Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (39 page)

             
"
Quickly,
get
it
set
in.
Have
we
some
match?
"

             
"
I
'
ll
get
it,
sor,
"
gasped
the
quicker
of
the
pair.
He
dashed
below
to
the
nearest
gun
and
snatched
some
slow
match
from
the
tub,
running
back
with
this
to
where
Harry
waited.

             
Taking
the
match,
Harry
swung
the
swivel
until
it
was
aimed
along
the
hull
towards
the
clambering
enemy.
He
touched
the
glowing
tip
to
the
priming
hole
and,
for
a
heart
stopping
moment,
nothing
happened.
Then
with
a
bang,
the
gun
belched
fire
and
a
hail
of
musket
balls.
Without
waiting
to
see
what
effect
this
had,
Harry
squeaked,
his
voice,
to
his
annoyance,
breaking
in
the
excitement,
"
Reload!
"

***

             
Ferghal
was
in
a
desperate
fight
with
a
skilled
and
agile
corsair
who
seemed
to
be
taking
care
to
press
him,
but
not
injure
him.
The
man
drove
him
steadily
backward
until
he
trapped
him
against
a
rail.
Knocking
Ferghal
'
s
weapon
aside
with
almost
casual
ease
he
struck
out
suddenly
with
a
belaying
pin
in
his
other
hand.
Ferghal
saw
the
blow
coming
and
dodged
sufficiently
to
avoid
the
full
force
of
it.
The
blow
still
opened
a
cut
in
his
scalp
and
caused
him
to
stumble
to
his
knees.
He
looked
up
at
the
grinning
corsair
in
time
to
see
a
figure
rise
behind
the
pirate
and
the
descending
axe.

***

             
The
two
men
with
Harry
obeyed
his
order
and
a
minute
later
he
fired
the
weapon
again,
this
time
seeing
several
corsairs
shattered
by
the
scything
shot.
Again
the
gun
was
reloaded,
just
in
time,
for
the
corsairs
were
suddenly
on
the
gangway,
their
leaders
racing
toward
him,
their
fearsome
swords
raised
to
strike.
He
swung
the
muzzle
to
point
at
the
onrushing
attackers
and
fired
again.
Snatching
up
his
dirk
he
prepared
to
defend
himself.
It
was
not
much
of
a
weapon
against
the
sword
held
by
the
nearest
survivor
of
his
last
shot;
a
fact
proved
as
the
man
cut
down
Palmer
and
lunged
at
Ellis.
Harry
swung
himself
into
the
shrouds
and
struck
through
them
in
desperation
as
the
man
tried
to
cut
at
him
where
he
clung
to
the
ratlines.
Harry
'
s
blade
found
flesh
and
frantically
he
pushed
as
hard
as
he
could,
driving
it
into
the
man
'
s
chest,
fear
lending
strength
to
the
thrust.
He
wrenched
it
free
and
prepared
to
strike
again,
even
as
the
corsair
sagged,
and
then
slowly
toppled
from
the
gangway.
Feeling
sick
and
trembling
with
fright
and
adrenalin,
Harry
now
swung
himself
back
onto
the
gangway
and
ordered
Ellis,
"
Reload
the
swivel.
We
must
clear
the
forecastle.
"

             
Ellis
responded,
his
own
voice
sobbing
with
fright
and
effort
as
he
shouted,
"
Ready
sir
–
give
them
bastards
some
more
for
Josh,
sir.
"

             
Harry
found
the
match
still
in
its
stock
and,
taking
time
to
train
the
muzzle
on
the
now
retreating
corsairs,
applied
it
to
the
touchhole.
The
bang
of
the
gun
was
echoed
from
further
away
by
a
rolling
thunder,
followed
by
screams
and
crashes
from
astern.

             
"
It
'
s
t
'
Spartan
sir,
"
gasped
Ellis.
"
She
'
s
found
the
wind
and
given
them
bastards
a
full
broadside!
"

             
Harry
glanced
aft
and
saw
one
of
the
xebecs
slowly
capsizing.
He
felt
a
shiver
pass
through
him
as
he
realised
that,
but
for
Spartan
'
s
intervention,
the
xebec
must
have
soon
been
in
a
position
to
attack
over
their
stern.
With
a
start
he
noticed
the
remaining
corsairs
were
leaping
and
scrambling
back
to
their
own
ship
as
the
breeze
found
their
own
sails.
They
had
won
–
more
than
that;
he
had
beaten
his
own
fear.
He
called,
"
Quick
Ellis,
back
to
the
guns
–
we
may
have
a
chance
to
speed
them
away
with
our
own
in
a
moment.
"