Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (19 page)

             
Midshipman
Peterson
exclaimed,
"
I
saw
O
'
Connor
at
your
chest
–
I
know
he
'
s
the
thief.
"

             
"
How
so?
"
Harry
asked;
his
voice
dangerously
quiet.
"
He
has
neither
a
key
to
the
chest
nor
the
desire
to
enter
it.
Are
those
not
the
shirts
you
wanted
cleaned?
The
one
'
s
you
have
now
flung
on
the
deck
and
soiled?
"

             
"
What?
How
dare
you
defend
him?
He
'
s
a
thief
because
I
say
so.
"
Barclay
retorted
angrily.
Seizing
his
dirk
'
s
scabbard
he
advanced
on
Harry.
"
I
'
ll
teach
you
to
respect
your
elders
and
betters.
"
He
grabbed
Harry
and
flung
him
onto
the
table,
raising
the
scabbard
to
administer
a
beating.
"
I
'
ll
deal
with
you
first
and
then
see
to
O
'
Connor
–
the
cat
will
make
him
know
who
his
betters
are.
"

             
Harry
braced
himself
for
the
beating,
biting
his
lip
as
the
first
blow
landed
across
his
buttocks.
The
second
made
him
gasp
and
the
third
brought
his
anger
to
cold
fury.
He
was
about
to
take
action
when
the
voice
of
the
Second
Lieutenant
rang
through
the
space,
"
Back
to
your
old
games,
Mister
Barclay?
"

             
The
tone
of
Lieutenant
Rae
'
s
voice
was
cold
and
dripping
sarcasm.
"
I
suggest
you
release
Mister
Heron
immediately
and
explain
yourself.
You
know
the
Captain
'
s
instructions
regarding
disputes
in
the
Gunroom,
why
have
you
taken
it
upon
yourself
to
disregard
them?
"

             
Barclay
released
Harry
and
turned
to
face
the
Lieutenant,
his
attitude
all
conciliatory
and
his
voice
wheedling
as
he
replied,
"
He
was
insubordinate,
sir,
and
defended
a
thief
against
my
charge.
"

             
"
What
thief
would
that
be?
And
what
charge?
"

             
"
O
'
Connor,
sir.
He
was
seen
taking
a
purse
from
my
chest.
"

             
"
That
is
a
lie,
sir,
"
Harry
interjected
through
gritted
teeth.
"
Peterson
said
no
more
than
that
he
had
seen
Ferghal
at
the
chest
–
a
reasonable
enough
thing
since
he
was
returning
Mister
Barclay
'
s
clean
shirts
–
the
same
ones
he
has
now
soiled
by
flinging
them
on
the
deck
in
his
accusations.
"

             
"
Well,
Mister
Peterson?
"

             
"
I
..,
"
Peterson
glanced
at
Barclay
and
then
stared
at
the
deck,
"
Heron
is
correct,
sir,
I
saw
O
'
Connor
place
the
shirts
on
the
chest.
No
more.
"

             
"
And
you
Mister
Heron?
How
have
you
provoked
Mister
Barclay
into
this
action?
"

             
"
I
know
Ferghal
did
not
steal
anything
from
Mister
Barclay,
sir.
He
stands
falsely
accused.
"
He
glared
at
the
now
conciliatory
Barclay,
his
buttocks
painfully
bruised
by
the
blows
and
fuelling
his
defiance.
"
And
I
say
any
man
that
says
he
is
a
thief
is
a
liar.
"

             
Ferghal
entered
the
Gunroom,
his
arms
laden
with
the
laundry
of
several
other
midshipmen,
retrieved
from
its
safe
wrappings,
and
stopped
as
he
saw
the
tableau.
He
had
heard
the
voices
and
been
told
Harry
was
in
some
trouble.
Now
he
found
himself
the
centre
of
attention
as
the
lieutenant
asked,
"
O
'
Connor;
what
do
you
say
to
Mister
Barclay
'
s
charge
that
you
have
stolen
his
purse?
"

             
"
That
I
have
not,
sir.
"
Ferghal
frowned
as
he
replied.
"
I
have
never
seen
the
gentleman
'
s
purse.
There
was
none
among
the
things
he
ordered
me
to
clean
for
him,
sir.
When
I
return
them
I
place
them
on
top
of
his
chest,
sir.
"

             
"
Then
you
can
have
no
objection
to
the
Boatswain
searching
your
person
or
your
duffle.
"
Mister
Rae
held
up
a
hand
to
cut
off
the
protest
from
Harry
and
from
Barclay.
"
Enough!
Mister
Billing,
take
O
'
Connor
forward
please
and
then
search
him
and
his
duffle.
Report
to
me
here
as
soon
as
you
have
done
so.
"
He
paused
as
the
Boatswain,
Ferghal
and
the
almost
unnoticed
boy
Danny
left
the
Gunroom,
before
saying,
"
Now,
Mister
Barclay,
describe
the
purse
if
you
please,
then
be
so
kind
as
to
open
your
chest
and
unstow
its
contents
–
you
may
have
simply
displaced
it
within.
"