The sailor, as he seemed to be, looked at Nanking without fear. "Come, earn your money," he said. "Uncle," cried Nanking, throwing down the whip, "how can I whip this man who never injured me? Do not all the people smuggle in New Amstel? Was it not to stop that which brought the mighty Director Stuyvesant hither with the great schout of New Amsterdam, worshipful Peter Tonneman? Yes, uncle, I have heard the people say so, and that you have smuggled yourself ever since your superior, the glorious Captain Hinoyossa, sailed to Europe." "Ha!" exclaimed the bold smuggler. "Van Swearingen, _dat is voor u_! That is for you!" "_Vore God_!" exclaimed the schout; "am I exposed and mocked by this idiot?" He took up the whip and beat Nanking so hard that the strong young man had to disarm his uncle of the instrument. Then, stripped of his fine clothes and restored to his rags, Nanking was returned with contempt to his mother's house. "Mother!" he cried, throwing himself upon the floor, "am I an idiot because I cannot hurt others? No, I will be a fool, but not whip-master!" The shrewd Peter Alrichs came to the widow's abode and asked to see Nanking. He brought with him the worshipful Beeckman, lord of all South River, except New Amstel's little territory, which reached from Christine Hill to Bombay Hook. They both put long questions to Nanking, and he showed them his burnt heel, still scarred by the fagots of the Susquehannocks. "_Ik houd dat voor waar!_ I believe it is true," they said to each other. "They were burning him at the stake and he did not know it. Yes, his feeble mind saved him!" "Not at all," protested Nanking. "It was because I thought no evil of anybody." "Hearken, Nanking!" said Peter Alrichs, very soberly. "And you, Mother Cloos, come hither too. This boy can make our fortunes if we can make him fully comprehend us." "Yah, mynheers!" "He can return in safety to the land of the Susquehannocks, where no other Dutchman can go and live. Thence, down the great river of rocks and rapids, come all the valuable furs. Of these we Dutch on South River receive altogether only ten thousand a year. Nanking must take some rum and bright cloth to his friends, the chiefs, and make them promise to send no more furs to the English of Chisopecke, but bring them to Head-of-Elk. There we will make a treaty, and Nanking and thee, widow, shall have part of our profits." "_Zeer wel!_" cried Nanking. "That is very well. But Elsje, may I marry her, too?" "Well," said Peter Alrichs, smiling, "you can come to see her sometimes and carry her doll." "Good enough!" cried Nanking, overjoyed. Before Nanking started on his trip, the sailor-man he had refused to whip walked into his mother's house. "Widow Cloos, no doubt," he said, bowing. "Madame, I owe your son a service. Here are three petticoats and a pair of blue stockings with red clocks; for I see that your ankles still have a fine turn to them."