..Under the crown, American history; . ractically all thefreeholders in the town, with their wives, resortedevery evening for social gossip. The buildingwas shortly afterward converted into the StadtHuys, or State House, and stood where nowis Coenties Slip on Pearl Street, and a tablet ona gloomy warehouse marks its site. To these gatherings of the social Dutchsettlers came the captains from foreign ports;the governor, who was more boisterous thanirascible when off duty; Jacob Steendam, thefirst real poet of this continent; and dozens ofother notables. Governor Stuyvesant was talking loudly an
..Under the crown, American history; . ractically all thefreeholders in the town, with their wives, resortedevery evening for social gossip. The buildingwas shortly afterward converted into the StadtHuys, or State House, and stood where nowis Coenties Slip on Pearl Street, and a tablet ona gloomy warehouse marks its site. To these gatherings of the social Dutchsettlers came the captains from foreign ports;the governor, who was more boisterous thanirascible when off duty; Jacob Steendam, thefirst real poet of this continent; and dozens ofother notables. Governor Stuyvesant was talking loudly andemphatically to a roomful of men and women whenJan burst through the door. He had just saidthat the next smuggler he caught would be hungby his toes from the arms of a windmill in a gale. Jan tried to speak, but he was so excited thathe only irritated the governor, who shouted athim in plain Dutch: Get out of here, you impu-dent young brat! Dont you see that I am talking? But Diedrich came forward. There is a smuggler aground down by. THE GOVERNOR GAZEU WITH STAKING EYES. 58 STEVENSEN AND VAN HORNE. Allertons, he asserted. They took us aboardfrom our canoe because they were afraid wewould inform you, and then they ran aground. The governor gazed at the boys with staringeyes. His suspicious old soul smelled a Jans excitement was too real and Diedrichsstatement too earnest to leave much doubt. We shall see! We shall see! he shouted.* If you are telling the truth, you wont be sorry,but if you are lying, — and he stamped hisornamented wooden leg, — Ill fix you both! With a party of soldiers and a curious crowdof citizens at his heels, the governor led theway to the river, with Jan and Diedrich by hisside. When they reached the waterside, thecaptain and his men were laboring with all theirstrength to move their vessel. But she washard aground, and a falling tide was makingher more solid every minute. Captain Nielsens courage never failed himin emergencies, and he immed
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookidundercrownam, bookyear1909
