The American Captain by Keffer James

Author:Keffer, James
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penmore Press LLC
Published: 2024-09-04T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TEN

Captain Sir Thomas Knighton sat at his desk. Three days earlier, he’d met with a British ship south of Bermuda that brought him news of an American warship prowling the Caribbean and supposedly taking three British ships as prizes. The next day, his ship had raced south through the Anegada Passage and was now on course to pass down the western approaches to the Lesser Antilles. St. Kitts and Nevis were now off his port beam, just below the horizon, and he ordered extra lookouts to be posted as of dawn.

Knighton dropped his pen and sighed. Something was not right. He leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms over his chest, and frowned as he remembered his interview with the merchant’s master. The withdrawal of so many Royal Navy warships had resulted in an increase in the number of American privateers, but the master had reported an American naval vessel. He could not believe that a man of Hezekiah Albritton’s reputation would go to the Caribbean and allow his presence to be so widely known so quickly. He would take prizes quietly, containing the crews so word would leak out only very slowly, the alarm only being raised when the ships were missed at their destinations. But this American, if the merchant could be believed—and Knighton had run into a few who turned out to be exaggerating, or downright wrong—was making no attempt at all to do this. In fact, almost the exact opposite was the case.

The captain shifted in his chair and rested his chin between his thumb and forefinger. What is going on? Surely, Albritton has left the area and is headed out into the Atlantic by now! Why stay? Could he be trying to lure an unsuspecting frigate captain into a battle, as he did with my old friend Captain Dacres of the Guerriere? What purpose-

At that moment, a knock at the door heralded the entrance of the midshipman of the watch.

“Sir,” he said as he came to attention, “there’s a strange sail on the horizon. The lookout thinks it may be an American warship.”

Knighton followed the young gentleman up to the deck, where he was met by Lieutenant Jervis, commander of the watch. Jervis handed his captain a glass and led him to the rail. “I ordered an intercept course, sir,” he said as he indicated the sail ahead of them on the horizon, “as per your standing orders, and sent for you immediately.”

“Well done, Lieutenant,” the captain said. “Your grandfather would approve.” The lieutenant’s grandfather was none other than Admiral Sir John Jervis, victor at the Battle of Cape Saint Vincent. The lieutenant had tried to trade on that when he’d first come aboard, until he found out that it would get him nowhere. Since then, the lieutenant’s skills had improved considerably, much to his captain’s delight.

Knighton found the growing dot of white. “Frigate?” he muttered. “No, I think the sail is too small. Sloop? Maybe a sloop of war? Possibly.” He closed his glass and walked to the wheel.

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