The Young Lions - Opium and Greed (Courtenay) by Brian Withecombe

Author:Brian Withecombe [Withecombe, Brian]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Brian Withecombe
Published: 2022-04-18T00:00:00+00:00

EIGHT

“Now then Captain Speke,” Edward Courtenay said as he climbed aboard the sloop and looked around the deck, “how bad is the damage and can my Bosun offer any assistance? My Sailing Master tells me that high tide is not until two bells tomorrow forenoon, so there is little hope of getting you off until then. Titan will stand by you and make sure you are safe until then. Captain Wall will pass a tow at first light and then at high tide, he can pull you off.”

“Thank you sir. I have set the lads to repairing the steering and I should have a new mizzen topyard in place shortly. I made sure we had plenty of spare spars in case of damage. New rigging is being reeved and spliced. Hopefully, most of the repairs will be done by the time Wanderer can pull us off.”

Edward smiled briefly. “I daresay Admiral Hoxton will need your report as soon as you can get it to him, but what happened Winston?” Edward had led the young sloop commander away from the others to the port side of the ship and spoke quietly.

Speke shrugged his shoulders. “I am sorry to say sir that the bastards caught us by surprise. As we cleared the northern headland, a large number of their war junks attacked and then, as you saw, they used fire-rafts as well. We were able to stave those off, fortunately, but there were quite a few of the junks and although I think we did a lot of damage to them, one or two got close enough to pour in some telling fire and they shot away the steering and the mizzen topyard. Without steering and with the damage aloft we were on the sandbank before we could do anything to prevent it. I am most sorry sir.”

“Do not worry about it. Where they were, and in the darkness, you would not have seen them. Any casualties?”

“Only my pride! None dead, fortunately, but several injured, one quite badly.”

“I will send over my Surgeon. I will also get Mr French to send some hands to help with the rigging.” Edward looked around the littered deck. “And some hands to help clear away this raffle.” He looked at Speke. “Do not fret Winston. Rear-admiral Hoxton will look on this as just one of those things that happen in war. Now, I must return to my ship and make arrangements. Wanderer is standing off as guard ship, so we are safe to seaward.”

“Yes sir. Thank you.”

Edward returned to Titan and reported to Hoxton what he had found, also making the suggestion they move ahead slightly and turn to port before cutting the engine and finishing the turn to bring them to the landward of the sloop under sail power. Hoxton merely nodded and smiled. “You are the Captain, Edward. I am merely a passenger. I suppose you wish to go under sail power to put the ship between the land and Swift without betraying our position?” Edward smiled and nodded.

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