Michael Aye - HMS Seawolf

Gabe was visiting Stephen Earl on board Le Frelon.

It was Gabe's first visit since Earl had taken command.

There was an obvious change in the ship's overall appearance. The freshly holystoned decks, the smell of fresh pitch fill ed the air. Cannons had been cleaned and

blackened, ropes were neatly coiled. Brick dust had been taken to the brass work and now it shined brighter than it probably had since the ship was launched.

"What a farce," Earl said, speaking of al the comings and goings of smaller craft.

"Aye," Gabe replied, "But a necessary one if we're to maintain surprise."

At that time, Mr. Boyd approached. He was Earl's first lieutenant and came from Merlin, where he had been Captain Buck's third lieutenant. "Pardon me, sir, but the twenty new hands have arrived as you mentioned. Would you care to speak to the men?" Earl looked at Gabe who tried to hide his smile.

"No, Mr. Boyd, turn them over to the bosun," Earl replied, "He'll take care of them."

As the lieutenant went to do his bidding, Earl shook his head and said, "He means well and seems quite knowledgeable but he's a long way from where I expect my first lieutenant to be."

"He'll learn quickly," Gabe said.

"Huh," snorted Earl, "He better, cause I'm thinking we're about to face an enemy like we've not done before."

"Do you think my plan is wrong?" Gabe asked his friend.

"No,Gabe. With no more at our disposal than what we have and there being no time for reinforcements, I think it's as good a plan as we could have. I do think the butcher's bill will be high whether we win or lose.

Those privateers will be crowded with fighting men for the invasion. It may sound cruel but I intend to sink what I can rather than come together and be overrun by large numbers."

"I agree," Gabe said then asked, "Have you a surgeon yet?"

"Unfortunately not, and there's a possibility we won't have. By the way," Earl continued, "Rumor has it Caleb has been smitten by some little rebel girl." Gabe felt a pang at the term "rebel girl" as it made him think of Faith. Seeing the look come over Gabe's face Earl realized he may have blundered.

"Forgive me, Gabe, I did not mean to be callous or insensitive."

Clapping his hand on his friend's shoulder Gabe said, "It's nothing." Then went on to explain, "Caleb has found himself infatuated with a young lady, Dagan's niece."

"Well, damme," Earl exclaimed, "I'd tread lightly if I were Caleb. I'd not want Dagen angry with me."

The men were at their stations and the guns had al been made ready. The marines were ready, what few they were. The deck had been wet down and sanded.

Though wetting the deck down now appeared to have been a wasted effort. A heavy fog seemed to leave al in its wake wet.

Now it was time to wait. Hurry up, move your arses, then wait. The darkness finally gave way to dawn; a foggy dawn.

"It will break by mid-morning," Blake, the master said.

"That's a long time," an anxious Gabe replied. "Is there any sign of Swan, Le Frelon, or Pigeon?"

"Aye, sir." Lavery said. "The Swan is to larboard and Le Frelon is to starboard. I can't see the ketch but on last sighting she was on station with Le Frelon." Silence fill ed the deck. Every sound a ship makes at sea seemed to be magnified by the silence. The fog moved across the deck and through the rigging in a ghostly eerie silence then disappeared only to be replaced by another patch, leaving moisture as its only sign of having been present. The master wiped the compass with a dry cloth and Dagan taking Gabe's glass wiped the lens thoroughly though damn little good it would do as the next patch of fog would have it cloudy al over again.

Out of the corner of his eye, Gabe saw Lum whispering to Dagan who nodded and was now making his way to the wheel.

"Lum says he hears something not unlike the flap of the sail on the fishing yawl back home when the wind would fill the sail then die down."

"He's right," Gabe said, "I've heard the sound a time or two but couldn't make it out. Pass the word to the lookouts to watch for small boats, not just ships, Mr. Hazard."

"Aye, captain."

"I don't like the feel of the wind," the master, Blake, complained. "It's from the north but seems to bounce off yonder island. I…" There was a confused shouting to larboard, then a flash as a gun was fired.

A lookout shouted, "A gunboat, a black gunboat, sir, just let off a gun, can't tell if it hit anyone."

"Damme sir, but it sounded like a thirty-two pounder."

"Aye, that it did, Mr. Hazard."

Then she was visible again. A gunboat with one large gun mounted high on her bow. She had a lug sail and four sets of sweeps to maneuver her with when there was no wind. The marines were quick into action pouring round after round from their muskets and SeaWolf’s swivel guns into the smaller boat from their places in the rigging before she disappeared into the heavy fog bank. Then a flash of light, somebody set off a flare. Was it Earl on Le Frelon or the privateers?

"Makes no difference," Gabe thought, as in that one burst of light he saw what looked like six or more sets of sails dead ahead. Firing was sporadic and if anything was being hit it was not obvious yet. He felt suddenly queasy thinking what that thirty-two pounder would do to Swan if she were hit. Then a thunderous roar and flashes to starboard.

"That was Earl, I'm sure," Lavery said, his voice suddenly excited and high pitched.

"What was he firing at? Another gunboat? The ships ahead were not yet in range."

Meanwhile aboard SeaWolf with still no visible target, the gun crews sat at their stations, restless and uncomfortable now that the north wind was gathering in force.

"Fog will be gone quick like," the master proclaimed but that did nothing for the men as they shuffled and shivered, damp from the fog and cold from the wind. Gabe wished he hadn't ordered the gal ey fires out; a warm cup of coffee would have lifted their spirits if nothing else.

It was like holes in the sky as the sun was finally able to punch its way through the clouds. "Maybe we can see now, sir," the first lieutenant volunteered.

"And pray we be truly thankful for that which we are about to see," Gabe replied sarcastically but was suddenly sorry for his words. "My apologies, Mr. Hazard, I'm foul company this morning I fear."

Another patch of fog rolled across the waves and with its passing the sky was almost clear. And with the clear sky the glimpse of sails Gabe had seen earlier, they were dead ahead and stretched across the horizon.

The lookout was calling down, "Six…no…seven sets of sails, sir and one's a frigate."

"What about the damn gunboats?" Gabe cal ed.

"No sign, sir."

"We'll have to tack soon," Hazard volunteered,

"The master has stated the sooner the better." A number of smaller islands were now visible from the masthead and just beyond them a larger island, Grand Manan. Their present tack would take them dangerously close to those smaller islands.

"If it ain't the privateers, it is shoals and rocks," the master declared.

"Signal from Le Frelon, sir, engage enemy, single action."

"Damned cheeky of Earl if you ask me." Turning Gabe was face to face with Caleb, "Thinks he's a commodore no doubt."

Gabe had to smile, "Come to grab a bit of fresh sea sir before the excitement starts?"

"Aye," Caleb replied, and then asked, "What does Earl mean single action?"

"We'll break through the enemy's lines as a group then it's every man or every ship for himself."

"Did I hear the lookout say one was a frigate?"

"That you did, my friend, but it's a small one, twenty-eight or thirty-two guns I'm sure, not a forty-four like Drakkar. "

"Deck there, the frigate has fired but ain't yet found the range."