Richard of Jamestown | Page 2

best I might in that great
city of London, which is as much a wilderness of houses, as this
country is a wilderness of trees. My father was a soldier of fortune,
which means that he stood ready to do battle in behalf of whatsoever
nation he believed was in the right, or, perhaps, on the side of those
people who would pay him the most money for risking his life.
He had fought with the Dutch soldiers under command of one Captain
Miles Standish, an Englishman of renown among men of arms, and had
been killed. My mother died less than a week before the news was
brought that my father had been shot to death. Not then fully
understanding how great a disaster it is to a young lad when he loses
father or mother, and how yet more sad is his lot when he has lost both
parents, I made shift to live as best I might with a sore heart; but yet not

so sore as if I had known the full extent of the misfortune which had
overtaken me.
At first it was an easy matter for me to get food at the home of this lad,
or of that, among my acquaintances, sleeping wherever night overtook
me; but, finally, when mayhap three months had gone by, my welcome
was worn threadbare, and I was told by more than one, that a hulking
lad of ten years should have more pride than to beg his way from door
to door.
It is with shame I here set down the fact, that many weeks passed
before I came to understand, in ever so slight a degree, what a milksop
I must be, thus eating the bread of idleness when I should have won the
right, by labor, to a livelihood in this world.
This last thought had just begun to take root in my heart when
Nathaniel Peacock, whose mother had been a good friend of mine
during a certain time after I was made an orphan, and I, heard that a
remarkably brave soldier was in the city of London, making ready to go
into the new world, with the intent to build there a town for the king.

CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH COMES TO LONDON
This man was no other than Captain John Smith, who, although at this
time not above six and twenty years of age, had already served in the
French, in the Dutch, and in the Transylvanian armies, where he had
met and overcome many dangers.
He had been robbed and beaten and thrown into the sea because of not
believing in the religion of the men who attacked him; he had been a
slave among the Turks; he had fought, one after another, three of the
bravest in the Turkish army, and had cut off the head of each in turn.
Can it be wondered at that Nathaniel Peacock and I were filled to
overflowing with admiration for this wonderful soldier, or that we
desired above all things to see him?
We loitered about the streets of London town from daylight until night
had come again, hoping to feast our eyes upon this same John Smith,
who was to us one of the wonders of the world, because in so short a
time he had made his name as a soldier famous in all countries, and yet
we saw him not.
We had searched London town over and over for mayhap a full month,
doing nothing else save hunt for the man whose life had been so filled

with adventure, and each time we returned home, Mistress Peacock
reproached me with being an idle good for nothing, and Nathaniel but
little better.
I believe it was her harsh words which caused to spring up in my heart
a desire to venture into the new world, where it was said gold could be
found in abundance, and even the smallest lad might pick up
whatsoever of wealth he desired, if so be his heart was strong enough to
brave the journey across the great ocean.
The more I thought of what could be found in that land, which was
called Virginia, the stronger grew my desire, until the time came when
it was a fixed purpose in my mind, and not until then did I breathe to
Nathaniel a word of that which had been growing within me.
He took fire straightway I spoke of what it might be possible for us lads
to do, and declared that whether his mother were willing or no, he
would brave all the dangers of that terrible journey overseas, if so be
we found an opportunity. To him it seemed a simple matter that, having
once found a ship which was to sail for the far