sit at a desk, answer questions, and run errands! It's no duty for a
man who craves action!

HALE

Yes, William, you have always been a fire eater.

HULL

Well, I eat no fire here, I can tell you. Now will you trade jobs with
me?

HALE

If General Washington asks me to--I'll do it--though you haven't made
it sound like a very attractive job, William.

HULL

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

Yes, I keep running across South Coventry men everywhere I go. It's a
little town, but it has certainly done its duty well in this war.

HULL

If others had done as well, we wouldn't be in such dire straits now!

HALE

Things do look pretty black for us.

HULL

Black! They couldn't be blacker!

HALE

Have you any idea what the General's next move will be?

HULL

No!--and what's more, I don't think he knows. It all depends on General
Howe's movements, and what those will be nobody knows.

HALE

Is General Washington in his office now?

HULL

Yes. Did you come to see him?

HALE

I was ordered to report to him.

HULL

And here I've been keeping you out here--that shows what a good staff
officer I am! I'll announce you at once. [_knock_]

WASHINGTON [_off_]

Yes, come in.

HULL

Sir, Captain Hale of Knowlton's Rangers awaits your pleasure.

WASHINGTON [_off_]

Ask him to come in at once, Captain.

HULL

Yes, sir. [_closer_] General Washington will see you now, Captain Hale.

HALE

Thank you.

HULL [_low_]

I'll wait out here for you. Come right in here! [_door closes_]

HALE

Captain Hale reports as ordered, sir.

WASHINGTON

Come in, Captain--come in!

HALE

Thank you, sir.

WASHINGTON

Will you sit here?

HALE

Thank you, sir.

WASHINGTON

Colonel Knowlton informs me that you and your company have been
assigned to cover the North Shore line of Long Island Sound.

HALE

Yes, sir!

WASHINGTON

Well, Captain Hale, I am seriously in need of exact information which
you may be able to secure.

HALE