The King`s Coat

he had uttered those words. 'We're lying off the far side of the dockyard. Report aboard by the end of the Forenoon watch. Sober and clear-eyed, if you know what's good for you.' Kenyon said it good-naturedly. They spent some time catching up on old times, then Kenyon had to leave for his lodgings before taking command in the morning, and he wanted to pack. Lewrie knew that his chest was ready to go, except for a few loose ends and laundry. His head was as clear as a bell now, and he quivered with excitement at the thought of being not only employed once more, but having been held in reserve for a choice assignment such as Parrot by Rear Admiral Sir Onsley Matthews.

There had to be twenty, thirty midshipmen who were more senior and deserving, just dying for a berth such as Parrot. He thought of Keith Ashburn as a new lieutenant, pacing back and forth and aching for sea time on the flag, and he knew he had the better berth, after all.

This calls for a celebration, he told himself. There was going to be a lot of work in the days ahead, if his new ship was fitting out, and no more chance to go ashore with the ease which he enjoyed presently. Perhaps he did not have to drink himself blind to celebrate, but that did not mean he could not strum a doxy one last time.

Chapter 7

Parrot was big as schooners go, not like the smaller island-built types. She was over sixty-five feet on the range of the deck, American-built of pine and fast as the very wind. Except for a small raised area aft to improve the headroom of the master's cabins, she was a flushdeck, and carried eight small four-pounder cannon, four on each beam, and with lighter swivels fore and aft as chase guns. She could fly three foresails, or jibs, two huge gaffed fore-and-aft sails on her fore and mainmasts, and when at any point of sail from a close reach to running before the wind could also add two smaller topsails on crossed yards. Since she would be running dispatches, it was not meant for her to carry the usual four months of food and water required of rated ships, so the crew had much more room in which to stretch out. But she still had a large crew of fifty men, includi,ng officers, warrants and stewards. Enough to make sail, and enough to fight her, if pressed into a comer. But her principal defense was to be her greater speed-she could do nearly twelve knots.

She could also point up much higher to windward than most ships such as brigs, which was a final form of salvation against being taken.

As soon as Lewrie saw her he was in heaven, since she did not rate a sailing master, chaplain, schoolmaster, no Marines and only one master's mate, a stocky individual with thinning hair named Claghome.

Kenyon was master and commander, and was given the deferential title of Captain, and was responsible for her navigation and safety, with only Claghome to help him. There was a sun and only one mate, and though she rated a surgeon, she did not have one, but only a surgeon's mate to serve in lieu of a more experienced man. But since they never would be far from some port, it was thought that he would suffice until they could drop anchor where there was medical help.

Kenyon had a tidy aftercabin which had a private quartergallery privy, and a hanging locker to the other side, a day cabin which held his settee by the stem windows, a desk, a sleeping cabin with a hanging bed box, small chart cabin and a dining space. And the furnishings the former owners had been deprived of were of good quality. Mr. Claghome the master's mate, Boggs the surgeon's mate, Lewrie and the other midshipman, a fifteen-year-old named Thaddeus Purnell, berthed in the wardroom forward of Kenyon's quarters. Parrot had been meant to be a privateer, so she had carried prize officers, who had been given small private cabins. They weren't much; canvas and lath screens for partitions, stationary bunks, and a washhand stand and bookshelf, with room for a chest (barely) and a row of pegs for a locker, but it had a door, and it was more privacy than he had seen in months, even if every noise penetrated the insubstantial walls.

They also had a good-quaIity dining table, and trestle seats down each side instead of using their chests. After the cockpit in Ariadne it was approaching luxury.

There were some familiar faces from Ariadne in the crew. The rest were those 'volunteers' who had hoped to escape a bad officer or a bosun in their previous ship, or those men that any captain would offer up first to the needs of the Fleet, and would gladly get rid of at the first opportunity. There were also a great many hands fresh-arrived in Antigua who were barely seamen at all. Ten of the men, and all the boy servants, were West Indians, cheeky runts who spoke a dialect that Alan had a great difficulty understanding as the King's English.

The first item of business was stocking the ship. A man was chosen to be a cook, another West Indian who swore he knew how, and supplies began to arrive aboard, ferried by Lewrie and Purnell in their eternal role of water taxi men. Since there was no purser or assistant, the Jack in The Bread Room, Kenyon's clerk and Lewrie had to take over the role, but since Leonard wished to eventually save enough to purchase a place as a purser, it was much easier than Lewrie thought. And Parrot was already armed and stocked well with good French powder and small arms, though the guns were English, as was the shot. Their task was to bring firewood, coal, rum, livestock, flour, fruit, paint, extra slop clothing and naval stores for the bosun, Mr. Mooney.

After two days of stocking, Kenyon summoned his mates and petty officers to the aftercabin, which crowded that space severely. Kenyon sat behind his desk while Mooney, Claghome and Leonard had the settee by the open stem windows. Also on hand were Lewrie, Purnell, Docken the gunner, Bright the gunner's mate. Kenyon had had the cook squeeze some fresh lemons and limes to make a cooling drink for the meeting. Lewrie's first duty was to help the captain's servant, a West Indian named George, fill everyone's mugs. ’Let's get down to business, shall we?' Kenyon said. 'Now, normally with only me and Mister Claghome, and only Mister Mooney and his mate to tend to things, we should be watch-and-watch in rotation. But I propose that we go to three watches and take advantage of our midshipmen. Mister Purnell has a good report from his last captain, and has served on prizes with a bosun's mate, which is why we got him. And I know Mister Lewrie's qualities from our last ship, Ariadne.’

Purnell sneaked a look at Lewrie to size him up, and Lewrie gave him equal treatment. Obviously Purnell had money; he was very well turned out and obviously someone's favorite for him to be here. He was a gawky fifteen- year-old with red hair and freckles. Hardly looked harmful. Yet. ’Mooney tells me that Bond, one of the quartermasters, wants to strike for bosun's mate, and we shall let him do so, and appoint one hand to serve as his replacement. Mister Mooney, you might have some name to suggest?’

‘Aye, sir,' Mooney rumbled deep in his barrel chest. 'Might pick another man for acting quartermaster for the tiller as well, so we have a chance to train as many people as possible,' Lieutenant Kenyon went on, sipping at his lemon water. ’That will do for the men aft, at any rate. The hands will stay in their familiar starboard and larboard watches. I doubt if their conservatism would allow else.’

’Aye, sir,' Claghorne said, thinking on the superstitious and habitual nature of their seamen, who would balk at anything that smacked of newfangled notions. ’We shall place an experienced bosun's mate with the lads, and the acting bosun's mate with either me or Mister Claghome. I expect we could put Purnell and Lewrie on the Middle Watch and First or Second Dog Watches, where they could not get into much trouble, and give us a chance to sleep somewhat peacefully. They could nap in the Forenoon, subject to the requirements of the ship, of course.’

Lewrie grinned over the edge of his mug. It was tantamount to being appointed an acting lieutenant, and would look good in his record to be so honored, perhaps shortening the time he would have to be a midshipman. And there was also the prospect that Parrot just might take a prize and he be appointed to command of it… ’I also want to take advantage of Mister Purnell's experience to assist the bosun and his mates in the general condition of the ship, and I wish Mister Lewrie to be seconded to the gunner and his mate, as he has a great fondness for artillery. Sail tending in the Forenoon watches, exercise the guns during the day. We have a stout little vessel in Parrot, well built and clean of rot. We have guns sufficient to protect us against any light vessel that could catch us, and enough turn of speed to outrun or outpoint anything heavier. We have some people who need training, and some that need reminding that they are still in the King's Navy, so we have hard work ahead of us. Use your starters as you will for now, but try to avoid flogging incidents until we have shaken down into a crew, unless totally unavoidable.’

Soon after that they were dismissed. Lewrie went below to the magazine to check up on things and do an inventory. Bright, the gunner's mate, went with him.