Caleb's Crossing

Tragedy strikes yet again. After the boat carrying Joel founders, Indigenous people who have been dispossessed of their land by the settlers raid the wrecked ship as it washes to shore and kill all of its passengers. Bethia and Samuel accompany Iacoomis as he views his son’s butchered body for the last time, and Bethia asks for the right to prepare Joel’s body for Christian burial.

After telling a devastated Anne about what has happened, Bethia and Samuel travel to Cambridge, where graduation is about to take place, and inform Caleb of Joel’s death. Caleb takes the news very heavily, and begs Bethia to leave him. Caleb never speaks of Joel’s death again.

Bethia endures graduation. After Joel’s death, the title of valedictorian falls upon a student named Benjamin Eliot. Eliot must give the speech and clearly has done little preparation. Bethia is upset that Eliot does not mention Joel, but understands the difficulty of his position as an unexpected valedictorian.

After the ceremony, in which the degrees are handed out, Bethia seeks out Caleb. She finds him coughing violently against a tree. He has a handkerchief against his mouth, and Bethia sees blood on it.