Company Of Spears

They marched by way of Ealing, Brent and Enfield. As standing orders required, although the distance to Waltham Abbey was only half the daily march rate, they took the first ten miles slowly, with horses led in-hand the first half hour, and then, mounted, at a steady trot. Hervey had seen no reason to vary this, although the appearance of dismounted dragoons was of some curiosity to the population of Hounslow. After ten miles, nearing Brent, they halted on the common for the prescribed fifteen minutes, and gave each horse a handful of water to wash the mouth, and a wisp of hay. The dragoons themselves were allowed water but no pipe. The next six miles were done at a fast trot, and after forty-five minutes on short reins the regiment halted in the outskirts of Enfield. Here they rested for half an hour, the horses off-saddled and rubbed down, given a peck of corn and some water, and the dragoons allowed tobacco. It was nearing five o’clock as they set off for the final ten-mile stretch, the first fifteen minutes horses led in-hand again, and then a brisk trot as before. In an hour and a half, as the sun began closing to the horizon, they rode into a big field of spring pasture at the Four Swans in Waltham Cross, the furthest point of the Bow Street man’s daily highway patrol, and there they dismounted.

While the RSM went with the ‘redbreast’ to negotiate with the landlord for the green fodder, and beer for the dragoons, Hervey took off his shako, put on a plain lowbrow hat and a plain green cloak, and unfastened the throat plume so as to make the bridle less military-looking. ‘I want to spy out the road,’ he said to Dalrymple and Nasmyth, looking at his watch, then springing back into the saddle. ‘Is Colonel Denroche to meet us here?’

‘He is,’ said Nasmyth, looking at his own watch again. ‘In an hour.’ He gathered up his reins to accompany.

‘No, if you please; I would rather scout on my own. It will arouse less suspicion, I think.’

Nasmyth looked irritated, but chose not to contest the matter.

‘Do we meet the Sixtieth’s colonel too? I must have words with him.’

‘I do not know,’ said Nasmyth curtly. ‘That is a military matter.’

Hervey turned instead to Major Dalrymple.

‘Neither do I,’ said Dalrymple apologetically. ‘My orders are solely in connection with the cavalry.’

Hervey was angering. It did not seem too much to ask of the man acting on the direct authority of the General Officer Commanding the London District to know such a detail. It was, after all, not unimportant. ‘Very well, I shall ride over to the mills while there’s still daylight.’

Nasmyth shook his head. ‘I wish you would not. The Sixtieth will have taken up their positions by now. It would be very perilous for all.’

‘In God’s name, man, I’ve got to speak with the Sixtieth else sure as fate we’ll blunder into each other! Believe me, I’ve seen it more times than I care to remember, and in circumstances a deal more favourable than these!’

Nasmyth did not rise to the anger. ‘I am sure we can arrange for the Sixtieth’s colonel to come here, Hervey. I’m sure Colonel Denroche would wish it so.’

Hervey bit his lip. He was obliged, by the normal usages of aid to the civil power, to submit to any order from a magistrate, or in this case the representative of the Home Secretary himself, but that did not, in his view, mean submitting to orders as to how to exercise his military authority. Except, of course, where such action might be contrary to the law of the land. He chose to be emollient, however. ‘I shall ride a mile or so yonder, to the crossroads – if this map’s faithful. I want to see what is the going off the road.’ He held his map out to Nasmyth, indicating his objective. ‘This, I take it, is the road by which the intruders will come?’

‘That is our intelligence. With one waggon, covered. And armed.’

Hervey nodded. ‘And then I shall return by the old turnpike along the Lea. I shall be back in an hour,’ he said, turning Gilbert about before there were any more protests and impediments.

* * *

There had been other occasions when he had felt acutely the want of time for reconnaissance. It made no difference whether the enemy was French or Hindoostani – or even Luddite or Irish: a thorough survey of the ground repaid any expense. He rejoiced that for once he had a good map, or rather plan – the Board of Ordnance’s of 1801 – but he understood there had been extensive building during the late war, and it was as well to mark the changes while he could. Here after all was one of the biggest – perhaps the biggest – manufactories in England.