Calvert of Maryland - James Otis |
John sailed in the pinnace with me; but he was not named as one who bore arms, even though his musket, save for the ornaments upon its stock, was much the same as mine.
I believed then, and do at this day, that my father gave orders concerning his bearing toward me, now that I had, as you might say, become a man, for he treated me as one above him in station, instead of a child under his care, as he had done less than four and twenty hours previous.
The voyage up the bay was not made speedily, because of the lightness of the wind. During all that day we sailed slowly, observing with much concern small companies of brown men on the eastern shore, who were gathered there as if to spy upon us, and I questioned John as to whether he believed those mutinous men of Kent Island had already succeeded so far in stirring up the savages, that we were likely to have them as enemies before we returned.
Because there were no signs of enmity, save on the eastern shore, he was of the belief that, seeing with what force we were coming, the brown people would think twice before yielding to the advice of those Englishmen who counted to take from my Lord Baltimore, by force of arms, a portion of that land which the king had given him.
John's opinion was not shared by all who were on board the pinnace, and I heard, with much of inward fear, more than one of the men give it as his belief that there would be blood shed ere we were come again to our town of St. Mary's.