during the night and maybe give our inquisitive friend the slip.' Another hail made them look up. 'Deck there! Sail on the lee bow!'
'Company?' Bolitho prodded the sailmaker with his fist. 'Get your mates to work, Parker. You may be the first man in history to build a King's ship out of canvas scraps!'
He saw Pascoe hurrying up the weather shrouds to join the lookout who had made the last report. He was- hampered by a large telescope slung over his shoulder, but ran up the ratlines with the ease of a cat.
Moments later he shouted, 'she's the Buzzard, sir!' Farquhar muttered, 'About time, too.'
Bolitho said, 'Make a signal to Buzzard. Take station ahead of the squadron. '
Farquhar replied, 'she’ll not be in signalling distance for quite a time, sir. She’ll have to claw every inch of the way against the wind.'
'she cannot see the signal, Captain. But the other vessel will. Her master will know there is another, maybe several ships close by. It may give him something to chew on.' Bolitho thrust his hands behind him, seeing the boatswain and some seamen already broaching the paint, while others dragged the canvas across the upper deck.
He began to pace slowly along the weather side, willing Buzzards topsails to show themselves to him above the horizon.
Three ships now instead of two. He thanked God for Javal's determination to find him. Weak they may be. But they were no longer blind as well.
While Osiris and her consort continued at a snail's pace to the north-east, and Javal worked the frigate through countless zigzags to join them, the small blur of canvas which betrayed their follower was rarely out of sight.
All afternoon, as the sailmaker and his mates sat cross- legged on every spare piece of deck, heads bent, needles and palms flashing in the sunlight, Bolitho prowled about the poop or visited the cabin in a state of near exhaustion.
In the last dog watch, when the lookout shouted, 'Land ho!', he guessed that the pursuing brig would be satisfied that the squadron, large or small, was indeed making for Corfu.
Bolitho examined the purple shadow of land through the rigging and shrouds, and pictured the island in his mind. The brig's master had been too faithful to his orders. Now, with night dosing in more rapidly, he would have to bide his time and hold the information to himself. Under similar circumstances, Bolitho thought that he would have taken the risk of his admiral's displeasure and called off the chase long ago. He would have been more use to his admiral alongside the flagship than.riding out a long night off this dangerous coast. Curiosity had been the brig's weakness. It was not much, but it might be vital.
He returned to the cabin and found Farquhar waiting for him with Veitch and Plowman.
Farquhar said, 'You wanted these two, I believe, sir.' He sounded disdainful.
Bolitho waited as a servant hung another lantern above the chart.
'Now, Mr. Plowman. I need a good volunteer to spy out the land for me.'
The master's mate looked at the chart and the marks which denoted cliffs and deep soundings along the western shore.
He gave a slow grin. 'Aye, sir. I take your meanin'!' Farquhar asked sharply, 'Are you sending men ashore at night, sir?'
Bolitho did not reply directly. He looked at Plowman. and asked simply, 'Can you do it? If it was not important I would not ask.'
'I’ve tackled worse. Once in West Africa… ' He sighed. 'But that's another story, sir.'
'Good.'
Bolitho studied him gravely. He was probably asking far too much. Sending Plowman and others to their deaths. He toyed with the idea of going himself but knew it would be pointless either way. Conceit, desperation, anxiety, none came into it. He would be needed here, and very soon.
To Farquhar he said, 'They will want a cutter and a good stout crew.' He turned to Veitch. 'I’m putting you in charge of the landing party. Choose your men carefully. Men used to the countryside, who’ll not fall headlong down a cliff.'
He saw the gravity on the lieutenant's face giving way to something else. Satisfaction. Pride perhaps at being offered such a demanding task without restriction. If Bolitho had. doubts they were in himself. Veitch had already proved his worth and his ability.
Plowman was still examining the chart. 'This looks a likely place.' He jabbed it with a thick finger. 'An' there’ll be a good moon tonight. We can run under sail till we're close in, then pull the 'rest of the way.'
Bolitho said, 'You can take all night. But tomorrow, try to discover what is happening. The island is about five miles across at the point you have selected, Mr. Plowman. The hills rise to a thousand feet or more. From there you should see enough for our purposes.'
Veitch said slowly, 'It may be difficult to hide the cutter, sir. '
'Do what you can.' He looked at each of them. 'Otherwise, you will have to sink it where you land. I will send another to take you off later…:
Farquhar coughed… 'There is a fact to be faced, sir. The whole party may be taken prisoner within minutes of getting ashore.'
Bolitho nodded grimly. So even Farquhar was now accept- ing the reality of their situation. The enemy was fact, not shadows.
We will attack from the south'rd at dawn, the day after tomorrow. If Mr. Veitch can discover the whereabouts of shore batteries, and their strength, it will make our task less demanding.' He smiled at their tense expressions. 'Although I fear our arrival will not be welcome. '
