Twice again Standish led his little company to search out a place. On the third trip, as they were at breakfast, their ears were suddenly filled with the most fearful shouts. A shower of arrows fell near them. It was an Indian attack. Captain Standish and his men seized their guns and fired at the red men as fast as they could. Happily, the Indians, frightened by the roar and smoke of English muskets, ran away before any one was killed on either side. [Sidenote: =Plymouth Harbor chosen=] [Sidenote: ="Plymouth Rock"=] On this trip they found the harbor of Plymouth, which John Smith had explored and named several years before. Its shore was now to become their home. They immediately hastened back to the ship to tell the good news, and in a few days the _Mayflower_ carried the Pilgrims into Plymouth Harbor. The little party landed on December 21, 1620, and that day is still celebrated as "Forefathers' Day." The story is that when they landed they stepped on a large stone--a bowlder, itself a "pilgrim"--brought there by the mighty ice sheet ages ago. This bowlder is called "Plymouth Rock," and may still be seen in Plymouth. =45. Their Home in the Forest.= Although it was winter, the men immediately began to chop down trees and build a great log storehouse which could be used for a hospital and for worship. [Sidenote: =Building a town in the woods=] Then they began building their own homes. They cut down the trees, sawed off the logs, hewed them roughly, and then dragged them by hand to the place where the house was to stand. When the logs were ready the men lifted them up by hand, or when the walls grew too high for lifting they slid them up "skids." The roof was made of boards which had been split from logs of wood. These were held in place by smaller logs. The wind and rain were kept out by "chinking" or daubing the cracks between the logs with mortar. The windows were few and small, for they had no glass and used oiled skins instead. This first winter in America was the saddest the Pilgrims had ever seen. Their storehouse was turned into a hospital. They had been used to the gentler winters of England and Holland. Before the warm days of spring came, one half of the little band had perished, among them Governor Carver. But the Pilgrims bore brave hearts, and not a man or woman among those left went back to England when the _Mayflower_ sailed. [Sidenote: =True courage=] =46. Friendship with the Indians.= Brave Miles Standish kept his little army--what was left of it--ready for any danger. He built a fort on a hill, and mounted the cannon brought over in the _Mayflower_. [Illustration: MILES STANDISH _From a portrait now in possession of Mrs. A. M. Harrison, Plymouth_] [Sidenote: =Samoset introduces them to the Indians=]