But, no doubt, a pilot has grand
facilities. However that may be, I'm not sure that the Orkney
crofters would welcome such a new line of business. Anyway, I have
more respect for the crofters and for their poor families than to
think of starting such a damnable traffic; nor am I in the least
disposed to turn a schooner of mine into a floating grog shop. Good
morning, pilot!"
Kinlay winced visibly under this taunting speech of the trading
captain. Evidently he had mistaken his man in supposing that Flett
would descend to his own level, and aid in promoting the nefarious
traffic he suggested. Davie Flett's intimate knowledge of the
Orcadians, and the nature of his commerce with them, would
certainly have made it easy for him to do a considerable retail
trade. But, as I well knew, the skipper of the Falcon had
systematically avoided including spirits in his stock of marketable
commodities. Though himself no enemy to an occasional dram on a
cold night, he knew too well the evil effects that would probably
follow the introduction of strong drink among the innocent
islanders, who, for the most part, had the greatest difficulty in
gaining a simple livelihood. Even apart from his moral scruples,
Davie Flett had excellent reasons for rejecting Kinlay's singular
proposal.
One thing that I gathered from this conversation was the suspicion
that Carver, who had often posed as a very innocent man, was,
either directly or indirectly, in league with the smugglers of
Scapa Flow.
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