The Argonauts of Faith; The Adventures of the "Mayflower" Pilgrims (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1920. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER VIII BUILDERS IN THE WASTE The frosty rime and the icicles had long ago melted from the rigging of the Mayflower. Her captain (you remember) had wished to sail her back to England in the winter. But he had been stopped from doing this; for the tempests had battered the ship's hull and torn her rigging, so that she needed much repair to make her seaworthy. Then the dreadful pestilence had smitten his crew; the bo'sun, the gunner, the cook, three quartermasters, and several seamen had died of it. It was now spring-time, however, and the tempests were past; the ship was refitted; the pestilence had disappeared; the Pilgrim had made a settlement and built themselves homes; the treaty of peace had been signed with the Indians. One day all preparations for starting were complete. The Pilgrims all came down to see the Mayflower heave anchor and set sail for England. They were, indeed, very sorry to watch her making ready to leave them. They had no ship of their own, beyond the little shallop. They were just a few white folk on a narrow plot of land in a vast waste of forest peopled with Red Indians. To walk to their nearest white neighbours would take about a month. For there was no one save themselves between the French Settlement in Nova Scotia and the English Settlement in Virginia--a thousand miles of coast-line on which they formed the only tiny outpost of white men from across the seas. The captain gave his order; the sailors with a "Yoheave-ho" raised the anchor. The sails were hoisted. The Mayflower began to gather way. Kerchiefs fluttered; last messages were shouted. The Pilgrims left the beach and climbed the little hill by the community-church. They gazed and gazed, with eyes half-blurred with reluctant tears, till the glimmer of her sails had...