“How do you play that?  I never heard tell of Jamestown settlers,” said Lizzie.

“A big girl like you never heard about Jamestown settlers!” exclaimed Anne; then, fearing her surprise at such ignorance would hurt Lizzie’s feelings, she tried to smooth it over.  “It really isn’t s’prising that you never heard ’bout them, Lizzie.  Mother always said this was such a quiet place that you never heard any news here.  I’ll tell you all ’bout them while we build our huts.”

While Anne told the story of John Smith and played she was the brave captain directing his band, they dragged brushwood together and erected cabins.  Stones were piled to make fireplaces on which to cook the fish they were going to catch and the corn they were going to buy from the Indians.

“You be the Indians, Lizzie,” suggested Anne.  “Paint your face with pokeberries and stick feathers in your hair.  They’re heap nicer to look at, but I want to be the Englishmen and talk like Captain John Smith.  All you have to say is ‘ugh! ugh!’”

The morning slipped by so quickly that they could hardly believe their ears when they heard the farm bell ringing for noon.  After dinner, Jake and Peter went by the settlement, on their way to the tobacco-field, to help build Powhatan’s rock chimney.  The boys made bows and arrows and became so interested in playing Indian that Mr. Collins came for them.  He scolded them roundly and said that no boy who didn’t work in the tobacco-field would get any supper at his house that night.

“I’m the play Captain Smith,” laughed Anne, looking up at the rough-speaking, soft-hearted man; “but you talk like the real captain.  ‘I give this for a law,’ he said, ’that he who will not work shall not eat.’”

Mrs. Collins said that night that the girls must not play Jamestown settlers any more.  They might get ill or hurt or snake-bit; and who ever heard of such a game for little girls? they ought to stay in the house and keep their faces white and their frocks clean and play dolls.  Anne and Lizzie, however, teased next day until she relented and even waddled down the hill to see their settlement.

“I told them chillen they shouldn’t put thar foots in that ma’sh on the branch, gettin’ wet and draggled and catchin’ colds and chills,” she explained to her husband.  “But they begged so hard I told ’em to go on and have a good time.  Maybe it won’t hurt ’em.  They’re good-mindin’ gals.  And I never did believe in encouragin’ chillen to disobey you by tellin’ ’em they shouldn’t do things you see thar heads set on doin’.  Don’t be so hard on the boys, Peter, for stoppin’ awhile to play.  If the Lord hadn’t ‘a’ meant for chillen to have play-time, He’d ‘a’ made ’em workin’ age to begin with.”