“They’re no friends of mine, sir,” said Cammock simply.
“Aren’t they? I thought they were particular friends of yours. You sailed with them?”
“I’ve sailed with a good many as I’m no friends with.”
“Really.”
“I say nothing against them,” said Cammock. “They’re very good seamen. Doing good as planters, too, sir. They’ve quite a lot of ground burnt off. I dare say you’ve seen it.”
“Yes. But I thought from what they said that they were particular friends of yours. Eh?”
“Indeed, sir. When did you see them?”
“I saw them yesterday, Captain Cammock.”
“Indeed, sir.”
“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.”