'Main course. It's goosewings now, but that would be so if they only had time to haul one clew up to the yard, not both, and if the lubbers hadn't yet loaded the signal guns or shipped aprons against the rain, they—'
Bampton broke in, 'What are you wittering about, Kydd? Those vessels have their numbers hoisted. They have not hauled down their colours or signalled distress—they're in a god-awful mess. I've seen it many times before, and so will you.'
Houghton's telescope steadied.
He rounded on Bampton. 'Mr Kydd knows his signals—'Haul up your main course and two guns to weather' is the signal for the approach of strange sail. They must have been caught napping by some damned privateer disguised as one of our ships, who knows our procedures and that our attention is all ahead.'
The master came up to watch developments but remained silent.
'What
Kydd had his own ideas about why the gun-brig had clapped on all sail away to the east, well to leeward of the action, but kept his silence.
Tysoe arrived with Kydd's oilskins and a warm jersey, which Kydd struggled into under his waterproofs.
'No colours,' growled Houghton, 'but we know what she's up to. Quarters, Mr Bampton.'
Then
'She thinks t' fall on the convoy while the escorts are to loo'ard dealing with the brig—they wouldn't guess a ship o' force was waiting for 'em,' the master said. With grim satisfaction Kydd spared a glance astern.
The enemy must have seen events swing against them, for both the hapless goosewinged merchantman and the anonymous brig loosed sail hurriedly and swung about—but it was too late. The reason for
'Spankin' good sailin'!' Kydd burst out. With
The smoke of a challenging shot eddied up from
As the brig attempted to pass
But as
As one, the argosy rounded the Lizard, taking Atlantic rollers on the bow in explosions of white, hauling their wind for the south-west, the wanly setting sun and the thousands of miles that lay ahead.
'Your health, Mr Kydd!' The surgeon leaned forward, as usual in his accustomed evening-wear of a worn green waistcoat. He had an odd, detached way of regarding people, part earnest, part sardonic.
'Thank ye, Mr Pybus,' Kydd answered, 'It's always a pleasure t' have a doctor wishing me good health.'
The wardroom was abuzz with chatter. Besides the charge of anticipation that a new voyage always brought, there was the tension of getting the convoy to sea—and their first brush with the enemy.
'Sharp of His Nibs to spot the wolf among the sheep,' said Pringle, helping himself to another cutlet.
Adams leaned across for the asparagus. 'Did hear that you helped him to a conclusion, Kydd?' he said, and when his eyes flicked towards the head of the table, Kydd guessed that the story of his
'Always like t' help when I can,' he said cautiously. Bampton was talking with the purser, but Kydd occasionally caught his eyes straying to himself.
Louder, Adams went on, 'To the devil with modesty, old fellow, tell us, what put you on to him?'
'Er, his lee clew t' the course was—'
'Speak up, dear chap, we're working to wind'd!' To make her offing of Wolf's Rock in the night, the ship's taut rigging was causing the length of her hull to creak in noisy protest.
'I said, with only one clew to the yard an' the chance her guns were yet not primed, she'd be tryin' t' let us know she was in trouble and could not. If she had her vanes an' colours correct, seems to me she was surprised, and then th' boarders let all stand to make us think she was a vessel retirin' back to Falmouth.'
He grinned. 'But then I thought t' take a look at her draught— a brig, outward bound, an' sittin' high in th' water! Stands to reason—'
'You didn't tell me that!' Bampton's voice cut through the talk, which quickly died away. 'If I'd known what you saw!'
It was on the tip of his tongue to remark that with his bigger telescope Bampton was better placed to see the same thing, but Kydd remained guarded. 'Ah, in fact, there was not really time enough t' tell it.'