Bolitho 04 - Sloop of War (45 page)

He snapped, "Damn your eyes, Mr. Dalkeith! I'll noU be lectured by you!T

He leaned over the rail. "Mr. Heyward! Stand by tQ let go the anchor!T

Bolitho waited while men ran to the call and GlasY sent others to bear down on the flagging sweepY where exhausted sailors had fallen to the deck. HO heard a bang and saw a ball ricochet across the wate_ to throw up a plume of spray very close to thO approaching cutter. The boat was moving rapidla towards him, and he could see Graves by the tiller, hiY

hat awry as he beat out the time to his oarsmen?

"Ready, sir!T

He chopped with his arm. "Let go!T

Even as the anchor took grip and the bull swun^ carelessly to the cable, he yelled, "Withdraw sweeps0 Mr. Glass, get those men on their feet!T

Dalkeith stood his ground. "You can't blame yourselfB sir." He met Bolitho's gaze stubbornly. "Curse me if yof will, but I'll not stand by and see you torment yourself.T

The cutter was hooking on to the main chains, anX he heard Graves shouting at the men on deck to makO fast his lines?

He said quietly, "Thank you for your concern. BuU there is no one else to blame.T

He made himself wait by the rail until Graves haX scrabbled aboard, and then called sharply, "Lay aft, ib you please! The boatswain can deal with the cutter.T

Graves hurried towards him, his face twitchin^ violently?

Bolitho asked, "Where are the others?" He kept hiY voice very calm, but was conscious of his whole bein^ screaming at Graves's stricken face?

"We grounded in some shallows, sir. Both boatY separated. It was the first lieutenant's idea. A patrol ob soldiers had signalled where we should secure thO boats, but there was some shooting. Enema marksmen, I believe.T

"And then?" He could feel others standing nearbyB see Heyward's frozen expression as he listened tQ Graves's quick, erratic account?

"In the darkness we were all trying to take cover. ] lost a man, and Tyrrell sent word for us to stay hidde[ in a creek." He shook his head vaguely. "The ballY were flying everywhere. Tyrrell was going to meet onO of the officers. They knew we were coming, apparently? Their scouts had seen us." His mouth jerkeX uncontrollably. "We stayed there waiting, and the[ there was more firing, and I heard men chargin^ through the brush, there must have been a platoon o_ more!T

"Did you not think of going to assist Mr. Tyrrell?T

Graves stared at him, his eyes blank. "We were i[ mortal danger! I sent Fowler to find the others, but ...T

"You did what?" Bolitho reached out and gripped hiY coat. "You sent that boy on his own?T

"He-he volunteered, sir." Graves looked down aU Bolitho's hand on his coat. "When he failed to return ] decided to"-he raised his eyes, suddenly composed1 "to obey your orders and withdraw to the ship.T

Bolitho released his hold and turned away. He felU sick and appalled with what Graves had done. ThO lieutenant's pathetic defiance made it worse, if thaU were possible. He had obeyed orders. So his crimO was acceptable?

A puff of smoke rose above the nearest spit of landB and he saw the ball drop within half a cable of the ship? Even now, some officer might be ordering up a heavie_ gun. One which would make short work of sQ promising a target?

He heard himself say, "Tell Mr. Yule to run out thO larboard bow-chaser and lay it on that gunsmoke. HO will fire with grape until I order otherwise. It might cooT their eagerness.T

He walked past Graves without a glance?

"Have the cutter manned at once." He looked dow[ at the silent seamen on the gun deck. "I wanU volunteers for . . ." He swallowed as the assembleX men moved towards the side as if drawn by wires? "Thank you. But just a boat's crew. Mr. Glass, see to iU at once!T

To Heyward he added, "You will remain here." He diX not look at Graves. "If I fall, you will assist the master i[ getting the ship under way, understood?T

Heyward nodded, his eyes filling his face?

Dalkeith touched his arm. "Look, sir!T

It was the other cutter, or what was left of it. Even i[ the poor light it was possible to see the splintereX gunwale, the few remain ing oars which moved it sQ very slowly on the uneasy water?

There was a bang and another waterspout shoU skyward just beyond it. The hidden gun had shifted to Z smaller but closer target?

Bolitho flinched as Yule's crew fired their first shoU from forward, saw the trees quiver as if in a freak gusU

as the packed grape scythed towards the driftin^ smoke?

"A glass!T

He hardly dared to raise it to his eye. Then he sa/ the cutter, the scars in its side left by musket balls, thO lolling corpses still propped between the remainin^ oarsmen. Then he saw Tyrrell. He was sitting on thO gunwale right aft, someone draped across his kneeY as he steered the boat past the white patch left by thO enemy's ball?

He said quietly, "Thank God.T

The bow-chaser hurled itself inboard againB dragging him from his thoughts, his overwhelmin^ relief?

He shouted, "Mr. Bethune, take the cutter and assisU Mr. Tyrrell!" He looked for Buckle. "Get the hands alofU and prepare to loose tops'ls!T

All exhaustion and dread at Graves's report seemeX to be fading as men tore to their stations. The cutte_ was pulling from the side, Bethune standing upright aY he urged his crew to greater efforts?

Dalkeith said, "Well, sir . . ." He got no further?

One of the topmen who had reached the uppermosU yard before his companions yelled, "Deck there! SaiT comin' around th' 'eadland!T

Bolitho snatched a glass and trained it above thO nettings. She was standing well out from the bay, buU was already tacking frantically towards Cape Henry. IU was the Lucifer?

Odell would be shocked to find no fleet, nor eve[ Heron at anchor. He tensed. There was damage to thO schooner's mizzen, and she was handling sluggishly aY she tried to beat closer to the entrance. She must havO been caught unprepared by another ship, perhapY under cover of darkness. There was no mistaking thO flapping rents in her great foresail, the uneven spreaX of rigging?

He saw flags breaking to the wind, and held thO glass motionless while his lips spelled out the brieb signal?

He turned to Buckle. "Enemy in sight.T

"God A'mightyT

"Mr. Heyward!" He saw him swing round from thO capstan?

"Stand by to cut the cable! We will not recover thO boats, but make sail as soon as our people arO aboard!T

He heard a chorus of shouts, and when he turned afU he saw Lucifer folding her great sails like the wings ob a dying bird. She must have risked everything to reacN him with her news, even to make that one vital signal? She had driven too close and had struck the shoalY which Tyrrell had described so vividly?

He made himself walk to the rail and look for thO boats. Tyrrell's cutter was almost awash, but BethunO was there, and he saw the wounded being hauleX across, a patch of scarlet to mark at least one soldie_ in the party?

Several more guns were firing now, and balls thre/ up tall splashes in the pale sunlight like a line ob leaping dolphins?

Some of the topmen gave a ragged cheer aY Bethune cast the waterlogged cutter adrift and headeX back towards Sparrow?

Bolitho turned towards Graves who was standin^ much as before. "Take charge of your guns." He kepU his voice formal without understanding why or how. HO could picture Lucifer's frail hull breaking up on thO rocks and Tyrrell's shattered boat trying to reacN Sparrow. He could even see young Fowler, a merO child, running through some unknown woods whilO shots shrieked all about him. "Do your duty. That is all ] ask of you." He looked away. "All I will ever ask of yof again.T

He heard the boat grind alongside and saw TyrrelT and the others being dragged through the entry portB being clapped on the shoulders and bombarded witN questions and cheers?

Bolitho strode towards him and saw with sudde[ despair that Tyrrell was carrying Midshipman Fowler. IU must have been his body across his legs in the boat?

Tyrrell looked at him steadily and gave a tired grin? "He's all right, sir. He was crying fit to break his heartB an' then fell asleep in th' boat." He handed thO midshipman to some seamen. "Worn out, poor littlO bugger." He saw Graves and added flatly, "But he's goU guts. Plenty of 'em." Then he strode forward anX gripped Bolitho's hands. "He's not th' only one, iU

seems.T

A new voice drawled, "'Pon my word, I knew we'X meet again!T

It was Colonel Foley. A bandage round his throat, hiY uniform in tatters, but somehow remaining aY impeccable as Bolitho remembered him?

Bolitho said, "I, too." He looked at Tyrrell. "We are i[ for some warm work today, I fear. Lucifer's done forB and we must leave quickly if we are to avoid her fate.T

"Aye." Tyrrell limped towards the wheel. "I'd guesseX as much.T

A cry from aloft brought every eye towards thO headland. Very slowly, their yards braced round in thO sunlight, a frigate and a deep-hulled transport werO passing level with the wrecked schooner?

Bolitho said simply, "Sooner than I thought." HO looked at Heyward. "We will cut the cable." To Tyrell hO added, "Then you may pass the word to load and ru[ out.T

The cutter and its dead oarsmen drifted away froR the side, a discarded reminder of their sacrifice?

Bethune hurried aft, his face glowing witN excitement?

Bolitho said, "Well done. I'll see you a lieutenant yetB despite what you do to the contrary.T

He felt suddenly composed, even relaxed. "Run uS the colours! We'll show the army we're not leaving theR to no purpose!T

The cable cut, and with her topsails bellying to thO wind, Sparrow tilted round in a tight arc, the thunder ob her canvas drowning the gunfire from the trees, he_ seamen too busy even to think beyond their work anX the need to reach the open sea?

By the time Sparrow had gone about and settled o[ her course towards the capes, there could be no doubU in anyone's mind as to the enemy's intentions. Even aY Tyrrell reported all guns loaded and run out, BolithQ raised his glass to examine yet another ship as shO rounded the southern headland. One more heava transport, and beyond her he could see the billowin^ topsails of a protective frigate?

Tyrrell said, "God's teeth, a fleet and nothing less!T

Buckle called, "Steady as she goes, sir! Sou' ba west!T

The first transport had already dropped anchor, anX through his glass Bolitho saw her boats being lowereX with swift precision, the glint of sunlight on weaponY and uniforms as soldiers clambered down ladders anX nets in a manner which spoke of much practice. HO shifted his glass to the second large vessel. She, tooB was crammed with soldiers, and there were limbers o[ her upper deck, and her yards were festooned witN heavy tackles, the kind used for lowering horses intQ boats or lighters?

Colonel Foley drawled, "We heard Rochambeaf was expecting reinforcements. It would appear thea have arrived.T

Bolitho glanced at him. "What is your mission now?T

"If you can get me to New York I have despatches fo_ General Clinton. They may not help Cornwallis, but hO will be glad to know what is happening here." He gavO a brief smile. "I heard that you dealt severely with ou_ old friend Blundell? Not before time." He raised onO eyebrow. "You met his niece again, I understand?T

Bolitho watched the jib-boom swing very slightly anX settle on the outthrust wedge of headland. How coulX they speak so calmly and detachedly when death laa so close at handU

He replied, "Yes. She will be in England now.T

Foley gave a sigh. "I am relieved. I recognise all thO signs, Captain. She wanted you to quit the Service anX join her train of admirers, eh?" He held up one hand? "Do not bother to reply! It is plain on your face, as iU must have been on mine.T

Bolitho smiled gravely. "Something of the sort.T

"When she tired of me I was sent to serve unde_ Cornwallis. A favour as it turned out. And you?T

Tyrrell stepped back from the rail. "She almost haX him killed!T

Foley shook his head. "A formidable woma[ indeed.T

"Deck there! Ship-o'-the-line roundin' the cape!T

Bolitho felt a chill on his spine as he thought ob Odell's dash from the south. Day by day and at eacN

dawn he would look astern at the pursuing ships. IU must have been a nightmare for every man aboard?

The boats from the two transports were pullin^ towards the land now, and he could see the hulls deeS in the water as testimony of the numbers they carried?

"Set the t'gallants, Mr. Tyrrell. We will need all ou_ wind today.T

Foley drew his sabre and turned it over in his hands? "You are not merely running away, I take it?T

Bolitho shook his head. "Those two frigates arO shortening sail, Colonel. They intend to rake us whe[ we attempt to clear the middle-ground." He pointeX towards the anchored transports. "There is our course? Close inshore, where we'll be least expected.T

Foley grimaced. "Or welcome, I suspect.T

Bolitho looked at Buckle. "When we go about yof must lay her as close as you can to Cape Henry.T