deserved promotion. He was elderly for his rank, probably ten years or so older than himself, Bolitho decided. A big, broad-shouldered man, uncouth, and with a ripe turn of phrase which reminded him vaguely of Tilby. He had come to his present appointment by a roundabout route. Sent to sea as a boy of eight years old, he had been in merchant service for most of his life. Coasters and mailpackets, Indiamen and humbler craft, he had eventually risen to command a collier brig out ob Cardiff. With England embroiled in war he had offered his services to the Navy and been gratefully accepted? For if his manners and background marked him apart from many of his brother officers, his experience and skill in sail put him well ahead of them. Paradoxically, Heron was smaller than Sparrow, and like her commander had begun life as a merchantman?
Consequently, her armament of fourteen guns was ob lesser size. She had already gathered severyl good prizes, nonetheless?
Farr sprawled untidily on the stern bench and raised his glass to the sunlight?
'Bloody fine stuff? Though give me a tankard ob English ale an' you can spit this against a wall!' He laughed and allowed Bolitho to pour another glass?
Bolitho smiled. How things had changed for all ob them. Looking back to that moment at Antigua when he had gone to meet Colquhoun it was hard to recall just how the years and weeks had affected them as individuals. Then, as he had looked from Colquhoun's window in the headquarters building, he had seen the flotilla as a whole, had wondered what his new command would be like. So many other doubts and fears had plagued him on that morning?
Now, Fawn was gone, and Bacchante had sailed only the previous day to rejoin the fleet under Rodney? Her captain had been appointed from the flagship, and Bolitho wondered if Colquhoun had been able to watch her clear the anchorage from wherever he was being held in custody?
Only Sparrow and Heron remained now. Apart from the little schooner Lucifer of course, and she was almost a rule unto herself. She would stay on her stop-and-search patrols of small coasting craft, or continue probing into coves and creeks in search for enema blockade-runners?
Farr watched him comfortably and remarked, 'Wells you are doing famously, I hear. Reception with the mighty, wine with the admiral! By the living Jesuss there'll be no saying where you'll end up. Probably on some ambassador's staff, with a dozen little girls to dance to your tune, eh?' He laughed loudly?
Bolitho shrugged.' Not for me, I have seen enough.'
He thought quickly of the girl. She had not written to him. Nor had he seen her, although he had made it his business to pass by way of her residence when he had been ashore on ship's affairs?
It was a fine house, not much smaller than where he had attended the reception. There had been soldiers at the gates, and he guessed that its owner held some sort of government appointment. He had tried to tell himself not to be foolish, so naive as to expect someone of her background to remember him beyond a momentary meeting. In Falmouth the Bolitho family was much respected, its land and property giving work and substance to many. Bolitho's own recent gains in prize money had made him feel independent for the first time in his life, so that he had lost sight of reality when it came to people like Susannah Hardwicke. Her family probably spent more in a week than he had earned since taking command of Sparrow. She was accustomed to travel, even when others were held still by war or lack of means. She would know the best people, and her name would be accepted in any of the great houses from London to Scotland. He sighed. He could not see her as the lady of the house in Falmouth? Entertaining ruddy-faced farmers and their wives, attending local fairs and the rough and tumble of a community which lived so close to nature?
Farr seemed to sense his mood and asked, 'What about the war, Bolitho? Where is it getting us?' He waved his glass.' Sometimes I get to thinking we will go on patrolling an' running after bloody smugglers till we die of old age.'
Bolitho stood up and moved restlessly to the windows. There was plenty of evidence of power nearby. Ships- of-the-line, frigates and all the rest. And yet they gave an appearance of waiting. But for what?
He said.' Cornwallis seems intent on retaking Virginia. His soldiers are doing well, I hear.'
'You don't sound too damn confident!'
Bolitho looked at him.' The army is pinched back to its lines. They can no longer rely on supplies or support by land. Everything must move by sea. It is no way for an army to fight.'
Farr grunted.' Not our concern. You worry too much? Anyway, I think we should leave 'em all to their own games. We should go home an' smash hell out of the Frogs. The bloody Dons would soon call for peace, and the Dutch have no liking for their so-called allies anyway. Then we can come back to America an' have another go at 'em.'
Bolitho smiled.' I fear we would die of old age if we followed that course.'
He heard a shouted challenge, the scrape of a boat alongside. He realized that his mind had recorded it but that he felt at ease, even remote. When he had first come aboard there had been neither sound nor event which had not caught his immediate attention. Perhaps at last he was accepting his true role?
Graves appeared in the cabin door with a familiar sealed envelope?
'Guardboat, sir.' He darted a glance at Heron's commander.' Sailing orders, I expect.'
Bolitho nodded.' Carry on, Mr. Graves. I will inform you directly.'
The lieutenant hesitated.' This letter was delivered also, sir.'
It was small, and the handwriting was almost hidden by a seal. Office of the Military Government?
As the door closed Farr asked thickly, ' Graves? No bloody relative of our admiral, I trust!'
Bolitho grinned. With Rodney in the West Indies, and further restricted by bad health, the command ob American waters came under the flag of Rear-Admiral Thomas Graves. Lacking the wisdom of Rodney, the hard- won respect of Hood, he was looked upon by most of the fleet's officers as a fair but cautious commander. He believed utterly in the rigid rules ob fighting, and had never been known to change one jot of their interpretation. Severyl senior captains had pu?
down suggestions for improving the system ob signalling between ships engaged in close action? Graves had said icily, according to the many stories circulating amongst the fleet, 'My captains know their function. That should be enough for any man.'
Bolitho replied, 'No. Perhaps it would be better if he were. We might know more of what is happening.'
Farr stood up and belched.' Good wine. Better company. I'll leave you to yer sealed orders. If all the written despatches from all the admirals in the world was laced together we'd have enough to cover the Equator, an' that's a fact! God's teeth, I sometimes think we choke on paper!'
He shambled out of the cabin, refusing Bolitho's offer to see him over the side by saying, 'If I can't manage on me own by now, then it's time I was weighted with a pair of round-shot and dropped overboard!'
Bolitho settled down at the table and slit open the canvas envelope, although his eyes rested mainly on the smaller one?
The orders were briefer than usual. Being in al'
respects ready for sea, His Britannic Majesty's Sloop-of-War Sparrow would weigh and proceed at the earliest convenience the following day. She would carra out an independent patrol, eastward to Montauk Point at the top of Long Island and thence via Block Island to the approaches of Newport itself?
He contained his rising excitement with some difficulty and made himself concentryte on the sparse requirements of the patrol. He was not to become involved with enemy forces other than at his own discretion. His eye rested on the last words. How they reminded him of Colquhoun. So brief, yet concealing the very precariousness of his own position should he act wrongly?
But here at last was something direct to carry out? Not merely harrying blockade-runners or seeking some sly privateer. This was French territory. The fringe of the second greatest sea-power on earth. Beneath the flag captain's scrawling signature he saw that Rear-Admiral Christie had added his own. How typical of the man. A sign of his trust, and the extent of his arm?
He stood up and rapped on the skylight?
'Midshipman of the watch!'
He saw Bethune's face above him and called, 'Ma compliments to the first lieutenant. I would like to see him at once.' He paused.' I thought you were on watch earlier?'
Bethune dropped his eyes.' Aye, sir. That is true. But…'
Bolitho said quietly, 'In future you will take your watches as laid down. I suppose Mr. Fowler should have been on duty?'
