"  I  never  see  that  before,"  said  Teddy.  "  I  've
seen  ships  sail  in  the  air,  but  I  never  see  buildings
an'  trees  over  there.  There  ain't  none  —  only
sand."

Nearly  all  the  forenoon  the  mirage  returned  at
intervals,  and  to  watch  it  was  like  watching  the
changing  scenes  of  a  pantomime.  And,  as  they
talked  and  looked,  Suzette  went  on  with  her
history  lesson.  She  was  telling  about  certain
things  that  happened  in  1623.
This  year  had  opened  disastrously  for  the
Pilgrims.  Their  good  Squanto  had  died  late  in


THE  SAD    GLAD    YEAR    OF   1623.  2<X)

the  previous  year,  while  on  an  expedition  with
Governor  Bradford  for  the  buying  of  corn  from
the  Indians.  For  corn  was  again  scarce,  and  of
bread  they  had  little  or  none.  With  all  Squan-
to's  instructions,  they  had  not  as  yet  become
sufficiently  well  acquainted  with  the  management
of  Indian  corn  to  raise  it  with  any  great  success.
This  expedition  had  sailed  up  and  down  the
shores  of  Cape  Cod,  and  had  been  greatly  bothered
in  the  management  of  their  boat  by  the  shallows
and  breakers.  And  what  was  still  worse  they
had  succeeded  in  buying  but  little  corn.  The  In-
dians themselves  did  not  have  large  supplies  of  it.
They  were  never  what  we  in  New  England  call
"  fore-handed  "  folk.  They  did  not  trouble  them-
selves much  about  a  supply  for  the  future.  They
were  accustomed  to  scant  rations,  and  trusted  a
good  deal  to  chance  in  securing  what  they  needed.
Their  implements  of  agriculture,  if  they  can  be
said  to  have  had  any,  were  of  the  rudest  kind.
