Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1931-05-15
CHAPTER Continued

1HCN HdQ DCCn ulOAC imam SAANl Qdgo
at sea when they came into a breath
less calm. The captain was worried
as night fell. He said that he saw in
the darkness strange light resting
for a moment on the mast. He was
watching for 1t to reappear. 1t was
a bad sign, he said, if it came not
again. The passengers could hear dis
tant thunder and a strange roaring
beyond the horizon in the southwest.
Then they were driven under matches
--all save Will Heydon, favorite of
the captain. The young man had
begged for the privilege of staying in
the weather to lend hand in case Of
need. By midnight the ship lay at hull
in a mighty wind. A mast was cut
down. Before daylight the waves had
beat off the roundhouse. He who cund
the ship had to be dashed to his place
for fear of washing away. When the
storm passed, the Handmade was so
foundered in the sea that none thought
she could rise again. The frantic bel
lowing of the cattle which had been a
part of the tumult had ceased. They
were dead.
The sea was going down. All able
bodied men were summoned to the
pumps. Three days and nights they
were lifting water while the carpen-
tiers were making repairs. Soon the
ship began to rise. Then all heard
how William Heydon, dashed to the
stern stays when a great wave swept
the deck, had seized the captains
waist and kept him from going over
board. fair wind favored them.
They spread what sails they could
carry. The wind quickened to a gale
and sped them landward In two more
weeks on fIood-tide they swung into
bright day. The land odors and the
look of the shore filled the adventurers
with a great joy. They were all on
deck Many. having lost their clothes
in the storm, were ragged and half
clad. "Cap'n John," as he was famil-
iarly called, addressed them briefly as
follows: L
1.-THE savages say O. the whites that
they are the people who talk with
God ! reckon that you know why we
do it. If you didn't have it before
you're likely to get the habit comm
over. When it's the toss of penny
between port and sea grave nobody
is careless in choosin between God
and the devil. In fact they're apt to
be careful long time after that has
happened. Now let us all bow our
heads and do little private talkin'."
1t seemed as if all the good people
Of Portsmouth were crowded about the
landing, with furs, seashells, fish, In
dian arrows and other merchandise,
crying their wares.
Next day the young men and some
others took water for Boston in a
shallop with all their goods.
Boston was a lusty young village
of more than a hundred houses in a
scatter of green trees. There were
two hills next to the sea. Some of
the smaller houses were built of tree
trunks with the bark on them. Some
Of frames covered with clapboards
with breakneck roofs in the rear. A
few were built Of brick and stone and
rooted with slate or planks. On we'll
ordered, comely streets, were a mill,
a smithy, a fish market, an inn and
number of stores. trading mainly in
furs, clothing, linen, hardware, wam-
pun and fishing gear. Robert and
William went to the inn and, after a
day of looking about, to the house of
Rev. John Cotton, whose hands had
touched their heads in blessing when
he was the vicar of st. Botolphs-a
magnificent church of that parish, by
common report, the greatest in Eng
land. They were familiar with the
thrilling story of his escape in dis
guise from the high commission of the
king and his violent, Fostering Bishop
Laud. He was graduate of Trinity
college, a fellow and dean of En-
manuel's college, where these boys
had spent year and had hoped to
spend other years. From this rich,
learned and sumptuous environment
Cotton had come to the crude, rough
wood meeting house on the edge of
vast wilderness as the teacher of the
people of New Boston-mostly I'M
sehooled but serious-minded.
He received the young men with
warm heart and the clerical fashion of
speech.
welcome, my boysl You are as
those come to another planet. Youth
and strength and courage backed with
the good English blood are needed here.
/ have heard of your frightful voyage
and of a fine brave thing Heydon
did"
The young man was quick to an
swer Il am sorry. 1 do not want a
reputation TO live up to that is on 50