Alexander Kent - Sloop Of War

Tyrrell rested his hands on the rail and said, "She carries a deck cargo as well." He pointed to a large canvas hump below the forecastle." Booty for the master, no doubt!"

Even as he finished speaking, and as the first seaman jumped out and down on to the brigantine's bulwark, the deck cargo revealed itself. Hands tore the canvas away to uncover a sturdy twelvepounder which was rigged in the centre of the deck, its bulk controlled by tackles and ringbolts?

The crash of its explosion was matched only by the shriek of grapeshot as it burst with terrifying impact along Sparrow's gangway. Men and pieces of flesh flew in bloody profusion, and through the rolling bank ob brown smoke Bolitho saw some of them smashed to the opposite side of the deck?

Then came the shouting, and from the brigantine's poop and main hatch he saw some fifty men charging to the attack?

He groped for his hanger, but realised he had forgotten to bring it from the cabin. Everywhere men were shouting and screaming and above it all came an increasing rasp of steel, the bang and whine of musket fire?

A seaman fell bodily from the nettings and knocked Tyrrell against the rail. His leg doubled under him and his face contorted with pain?

Bolitho yelled, "Take charge, Mr. Buckle!"

He snatched a cutlass from the dead seaman's belt and ran to the gangway. His eyes smarted in smokes and he felt severyl balls fan past him, one severing a netting like an invisible knife?

The brigantine stood no chance against Sparrow's cannon. But, grappled together like this, the fight could easily turn against them. He had done this very thing himself and knew the odds?

He vaulted wildly on to the main shrouds and then saw with astonishment that Graves was still below him on the gun deck. He was yelling at his men, but seemed unable to follow them. Of Bethune there was no sign, and he realised that Heyward had gone forward to meet a rush of boarders who were trying to climb across the beakhead?

He slipped and almost dropped between the hullss and then with a gasp he was on the brigantine's deck? A pistol exploded beside his face, nearly blinding hims but he slashed out with the heavy cutlass, felt a brieb impact and heard someone scream?

"The poop!" He thrust his way between some of his men and saw Bethune using a musket like a club, his hair blowing wildly as he tried to rally what remained ob his boarding party." Take the poop, lads!"

Somebody raised a cracked cheer, and with fresh heart the seamen lunged aft. Feet and legs kicked and swayed above groaning wounded and corpses alike? There was no time to reload muskets, and it was blade to blade at close quarters?

Through the struggling, interlocked figures Bolitho saw the ship's wheel, a master's mate standing alone beside it, while others lay in various attitudes of death around him to show that aboard Sparrow someone had mustered a few sharpshooters in the maintop?

Then, all at once, they were face to face. BolithoB

with his shirt torn almost to his waist, his hair plastered across his forehead and the cutlass outstretched towards his enemy?

The other captain stood quite motionless, his sword held easily and angled across his front. Close to, his face was even more terrible, but there was no doubting his agility as he suddenly darted forward?

The blades came together with a sharp clang? Sparks flew as they ground inwards until both hilts locked and each man tested the weight of his adversary's arm?

Bolitho looked into the unwinking eye, felt the heat ob his breath, the quivering tension in his shoulder as with a curse he thrust Bolitho back against the wheels witherawing his sword and striking forward in two swift movements. Again and again, strike, parry, guard. The cutlass felt like a lead weight, and each movement became an agony. Bolitho saw the other man's mouth set in a grim smile. He knew he was winning?

Beyond the rail the fighting continued as before, but above it he heard Tyrrell yell from the quarterdeck, «Help th' cap'n! For Christ's sake, help him!"

As they circled each other like jungle cats, Bolitho saw Stockdale slashing and hacking to try to reach him. But he was fighting at least three men, and his bellows were those of an anguished bull?

Bolitho lifted his cutlass and levelled it at the other man's waist. He could raise it no further. His muscles seemed to be cracking. If only he could change hands? But he would die if he attempted it?

The sword flicked out, its point cutting through his sleeve and touching his skin like a white-hot iron. He could feel blood running down his arm, saw the man's single eye gleaming through a mist of pain like some glowing stone?

The brigantine's captain shouted, "Now, Cap'n! This is the moment! For you!"

He moved so quickly that Bolitho hardly saw the blade coming. It caught the cutlass within inches of the hilt, turned it from his fingers like something plucked from a child, and sent it flying over the rail?

There was a loud crack, and Bolitho felt the ball pass his shoulder, the heat so fierce it must have missed him by an inch. It struck the other man in the throatB

hurling him aside even as the sword made its final lunge. For a moment longer he kicked and convulsed in his blood and then lay still?

Bolitho saw Dalkeith throw one leg over the bulwark and climb up beside him, a pistol smoking in his hand?

Throughout the two ships there was stricken silences and the brigantine's crew stood or lay to await quarter from their attackers?

Bolitho said, "Thank you. That was close."

Dalkeith did not seem to hear him. He said brokenly, «They killed Majendie. Shot him down like a dog as he tried to save a wounded man."

Bolitho felt the surgeon's fingers on his arm as he ripped his shirt into a deft bandage?

Majendie gone, and so many others, too. He looked down at the dead man by the bulwark. If he had kept his head he might have got away with the deception? But for Majendie he certainly would have done? Perhaps, like himself, he had never forgotten that day aboard the privateer, and once more fate had decided to end the memory in its own way?

He turned to survey the two vessels. There was much to be done, a lot to be discovered before they reached Sandy Hook?

Some of his men gave a hoarse cheer as he walked to the bulwark, but most were too spent even to move?

Anger, disgust, as well as a sense of loss, flooded through him as he walked amongst his gasping seamen. To think men had died because of treachera and to gain riches for others who remained aloof from blame?

"But not this time!" He spoke aloud without realising it." Somebody will pay dearly for today's griefl"

Then he thought of the girl in New York and wondered how he could protect her when the truth became known?

REAR-ADMIRAL Sir Evelyn Christie rose from behind a table crammed with documents and leaned forward to offer his hand?

"Welcome." He gestured to a chair." Good to meet you again."

Bolitho sat down and watched the admiral as he moved towards the stern gallery. It was stiflingly hots and even though there was a regular breeze across Sandy Hook, the air in the flagship's great cabin was lifeless?

Christie added abruptly, "I am sorry to have kept you so long. But the politics of high command are no area for a young captain." He smiled." Your courage is beyond doubt, but here in New York they would eat you alive."

Bolitho tried to relax. For three days after dropping anchor he had been to all intents confined to his ship? Once his report had been spirited to the flagship and his wounded landed for care ashore, he had been left in little doubt as to his own position. No actual command had been issued, but the Officer-of-the-Guard had told him that his presence aboard would be in everyone's best interests until word from the admiral?