' Lancaster 's holding her own, sir, but the corvette seems to be on a course to give Wild Goose what for. They beat off the other schooner.'
'Well, we'll be there to help directly. Signal the Lancaster to maintain her station.'
'Mr. Dover!'
'Here, cap'n.'
'What's the damage?
'Nothing below decks, sir, me mates double checking.
Most appears to be about the poop and gaff and that don't hinder our sailing. A few shot holes in the sails.'
'Deck there, Wild Goose just took a broadside from the corvette but then cut across her stern and give her a load up the arse.'
'Hell 's fire, damned if Estes don't know his business.
How are we, Mr. Blake?'
'We're over-hauling fast, cap'n.'
'Mr. Druett, soon as you think reasonable see if you can get one of the forward guns in action.'
'Aye, sir.'
'How's the Lancaster?'
'She don't look as bad as the schooner, sir. She looks like she's lost her bowsprit and foretopsail.
BOOM!…
'Druett's got a gun in action, sir.'
'Deck there, the corvette's hauling her wind, sir. So has the schooner.'
'Wear ship, Mr. Lavery, let's see about that other schooner.'
'Aye, sir, bosun hands to braces.'
'Dagan, how is Mr. Hazard?'
'Caleb's taking care of him. Mr. Davy helped me get him below deck and he said to the first lieutenant, 'don't worry, Mr. Hazard, the surgeons got plenty of experience with splinters, see here', then the bugger pulled up his shirt and showed Lieutenant Hazard his scar. When he did, Mr. Hazard fainted. I wondered if it was from his wound or the scare Davy gave him.'
'Cap'n,' Lavery was calling, 'We're almost on the schooner. She's trying to change tack, but her rigging is in disarray and she's having a hard time of it.'
'Where's Lancaster?'
'She's on station with the convoy but has requested to give chase.'
'Signal stay on station, then signal convoy to heave to.
Signal Wild Goose to take station to leeward.'
'Aye, cap'n.'
'Mr. Lavery, put up a flag of truce but have the larboard guns manned and ready. Dagan get my gig ready. Mr. Graf, prepare a boarding party, please.'
'Aye, cap'n.'
'Mr. Lavery, I intend to board the schooner alone under a flag of truce but if you smell a rat, let loose with a broadside. I'll not endanger any more of our people.'
The schooner struck her colors without another shot being fired which was the sensible thing to do. After a thorough search of the prize, Graf said, 'Cap'n, she 'ain't got enough powder to blow fleas ’offen a cat's arse and very few bal s left.'
'That's the answer,' Gabe replied. 'That's why we didn't take much of a beating from the corvette. She didn't have enough powder and bal to take the convoy.'
'Then why attack it,' Lavery asked.
'A ruse, sir, something to keep us occupied while that damn Patrick got away with the thing they needed most, powder and shot. I'm sure it was only by accident the schooner was disabled. However, she's a small price to pay if we don't get the Turtle back with al she carries.'
Gabe then cal ed Captain Bruce and being prudent, had the master come along as well as Estes and his first lieutenant for a conference on board SeaWolf. He had set Dover to work repairing the schooner.
'We'll divide the prisoners up between our three ships,' Gabe told his audience. 'Captain Estes, since your lieutenant is the most experienced we'll put him in temporary command of the Swan, as nice a prize as we could hope for. He should make do with thirty men and we'll divide those from among each of us. Once the Swan is ready to sail I want you, Captain Estes, to take the convoy into Charlestown and unless otherwise ordered wait on me then we'll proceed on as ordered.'
'Oh…ah…Captain Estes, unless it's put directly to you, say as little as possible about the Swan. Have her anchor as close to seaward as possible. Use her boats to unload prisoners if need be.'
'Is there a reason for this?' Estes asked.
'Yes, to be quite frank with you. We need her and I'd rather Lord Anthony have first dibs on her before some other admiral snares her.'
'I see,' Estes said, 'But where are you heading that makes it necessary for me to go on with the convoy?'
'I'm going after the Turtle, sir. We need that gunpowder and I aim to see we get it back or destroy it and if possible make her captain pay for his treachery.'
After Gabe bid his fellow captains farewell, Dagan asked, 'Is the schooner, Swan, for his lordship or Markham?'
'Are they not one and the same,' Gabe replied raising his eyebrows and giving a hint of a smile.
'Mr. Blake, Mr. Lavery.'
'Aye, cap'n.'
'Attend me in my cabin if you will.'
'Aye, sir.'
As they entered the cabin, Dawkins asked, 'A glass of wine, sir?'
'Yes, Dawkins, I believe we owe ourselves a bit of refreshment.'
'Would you like the wine before or after you tea, sir?'
'Damn you, Dawkins, don't you forget anything? I should have left you ashore. Why don't you take that damnable stuff?'
'Cause, sir, the doctor said it was for you and who am I, poor sailor that I be, to argue with the good doctor?'
'You're a damned old rich skin flint, that's what you are. You got more prize money than you know what to do with. Poor – huh.'
'Before or after, sir?'
'After, after, damn your eyes, after.
Maybe the wine will help wash away the bitterness.'
'That's possible, sir, aye, that's possible.'
After Gabe took his tea and chased it with half a glass of wine he said, 'Not a word from either of you or you'll have it daily instead of your rum ration, now let's get to business. I want to catch the Turtle and she's already got a good hour on us. Now, we last saw her
heading in a southerly direction. What are your recommendations, Mr. Blake?'
Chapter Seven
By two bel s in the first dog watch repairs had been made to the prize, and the convoy was away on a northerly heading for Charlestown. SeaWolf had sailed west-sou-west. The light was going fast and visibility was low when
