rest, sir.' He took the tankard of blackstrap and felt it ease the tension from him. 'I'm keeping the log going, sir, and the ship's name, sir.' Drinkwater looked at the boy. 'Eh? Oh, oh, yes, quite, Mr Q, very well.'
Drinkwater looked at the sandy, scrub-covered island upon the flat top of which a dozen crude tents had been erected. Piles of casks of pork, powder and water were under guard of the master's mates. So too were those of spirits and biscuit.
They had toiled to heave as much of the ship's stores ashore as were available, rigging a stay from the stump of the mainmast to an anchorage ashore upon which rode a block to convey load after load. They had rigged shelter from spars and remnants of Hellebore's sails; they had constructed a galley; they had tended the wounded and buried the dead; they had got the boats safely away from the wreck and into a small inlet that made a passable boat harbour on the lee side of the islet, and Drinkwater was pleased with their efforts and achievement. Perhaps he ought to be more charitable towards Lestock.
'It is a little like Petersfield market, ain't it Mr Q?' he said, managing a grin. The boy smiled back. 'Aye sir. A little.'
'How's your arm, Mr Q?'
'Oh, well enough, sir. I can write, sir,' he added eagerly, 'so I'm keeping the logs, sir, and I saw the chronometer ashore safe, together with your quadrant and your books.'
'You're a capital fellow, Mr Q, I had not thought of them at all.'
'Tregembo got your sword and uniforms.' Drinkwater realised that he was surrounded by good fellows. Lestock could go hang. 'Thank you, Mr Q.'
'They're all in the gunroom tent, sir.'
Drinkwater suppressed a smile. It was inconceivable that it should be otherwise, but every space on the islet already had its nautical name. The hold was where the stores were stowed, the gunroom tent where the officers were quartered, the berth deck where the forecourse was draped over its yard to accommodate the hands.
Drinkwater drained the blackstrap and handed the empty tankard back to Quilhampton. 'I had better do as Mistress Best directed me,' he said wrily.
'Very well, sir. She's a most remarkable woman,' the boy added precociously.
'She is indeed, Mr Q, she is indeed.'
In the two days that followed they added a quarterdeck to His Majesty's stone sloop Hellebore, hoisting the ensign from a topgallant yard set and stayed vertically. They blasted a few coral heads out of the boat channel and surveyed another haven for the boats in case the wind changed. They tore the brig's rails to pieces to provide firewood for cooking and built a beacon on the low summit of the reef to ignite if any passing ship was sighted, and they built a lookout tower from where a proper watch was maintained, with an officer, mate and petty officer in continual attendance. They dragged three guns ashore with plans to construct a proper battery in due course, for Drinkwater realised that the men must be kept busy, although he was equally worried about drinking water and the demand on their stocks that such a policy would entail. But morale was good, for Daedalus and Fox were expected south within the month. Drinkwater's greatest worry was for Griffiths. The commander had suffered a severe shock over the loss of the brig. His malarial attack was, as he himself had predicted, a bad one, exacerbated by the wrecking. Appleby worried over him, but consoled Drinkwater, aware that the lieutenant had other things to worry about. That the old man was very ill was obvious, and the indisposed presence of Lieutenant Morris, who refused to exert himself beyond the self-preservation of his person and belongings, had all the appearance of a vulture waiting for his prey to die.
On the morning of the fourth day they saw a large dhow. The vessel sailed slowly in towards the reef, clearly curious as to the islet's new inhabitants. But despite the firing of a gun and the friendly waves of a hundred arms it stood off to the eastwards. Spirits remained reasonably high, however, since it was confidently asserted that neither Fox nor Daedalus would miss them.
Then, at dawn, twelve days later, away to the south-east the square topsails of two frigates were discerned. Summoned from his bedroom Drinkwater ordered the beacon lit and climbed the lookout post. At the top he levelled his glass. He was looking at the after sides of mizzen topsails: Daedalus and Fox had passed them in the night.
For twenty-eight hours the Hellebores and their guests from the two now far distant frigates wallowed in the depths of despair. Even Drinkwater seemed exhausted of ideas but he eventually determined to fit out the Arab boat they had captured at Kosseir for a passage. The boat, too large to hoist aboard Hellebore, had been towing astern of the brig when she grounded. Although damaged she was repairable and the following morning Drinkwater had her beached and over-turned for repairs. The wrecked hull of Hellebore was once again resorted to for materials and by mid-afternoon a detectable lightening of spirits swept the camp.
As the men went to their evening meal a dhow was seen to the eastward. The beacon was lit and the dhow was still in sight as the sun set. At dawn the next day it stood purposefully inshore and Drinkwater put off in Hellebore's gig. An hour later Mr Strangford Wrinch stood upon the sandy soil of Abu al Kizan.
He looked curiously about him, resplendant in yellow boots, a green galabiya and white head-dress. He smiled. 'I learned of the presence of infidels upon this reef from a dhow that sighted you a fortnight ago. They spoke of many men waving and the wreck of a ship close by.' He paused, his face more hawk- like than ever. I also learned of another ship. A French ship…'
'Santhonax?' asked Drinkwater eagerly. Wrinch nodded.
'In'sh Allah, my dear fellow, it is the will of Allah.'
Chapter Fifteen
Santhonax
September 1799 Drinkwater moved forward on the heeling deck of the sambuk cursing the restrictions of the galabiya. The head-dress he found even less easy to handle as it masked his vision. He resolved to dispense with it the instant he could and turned his attention to the men cleaning small arms and sharpening cutlasses. Yusuf ben Ibrahim's Arab crew watched them with interest, shaking their heads over the crudity of the naval pattern sword.
The sambuk sliced across the sea, heading east with the wind on the larboard quarter, the great curved yards of the lateen sails straining to drag the slender hull along, as if as impatient as Drinkwater to put the present matter to the test. Strangford Wrinch came on deck, his green robe fluttering in the wind. He nodded to Drinkwater, then opened his hand in invitation as he squatted down on a square of carpet. Drinkwater joined him.
'Relax, Nathaniel,' said Wrinch, his dark eyes fixed on the face of the lieutenant and it occurred to Drinkwater that this strange man was not much older than himself. They fell to discussing the events of the previous weeks that had brought Wrinch so timely to their rescue.
A day or two after Blankett had sent Daedalus and Fox to follow Hellebore north, a report had reached Wrinch that a mysterious ship had appeared off the coast of the Hejaz. It was soon identified as the frigate commanded by Santhonax who had apparently left off molesting the native craft. On the contrary the captain was now known to have distributed large sums of baksheesh for assistance in piloting his ship through the reefs off Rayikhah and Umm Uruma islands. When Wrinch had passed this information to Blankett the rear-admiral had waved Wrinch's apprehensions aside, assuring the agent that if the 'poxed frog' were dangerous Ball and Stuart would 'trounce him'. In the meantime his escape from the Red Sea was sealed off by Leopard's blockade of the Straits of Bab el Mandeb. Blankett did not apparently see the anomaly in this assertion, seeing that Leopard was comfortably anchored off Mocha and His Excellency was ashore seeking to board nothing more belligerent than a small seraglio of willing houris.
Wrinch, however, did not suffer from the admiral's lethargy. He had in any event been supine for too long and set out north with a small entourage. After an overland journey of six hundred miles which he passed off with an
