The Privateer's Revenge

'Good. May I know how you plan to dispose your forces, sir?'

Scorpion and Harpy t' take close station on the bombs, Elingschooner f'r communication and Carteret cutter with Teazer at th' entrance o' the harbour t' bar any who thinks t' leave.'

The captain of the schooner was visibly crestfallen and Carthew curled his lip in a barely concealed sneer. 'And if there is a concerted attack on any one position?'

'Red rocket, all vessels attend at the harbour entrance. Blue rocket, t' fall back on the bombs.'

'Very well. We lie here until the bomb-vessels reach us, at which point we close with the shore to begin the bombardment, paying particular attention to the state of the tide. If any vessel takes the ground, there will be no help for it—with this tide range there can be no relief.' Saumarez hesitated. 'It does occur to me,' he said, in a troubled voice, 'that our actions will be alarming in the extreme to the civil populace, living as they do in the town beneath the flight of the shells and in sight of them exploding. Captain Selby, do you take a flag of truce ashore and warn them of what will occur and—'

'Warn them? Sir! The bombs are now able to approach under cover of darkness and can achieve a fearful surprise and—and—' he spluttered.

'Nevertheless this is what you will do. Can you not conceive, sir, the mortal dread that must seize every female heart at the sudden thunder of Jove we will unleash? I will remind you that our duty is to make war against soldiers, not children and womenfolk.'

Terror had touched on a reef, which delayed her progress, and it was not until after midnight that she was reported approaching. In the wan light of a fading moon she was shepherded in.

Out of the darkness the ghost-like form of a schooner appeared and a voice hailed Teazer. 'Compliments from the Flag an' on account o' the tide state, Terror is to prepare for an immediate bombardment, an' desires ye to take position according.'

Kydd acknowledged; it was a breathtaking assumption that the little bomb-vessel could in the darkness lay out accurately her anchors and springs in readiness—not only that but to contemplate bringing forward the other vessels to their close-in positions and undertake an actual bombardment . . .

One by one the sloops abandoned the security of their anchors for the invisible urging of the tidal currents and felt cautiously for their appointed positions in the last light of a low moon, well aware of the lethal ramparts of granite beneath their keels.

The long stone piers by the low moonlight seemed strangely sinister in their stillness as Teazer drew nearer, the small cutter close astern. At a prudent distance she rounded to and awaited developments.

At two in the morning, the last of the moon disappeared and darkness enfolded the scene, a chuckle of water along the ship's side the only intrusion into the stillness. Then, suddenly, the night was blasted apart: a blinding sheet of flame erupted, which froze the shadows of ships and the anonymous black heights of the peninsula in stark relief. A fat thud rolled over the water while a red streak drove across the night sky, high and over the huddled town, to descend out of sight on the other side. Then there was another.

Unseen guns opened up on every side in an eruption of noise, gunflash stabbing from the embrasures of the fort, at gun-towers along the cliffs and even from field-pieces atop the piers. And all in vain. Apart from occasional small splashes out in the darkness there was nothing to show for the chaotic fusillade fired blindly into the night.

From the bomb-vessel a blazing flash and another two-hundred-pound shell was hurled into the blackness, followed by another. The shallow-draught bomb-vessel pounded away with monotonous horror in the darkness. 'Teazer's tense watch on the harbour, however, spotted no rush to escape: the vessels within were evidently taking their chances rather than risk the unknown English warships lying outside in wait for them.

In the first creeping pre-dawn light, firing ceased and all vessels fell back to their deep-water anchorages, leaving vacant the stretch of water where before there had been such warlike activity. From seaward, however, nothing could be seen of the effects of the long bombardment, and at the council-of-war Saumarez looked at his captains gravely. 'A good night's work, I believe,' he said heavily, 'yet I feel frustrated. Without certain knowledge of our success I am reluctant to quit the field while there may well be work yet to be done.'

Selby frowned. 'Sir, we've pummelled the enemy for nearly four hours continuous. Do you not think that—'

'And I believe I mentioned we have no intelligence regarding its effectiveness,' Saumarez said testily, and glanced at Kydd.

'I could not see into th' inner harbour,' Kydd said, his face drawn.

'The French are well roused b' now,' Carthew put in. 'They know what to expect an' they'll have daylight to prepare.'

'Y' want a retreat?' Kydd said tautly. 'Sulphur will be up with us this day—we have th' chance f'r double the fire.'

'Do you want to return there without clear cause? We don't know for a fact we have failed, sir,' retorted Carthew.

'We find out,' Kydd rapped. 'Lie at anchor today, an' this night land a reconnaissance party t' settle the matter, the bombs t' await their signal.'

'A reconnaissance party? Against such odds? Pray who would be the hero you would find to accept this mission?' Carthew enquired silkily.

Saumarez rubbed his eyes in fatigue. 'Gentlemen, this discussion is to no account. In the absence of information I must decide myself if—'

'I'll lead the party!' Kydd announced, looking directly at Carthew. 'Sir, I'll be ashore at dusk—and with y'r information b' midnight.'

'Mr Kydd,' said Saumarez, weighing his words, 'am I to understand you are volunteering to lead a party of reconnaissance yourself? You must understand that in the nature of things this must be regarded in the character of a 'forlorn hope.' We are all wanting sleep, Mr Kydd, our judgement necessarily in question. I beg you will reconsider your offer, sir.'