Colours Aloft! by Kent Alexander & Reeman Douglas

Author:Kent, Alexander & Reeman, Douglas [Kent, Alexander & Reeman, Douglas]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Naval Battles - History - 18th Century, Action & Adventure, Historical, Napoleonic Wars; 1800-1815, Fiction, _rt_yes, __Fixed
ISBN: 9781590132692
Publisher: McBooks Press
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

11 A TIME FOR CARING

IT WAS early morning when Bolitho made his way to the quarterdeck. Two days since Firefly had found them and Adam had given him the news.

Argonaute was lying comfortably on the larboard tack under topsails and jib, her decks damp from the night air, her seamen moving about in the half-light, clearing up loose lines and holystoning the poop under the supervision of their petty officers. There was a sickly smell from the galley funnel, and all hands would soon be dismissed for their breakfast.

Bolitho saw the officer-of-the-watch glance at him startled, then move hastily to the lee side. The helmsmen too straightened their backs when moments before they had been clinging to the big double wheel, tired after their watch, thinking only of breakfast, poor though it might be.

One or two of the seamen looked up at him from the main deck. They had seen very little of Bolitho since the injury, and later the smoke of battle had hidden him better than any disguise.

He shaded his eye and stared towards the land. Purple and deep blue above a steely horizon. There were clouds about, rimmed with pink and gold from the sunrise. The sea was calmer and the deck much steadier.

He walked a few paces inboard, his hands grasped firmly behind him. When he sought out individual figures he felt his heart quicken. He could recognize all but those in shadow between the guns.

He called to the lieutenant in charge of the watch.

“Good morning, Mr Machan.” The officer touched his hat and hurried towards him.

“A fine day, Sir Richard.” He sounded confused and pleased.

Bolitho studied him. Detail by detail. He could see him better than he had dared hope and recalled how he had once mistaken Sheaffe for another officer entirely.

He realized that Machan was visibly wilting under his stare.

Bolitho said, “Is Helicon in sight from the masthead?”

They had seen Inch’s ship and her consort just as night had closed in, but daylight would bring them all together again except for Barracouta in her odd disguise, and they would be reduced again as soon as the flagship left for Malta.

It was madness, but Bolitho knew that the orders left nothing to chance or conjecture. If Keen was required to face a court of inquiry he must go in his own ship. To be sent as a passenger in some courier brig would be as good as condemning him and holding the door wide to a court martial.

He found he was pacing again, and that Machan had returned to his place at the lee nettings. The news would spread, first through the lower deck, then to every ship in the squadron. The admiral was up and about again.

Bolitho allowed his mind to grapple with Belinda’s letter. He was still not sure what he had expected. Her letter was not brief, but lacked any personal contact. She had written of the estate, of Ferguson’s plans for extending the market garden, of the old exciseman whose wife was having another baby.

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