Bolitho locked blades with one, while Babbage, slashing and hacking with his heavy cutlass, fought two men single-handed.
Bolitho could feel his adversary's fury, but found time to hear Trillo give just one frantic cry as he was struck down by a whole group of slashing weapons.
`Damn your eyes!' The man was gasping between his teeth. `Now you die, you bloody rummager!'
Dazed, his mind and body cringing to the inevitability of death, Bolitho was shocked at his own anger. To die was one thing, but to be mistaken for a revenue man was like the final insult.
He remembered with stark clarity how his father had taught him to defend himself. Twisting his wrist with all his strength he plucked the other man's sword from his hand. As he blundered past him he pointed his hanger and then laid it across his neck and shoulder.
Then something struck the side of his head and he was on his knees, dimly aware that Babbage was trying to stand guard above him, his cutlass hissing through the air like an arrow.
But darkness was closing across his mind, and he felt his cheek grind into the wet sand as he pitched headlong, his body exposed to the nearest thrusting blades.
Soon now. He could hear horses and more shouts through the painful blur in his brain.
His last conscious thought was that he hoped his mother would not see him like this.
5. Bait
Bolitho opened his eyes very slowly. As he did so he groaned, the sound thrusting straight through his aching body, as if from the soles of his feet.
He struggled to remember what had happened, and as realization, like the returning pain in his skull, came flooding back, he stared round with dazed bewilderment.
He was lying on a thick fur rug in front of a roaring log fire, still wearing his soiled uniform, which in the great heat was steaming as if about to burst into flames.
Someone was kneeling behind him, and he saw a girl's scrubbed hands reaching round to support his head, which he knew was bandaged.
She murmured, `Rest easy, zur.' Over her shoulder she called, `He's awake!'
Bolitho heard a familiar, booming voice, and saw Sir. Henry Vyvyan standing above him, his one eye peering down as he said, `Awake, girl, he damn near died on us!'
He bellowed at some invisible servants and then added more calmly, `God swamp me, boy, that was a damn fool thing to do. Another second and those ruffians would have had your liver on the sand!' He handed a goblet to the girl. `Give him some of this.' He shook his head as Bolitho tried to swallow the hot drink. `What would I have told yer mother, eh??
'The others, sir?' Bolitho tried to think clearly, remembering Trillo's cry, his last sound on earth.
Vyvyan shrugged. `One dead. A damned miracle.' He sounded as if he could still not believe it. `A handful of men against those devils!'
`I thank you, sir. For saving our lives.'
'Nothin' to it, m'boy.' Vyvyan smiled crookedly, the scar across his face looking even more savage in the shadows. `I came with my men because I heard the gun. I was out with ' em anyway. The Navy isn't the only intelligence round here, y'know!'
Bolitho lay still and looked straight up at the high ceiling. He could see the girl watching him, her eyes very blue, frowning with concern.
So Vyvyan had known all about it. Hugh should have guessed. But for him they would all be dead.
He asked, `And the ship, sir?'
`Aground. But safe enough 'til mornin'. I sent your boatswain to take charge.' He tapped his big nose. `Nice bit of salvage there, I shouldn't wonder, eh?'
A door opened somewhere and a voice said harshly, `Most of 'em got away, sir. We cut down two, but the rest scattered amongst the rocks an' caves. They'll be miles away by dawn.' He chuckled. `Caught one of 'em though.'
Vyvyan sounded thoughtful. `But for the ship, and the need to 'help these sailors, we might have caught the lot.' He rubbed his chin. `But still, we'll have a hangin' all the same. Show these scum the old fox is not asleep, eh?'
The door closed just as silently.
`I am sorry, sir. I feel it is all my fault.'
`Nonsense! Did yer duty. Quite right too. Only way.' He added grimly, `But I'll be. havin' a sharp word with yer brother, make no mistake on it!'
The heat of the fire, his exhaustion and the effect of something in the drink, made Bolitho fall into a deep sleep. When he awoke again it was morning, the hard wintry light streaming in through the windows of Vyvyan Manor.
Freeing himself from two thick blankets he got gingerly to his feet and stared at himself in a wall mirror. He looked more like a survivor than a victor.
He saw Vyvyan watching him from one of the doorways.
Vyvyan asked, `Ready, boy? My steward tells me that your vessel is anchored off the cove. I've been up most of the night m'self, so I know how you're feelin'.' He grinned. `But still, nothin' broken. Just a headache for a few days, eh?'
Bolitho put on his coat and hat. He noticed that both had been cleaned, and someone had mended a rent in one of the sleeves where a blade hash iuissed his arm by less than an inch.
It was a cold, bright morning, with the snow changed to slush and the sky without a trace of cloud. Had the night been like this the ship would have seen the danger and the smugglers would have
picked up their cargo from the cove.
If… if… if… It was too late now.
Vyvyan's coach dropped him on the narrow coast
road above the headland, and to his astonishment he
saw Dancer and some seamen waiting for him, and
far below, a boat drawn up on the beach.
How different it looked in daylight. He almost
expected to see some corpses, but the beach was
silky smooth, and beyond the cove the anchored Avenger tugged at her cable with barely a roll.
`Dick! Thank God you're safe!' Dancer ran to meet him and gripped his arm. `You look terrible!'
Bolitho gave a painful smile. `Thanks.'
Together they walked down that same steep path, and Bolitho saw several burly looking men examining the two lanterns and some discarded weapons. Excisemen, or merely Vyvyan's retainers it was hard to say.
Dancer said, `The captain sent us to get you, Dick.'
`How is his temper?'
`Surprisingly good. I think the vessel you warned away from the rocks had a lot to do with it. She's beached a mile or so from here. Your brother, er, induced her people to come off, then he put a prize crew aboard. I think her master was so glad to save his skin he forgot the matter of prize money!'
By the boat Bolitho saw some seamen replacing Pyke's centipedes in the sternsheets.
Dancer explained, `We made a drag along the seabed but found nothing. They must have come in the
night after Vyvyan's men had driven away the wreckers.'
Avenger's other boat was already alongside when Bolitho returned on board. The man he had chosen to warn the jolly boat had done well, he thought. Poor Trillo had been their one loss.
Hugh was watching him as he climbed up over the side, hands on hips, hat at the same rakish angle.
`Quite the little fire-brand, aren't you?' He strode across the broad deck and gripped his hand. `Young idiot. But I guessed you'd disobey my orders as soon as I heard that distress cannon. I had a prize crew aboard before they could say knife.' He smiled. `Nice little Dutch brig bound for Cork. Spirits and tobacco. Fetch a good
