how far?"

"Suppose walk, five days; big wind in ship, one day."

"And how camest thou, and when?"

"Ship. Three, four moons ago."

"Ah, then it is not an armed assault upon us," said Carver aside and in
a tone of relief.

"Nay, these salvages are more treacherous than a quicksand. Try him with
more questions," suggested Hopkins, the other men murmuring assent,
while the Indian glancing with his opaque, black eyes from one to
another showed not how much he understood of what went on about him.

"'In vino veritas,'" suggested Bradford with a smile. "Were it not well
to give him something by way of welcome?"

"Samoset like beer. Much talk make throat dry like brook in summer,"
remarked the guest, but whether in response or not no one could say.

"Thou 'rt right, man, and though thy skin's tawny, thy inside is very
like a white man's," exclaimed Standish with a laugh. "John Alden, thou
knowest the cupboards of this place passing well; find our friend
wherewith to fill yon dry brook-bed of a throat; that is with the
governor's permission."

"Surely, surely, Captain Standish," replied Carver with gentle alacrity.
"Your word is enough. And while Alden finds wherewithal to feed and
quench his thirst, John Howland shall bring a mantle or cloak from my
house to throw about him, for it is not seemly that our people should
see us entertaining a man stark as he was born."

"'T is well said, Master Carver. I had some such thought myself," said
Allerton rather primly, while Hopkins and Billington exchanged an
irreverent grin, and Standish stroked his moustache.

The cloak was brought, and gracefully accepted by Samoset, who evidently
regarded it as a ceremonial robe of state, designed to mark his
admittance as an honored guest at the white men's board, and draping it
toga-wise across his shoulder, he sat down to a plentiful repast of cold
duck, biscuit, butter, cheese, and a kind of sausage called black
pudding. To these solids was added a comfortable tankard of spirits and
water, from which Samoset at once imbibed a protracted draught.

"Englishman have better drink than poor Indian," remarked he placing the
tankard close beside his plate, and seizing a leg of the duck in his
hands.

"'T is sure enough that he has been much with white men,--yes, and
Englishmen, too, by the way he takes down his liquor," remarked Hopkins.

"Nay, methinks our Dutch brethren could take down a deep draught, too,
and this is their own l