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"If I get a stork and bring it back," thought Nanking, "won't I astonish this town? It'll be proclaimed, I expect, in a public manner, that Nanking Cloos is no longer the big idiot." The woods closed round New Amstel not very far from the houses, and only an Indian path led on through the strong timber or marshy copse. Nanking was unarmed and not afraid.
"The English on the Chisopecke name it a swan!" Nanking burst into tears. His uncle struck the ground with his schout's staff, swore dreadfully, and shouted to the Widow Cloos: "Sister, thy boy is nothing but a big idiot. Thou hadst better drown him, as I told thee!" Nothing could equal the mortification of Nanking. He thought he would die of grief.
As he was about to step ashore a band of Englishmen confronted him, with swords and muskets. "Whom art thou?" cried their leader, a stalwart man, with long mustaches. "Only Nanking Cloos, mynheers, who used to be the big idiot of New Amstel. But," he added, with confidence, "I am now a great man on a very responsible mission to the Indians. I am to talk much and wisely.
The Widow Cloos lived in a huge log building with brick ends, long and rather low, which had been built by the commissary of the colony at the expense of the city of Amsterdam as a magazine of food and supply for her colonists; but after several years of unprofitable experiment with the colony, it was resolved to give no more provisions away, and the director, great Captain Hinoyossa, when Van Swearingen became the schout, allowed the latter's sister to inhabit one end of the warehouse, and that the farthest end from the water.
Close to the porch in the south aisle is the only complete old brass in the building . It is dated 1592, and records the fact that "Mr. William Bradbridge" was "thrice Maior of this Cittie," and "had vi sonnes & viii daughters." The other monuments in the nave are those of Matthew Quantock, Dean Cloos, Bishop Arundel, and William Huskisson, sometime member of Parliament for Chichester.
He brought money, which was accepted without much thanks; but his mother treated him almost as a stranger, and the dour James, while not unwilling to draw out his account of himself, would look him up and down from under his bushy grey eyebrows, and often interpose with some sarcasm on his 'foine' ways of speaking, or his 'gen'leman's cloos. Sandy was ill at ease.
'Twice a year so his clerk towd me Christmas an Midsummer. Praps we shan't want to use it aw, Hannah; praps we might save soom on it for t' childer. Their keep, iv yo feed em on parritch, is nobbut a fleabite, an they'n got a good stock o' cloos, Sandy's nurse towd me. He looked anxiously at Hannah.
'Tis a pity so good a boy has not a rich father; ha! widow?" The widow stooped very low again, but had the art to show her ankle to the best advantage, though she blushed. She said it was very lonely for her in the New World. "Now, Widow Cloos," continued the sailor, "I am Ffob Oothout, at your service! I am a mariner.
As I left, and thanked John Brown for his information, he handed me a little bit of paper, whereon was written: "to John Brown 1 day minding the edge at the picked cloos 2s three days doto," etc. I found that this was his little account for mending the hedge at the "picket close." A fine stamp of humanity is the Cotswold labourer; and may his shadow never grow less.
Before Nanking could climb the ladder again, it was sailing through the air, magnificent as a ship, toward its winter pastures on the bay of Chisopecke. "He! Zoo!" exclaimed the soldiers. "Foei! weg!" cried the fishermen. Only three persons said "Ach! helas!" the Widow Cloos, pretty Elsje, and Nanking. "Thy stork is a savage bird!" cried Peter Alrichs.
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