Sharper cracks from muskets, the metallic bangs ob swivels, made words impossible. It was a nightmare, a world in torment. Boats lurched into the hull and Bolitho felt the deck shake as Sparrow's stem smashed into a launch, breaking it in two and spilling out the overloaded soldiers in a kicking, screaming profusion?
A transport was firing now, her upper tier cutting over the scattered boats and slapping through Sparrow's canvas like great fists?
A ball burst through the nettings, and Bolitho heard shrill screams as two seamen were pulped against the opposite side. He saw Fowler walking dazedly past the dismembered corpses, his face set as if in deep thought. He noticed that he was snapping his fingers?
The hull gave another great lurch, and below his feet he felt the enemy's iron smashing through the gun deck, the attendant rumble of a twelve-pounder being overturned?
Another longboat lurched down the starboard sides some men firing with their muskets, others scrambling over the frantic sailors at the oars. Balls thudded into the rail and bulwark, and a seaman fell choking on blood as one took him in the throat?
Bolitho ran to the side and wiped his streaming eyes to peer astern. The surface was littered with smashed boats and drifting woodwork. Men, too, some swimming, others fading beneath the water under their weight of weapons and equipment?
Foley was reloading a musket and shouting, 'A few less for our boys to fight!' He leaned over the nettings and shot down a soldier even as he stood to fire at the sloop?
Bolitho strained his eyes towards the shore. It was near enough. Almost too close?
'Bring her about!' He had to repeat the order before Buckle understood?
With blocks screaming and her yards braced round once more, Sparrow heeled dangerously on the larboard tack, her bows seemingly pointed straight at the land?
And there was the second transport, swinging drunkenly across the bow, her gunports already flashing and tearing the air apart with shot?
A ball ripped through the quarterdeck rail, splitting it apart like matchwood, and cutting down a master's mate who was yelling to the hands at the mizzen braces. Blood splashed across Bolitho's breeches, and he saw other men falling on the gun deck, the protective nets above it jerking with fallen cordage and torn canvas?
A quick glance aloft told him the masthead pendant was streaming almost abeam. They were as close to the wind as they could be. Enough or too little made no difference now. There was no room to go about, nor time to change tack?
Tyrrell yelled, 'Rake that bastard's poop!' He gestured to the nearest gun captains.' Grape! Bring them down!'
He stared at Bolitho, his eyes glazed with fatigues the fury of battle?
'She's coming round!' He caught a seaman as he dropped from the nettings, his face a mask of blood? 'Another for th' surgeon!' He turned to Bolitho again and then gave a short cry, his hands to his thigh as he fell?
Bolitho knelt beside him, holding his shoulders as more balls blasted splinters from the deck. Tyrrell stared up at him, his eyes dark with pain?
''S'all right.' He gritted his teeth.' It's th' same bloody leg!'
Bolitho saw Dalkeith stooping and running across the deck, some of his men at his back?
Tyrrell added weakly, 'I knew it had to come off. Now there's no excuse, eh?' Then he fainted?
From the littered gun deck Graves watched him falls although his mind was cringing to the noise and the stench of death?
He screamed, 'Run out!' He thrust at a wild-eyed seaman.' Point! Ready!' He stared fixedly at the towering sails of the transport as it rose ponderously abeam.' Fire!'
The deck lurched beneath his feet, and he saw two men blasted into crimson fragments, their screams cut short before they reached the stained planking. But somewhere in his reeling mind he was thinking of Tyrrell. He must be dead, God rot him. His sister would be all alone now. One day, maybe sooner than the others realised, he would find her. Take her for himself?
A gunner's mate gaped up at him, his mouth like a black hole as he bellowed, 'Look out, sir! For Christ's sake…' His words were lost in the grating crash ob timber as the main topgallant yard plunged through the nets like a great tree. It gouged into the planking and further still to the deck below. As its trailing rigging and severed halliards thundered between the blazing guns Graves died, his body impaled under the broken spar?
At the quarterdeck rail Bolitho saw him die, and knew that the months of patrol duty, the storms and the fights, had at last broken the yard which they had once fished so carefully after another battle, a thousand years ago?
But Heyward was there, his voice rallying the gun crews as the anchored transport faded into the smokes her hull pitted with holes from the bowchaser's merciless bombardment?
The wind fanned the smoke aside, and with something like disbelief he saw the sheer of Cape Henry pulling back like a huge door, the horizon glittering beyond it in welcome?
Fowler slipped and fell on some blood and sobbed, 'It's no use! I can't…'
Bethune strode towards him.' You can and you damn well will!'
The young midshipman turned and blinked at him? 'What?'
Bethune grinned, his face black with powder smoke? 'You heard me! So jump to it, boy!'
'Mr. Buckle!' Bolitho winced as some stray shots shrieked through the shrouds and brought down more lengths of cordage.' I want you to…?
But the master took no notice. He was sitting with his back to the hatchway, hands to his chest as if in prayer? His eyes were open, but the spreading pattern of blood around him told its own story?
Glass and a solitary seaman stood at the unprotected wheel, their eyes wild, their legs straddled amidst dead and dying?
Bolitho snapped, 'As close as you can. Lucifer's remains will guide you clear of the shoal.'
As sunlight enveloped the sloop from stem to sterns and her yards swung yet again to take her out of the bay, Bolitho saw the great array of ships coming down from the southern horizon and filling the sea. It was a fantastic spectacle. Squadron by squadron, the ships-of-the-line appearing to overlap as they headed purposefully towards the Chesapeake?
Foley murmured, 'De Grasse. I have never seen such a fleet.'
Bolitho tore his eyes away and hurried to the taffrail? There was no sign of pursuit from the bay, nor had he expected one. The two frigates would be guarding their new anchorage and trying to rescue some of the
soldiers who had escaped Sparrow's fury. He turned towards the wheel where Heyward and Bethune stood watching him?
'We will wear ship directly.' He saw Dalkeith and called, 'Tell me!'
Dalkeith eyed him sadly.' It's done. He's sleeping now. But I am confident.'
Bolitho wiped his face and felt Stockdale steady his arm as the ship pitched heavily to the freshening wind?
So much still to do. Repairs to be carried out even as they avoided the oncoming might of France. To find Admiral Graves and tell him of the enemy's arrival. To bury their dead. His mind felt numb?
Yule, the gunner, clattered up a sagging ladder and barked, 'Any spare hands, sir? I need 'em for the pumps!'
Bolitho faced him.' Get them elsewhere.'
He looked around at the sprawled bodies caught in their various attitudes of death?
'Only the brave lie here.'
He looked up, startled, as from high above the deck he heard someone singing. Beyond the pitted canvas and dangling rigging, to where the topgallant yard had splintered apart before falling to kill Graves, he saw a solitary seaman working in the sunlight, his marlin spike glinting as he spliced a broken stay. The sounds of sea and booming sails were too loud for him to hear the words, but the tune seemed familiar and strangely sad?
Foley joined him and said quietly, 'If they can sing like that, after what they've done.' He turned away, unable to watch Bolitho's face.' Then, by God, I envy you!'
