ANNOUNCER
Thus Captain Jones planted in the mind of one of the freemen of the Pilgrim company an idea which he was sure would bear fruit before many hours. He watched the company as first one man and then another fell in with Peter Brown. He felt the temper of the company changing, but he still did not feel that mutiny was likely against the strong religious authority of the Elders. And so to bring the matter to a head, he asked Carver to come to his cabin. As the door closes, the captain begins—
JONES
I fear me, Master Carver, we are in a bad way.
CARVER
Indeed—why?
JONES
The carpenter has gone over the ship timber by timber
CARVER
Well?
JONES
It is a long, hard job we have before us.
CARVER
Oh, too bad, too bad! How long?
JONES
What with finding the proper timbers ashore, and hewing them to fit our needs, I fear it may well be two months or more before we can leave these waters.
CARVER
Surely you can make what repairs are necessary in less time—you need not rebuild the ship.
JONES
Nay—but the ship is sprung at every seam; 'tis nothing but good fortune that has kept it afloat so long.
CARVER
The seams sprung?
JONES
Aye—all of them.
CARVER
Then our stores are in danger of being ruined.
JONES
Aye, they are even now in such danger they should be unshipped.
CARVER
Then we must do it—set your crew to the work at once.
JONES
The crew has more than it can do to repair the ship and make it ready to sail on to Virginia, since you insist on going on.
CARVER
Then I'll set our company to work on the stores—we must not let them be ruined.
JONES
Nay, or you'll all face starvation, for you can count on nothing from the land at this late date.
CARVER
I'll gather the company together at once and set them to work!
JONES
Aye, do, Master Carver.
CARVER
We must unship the stores; [going] we'll begin at once. [sound of door opening]
JONES [to himself]
Mayhap your company will have something to say to that, Master Carver.