The gathering of ships at Cozar, the presence too of the military, had aroused new interest, had even given the Hyperion's seamen a strange sense of pride, as if by going alone to St. Clar and anchoring imprudently so close to the enemy shore they had in some way started the whole operation in motion.
When the order to get under way was piped and Ashby's marines clumped resentfully aboard from the fortress the new excitement collapsed into bewildered resentment.
The Hyperion's officers were at least spared the task of inventing ways to keep the men occupied on the return voyage to Gibraltar. In spite of a clear sky the wind force increased almost as soon as Cozar had vanished astern. As the old ship clawed her way south-west and around the southern coast of Spain she was at times close-hauled almost into the teeth of the wind, or worse, beating painfully against it to regain a mile or so already lost. Day after day it went on without respite, with the hands no sooner down from aloft for a brief rest below decks than the cry would come again. 'All hands! All hands! Hands aloft to shorten sail!'
Not that there was much relief below decks either. Ports were sealed against the driving spray, and the confined messes were foul with the stench of bilge and the trapped aromas of hastily cooked meals. Hyperion was taking the driving ranks of short rollers very badly. The monotonous clank of pumps went on so continuously that it was unnoticed until it stopped for a change of watch.
On the morning of the tenth day the ship drove thankfully into the anchorage below the Rock, her company too weary and dispirited to care about their reasons for coming or even what lay ahead.
Bolitho sat unmoving in a chair beside the cabin table, hating the clinging dampness of his clothes, but too tired to stir himself. It seemed as if he had not left the deck for more than a few minutes at a time during the voyage, and in the cabin's quiet elegance he felt stale and unclean. The ship's four remaining lieutenants had worked well enough, but they lacked the barest experience in handling the ship under such conditions. Bolitho was more convinced than ever that Captain Turner had trusted no one but Quarme and Gossett with the actual sailing of his ship, and the results of his jealous attitude were now painfully obvious.
Rooke entered the door and said tonelessly, 'Signal from the frigate Harvester, sir. She has dispatches for you.' He swayed and then collected himself under Bolitho's scrutiny. He most of all seemed to feel his own shortcomings, and for once was unable to shift the blame elsewhere.
Bolitho levered himself from the chair and walked to the quarter windows. Through the salt-encrusted glass he could.see the anchored frigate, her red ensign making a bright stab of colour against the Rock.' It was just as if she had never moved from the time he had left her after his voyage from England. Was it really only two months ago? It seemed like a lifetime.
Barely two cables ahead of the frigate he could see three heavy supply ships and the small bobbing shape of an eighteen-gun sloop.
He thought of Pomfret's orders which he had read and reread a dozen times, and which stayed in his thoughts even when he bad been fighting his ship into the shrieking fury of wind and spray. Well, they would all have to know soon enough, he thought wearily. And with a man like Pomfret it was just as well to get started on the right foot.
Rooke was saying, 'Shall I send a boat across, sir?'
'No,' Bolitho rubbed his eyes with his knuckles. 'Make a signal to Harvester and the sloop Snipe and tell their captain to repair on board immediately.'
Rooke eyed him unsurely. `Are they the rest of our force, sir?'
'They are, Mr. Rooke. And the three supply ships are to be convoyed to Cozar.'
Even as he spoke he was reminded of Pomfret and his flagship. He could just as easily have convoyed the ships himself. A frigate sent on ahead to Cozar, or even the Chanticleer, would have been sufficient to break the uncertainty of waiting for word of new orders. But Pomfret had sailed merely with his escorts and a fairly fast troopship, oblivious or indifferent of Bolitho's difficulties and the shortage of fresh water.
When he turned from the window Rooke had gone, and Gimlett stood by the door showing his buck teeth and clasping his hands together with nervous expectancy.
Bolitho said, `Clean shirt, Gimlett. And lay out another uniform directly as I have some visits to make.' He rubbed his chin and added, 'I will wash and shave before the two captains come aboard.'
By the time Leach, the frigate's captain, and Tudor, the commander of the Snipe, were ushered into his cabin Bolitho was to all outward appearances as fresh and alert as a man who spent his days ashore within the comforts of his house. He waited until Gimlett had poured wine for his visitors and then said, 'Welcome aboard, gentlemen. I trust that you are ready to sail at short notice.'
Leach nodded. 'Admiral Pomfret gave us instructions to remain with the supply ships after the other convoy had left Gibraltar. It seems that several attacks have been made on unprotected vessels of that sort in the past few weeks, and I will feel easier with your Hyperion to watch over us.' He relaxed slightly. 'It is good to meet with you again, sir. I trust that young Seton has recovered from his seasickness by now?'
Tudor, a heavy-jawed lieutenant, spoke for the first time. Either the wine or Leach's apparent ease with Bolitho had given him more confidence. 'I am not quite sure I understand, sir.' The others looked at him and he added awkwardly, 'The admiral instructed that one of the New Holland ships, the Justice, should stay here with us. I realise that the two supply ships are vital for our squadron,' he shrugged helplessly, 'but a convict ship should never be left here unguarded!'
Bolitho watched him gravely. 'It is not staying here.' They put down their glasses in one motion and looked at him with equal surprise.
Bolitho continued, `The Justice is to be taken to Cozar with us.'
Leach said, 'But, sir, she is a convict ship! God in heaven, there are three hundred of 'em aboardt'
'I know that.' Bolitho looked at his desk where he had locked Pomfret's orders. He could well understand Leach's confusion. Pomfret must have cross-questioned Bellamy of the Chanticleer to a considerable extent before making this surprise arrangement. As he had written in his orders,… it would appear that certain fortifications and matters of mutual defence of the island of Cozar 's occupying forces are in poor repair, and in many cases quite inadequate. As no additional labour is to hand to rectify these faults, and given the full authority accorded to me by Lord Hood, it is my intention to use a proportion of the convict cargo as carried in the transport Justice hereby. under my command. It was as simple as that.
Once again Pomfret had made it quite clear that he regarded human material with less concern than he would the stress of sailcloth or the replenishment of new spars.
Leach asked quietly, 'Can he do that, sir?' He shifted under Bolitho's grey eyes. 'I mean, is it legal?'
'There may be questions raised in Parliament, Leach. By then it seems unlikely that anyone will care. Many will take the view that the shipping of criminals is already costing the country too much when we are at war with France again. To have them 'work their passage' might seem reasonable.'
Leach asked stubbornly, 'But do you think it so, sir?'
Bolitho locked his fingers together below the table. 'That is not your concern, Leach!' The harshness in his voice was unintentional, and he knew that Leach had uncovered his uncertainty as if he had spoken his thoughts aloud.
Tudor looked at his feet. 'In that case..
Bolitho stood up, suddenly angry. 'In that case, Tudor, we will get on with it, shall we?'
'Shall I inform the Justice's captain, sir?' Leach was trying to ease away the tension. 'He is a difficult man and shows little liking for the Navy.'
'I will tell him.' Bolitho walked to the windows. 'It is a duty I could well do without.'
Leach said suddenly, 'I understand that you are in need of a senior lieutenant, sir? My own is a good officer and well due for advancement.'
Bolitho was staring at the distant convict ship, seeing it as if for the first time. 'Thank you, Leach, that is considerate of you. Both to me and to an officer you are probably unwilling to lose.' He shook his head. 'But it will have to wait a while. The wind is backing all the time and mounting too, I believe. We must make a move soon or ride out the gale in harbour.'
Leach nodded. 'It has been coming in from the Atlantic for several days.' He stood up and reached for his hat. 'I agree we must sail without too much delay.'
Bolitho followed the two officers on deck and watched them depart for their ships. Then he said shortly, 'My barge, if you please! I am going across to the Justice.' He saw the officers exchange quick glances and guessed that they knew almost to a word what was to happen. News travelled faster between ships than any signals system yet
