Problems in Plymouth Read online

  The Native American man mumbled something and pointed. The children followed him.

  John looked around and said, “This isn’t the way back to Plymouth.”

  “Then where are they taking us?” Patrick asked.

  “I don’t know,” John said.

  They walked on. Beth asked, “Do you think they’ll hurt us?”

  “They won’t hurt us unless they want to start a war,” John said.

  “It sounds like you’re at war now,” Patrick said.

  “No. We’re friends with some of the tribes,” John said. “There’s an Indian named Squanto who has helped us. He speaks English.”

  “Squanto?” Beth said. “I know him! He taught you how to plant corn. And how to use fish as fertilizer!”

  John looked surprised. “How do you know that?”

  Beth realized she had said too much.

  “Are you from some other colony we don’t know about?” John asked. “Who are you? How did you get here?”

  Beth didn’t know what to say.

  Patrick cleared his throat. “We’re from another part of the country,” he said. “We’ve heard stories about Squanto.”

  John looked at them suspiciously. “What kinds of stories?” he asked.

  Patrick thought for a moment. “He helped create a treaty between you and the Indians.”

  “That’s true,” John said. “We won’t attack them. They won’t attack us. We also made a promise. We’ll help each other if enemy tribes or traders attack.”

  “But that’s a good treaty!” Beth said. “So why don’t you trust each other?”

  “Because we’re afraid,” John said.

  Patrick breathed in a salty ocean smell. He looked ahead. They were coming to another village. It was next to an ocean bay. The village was large and had many more teepees.

  The native man took the children to the middle of the village. A large, dark-skinned man walked over to them. He wore a huge headdress of feathers.

  This is the chief, Patrick thought. The chief nodded to the native man who had brought them. The man bowed and left.

  The chief looked at each of the children and spoke. “I am Aspinet,” he said. “Chief of the Nauset tribe.”

  He fixed his dark eyes on them. “You and your people have caused us much pain.”

  Patrick gulped and wondered, Is the chief planning to cause us much pain in return?

  The Chief

  Aspinet studied the cousins for a moment. Then his eaglelike eyes fixed on John.

  “My warriors tell me that you and your friends are spies,” Aspinet said.

  “Spies! No!” John cried out. “I was lost. I couldn’t fi nd my village.”

  “You should not have left your village,” Aspinet said. “We do not want you in our forests. Or anywhere near us.”

  “But—” John started.

  “Your people make slaves of our people,” Aspinet said with a scowl.

  “Those weren’t my people,” John said. “My people—the ones in Plymouth, I mean—aren’t here for slaves or for gold. We want to be your friends.”

  “Yet you stole from us,” Aspinet said. “Friends do not steal from friends.”

  John shook his head. “We wouldn’t steal from you.”

  “No? We buried corn for the winter. You stole it,” Aspinet said.

  John lowered his eyes. He looked guilty.

  Beth guessed that the chief was telling the truth.

  “Take them away,” the chief said.

  Two natives came forward.

  “Please,” John said. “Let me explain.”

  Aspinet turned his head and waved a hand to dismiss them.

  The three children were led away by the Native Americans. They were put inside a teepee. Beth thought the animal-skin walls smelled like a burned steak.

  The natives left. One stood guard just outside the tent.

  John sat down and sighed.

  Patrick stood over him. “Did someone from Plymouth steal the chief’s corn?” he asked.

  John nodded slowly. “Yes,” he said. “Though we didn’t mean to steal it.”

  “How could you steal something and not mean to?” Beth asked.

  “We arrived in the winter,” John said. “The voyage from England took longer than we thought. Sixty-seven days! Our food and supplies were almost gone. Many of our people died on the way.”

  Beth could imagine how hard it must have been. Two months on a ship is a long time.

  John said, “When we landed here, we thought we would find food. But there wasn’t much around.”

  John looked up at Beth. He had dark circles under his eyes. They were black against his pale skin. Beth noticed how thin he looked.

  “More people died from starvation and sickness,” John said. “Then one day we found a strange pile of branches. At first we thought it was a grave. Or maybe a store of weapons. So we dug it up. It was corn.”

  “The Indians stored the corn in the ground?” Beth asked.

  “That’s how they store things,” John said.

  “That doesn’t mean you’re allowed to steal it,” Patrick said.

  “Our leaders thought the corn was a gift from God,” John said. “We used the corn kernels for seeds.”

  Patrick folded his arms and frowned.

  “We were going to replace the seed corn,” said John.

  “But you haven’t yet,” Beth said. Now she understood why Aspinet didn’t trust the Pilgrims.

  The opening to the teepee was pushed aside. A tall native man stepped inside with a basket. He dropped it on the ground and left again.

  The basket was filled with bits of meat.

  John leaped at the meat. He began to eat quickly.

  Patrick and Beth hesitated.

  “What is that?” Patrick asked.

  John didn’t look up. “I don’t know,” he said with a full mouth. “Deer. Perhaps beaver.”

  Suddenly there was a shout outside. More shouts followed. The camp stirred with activity.

  Beth and Patrick peeked outside. Native American men were running to the shore. They carried bows, arrows, and spears.

  The guard outside the teepee stayed where he was. He grunted a warning at the cousins.

  Beth and Patrick watched as a small boat came into view. Its white sails fluttered in the wind. There were ten men standing in the boat. All but one held muskets. They were dressed like Englishmen.

  “Are they from Plymouth?” Beth asked.

  John joined them at the teepee opening. “That’s our shallop!” he shouted. “I see my father!”

  The warriors raced toward the boat. They carried weapons.

  Beth gasped. “The Pilgrims are going to be attacked!” she said.

  The Shallop

  The shallop came closer to the shore. The native warriors gathered. The men from Plymouth held up their muskets.

  A tall, bearded man stood in the front of the boat. He was the only man without a gun. He held his hand up to the natives.

  Patrick whispered to John, “Who’s in the front?”

  “That’s William Bradford,” John said. “He’s the new governor of Plymouth.”

  The shallop reached the shore. The natives didn’t attack. But they kept their bows and arrows ready.

  Some of the Englishmen pointed their muskets at the natives. Then two men jumped into the water. They pulled the boat onto the sand.

  The Native Americans came forward. They raised their weapons as if they were going to attack.

  The Englishmen leaped from the boat. They kept their muskets up and ready.

  The two groups faced each other for a moment. The cousins held their breath.

  Governor Bradford stepped toward the natives. He raised his hand. Then he lowered it.

  “I think he’s giving them the sign of peace,” John said.

  Governor Bradford turned to his men. He said something the children couldn’t hear. The men lowered their guns to their sides.

  Chief A
spinet strode across the sand. The large headdress made him appear very tall.

  A group of Native American men came with him. They also carried weapons.

  It looked as if there were a hundred natives. If the Pilgrims and the natives fight, the natives will win, Patrick thought.

  The chief signaled his men. The ones with weapons stepped back. The ones without weapons followed the chief to the group of Englishmen.

  Patrick asked, “Which one is your dad?”

  John said, “The one in gray.”

  The man in gray stood off to one side. He turned his head quickly to the left and right.

  “He’s searching for you,” Beth told John.

  John nodded. He leaned out of the teepee and waved so his father could see him.

  The guard slapped John’s hand down. Then the man moved in front of the children. Now he blocked the opening. The children had to change positions to see the beach.

  Governor Bradford and Chief Aspinet stood face-to-face. Governor Bradford bowed to Aspinet, and the chief bowed back.

  Governor Bradford motioned to some men. They brought forward a small open box.

  Aspinet reached inside. He lifted what looked like strands of beads.

  “What are they doing?” Patrick whispered.

  “Bradford is trading with them,” John said.

  The chief shook his head. He dropped the beads back into the box.

  “He doesn’t want them,” said John.

  Aspinet motioned to one of his warriors. Suddenly the warrior sprinted away. He ran toward their teepee. He spoke to the children’s guard.

  The guard grunted for the children to come out.

  The warrior stepped in front of them. He had red paint streaked across his face. John moved as if he might run to his father. But the warrior put a heavy hand on his shoulder.

  Aspinet called out. The warrior and guard moved aside.

  Now the Englishmen could see the children. The men shouted with joy.

  “John! John Junior!” Mr. Billington called out.

  “God be praised,” another man said.

  Chief Aspinet motioned for them to come closer.

  John, Patrick, and Beth followed the warrior.

  They came within a few yards of the group. Then the chief held up his hand.

  The warrior stopped. He held up his arms to keep the children back.

  “Why won’t they let us go?” Beth asked.

  John looked worried. He said, “I think the chief plans to trade us.”

  The Trade

  Beth had a clearer view of the Englishmen. She thought Governor Bradford looked kind. She liked his thin face and scruffy beard.

  The governor looked at her and then at Patrick. He seemed puzzled. Beth realized that the governor must be wondering who they were.

  Chief Aspinet cleared his throat. “Speak,” said the chief.

  “My good friend,” Governor Bradford said with a bow. “We want to keep peace with all the Indian tribes. We have made a treaty with Chief Yellow Feather. We have agreed that no Indian will hurt an innocent man, woman, or child. So we have come to get our boy.”

  The chief grunted. “Chief Yellow Feather is not the chief of all our tribes.”

  “I know,” Governor Bradford said. “But he is powerful, and your people respect him.”

  “Yellow Feather didn’t ask me before he made the treaty with you,” Aspinet said. “Why should I honor his treaty?”

  “Because you desire peace among our peoples. Just as I do,” Governor Bradford said.

  Aspinet pointed to the box of beads. “Did you give Yellow Feather more than beads?” The governor didn’t answer.

  Aspinet looked at the children. “Our peace and those children are worth more than beads,” the chief said.

  “You were right,” Patrick whispered to John. “He’s using us to trade.”

  Governor Bradford looked at the children and then nodded. He reached into his coat. He took out a knife in a leather case. He handed it to Aspinet. “This came from my country,” Governor Bradford said. “You have nothing like it here.”

  Aspinet’s eyes flickered with interest.

  Beth remembered that Native Americans made knives out of sharp rocks. A steel knife from England would be very valuable to the chief.

  Aspinet took the knife. He uncovered the blade and studied it carefully. He ran a finger along the knife’s sharp edge.

  The chief grunted. He put the knife back in its case. “This is a fair trade for the boy,” he said. He lifted his hand.

  The warrior moved aside. The three children moved to go to Bradford, but the warrior grabbed Patrick and Beth. He shook his head at them.

  John rushed to his father. Mr. Billington grabbed his son in a bear hug. He lifted him off the ground.

  Aspinet asked, “What will you give in exchange for the second boy?”

  Governor Bradford looked at Patrick. He didn’t know who Patrick was. Beth was suddenly afraid the governor wouldn’t trade anything for Patrick. Or for her.

  Governor Bradford turned to Aspinet. “I have another knife. It’s mine.” He reached inside his coat again. This time the exchange was quick. Aspinet didn’t inspect the weapon.

  “What about the girl?” Aspinet said.

  Governor Bradford looked at Beth. She looked back. Her eyes pleaded with him.

  The governor looked at her helplessly. He said to Aspinet, “The beads are all I have left.”

  “Not good enough,” the chief said.

  Suddenly Beth had an idea.

  “I have something!” she called out.

  All eyes turned to her.

  Patrick looked at her. “What are you doing?”

  Beth reached in her pocket. She pulled out the hand mirror. “I have this,” she said.

  She held it up. The sun’s rays bounced off the mirror. It gleamed.

  The warrior seemed startled and stepped away from her.

  Aspinet held out his hand. Beth carried the mirror to him. “It’s called a mirror,” she said.

  Aspinet took the mirror. He looked into it. His eyes grew large. Beth could tell he had never seen his face so clearly before. The chief carefully turned the mirror around. Then he turned it upside down.

  Governor Bradford smiled at Beth.

  Aspinet held up the mirror. The other natives moved closer to see. They gasped and moved away.

  Beth saw a smile form on the chief’s face. He nodded at Beth. “You may go,” he said.

  Beth joined Patrick and John.

  The governor ordered everyone to get into the shallop.

  As the Englishmen moved, Aspinet shouted, “Wait! We’re not finished!”

  Governor Bradford waited.

  “You have stolen corn from us,” the chief said.

  Governor Bradford bowed slightly. “Yes, great chief. We’ve wronged you, but we will make it right.”

  “How?” asked the chief.

  “Send some of your men to our colony. Then we’ll gladly give back what we took,” said the governor. “I’m sorry.”

  Chief Aspinet seemed to think for a moment. “I will send my men,” he finally said with a nod.

  Next the Englishmen helped the cousins into the shallop. Then the governor climbed aboard. The rest of the men joined them.

  Beth noticed that the Englishmen never took their eyes off the warriors. Just in case.

  But the natives weren’t interested in the Pilgrims. Instead they gathered around Aspinet to look at the mirror.

  The shallop moved away from the shore. Governor Bradford sat down next to the cousins. “Who are you? How did you get here?” he asked.

  Patrick and Beth looked at each other. Beth thought they should know what to say by now. But it was always awkward to explain.

  Governor Bradford asked, “Are you the children of traders or those seeking freedom to worship? Do you live far from here?”

  “Very far,” Patrick said.

  “It must be,” the governor said. H
e sounded confused. “I know of no settlements near here.”

  “We came to find a man who is lost,” Beth said.

  “Has he been captured by the Indians?” Governor Bradford asked.

  “We don’t know,” Patrick said. “He ran off into the woods.”

  The governor frowned. “It’s not safe for a white man to wander around alone,” he said.

  Just then John and Mr. Billington came over.

  “Thank you for saving my son,” Mr. Billington said to Governor Bradford.

  “I’m truly grateful, sir,” added John.

  “You shouldn’t thank me,” said Governor Bradford. “Chief Yellow Feather told us where you were. You owe him your life.”

  After an hour, the shallop approached the shore. Beth heard a shout.

  A man was running down the beach.

  “Hurry, governor!” he shouted. “Something terrible has happened!”

  The governor stood. “What is it? What’s wrong?” he called to the man.

  “An attack!” the man cried out. “There’s been an attack!”

  Kidnapped!

  The shallop landed. Beth, Patrick, and the Pilgrims scrambled to shore.

  Governor Bradford rushed to the shouting man. “Calm down,” he said. “Tell me what happened.”

  The man was almost breathless. He said between gasps, “Chief … Yellow Feather’s … village has been … attacked.”

  “By whom?” Governor Bradford asked.

  “Chief Corbitant and … his tribe,” the man said. He took a deep breath. Then he blurted, “Corbitant wants to break the power of Chief Yellow Feather.”

  Governor Bradford sighed. “It didn’t take long for the treaty to be tested,” he said.

  “It’s worse,” said the man. “They’ve kidnapped Squanto!”

  The governor’s eyes widened. “Call the men to the meeting hall,” he said.

  The man rushed off.

  The cousins walked with the governor and the other men. They approached the Plymouth plantation.

  Patrick was surprised at how bare the place was. There was a makeshift fence around simple wooden-frame houses. The roofs were made of thatch. Each house looked as if it had a giant bird’s nest on top.