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.

ANNOUNCER

So Carver gathered together his company in the common cabin, and standing before the stern-faced, storm-weary gathering, the Elder spoke:

CARVER

Men of the Pilgrim company, as no doubt you are all well aware by now, the land we made this morning with such joy and thanksgiving in our hearts is not the land of the Virginia Plantation.

ALL

Aye, we know as much! So we have heard. [etc.]

CARVER

But our ship is sore distressed from the buffeting of the storms, and Captain Jones must needs make repairs before we can sail on to our destination. [protests and grumblings]

I would it were not so, for I know how weary you find yourselves after the many days upon the sea. But there's naught else to do.

PETER [calling]

Why can't we land here? [mob assents]

CARVER

Nay, nay, it cannot be. This is not Virginia; we have no patent to these lands. We must sail on. The captain and his crew will make their repairs as soon as they can, but our stores in the hold are all of them in danger of spoiling—so we must needs unship them ourselves until such time as we may sail away from here. So let every man prepare himself for work.

PETER

Master Carver—we are not able to work. [mob assents]

CARVER

I know, but—

PETER

And more—'tis not our wish to stay aboard this ship longer—[mob assents]

CARVER

But we can do naught else—

PETER

Aye, we kin land here, and find a goodly