Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (118 page)

             
Just
as
suddenly
as
it
had
started
it
was
ended.
Whistles
blew
on
deck
and
the
cry
carried
down
to
them.
"
Cease
firing!
"

             
The
Fourth
Lieutenant
repeated
the
order,
his
voice
cut
off
by
four
ragged
bangs
as
the
last
four
guns
fired
in
succession.
"
Damnation
Mister
Barclay!
I
said
cease
firing,
sir!
"

             
Harry
didn
'
t
hear
the
response,
he
didn
'
t
really
want
too.
His
own
guns
had
done
well
and
his
people
had
obeyed
every
instruction
exactly.
He
passed
along
the
gun
captains
and
said
to
each,
"
Well
done,
I
think
we
may
have
winged
him.
"

             
"
True,
sor,
"
grinned
one
of
the
older
hands,
"
But
I
reckon
'
s
'
is
mates
'
ave
gotten
clean
away.
"

             
"
Maybe,
"
Harry
replied,
"
But
they
'
ll
be
a
bit
more
cautious
now.
"

             
There
was
a
heavy
thud
as
two
hulls
came
together
and
then
a
burst
of
musket
fire
followed
by
the
bang
of
some
heavier
swivels.
Screams
and
shouts
mingled
as
the
hulls
ground
together,
the
dhow
now
obscuring
the
forward
gun
ports
and
some
of
Harry
'
s
division
as
well.
A
heavier
bang
told
of
the
carronade
on
the
fo
'
c
'
s
'
le
firing
and
one
of
the
gunners
said,
"
They
'
m
finding
out
what
the
smashers
can
do
then.
"

             
Evidently
this
was
sufficient
as
the
noise
of
fighting
died
swiftly
to
be
replaced
by
the
moans
of
the
wounded
and
an
unearthly
wailing.
At
first
Harry
thought
an
animal
had
been
injured.
Then
he
recognised
it
as
something
akin
to
the
cry
he
had
heard
in
Colombo
from
the
minarets.

             
"
Secure
the
guns.
"
The
order
was
repeated
from
deck
to
deck
and
supported
by
the
Boatswain
'
s
trilling
pipes.

             
Harry
checked
all
the
guns
in
his
division
were
once
more
loaded
and
the
locks
secured
beneath
their
lead
shrouds.
Then,
having
checked
all
the
lashings
that
secured
the
guns
and
rendered
them
unmoving
while
not
in
use,
he
reported
to
Mister
Rogers.
"
All
secure,
sir.
Have
we
taken
a
prize,
sir?
"

             
"
So
it
seems,
Harry,
so
it
seems.
Though
Lord
knows
who
will
buy
her
into
service
from
us.
"
Mister
Rogers
dodged
a
party
carrying
several
partitions
and
said,
"
Damned
handy
things
these
ships
on
a
reach.
And
weatherly
too
–
but
awkward
to
tack.
"

-

             
"
Mister
Rogers,
sir,
"
the
messenger
was
out
of
breath,
"
Mister
Bell
'
s
compliments,
but
you
are
to
take
a
boarding
party
and
take
possession
of
the
brig,
sir.
"

             
"
Very
well,
"
the
Lieutenant
looked
about
him,
"
Mister
Barclay,
Mister
Peterson,
with
me.
Mister
Heron,
Mister
Tanner,
see
to
things
here.
"
He
led
the
two
midshipmen
up
the
companionway,
leaving
Harry
and
Kit
alone
amidst
the
busy
gun
crews
as
they
secured
their
charges.

             
"
Well,
"
said
Harry,
"
I
wish
he
'
d
picked
us.
I
wonder
what
the
brig
has
suffered
–
or
the
dhow
for
that
matter?
"

             
"
Why
don
'
t
we
try
for
a
look,
"
grinned
Kit.
"
I
doubt
there
will
be
any
harm
in
us
opening
the
port
for
Number
One.
"

             
"
Good
idea,
"
replied
Harry,
"
It
might
help
clear
some
of
this
fog
as
well
and
a
little
clean
cool
air
will
be
welcome
too.
"

             
Kit
led
the
way
and
hauled
the
lanyard
that
swung
the
heavy
cover
upward
so
that
they
could
peer
out
of
the
opening
and
see
the
other
ships.
The
dhow
lay
close
alongside,
both
her
masts
fallen
and
evidently
many
of
her
people
were
injured
for
the
Spartan
'
s
men
seemed
to
be
almost
alone
in
working
to
clear
the
wreckage
of
the
fallen
spars.
Aft
a
group
of
red
coats
stood
guard
over
a
huddle
of
the
few
visible
survivors
of
the
crew.
Beyond
the
dhow
the
brig
was
just
visible
in
the
fading
light.
She
idled,
her
sails
in
disarray
and
the
ship
evidently
not
under
any
sort
of
control.