From Massasoit they learned of the conspiracy among the Indians which had spread to the Cape Indians and which he had been unable to stop. This conspiracy engendered by the treatment of the Indians by the Weston colony provided that the colony should be wiped out and that the Plymouth colony being likely to seek revenge, should also be exterminated. “He advised them therefore to prevent it, and that speedily, by taking of some of the chief of them, before it was too late, for, he assured them of the truth thereof.” Whereupon, this news reaching Plymouth, Captain Myles Standish set out with eight men for Weymouth where he “found them in miserable condition.” The Indians were openly defiant and insulting. The meeting resulted in the killing of several Indians including a large brave named Pecksuot whom Captain Standish killed in hand to hand combat. Those who remained of the Weston colony thought it best to take their leave and in the Swan sailed away for the fishing grounds off the coast of Maine provisioned with corn from the scanty store remaining with Standish. Thus the Weston colony came to end. Weston returning later, fell into the hands of the Indians who stripped him of his belongings and reduced him to such extent that he appealed to the Plymouth Colony for help. They gave him a generous supply of beaver skins which he was able to exchange for supplies from the other vessels along the coast which was “the only foundation for his future course.” [Illustration: The First Cattle] CHAPTER IX Consolidation Again the colony was facing a shortage of food and ways and means were discussed for raising larger and better crops. This brought about a change of the policy which had been imposed upon them in the last clause of their contract with the Merchant Adventurers. It was a practical repudiation of a policy that destroyed individual initiative. It is expressed in Bradford’s own words as follows:—“So they began to think how they might raise as much corn as they could and obtain a better crop than they had done. At length, after much debate of things, the Governor (with the advice of the chief amongst them) gave way that they should set corn every man for his own and in that regard, trust to themselves. And so assigned to every family a parcel of land according to a proportion of their number for that end. This had very good success, for it made all hands very industrious, so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been. The women now went willingly into the field, which before would allege weakness and inability; whom to have compelled, would have been thought great tyranny and oppression.”