William Price Sails North chapter 1

Here it is, an all new adventure for William Price and his shipmates.  Captain Mornington is given a difficult ship with a boring and routine task.  Nobody expects to find Amelia's old nemesis, the pirate Burkett [dastardly but not dread] interrupting a mapping trip

Chapter 1

Captain Mornington returned to the ‘Thrush’ after having been summonsed to the Admiralty, looking very thoughtful; almost grim. William Price was the officer of the watch, and the captain nodded to him.

“Pass the word, Will, I want all the officers and midshipmen to dine with me:  we’ve a good crew, whoever is officer of the watch to appoint a steady hand to alert him if anything happens.”

“That sounds serious, sir,” said William.

“It is, Will; but you’ll hear about it over the meal, and no sooner, like everyone else,” said the captain.

William laughed and saluted.

“Aye aye, sir!” he said.

The Captain looked around his officers seriously.

“I’ve been promoted to Post Captain and offered a new command,” he said, abruptly.

“Congratulations, sir!” said Hector Phrayle, the first lieutenant.  When the captain of a small ship like a sloop was promoted to another ship, it often meant that his first lieutenant was offered the captaincy of the ship, with the rank of Master and Commander, in his place, if he had made no mistakes and there was no admiral’s favourite to put over him.  Mornington gave him an affectionate smile.

“Aye, if you’ve a mind to it, I make no doubt that the ‘Thrush’ would be yours – unless you care to come with me.  If you’ve any sense you’ll stay here, but I was offered the opportunity to take any officers I might; and I’ll take volunteers only.  As well as stealing half the crew,” he added dryly.  “I’ve been offered a frigate; but the frigate in question is the ‘Endeavour’.

William gasped.  The ‘Endeavour’ had been sailed into Portsmouth and handed over by its mutinous crew.

“Indeed,” murmured Mornington.  “I’m sure you are all aware of the conditions on the ‘Hermione’?”

All the officers nodded.

“Are you saying, sir, that the crew claim that the  conditions on the ‘Endeavour’ were similar, sir?” asked Brigham, the sailing master, “With an insane flogging captain who thought everyone was conspiring against him?” he sounded disbelieving.  William hid a smile; Brigham was a sceptic.

“Not identical, no, but there were enough similarities that the crew felt trapped in the same way,” said Mornington.  “And they felt that as the circumstances of the ‘Hermione’ were known, though it was a given that the ringleader would be hung, they might do worse than sue for mercy from the Admiralty.  In the event, and since they did not kill any of the officers, merely marooning them, the Admiralty has been inclined to clemency, because frankly it cannot afford to lose trained men,” he looked around his officers, “and I’ve been offered the command because I am expendable – I have no patronage to speak of, and I am unconventional.  If I fail, well, it was inevitable.  If I succeed, well, that was no more than my duty.”

“What happened to the captain, sir?” asked Hector.

“He was put ashore in good health, but accidentally tumbled  over a cliff and died, no fault of the crew,” said Mornington, “and every officer swears that this is what happened,” he added.

The officers exchanged looks.

“Did they push him, sir?” squeaked little Lord.

“Mr Lord, the court martial has their sworn deposition that it was an accident,” said Mornington, “and it would be quite wrong to speculate otherwise.”

“Keep your thoughts to yourself, laddie,” said Scully.  “Sir, the ringleader must have been quite a man.”

Mornington smiled at him.

“Aye, John – a man much like you.  A man of letters caught up by the press, who might have cursed fate and settled down to do what he could, had he not been unfortunate enough to be in such a ship, with such a captain.  I am sure you appreciate his position.”

Scully nodded.  He had been a clerk who had committed a small fraud to try to pay for a doctor for his sick mother; and had been sent from gaol to the ‘Thrush’ where the understanding kindness of William Price had turned him from mutinous thoughts to becoming a midshipman. 

“If – if he hasn’t been hanged, yet, might I talk to him?” he blurted out.

“I thought you might have the compassion to ask that,” said Mornington, with a smile.  “I’ve written you orders to that effect, and already arranged it.  He’s the only one who is to be hanged, and he accepts it philosophically, as I am told, since he declared that it was a cleaner way to die than of being flogged to death.  I am inclined to agree,” he added dryly, “his henchmen were to be given four dozen to discourage them.  Myself, I’m inclined to think that flogging men for wanting to avoid excessive flogging is a trifle ironic, but the boards of court martial rarely manage any kind of imagination, and I never said that.”

“Said what, sir?” quipped Phrayle.

Mornington smiled a thin smile.

“Well, I suppose it remains to ask which of you gentlemen will be prepared to come with me and sort out a mutinous crew,” said he.

Brigham gave a bark of laughter.

“You jest, surely, sir?” he said.

Mornington looked startled, and William noticed a slight look of hurt in his eyes.

“Mr Brigham is right, sir,” he said, “he knows we’ll all come.”

“What, is that what you meant, Brigham?” asked Mornington, lightly.

“What else, sir?” said Brigham, looking genuinely puzzled.

“I think we should let everyone make up their own minds, you know,” said Mornington.  “Will, you’ve said you’ll come too; I was hoping, John, that you would bring your experiences as well,” he looked at Scully.

“Well, obviously, sir; or there would be no point in having the last words of the ringleader to pass on,” said Scully, “and I would not desert the best captain in the navy anyway,” he added.

“Hear Hear!” piped little Lord, earning him a cuff from Prescott. 

“You mind your manners!” said Prescott, “You might be right, but it ain’t good form for us to say so first!”

“Neatly stepped around managing to do so, Mr Prescott; I believe you might even acquire tact, if not reticence, as you grow older,” said Mornington.

“And I’m with you in any sticky spot too,” said Hector. “A command might be tempting, but I’ve more to learn, sir, and I won’t learn from a better captain.”

“I expect if the men have been badly treated, they’ll need my services,” said Campbell, the surgeon.  “I’ve news on Tom Jenkins, by the way – he is hoping to be ready for service in a few weeks, so if you can arrange for him to be on light duty, sir, I’m sure he’ll be happy to join us too.”

“Oh that’s good news!” said William, warmly.  The young midshipman, who had been wounded in their adventures in Ireland, was a steady youth. 

“Well!” said Captain Mornington.  “As you are all inclined to be crazy enough to join me, let us drink a health to our success!”

The officers raised their glasses willingly to that!

Mornington spoke up again.

“I managed to persuade their Lordships that whichever of my officers joined me should each pick two picked men, as a core,” he said.  “I’m taking Yarde, my cox, and Porkins; a good gunner is worth his weight in gold.  I expect you gentlemen to confer and pick me a good mix of men who will be ready to stand by if need be.”

Scully laughed.

“Then although he’s as lubberly as a dowager in full sail, I think I must suggest Wick,” he said.  “He’s a handy fellow to have if it comes to fighting; and nobody could accuse him of slyly spying on the men.”

There was laughter.  The big, stupid seaman could never have the epithet ‘sly’ applied to him indeed!  Scully had won Wick’s personal loyalty long before he had joined the officers by being rated midshipman, and Wick had proved useful.

“He’s a bit like a nine-pounder,” laughed William, “So long as you have him aimed right, he’s a very useful asset; but be careful not to let him slip his carriage and become a loose cannon!”

William pondered who to take.

There were some old hands who were experts at sail handling, who were always an asset, but there was no suggestion that the crew of the ‘Endeavour’ were in any way inept, merely truculent and mutinous.  Loyalty would be more useful than skill; someone like Peters, who had been inclined to hoard his tot and get drunk, until Captain Mornington had explained that getting drunk risked his shipmates and that this was why it was a flogging offence.  Peters, like Wick, was slow thinking, but he knew his job as well, and was totally loyal.  On the other hand, the poachers amongst the crew were sharp, intelligent men who could be relied upon to take the initiative to sort out potential trouble in their own individualistic way.  Well, the captain had suggested discussing who to take; and really, what it boiled down to was choosing twice as many men as there were officers, and if Tom Jenkins were to be joining ship, the officers might choose two men on his account too.  That made sixteen men, and that would be a good core.  He drew up a list, and showed Hector.

“Sixteen?  There’s only seven of us,” said Hector Phrayle.

“Plus Tom Jenkins,” said William.

Hector laughed.

“Well I hope our mutinous dogs appreciate having a sea lawyer for their number two!” he said.

William pulled a face.

“I won’t necessarily be number two, you know,” he said, “we will be getting more officers, and I’m not that senior.  I may be lucky to find myself only fourth and not relegated back to the gunroom with the boys.”

Hector Phrayle laughed.

“Well you won’t be worse than fourth, and fourth on a frigate is preferable, they say, to being first on a sloop; perhaps the captain will manage to take some newly passed boys, wet behind the ears, who won’t get berths anywhere else now the war with Boney is over and the American activity much abated.”

William brightened.

“I confess I’d not mind that, and we have some good enough hands to train them up, and John Scully of course.”

“Yes; you’ve wrought wonders with him.  In a way it’s a shame there’s not likely to be any chance of action in the near future, he’s a man who could rise and do well.  Still!  We may have a bit too much excitement if there’s still mutiny in our new crew.”

“To be honest, I fancy the fight is gone out of them,” said William.  “Other than the usual malcontents, I fancy they have been much cowed, and then subdued by the proceedings regarding their mutiny – though they had, at least, the good sense not to desert.  Once our lads have spread some stories, and Scully is allowed to pass on the last words of their erstwhile ringleader, I fancy they’ll be only too willing to be given a second chance with a captain who is merciful and who abhors flogging.  That’s why I wanted Peters; because he’s going to explain why the captain has used flogging rarely.”

“That’s a good idea,” said Hector.  “I suggest we all put in some money too, towards buying prizes for competitions, it worked very well putting the ‘Thrush’ together as a company.”

“It did indeed,” said William. 

Scully went to visit Tom Green, the ringleader of the mutineers; and was met with some truculence.

“I think I’m past needing an advocate,” said that individual, “and you don’t look much like a parson,” he added, “sir,” rather reluctantly.

“I’m more by nature of dominie to the other brats, as it happens,” said Scully, mildly, “and I’ll be serving on the ‘Endeavour’ and I wanted to share my story with you; and see if you have any message then for your former shipmates, since I had a similar introduction to the sea as you – which is why I’m old for a midshipman.  I saw you half sneering,” he added. “I was a clerk; and I was considering mutiny just because I knew I could lead the hands to it.  Only unlike you, I was lucky.  I had a captain who avoided flogging, and one of his officers showed me that if I used my brains, I could get myself rated Midshipman and rise accordingly.  I liked that idea better than the other one he suggested of being purser’s mate and rise to purser.  Because I find the beautiful dance of sail handling more interesting than adding up rows of figures.  If I’d had your experience with a mad captain, I don’t doubt but that I’d be waiting to be hanged too.”

Green looked at him afresh.

“Well, that’s a tale to be told,” he said.  “It was intolerable – floggings for looking the wrong way, or saying ‘aye-aye’ with the wrong tone, and what was the wrong way of looking, or the wrong tone was in his head, however respectful any of us tried to be.  I never started out with mutinous thoughts, sir, because I looked upon it as just bad luck and I was going to lie low and keep quiet and hope the war ended and I might have a chance to be discharged.  But the captain took exception to me having educated speech – got the idea that I was mocking him.  And as I wasn’t the only one he picked on, men or officers, some of us got together, and I found myself the one able to lead.  We figured that the other officers must take their chances marooned with him, rather than be tainted with mutiny, poor devils; they’d all get hung.  We killed the captain’s spies, I’m afraid, because it was them or us, and took the ship,” he scratched the side of his face thoughtfully and added,  “the officers were not really fighting hard, but you don’t have to mention that to anyone,”

“Never heard a word about it,” said Scully.

“Thanks… anyway, I heard they did for the captain, or he did for himself, so I suppose they’ll be back on board too,” said Green.

“As far as I know, they’re being dispersed,” said Scully.  “Bad for discipline to return them; might even end up beached.”

“Better than ending up dead like one of the men under me wanted,” said Green.  “He’s still aboard, as I wouldn’t have him as one of my helpmates; name’s Colne.  He’s vicious, and he likes to hurt.  Look out for him.”

“Thanks, Greene: I will,” said Scully.  “And I’ll pass it on unofficially.  Anything you want me to say to the crew?”

“Just tell them that they’ve got a second chance and are lucky to have a captain who doesn’t like flogging, and they should make the most of their second chance,” said Green.  “Thank you for coming.  I resented it, but… well, thank you.”

“I don’t think that I can imagine how bad it has been,” said Scully, soberly, “but you have my word I’ll do my best for your men.”

Green held out his hand; and Scully shook it, recalling wryly how William had shaken his hand against the protocols of discipline when first William had offered him help.  Sometimes the meeting of men went beyond discipline and protocol.