Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (9 page)

             
"
I
should
think
the
same
as
here.
"
Harry
grinned.
"
And
probably
not
for
the
likes
of
us
anyway.
We
are
sure
to
be
told
we
are
too
young
or
some
such
thing
should
the
chance
to
meet
some
be
offered.
And,
if
we
linger
much
longer
I
shall
be
liable
to
a
spell
in
the
rigging
and
you
no
doubt
for
a
meeting
with
the
Gunner
'
s
Daughter.
"

***

             
For
Harry
and
the
others
the
next
several
days
passed
in
a
whirl
of
activity
as
the
ship
took
in
stores,
water,
shot
and
powder.
Officer
'
s
stores
and
the
Captain
'
s
private
stores
had
to
be
stowed
carefully
in
the
Lazarette
aft
of
the
Orlop
and
slowly
more
and
more
men
arrived
and
found
spaces
for
their
meagre
possessions
and
their
hammocks.
As
one
of
the
youngest
Midshipmen,
Harry
found
that
his
assigned
station
was
with
the
flag
party
on
the
quarterdeck,
or,
on
watch,
with
one
of
the
senior
Midshipmen
as
an
assistant
to
the
Officer
of
the
Watch.
He
liked
the
First
Lieutenant,
an
amiable
and
very
capable
man
named
Thomas
Bell,
and
was
fortunate
in
his
Divisional
Officer,
the
Third
Lieutenant,
Matthew
Beasley.
The
other
Lieutenants
seemed
to
be
a
varied
collection,
ironically
the
oldest
of
the
Lieutenants,
was
the
Fifth,
John
Evans,
a
Bristol
man
who
had
worked
his
way
up
from
the
lower
deck
and
happily
asserted
he
had
no
expectation
of
rising
any
higher.

             
Late
in
the
week
Harry
was
present
when
Lieutenant
Bell
dealt
with
a
sharp
faced
man
who
dragged
a
cowering
and
half
starved
child
aboard.
Asserting
the
child
was
his
nephew
and
as
his
mother
was
recently
dead,
the
man
declared,
" '
E
'
s
no
'
ome,
yer
'
onour.
'
is
mum
on
'
y
jus
'
kep
' '
im
fed
as
it
were.
An
'
there
be
no
room
in
my
'
ouse
fer
'
im.
Me
wife
'
s
sister
she
were
–
and
the
father
be
a
sailor
in
the
Chunnel
Fleet
–
if
'
e
'
s
still
living.
"

             
"
So
you
say.
"
Mister
Bell
'
s
frown
deepened.
"
Is
there
not
a
place
for
him
in
the
Work
House?
"

             
"
T
'
workhouse
'
ll
kill
him,
yer
honour,
"
the
sharpfaced
man
declared.
"
It
'
ud
be
a
cruelty
not
t
'
let
'
m
volunteer
fer
t
'
sea
service.
"

             
"
No
doubt,
"
agreed
Lieutenant
Bell,
his
face
grim
as
he
surveyed
the
man
and
the
obviously
terrified
child.
"
Yet
it
is
a
hard
life
for
a
child
on
a
ship
–
harder
perhaps
than
the
workhouse.
"

             
"
Indeed,
yer
'
onour.
"
The
man
shuffled
his
feet
uncomfortably
under
the
lieutenant
'
s
stare.
He
tried
wheedling.
"
But
t
'
bounty
fer
a
volunteer
wud
'
elp
pay
….
"
The
man
'
s
voice
faltered
under
the
lieutenant
'
s
glare
of
contempt.

             
Harry
pitied
the
terrified
child
and
was
relieved
when
Mister
Bell
spoke
kindly
to
him.

             
Shifting
his
gaze
the
Lieutenant
asked
the
cowering
child,
"
Do
you
wish
to
serve
your
King?
"

             
With
a
frightened
glance
at
his
"
uncle
"
the
boy
nodded
and
muttered
something
inaudible.

             
The
man
cuffed
him
and
snarled,
"
Speak
up
yer
worthless
brat!
Tell
the
Capting
you
'
m
willing
to
serve.
"

             
"
Steady
there,
"
said
the
Lieutenant.
"
There
is
no
call
for
that.
I
heard
well
enough.
Mister
Treliving.
"
He
called
a
Master
'
s
Mate.
"
See
this
man
gets
his
bounty
and
send
him
on
his
way.
"
He
beckoned
to
the
child.
"
Mister
Heron,
take
this
boy
to
your
Messman
and
instruct
him
to
see
that
he
is
properly
clothed
and
given
some
food.
Tell
O
'
Connor
to
see
to
it
that
he
is
taken
to
the
Boatswain,
assigned
a
berth
and
shown
his
duties.
"