Alexander Kent - Midshipman Bolitho and the Avenger

Voices murmured in the hallway, and moments later Mrs Tremayne peered into the room. Behind her Bolitho could see Pendrith, the gamekeeper, hovering with obvious impatience.

His mother asked, `What is it, Pendrith?'

Pendrith came into the room, smelling of damp and earth. He knuckled his forehead to the standing figures and nodded to Nancy.

He said in his harsh voice, `One of the colonel's men is outside with a message, ma'am.' As the colonel made his excuses and bustled outside, Pendrith added quickly, `An' I've got this, sir.' He thrust out his fist with a small roll of paper for Vyvyan to read.

Vyvyan's solitary eye scanned the crude handwriting and he exclaimed, `To whom it may concern… what the hell?' The eye moved more quickly and he said suddenly, `It's a demand. As I thought. They've taken young Dancer as hostage.'

Bolitho asked, `For what?' His heart was beating painfully and he could barely breathe.

Vyvyan handed the letter to Mrs Bolitho and said heavily, `The one wrecker that my men were able to capture. They want to exchange Dancer for him. Otherwise…' He looked away.

Hugh Bolitho stared at him. `Even. if we were allowed to bargain…' He got no further.

Vyvyan swung round, his shadow filling the room. `Allowed? What are you sayin', man? This is a life at stake. If we hang that rascal in chains at some crossroads gibbet they will kill young Dancer, and we all know it. They may do so anyway, but I think they will keep their word. A revenue man is one thing, a King's officer another.'

Hugh Bolitho met his gaze, his face stiff with resentment.

`He was doing his duty.'

Vyvyan took a few paces from the fire. He sounded impatient, exasperated.

`See it this way. We know the wrecker's identity. We may well catch him again, when there'll be no escape from the hangman. But Dancer's life is valuable, to his family and to his country.' He hardened his tone. `Besides which, it will look better.'

`I don't see that, sir.'

Hugh Bolitho was pale with tiredness but showed no sign of weakening.

`You don't, eh? Then let me explain it for you. How will it sound at a court of enquiry later on? A midshipman's loss is bad enough, the deaths of all those sailors and revenue officers hard to explain, let alone those damned muskets which are now in the wrong hands. But who got clean away without hurt? The Avenger's two officers, both of this family!'

For the first time Hugh Bolitho looked shocked.

`That was not how it was, sir. But for the schooner, we would have been well placed to assist, dragoons or no dragoons.'

The colonel entered at that moment and said quietly, `I have just had word that the schooner's crew are ashore and under close guard. They will be taken to Truro.'

Vyvyan handed him the crumpled letter and watched his face.

The colonel said savagely, `I guessed it would not end there, damn them V

Hugh Bolitho persisted stubbornly, `That schooner was carrying gold coin by the box-load. The crew are all American Colonists. I have no doubt they intended to use the money to buy muskets, here in Cornwall. Then they would likely transfer them to a larger vessel at some safe rendezvous elsewhere.'

The colonel eyed him coldly. `The schooner's master insists he is innocent. That he was lost, and that you fired on him without warning. He took you for a pirate.' He raised one hand wearily. `I know, Mr Bolitho, but it is what everyone will believe who wants to. You lost your muskets, failed to capture any of the smugglers, and several men have died for no good reason. I know there is talk of unrest in the American Colony, but it is only talk at present. What you have done is very real.'

Vyvyan said gruffly, `Be easy on him. We were all youngsters once. I told him we should agree to exchange our prisoners. After all, we have a good prize in the harbour, if the magistrates can prove she was after the guns. And when we get Dancer back safe and sound he might tell us more.' He gave a crooked smile. `What say you, Colonel?'

De Crespigny sighed. `It is no matter for a landowner or a young lieutenant to dabble with. Even I will need to be directed in this case.' He looked round to make certain that the gamekeeper had gone. `However, if your captured felon should escape, I see no reason to report it just yet, eh?'

Vyvyan grinned. `Spoken like a true soldier! Well done. I'll have my men deal with it.' His eye moved across the Bolitho family. `But if I am wrong, and they harm young Dancer, they will eventually be very sorry for what they have done.'

Hugh Bolitho nodded. `Very well. I accept the plan, sir. But after this I will stand no chance of success in these waters. My command and all in her will be laughed into oblivion.'

Bolitho looked at his brother and felt sorry for him. But there was no other way.,

The others eventually left the house and Hugh said vehemently, `If I could have laid hands on just one of them. I'd have finished this damned affair once and for all!'

The next two days were filled with suspense and anxiety at the Bolitho house. There was silence from Dancer's captors, although no further proof was needed as to the value of the letter. Some gilt buttons, cut from a midshipman's coat,. and a neckcloth which Bolitho recognized as Dancer's were found outside the gates as a blunt warning.

On the second night the two brothers were alone by the fire, each unwilling to break the silence.

Then Hugh said suddenly, `I shall go down to the Avenger. You had better remain here until we hear something. One way or the other.'

Bolitho asked, `After this, what will you do•?T

'Do?' He laughed. `Go back to some damned ship as a junior lieutenant, I expect. Promotion went through the window when I failed to finish what I came to do.'

Bolitho stood up as horses clattered in the yard. A door banged open and he saw Mrs Tremayne staring at him, her eyes filling her face.

`They've got him, Master Richard! They've found him!'

In the next instant the room seemed to be full.

Servants, some troopers and Pendrith, the gamekeeper, who -said, `The soldiers discovered 'im walkin' along the road, sir. 'Is 'ands were tied behind 'is back and 'e was blindfolded. Wonder 'e didn't go 'ead-first off the cliff!'

They all fell silent as Dancer, covered from head to foot in a long cloak, came into the room, supported on either side by two of de Crespigny's dragoons.

Bolitho strode forward and gripped his shoulders. He could barely speak, and they looked at each other for several more seconds until Dancer said simply, `Near thing that time, Dick.'

Harriet Bolitho pushed through the watching figures and lifted the cloak from Dancer's shoulders. Then she took him in her arms, pulling his head to her shoulder, tears running unheeded down her cheeks.

`Oh, you poor boy!'

Dancer's captors had stripped him of all but his breeches. Blindfolded and stumbling barefoot along a road unknown to him, had he fallen, he would certainly have died of the bitter cold. Someone had beaten him too, and Bolitho saw weals on his back like rope burns.

Mrs Bolitho said huskily, `Mrs Tremayne, take these good men to the kitchen. Give them anything they want, money too.'

The soldiers beamed and shuffled their boots.

'Thankee, ma'am. It was a real pleasure to be sure.'

Dancer lowered himself in front of the fire and said quietly, `I was carried to a small village. I heard

someone say it was supposed to be a witches' place.

That nobody would dare come looking for me there. They laughed about it. Told me how they were going to kill me if you didn't release their man.'

He looked up at Hugh Bolitho. `I am sorry I failed you, sir. But our attackers looked like real soldiers, and acted without mercy.' He shuddered and touched his arm as if to hide his nakedness.