r of thanksgiving"--

"A sort of grace after meat," suggested Billington in an aside; but the
elder heard him, and turning the current of his wrath in that direction
exclaimed,--

"Peace, ribald! Thou art worse than the heathen in making sport of holy
things."

"I knew not yon antics were holy things, Elder," retorted the reckless
jester; but Standish ranging up alongside of him muttered,--

"One word more and thou 'lt deal with me, John Billington," and though
the reprobate affected to laugh contemptuously he remained silent.

To the solemn feast-dance succeeded a more lively measure accompanied
with barbarous sounds intended for singing, and the performance ended
with gestures and pantomime obviously suggesting a treaty of amity and
peace, as indeed Samoset presently interpreted it, closing the scene
with the offer of such skins as the men wore upon their arms, and
promises of more furs in the near future.

But the Sunday-keeping Pilgrims would not enter even into the semblance
of trade upon that day, and, although they could not explain the reason
to the Indians, made them understand that their dances, their singing,
and their gifts, which were of course to be repaid, were all impossible
for them to consider upon that day, and that, in fact, the sooner they
withdrew from the village the better their hosts would be pleased.
Adding however the wisdom of the serpent to the guilelessness of the
dove, they coupled with this dismissal a very earnest invitation for the
savages to return on the morrow and bring more skins, indeed all that
they could spare, the white men promising to purchase them at a fair
price.

The Indians listened gravely to so much of this harangue as Samoset
translated to them, and the five new-comers at once, and with no
ceremony of farewell, glided one after the other down the path leading
past the spring to Watson's Hill, and were no more seen; but Samoset
throwing himself upon the ground pressed his hands upon his stomach
moaning loudly and declaring himself in great agony.

"He has a colic from over-feeding. Give him a dose of strong waters and
capsicum," said the elder compassionately; and Standish with a grim
smile remarked, "Truly the man hath been an apt scholar in the ways of
civilization. He minds me of a varlet of mine own, whose colics I
effectually cured after a while by mingling a certain drug with the
strong waters he craved. 'T was better than a sea-voyage for clearing
his st