Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (95 page)

             
Somehow
it
did
help
and
the
embattled
crew
seemed
to
take
on
a
less
pessimistic
attitude.
Harry
detected
a
new
determination
in
their
actions
toward
saving
their
little
ship
and
its
fragile
cargo
of
mortals
with
a
renewed
strength.
He
uttered
a
silent
prayer
for
deliverance,
exhaustion
slowly
creeping
into
his
aching
limbs
as
he
fought
to
control
the
cutter.

             
"
Here,
Pascoe.
"
He
beckoned
one
of
the
older
men.
"
Take
the
tiller
for
a
spell
will
you.
I
need
to
think
on
how
to
reshape
our
course.
"

             
"
Aye,
aye,
sir.
"
The
man
eased
into
the
stern
sheets
on
the
leeward
side
leaving
the
weather
side
to
Harry.

             
Dawn
broke
on
a
violent
sea,
the
wind
unabated
and
the
rain
cold.
Taking
the
tiller
again,
Harry
said,
"
Smales,
see
what
can
be
done
to
rig
a
shelter
forward.
It
may
help
to
keep
at
least
some
water
out.
"
He
paused
to
dash
a
solid
burst
of
spray
from
his
face
and
eyes,
angry
with
himself
for
not
thinking
of
this
earlier,
and
added,
"
Then
see
what
can
be
done
to
feed
the
men.
"

             
They
crested
another
huge
sea.
"
Sir,
"
called
a
man
by
the
windward
shrouds.
"
Boat
in
sight
to
Starboard
–
they
'
m
in
trouble,
sir.
They
'
s
lorst
their
mast
an
'
is
jury
rigged.
"

             
"
Where
away?
"
demanded
Harry,
and
the
man
stood,
clinging
to
the
shrouds
and
pointed
directly
over
their
quarter.
Harry
swung
to
look.
"
Damn,
"
he
said.
"
Very
well,
we
shall
have
to
work
our
way
towards
them.
"
He
studied
the
seas
carefully,
and
looked
at
the
cover
Smales
and
the
hands
had
succeeded
in
securing
over
the
forward
end
of
the
cutter.
Already
it
was
making
a
difference.
The
boat
was
no
longer
scooping
water
every
time
she
plunged
into
a
trough.
He
made
up
his
mind.
"
Smales,
"
he
called.
"
We
will
have
to
lay
ourselves
on
the
other
tack,
and
will
need
the
foresail
briefly.
"
This
would
double
the
sail
area
with
the
tiny
trysail
–
but
it
would
be
more
than
enough.
Handing
the
tiller
back
to
Pascoe,
Harry
took
a
bearing
on
the
second
boat
and
then
studied
the
seas
and
the
windblown
spume
giving
a
clear
indication
of
direction.

             
As
the
tiny
scrap
of
the
foresail
was
hauled
up
and
sheeted
home,
he
said
to
the
coxswain,
"
Put
the
helm
down
on
my
signal,
Pascoe,
and
work
us
across
to
the
other
boat
please.
"

             
"
Aye,
aye,
sir,
"
the
man
grinned
at
him.
"
This
'
ll
get
lively
I
'
m
thinkin
'
.
"

             
"
I
suspect
you
'
re
right.
"
Harry
grinned
back,
then
called
to
the
rest,
"
Stand
by
to
come
about.
"
He
watched
their
preparations,
one
eye
on
the
seas
surging
around
them,
and,
when
he
saw
the
opportunity
to
make
the
turn
in
relative
safety,
he
shouted,
"
Now!
Helm
a-lee.
"

             
The
cutter
reared
at
the
top
of
a
crest,
paused,
then
plunged
again
into
the
trough,
her
head
swinging
through
the
wind,
the
small
storm
sail
slamming
the
booms
across
as
she
settled
on
her
new
heading.
The
motion
changed
as
they
began
to
take
the
seas
at
a
new
and
more
dangerous
angle.
The
most
immediate
effect
was
to
give
the
cutter
an
uncomfortable
corkscrew
motion
as
she
rode
the
waves.
But,
as
the
time
slipped
slowly
by
and
the
other
boat
came
gradually
closer,
it
seemed
to
Harry
that
the
wind
was
also
easing
down.
The
sea
remained
confused
and
rough,
as
if
some
monster
beneath
them
were
stirring
it
in
some
fiendish
cauldron.
An
hour
passed
before
the
other
cutter
was
in
sight
continuously.

             
"
Dismasted,
sor,
"
called
Smales.
"
Jury
rigged
usin
'
her
oars
lashed
together.
They
'
ve
been
lucky
–
look,
she
'
s
lost
a
part
of
her
gunwale!
"