Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (47 page)

             
"
Aye,
"
responded
Kit.
"
At
least
you
understand
his
trigonometry
–
he
may
as
well
be
speaking
Latin
for
me!
"

             
The
others
laughed
at
this.
It
was
common
cause
that
Harry
'
s
understanding
of
the
mathematics
was
far
in
advance
of
their
tutor
'
s,
yet
another
excuse
for
Barclay
and
his
cronies
to
seek
to
make
life
difficult
for
him.
Kit
knew
that
Harry
always
took
care
to
seek
an
explanation
from
the
Sailing
Master
whose
pragmatic
and
practical
approach
reduced
the
puzzles
created
by
the
academic
discourses
of
the
Parson.
For
his
part,
Harry
could
not
understand
why
the
others
didn
'
t
avail
themselves
of
Mister
Wentworth
'
s
willingness
to
share
his
knowledge
in
this
and
other
matters
of
ship
handling
and
seamanship.

             
He
packed
away
his
pad
and
brushes
and
rose
to
deliver
this
latest
picture
to
the
Parson
just
in
time
to
avoid
Midshipman
Barclay
entering
for
his
supper
in
a
foul
mood.

-

             
Three
days
sufficed
to
replenish
water
and
such
stores
as
the
island
could
supply.
The
convoy
weighed
anchor
again
in
the
dawn
of
the
fourth
and
set
course
out
into
the
South
Atlantic.
This
took
them
westward
in
pursuit
of
wind
to
fill
the
sails
as,
being
close
to
the
equator,
there
seemed
precious
little
and
tempers
frayed
in
the
heat.
Finally,
five
days
after
their
departure
from
Ascension,
they
found
a
steady
breeze
and
soon
the
ships
were
studding
southward
on
the
Trade
Wind.
Even
the
slowest
sailer,
the
prison
ship
Chertsey
,
making
a
brave
sight
as
she
strove
to
stay
with
the
others.

             
Mister
Beasley
watched
the
prison
ship
heave
herself
over
a
long
swell,
plunging
her
beakhead
into
the
next
and
throwing
spray
over
her
gangways
and
remarked
to
Harry,
"
Pity
the
wretches
in
her
holds,
she
will
be
uncomfortable
and
wet
below
decks
–
they
will
feel
every
plunge
I
shouldn
'
t
wonder.
"

             
Harry
observed
the
telltale
pulses
of
water
issuing
from
the
other
ship
'
s
scupper
ports
as
she
heeled
to
the
thrust
of
her
sails.
"
They
seem
to
be
pumping
again,
sir.
Perhaps
she
has
started
some
seams?
"

             
The
lieutenant
looked
and
shook
his
head.
"
Unlikely,
look,
she
is
all
but
taking
some
of
that
water
green
over
her
head.
She
'
s
over
canvassed
probably,
look
how
she
'
s
heeling
and
she
'
s
too
stiff
in
the
swell.
She
'
ll
be
a
poor
sailer
in
the
Southern
Ocean.
"

             
He
left
that
remark
unexplained
to
Harry
who,
in
common
with
most
of
the
crew
harboured
visions
of
the
tropics
whenever
the
Southern
Ocean
was
mentioned.

***

             
In
the
second
Dog
Watch
the
Captain
called
a
meeting
of
his
lieutenants.
This
followed
a
brief
encounter
with
an
East
Indiaman
and
an
exchange
of
signals.
"
I
am
informed
that,
though
the
Cape
is
again
in
Dutch
hands,
they
are
very
willing
to
welcome
visitors,
"
Captain
Blackwood
told
his
officers.
"
I
propose
therefore,
to
call
at
Cape
Town
to
replenish
our
water
and
stores
before
we
depart
into
the
Great
Southern
Ocean
en
route
to
New
South
Wales
and
Botany
Bay.
"

             
"
May
I
venture
to
suggest,
sir,
"
the
first
lieutenant
said.
"
That
the
prison
ships
should
be
inspected
before
we
leave
the
Cape
for
the
soundness
of
their
hulls?
I
do
not
like
the
fact
that
two
at
least
are
seemingly
pumping
their
bilges
several
times
a
day.
"

             
"
A
sound
suggestion,
Mister
Bell.
Instruct
the
Carpenter
to
that
effect
and
I
shall
make
it
known
to
the
masters
concerned
that
it
is
my
instruction
that
they
will
permit
this.
"
Captain
Blackwood
frowned.
"
There
are
the
facilities
for
repair
if
we
need
them
at
the
Cape
and
it
is
wise
to
make
sure
the
damage
done
in
our
brush
with
the
corsairs
has
been
properly
attended
too.
"