was a bit scared, I can tell you, sir.' His eyes hardened. 'But when I saw Onslow, that was enough! I'm glad I was able to kill him!'
Bolitho studied Allday with new interest. He had a cleancut, intelligent face, and but for his total lack of education might have gone far and done well by himself.
'Onslow should be a lesson to all of us, Allday.' Bolitho walked to the stern windows, his mind going back over the thought which had nagged him most since the mutiny. 'He was doomed by his life and circumstances. It is up to us not to make any' more Onslows through cruelty or. lack of understanding.' He swung round. 'No, Allday, I faied with Onslow. He was just a man like the rest of us. He never stood a real chance from the day he was born!'
Allday stared at him with surprise. 'There was nothing you could have done for him, if you'll excuse me saying so.' He spread his hands. 'He was a bad one, and I've seen a few in my time!'
Maynard peered in the door. 'Closing the flagship now, sir. Ready to lower the gig.'
'Very good.' Bolitho looked at Allday. 'Is there anything I can do for you?'
Allday shifted uncomfortably. 'There is one thing, sir.' Then he lifted his chin, his eyes suddenly clear and determined. 'It's about Ferguson, your clerk, sir. Are you sending him over with the other mutineers?'
Bolitho spread his arms to allow Stockdale to buckle on his sword. 'That was the intention, Allday.' He frowned. 'I know he came back with you, and did much to repair the damage he had done by his complicity with Onslow. But,' he shrugged, 'there are several charges against him. He aided the mutineers with confidential information, without which any sort of uprising might have been impossible. He attacked a sentry and released a prisoner, the guilt or innocence of whom had not been decided.' He picked up his hat and stared at it. 'Do you think he should warrant complete pardon?'
Allday said quietly, 'Remember what you said about Onslow, sir? Ferguson 's no real sailor, and never will be.' He smiled sadly: 'I've looked after him since we were pressed together. If you do this to him I shall feel I've let him down.
I shall feel as you do now over Onslow!'
Bolitho nodded. 'I will have to think about it.' He walked to the ladder, ducking below the beams. Then he said, 'Thank you, Allday. You put a forceful argument.'
He ran up into the sunlight and looked quickly across at the Cassius. She looked big and reliable against the blue water, and he could see the other frigate hove to beyond her.
Herrick touched his hat. 'Gig ready, sir.' He glanced ques tioningly at the silent group of manacled men by the entry port. 'Shall I send 'em over while you're with the admiral?'
'If you please, Mr. Herrick.' Bolitho caught sight of Allday's tall figure beside the cabin hatch and added sharply, 'But have Ferguson kept aboard. I will deal with him myself.'
Herrick looked mystified. ' Ferguson, sir?'
Bolitho eyed him coldly. 'He is my clerk, Mr. Herrick! Have you forgotten so soon that you chose him for me?' He gave a brief smile and saw the relief flooding across the other man's face.
'Aye, aye, sir!' Herrick strode to the rail. 'Man the side there! Stand by for the captain!'
The pipes trilled and Bolitho vanished down into the boat.
Herrick looked round as old Proby mumbled, `How old is he? Twenty-five or six?' He gave a deep sigh. `I'm twice his age and more beside, and there others like me aboard the Phalarope.' He watched the little gig skimming through the whitecaps towards the swaying ship of the line. `Yet he's like a father to all of us!' He shook his head. `Have you seen the way the crew look at him now, Mr. Herrick? Like children caught out doing wrong. They know how he feels what has happened, how their shame is more'n doubled for him!'
Herrick stared at him. It was rare for the master to say so much all at once. `I never realised that you admired him, too!'
Proby pouted his pendulous lower lip. 'I'm too old for admiration, Mr. Herrick. It's deeper'n that. Our captain is a special sort of man.' He frowned and then added, 'I'd die for him, and willingly. I can't say more'n that!' He turned with sudden anger. `Blast me, Mr. Herrick! How can you let' me go on like that?' He shuffled noisily across the quarterdeck like an untidy spider.
Herrick crossed to the rail, his mind still dwelling on Proby's words. Below, watched by armed marines, the remnants of Onslow's conspirators stood awaiting passage to the Cassius. Herrick did not share Bolitho's shame on their behalf. He would willingly have hanged each one of them singlehanded, if only to lift the despair from Bolitho's shoulders.
He remembered his own exultation when Okes and Rennie had boarded the frigate and he had realised that the mutiny's sudden fire had been quenched. It was then that he had seen through Bolitho's careful mask and had penetrated to the man within. Yes, Proby was right. He was a very special sort of man.
Midshipman Neale crossed to his side and trained his glass on the flagship. Herrick glanced down at the small midshipman and remembered his frantic struggles as they thrust his greased body through the vent hole. Neale's sudden appearance had made quite a sensation when he had flung open the doors of the cable tier. As Ellice, the surgeon, had said later, `There we all was, Mr. 'Errick, thinkin' of death or worse, an' suddenly the doors come flyin' open like the gates of 'eaven itself!' The surgeon's crimson face had crinkled into a grin. `When I saw this little naked cherub with the sun behind 'im I thought I was already dead without knowin' it 'ad 'appened!'
Herrick smiled to himself. Neale seemed to have grown in stature since that dreadful day. He said, `In a few years you'll be getting promoted like Mr. Farquhar if you go on like this,' Neale considered the suggestion and then replied, `I never doubted it, sir.' He flushed and added quickly, `Well, not often!'
Sir Robert Napier walked stiffly to a small gilt chair and sat down. For several seconds he stared at Bolitho's tense features and then said dryly, `You are a very erratic and unpredictable young man, Bolitho.' He tapped his fingertips together. `But there is one thing to be said in your favour. You are never dull!'
Bolitho did not trust himself to smile. It was still far too early to know exactly how his ideas had been received. With fretting impatience he had waited in an adjoining cabin while the admiral read his reports, and after what seemed like an hour he was ushered into the great man's presence. There were two other captains already present. Cope of the Cassius, and a thickset, unsmiling man Bolitho recognised as Fox of the frigate Volcano.
The admiral said, 'It seems to me that you are getting unnecessarily excited about the French frigates which one of your men sighted.' He waved one hand across his big coloured chart. `Look for yourself, Bolitho. The Leeward and Windward Islands are like a broken chain running from north to south. If the French fleet is out in force, and I say if, Sir George Rodney's frigates will have reported the fact, and both sides will have engaged already. That being so, what further can I do in the matter?' He leaned back, his eyes fixed on Bolitho's face.
Bolitho glanced quickly at the other officers. Cope, being Sir Robert's flag captain, would naturally stay non- committal until he knew his- master's intentions. Fox was the man to convince. He was said to be a hard man, and as he was somewhat old for his rank, inclined to be over-cautious.
Bolitho took his own chart and laid it carefully across the admiral's. He started quietly. `The whole plan to contain and engage the French fleet is based on one main theme, sir. We know that de Grasse has his strongest force at Martinique to the south. To meet with his Spanish ally and to reach Jamaica, his first necessity is to avoid any damaging action with us.'
The admiral said irritably, 'I know that, dammit!'
Bolitho continued, `I believe that the two frigates were part of a scouting force, ahead of the main fleet.' He ran his finger along the chart. 'I le could sail north from Martinique, and if necessary deploy his ships amongst the scattered islands en route. Then, at his most suitable moment he could swing west to Jamaica as planned.' He looked at Fox who met his eyes without expression. He added urgently, `Sir George Rodney is depending on a quick engagment, sir. But suppose de Grasse avoids that first contact, or, even worse, he makes a feint attack on our ships and then heads north?' He waited, watching the admiral's pale eyes moving across the chart.
Sir Robert said grudgingly, 'It could happen, I suppose. De Grasse could skirt any hostile land and then keep close inshore of more friendly territory, Guadeloupe for instance.' He puckered his lower lip. 'He would thereby avoid a running battle in open water, like the Martinique Passage.' He nodded, his face suddenly grave. `Yours is a dangerous supposition, Bolitho.'
Captain Cope said uneasily, 'If the French can get ahead of Rodney we're done for!'
Bolitho asked, `Could I suggest something, sir?' He tried to gauge the extent of his own forcefulness. 'If I am wrong, there can be no real harm in my idea.'
The admiral shrugged. 'I cannot find it in my heart to dampen such rare enthusiasm, Bolitho.' He wagged one finger. `But I do not promise to abide by it!'
