orn before the last one, Captain Dermer carried
them away in his ship," replied Squanto proud of his English and his
information.

"Ay, ay, and now we understand why these Nauset Indians attacked us at
the First Encounter," said Standish.

"Especially as they had probably watched us stealing their corn," added
Fuller dryly.

"Borrowing, not stealing, Surgeon," retorted Bradford briskly. "And a
part of our errand to the First Encounter is to satisfy our creditor for
the debt. Let us be going."

An hour later the shallop, now riding gayly upon the flood tide, put
forth from Barnstable Harbor, carrying not only its own crew, but Janno
with several of his followers, he having volunteered as guide and
negotiator with Aspinet for the restoration of little Billington.

The voyage prospered, and before night the boy, decked with strings of
beads and various savage ornaments, was restored to his guardians by
Aspinet himself; while the first red man allowed to come on board the
shallop was the owner of the corn "borrowed" by the Pilgrims, who now
repaid its value twofold by an order for goods to be delivered at
Plymouth. But more important than boy or corn, at any rate to the ears
of Standish, was a report here received that the Narragansetts, their
friend Massasoit's neighbors and deadly foes, had made a raid upon his
domains and carried him away prisoner. Also that one of Massasoit's
pnieses called Corbitant had become an ally of the Narragansetts, and
was now at Namasket, only fourteen miles from Plymouth, trying to raise
a revolt against both his chief and the white men their allies. He was
also fiercely denouncing Squanto, Hobomok, and Tockamahamon as renegades
and traitors to their own people, who should be at once put to death.

This news was so alarming that without waiting for trade, or for the
feast offered to them, the Pilgrims at once set sail, and after stormy
weather and sundry adventures arrived safely at home toward night of the
third day from their departure. John Billington was received with
vociferous joy by his mother, treated to a lithe bundle of birch rods by
his father, and assaulted by his brother, who at once fought him for the
possession of the bead necklaces and other gauds he had brought home.
The men of the colony were meantime hearing the report brought in by
Nepeof, a sachem just from Namasket, of the treacherous proceedings
there, and before they had been three hours at home Squanto and Hobom