William Price and the thetis 19

 

Chapter 19

 

“John!” William cried, in horror.  “Quick, get him below, to the orlop.”

Two of the women ran to pick up Scully’s inert body between them, and take him below to receive the care of Amelia, whose heart would be wrung to have to work on a friend, but who would treat him with absolute professionalism. William looked around.

“Mr. Erskine, take the helm. We’re going about to cross the pirate ‘T’ once more.”

“Aye aye, sir. Pity we can’t fire high enough to take out those murderous bastards on the main deck.”

“One of the times having low lines is a disadvantage,” said William. “However… Mr. Pigeon! See about having our stern chasers lob a nasty surprise or two with grape shot, and get them swung around to both bear.”

“What about chain shot?” asked Pigeon.

“Chain shot in one, grape in the other,” said William. “Permission to extract Mr. Prescott’s prize crew from below to operate them while the gun crews here do the moving.”

“Sir! Pigeon galloped below, and William could hear him giving orders to the bow chaser crew to operate two guns. He returned with the crew who had… so long ago, it seemed… won Colin’s wager over sinking barrels. Pigeon was explaining ably enough what to do, so William left him do it. A good captain did not need to oversee every detail.

The girl Cassie ran up to him, a very white grin on her black face, and saluted. William had not the heart to tell her she need not do so.

“The surgeon’s compliments, sah, and Mr. Scully stopped a splinter with his ear, and the side of his head, and he’s sensible enough to regret not wanting to swear in front of her,” she said, in one breath.

“My thanks to the surgeon, and my permission to Mr. Scully to think all the things he wants to say,” said William, gravely.

Cassie ran off.

William felt much lighter in spirits; the thought that John might have been dead had pulled him right out of his right mind.

“Mr. Erskine,” said William, “When we turn to larboard, keep going. That damned pirate will expect us either to try again, or to try to turn south, and he’ll put the sloop to rake us.  If we keep on that heading, we’ll be broadside to broadside. And his other side, so some brand new guns for our lads to dismount.”

“Aye, sir,” said Erskine, catching on. “They’ll try to close distance to board.”

“Then hopefully Mr. Pigeon and Mr. Prescott will be able to reduce their numbers,” said William, as the few guns of the ‘Nossa Senhora das Flores’ rumbled again, tossing grapeshot onto the deck of the  pirate vessel. The Thetis’s stern chasers, on the quarterdeck, were also high enough to do some damage as they came around. And now his own second battery was firing down the length of the pirate, the last two after she had started turning, as if playing some strange game of follow-the leader. William could hear the sharp crack noise of the marines, picking off pirates from the higher merchantman, and was glad to have them where they might do some real good.

“May I ask a question, sir?” asked Erskine.

“As long as I may decline to answer,” said William.

“Who is Worthington, and did he really have to have a belaying pin removed from his back passage?”

“Oh, I made the name up,” said William. “I’ve seen it done, though. Sexually frustrated seamen with limited choice can be outrageously creative in terms of what I can only describe as self-abuse, if they don’t want to stick to more conventional methods of, ah, self-relief.”

“Tears to the eyes,” said Erskine.

“I can afford to be smug,” said William. “Though the surgeon can be imaginative if her dictates are not obeyed.  I’ve watched strong men whimper when threatened with a clyster.”

“May my wounds be either small or lethal,” said Erskine.   “No offence meant.”

“None taken,” said William.

Then they were trading broadsides with the ‘Sparrowhawk’ and William felt the vicious ball crashing into the ‘Thetis’s’ sides. No shots through the gun ports for his men this time, but some solid hits. And some to them, too. Amelia was going to be busy dealing with the splinters which sheared off the insides of the wooden walls at the impact of ball on the outside. And then the Portuguese ship went about, and their broadside loosed at the sloop’s stern. It would not be much; the merchantman carried no more than four six-pounders, if it was like most merchantmen.

He would not survive a pounding match with Sparrowhawk.

He needed a surprise.

“Mr. Erskine, prepare a sea anchor and have the men aloft to take in sail, and then release it to wear round three points.”

“Aye, sir,” said Erskine, startled. “Sea anchor?”

“If we come to a sudden stop, what happens?”

“They pull ahead…. Sudden turn to larboard, rake the stern.”

Erskine had got there without needing tediously long explanation. That was good.

“Mr. Porkins!” William called for his smallest midshipman. “Mr. Porkins, tell the men on the starboard battery to stand by, and for the bow chasers to make the most of what opportunity they may take to rake. And then get up aloft and warn the men that we’ve a chance of being caught aback all standing and to be ready to dance with those sails like they’ve gone to a ball with Princess Charlotte.”

“Aye aye, sir!” piped Seth, his voice in the higher register of high excitement.

The boy relayed his messages, and was not even panting when he returned from aloft. Too much soft living, you have, Will, my lad, thought William to himself. He should make the winning teams in evolutions play against the officers. It would do the officers no harm to have a revision of the sharp end of sailing.

If they survived his gamble.

It was funny, gambling on dice or cards held no appeal at all for William; how could one get excited over the fall of the spots, or the turn of pieces of pasteboard? He suppressed a snigger at the idea of saying, if invited to a game in the sort of circles he could now move in, that he found it slow compared to the stakes he was wont to wager, which being some two hundred lives, including his own. And now the sea anchor was biting, the sails were close furled, and the ‘Sparrowhawk’ was shooting ahead, doubtless wondering what was going on. He nodded to the sailor on the helm, and took the wheel himself, knowing exactly what he wanted to do.

As he took the helm, he felt the rumble of the bow chasers firing, so close together they might have been one gun; and the balls smashed into the rear of the ‘Sparrowhawk’ fired from the stable platform of almost dead stop.

“Cut the sea anchor!” he called. “Luff up, there, me lads, make it snappy!”

Amelia came on deck.

“I heard the orders; will you want the aid of my fan again?” she asked, making the older hands laugh at the recollection of Amelia plying her fan to make the sails go, when they were fighting ‘Nancy Beth’ in the ‘Mosquito.’

“It can’t hurt, Mr. Surgeon,” said William. “If I can luff up successfully, and pass through the wind without losing too much way, I can bear away in the other direction and come on him to board and storm.”

Amelia gasped.

“If we are taken aback all standing…” she said

“We’re all dead,” said William.  “The trick is to pass through the wind fast enough, as if just tacking.”

“Of course. Just like tacking,” said Amelia, managing a tight little smile. Tacking under the guns of an enemy was never ideal, but Will knew what he was doing.

The stern chasers of the Sparrowhawk fired, red flame spitting from each side. One hit. If they took out either of ‘Thetis’s’ bow chasers, that could be a disaster. He would not know unless someone brought a message… and Aeneas, Cassie’s brother, was running up from below. William’s heart sank, but he hung on to the wheel, turning, turning.

“Able Seaman Hillyard’s compliments, sah, an’ de ball skipped off the side,” said Aeneas. “He thought you want to know.”

“He was right; thank him for me,” said William.

The rumble of the bow chasers vibrated through the deck again, while they still had some angle on the stern of the enemy; and there was a cheer from below. The rudder was hard over, and they were turning so slowly… would they make it? Surely Snow would also turn away, and he would turn away from the wind… if he did, they would have another chance to rake once they came through the wind. And now they were perpendicular to the sloop, and the broadside fired as each gun was made to bear.

“Stand by to come about!” William yelled.

The sail handling was impeccable, the men unperturbed by the of the odd musket fired at them. Walden was picking off any sharp-shooter he could see. William resolved to spend some of his prize money on the rifle of Durrs Egg, superior in all ways to the Baker Rifle, the army’s compromise with accurate fire and cheapness. And a hand-made rifle was not the sort of thing you handed out to every man in a couple of regiments. And then they were coming through the wind. The sails flogged, briefly, and were rapidly controlled by his well-disciplined crew.  ‘Sparrowhawk’ was turning, too, and they were turning for the same heading, as if engaged in some watery country dance. He glanced astern; the Portuguese ship was following, not as fast, but doggedly.

It was now a stern chase; and it appeared that one of the stern chase guns of the ‘Sparrowhawk’ had been disabled. The other fired, but seemed erratic, or the damage less than to be expected.

Surely they did not still have nine-pounders? Well, perhaps they did. In refitting, the navy was more likely to put the best guns as bow-chasers, not expecting their captains to be in a position of fleeing before the enemy. ‘Sparrowhawk’ was missing a spar; it robbed the ship of its slightly faster speed running before the wind. But the pirate was gambling on having enough speed to keep going until it was dark, maybe find some islands unknown to William, and hide there, or rely on American friends, either not knowing or not caring that the war was over, if the chase kept up so long. Meanwhile, they were close enough for the long eighteen-pounders to continue to pummel the ‘Sparrowhawk,’ denying the ship’s company the use of the gun deck, which should be well pulverised by now. And dangerous to go below with the firing slow but regular.

“Mr. Porkins, my respects to Able Seaman Hillyard, and… Able Seaman Pyecroft, and would they make their drumming a little less regular, please, so the enemy don’t know when the shot will fall,” said William.

It might only be a little thing; but being able to count between the fall of shot might encourage someone to try to man the one still visible, but now silent, stern chaser, loading and firing in the regular gaps between danger.

The firing took on an irregular beat.

“Sir,” said Erskine, “Am I imagining it, or is it listing?”

“It’s listing, Nat,” said William. “They’re holed!”

The ‘Sparrowhawk’ was taking on water, and the ‘Thetis’ gained on her prey.

“They won’t surrender,” said Erskine. “They know it means hanging.”

“I know,” said William. “We may have to keep pounding until she goes down.  Mr. Porkins! Tell the percussion part of the orchestra they may stand down and take a rest, and see they get plenty of water, and some of Kwasi’s sweet delight.”

Seth ran off happily.

“What do we do about men in the water if it goes down?” asked Erskine.

“We leave them be, Nat, and we have men with pistols on the hawse hole, in case any climb up.”

“Leave them to drown?”

“It’s what they’ve done to others. They are desperate men, and as such will kill us as soon as look at us.”

“Beg pardon, sir,” said Gubbins, “What if they coerced the crew of the ‘Sparrowhawk’ when they took her? There might be English tars who are waiting to be rescued.”

“Then they should have rushed the quarterdeck when they realised they had us here,” said William.  “I read the official report as well as the brief missive Pellew sent me; they cut the throats of all the seamen, and threw them overboard. Boys and all. Three midshipmen and six ship’s boys won’t see the age of fifteen.  I will have no mercy on these men.”

“I see sir; I wondered… you had mercy on those of us forced to serve on the Nancy-Beth as was.”

“And the circumstances were such that I could.  These are the men who rose with Snow to seize the ship, and others of their ilk taken on later.  Maybe from the Canaries, where we defeated them the first time.”

“We did put some ashore, for not wanting to bother with them,” said Erskine. “Look, it’s John Scully!”

“John! Should you not be below?” asked William.

“I wanted the air,” said Scully. “The surgeon said I might as long as I didn’t take place in a boarding action.”

“Very well, organise having the gun crew changed for fresh men in case we have to keep this up much longer,” said William. His face said what his voice could not.

“She’s listing; they have the pumps running, you can hear the clanking,” said Scully, laconically. “But I’ll swap them over.”

“Tell the new crew to see how much they can raise the barrel and see if they can drop one in Snow’s lap for Colin,” said William.

Scully chuckled.

“I’ll see what they can manage,” he said.

 

william price and the thetis 18 cliffie bonus

 

Chapter 18

 

The lady and children were dressed in dry clothing, which might not be as fine as the lady was used to, but she was plainly comfortable in one of Amelia’s best gowns.

“Captain?” she asked.

“Yes, I am Captain Price; this is my wife, Amelia,” said William, firmly, in case there were any misunderstandings.

“She has been all that is good,” said the lady. Her English was heavily accented and hesitant. “I am Doña Mercedes Navarro, and these are my children, Antonia and Alejandro. We sailed out of Sāo Tomé to Brazil, to rejoin my husband, carrying cacao to America on the way, but we fell in with what we thought was a British war ship. Only it was not; it was that foul pirate, Pedro Nieves.”

“Peter Snow!” said William, angrily. “My mission is to seek him out and destroy him. He sank your ship?”

“No, he and his men overran it and killed everyone. He… used me, and gave my maid to his men. She stabbed herself, but I had to live, for my children.  He put us overboard when he saw the storm coming, and laughed. His idea of mercy was to kill us in a storm, terrified, thirsty, and alone. Your slave….”

“Adou is no slave,” said William, coldly. “We Britons do not hold with the slave trade, and I am also seizing slavers. He asked to go to save you.”

“Then he is a brave man; please give him this,” she stripped off a ring.

William went to the door of his cabin and opened it.

“Adou!” he called.

Adou came at a run.

“The lady wants to give you something,” William said.

Doña Mercedes smiled and offered her ring to Adou.

“Adou not swim for rewards,” said Adou. “Adou swim for rescue, king an’ country!”

“Take it, Adou,” said William. “Lady, Adou swam to rescue a woman with a baby whose husband had died, and two other infants they adopted, and he married her. And it is right that he should accept thanks, and the blessings of a mother to a very sudden father of three.”

“Indeed,” said Doña Mercedes, warmly. “I would give money which is easier, but I have none on me.”

“I can see that he is given a fair price for it, or he may choose to give it to his wife as a reminder; Adou is a romantic,” said William. “Off you go, Adou.”

Adou saluted and went out.

“A remarkable man,” said Doña Mercedes.

“Yes, a good man,” said William. “I am lucky; I have a fine crew.  I will need them to take Snow’s ship. And I am going to leave you here when the wind abates, as it is Portuguese territory, and I hope they will send word to your husband, and to Sāo Tomé.”

“Thank you, I wish you good luck in your search for the dog,” she said.

Naturally, the lady and her children would have the captain’s cabin, and the mattress on the floor suited the little ones, who were around six or seven years old, better than a swinging cot. Scully moved in with Ziv Stark, to give William and Amelia his cabin. It was only for a night or two whilst the storm abated. Then they put in at a port called Sao Felipe, below the cone of the volcano which had built this island in the chain, escorting Doña Mercedes to the governor’s residence.

Here William left her with the governor’s wife, and Doña Mercedes was glad to be on land again, and with her own kind of people. Not to mention, having her children safe, and returned to their own rather stiff clothing. William sympathised with whichever one it was who had a tantrum over giving up comfortable slops-style garb for their normal wear.

 

William was glad he had taken the lugger’s crew on board; it had been tossed violently in the waves, and had sprung a few planks, as well as losing a mast. He left the small ship in the harbour of Sao Felipe, with some gold to have it repaired. They would call for it when they might; or if not, well, the fishermen would have a new ship for their fleet. And likely William and his crew would be beyond caring.

 

Peter Snow must have also had to run before the storm, but it would be impossible to second guess where he had gone. Though he must have passed close to the ‘Thetis’ that an open boat still surviving in the storm was there for them to effect a rescue.

It gave William chills to think how close they must have been to the pirate; perhaps still were. There were many shelters around this chain of islands, into which the ‘Sparrowhawk’ and her prize might have retreated, and those on shore comforted by the presence of a Portuguese merchantman.

“Now, where is he likely to go?” mused William, and realised he had spoken aloud when Scully answered him.

“America,” said Scully. “He can’t take ‘Sparrowhawk’ to England or Gibraltar, and he can’t take his prize to anywhere Portuguese or Spanish. And he’s limited in where he can sell Cacao, so he’d go to America where they don’t ask any questions.”

“Well reasoned,” said William. “Lay in a course north of the rest of Cape Verde, and then west.”

“Aye, sir,” said Scully.

 

The Cape Verde Islands were a blue haze on the horizon when the lookout shouted, “Deck ahoy! Sail fine on the starboard bow!”

“Almost dead ahead; that’s a problem,” said William. “We might go closer to the wind than any square-rigged ship, but they can go faster.”  He shrugged. “Go to quarters.”

The little drummer boy flourished his sticks to beat the ruffle that called the men to quarters. The topsmen went up gladly, the breeze was still stiff, but the storm had gone to menace someone else, and most of them cared little whether this was Cornwall or Canada. The day felt newly-washed, clean and ready for anything, with cumulus clouds on parade in ranks, marching across the sky. Sun darted through between them, and their own speed and the wind meant that clothes hung out on lines were drying fast after almost everyone had been saturated by the storm.

“Deck there! Make that two vessels! Merchantman of some kind and a British sloop!” sang out the watchman.

“I’ll go, sir,” said Colin, taking his telescope.

He ran off up the ratlines, and took his time to make sure, before coming down.

“Sir, that’s a sloop of war, which is challenging us; I bent on our numbers and the acknowledgement.  I can’t see if it’s the ‘Sparrowhawk’ yet, but she has lost the upper part of her foremast, and has a Spanish or Portuguese merchantman on tow.”

“Acknowledge then, and ask ‘what ship,’ and we’ll be ready to move in on her. Mr. Stark! Get your men quietly into the boats; when we join battle, they will release the tow, and you take the merchantman back.”

“Aye, sir,” said Stark. “I wouldn’t put a large prize crew on a merchantman if I was having to tow it; do you still want me to take all my men?”

“Yes; there may be more men than either of us thinks likely, and better safe than sorry.”

“Sir,” said Stark. “Can I steal Colin? My men are well exercised at the cannon, thanks to you including them in evolutions, but a steady gun captain will help if we need to help you out.”

“You’d better take half a dozen topsmen, then, from the watch below,” said William. “And Lord, who is fast at reading messages.”

“Yessir,” said Stark. “Just don’t add the infant reading class. In a year or two, they’ll be better than most ship’s companies, but they’re a little short for sail handling.”

“Go to hell, you impudent rascal,” said William, without heat. “I’ll need the infant reading class myself to intimidate the pirates.”

Stark laughed, and went off to muster his men.

 

“Sloop has signalled, ‘Please come alongside and render assistance,” said Seth Porkins.

“Acknowledge,” said William. “And run down to tell the men to close the gun ports, but to be ready to open and fire on command.”

“How can we tell if it’s Snow, or if it’s been taken from Snow?” asked Scully.

“Because Seth is going to get back aloft after relaying his message, and look for signs of men crouched behind the bulwarks,” said William. “And if so, will shout ‘Aye-aye, sir,” and if not will shout, ‘Belay!’.

“What if I’m not sure, sir?” said Seth.

“Did you have to holystone the deck of the Brig, and was it unshipshape?” asked William.

“Aye, sir!”

“Well, even with that mess of spars, you’ll know,” said William. “And the fallen sail might wriggle.”

“Oh! I see,” said Lord. “They won’t keep it as Bristol fashion as if they were tars.”

“Precisely,” said William.

Seth darted off to relay his message to the guns, and then leaped back into the rigging with an energy William envied.

The ‘Thetis’ drew level to the sloop, which loomed over her, somewhat, and William confirmed the name on the stern.  ‘Thetis’ was slightly longer, Sparrowhawk was as broad on the beam and higher. She was pierced for six guns; they had parity there.

“Aye Aye sir!” Seth’s shrill voice was heard.

“Very well, Mr. Scully, heave to at your convenience too far away for them to storm us and close enough to rattle their teeth when we fire,” said William.

“I believe the technical term for ‘heaving to at your convenience,’ is ‘constipation,’ sir,” said Scully, as he carried out the orders.

“Oh, very good, John, very good,” said William.  Those sailors in earshot sniggered. They liked their officers in a jocular mood for battle.

William nodded to Smitty, whom he had designated last man down for Ziv Stark’s party, and the sailor slid over the side to give the order to cast off tow, and start the row to the merchantman.  William had noted the tow between ‘Sparrowhawk’ and the merchantman, ‘Nossa Senhora das Flores’ had been cast off. And it was another clue that this was no true British warship asking for aid. William ticked it off in his mind, a point of evidence to bring up at a court-martial, if he ended up sinking another British vessel.

It was the naval way. If one succeeded, it was only one’s duty to do so. If one made a mistake, then one was before a board of enquiry. Honest mistakes could still have serious consequences.

“What’s your problem?” William called over the speaking trumpet as he closed somewhat.

“Come along board, old chap, and I can let you know in more detail,” said the man dressed in Royal Naval uniform. It was correct as far as William could see.

“You’re Worthington, aren’t you?” said William. “Master and commander of the ‘Sparrowhawk?’ he picked a name at random.

“Yes, yes, that’s me,” said the man.

“Yes, I heard about your problems,” said William, keeping the man talking to give Ziv time. “Did you think my surgeon could relieve it, then? Damned embarrassing thing to have, but of course, the whole world knows, you know what sailors are like, a bunch of old women as gossips.  And I know it’s a really embarrassing place from which to have to have a belaying pin removed, but accidents happen, accidents happen, after all. I assume it was an accident? I mean, who puts a belaying pin up the northwest passage deliberately.”

The bulwark guffawed. In several voices.

Or, presumably, men concealed there did so. The fury on Snow’s face was quite comical.

“Fire,” said William, conversationally to the drummer. The drummer boy’s drum rolled. All six gun ports opened in unison and the deck shook as the full broadside of the ‘Thetis’ roared out, and slammed into the side of the sloop. Colin had once boasted that the lads could put their shot through individual cannon ports if within a cable’s length, and it looked as though they had been peeking through their own gunports to check range and angles, because three of the six smashed through the still-closed gunports of the other vessel.

“A guinea to each member of the guncrews who were so accurate,” said William, to Scully.

“Mr. Prescott will be pleased when he comes back aboard,” said Scully. “It’s three parts luck, of course, but also a belief in themselves.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if at least one gun was dismounted,” said William, happily.

There were shouts and cries from the ‘Sparrowhawk,’ and William thought he caught the words, ‘loose cannon!’ and beamed. That would be devastating.

Snow was screaming, “Get this sodding ship close enough to board and storm their sodding American cockleshell! And fire grapeshot at them you lubbers!”

“Mr. Scully, if you please, release the courses and stand by to come hard to starboard on my command,” said William.

“Aye aye, sir,” said Scully, bellowing orders. “It won’t do as much good as raking from behind to cross their ‘T’, of course.”

“No, but it counteracts their boarding manoeuvres,” said William. “And we can hope that Ziv and his men are busy on the other ship.”

“Oh!” said Scully. “Spit them with roundshot from both ends at once.”

“Yes,” said William.

“They’re already playing skittles with a loose cannon, making manoeuvres before that is secure is not going to do them any good,” said Scully, happily. “Watch out, their sharp-shooters,” he added, barging William as he saw a man with a musket.

Walden raised his rifle and the musketman fell. In short order, so did several others. In the confusion, with the ‘Sparrowhawk’ trying to turn into the ‘Thetis,’ the sloop’s quarterdeck started to swing away, and William, almost in a spirit of mischief, heaved up his service pistol from its hanger on  his belt, and fired it.

The pirate stumbled, and his hat flew off. William laughed; he could not stop the laugh coming at the ridiculous way the man shook his fist at him. He felt like a little boy, rattling a stick in the railings of the house of some pompous and gouty householder.

And then the wind caught the sails, and almost immediately after the ‘Thetis’s’ quarterdeck came level with the sprit of the ‘Sparrowhawk,’ Scully was issuing orders, and the ‘Thetis’ was turning to starboard, sailing in front of the less agile ship.

“Fire as you bear,” William called the order, which was relayed. The bowchaser managed a shot first, and then each of the six in the broadside spoke in turn.

A roll of gunnery which was not from the ‘Thetis,’ but did not seem to be from the ‘Sparrowhawk’ alerted William to the fact that Messers Stark and Prescott had not been wasting their time, and the ‘Nossa Senhora das Flores’ had joined the fray. There was a cheer from his own men.

“Come about and rake them with the other battery,” said William.

“Come on lads, look lively! The captain wants us wriggling like a snake in a brothel,” called Scully. “Back the other way, now, and if you get seasick, do it on your own time!”

“You’re a bloody good officer, John,” said William.

And then blood blossomed on his friend’s face, and he stumbled backwards, and fell.

 

 

and that leaves a worse cliffie, but I promise I'm not going to kill John Scully