Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (138 page)

             
Two
years,
near
enough,
at
sea
had
seen
all
the
younger
midshipmen
and
many
of
the
ship
'
s
boys,
grow
considerably
and
many
now
had
few
clothes
not
stained
by
constant
wear,
or
so
outgrown
that
they
were
no
longer
usable.
The
tailor
'
s
visit
was
therefore
profitable
in
many
ways.

             
"
I
look
forward
to
having
something
that
fits,
is
not
patched
and
darned,
or
chaffs
in
unfortunate
ways
and
places,
"
said
Kit
as
he
and
Harry
took
the
cool
night
air
on
deck
beneath
the
awnings.

             
"
I
too,
"
said
Harry
staring
at
the
shore.
"
Do
you
not
marvel
at
the
strangeness
of
this
place,
Kit?
Every
condition
of
man
cheek
by
jowl,
and
their
religious
men
so
different
from
our
own.
"
Lightning
played
in
the
distance
in
a
fantastic
display,
lighting
the
clouds
above
the
city
from
within
and
the
distant
thunder
reached
them
even
as
heavy
drops
of
rain
began
again
to
fall
on
the
awning
overhead.

             
Kit
laughed.
"
You
and
your
pondering.
But
you
are
right,
old
fellow,
we
have
made
a
fabulous
voyage
of
discovery
even
if
others
have
trodden
these
paths
before
us.
Now
that
the
war
is
resumed,
I
wonder
more
what
fate
awaits
us
on
our
return
home.
"

             
"
Aye,
that
troubles
me
as
well,
"
Harry
replied.
"
Our
encounter
with
the
deviousness
of
the
French
and
their
allies
in
Muscat
suggests
it
will
not
be
an
easy
path
from
here.
"
He
grinned,
"
At
least
we
may
hope
to
make
lieutenant
before
it
is
settled
again.
"

***

             
Early
the
following
morning,
the
Reverend
Mister
Bentley
'
s
expedition
was
rowed
ashore.
The
group
comprised
Kit,
Harry,
Eamon
Barclay,
Dick
Peterson
and
Tom
Bowles.
Lieutenant
Rae
was
nominally
in
charge
of
the
party
which
made
Harry
easier
about
having
to
keep
Barclay
'
s
company
in
so
small
a
group.
They
were
first
conveyed
by
rickshaw
to
a
Company
compound
on
the
outskirts
of
the
city.
Here
they
were
introduced
to
the
elephants
that
were
to
be
their
transport
for
the
next
part
of
the
journey,
some
twenty-four
miles
by
the
route
they
would
travel.

             
Mounting
the
beasts
proved
interesting
as
the
elephants
were
first
encouraged
to
kneel
next
to
a
mounting
block
from
which
the
travellers
could
step
across
into
the
Howdah
strapped
to
the
elephant
'
s
back.
Taking
his
seat,
Harry
was
grateful
that
Barclay
and
Peterson
had
been
ordered
to
mount
the
lead
elephant
with
Lieutenant
Rae.
He
liked
the
lieutenant,
but
preferred
to
have
the
company
of
Tom,
Kit
and
the
Parson.

             
"
Have
you
travelled
in
this
manner
before,
sir?
"
he
asked.

             
"
Yes,
"
came
the
reply.
"
My
father
made
his
fortune
here
and
I
was
born
in
Madras,
returning
to
England
for
my
schooling
and
then
Cambridge,
"
said
Mister
Bentley,
causing
Harry
to
marvel
that
he
had
travelled
half
way
round
the
world
with
this
clergyman
and
not
known
this
simple
fact.
"
It
is
not
unlike
the
motion
of
the
ship
once
the
beast
begins
to
walk,
"
he
told
them
as
the
Mahout
mounted
the
animal
'
s
neck
just
behind
the
head
and
with
a
wide
smile
in
their
direction
began
to
coax
the
elephant
to
its
feet.

             
The
swaying
was
a
little
violent
as
the
animal
lurched
to
a
standing
position,
forcing
the
occupants
of
the
Howdah
to
cling
to
the
sides
as
it
did
so.
Then
they
were
up
and
the
great
beast
set
off
at
a
slow
pace,
its
rolling
gait
not
unpleasant
as
it
followed
the
leading
elephant
through
the
gate
and
onto
the
road.
They
had
not
gone
far
when
the
first
of
many
rain
showers
swept
over
them
and
set
the
pattern
for
the
journey.

             
"
I
fear
our
expedition
will
be
a
wet
one,
"
said
the
Parson,
"
But
it
is
no
great
thing,
in
this
warmth
one
is
soon
dry
enough
and
it
is
a
relief
from
the
heat.
"