o take
thee to Plymouth."

Before the words were fairly out of her mouth Daniel had popped out of
bed as if he had been shot from a gun. "Oh, Mother," he shouted, "am
I really to go? Shall I go clear to Providence? Doth Captain Sanders
know? When do we start?"

"Thy father arranged it with the Captain last night," answered his
mother. "He will come for thee in the little boat on Monday morning
and will row thee and thy father to the sloop, which will sail at high
tide. While thy father makes the journey across the Cape thou wilt go
on to Provincetown with the Captain, or mayhap, if visitors are now
permitted in the Colony, my aunt, the Governor's lady, will keep thee
with her until thy father returns. She would like well to see my son,
I know, and I trust thou wilt be a good lad and mind thy manners.
Come, Nancy, child, I need thy help!" Then she disappeared down the
ladder to stir the hasty pudding, which was already bubbling in the
pot.

When she was gone, Nancy flung herself upon the mattress and buried
her face in the bed-clothes. "Oh, Daniel," she cried, smothering a
sob, "what if the p-p-pirates should get thee?"

Daniel was at her side in an instant. "Give thyself no concern about
pirates, sister," he said, patting her comfortingly. "I have thought
how to deal with them! I shall stand by the rail with my cutlass in
my hand, and when they seek to board her I will bring down my cutlass
so,"--here he made a terrific sweep with his arm,--"and that will be
the end of them."

"Oh," breathed Nancy, much impressed, "how brave thou art!"

"Well," said Daniel modestly, "there 'd be the Captain and father to
help, of course, and, I suppose, the mate too. There will be four of
us men anyway."

"_Nancy!_--_Daniel!_"--it was their father's voice this time, and the
two children jumped guiltily and began to dress as if the house were
on fire and they had but two minutes to escape. In a surprisingly
short time they were downstairs and attending to their morning tasks.
Nancy, looking very solemn, fed the chickens, and Dan brought water
from the spring, while their father milked the cow; and by six o'clock
their breakfast of hasty pudding and milk had been eaten, prayers were
over, and the whole family was ready for the real work of the day.
There was a great deal of it to do, for nothing but "works of
necessity and mercy" could be performed on the Sabbath, the Sabbath
began at sundown Saturday afternoon, and the travelle