Perhaps I've overdone it, Nathan—

HALE [laughing]

No use trying to crawl out of it now, William.

HULL

But you—you're more used to this sort of thing than I am. You're a schoolmaster—used to books and quills and letter writing.

HALE

That's true enough. You never had much love for books—as I remember it you were rather a trial to the dominie back home—by the way, what do you hear from South Coventry?

HULL

Not much—almost every man in the town enlisted.

HALE