Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (34 page)

             
"
Begging
your
pardon,
Mister
Heron.
"
The
Master
'
s
Mate
acknowledged
Harry
'
s
rank.
"
But
we
be
needin
'
some
more
hands
to
get
these
guns
turned
and
ready
should
them
pirates
come
our
way
–
if
you
agree
sir.
"

             
"
As
you
say,
Mister
Bates,
"
Harry
acknowledged.
"
Press
a
few
of
the
ship
'
s
own
people,
they
need
not
stand
idle
while
we
work,
"
he
said,
still
angry
at
the
evident
callousness
of
the
Maid
of
Selsey
'
s
master.
A
further
thought
struck
him
and
he
asked,
"
How
will
we
check
their
loading?
I
rather
fancy
they
will
be
loaded
with
grape
and
not
shot.
"

             
The
Master
'
s
Mate
nodded.
"
You
'
re
right,
sir.
I
'
ll
see
to
it
–
this
shower
of
loafers
will
have
filled
the
guns
with
grape
–
and
under
charged
them
too
I
'
m
thinking.
"
He
called
one
of
the
men
to
him,
"
Perks,
see
if
you
can
draw
the
charge
from
that
gun.
Take
care
now,
I
doubt
the
buggers
will
have
done
it
proper.
Make
sure
they
have
a
full
charge
of
powder
and
shot,
not
grape,
and
not
a
half
or
quarter
charge
as
would
be
right
for
this
use.
"
He
walked
across
to
where
a
few
of
the
ship
'
s
own
crew
were
clustered
idly
watching
the
Spartan
'
s
and
returned
shortly
driving
them
ahead
of
him.

             
Harry
watched
in
fascination
as
Perks
used
the
wadhook
to
explore
the
charge.

             
Perks
grinned,
"
We
'
m
in
luck,
sor,
"
he
said
as
he
began
to
haul
the
hook
out
again.
"
They
'
s
loaded
wi
'
grape
and
it
weren
'
t
rammed
home
proper.
"
He
shot
a
look
of
contempt
at
the
prison
ship
'
s
crew
as
they
worked
sulkily,
and
said
loudly,
"
Wouldn
'
t
have
been
much
bloody
use
if
they
'
d
tried
to
use
them
agin
the
prisoners
–
probably
wouldn
'
t
have
fired.
"

             
As
he
said
this,
the
corkscrew
like
hook
appeared
with
the
wrappings
of
the
grape
shot
snagged
in
its
point.
"
Now
fur
the
charge,
"
Perks
muttered,
inserting
the
hook
again.
A
few
minutes
later
he
extracted
the
wad
and
the
canvas
containing
the
powder.
He
looked
at
it
in
disgust,
"
Less
'
n
half
a
charge
in
there
–
and
bleedin
'
poor
powder
it
is
too.
Be
lucky
if
'
n
it
fires
at
all!
"

             
The
crew
busied
themselves
with
the
task
of
reloading
the
gun
and
getting
it
into
a
position
from
which
it
could
be
used
to
fire
on
any
attacker.
New
cartridges
for
the
guns
were
brought
up
eventually,
the
delay
apparently
due
to
a
disagreement
between
the
ship
'
s
officers
and
the
Lieutenant.
With
the
new
charges
they
were
reloaded
with
a
full
charge
and
shot.
Harry
reflected
that,
provided
the
guns
could
be
brought
to
bear,
the
corsairs
would
not
go
unchallenged
in
closing
them
now.

-

             
On
the
forecastle,
Ferghal
threw
himself
into
the
task
of
preparing
the
small
bowchasers
for
use
against
a
possible
approach
from
ahead.

             
"
Bleeding
pop
guns,
"
grumbled
the
leading
hand
in
charge
of
preparing
them.
"
Them
bleeding
pirates
will
have
to
stand
in
front
of
'
em
afore
they
does
any
damage.
"
He
looked
at
Ferghal
and
said,
"
Ere
youngster,
fetch
up
a
couple
of
cartridges
for
'
em.
Get
some
o
'
them
layabouts
t
'
show
yez
where
they
'
ide
'
em
and
bring
'
em
'
ere.
"

             
"
Aye,
aye,
"
Ferghal
responded
and
ran
to
where
one
of
the
ship
'
s
officers
stood
glowering
at
Lieutenant
Rogers
'
back.
"
Please,
sir,
we
need
some
powder
cartridges
for
the
guns,
sir.
"

             
"
What
for?
"
the
man
growled.
"
They
have
charges
in
them.
A
great
fuss
for
nought
–
those
corsairs
won
'
t
come
near
us!
"