darkness, so that his pursuer reached Plymouth, and went on to Manomet
before the village was astir.

These two confirmatory reports were very welcome to Bradford, upon whom
the nominal responsibility of the expedition rested, and to the elder
whose reverend face was very pale and grave in these days.

Standish, however, as he had felt no doubts, now felt no added impulse,
but went quietly on, seeing his command and his stores embarked, and
examining personally the arms of his eight soldiers.

At last all was ready, the men seated each at his post, Hobomok in the
bow, and Standish at the stern, the men and boys who stayed behind
grouped upon the shore, while a vague cloud of skirts and kirtles
hovered upon the brow of Cole's Hill, when Elder Brewster, baring his
white head, stepped upon the Rock, and raising his hands to heaven
prayed loud and fervently that the God of battles, the God of victory,
the God of their fathers, would bless, protect, and prosper those who
went forth in His name to do battle for His Right; and as the old man's
voice rose clear and sonorous in its impassioned appeal, the first
breath of a favoring wind came out of the South, and the lapping waves
of the incoming tide answered melodiously to the deep diapason of the
Amen sent up from fifty bearded throats.

"And now we may go home and make our mourning weeds," said Priscilla
with a petulant half-sob, half-laugh, as she and Mary Chilton turned
away from the wheatfield on the hill.

"Nay, John Alden will come home safe, I'm sure on 't," said Mary gently,
but her vivacious friend turned sharply upon her.

"And if he comes not at all, I'd liefer know him dead in honor, than
lingering here among the women like some others."

"Gilbert Winslow, or his brother John if you mean him, would have gone
as gladly as any man had the captain chosen him," replied Mary
composedly, if coldly, and Priscilla turned and clipped her in a sharp
embrace, crying out that indeed her friend were no more than right to
beat her for a froward child.

The prosperous wind lasted all the way, and before noon the shallop lay
at anchor close beside the Swan, a small craft owned by the Weymouth
men, and intended for their use in trading and fishing. Standish's
first visit was to her, and much to his surprise he found her both
undefended and deserted. Landing with four of his men he next proceeded
to the plantation, as it was called, where some ten or twelve
substantial bu