Allan Mallinson - A Regimental Affair

call upon him at Ten a.m. tomorrow, 13 March .

Hervey had left his card at the London residence of the colonel of the regiment the day before, as custom had it, but he had scarcely expected that the colonel would receive him. It was as well he had not made it to the Saracen’s Head, for in seven years and more with the Sixth he had still to meet its colonel, and by all accounts the Earl of Sussex was a most agreeable man. And such a meeting could not serve anything but well, surely, to his getting a troop sooner rather than later?

The second letter was an altogether different proposition — a most intriguing affair. He smiled as he read its obsecrations.

Long’s Hotel,

New Bond Street,

12 March

Esteemed Sir ,

I have the honour to present myself as one who has with true humility learned of your service at the late Battle of Waterloo, and of your interest in all things that are novel and advantageous to the execution of His Majesty’s business. And if you will forgive the presumption of my writing to you then I feel assured that I might be of inestimable service to you in your most distinguished profession, for I have lately manufactured a repeating carbine-pistol such that will multiply the usefulness of its possessor a full seven fold .

Honoured Sir, if you will give word to my man by whom this letter is brought then I may attend on you at once to demonstrate the ease and utility of this device — whose invention is awaiting patent in conditions of utmost secrecy.

Believe me, Sir, I am yours most faithfully ,

Elisha Haydon Collier

This was an invitation he could not overlook. A repeating carbine — the possibilities were great indeed.

At three o’clock, therefore, he found himself in the company of Elisha Collier on the heath at Hampstead. On their way there Collier, who professed himself an American citizen but one who was as loyal to King George as it was possible in his circumstances to be, spoke loquaciously but omitted anything of substance — until Hervey began to think that the engagement would prove futile. But once they arrived, Collier set about his demonstration with such purpose that Hervey was soon able to imagine that he was indeed to see something singular. From the boot of the chaise Collier’s assistant removed a pallet, three feet by two, and six inches thick, and attached it to a tree some thirty paces away, pinning a roundel target to it. He then beat the cover beyond the tree for as far again. When he was finished, Collier turned to Hervey. ‘I believe you have, sir, faced many an enemy at such a range, and I hazard that many was the time when you felt the want of handiness in your service weapon.’

Hervey made no response. Both propositions were palpably certain for a soldier.

‘Then, sir, you may have no fear ever of finding yourself in such a predicament again,’ Collier declaimed, raising his hat and bowing.

The gesture was so theatrical as to make Hervey smile. But at once Collier’s expression turned almost demonic. He pulled open the portmanteau at his feet, pulled out a long single-barrelled pistol, took rapid aim at the target and with scarcely a pause to recock and close the pan-cover between each, fired seven rounds. Hervey, though startled, watched the making of holes in the roundel and clapped his hands in admiration. ‘A very effective display of musketry, indeed, Mr Collier — not merely of pyrotechny!’

Collier’s benign expression returned. He looked pleased by the acclamation. ‘I think I may safely wager, sir, that every round may be accounted for in that target. Do you wish to inspect it closely?’

‘No, I do not think there is need for the present,’ replied Hervey, eyeing the weapon keenly. ‘I have read about such guns, Mr Collier — they are hardly new — but the cylinders or barrels were always turned manually, and they were prone to jamming. Yours, very evidently, has some mechanical means of rotation. And a reliable one at that.’

‘Indeed, sir — just so! That is its ingenuity. You may readily suppose of its handiness to mounted men in particular.’

Hervey was ready to acknowledge it, not least in the thought of how it might have served in Serjeant Strange’s hands that day with the French lancers. Strange’s sacrifice still visited him, and all too often. No one had managed to persuade him that his actions that day could not have been other than they had been. Perhaps it was simply that he had galloped away from the lancers, and Strange had stayed. That he had had to gallop away, he could not reasonably doubt. That Strange had had to stay, to delay the lancers, he could not doubt either. But still there was something that gnawed at him. ‘And impressive for its being a flintlock ,’ he said finally, gathering up his thoughts again as if loose reins.

Collier eyed him curiously, and Hervey wished at once he had said nothing. But was there any reason why this American should have known of the percussion-lock which had saved his life at Waterloo?

‘May I explain that mechanism, sir?’ Collier continued.

Hervey was now all attention.

‘You have noted, of course, sir, the cylinder arm of seven chambers. It is driven to rotate by a coiled spring which is first put into tension by rotating the cylinder anticlockwise — the opposite direction from which it turns in firing.’

Hervey was not so overawed by the earlier spectacle as to be at a loss with such mechanical principles, and he frowned a trifle impatiently.

‘Forgive me, sir,’ said Collier hastily, ‘I did not wish to impute—’

‘No matter,’ said Hervey. ‘It has been a long day. Please go on.’

‘The very essence of this action — as you will appreciate, sir — is to have absolute alignment of chamber and barrel-breech after each rotation. It is this which has defeated all gunmakers until now.’

Hervey nodded again. There were a number of other things too, but he was content now to acknowledge that the alignment was the most crucial.

‘A cone — shall we call it a “male” — is formed at the breech and “mated”, as it were, successively with a “female” countersink cut in the mouth of each chamber, locking the chamber and barrel into alignment.’

‘But how is the chamber held fast against the barrel-breech, since you have just shown me that you pull back the cylinder in order to rotate into tension?’

Collier smiled. ‘Yes, yes indeed, sir! A rare grasp of mechanical detail if I may say so.’ He pulled back the cylinder again. ‘Two means there are. First a helical spring — not the same as for the rotation, mind — and second is this’ — he indicated a small sliding bolt — ‘which is sent forward by the fall of the cock to butt against the rear of the cylinder. It locks it quite sound, and acts, too, as a safety device, since it prevents the cock from falling fully unless the barrel and cylinder are correctly engaged.’

‘That is, I declare, ingenious,’ nodded Hervey, trying it for himself. ‘And the rotation: how does the cocking advance the cylinder?’

‘See this hook, sir, linked to the hammer?’ said Collier, handing the arm to him. ‘It is engaged with a skirt on the rear of the cylinder — see? When the cock is drawn back the hook pulls back the cylinder from the breech and the spring does its work. As soon as the next chamber comes into line the hook finds a notch in the skirt and is disengaged — and the helical spring forces the cylinder forward again.’

Hervey smiled. It was very ingenious indeed, so ingenious that he almost forgot about the actual initiation of the charges. ‘Now that much I am assured of, Mr Collier. But how are the chambers fired?’