“Oh, it’s the proper thing,” said the governor. “You’ll find it in all the school books and histories.”
Governor Carver then appointed a committee with Captain Standish as chairman to explore the country around.
Captain Standish set forth at the head of his devoted followers through the deep snow, while the others went to work erecting what rough shelter they could out of logs and pine boughs. Presently Captain Standish and his band returned, making tracks in the snow about ten feet apart and closely pursued by a large, brick-red, passionate Indian, who was remarking, “Waugh-hoo-hoo-hoo!” at every jump. Governor Carver advanced to meet the untutored child of the forest, and said to him in simple words:
“How! Me heap white chief. Gottee big guns. You killee my soldiers, me heap shoot. Sabe?”
“I am charmed to meet you, governor,” said the Indian. “My name is Massasoit. I also am a great chief. My wigwam is down there” (pointing with graceful gesture to the southwest)—“I have just come back from slaying the tribe of the Goo-Goos. You may not have heard, governor, that the cat came back.”
Governor Carver grasped the hand of Massasoit, and said: “Welcome, thrice welcome to our newly discovered continent, sir. Colonel Winthrop, give Mr. Massasoit your hand.”
“I’ll keep mine, and deal him another if it’s all the same to you,” said Colonel Winthrop.
Massasoit took his place at the side of the blanket that was spread on the snow, and the pasteboards were shuffled.
Two hours later the Pilgrim Fathers had won from the Indian chief 200 buffalo robes, 100 pelts of the silver fox, 50 tanned deer hides, 300 otter skins, and 150 hides of the beaver, panther and mink.
This was the original skin game.