Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (93 page)

             
This
raised
a
laugh
from
the
crew
and
the
banter
continued
until
Harry
was
roused
from
his
sketching
and
notes
by
the
coxswain
who
said,
"
Lieutenant
Rae
'
s
boat
is
shipping
her
bow
oars
sir.
"

             
Harry
looked
up
and
saw
the
Lieutenant
'
s
barge
had
indeed
shipped
her
four
forward
oars.
"
Someone
else
seems
to
be
in
a
hurry,
Smales,
"
he
said
with
a
laugh.
"
Let
us
do
the
same
if
you
please,
clear
away
the
oars
and
let
us
get
to
work.
Relieve
the
rowers
every
half
hour
if
you
will.
"

             
"
Aye,
aye,
sir.
"
The
big
man
'
s
face
broke
into
a
broad
grin,
"
Right
you
lazy
buggers.
Get
them
bow
oars
shipped
and
start
us
homeward!
"

***

             
Noon
found
them
still
making
steady
progress
under
sail
and
four
oars.
Harry
giving
orders
for
water
to
be
issued
and
food
distributed
at
midday.

             
He
studied
the
southern
horizon
carefully.
The
sky
had
a
harsh
colour,
with
an
iron
grey
line
along
the
horizon.
The
air
tasted
as
if
it
had
been
baked
in
a
furnace
as
the
breeze
puffed
fitfully.
It
was
well
that
he
had
ordered
the
men
to
eat
when
he
did,
for,
barely
an
hour
later
the
wind
backed
suddenly
to
the
South-South-West
and
rose
rapidly
to
a
near
gale.
Initially
this
forced
the
boats
to
alter
course
away
from
the
land
and
out
into
the
ocean.
But,
as
the
wind
continued
to
rise
the
Lieutenant
signalled
a
change
of
course.
Under
reduced
canvas
the
little
flotilla
struggled
back
towards
the
coast
in
the
hope
of
finding
shelter
behind
a
headland
or
perhaps
an
inlet
they
could
use.
The
sea,
once
calm
and
easy,
was
now
a
maelstrom
of
broken
crests
and
flung
spume
driven
by
the
shrieking
wind
which
brought
with
it
a
biting
cold
and
rain.
Very
soon
the
three
boats
were
each
sailing
alone,
struggling
to
stay
afloat
and
to
survive
the
fury
of
the
storm.
Less
than
two
hours
after
it
began
Harry
'
s
launch
was
alone
on
the
storm
driven
seas,
the
big
gaff
mainsail
already
reefed
to
its
maximum
and
the
foresail
reduced
to
a
minimum.
Breaking
crests
threatened
them
from
all
sides
as
they
struggled
under
mere
scraps
of
canvas
to
keep
the
boat
under
control.

             
The
rain,
driven
by
the
gale,
slashed
at
Harry
'
s
face
and
penetrated
his
borrowed
tarpaulin
jacket.
The
precious
rough
charts
and
sketches
had
long
since
been
stowed
carefully
in
a
leather
satchel
and
then
inserted
into
a
small
cask
specially
emptied
to
take
them
safely.
The
cutter
plunged
deep
into
the
trough,
and
spray
mingled
with
the
rain
to
drive
inboard.
Above
the
groan
of
the
rigging
and
the
clatter
as
some
loose
blocks
made
sharp
contact
with
the
almost
bare
gaff
he
could
hear
the
Master
'
s
Mate
urging
the
men
to
greater
efforts
in
bailing.
He
looked
down
and
saw
that
the
water
had
risen
above
the
gratings
at
his
feet.
'
Damn
'
,
he
thought,
'
we
'
ll
have
to
get
rid
of
that.
'
As
the
cutter
heeled
to
another
powerful
gust,
the
water
surged,
carrying
with
it
several
loose
items
of
gear
and
Harry
yelled,
"
Smales!
We
shall
have
to
reduce
canvas.
Get
the
mainsail
down
and
rig
a
storm
sail.
And
more
hands
to
bail
as
soon
as
that
'
s
done.
"

             
"
Aye,
aye,
sir.
"
The
big
Master
'
s
Mate
bawled
at
several
of
the
men
crouched
around
him
and
pushed,
pulled
and
bullied
them
into
position
to
lower
the
sail.
"
Easy
now
my
bullies.
We
'
ll
want
to
keep
it
so
make
sure
you
keep
a
hold
of
it.
"

             
From
the
tiller
Harry
watched
as
the
men
began
to
caste
off
the
halyard
in
preparation
and,
using
a
trick
the
Spartan
'
s
Sailing
Master
had
shown
him,
eased
the
bows
into
the
wind.
With
the
easing
of
the
pressure
in
the
sail
he
held
her
at
an
angle
that
allowed
him
to
just
maintain
steerageway
on
the
boat.
They
crested
another
great
roller
as
the
sail
descended
into
the
boat
and
Smales
and
the
men
flung
themselves
onto
it,
wrestling
the
cloth
into
submission
while
Harry
eased
the
tiller
and
with
just
the
small
foresail
still
set,
tried
to
keep
the
open
cutter
on
a
heading
that
allowed
her
to
ride
the
breaking
crests
without
shipping
any
more
water
than
could
be
avoided.
The
motion
of
the
boat
seemed
a
little
easier,
but
was
still
violent
and
the
surging
water
in
the
bilges
certainly
didn
'
t
help.