trestletree pieces, which the carter and his crew would finish later aboard ship. Not being content merely to satisfy the ready needs of the ship, they had harvested several spare spars as well for future service, the entire gathering slung between the two caissons and the twelve horses reharnessed into a single large team ahead of both wagons.
'Good God above, it's Noah!' Railsford laughed loudly as they hove into sight, leading the cattle and sheep, dragging the pig carcasses.
'Sure you do not want to join the army, Mister Lewrie?' the elder Chiswick asked as he surveyed their small herd. 'I could use a good forager such as yourself.'
'Though the foraging proved rough on your uniform,' Railsford said as he saw the state of Alan's clothes, and his stockings which were little higher than his shoe tops, leaving his legs bare below his breeches.
'The fortunes of war, sir,' Alan replied, offering the Ferguson back to Lieutenant Chiswick, who opened the breech and checked the flint professionally in an automatic response to see if the user had fouled it, or done something dumb with a good gun.
'We heard but one shot,' Chiswick said.
'That was Mollow killing the second hog.' Burgess grinned. 'After our sailor here had wrestled and stabbed the first to death, like Samson slaying the lions in the wilderness. That's how he got skinned up.'
'Any sign?' his brother asked.
'Quiet as church on a Monday. Looted farmstead, where we found all this, but no sign of French or Rebels. I'll tell you the rest later.'
'Good.' Lieutenant Chiswick nodded. 'You missed dinner, but we've no time to feed you now. I'd like to get back across Yorktown Creek before dark.'
'I shall cope,' Burgess replied with a shrug.
I shan't, Alan thought, but no one was asking him, and he realized that it was already midafternoon and he had not had a bite to eat since before dawn. Mollow could get a crumb or two from his fellow soldiers, Cony could depend on his mates to have saved him a morsel or two, but Alan had to go without, and it was a long, slow trek back in the heat and humidity, with only stale water for sustenance.
By the time they reached the boat landing and began loading the boats with their prize, it was nearly dark. The army encampments were lit up with squad fires and they could detect the tempting aromas of individual messes in the process of cooking their meals, the smell of bake ovens and the sight of game and domestic meats being roasted for the officers in front of their pavilion tents.
'You would be welcome to eat with us,' Burgess offered as he came to Lewrie's side near the docks. 'Would your captain allow you?'
'You do not know my captain.' Alan grimaced. 'I am his prime case of sloth and sinfulness, not to be let out of his sight long enough to get into more trouble.'
'A man after my own heart, you are,' Burgess chuckled. 'But perhaps in future, before you sail, I and Governour could send an invitation aboard for you to dine with us. We could kill one of the fatted calves for you.'
'Don't wait for me for an excuse, but I'd enjoy continuing the pleasance of your company indeed, Burgess,' Alan said, sure that he had made himself a new friend, if even for a short acquaintance. 'I'll bring some wine, even if it's a poor rough-and-ready issue wine.'
'Then you should be doubly welcome. I shall say good evening to you, then, until next time.'
'Until next time, aye,' Alan replied, shaking hands with him once more and adding his warm respects to the elder brother as well. Then it was into the boats and a row out to
By the time they had lashed their new spars and masts hoard for hoisting the next morning, it was full dark, and the few buildings in the town were lit up, as well as the ships the anchorage. A cool sea wind had sprung up to blow away the heat of the day, and the cook and his assistants were busy boiling the cow for supper. With the news of their good fortune at foraging, everyone had a good word for Lewrie as he strolled the decks, sniffing at the good smells and almost slavering like a famished dog for his fresh meal. Even Treghues had been kindly in his praise, for he had gotten a chicken out of the encounter.
'A good day's work, was it not, Mister Coke?' Alan said as he met him by the larboard gangway, where the bosun and the carpenter were assaying their precious lumber still.
'A fine day indeed, Mister Lewrie,' Coke replied. 'Though I'd be easier in my mind ta soak these spars in a mast pond fer a few weeks ta season 'em. Guess a dash o' tar'll have ta do.'
'Anything to get us off this wretched coast and back to the fleet,' Alan said. The chime of the last bell in the second dogwatch freed him from the deck, and he went below to partake of his dinner, knowing that even Freeling could not make the chicken that awaited him unpalatable.
'A tasty looking dish,' Avery said as the roasted bird was placed on the mess table alongside the fresh joint of beef that had also resulted from the trip ashore.
'Wish you could have found some potatoes, though,' Carey said.
'You ungrateful little whelp! I put my life on the line for this, and you want something else!'
'I like potatoes with all this good gravy,' Carey said.
'But it wasn't much trouble, was it,' Forrester stated, Unwilling to give Lewrie credit for his pains, even if he shared the resulting largesse. 'I mean… you were escorted and all.'
'But in the middle of Rebel country,' Alan reminded him. 'Woods as like as not full of enemy scouts way beyond reach of the lines. Miles out in those dark woods like nothing you'v ever seen.'
He laid it on thick, stressing the alien nature of the forests and the dangers even the skilled troops of the North Carolina provincials had worried about. As he talked, though, he took a breast and leg from the bird and a large slice of roast beef dripping juices and piping hot, to leave the rest of the bird to them. They had wine, more pease pudding, and biscuits fresher than ship's issue from the naval stores ashore. There were whole ears of boiled corn that even rancid ship's butter could not ruin—as much as they liked for once. Carey's face was glinting with the greases as he crammed himself full as only a perpetually hungry midshipman could when offered a decent chance. Even Forrester shut up and wolfed his victuals with more than his usual relish.
Not wishing to spoil anyone's supper (even Forrester's) with the account of what he had seen in the farmhouse, he kept silent on that subject, trying to dismiss it from his own mind as much as he was able.
'What smells of rough spirits in here?' he finally asked, wondering if anyone had been painting below decks in his absence.
'Forrester's face.' Avery smiled. 'Still won't come off, Francis?'
'I am still laying for you, and I will have my revenge.'
A day's scrubbing with paint remover had not done much for the splendor of Forrester's countenance.
'When pigs can fly,' Avery grumbled through a particularly tasty bit of biscuit soaked in steak juices and mustard.
'What's for dessert?' Carey asked, leaning back from the table and displaying a belly taut as a drumhead. 'Any apples left? Freeling?'
'Apple dowdy, zur,' Freeling said, making even that welcome pronouncement like an undertaker's greeting. 'Thev wuz gone over, zo noothin' ta dew but smoosh 'em un' make a dowdy.'
'How appetizing you make it sound,' Alan replied as a howl of hot dowdy was put down before them. Half flour, some crushed biscuit, mashed apples with molasses, and a toasty crust that might have been also sprinkled with some sugar. Alan was sure that if Freeling had had a hand in it, the cores and stems and seeds were still there, along with the peels, but he was game enough for something sweet to sort out the odd bits.
'Then yew wooden be warntin' any, ah takes it, zur,' Freeling said mournfully, but with a glint to his eyes, which meant that he had been planning to eat what was left of it. Damned if he would!
'Dish me a goodly portion,' Lewrie said, gleaming back at him. 'A goodly portion, mind you, Freeling.'
'Aye, zur.'
When spooned out, it was evident that a fair measure of rum had made its way into the dowdy as well, which made them all smack their lips.
'You know,' Alan began between heavenly bites, 'I wish we could get together with those soldiers again and
