Part 42 (2/2)
Ahead, the proud bow of the Rainbowe loomed above them in the dark, lanterns dangling from its masts. Seamen in the longboat tossed a grapple over the bulwark of the mother s.h.i.+p and then a rope ladder was dropped. Jeremy felt his hands being untied. Next he was urged up the ladder, shoved onto the deck, and immediately surrounded by jeering seamen, s.h.i.+rtless and wearing black stocking caps.
”This is the one, sir.” Powlett was standing over him pointing. Next to him stood Admiral Edmond Calvert.
”I certainly can see he's a man of breeding, just as you said.” Calvert studied Jeremy's ornate doublet in the flickering lantern light.
”Aye.” Powlett's voice suddenly rose. ”'Twould seem he's the brother of Sir Anthony Walrond. I say we strip him and put him to work carrying slops out of the gun deck, as an example to all royalists.”
”Not for a minute, sir. Not so long as I'm in command of this fleet.”
Calvert seemed to bellow at Powlett, almost too loudly.
A seaman was roughly yanking Jeremy to his feet, and Calvert turned on him. ”You, there. Release that young gentleman, unless you'd like a timely taste of the cat on your back.” He then approached and bowed ceremoniously. ”Admiral Edmond Calvert, sir, your most obedient servant.”
Jeremy stared in confusion and disbelief as the admiral continued, ”Walrond, is it not?”
”Jeremy Walrond, and . . .”
”I'm honored.” He turned and signaled to his quartermaster. ”Have brandy sent to my cabin. Perhaps Master Jeremy Walrond would care to share a cup with us.”
The seamen parted, doffing their caps to the admiral as he escorted Jeremy up the companionway toward the Great Cabin. ”I can scarcely tell you, Master Walrond, how grateful I am to have the privilege of speaking face to face with a man of breeding from this island.” He reached to steady Jeremy as he lost his footing in a roll of the s.h.i.+p.
Then he smiled and gestured him ahead, down the lantern-lit walkway toward the stern. ”First thing, we'll try and locate some dry breeches for you and a brandy to drive off the chill.” He was still smiling as he shoved open a heavy wooden door. The Great Cabin was empty save for Colonel Richard Morris, now seated at the center table and rubbing the dirt off Jeremy's flintlock musket. Morris laid it carefully across the table in front of him when he saw them enter. Calvert smiled toward him, then continued, ”I understand, Master Walrond, you've already made the acquaintance of our infantry commander.”
Morris rose and nodded as Calvert gestured Jeremy toward an ornately carved oak chair. ”After we've all made ourselves comfortable, Master Walrond, I hope you and I and Captain Morris here can become better acquainted. We've got much to talk over tonight.” He flashed a quick look at Morris as he smiled. ”Mind you, strictly as gentlemen.”
Chapter Twelve
Katherine was relieved when she finally spotted him standing among the gunners, his face and leather jerkin covered in a dark veneer of grime.
If anyone would know the truth behind the rumor spreading over the island, that Jeremy Walrond had been killed, surely Hugh would. She watched for a time, collecting her composure after the ride up from Bridgetown, then tied her mare to the trunk of a bullet-scarred palm and began working her way down the sandy slope toward the breastwork.
The mid-afternoon sun seared the Jamestown emplacement with the full heat of the day, and most of the gunners and militiamen were now s.h.i.+rtless and complaining about the need for rest. As she neared the stone steps leading up to the guns, the air rang with the sounds of hammering, iron against iron, and she realized Winston and the men were still working to extract the spikes from the touch holes of the large English culverin.
He looked out to study the three English wars.h.i.+ps offsh.o.r.e, barely visible through the smoke that mantled the bay, then turned to Thomas Canninge, his master gunner. ”I think we've still got range, Tom. Try another round as soon as you're set and see if you can't hole them one last time.”
Canninge and his gunners were struggling to set one of the
Dutch demi-culverin, hammering a wooden wedge out from under the breech in order to elevate the muzzle. ”Aye, looks like they've started coming about, but I think we might still give the wh.o.r.esons one more taste.”
All the large cannon in the breastwork had been disabled by the invading Roundheads; their infantry had overrun the guns long enough to drive a large iron nail deep into each gun's touch hole, the small opening in the breech through which the powder was ignited. The facility would have been defenseless had not six of the Dutch demi- culverin been hauled out of the fort and hidden in a palm grove up the hill just prior to the attack.
As soon as the invasion was repelled and the breastwork cleared, Winston had summoned teams of horses to bring the small Dutch cannon back. His gunners had opened fire on the fleet at the first light of dawn, catching the three English frigates which were still anch.o.r.ed within range and preparing for a long, leisurely sh.e.l.ling of the Jamestown settlement. An artillery duel commenced as the wars.h.i.+ps immediately returned the fire, but when Winston's gunners honed their targeting, they had prudently hoisted anchor and retired to the edge of range. Now, while the militiamen worked with hammers and drills to finish removing the spikes from the large culverin, the battle had become mostly noise and smoke.
”Katy, G.o.d's life!” He finally noticed her as she emerged at the top of the steps. His startled look quickly melted into a smile. ”This is a surprise.”
”Hugh, I came to find out . . .”
”Everything's fine. We've got two of the spiked guns almost cleared, and if we can keep fire cover with these Dutch demi's, we should have all of them back in operation by nightfall.” He walked over to where she stood. ”So move on back out of range. It'll not be much longer. I think they've decided to give up on the sh.e.l.ling. Tom's already holed the _Rainbowe _twice with these little nine-pounders. Probably didn't do much harm, but at least the Roundheads know we're here.”
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