at
started from a spring on the hillside, trickled among the under-brush,
loitered through the meadow, and emptied into a larger stream that fed
the river.

"Let's take off our shoes and stockings," said Anne, tripping joyfully
along, "and wade to the creek. You've been there? Part of the way is
sandy. Your feet crunch down in the nice cool sand. Part of the way
there are rocks--flat, mossy ones. They're so pretty--and slippery! It's
fun not knowing when you are going to fall down."

"There's bamboo-vines," objected Lizzie. "Mother'll whip me if I tear my
dress."

"Oh, we'll stoop down and crawl under the vines." Anne was ready of
resource. "And we'll dry our dresses in the sun before we go home. Oh,
Lizzie! Look at all the little fishes! Let's catch them! Do don't let
them get by. Aren't they slippery! Tell you what let's play. Let's be
Jamestown settlers and catch fish to keep us from starving. We'll have
our settlement here by the brook--the river James, we'll play it is."

"How do you play that? I never heard tell of Jamestown settlers," said
Lizzie.

"A big girl like you never heard about Jamestown settlers!" exclaimed
Anne; then, fearing her surprise at such ignorance would hurt Lizzie's
feelings, she tried to smooth it over. "It really isn't s'prising that
you never heard 'bout them, Lizzie. Mother always said this was such a
quiet place that you never heard any news here. I'll tell you all 'bout
them while we build our huts."

While Anne told the story of John Smith and played she was the brave
captain directing his band, they dragged brushwood together and erected
cabins. Stones were piled to make fireplaces on which to cook the fish
they were going to catch and the corn they were going to buy from the
Indians.

"You be the Indians, Lizzie," suggested Anne. "Paint your face with
pokeberries and stick feathers in your hair. They're heap nicer to look
at, but I want to be the Englishmen and talk like Captain John Smith.
All you have to say is 'ugh! ugh!'"

The morning slipped by so quickly that they could hardly believe their
ears when they heard the farm bell ringing for noon. After dinner, Jake
and Peter went by the settlement, on their way to the tobacco-field, to
help build Powhatan's rock chimney. The boys made bows and arrows and
became so interested in playing Indian that Mr. Collins came for them.
He scolded them roundly and said that no boy who didn't work in the
tobacco-field would get any su