Richard Bolitho – Midshipman

'WIND'S backed again, sir! ' The boatswain's hoarse voice made Bolitho nudge Dancer with his elbow and rouse him. He saw Verling and Tregorren consulting the compass, and when he looked up at the ragged mainmast pendant he saw it was lifting and whipping to a new thrust of wind. The sky was paler, and as he struggled to his feet he felt every muscle throbbing with cramp. Verling commented flatly, 'We will beat clear of the headland nevertheless.' His arm shot out, black against the sky. 'There! I can see surf below the point! ' The arm darted round. 'You midshipmen, get below and rouse the people. My compliments to Major Dewar, and tell him we will pass very close inshore. I want no marine or seaman on deck who has not been so ordered.' A block squeaked, and Bolitho saw a large flag jerking up to the foremost lateen sail. In daylight it would be seen as a black one, similar to that worn by the Pegaso. He shivered, despite his excitement. l 'Come on, Martyn, we'd better hurry.' s He retched and covered his mouth with his sleeve t as he plunged down into the fat-bellied hold. In the r glitter of a solitary lantern the crowded seamen and marines could have been another slave cargo. The realization came like an ice-cold shock. If this attack failed, the survivors would end as no better I than the poor wretches released by Captain Conway. Although the corsair, Rais Haddam, recruited many! white mercenaries to man his ships and expand his grip across the trade routes, he had little love or respect for them. If half of what was said of him was true, it was more than likely he would keep captured British seamen to replace those very same slaves. Dewar listened to his message and grunted. ' 'Bout time. I'm aching like a sick cow.' Dancer coughed and gasped, 'I am glad we were on deck, sir.' The marines exchanged glances and Dewar said, 'Spoiled young devils! It is the discomfort I object to. The smell is no worse than any field of battle.' He grinned at Dancer's nausea. 'Especially after a few days, when the crows have been at work, eh?' He stood up, ducking under the beams. 'Marines, stand-to! Sar'nt Halse, inspect the weapons! ' Bolitho returned to the poop, and found to his surprise that it was already bright enough to see the land drifting abeam, the dancing spray amongst some angry-looking rocks. Dancer murmured, 'A lee shore. If the first lieutenant had taken an hour longer we'd have been hard put to beat clear.' 'Sir! I can see someone on the point! ' Verling raised a telescope. 'Yes. He's gone from view now. Probably a lookout of some kind. He won't get across to the island, but the cosair may have a sort of signalling arrangement.' He was thinking aloud. The wind made the great sails bang noisily, and the poorly-made rigging looked as if it might tear apart at any second. But it must be stronger than it appeared, Bolitho decided. He watched Hoggett supervising the helmsmen, the easy way the dhow turned to starboard to let the nearest rocks slip past the quarter with a bare twenty feet to spare. The dhow handled well. He smiled tightly. So it should. Arab sailors were using them long before ships like Gorgon were even dreamed of. Pearce said, 'There's the fortress.' He grimaced. 'God, it looks a mite larger from this side! ' It was still shrouded in gloom, with only the upper tower and battery catching the first feeble light. There was a sharp bang, and for an instant Bolitho imagined the fortress had seen through Captain Conway's ruse and could not restrain the gunners from firing. He ducked as a ball whipped high overhead and threw a fanlike waterspout amongst the rocks. 'Sandpiper, sir! ' A seaman almost prodded Verling in his excitement to point across the larboard beam. 'She fired! ' Verling lowered his glass and studied him coldly. 'Thank you. I did not imagine it was an act of t God! ' s Another shot banged out, and this time the ball ^ smashed down across the bows in direct line with r their approach. Verling gave a thin smile. 'Let her fall off, Mr; Hoggett. I know Mr Dallas has an excellent gun; captain with him in Sandpiper, but we'll not take too [many chances.' The dhow tilted steeply as the helmsmen brought t her further round towards the island. I 'Fire the er, stern-chaser.' L Verling stood aside as some seamen who had been working on one of the old bronze cannons plunged a slow-match into the pitted touch-hole and jumped clear. The ancient bronze barrel was almost worn out, but the resonant bang was far louder than anyone had expected. Verling said, 'That should do it. If we fire it again, I fear it will explode in our midst.' Bolitho saw the brig for the first time. Closehauled on a converging tack, she was heeling well over to the wind, her sails merged into one pale pyramid in the dawn light. He saw the flash of another gun, and winced as the ball pounded close to the waterline, dousing seamen and crouching marines in falling spray. Verling remarked angrily, 'Mr Dallas is too good an actor. A few more like that and I will have to take him to task.' He smiled at the boatswain. 'Later, of course.' He's worried.' Dancer peered through the bulwark.