“They said that you and Captain Margaret had just arranged to take about thirty of them, as a sort of company of soldiers. To have them aboard here. Eh? Men of war. Eh? Pretty nearly the whole village of them.” “Indeed, sir.” “You don’t like your little secrets to be known.” “Ah? Oh. I forgot to ask, Mr. Stukeley. How is Mrs. Stukeley?” “She’s very well, thanks. You didn’t think I’d learn your little secret about the men of war.” “I didn’t think one way or the other. You’d have known some day sure enough. I needn’t disguise the fact. Yes. We’ve just got thirty of them, to join at an hour’s notice.” “When we sail? When will that be?” “We ought to a gone to-day. Only our foretopmast’s sprung. We have to wait for a new one. But you know yourself, sir. We may have to sail at an hour’s notice, spar or no spar.” “Thank you for reminding me. You’re a person of great delicacy, Cammock. For one of your rank in life.” “I believe I am, sir. Let it go at that.” “Can we sail at an hour’s notice?” “If the Governor, and that old frigate, the royal _Nonsuch_, don’t object. I suppose we could if we had to, even without a topmast. But if our topmast ain’t aboard, we couldn’t run very fast. I reckon we could, sir.” “Leaving all that tobacco ashore?” “Yes. All except about fifty ton, which we’ve got aboard. That tobacco’ll go home in the summer fleet, if the fleet don’t want to cross home light.” “I hear you’ve got all the pick of the crop.” “You hear a lot of things, sir. Well-informed man, Ed Davis.” “He knows what’s going on,” said Stukeley. “When you’re shut up with a couple of old sheep, like your two owners, you need a change.” “So I believe, sir.” “What d’you mean?” “I mean just what I said.” “Ah, yes. A simple, rugged nature. Eh? But how can we put to sea with so much cargo out of her?” “We’re not too light, Mr. Stukeley. It ain’t as though we’d emptied her. We’ve taken in a lot of fresh water. A lot of scantling, too. A lot of this Virginia cider. Then there’s the new cables we bought from them Hog Islers. Besides the fifty odd ton of tobacco. Still, I don’t say but what she’ll cut up a bit of a dance, if she gets any weather going south.” “I thought all her cargo was consigned to Virginia.” “Did you, sir?” “Surely. What’s the good of fencing? Good luck, captain. I’m not an old sheep, like your owners.” “Indeed, sir.” “You’re getting funny, captain. A wit. You ought to have been at the University.” “That’s where they make gentlemen, sir.” “Oh, you know that?” “We’d one of them come with us in the _Trinity_. I know all about the universities.” “He taught you, eh? Private tuition in the forecastle?” “Yes. As you might say. One of the things he taught was---- Well. You were at one yourself. I don’t think he could have learned you much.” “Don’t you? Could he have learned me (as you call it) that the reason you’ve not discharged your cargo here is that you’re going to try to trade along the Main?”