Beyond the Reef by Kent Alexander & Reeman Douglas

Author:Kent, Alexander & Reeman, Douglas [Kent, Alexander & Reeman, Douglas]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Naval Battles - History - 18th Century, Historical, onlib, Action & Adventure, Napoleonic Wars; 1800-1815, _rt_yes, Fiction, __Fixed
ISBN: 9781409062202
Google: tMxks792V-AC
Amazon: B0031RS3YY
Publisher: Random House
Published: 2009-04-05T04:00:00+00:00

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11

A Day to Remember

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‘EASY ALL!’ BOLITHO peered up at the stars and saw Allday’s shadow move while he pushed the tiller-bar to windward. The oars rose dripping from the water and stayed motionless above it. It was strange to feel the boat still moving ahead, the tilt of the hull as the wind filled the sail, dark against the great panorama of stars.

It had gone better than Bolitho had dared to hope. They had refloated the boat before dusk and had pulled steadily, close inshore almost within an oar’s length of some of the rocks, until they had headed out to sea. The anchored brig had been hidden out of sight on the other side of the island, and even when the jolly-boat had spread her sail in the darkening shadows, they had seen no lights, no movement at all.

Perhaps the brig’s master had given up hope of discovering if anyone had survived the wreck, and was now intent only on gathering another human cargo, transferred perhaps from another slaver.

Ozzard whispered, ‘Last of the water, sir.’

Bolitho thought of the rainwater Jenour’s party had discovered. They had all but filled one barricoe, and after consuming a foul-tasting meal of shellfish and a mash of ship’s biscuits they had each taken a mug of water. In ordinary times nobody would have touched it, but as Yovell had remarked, it seemed like wine.

Keen climbed up beside him and said, ‘We shall see the island clearly at first light. Two more miles, maybe less with this wind.’ He was calculating aloud. ‘At least we can survive there until we find help.’

On the bottom boards Catherine stirred and took the cup from Ozzard, while in the bows they could hear Sophie retching. She was their only casualty from eating the raw shellfish. A fire had been out of the question with the brig so near.

Tojohns wiped his mouth with his hand. ‘I can hear surf, sir!’

Bolitho breathed out slowly and felt Catherine reach for him in the darkness.

He said, ‘That’s it, Val. The outer spur. Once daylight comes we can follow it until we find a passage. All we have to do after that is make for the beach. There might even be a merchantman there, with a watering party ashore. It is a favourite place, and the streams are somewhat better than Stephen’s gully!’

Surprisingly, someone laughed this time, and Sophie managed to control her retching to listen.

Bolitho gripped Catherine’s hand. ‘Try to rest, Kate. You’ve done enough for ten able-bodied seamen.’

She said quietly, ‘It’s hard to accept that there is land out there.’

Bolitho smiled. ‘Old hands will be able to smell it soon.’

He made her comfortable and then climbed over to the nearest thwart to relieve Tojohns at his oar.

Allday said harshly, ‘Stand by! Give way all!’

He thought he already had the scent of the island, and marvelled at the way Bolitho and Keen had managed to get them this far. But they were not safe yet. He grimaced in the darkness.

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