Hervey 01 - A Close Run Thing by Allan Mallinson

Author:Allan Mallinson [Mallinson, Allan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical fiction
Published: 2011-12-24T13:16:12+00:00

A month passed without his venturing south or west of the city, for the Tallow troop was hard-pressed mounting smuggler-patrols around Youghal, and Hervey’s troop had been sent to assist them. It had been a relief in one respect; for, having sent the letter, there was little that would be served by his presence in Kilcrea. It had been a profitable relief, too, for the troop had won a Revenue bounty for apprehending, alive, six Bretons and taking their luggerful of Calvados, though one or two casks had been unaccountably written off in the process. But, if there had been nothing to be directly served by his visiting Kilcrea, he found himself nevertheless strangely fretful for want of the company of both Father O’Gavan and Caithlin, and the books which he had asked John Keble to send for her – a lexicon, Chapman’s Homer and a Greek New Testament – lay unopened in his room in Cork’s barracks.

With the arrival at Youghal of additional Excise men, the troop returned to Cork on the eve of the anniversary of Trafalgar in the expectation of celebrating that providential victory the next day, but Edmonds warned them instead to be ready at six the following morning to ride to Ballinhassig to assist the Bench in serving writs.

‘In heaven’s name, sir,’ Hervey protested, ‘writs on whom? And why the whole troop?’

‘Because a troop is what the justices have requested, and since the chairman of the bench of magistrates hereabouts is on close acquaintance with General Slade, so he informs me, I see no reason to demur. Stand down whom you please, but not fewer than fifty men to Ballinhassig.’

‘Whom are the writs to be served on?’

‘I do not know and I do not care. And nor should you. With luck they will be served on idle beggars who’d sooner shoot as look at you. In all probability, though, they’ll be served on decent God-fearing souls who are in some evil rent-trap; but there is nothing that you or I can do about it, and it will be as well that you start out there tomorrow morning thinking thus! This is not the time for walking Spanish, Matthew!’

Later that evening Hervey sat alone in his room. There was no certainty that the evictions would touch on any at Kilcrea: indeed (as he understood it), Kilcrea was under the jurisdiction of Ballincollig. But the possibility was enough to disquiet him, and there was not a soul in whom he might confide his misgivings. Edmonds had said his piece, there was not another officer of the Sixth within forty miles, and even Canon Verey was away in Dublin. He might with advantage have engaged the wisdom of Serjeant Strange, but his principles would not permit him to unburden himself on the very man in whom he would have to place so much trust the next day. And as for Armstrong … But at least he might engage himself in some purposeful activity. So, in the absence of

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