on the voyage home. I'll have no dead men
haunting me and bringing a plague upon the ship."

"Truly we are greatly beholden to you, Master Jones," began Carver in
great surprise, but the mariner raised his hand and continued,--

"Nay, hear me out, for that's not all. I went ashore to-day and shot
five geese, and here they are, all of them, not one spared, though I
could have well fancied a bit of goose to my supper, but I brought all
to you, and more than that, even, for here is the better half of a buck
we found in the wood ready shot to our hand. The Indians had cut off his
horns and carried them away, and doubtless were gone for help to carry
the carcase home when we came upon it; haply they saw us coming and made
a run for it; at all odds they had left him as he fell, and Sir Wolf was
already tearing at his throat so busily that he knew not friends were
nigh, until a bullet through his head heralded our coming. So here are
the haunches for you, and I content myself with the poorer parts."

Taking the articles named from a bag which the sailor had at his
direction laid upon the floor, Jones ranged them in an imposing line in
the centre of the room, and resuming his chair looked at his hosts still
in that conciliatory and half timid manner so utterly new to them and
foreign to his usual demeanor.

"We are, indeed, deeply beholden to you, Master Jones," said Carver at
length in his grave and courteous tones. "But if I may freely speak my
thought, and if I read my brethren's minds aright, we cannot but muse
curiously upon this sudden and marvelous change in your dealings with
us, and would fain know its meaning."

"Feeling certain that Master Jones is not one to give something for
nothing, and so in common prudence wishing to know at the outset what
price he expects for bearing himself in Christian charity, as he seemeth
desirous to do," suggested Standish with more candor than diplomacy.

"Thou 'rt ever ready with thy gibes on better men than thyself, art
not?" exclaimed Jones turning angrily upon him. For reply Standish
leaned back in his chair, pulled at his red beard, and laughed
contemptuously; but Winslow hastily interposed with a voice like oil
upon the waves.

"Our captain will still have his jest upon all of us, Master Jones, but
in truth as the governor hath said, we cannot but admire at this
wonderful generosity on thy part, and fain would know whence it
ariseth."

"Why, sure 't is not far to seek,"