to obey it, while Standish, taking position at the open
entrance of the barricade, fired his shaphance in the direction where
the sailor pointed; Bradford followed suit; but as Winslow an