(In the first installment of "Time On Their Hands" Sam and Kate stepped through a mysterious door leading them into the past.)

Chapter 2

 They stood staring at the group of people dressed in old-fashioned clothes.

 "I've got to stop eating burritos before I go to bed," Kate said, rubbing her stomach.

 "Shhh," Sam cautioned.

 They heard a laugh and were startled to find Mr. Dreamer standing next to them. "Don't worry kids, we're invisible – they can't see us."

 "I didn't even eat any burritos and I think this is weird. Uh, I hate to ask but where are we and who are those people?" Sam asked.

 "Have you ever heard of the Lost Colony?" The kids shook their heads.

 "Let me tell you about them. What became known as The Lost Colony was the second attempt by the English to colonize this country," Mr. Dreamer pointed to a group of men who were talking.

"That man wearing the hat is John White. White's daughter, Eleanor, just gave birth to the first English child born in America. You may have heard her crying. She was called Virginia Dare and what happened to her is still a mystery."

 "I like mysteries," Sam said.

"These settlers," Mr. Dreamer swept his arm around indicating the small encampment, "Were sent from England to begin colonization of the New World. Mr. White led the small group of 117 people who ended up on  Roanoke Island.

"White was governor of the colony, which numbered among them a Native American named Manteo, who had been taken to England on a previous journey. In all, Manteo made three trips to England. After his return with the colony, he never went back. The Dares – Eleanor and her husband Ananias – made the trip with Eleanor's father.

"They arrived in July and a few weeks later, on August 18, 1587, Virginia was born. Nine days from now, on August 27th , White and another man will return to England for more supplies," Mr. Dreamer said.

 The children watched as the men clustered in a small group, speaking with John White.

"I don't understand why they call this colony lost, Mr. Dreamer, " Sam said.

 "Ah, because there's much more to the story. But, you probably wouldn't find it very interesting – it's just about boring people doing boring things."

 "Well, maybe not all of them are boring. Tell us. How did they become lost?" Sam asked.

 "I wish I knew. You see, John White returned to England at a very bad time. The English were preparing to go to war with Spain. Passage by sea was impossible. It wasn't until Virginia Dare's third birthday – August 18, 1590 – that White was able to come back. And do you know what he found?" Mr. Dreamer leaned down, his voice almost a whisper.

"What?" They chorused.

 "Nothing."

 Sam looked quizzical. Kate tilted her head. "You mean they were gone? The whole colony?"

"That's exactly what I mean. About all that was found was the word 'CROATOAN' carved in wood. And before White could go find his family, a hurricane struck and he was forced to return to England. And none of the colonists were ever seen again."

 "Including Virginia Dare?" Kate asked.

 "Including Virginia Dare," he confirmed, then looked at his watch. "Uh oh. Time for us to go. Look – there's the door. You must hurry and pass through it, go on."

 Sam and Kate blinked. Sure enough, the door was right behind them. They grasped hands and stepped once more through the portal.

 * * *

The ground had been replaced by wooden boards. Sam could hear the sound of sea gulls calling to one another, while something overhead flapped in the breeze. He looked up and gasped.

 "Do you see what I see?" he asked Kate. She nodded and the two looked fearfully at the sight of an odd flag: a skeleton holding a spear that pointed to a bleeding heart. The flag was flying in the wind above their heads.

 "I'm not sure, but I think we're on a pirate's ship!" Sam said.

 

On to Chapter 3 to find out where Kate & Sam ended up!

Vocabulary:

startled: Surprised.

invisible: Unable to be seen.

encampment: A place where a camp is located.

colonization: The establishment of a colony.

quizzical: Questioning.

 

Did You Know?

Manteo was the only Native American in the party of the Lost Colony. It is believed he was of the Croatan tribe. He went to England with a second Native American named Wanchese in 1584. Both Manteo and Wanchese learned to speak English. Wanchese returned to the colonies in 1585 and led efforts against English colonization. Manteo, who made more than one trip to England, finally returned with John White's expedition, where he was instrumental in averting an attack by the Croatan tribe. For his efforts, he was eventually christened and declared Lord of Roanoke. Today, a North Carolina town is named after Manteo. Can you find it on the map?

Something To Talk About:

 To take responsibility for something means to be accountable or answerable. Gov. John White was held responsible for the well-being of his colony. He returned to England to secure supplies that the colonists desperately needed. He returned, but was unable to find them. He spent the remainder of his life trying to find the colony.

 When you have a pet and that pet is your responsibility, who should feed it and take care of it? If you do not, who does? Why is it important to be responsible? What would happen if everyone was not responsible?

 

Ahoy there . . . I'm waitin' for ya' in the next chapter , mateys!

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