Ramage And The Rebels

When Ramage asked him if all was going well with La Creole he was thankful he could answer honestly that there were no problems.

'How many men are you mustering?'

'Fifty - one, sir, and ten Marines and a sergeant.'

'And you have ten 6 - pounders?'

'And the two 12 - pounder carronades they fitted at Antigua.'

'She handles well?'

'Like a witch, sir. Clean bottom, coppered - just the vessel for privateering!'

'Which she was doing up to the time we captured her.'

'Was she, sir?' Lacey was surprised. 'I thought she was a French national ship.'

'No, she was a privateer out of Fort Royal, but the French Navy took her over, and a sister ship, the day before they attacked us.'

Lacey would never forget the night those two schooners attacked the frigate in the darkness, trying to board. But - well, although it happened only a few weeks ago, it seemed part of another life: the nervous young lieutenant who had been hard put to keep his head amid all the cracking of muskets and pistols, the yelling and screaming and the clash of cutlasses - yes, and the screams of wounded men: that had surprised him. Now that frightened young lieutenant commanded his own ship, one of the two schooners that made the attack, and he wasn't frightened: at least, not in sailing her. It may be different when I take her into battle, he admitted to himself; but I haven't run away when going into action with Mr Ramage these several times, and maybe I've learned something from him. But keeping a clear head in the middle of a battle and never being frightened - that's what made Mr Ramage unique.

Suddenly Lacey felt cheerful because he thought he could see why he had been called on board the Calypso: the Admiral was sending the frigate on some operation or other and La Creole was to go with her . . . Perhaps Mr Ramage had even asked for him . . .

'You are up to establishment, then?'

'Yes, sir, Admiral Davis was very good at English Harbour: he gave me a full complement of men and Marines, and there's no one on the sick list'

'And your officers?'

'Both lieutenants are excellent, sir. Young but good. The second master is steady enough - could be Southwick's younger brother. And the Marine sergeant is one of the best I wouldn't change a man, sir.'

'You're lucky,' Ramage said soberly, looking back at some of the ships he had commanded. 'A captain's only as good as his ship's company. When you're considering whether or not to weed out a particular man it's worth remembering that One rotten apple, you know. "When in doubt, weed him out!'" Lacey sensed Ramage was waiting for something, and after a few minutes of small talk he heard several people coming down the companionway and the sentry's hoarse call: The officers, sir.' And suddenly they were all in the cabin - Aitken the first lieutenant, Wagstaffe the second, Baker the third, and young Peter Kenton, the small and red - haired youngster who had taken his place as fourth lieutenant, and Southwick, white hair flowing and looking even younger, his skin taut, as though years of salt spray had never given wrinkles a chance to get a grip. And Re

In response to Ramage's wave, the men sat or stood where they wanted. Southwick subsided at his usual place, the single armchair; Re

Kenton was five feet four inches tall, exactly the height under the deck beams. Whereas Aitken's face was pale but slightly ta

Southwick, who had served with Ramage for several years and was old enough to be the father of anyone in the cabin, guessed cheerfully: 'The Gulf of Mexico - patrol off Veracruz to look for the Spanish treasure fleet...' 'Of course,' Ramage said. 'You can have six men and the jolly boat, and start at dusk.' The other officers gri