Richard of Jamestown | Page 3

off land, we might hide
ourselves within her, having gathered sufficient of food to keep us alive
during the journey. But how this last might be done, his plans had not
been made.
Lest I should set down too many words, and therefore bring upon
myself the charge of being one who can work with his tongue better
than with his hands, I will pass over all that which Nathaniel and I did
during the long time we roamed the streets, in the hope of coming face
to face with Captain Smith.
It is enough if I set it down at once that we finally succeeded in our
purpose, having come upon him one certain morning on Cheapside,
when there was a fight on among some apprentices, and the way so
blocked that neither he nor any other could pass through the street, until
the quarrelsome fellows were done playing upon each other's heads
with sticks and stones.
It seemed much as if fortune had at last consented to smile upon us, for
we were standing directly in front of the great man.
I know not how it chanced that I, a lad whose apparel was far from
being either cleanly or whole, should have dared to raise my voice in
speech with one who was said to have talked even with a king. Yet so I
did, coming without many words to that matter which had been

growing these many days in my mind, and mayhap it was the very
suddenness of the words that caught his fancy.
"Nathaniel Peacock and I are minded to go with you into that new
world, Captain John Smith, if so be you permit us," I said, "and there
we will serve you with honesty and industry."
There was a smile come upon his face as I spoke, and he looked down
upon Nathaniel and me, who were wedged among that throng which
watched the apprentices quarrel, until we were like to be squeezed flat,
and said in what I took to be a friendly tone:
"So, my master, you would journey into Virginia with the hope of
making yourself rich, and you not out from under your mother's apron
as yet?"
"I have no mother to wear an apron, Captain Smith, nor father to say I
may go there or shall come here; but yet would serve you as keenly as
might any man, save mayhap my strength, which will increase, be not
so great as would be found in those older."
Whether this valiant soldier was pleased with my words, or if in good
truth boys were needed in the enterprise, I cannot say; but certain it is
he spoke me fairly, writing down upon a piece of paper, which he tore
from his tablets, the name of the street in which he had lodgings, and
asking, as he handed it to me, if I could read.
Now it was that I gave silent thanks, because of what had seemed to me
a hardship when my mother forced me to spend so many hours each
day in learning to use a quill, until I was able to write a clerkly hand.
It seemed to please this great soldier that I could do what few of the
lads in that day had been taught to master, and, without further ado, he
said to me boldly:
"You shall journey into Virginia with me, an' it please you, lad. What is
more, I will take upon myself the charge of outfitting you, and time
shall tell whether you have enough of manliness in you to repay me the
cost."
Then it was that Nathaniel raised his voice; but the captain gave him no
satisfaction, declaring it was the duty of a true lad to stand by his
mother, and that he would lend his aid to none who had a home, and in
it those who cared for him.
I could have talked with this brave soldier until the night had come, and
would never have wearied of asking concerning what might be found in

that new world of Virginia; but it so chanced that when the business
was thus far advanced, the apprentices were done with striving to break
each other's heads, and Captain Smith, bidding me come to his house
next morning, went his way.

THE PLANS OF THE LONDON COMPANY
Then it was that Nathaniel declared he also would go on the voyage to
Virginia, whether it pleased Captain Smith or no, and I, who should
have set my face against his running away from home, spoke no word
to oppose him, because it would please me to have him as comrade.
After this I went more than once to the house where Captain Smith
lodged, and learned very much concerning what