Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (23 page)

-

             
As
if
Cape
Tourino
was
some
sort
of
line
in
the
sea,
the
small
convoy
now
found
itself
making
slow
progress
southward
in
milder
air
and
under
easy
canvas.
The
stormy
weather
north
of
the
Biscay
area
seemed
to
have
given
way
completely
to
lighter
winds
and
warmer
air.
Harry
found
a
way
to
escape
the
constant
aggression
of
Eamon
Barclay.
He
took
to
spending
at
least
some
of
his
off
watch
periods
in
the
Dog
Watches
in
the
Foretop.
From
which
position
he
had
a
wonderful
vantage
point
to
study
the
sea,
sometimes
distant
glimpses
of
the
coast
and
to
contemplate
the
stars
spattering
the
heavens.
He
also
took
his
sketchpad
with
him
and
spent
time
sketching
the
men
as
they
worked;
the
rigging
and,
occasionally,
the
scattered
ships
they
escorted.

             
"
You
'
m
quite
the
artist,
sor,
"
a
seaman
engaged
in
splicing
a
new
eye
into
a
rope
end
remarked
as
Harry
put
the
finishing
touches
to
his
sketch
of
one
of
the
swivel
guns
mounted
in
the
fighting
top.
In
his
sketch
he
included
the
pair
of
Bullocks
who
would
normally
serve
the
gun
in
an
engagement
and
the
result
was
a
very
accurate
record
of
how
the
gun
and
its
crew
would
appear
in
such
a
battle.

             
"
Thank
you,
Yates.
It
makes
a
record
for
my
family
of
how
we
go
on.
"
He
smiled.
"
Though
I
fear
my
mother
will
worry
at
the
thought
of
our
being
in
danger
of
attack.
"

             
"
Aye,
sor,
"
Yates
grinned
a
broken
toothed
response.
"
Though
the
Froggies
and
the
Dons
ain
'
t
like
to
stir
it
fer
a
bit
an
'
not
where
we
'
m
bound.
"

             
The
strains
of
a
fiddle
drifted
up
to
the
top
and
Yates
glanced
down.
"
Sounds
as
if
yon
lad
Fergie
'
as
'
is
fiddle
out.
Lad
plays
a
fine
tune
'
e
does.
"

             
"
So
he
does,
"
smiled
Harry.
"
I
could
wish
I
had
his
talent
for
the
music.
"
This
was
a
genuine
wish
on
Harry
'
s
part.
Music
was
his
way
of
calming
down
when
his
temper
was
pushed
almost
to
break
point;
it
was
a
joke
among
his
family
that
Harry
'
s
temper
was
the
most
dangerous
in
a
family
of
strong
tempers
and
it
was
one
thing
he
often
struggled
to
control.
His
rigid
control
of
himself
often
made
him
appear
aloof
and
sometimes
so
'
controlled
'
he
was
considered
too
much
the
perfectionist.

             
" '
e
tells
us
'
n
'
e
be
frum
t
'
same
place
as
'
ee,
sor,
an
'
ye
wuz
nippers
together.
"
Yates
risked
being
over
familiar
he
knew,
but
Harry
was
somehow
different
from
most
of
the
other
Midshipmen,
a
'
real
gent
'
as
many
on
the
lower
deck
put
it,
young,
but
sharp
and
quick
witted.

             
Harry
glanced
at
him
sharply,
but
recognised
only
an
honest
interest.
"
So
we
are.
Ferghal
has
been
my
friend
these
many
years,
though
why
is
beyond
me.
"
Harry
laughed.
"
I
think
I
have
been
responsible
for
almost
every
scrape
he
has
been
a
party
to
–
not
least
our
present
place
in
this
ship.
"

             
Yates
studied
the
young
midshipman
in
a
sidelong
glance
for
a
few
minutes,
then
chuckled.
"
Aye,
sor,
so
'
e
tell
'
d
us.
"
He
finished
his
splice,
whipping
the
tails
neatly
and
then
binding
the
whole
tightly
in
twine.
He
looked
up
to
see
Harry
'
s
pencil
busy
recording
the
work,
little
annotations
marking
each
part
of
it.

             
Harry
caught
the
surprised
glance.
He
grinned,
"
One
never
knows
when
such
knowledge
may
be
useful.
"
He
indicated
the
sketch,
"
I
shall
include
this
in
my
Journal
–
who
knows?
Perhaps
even
an
Admiral
may
need
to
study
it
someday
so
he
may
replicate
it.
"