Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (49 page)

             
"
You
'
re
wasting
your
time,
Mister
Heron,
"
said
Lieutenant
Beasley.
"
If
the
Master
is
right,
it
will
be
several
hours
yet
before
there
is
ought
to
see.
The
currents
here
set
northward
and
this
wind,
being
a
head
wind,
will
make
our
landfall
tardy.
"

             
Harry
lowered
the
glass
he
had
been
using
and
grinned,
"
I
had
hoped
to
spy
a
lion
or
some
other
fantastic
beast,
sir.
The
men
say
they
roam
freely
here
and
may
even
eat
the
people
they
encounter.
"

             
"
From
what
I
have
heard
the
beasts
do
not
roam
this
far
and
avoid
human
habitation,
though
there
may
be
some
in
the
less
settled
places.
"
The
lieutenant
laughed.
"
As
for
their
eating
us,
well,
they
are
carnivores
and
if
a
man
were
foolish
enough
to
come
too
close,
I
dare
say
they
would
make
a
meal
of
us.
"

             
"
Do
you
think
we
might
encounter
any
if
we
land,
sir?
"

             
"
Unlikely
I
think.
From
the
reports
of
our
occupation
garrison,
the
farms
spread
quite
a
distance
inland
and
along
the
coast
and
the
lion
has
been
driven
away
from
the
towns.
"
He
smiled
again
and
teased,
"
But
I
shall
be
sure
to
allow
you
the
honour
of
being
eaten
first
if
we
encounter
any.
"

             
Harry
laughed.
"
Thank
you,
sir,
but
if
you
will
pardon
me,
I
think
I
am
too
junior
for
so
signal
an
honour.
"

             
In
the
event,
the
convoy
made
a
long
tack
at
dusk
and
it
was
not
until
mid
afternoon
the
following
day
that
the
strange
flat
topped
mountain
loomed
sufficiently
above
the
horizon
to
be
seen
from
the
deck.
To
Harry
and
his
friend
Kit
Tanner,
it
was
a
disappointment.
There
was
no
fabulous
jungle
as
they
had
expected
and
the
ships
stood
into
a
wide
bay
guarded
by
a
low
lying
island
marked
on
Mister
Wentworth
'
s
charts
as
a
leper
colony.
Harry
misread
or
misheard
the
name
and
spent
some
time
wondering
what
manner
of
bird
had
resulted
in
its
being
named
as
'
Robin
'
Island.

             
"
Why,
bless
you,
Mister
Heron.
"
The
Sailing
Master
laughed.
"
T
'
is
not
named
for
the
bird
–
'
robben
'
is
the
Dutch
for
the
sea
lions
that
infest
the
place.
See,
there
is
one
now
–
considering
you
for
his
dinner
no
doubt.
" 

             
Looking
in
the
direction
the
Master
pointed
Harry
saw
a
large
grey
dog-like
creature
swimming
effortlessly
close
to
the
ship
and
evidently
studying
it
with
interest.
Larger
and
evidently
sleeker
than
the
fur
seals
he
was
used
to
in
the
channel
and
the
coasts
of
his
home
in
Ulster,
the
beast
returned
his
gaze
and
then,
as
suddenly
as
it
had
appeared,
dived
and
vanished
beneath
the
waves.
Soon
however,
others
began
to
appear
close
to
the
ship,
evidently
in
the
hope
of
some
bounty.

             
"
Deck
there,
"
the
lookout
'
s
call
drew
everyone
'
s
attention.
"
Lugger
putting
out
from
the
shore.
It
wears
the
Dutch
colours,
sir.
"

             
"
That
will
be
the
Governor
'
s
man
coming
to
enquire
the
purpose
of
our
visit
no
doubt,
"
Captain
Blackwood
remarked
wryly.
"
Though
unless
I
am
much
mistaken,
there
is
a
sloop
of
theirs
at
anchor
over
by
that
river
mouth
and
some
of
these
fat
merchantmen
would,
not
that
long
since,
have
made
excellent
prizes
for
us.
"

             
"
Indeed
they
would,
sir,
fat
Dutch
Indiamen
all
of
them,
but
most
appear
unladen
or
outward
bound.
"
The
Second
Lieutenant
lowered
the
glass
he
had
been
using
and
remarked,
"
Though
there
are
none
of
the
frigates
the
Dutch
are
reported
to
keep
here
in
the
bay.
"

             
The
First
Lieutenant
joined
them,
"
Sir,
shall
I
have
the
side
manned
to
receive
our
visitor?
"