Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (100 page)

             
Harry
studied
the
surf
carefully,
it
did
seem
to
run
from
left
to
right
across
their
path
and
there
did
seem
to
be
open
water
to
Larboard.
The
Starboard
view,
now
half
shrouded
in
darkness,
held
the
suggestion
of
more
broken
water
and
therefore
a
hidden
a
reef.
To
Pieterzoon
he
said,
"
Remain
here,
I
must
go
to
my
station
and
report
what
we
can
see.
"

             
Taking
hold
of
a
stay,
Harry
slid
down
it
hand
over
hand,
then
hurried
aft
and
reported
to
the
First
Lieutenant.
"
Sir,
the
reef
seems
to
lie
in
a
long
crescent
to
our
Starboard
side.
The
sea
appears
clear
to
Larboard
though.
"

             
"
Very
good,
Mister
Heron,
that
is
useful.
"
Captain
Blackwood
had
joined
them.
"
We
won
'
t
be
able
to
bear
up
with
the
wind
in
this
quarter.
"
He
thought
for
a
moment,
then
said,
"
Mister
Wentworth,
Mister
Bell,
bring
her
about
please
–
set
her
on
the
Starboard
tack.
We
will
stand
away
for
an
hour,
and
then
resume
our
present
direction.
Double
the
lookouts
please.
"

             
Ponderously
the
ship
tacked.
By
now
the
surf
was
visible
from
the
quarterdeck
as
the
Spartan
lifted
to
the
swells.
From
the
mizzen
crosstrees,
where
he
had
been
sent
with
a
night
glass,
Harry
was
able
to
make
a
better
estimate
of
the
extent
of
the
reef.
As
he
returned
to
the
deck
to
make
his
report
he
heard
the
leadsman
at
work
in
the
forechains
–
obviously
using
a
deep-sea
leadline
–
singing
out
the
depth.
It
had
been
a
close
call,
he
realised
as
the
depth
fluctuated
at
first
and
then
began
to
fall
away
steeply
until
eventually
the
leadsman
called
"
No
bottom.
No
bottom
with
this
line.
"

             
"
Very
well,
Mister
Bell,
we
will
hold
this
course
until
six
bells,
then
tack
again
to
our
former
course.
Relieve
the
lookouts
every
hour
if
you
please
–
I
have
no
desire
to
have
another
such
close
encounter.
"
The
Captain
retired
to
his
quarters,
leaving
the
deck
to
the
First
as
officer
of
the
watch.
Released
to
have
his
supper
Harry
remembered
Pieterzoon
and
hurried
forward
to
bring
the
boy
down
before
escorting
him
to
supper.

***

             
The
change
of
course
an
hour
later
saw
the
ship
once
more
heading
north
by
north-north-east
and
dawn
found
her
sailing
through
calm
seas
with
the
breeze
steady
and
no
sign
of
further
reefs
to
interrupt
her
passage.
This
would
be
the
pattern
for
the
next
fortnight
though
her
course
now
took
her
steadily
toward
the
west
in
a
series
of
tacks.
At
the
westward
end
of
each
of
these
long
'
legs
'
breakers
would
mark
the
need
to
turn
away
and
steer
clear
of
what
could
easily
become
a
dangerous
lee
shore.
Finally,
a
group
of
coral
ringed
islands
appeared
and
the
Captain
decided
that
the
ship
would
anchor
in
their
lee
while
the
boats
explored
the
safest
route
through
the
narrow
strait
that
lay
between
them
and
the
Indian
Ocean
and
their
destination
of
Colombo.

             
"
Take
the
Barge,
Thomas,
"
Captain
Blackwood
told
the
First.
"
And
seek
a
channel
and
anchorage
for
us
in
the
lee
of
that
island.
"
The
low
lying
island
was
ringed
with
coral
and
the
ship
had
hove
too
just
north
of
it
while
the
boat
was
prepared.

             
"
Aye,
aye,
sir,
"
the
First
Lieutenant
replied.
He
turned
and
hurried
away
to
summon
the
crew
he
would
need,
calling
to
a
Master
'
s
Mate,
"
Send
a
leadsman
to
me.
"

             
The
sea
was
shallow
here
and
the
water
clear.
Shoals
of
fish
could
be
seen
swimming
beneath
the
ship,
darting
from
its
shadow
to
seize
some
prize
and
then
vanishing
again.
For
some
days
now
they
had
had
the
company
of
several
large
sharks,
swimming
effortlessly
in
the
ship
'
s
wake,
something
the
seamen
found
disquieting.
Harry
watched
one
now
as
it
kept
station
on
the
ship
'
s
quarter,
less
than
a
boat
length
from
the
hull,
and
marvelled
at
its
size.
He
pointed
it
out
to
the
Master
'
s
Mate
standing
nearby.
"
I
see
that
shark
or
one
very
like
has
been
keeping
company
Smales.
"