Ramage #07 - Ramage's Diamond by Dudley Pope

Author:Dudley Pope [Pope, Dudley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Historical, Action & Adventure
ISBN: 9780935526899
Google: W75RPgAACAAJ
Amazon: 0935526897
Publisher: McBooks Press
Published: 1977-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

A heaving line snaked across from the Juno and landed on the Surcouf's fo'c'sle. The men began hauling on it and when a heavier line followed they ran to the bow with it, passing it through the large fairlead. Then they began hauling, but it was hard work and finally they began marching across the deck as though dragging a cart. Finally the end of the Juno's anchor cable appeared through the fairlead and the men kept hauling.

By now the axemen were chopping at the Surcouf's own anchor cable, and Ramage hoped they remembered his strict instructions to leave one strand of the rope until they could see that the cable from the Juno had been secured to the bitts.

More men arrived on the fo'c'sle from La Créole and seized the heavy cable and dragged it to the bitts. One turn round the bitts and then another; a third and then a fourth. The cable was stiff and heavy; it took two or three men to bend each turn.

The fighting aft was dying down now, and Aitken and Wagstaffe were securing the prisoners. Ramage ran to the fo'c'sle, checked that the cable was made fast and gestured to the men with cutlasses to return on board La Créole. After shouting to the men on the Juno's fo'c'sle to cut the lashings holding the cable along the ship's side, he ran back to find Southwick standing at the Juno's gangway, anxiously looking across at the Surcouf.

'All secure here,' Ramage shouted. ‘Only one strand of their cable left to cut.'

‘For Heaven's sake come on board, sir,' Southwick bawled. The ships will drift apart at any moment. We're just about to cut the grapnels!'

Ramage paused long enough to shout at Wagstaffe, who signalled that the prisoners were under control, and then bellowed at the axemen on the Surcouf’s fo'c'sle to cut the last strand of the French frigate's anchor cable. With that he leapt on board the Juno.

One danger remained, that the Surcouf 's yards would lock with the Juno's rigging, but already Aitken was obeying his orders and hardening in the sheets of La Créole's mainsail and foresail and backing his headsails. This would haul the Surcouf to starboard, to leeward and away from the Juno.

'Our grapnels, Southwick?' Ramage asked hurriedly,

'Already cut adrift, sir.'

Ramage glanced up and saw that the Surcouf’s yards, bare of sail, were gradually drawing clear as La Créole pulled her away. He jumped up into the hammock nettings and looked along the Juno's side. The cable was now hanging from the Surcouf’s bow in a big bight that went down into the water and reappeared by the Juno's stern, snaking round and up through the sternchase port.

Everything was going as planned. Southwick looked questioningly and when Ramage nodded the Master lifted the speaking trumpet to his lips, bellowed a string of orders, and the Juno's foretopsail yard began to swing round, the sail falling and then flapping wildly before the wind filled it. Slowly the Juno began to

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