Why--yes--if you wish it. HALE You can do it without endangering yourself or your boat? POND There'll be no difficulty about landing you. There is, however, a British man-of-war, the _Halifax_, in these waters. We have to watch out for her. But it's dark enough tonight to be perfectly safe. HALE Good! Can we go at once? POND Yes, sir. [_calling_] Bos'n! BOS'N Aye, aye, sir! POND Get the ship under way for Long Island! Bring her into that secluded cove near Huntington! You know the place. BOS'N Aye, aye, sir! [_calling_] All hands on deck! Man the windlass! Weigh anchor! [_etc._] [_mob, setting sails, etc._] POND Well, Captain Hale. This is new business for you, isn't it? HALE Yes, I've been transferred to Knowlton's Rangers. Our business is to get information. And I am under orders to secure some information that I can get in no other way. POND Hm. It's not a sweet business. HALE It's in my country's service! It seems that you, too, Lieutenant Pond, are in a new business. How long have you been in the navy? POND Two weeks. HALE I'm glad I found you here--I might have had some difficulty in convincing a stranger that I was really an officer in the Continental army. POND That's true enough. You look--well--more like a country schoolmaster than anything else. HALE That's what I hope to pass for. POND How long will you be on Long Island? HALE I shall try to be through my business in a week. I wonder if you would meet me at the same place you are going to leave me--say, a week from tonight? POND I'll send a small boat ashore for you, soon after dark a week from tonight. HALE Good! I'll be there--unless-- POND Yes? HALE Unless I am unexpectedly detained. POND Oh, sir--we won't even think of that! ANNOUNCER Our next scene is several days later, at the little shop of the shoemaker, Simon Carter, in Jamaica. Simon is sitting on his stool, hammering away at a half-finished boot, when he hears a knock at his door. [_knock_] SIMON Come in, come in, the door ain't locked! Come on in! HALE Is this the shop of Simon Carter, the shoemaker? SIMON It is, no less! HALE Are you at liberty today--at liberty to do a little work for me? SIMON Close the door! HALE There. [_door closes_] SIMON [_low_] Now--sir--I'll do what I can fer ye--in the cause of liberty. What is it? HALE [_low_] Have you any information for the General? SIMON Aye--a plenty! HALE Can you give it to me? SIMON It's all written out--careful. HALE Good! Give it to me. SIMON Jest a minute. Don't them boots of yours need new soles? HALE Why, I don't know. I think they'll do. SIMON Never! Ye must have new soles! HALE Why? SIMON See here? This here sole? HALE Yes? SIMON Well, listen--come close-- HALE Yes? SIMON The sole is split--the notes are inside it! HALE Good! That's an excellent idea! SIMON Slickest thing ye ever see. And it's my own idea! HALE