Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (60 page)

             
"
Very
good,
Mister
Heron,
"
the
First
'
s
voice
carried
up
to
him.
"
Remain
where
you
are
and
do
not
lose
them.
"

             
"
Aye,
aye,
sir,
"
Harry
called
back.
To
the
lookout
he
said,
"
We
shall
have
to
haul
our
wind
close.
It
will
be
lively
up
here.
"

             
The
seaman
'
s
teeth
flashed
as
he
grinned.
"
Aye,
that
it
will,
sor!
"

             
As
he
spoke
the
ship
heeled
steeply
and
the
mast
spiralled
even
as
more
hands
swarmed
up
the
rigging
and
spread
out
along
the
great
yards.
With
the
seas
now
on
the
beam
Spartan
staggered
and
rolled
deeply
under
the
thrust
of
sea
and
wind.

             
At
his
masthead
perch
Harry
clung
to
the
rigging
as
the
mast
described
figures
of
eight
across
the
sky
and
he
had
a
sudden
image
in
his
mind
'
s
eye
of
clinging
to
the
tip
of
the
baton
wielded
by
the
conductor
of
an
orchestra
he
had
once
been
taken
to
hear.
Despite
the
motion
he
managed
to
hold
the
bearing
of
the
fat
merchantman,
her
damage
still
shrouded
by
the
night.
At
last
he
heard
the
voice
of
the
third
lieutenant.
"
We
have
her
now,
Mister
Heron.
You
may
come
down.
"

             
Gratefully,
for
the
night
cold
was
now
striking
through
his
uniform
coat,
Harry
slid
down
to
the
gangway
and
stumbled
aft
to
the
quarterdeck.
Returning
the
night
glass
to
its
rack,
he
reported
himself
to
the
Lieutenant.

             
"
Well
done,
Harry,
"
said
Lieutenant
Beasley.
"
We
'
ll
be
up
on
them
soon
now.
It
looks
as
if
they
will
require
some
help
in
making
their
ship
seaworthy
enough
to
reach
land.
"

             
"
Aye,
sir,
"
Harry
glanced
at
the
boat
tiers
where
the
Boatswain
was
already
busy
with
a
number
of
men
preparing
to
hoist
out
one
of
the
large
cutters.
"
Will
we
take
them
off,
sir?
"

             
"
Likely,
"
replied
the
lieutenant,
"
Mister
Bell
will
take
the
quarterboat
across
first
to
ascertain
what
assistance
is
needed.
"
He
walked
away
to
confer
with
the
Sailing
Master
and
Harry
turned
his
attention
to
the
shadowy
outline
of
the
distressed
ship.

             
The
merchantman
was
very
low
in
the
water
and
moved
sluggishly
in
response
to
the
sea.
He
could
now
see
that
her
foremast
had
sheered
below
the
foretop
and
the
main
had
evidently
failed
at
the
main
top.
The
vessel
'
s
mizzen
had
been
lost
in
its
entirety.
As
the
distance
closed
between
them,
further
damage
became
apparent
with
gaps
in
her
gangway
and
bulwarks
where
the
masts
had
torn
away
parts
as
they
fell.

             
Harry
studied
the
ship
closely,
noting
her
high
poop
and
the
ornate
gingerbread
decorating
her
aftercastle
and
the
beakhead.
A
voice
beside
him
made
him
start.

             
"
A
Dutch
Indiaman,
"
commented
Captain
Blackwood.
"
And
an
old
one
at
that.
I
'
m
surprised
she
is
still
in
service.
"

             
"
Aye,
sir,
"
said
Harry,
touching
his
hat.
"
I
beg
pardon,
sir,
I
do
not
believe
I
have
ever
seen
a
ship
of
that
type
before.
"

             
"
Then
look
well,
for
there
are
not
many
left,
most
have
been
either
rebuilt
or
lost,
this
one
is
well
past
her
intended
service,
"
he
indicated
the
high
poop
and
continued,
"
Those
high
sterncastles
made
them
unhandy
ships
and
their
draft
is
shallow
to
allow
for
their
native
waters
in
the
Low
Country.
I
wonder
what
brought
her
this
far
south?
" 

***

             
Dawn
spread
its
early
light
slowly,
the
rosy
glow
extending
across
the
horizon
and
causing
the
Master
to
mutter
that
it
presaged
a
further
blow.
The
light
revealed
the
full
extent
of
the
damage
to
the
Spartan
'
s
companion.
Not
only
had
she
had
her
masts
carried
away,
but
in
going
these
had
torn
away
sections
of
her
bulwarks,
and,
more
seriously,
staved
in
her
planking
deep
below
the
water.