Some Three Hundred Years Ago | Page 6

urged him to go
even as far as Piscataqua to search for food.
"And little could we have offered him," spoke up the cook, "if the old
lynx and his friends had had a night in our store-house!"
Much was then given from the ample supply of the settlement, and
Captain Standish returned to Plymouth well repaid for his journey.

DANGER FOR THE COLONISTS.
Five years had passed since Roger Low and his father had come to
America to help establish the Mason Manor. Although David
Thompson, the leader, had found an island in Massachusetts Bay more
to his liking, still enough settlers remained at Piscataqua to make the
Lower Plantation one of importance. Edward Hilton yet held what was
called the Upper Plantation at Dover.
One morning, early in the summer of 1628, the Mason settlers were
disturbed to find that John, the cook, had disappeared. Whether the
days had become too monotonous for him and he had gone in search of
adventure, or had been lost by wandering too far into the woods, no one

knew. Finally Nonowit, who had become fond of Roger and had spent
much time in teaching him the ways of the woods, was sent with the
boy in search of the lost cook.
The two started in the direction of the Upper Plantation. Not far from
the Hilton Settlement, the sound of a shot in the woods brought them to
a standstill and then to the ground, where they hid in the underbrush.
Through the clearing they saw a deer fall. They waited breathlessly,
expecting next to see the bulky form of John shoulder his game. To
their surprise, a Tarateen Indian glided over the ground to the fallen
deer. As he was an enemy, Nonowit and Roger remained in hiding until
they could safely continue their journey. They then carried to the
plantation not only news of a lost man, but also the astonishing word
that Indians were using guns in the woods.
Such a thing was unheard of. It was against the law of the settlers to
trade firearms or ammunition with the Indians. How it had been done,
or by whom, was a matter that must be looked into at once. The people
of the Upper Plantation had seen nothing of the cook, though that was
of small moment now.
Edward Hilton felt it was of utmost importance to return at once with
Roger and Nonowit to the Lower Plantation.
On arriving there, a leader from Naumkeag was found who had brought
the same disastrous word that the Indians were armed. He had received
a message to the same effect from Weesagascusatt. It threatened serious
danger for the colonists. Just at dusk a messenger from Winnisimmet
arrived at Piscataqua with the same rumor. By candle light that night a
conference of grave importance was held. The Naumkeag leader
reported that a man named Morton had opened his settlement at Mount
Wollaston, Mass. to all discontented servants and lawless people. He
had changed the name to Merrie Mount and there he allowed reckless,
dissolute living. Upon hearing of the loss of the cook, he suggested that
he might be found among the merrymakers.
Worst of all, Morton had established a trade of firearms with the
Indians in order to obtain a greater number of furs. With guns in such

skilled and treacherous hands, the white settlers stood in great danger.
The discussion that night resulted in an agreement to send letters,
pleading for help, to Plymouth, which, though it stood in less danger,
was a colony stronger than all the rest together. It was also near enough
for an approach to Morton at Merrie Mount.
Roger was asked to carry the letters. With Nonowit as his guide, he
started out on the following day. It was an adventurous trip, partly by
land and partly by sea, for the man from Naumkeag was returning by
water and carried the two along with him.
When well underway by boat, a darkened sky and wild wind drove the
small vessel to the Isle of Shoals for shelter, where they found at
anchor "The Whale," an English ship soon to cross the ocean. The
hurricane was of short duration, and the messengers continued their
journey.
Traveling afoot from Naumkeag, they soon noticed fresh footprints on
the path, which suggested that someone was not far ahead of them.
They continued with increased haste and added caution. Nonowit
suddenly gave the signal for silence when, not far from the path, they
saw through the thicket the broad shoulders of a white man eating by
his camp fire. They remained silent until he turned and the jolly face of
John was visible. He was doubtless on his way to Merrie Mount but
allowed them to think he was merely