ilor was me," admitted the Captain. "That 's what became of
him, and served him right, too."

They slept that night on the deck of the sloop, and before light the
next morning Dan was awakened by the groaning of the chain as the
anchor was hauled up, and the flapping of the sails as Timothy hoisted
them to catch a stiff breeze which was blowing from the northeast.
The second day passed like the first. The weather was fine, the winds
favorable, and that evening they rounded Duxbury Point and entered
Plymouth Bay just as the sun sank behind the hills back of the town.

"Here 's the spot where the Mayflower dropped anchor," said the
Captain, as the sloop approached a strip of sandy beach stretching
like a long finger into the water. "I generally bring the Lucy Ann to
at the same place. She can't go out again till high tide to-morrow,
for the harbor is shallow and we 'd likely run aground; so ye 'll have
the whole morning to spend with your relations, and that 's more than
I 'd want to spend with some of mine, I 'm telling ye," and he roared
with laughter. "Relations is like victuals," he went on. "Some agrees
with ye, and some don't."

"Our relations are the Bradfords," said Goodman Pepperell with
dignity.

"And a better man than the Governor never trod shoe-leather," said the
Captain heartily. "He and Captain Standish and Mr. Brewster and Edward
Winslow--why, those four men have piloted this town through more
squalls than would overtake most places in a hundred years! If
anything could kill 'em they would have been under ground years ago.
They 've had starvation and Indians and the plague followin' after 'em
like a school of sharks ever since they dropped anchor here well nigh
on to twenty years ago, and whatever happens they just thank the
Lord as if 't was a special blessing and go right along! By jolly!"
declared the Captain, blowing his nose violently, "they nigh about
beat old Job for patience! 'Though He slay me, yet will I trust in
Him,' says old Job, but his troubles was all over after a bit, and he
got rewarded with another full set of wives and children and worldly
goods, so he could see plain as print that righteousness paid. But
these men,--their reward for trouble is just more trouble, fer 's I
can see. They surely do beat all for piety."

"'Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth,'" quoted the Goodman.

"The Lord must be mighty partial to Plymouth, then," answered the
Captain as he brought the sloop gently