The King`s Coat

Even if that was his goal, and he seriously doubted his own sanity if it was, he still had four and a half years as a young gentleman in training before he could stand for a lieutenancy. The rules called for six years on ship's books, two of those years as a midshipman or a master's mate, and proof of age no less than twenty. In another ship he might be chosen as a master's mate, which had a salary to it and would lead quicker to a commission, but would not Treghues' opinion of him follow him in his records? He had seen other midshipmen of twenty, thirty, had heard of men in their forties still midshipmen-too good seamen to be cast out but unable to pass the exam, or having passed, had no luck or interest working for them to obtain a berth as an officer.

Damme, but this is a hard life, he thought miserably. But. why should I expect it to be fair? I'm not stupid. Would it be better for me to fight back by being cruel and unfair myself, more than I am now, at any rate? Is that the way to succeed? Desperate was at sea, reaching north with a soldier's wind on her starboard beam. For once she had company as she followed the thirty-two-gun frigate Amphion, and was in turn trailed by two sloops of war, Commander Ozzard's VIXen, and another sloop of war named Roebuck. They had sailed north from English Harbor after making their offing, destined for Anegada, a low sand-and-coral island at the eastern end of the British VIrgins. Once there, they had to be careful to avoid the Horseshoe Reefs, where hundreds of ships had come to grief over the years. Commander Treghues had sealed orders, which he had not shared with anyone as of yet, but the presence of four cruisingtype warships in company bespoke a major effort of some kind, and rumors were rife in every compartment.

Rumors were also flying about what Treghues had said to Lewrie in his cabins. The captain's clerk and steward were silent about the matter, mercifully, and Treghues was also tight-lipped, but it did not stop the wildest speculations.

People were indeed curious, and expanded on the slightest hints. Treghues behaved as if Lewrie were not there. He paid not the slightest attention to him during the course of his duties, had absolutely no comment about his navigation work when he inspected the midshipmen's slates at noon sights, indeed barely glanced at Lewrie's, and as Amphion led them around Horseshoe Reefs into the lee of Anegada at dawn of their third day at sea it was Carey who had charge of the leadsmen in the foremast chains, Forrester who had charge of the cutter that probed ahead of them, and Avery by the wheel, leaving Alan to bide his time restlessly aft by the taffrail with a signalman.

Once safely in deeper waters all four ships hove to, cocked up to windward and gently making leeway on the tide to the west, while all captains were summoned to the temporary flag frigate. The conference lasted two hours, at which time Treghues came back aboard and went below with Mr. Monk, leaving Railsford to get the ship underway again. During the course of the day the squadron reached north and south behind Anegada, not straying too far north, nor coming too far south so that they could be seen from Virgin Gorda.

It was dusk before a conference was held aft, a conference in a hot and stuffy cabin with the transom windows covered, in a ship that burned no lights except for the binnacle lanterns. Treghues had included the midshipmen, master's mates, master, Marine officer and Railsford. Lewrie sat far back from the glossy desk, where a chart was spread out. Treghues gave him a single darting glance of malice before opening the meeting. ’Tomorrow, we raid the Danish Vtrgins,' Treghues said. 'But they's neutral, sir,' Monk said in the buzz of excitement that followed Treghues' pronouncement. ’Aye, they are, Mister Monk. Neutral, but culpable,' Treghues said wryly. 'Admiral Rodney was most clever to seize St. Eustatius, and keep the Dutch flag flying. He took over one hundred fifty ships intent on running our blockade. But now the word is out and that traffic has shifted to other harbors. At first the Danes winked at privateers using their islands, and the local governors had little military force to control the traffic. We complained diplomatically, and they ordered belligerents and smugglers to move their operations to Puerto Rico or Cuba. but they never seem to put any teeth in those orders as long as the privateers are subtle about their doings. Now our job is to stage a lightning raid as though we are part of the ships based on Tortola. and put the fear of God and the Royal Navy into these people, scour them until they concentrate somewhere else, and force the Danes to play fair.’

’Most clever,' Forrester said loud enough for Treghues to hear him, which brought a smile from their captain. 'By first light Roebuck and Amphion, with local pilots, shall be far enough down the Drake's Passage to look into Coral Bay on St. John, and then run down to the west and snap up everything that moves off the port of Charlotte Amalie,' Treghues went on, using a pair of brass dividers to sketch a course, tapping at the great hurricane hole and bay on the southeast coast of St. John, which island had been made desolate by a slave rebellion years before and pretty much left to go to ruin. ’We shall enter the open waters south of the island of St.

Thomas, and head for the island of St. Croix.' Everyone leaned a little closer to look at the western end of the Drake Passage, which was littered with rocks, possible shoals and the mark of a wreck or two. 'Mister Monk advises the Flanagan Passage for us, south of the island of the same name,' Treghues continued. 'VIXen shall lead our little flotilla and shall be inshore of us, off Christiansted, going no closer than two leagues to avoid entering Danish waters. We shall be farther offshore snapping up one prize after another. Coming from the east as we shall be, with the sun behind us, with the Trade Winds behind us and with the westerly-setting tide flow, we can catch anything at sea. All ships and prizes shall concentrate here, later in the day, off the island of Vieques in the Passage Group, to the east of Puerto Rico.’

’This'll be a bitch, sir,' Monk said, scratching at his scruffy chin. 'Drake Passage is as lumpy as a country road. Now, there's twenty-four to twenty-five fathoms, safe as houses, down Drake's Passage. It's here off Norman Island, it gets tricky. The chart don't show it but somewhere off the point here nor-nor'west 0' Pelican there's a shoal with a deep channel between that an' another shoal. There's deep water between Flanagan an' The Indians an' Ringdove Rock, 'bout fourteenfathom at high tide. An' ya can't go too far inshore 0' Peter Island to avoid the shoals. I'd feel my way down with the fores'ls, spanker an' forecourse, an' keep the tops'ls at three reefs until we're in the clear.'. ’We shall be following Commander Ozzard,' Treghues said, disliking the advice. 'So I think we should not have too much difficulty.’

’But if he sets on one 0' them shoals, sir.. ‘. ’We shall depend on your skill to guide us, Mister Monk,' Treghues said, moving on to other matters. 'Prize crews. First will be Forrester and a bosun's mate… Weems, I think. and ten hands, if she's big. Next, Avery and Mister Feather. We'll be in deep water, so the third crew will be Mister Monk, young Carey, and some men, depending on her size. Lieutenant Peck, if you should be so good as to provide four private Marines to each prize, in full kit to cow any resistance, I would be much obliged.’

’Delighted, sir,' Peck said. It was rare that his Marines had a chance to wear their scarlet uniforms at sea; usually they were dressed in slop clothing much like the hands, to save wear and tear. ’Should we be so incredibly fortunate as to take a fourth ship as a prize, I shall send the first lieutenant and Mr. Toliver, which will still leave me a master's mate aboard. Bosun, see that each crew has a quartermaster's mate or senior hand able to steer, and let's get all our boats down for towing tonight.’

’Aye aye, sir.’

There were a few looks in Lewrie's direction. He was rated as able to stand as an acting master's mate, had done so already, in fact, and yet had been pointedly left out of their captain's reckoning. ’If a chase is too small, burn it. We can also ignore the many local fishing boats unless they seem to be heavily loaded, or act suspiciously, or show too many white faces.’

’What about putting captives overboard, sir?' Railsford asked. ’Any ship engaged in illicit trade, you may spare the blacks, Danes and neutrals. But any belligerent nationals, and especially any American rebels, or rogue Englishmen, be sure to retain so they may be taken to court for their activities. The French, Spanish and Dutch deserve to be placed in chains, as do any rebels. And any Englishman partaking in this business deserves to hang for treason.' 320 Dewey Lambdin By first light Lewrie was on the gun deck below the gangways, swaying uncomfortably as the squadron seemed to fly down the Sir Francis Drake Passage. The Trades were steady and blowing quite fresh. With the wind nearly dead aft it never felt like they were making much gain over the ground since they had no noticeable breeze. The only way to judge was to stand on a gun breech or the jear bitts and watch the many isles and rocks slide past. There was a heavy chop in the passage, sixfoot waves seemingly about six feet apart, and the frigate's four hundred fifty tons thumped and pounded through them, flinging spray halfway up the jibs.

The crew had gone through the motions of dawn Quarters, the daily scrubbing of decks, like automatons, but now there was a tingle of excitement in the air as they stood easy to their guns. They were piped below to their