VOYAGERS! - The Voyager Chronicles
TASTES OF FREEDOM - BOOK 2
(Sequel to Discoveries)
By DA Daugherty (VoyagersFan)
March 2007 (Revised 05/2009)
Previous disclaimers apply
Chapter 7 – FIRST CONTACT
It was early morning. The sun had begun to inch its way slowly up over the horizon. There was a nip of cold in the air, as a calm breeze caressed the area. Life at the settlement was proceeding normally. Many of the pilgrims had risen early and were already hard at work with their daily chores.
Outside the settlement, an unexpected and somewhat unpleasant reunion was about to take place. Bogg and Jeff once again arrived at Plymouth and came to a landing in the same oak tree where they had landed previously.
"What's going on here?" Jeff asked.
"What now kid?" Bogg teased.
"Hey. Don't you remember? This is the same tree we landed in before. "
Bogg had an epiphany. "Oooooh yeah. It IS the same tree. At least this time I'm not swinging from it like a monkey."
"You have to admit, it was kinda funny, Bogg." Jeff teased.
"Not half as funny as the look on your face when that branch gave way." Bogg said with a chuckle.
"Bogg!!"
"C'mon, kid. We've got work to do."
The two began to climb down out of the tree. Upon reaching the ground, they dusted themselves off and paused a moment while Bogg checked the omni.
"Plymouth, Massachusetts. March 16, 1621. We made it and we have a red light."
"I wonder when Samoset will arrive." Jeff asked curiously.
"I don't know kid. I guess we will just have to wait for him." Bogg said. "C'mon, let's go inside."
As the two walked into the settlement, one of the pilgrims, who was attempting to remove a broken wheel on his wagon tried to get their attention.
"Excuse me, gentlemen?" The pilgrim asked. "I would be ever so grateful if you would assist me in my undertaking here."
"What seems to be the trouble?" Bogg asked as he and Jeff walked toward the pilgrim.
"I need to take this wheel over to the 'smith to have it repaired, but, I am having some difficulty removing it. Could the two of you give me a hand?" He asked.
"Sure. My partner and I would be happy to assist you. Right kid?"
"Yea, sure. We've got plenty of time." Jeff concurred.
"As I said, I have been trying to remove this wheel, but it seems to be stuck somehow."
Bogg stood there for a moment and analyzed the situation in his mind.
"I see the problem!" Jeff exclaimed. "That chunk of wood you have underneath the wagon not tall enough to raise the wheel off the ground. If we could just raise the wagon up just a little bit more. "
"Good job kid!" Bogg replied. He turned his attention to the pilgrim.
"Sir, if you will get that block of wood over there, Jeff and I will lift this side of the wagon while you place it on top of the chunk that's already there. That should be just enough to allow us to remove the wheel."
The pilgrim walked over and picked up a piece of wood from the ground as Bogg and Jeff began lifting the wagon.
"Bogg this is heavy!" Jeff moaned as he strained to lift the wagon.
"You're not kidding." Bogg quipped as he strained under the weight.
The pilgrim crawled under the wagon and positioned the block of wood. Once he had emerged, he brushed the dust from his clothes and stood beside the two Voyagers.
"You can stop with your lifting now." The pilgrim said.
The two lowered the wagon. Bogg reached over and gave the wheel a good turn. It now spun freely on its axle.
"Here Jeff, give me a hand with this?" Bogg asked. "I'll grab this side, if you will get the other."
"Now, kid. Pull!"
With a small amount of effort, the wheel broke loose from its axle. Bogg rolled it over and leaned it against the wagon.
"Thank you kind gentlemen for your help. I can now take this…" Before he could finish his sentence, another pilgrim ran over and interrupted him.
"Governor Carver!" The pilgrim exclaimed in an obvious state of shock. "Please excuse me sirs, but I must talk to the Governor."
"Please calm yourself, sir, and tell me what has troubled you so." Governor Carver replied.
Jeff pecked Bogg on the arm and whispered. "Bogg…that must be John Carver."
"Who's he?" Bogg asked in a whisper.
"John Carver. He was the first Governor of the Plymouth settlement." Jeff replied.
"Oh, ok. So he's the big cheese?" Bogg asked.
"Yep, you could say that." Jeff replied wryly.
The pilgrim, visibly shaken by what he had seen, paused for a moment to regain his composure. Once he had caught his breath, he began to explain the situation.
"One of the natives has just appeared inside the settlement! You must come quickly, sir."
The pilgrim took off running with Governor Carver not too far behind.
Bogg looked at the Governor and yelled. "Hey, wait for us!" He turned to his partner and said, "C'mon kid. This is it!"
The two sprinted off in an attempt to catch up with the Governor. Moments later, they arrived at the area where the native now stood. A crowd of Pilgrims had gathered in front of him.
"Bogg! Look! There he is! It's Samoset."
"I see him. You stay here. I'm going to try and get closer to him."
"Be careful Bogg!"
Bogg maneuvered his way cautiously through the crowd. Finally, he reached a point where he was within a few steps of the native.
Samoset began to speak. "Welcome, Englishmen." He said as he raised his right hand in a gesture of friendship.
Suddenly, the crowd burst into a state of panic. One of the women began to scream.
During this time, Jeff had decided to climb atop of a nearby wagon to get a better view. As he stood there he noticed another pilgrim, who was armed and running toward the group.
Jeff yelled out to his partner. "Bogg! Look! Behind you! It's Standish!"
Bogg turned and saw the pilgrim's military leader Miles Standish, musket in hand, closing in fast.
"Bats-Breath!" Bogg muttered to himself.
Standish made his way through the crowd to the front of the group and quickly raised his musket to fire at the native. In a valiant move, Bogg dived toward Samoset and tackled him to the ground just as Standish fired.
Once the commotion was over, Governor Carver yelled out to his comrade. "Standish, put down your weapon!" Turning back to face the group of pilgrims who were observing the event, he began to reassure them. "My good people. Please calm yourselves. We are in no danger here. This native is unarmed."
Standish lowered his musket and stood there, silent, observing the situation.
Bogg picked himself up off the ground, turned and extended a helping hand to Samoset. Once Samoset was on his feet, he looked at Bogg and said, "Thank you sir. You saved my life."
Governor Carver came over to greet the native. "Sir, my name is John Carver. I am the Governor of this settlement. I hope you will forgive us for this most uncivilized welcome."
"I am Samoset." The native replied. "I was sent to make contact with your people."
"You speak very good English for a native, Samoset." Governor Carver said.
"I was taught by trappers and explorers who came to this area."
The Governor looked over at Bogg with a look of gratitude in his eyes.
"Sir, I believe you have me at a disadvantage. What is your name?"
"Bogg, sir. Phineas Bogg."
Jeff came running up to his partner and put his arm around him.
"Sir." Bogg said. "This is my son, Jeffrey."
"I want to thank the two of you for helping me with that stubborn wagon wheel. I really do appreciate it. And to you Mr. Bogg, thank you ever so much for your extraordinary efforts here today. If it had not been for your quick thinking, this situation would have ended in quite a different way. With an innocent man being killed."
Bogg replied. "It was all for the good of the settlement."
"Well, thank you again for your efforts."
The Governor quickly turned his attention back to the native. "Sir, please allow us the opportunity to make up for our indiscretions by offering you something to eat and drink. Come, let's go inside."
As the Governor and Samoset walked away, Bogg grabbed the omni from his belt and opened it.
"Well, we did it kid. Samoset is alive, the settlement is safe and we have that ever beautiful green light!"
"Whew, that was close!" Jeff exclaimed.
"Oh, and by the way, I thought I told you to stay put."
Jeff lowered his head. He knew Bogg was about to let him have it once again for disobeying him.
"Uh…Oh that…Uh, well…Uh." Jeff said as he attempted to come up with an appropriate explanation for climbing atop the wagon.
Bogg laughed. "Forget it kid. If you hadn't climbed on top of that wagon, we would have never saved Samoset. Good thinking!."
Jeff wiped his brow. "Whew! That was close."
"What do you mean?"
"I figured you were about to give it to me again and as you said before, 'it wouldn't be pretty'" Jeff said wryly.
"Smart kids give me such a pain." Bogg mumbled to himself. "I'm gonna give it to you alright! Come here!" He yelled as he grinned and shook his fist at his partner in a playful manner.
"Oh no! You'll have to catch me first." Jeff taunted as he took off running out of the settlement.
Bogg raised his hands and shugged his shoulders. "Hey, no problem! You're mine when I catch you." In an instant he sprinted off after his partner.
Minutes later, Bogg caught up with Jeff, who by this time had made it back to the oak tree where they had first landed. Tired and out of breath, he had sat down and leaned against it to rest. Bogg sat down beside him and began to tease him unmercifully.
"Well kid, are you ready for your just desserts?" Bogg asked as he gasped for air.
"Yea, like you are able to do anything after that long run. You're tired, out of breath and weak. What can you do to me now?" Jeff taunted.
"I'll show you what I can do!" Bogg exclaimed. Without warning, he stood up, picked up Jeff and slung him over his shoulder like a sack of grain."
"Hey, put me down!" Jeff yelled.
"Nope, you need some cooling off. And I know just the place. As I recall, the bay is located somewhere around here. And the water is just the right temperature…COLD!"
"You're just trying to scare me. You are not really going to throw me into the bay, are you?" Jeff asked with a quiver in his voice.
"Wanna bet?" Bogg quipped..
"C'mon Bogg! The joke's over." Jeff taunted. "Now put me down!"
Bogg continued walking toward the shoreline.
"Bogg! This is so not funny." Jeff said with a tone of uncertainty.
Bogg continued with his usual uncompromising wit. "Hey kid, I hear that a cold bath is a good for you."
"Don't do it Bogg!"
As Bogg reached the edge of the water, he quickly grabbed the omni, which he had already set for their next journey and pressed the button.