“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?”