Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (109 page)

             
"
Must
be
a
homeward
bound
convoy
assembling,
"
remarked
Lieutenant
Rae.
"
This
is
the
season
for
the
most
favourable
winds
for
it.
"

             
The
First
Lieutenant
lowered
his
telescope
and
said,
"
You
may
be
in
the
right
of
it,
though
many
of
these
seem
to
be
coastal
vessels
and
not
John
Company.
See,
the
large
frigate
to
seaward
of
the
Indiaman,
she
wears
the
colours
of
the
Bombay
Marine,
John
Company
'
s
private
navy,
and
her
people
more
prosperous
than
we
are
like
to
be.
"

             
"
She
seems
well
built
and
carries
a
heavy
battery,
"
Lieutenant
Rae
said
as
he
studied
the
frigate.
"
A
handy
ship
to
have
in
a
fight
I
shouldn
'
t
wonder.
"

             
"
Aye,
she
'
ll
be
the
Hindustan
,
"
said
Mister
Wentworth
joining
them.
"
Teak
built
and
carrying
forty
twenty
fours
on
her
gundeck.
"

             
The
signal
telescope
revealed
the
frigate
'
s
colours
as
those
of
the
red
and
white
barred
ensign
of
the
HEIC,
colours
worn
by
the
Bombay
Marine
only
East
of
the
Cape
of
Good
Hope
by
statute.
The
thirteen
red
and
white
bars
replaced
the
solid
red
of
the
red
ensign
worn
by
all
private
ships
of
British
registry
and
some
naval
ships
when
detached
from
a
fleet.
The
upper
quadrant
held
the
union
flag,
its
combination
of
the
crosses
of
St
George,
St
Andrew
and
St
Patrick
forming
a
block
of
red,
white
and
blue
against
the
bars.
Several
other
ships
at
anchor
wore
this
same
ensign
making
the
Company
ship
'
s
easy
to
identify
as
they
sailed
slowly
into
the
anchorage.

             
The
conversation
ceased
as
the
officers
broke
away
to
deal
with
their
duties
as
the
ship
came
up
to
her
signalled
anchorage.
Harry
and
his
party
were
kept
busy
responding
to
signals
hoisted
by
the
Port
Signal
Station,
situated
on
the
sandy
headland
that
marked
the
southernmost
edge
of
the
shallow
bay.
Through
the
signal
telescope
Harry
could
see
two
rivers
discharging
into
the
sea
as
they
approached,
one
a
mile
or
so
south
of
the
Signal
Station
and
the
other
further
to
the
north
discharging
into
the
bay
itself.
He
heard
the
Sailing
Master
telling
the
Captain
that
the
rivers
had
substantial
sand
bars
at
their
mouths
and
a
quick
check
with
the
telescope
showed
the
discolouration
of
the
water,
a
distinct
indication
of
lurking
shallows
beneath.

             
"
Signal
from
the
Port,
sir,
"
he
called
out
as
a
string
of
flags
soared
aloft
on
the
signal
mast
ashore.
He
read
it
off
quickly
and
Kit
Tanner
called
out
the
meaning,
signal
book
in
hand.

             
"
Anchor
as
instructed
by
the
Guard
Boat,
sir.
"

             
"
Very
good,
Mister
Tanner.
Acknowledge,
Mister
Heron.
"
The
Captain
was
watching
a
bobbing
cutter,
her
oars
dipping
a
rising
in
near
unison
as
she
made
her
way
toward
a
distant
point
at
which
her
course
and
the
Spartan
'
s
would
intersect.
"
Watch
for
the
signal
to
anchor,
Mister
Bell,
"
he
called
to
the
First
Lieutenant
on
the
fo
'
c
'
s
'
le
and
received
an
acknowledgement.
"
Be
ready,
Mister
Wentworth,
we
are
closing
fast.
"

             
Orders
followed
reducing
sail
until
the
ship
slowed
and
swung
to
wind
as
the
Guard
Boat
signalled.
With
a
great
splash
the
anchor
plunged
into
the
sea.
A
flurry
of
orders
saw
the
sails
rapidly
furled
and
stowed
tightly
in
a
harbour
stow.
The
boats
were
then
hoisted
out
and
soon
the
awnings
were
being
rigged.
In
amongst
all
the
activity
a
boat
came
alongside
and
an
officer
in
the
uniform
of
the
Bombay
Marine
arrived
on
board
bearing
letters
for
the
Captain.

             
"
Lieutenant
Digby,
sir,
of
the
Bombay
Marine,
late
of
HMS
Centurion
,
"
he
introduced
himself,
his
eyes
taking
in
the
holystoned
decks,
the
polished
brass
and
the
ordered
guns
and
their
accoutrements.