Ramage And The Rebels

He did not put it into as many words, of course, but in the convoy action off Diamond Rock, for instance, and cutting out the Jocasta at Santa Cruz, the odds were (on paper) so much against him that no sane man would accept them. But Captain Ramage did and, Re

The captain's steward, Silkin, who was blessed with the ability to move without noise or effort, was just clearing away the breakfast table and the captain seemed in a cheerful mood. This, Re

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The Marine lieutenant gri

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'Soldiers always design the defences of ports as though they'll only ever be attacked from seaward,' Ramage commented sourly. 'English Harbour, Cartagena, Havana, San Juan in Puerto Rico, Fort Royal in Martinique . . .' They should leave it to the Marines, sir.' 'Let them lay bricks, instead of dropping them, eh? Well, what do you suggest?'

The only way we can't be outflanked or taken in the rear, sir, is to forget the Punda side altogether, simply abandon it, and form a line facing west on the Otrabanda side, with the sea on our left, the cha

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'I wasn't thinking of defending Amsterdam, Mr Re

'As you quite rightly point out, Mr Re

'And a hundred and fifty or so of us.'

'Exactly, sir, so - '

'You're not suggesting that rebels and privateersmen are better trained than our seamen and Marines?'

'Well, no, sir.' Re

'And the odds our men usually reckon against the French?'

'Well, sir, three to one . . .'

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Ramage laughed. 'No, but don't press the point. The French are the privateersmen and will be better trained: they are used to using muskets and pistols. Your Dutchmen, the rebels, will have no training and even less discipline: they'll be the "philosophers", waving their arms in the air and talking loudly of freedom and equality while die privateersmen fire off a dozen rounds each.'

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