CHAPTER XV.

Affairs at Wessagusset—Expostulations and Appeals of the Pilgrims—An Anecdote—Reported Sickness of Massasoit—Pilgrim Embassy to visit Him—On the Way—The Death Song—Corbitant’s Lodge—At Massasoit’s Wigwam—The Pow-wows—Winslow and the Sachem—The Cure—Massasoit discloses a Conspiracy—The Return—The Envoys and Corbitant—A Shrewd Sagamore—How the Pilgrims communicated Religious Truth—Deliberation at Plymouth—A Frightened Messenger from Wessagusset—The Expedition of Miles Standish—Standish and the Westonians—Sad Condition of that Colony—The Plot disclosed—Indian Braggadocio—The Two Knives—The Little Man and the Big Man—Patience of Standish—The Death-grapple—Habbamak’s Comment—The Skirmish—The “Capital Exploit” of Miles Standish—The Westonians abandon Wessagusset—End of a Colony whose “Main End was to catch Fish”—Wetawamat’s Head—A Liberation—News of the Baffled Conspiracy reaches Leyden—Robinson’s Fine Comment—Strength and Weakness 178