Soldier Rigdale: How He Sailed in the Mayflower and How He Served Miles Standish

by Beulah Marie Dix

  CHAPTER XXIII

  THE CAPTAIN'S SOLDIER

  LYING upon his own bed, whither Master Hopkins had carried him, Milesharked to the rattle of eager drumsticks in the street, the hurriedrush of footsteps, the shrill calls of boys. Nearer, in the livingroom, he could hear Mistress Hopkins's frightened tones, and theclatter of swords as Master Hopkins and Dotey armed themselves.

  Presently heavy footsteps came toward him, and Master Hopkins, with hisbuff-jacket half fastened, opened the door of the chamber to questionhim further of Ned. "He's hurt, and he made me to leave him," pantedMiles. "And the Frenchmen will find him, and can you not send some oneto help him, sir?"

  "Unless Edward Lister's neck is broke, I'll trust him to shift forhimself till we have space to look to him," Master Hopkins answeredwith a grim sort of chuckle, and just there the house-door banged openand upon it Miles heard Giles's eager voice, "Father, may I not carryNed's musket, since he is not here? Bart Allerton has one; the Captainhimself said all who could fight should get under arms."

  Miles struggled up, with head still dizzy. "I can fight too," hemurmured, but the older folk, without heeding him, tramped forth withtheir weapons and left him to Constance and her stepmother. But thewomen had terrified thoughts to keep them busy, so busy they took nonote when presently Miles, quite recovered from his run, slipped offthe bed and darted from the house.

  Out-of-doors the men were rallying in haste to the shore, among themJohn Alden, whom Miles hailed shrilly from the house-yard: "John Alden,O John! May I have your fowling piece to fight with?"

  "Ay, take it," Alden called, without looking round, and Miles,forgetting he was weary, scudded his fastest up the hill.

  He was to have a gun and fight, even if it was no more than a fowlingpiece, he told himself, and, in a happy flutter that set at naught theFrenchmen, he clambered on the table in the Captain's living room anddragged down the fowling piece from the wall. He longed to take alsothe rapier from the chimneypiece, but he had no right, so, contentinghimself with the gun, he hurried forth to do his part.

  A gray day and a strange day; high noon, yet not dinner time, for thewhole order of life was broken, and beyond lay--no one knew what. ButMiles thought on the fighting, and, with his pulses leaping, clamberedto the gun platform, where a squad was stationed, and, ready as thebest of them, gazed out upon the ocean. There, sure enough, loomedlarger and larger a speck of white.

  Captain Standish had gone down to the other men on the bluff by thelanding, so presently Miles ran after him. He carried his fowling pieceover his shoulder valiantly, and he stopped at the Elder's cottage tocall to Dolly not to be afraid, and he wondered at Mistress Brewster'salarmed face.

  The men on the bluff, too, looked grave and anxious, and the Captain'svoice was sharp and stern. But the boys who were allowed muskets,albeit their faces were decorously sober, looked very happy, andhandled their weapons with such pride that Miles grew ashamed of hispaltry fowling piece.

  "You might let _me_ have the musket a little time, Giles," he murmuredto young Hopkins, who stood beside him on the northern slope of thebluff, where they were watching the horizon. "Surely, I could manageit, and 'tis Ned's, anyway, and he is my friend."

  Giles preserved an elderly, careworn silence, and puckered his browsupon the ominous east, when suddenly from behind them shrilled awhistle. Miles guessed who it was before he turned, so, though Gilesand some of the others cried out in surprise, he thought it quite amatter of course when he saw Ned Lister coming across the fields to thebluff.

  Ned walked at a leisurely limp, with his fowling piece over hisshoulder, and his cap on one side; it was not till he came nearer thatMiles saw, too, that his clothes were muddied and stuck with briers andleaves, and his face was white to his lips, that were set in a hardline. "Well," he greeted his fellow-colonists civilly, "did you think Imeant to sit there in the bushes till you chose to come seek me?"

  There he staggered a little, so Dotey caught hold of him, and just thenStandish, striding through the thin ranks of his company, came up. "Howdid you get hither, Lister?" he asked, with whatever surprise may havebeen his well in check.

  "I walked," Ned answered, and then, as he saw the Captain's eyes uponhis muddied jacket, he began to laugh oddly. "That is, sir, sometimesI rolled and otherwhiles I crawled. For I did not wish to be gulled ofthe fight. And--Giles Hopkins, you thief! give me my musket."

  "My father said I might--" Giles began, unruly for once, but therea sudden sound of cheering on the hilltop cut short the dispute. Aman--Gilbert Winslow, they saw--came running break-neck down the steepstreet, and, so far as he could be heard, called to them, "English, anEnglish ship!" and then those on the bluff, too, took up the cheering.

  It was the sailor Trevor, who, from the Fort Hill, had watched the shipgrow larger till he vowed that he could make out that she was riggedin the English fashion. Still the Captain held his force together onthe bluff till the stranger's nationality should be assured past doubt,and, meantime, he bade Dotey and Giles help Ned Lister to the house."And see that he stays there," the Captain added dryly.

  So Ned, turned limp and unresisting of a sudden, staggered away betweenthe two, and Miles, though he would fain have watched till the shipshould loom up round the beach point, thought friendship required thathe should follow after with the musket.

  When he returned to the landing place, many minutes later, there wasno longer a doubt or a fear, for the flag of England fluttered fromthe vessel's mast. The ship _Fortune_, with the reenforcements for thecolony, that was not expected for a month more, was casting anchor inPlymouth Harbor.

  That afternoon seemed all a hazy dream. With a feeling that he must besome one else, Miles watched the men make ready the shallop, saw it godipping across the gray harbor, and lie to beside the great ship. Hesaw the first boatload of the newcomers pull in to the landing rock,and he gazed shyly and yet gladly at the faces of the men and womenwho were to be his townsfolk. Elder Brewster's grown up son came withthem, and there were many other young men, and a few older, and severalwomen, but there were very few children among them.

  At last, however, Miles and Jack found among the newcomers a boy butlittle older than themselves, so at once they made up to him and foundthat his name was Thomas Cushman. And because he had looked on shipsand sea till he was weary of them, they led him away from the harbor,and showed him the spring and the Fort Hill, and laughed at him becausehe was so certain he should see an Indian at each turning, and Milesbragged to him mightily of his experiences among the savages of theCape.

  It was near dusk when they came down again through the village, wherethe last boatload from the ship had just landed. The street seemedfairly thronged with folk, and out to sea a light sparkled on thequarter-deck of the _Fortune_, just as it used to shine upon the_Mayflower_.

  Feeling secure and happy, Miles bade his new friend Thomas good night,and walked home to his supper. "Bring firewood; we've many people toeat with us to-night," Constance called to him from the doorway, sohe trudged on to the woodpile, where he picked out a good armful ofthe piny logs, to make a brave blaze for the friends who had come fromEngland.

  His face, as he worked, was toward the west, where showed a smear ofred, which the sun, struggling forth just ere his setting, had leftbehind. Miles gazed on the gay fleck, that yet was lonely in the widesky, till a step near at hand startled him, and, turning, he facedMaster Hopkins.

  "Lay aside that wood, Miles; I have to speak with you," his guardiangreeted him; and Miles dropped the wood and wondered what he had donewrong. "Pray you, sir, John Alden told me I might take that fowlingpiece," he offered his excuses.

  "Am I always so severe that you look for naught but chiding from me,Miles?" Master Hopkins said sternly, yet with something half wistful inhis tone. "I would but say to you that Captain Standish has long urgedme to let you be one of his household, and I have as long withstoodhim. For all he is a brave gentleman, he is not of the faith in whichyour father lived. But he has urged me strongly t
his day, and you,too, Miles, you bore yourself fairly this morning; you have tried tobear yourself well these last weeks, I can see. 'Tis possible that youwill not suffer Miles Standish to spoil you with lax discipline, andin matters of faith you cannot go very far astray in this colony. So Ithink it safe now to leave this matter to your own decision. You maystay in my house, or go unto the Captain."

  Miles breathed quickly and cracked a bit of bark between his fingers."Am I to decide now, sir?" he asked.

  "Yes, now. There is a kinsman of Mistress Hopkins's come on the_Fortune_ who will take your place in my household if you go. But youneed not go for that. As long as I have a house, there is a place foryou therein, if you elect to stay."

  It seemed an easy thing to say, he knew what he desired, yet whenMaster Hopkins stood looking gravely down at him and waiting for hisanswer, Miles found it hard to give. "I--I-- You've been good to me,after all, sir," he faltered. "I'm sorry I've vexed you so many times.I--"

  "In short, you wish to go to the Captain," Master Hopkins interrupted."Very well, Miles Rigdale. Be it as you wish."

  Then he walked away, and Miles, gathering up his armful of wood for thelast time, wondered that, now he had his desire, he felt a half sorrowthat it was granted him.

  But when he entered the house, different thoughts came to him. All wasstir and bustle within, for Mistress Hopkins was cooking supper for themen with sea-appetites, who were to eat there that night, and suddenlyMiles felt it quite a part of the day's upheaval that he should leavehis old home. All afire with the pleasure of it, he went into thechamber, where he tied up his few clothes in his cloak.

  Ned Lister, who was stretched upon his bed, pulled himself up on hiselbow to watch him. "So you're going to live with the Captain, Miley,"he repeated the boy's news. "Well, it's far better that you should;there'll be no one in his house to lead you into mischief." Ned's facegrew serious and he was silent a moment, then broke out, "On my soul, Ihave liked you, lad, and I shall miss you."

  "I shall see you every day," Miles answered, setting himself down onthe edge of the bed.

  "Hm!" Lister retorted. "Your Captain doesn't like me, Miles. Though hedid trouble himself to see how I was faring, when he came to speak withHopkins this afternoon; after all, he's a good fellow, though I've noliking for the punishments he gives. But that'll change now. There's apack of jolly good fellows come in the _Fortune_, they say, will keephim busy. Plague of this ankle! I might 'a' gone out and made friendswith them, and I'm sick to have speech again with an ungodly rascallike myself."

  Just there Constance pushed open the door and came in to bring Ned hissupper, so Miles gathered up his bundle to go forth. But Constancehad to kiss him good-bye, right before Ned, and tell him to come backoften. "I will," Miles promised soberly. "You've been good to me,Constance, and--and if 'twill help you, I'll come tend Damaris--once ina while."

  "No, you shan't, dear, ever again," Constance said, laughing, andpushed him out of the room.

  He took the Bible that had been his father's from the chimneypiece,and, while Mistress Hopkins was busy talking to her kinsman, a graveyoung man who found no opportunity to answer her, thought to slipquietly out of the house. But Elizabeth Hopkins spied him. "Whereare your manners, child, that you cannot say 'God be wi' you'?" sheassailed him. "After what I've borne from your carelessness, Miles, andI'm sure your clothes never will be tidily mended now, and--"

  But there Miles got the door open and scampered away. Trug came leapingat his heels, and, fast as if Mistress Hopkins were likely to pursuehim, he ran till he reached the Captain's very dooryard, and was quitebreathless when he opened the door.

  Inside, the candles were lit, the meat was on the table, and theCaptain and Alden and four of the newcomers were making their supperand talking heartily the while. At the noise of the opening door theyall faced about, and Miles felt shy and abashed. "If it like you,Captain Standish," he stammered, "Master Hopkins said I could come, soI came."

  "And you are right welcome, Miles," Standish said quickly. "We lookedfor you to-night. Put down your bundle and come to the table. Let yourdog come in, too."

  Miles slipped into a cranny on the form between Alden and ablack-haired young man named De la Noye. It was a roast duck theyhad for supper, and the men fed Trug right at table, and they talkeda deal, of Indians and of hunting and of planting, and then, as theCaptain and Alden guided the conversation, of the Parliament and of theSpanish influence and the war in the Palatinate, till, spite of theexcitement of the evening, Miles's head nodded, and at heart he wasglad when at length, long after the sober bedtime hour of Plymouth, themen cleared the table hastily and went to their rest.

  The newcomers were bidden lie that night in the bedroom, since two ofthem still were weak with seasickness, but Alden and the Captain wereto sleep in the living room, so Miles silently elected to stay withthem, and he was glad when the chamber door closed behind the strangers.

  "So you've a mind to share the floor with us, Miles?" the Captainasked, as he threw off his doublet.

  "'Tis like a soldier to sleep where 'tis hard," Miles confessed shyly.

  Standish smiled a little. "We'll surely make a fighting man of you,Miles, or you'll make one of yourself. 'Twas a pretty race you ranalone this morning, your friend Lister told me."

  "Lister made a stout march of it, too," put in Alden, who had alreadyrolled himself in his blanket and settled down on the floor.

  "There's more mettle in that rapscallion than I judged," Standishanswered thoughtfully, and then: "Lie you down, Miles. Eh? No blanket?Here, take my cloak; 'tis ample enough for you."

  Indeed, it was, and very brave and martial, too. Miles curled himselfup in it, and liked the manly hardness of the floor beneath hisshoulders. He closed his eyes and half dozed, then, hearing Alden'svoice, roused up a little.

  "Captain," the young man was speaking softly, "there's not an ounce ofextra provisions in the _Fortune_."

  From the neighboring corner where Standish had stretched himself came anon-committal "Um."

  "And half these young fellows are equipped with nothing but the clothesthey stand in; they gambled away their very cloaks, when the shiptouched at Plymouth in Devonshire." There was silence in the livingroom for a time, before Alden resumed, "We had enough to do in thecolony before, sir; now what shall we do with these?"

  "Why, some we'll set to ploughing and some we'll set to fight theIndians," said Standish. "And those that will neither plough nor fight,we'll pack home to England. We've no use for idlers here."

  Then again there was silence in the living room, and the embers in thefireplace gleamed red, and once, leaping into flame, set black shadowsfluttering on the wall. "We've no use for idlers," Miles repeated tohimself. "But I'll work as mother would wish me to, now I am in theCaptain's house."

  He drew the Captain's cloak closer about him, and thought to amusehimself with pretending he was a true soldier, like the Captain,sleeping in his military cloak out under the stars, but the realitypleased him better than the fancy. He lay with his eyes wide open,smiling at the embers. "The Captain's house," he repeated. "And I shallstay here always."

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  Transcriber's Notes:

  Obvious punctuation errors repaired. Author spells "rendezvous" as thearchaic "randevous".