Yet how should
they get there? "for, though they could not stay, yet were they not
suffered to go." And, if they should get there, how could they, who
"had only been used to a plain country life and the innocent trade of
husbandry," manage to live in a country where people spoke an
outlandish language instead of good English, and earned their money by
trade.
10. Somehow God would help. Give up their religion they would not.
They set about going. They bribed ship captains, feed the sailors,
paid unreasonable rates for passage, and then, deserted by these same
captains and sailors, tried it again with others, were betrayed into
the hands of officers who rifled them of what money they had left and
turned them over to prison. Hard luck! Set free from prison, they
bargained with a Dutchman to take them in his ship to Holland, but as
they were going aboard a company of armed men surprised them, and the
Dutchman, afraid to be seen in such company, hastily sailed away with
half the "Pilgrims," leaving the rest terrified on the shore.
11. "Take us back!" cried the men. "Don't you see our wives and
children crying after us!" But the Dutchman was afraid of the
soldiers. "What will they do without us!" cried the men, straining
their eyes to see all that was happening on shore. "Our goods are not
yet aboard--take us back!" No use. The Dutchman sailed away, and the
soldiers carried off the frightened women and children to prison.
Pages:
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225