Read Online In Gallant Company by Alexander Kent - Free Book Online

this.’
If we live that long
.
    Cairns had explained to Bolitho what Quinn had meant about his family being in the leather trade. Bolitho had imagined it to be a tanyard of the kind they had in Falmouth. Bridles and saddles, shoes and straps. Cairns had almost laughed. ‘Man, his father belongs to an all-powerful city company. He has contracts with the Army, and influence everywhere else! When I look at young Quinn I sometimes marvel at his audacity to refuse all that power and all that money! He must be either brave or mad to exchange it for
this!
’
    A large fish broke surface nearby and flopped back into the water again, making Couzens and some of the others gasp with alarm.
    â€˜Easy all!’ Bolitho held up his arm to still the oars.
    Again he was very conscious of the sea, of their isolation, as the oars rose dripping and motionless along the gunwales. He heard the gurgle of water around the rudder as the boat idled forward into the swell. The splash of another fish, the heavy breathing of the oarsmen.
    Then Quinn said in a whisper, ‘I hear the other cutter, sir!’
    Bolitho nodded, turning his face to starboard, picking up the muffled creak of oars. Sparke was keeping about the same pace and distance. He said, ‘Give way all!’
    Beside him Couzens gave a nervous cough and asked, ‘H-how many of the enemy will there be, sir?’
    â€˜Depends. If they’ve already taken a prize or two, they’ll be short of hands. If not, we may be facing twice our number or more.’
    â€˜I see, sir.’
    Bolitho turned away. Couzens did not see, but he was able to discuss it in a manner which would do justice to a veteran.
    He felt the fog against his cheek like a cold breath. Was it moving faster than before? He had a picture of the wind rising and driving the fog away, laying them bare beneath the schooner’s guns. Even a swivel could rip his party to shreds before he could get to grips.
    He looked slowly along the straining oarsmen and the others waiting to take their turn. How many would change sides if that happened? It had occurred often enough already, when British seamen had been taken by privateers. It was common practice in the Navy, too.
Trojan
had several hands in her company caught or seized in the past two years from both sea and land. It was thought better to fight alongside their old enemy rather than risk disease and possible death in a prison hulk. While there was life there was always hope.
    Bolitho reached up and touched his scar, it was throbbing again, and seemed to probe right through his skull.
    Stockdale opened the shutter of his lantern very slightly and examined his compass.
    He said, ‘Steady as she goes, sir.’ It seemed to amuse him.
    On and on, changing the men at the oars, listening for Sparke’s cutter, watching for even a hint of danger.
    Bolitho thought that the schooner’s master, being a local man, may have made more sail and outpaced the fog, might already be miles away, laughing while they pulled slowly and painfully towards some part of New England.
    He allowed his mind to explore what was fast becoming a real possibility.
    They might get ashore undetected and try to steal a small vessel and escape under sail. Then what?
    Balleine called hoarsely, ‘There’s a
glow
of sorts, sir!’
    Bolitho stumbled forward again, everything else forgotten.
    â€˜There, sir.’
    Bolitho strained his eyes through the darkness. A glow, that described it exactly, like the window of an alehouse through a waterfront fog. No shape, no centre.
    â€˜A lantern.’ Balleine licked his lips. ‘Hung very high. So there’ll be another bugger nearby.’
    Bunce had been very accurate. But for his careful calculations they might have passed the other vessel without seeing her or the light. She was standing about a mile away, maybe less.
    Bolitho said, ‘Easy all!’ When he returned to the sternsheets he said,