“If they have petrol torpedo boats, thenthe monitors are in trouble.”
“Or diesel, sir.”
Simon had heard of diesel, was not surewhat the difference was between that and petrol. Fortunately, Canning did notknow either, was able to avoid being wiser than his captain.
The hot cocoa arrived, delivered to all positionsaround the small ship and obviously welcome. It was definitely the case thatthey must have greater stocks than officially issued. Even in the summermonths, the sea was chilly at night and a warmer was a pleasant extra, the sortof thing that made the hands feel valued.
“It’s a bribe, perhaps, Canning. Not a badidea, though. Better than the way the Russians do things!”
There had been a report in the newspapersof a mutiny on a Russian naval vessel and of wholesale floggings and hangingsas a response. The Navy had generally felt no more than contempt, for mutineersand the Russian authorities both.
“Very much so, sir. Strange thing is, theRussian Navy seems to be doing well in the Black Sea, despite their peculiarhabits. Disaster in the Baltic, of course. I hear a rumour that we are to sendsubmarines into the Baltic, sir.”
“Not with me aboard, Mr Canning! Horriblebloody things! The very idea of going down beneath the surface of the sea,deliberately shutting down a hatch and plunging under! Not for me!”
“No. I doubt I shall be volunteering, sir.I thought about the RNAS last year, when they were calling for bodies. I mightlike going up in the air. Not under the water, though.”
“I didn’t see the request for men, MrCanning. Busy on Sheldrake and enjoying myself far too much in any case. Don’tknow that I am a bold aviator myself – particularly after the way we dealt withthat poor chap earlier.”
“Good point, sir. All very well flappingalong at a thousand feet. Bit of a bugger when your wings drop off!”
“Light at twenty degrees, starboard bow!”
The lookout’s call brought them back tobusiness. The Dutch, being neutral, had kept all of their lights and buoys, makingnavigation easier off their shores.
“Five minutes to our turning point, sir.”
“All hands, Mr Canning.”
Lancelot had been at action stations, allof the crew at their places of duty, but half had been permitted to sit or laydown if there was space, to rest as much as they could. No doubt some few hadeven managed to sleep, to the admiration of their mates who could not rest inthe tense minutes leading up to a night of fighting.
Chapter Four
“Whatare those, ‘Major?”
“Tin cans, sir. Empty. Condensed milk, thelittle ones, sir. Bully beef the big. Hang a small one inside a big ‘un, sir,on a bit of string, you might say, and attach them to the wire, a few yardsapart, high and low, sir.”
O’Grady displayed the finished product,ready to be strung up. He shook it and achieved a set of melodious chimes.
“Sing low in the wind, so they will, sir.Loud if any mischievous hand should chance to cut the wire in the night, hopingto be silent.”
“That’s clever, ‘Major!”
“Not, I am forced to say, my owninvention, sir, though not so well known as yet. I was informed by anacquaintance of the trick. A South African man, sir, who had set tripwires inthe war they had there, before your time. He was one of them Boers then, is nowa virtuous soldier, so he says.”
“Times change, ‘Major! I had understoodthe Kaiser to be a friend of the Boers.”
They shook their heads, accepting thatpolitics and statecraft was something beyond their comprehension.
“If he is as good at killing the Hun ashis compatriots were at shooting us down in that unfortunate conflict, sir,then he will be very welcome.”
“Agreed, O’Grady! As you say, well before mytime, yet all I have ever heard of the Boers said they were hard men to defeat.”
“There are those who will say they werenot defeated, sir, not in the field. Their women and children were locked awayin the concentration camps where so many died and they were left with no food,no supplies to carry on the fight.”
That aspect of the war had never figured largein the English history books and adventure tales for boys. Richard knew nothingof the camps, suspected it might be wiser to remain ignorant - he still retaineda few illusions about his country and wished to keep them. The current war washard enough without allowing reality to supervene.
“When do you intend to put the bells up, ‘Major?”
“The regular wiring parties can do it,each in their own section over the next few days, sir. I suspect that the Germanswill fire on our parties tonight, sir, being somewhat cross after the raids.Better to delay sending out any substantial numbers, sir.”
Both sides put out men to repair breaks inthe wire on an almost nightly basis. It was not normally regarded as worthwhileto shoot at the sound of wiring parties, particularly while ammunition wasshort. When they were feeling bad-tempered, the machine guns would rattle inthe night.
“How are we off for flares?”
“Short, sir. Too few to be sending them upfor every odd noise, sir. Captain Draper’s Company is very low, sir, for theirhabit of lighting up every time a rat squeaks in the night.”
“Mr Draper has left us, ‘Major. He hasreturned to the Hampshires, his own regiment, after lending us the benefit ofhis experience. I have promoted Mr Caton to acting rank in his place. LieutenantOrpington is to be his number two. His second lieutenant remains in the company,unless you think I should make a clean sweep?”
“Mr Michaels, sir? A boy with a deal to learnand an amount to forget. He will do, sir. Most likely, that is. Which battalionof the Hampshires has Captain Draper gone to, sir?”
“The 11th, on posting to EastAfrica and the campaign against Von Lettow-Worbeck in the bush there.”
Sergeant Major O’Grady permitted himself asmile. The East African campaign was already renowned as worse than theTrenches for disease and living. It was unsuccessful as well.
“I might just let the whisper be heard,sir?”
“If you would be so good, ‘Major.Insufficient evidence to place a clever man before a court. He is not to getaway with his shyness, even so.”
“The men will be pleased
