Ramage And The Rebels

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Seas were breaking over him and the side of his head was crushed in. His left arm felt as if it was seized in a vice. A loud voice was cursing in fluent Italian; then a Cockney began swearing violently. His whole body was suddenly lifted up, rolled sideways and dropped with a thud, and then he was violently sick, bringing up salt water which tore at the back of his throat The spasm was over quickly, but the violent red flickering stayed, the wound in his head numb except for the sharp etching by salt water. Then he realized the red flickering was not in his head; it came from two ships that were less than fifty yards away, and he was now sprawled in a boat whose seamen were rowing away from the flames as though the Devil was chasing them.

'You all right nar, sir?'

He glanced up and recognized the shadowy face of Stafford, whose hair had come loose from the queue and was plastered over his face so that he seemed to be a witch after a ducking.

'I think so. Left arm feels strange. My head, too.' 'Accidente! You is alive then, commandante,' gasped an excited Rossi. 'Any minute those stronzi blow up!' 'Where . . . where is Jackson?' 'Here, sir, at the tiller. And Mr Rennick, too.' Slowly everything stopped spinning and Ramage looked round. The Nuestra Senora was ablaze forward and aft, her masts like trees in a forest fire, but as they had planned, nothing was burning near the mainmast, where the burning fuses should be sputtering their way towards the powder casks. But the blaze started by Rossi's port fires on the schooner's quarterdeck had spread to the Delft, perhaps by sparks. But no - her mizenmast and yards had collapsed across the Nuestra Senora's quarterdeck, probably because the shrouds had burned through, and now the great spar formed a column of flames joining the two ships.

There was the Calypso ahead, all her masts, yards and rigging looking like yellowish - red lacework in the light of the flames, but the hull was solid black and menacing. And beyond her the dancing reflection of the flames just caught the masts of the rest of the privateers and beyond, in the distance. La Creole. And the buildings. The flames lit up every building in Otrabanda. And Punda - there was Government House, the white walls this side showing stark, but the northern side was in harsh shadow with the harbour entrance a gaping black mouth with a fort on each side.

Suddenly there was a blinding double flash, followed immediately by a great rolling and reverberating boom that seemed solid noise. The night was black again as the shock of the explosion caught them, and then men, stunned by what they had seen but realizing that now they were safe, stopped rowing. The boom continued echoing down the channel towards the Schottegat, seeming to leave a terrified silence in its wake.

Then it began to rain: a pattering on the water grew heavier and suddenly Ramage realized what it was: the wreckage of two blown - up ships was beginning to land.

'Duck!' he shouted. 'Crouch down - under the thwarts 1' But his voice came out as a croak and Stafford repeated it, adding his own oaths. Great splashes told of heavy pieces of timber crashing into the water, and amid the noise Ramage heard Stafford say conversationally: That flash left it all bloody dark, didn't it? You're orf course for the Calypso, Jacko."

'All right, all right, it isn't every night we see a frigate blow up.'

'Nar, but I'm soakin' wet and cold, and the capting is shivering like a sick dog.'

'Give way, men!' Jackson called, and the men began rowing again.

'The Dutch survivors,' Ramage croaked. 'Our boats . . ' search for them . . .'

'Mama mia, all is blown to Heaven, sir,' Rossi said, 'or is sitting on the clouds wondering how to make the down.'

'Well send boats as soon as we get to the Calypso, sir,' Jackson called, 'but they'll probably send 'em anyway. We want to get you and Mr Rennick and the rest back on board quickly."

'What's happened to Mr Rennick?'

'Don't rightly know, sir. It's his shoulder, and he's lost a lot of blood.' 'Where's Mr Baker?' 'He - well, sir, a musket ball caught him.' 'Badly wounded?'

'Dead, sir. Him and several men. You and Mr Rennick and a few wounded men were all we could get over the side in time.'

But the effort of concentrating was too much; Ramage tried to fight off the faintness draining him but be had no strength, and the next time he opened his eyes he was lying on the Calypso's deck, Southwick shining a lantern on him as Bowen, the surgeon, ripped the seams of his shirt and trousers and said quietly to the master: 'Nasty cut on the skull but the cranium not damaged: musket or pistol ball still lodged in his left forearm. Get him to his cabin and clean him up: for the moment I've more urgent cases to attend - '

'But it's the captain!' Southwick protested.

"Yes," Bowen said crisply, 'and that's what he'd want'

Ramage seemed to be floating in a dream. Someone was scrubbing him with a harsh towel and he felt wanner, it was dark again and then someone was trying to persuade him to drink some brandy and then gradually - it seemed to take hours, but he found out afterwards it was only thirty minutes - he was wide awake, warm, sitting up in his cot and calling for clothes.

Silkin disappeared and came back with Southwick, who announced in the pompous tones that most people adopt when talking to a sick person: The surgeon says you must stay in bed, sir.

'Get me some clothes, Silkin!' Ramage snapped. 'I've got to get on shore!'

'Sir!' Southwick protested.

'Don't argue! What time is it?'

'Half past four, sir. It'll soon be dawn.'

Ramage swung out of the cot and had to grab at the armchair to steady himself against the dizziness. 'Silkin, get a damp cloth and clean up this mess on my head.'

'It is clean, sir,' Silkin said, 'and that's a dry bandage. Your arm, too, sir: Mr Bowen says it will soon get very painful.'

'Soon!' Ramage exclaimed. 'It hurts like the devil already. Now, help me to get dressed and tell Mr Aitken to have a boat ready and I want him to accompany me on shore. The sergeant and a dozen Marines, too.'

And that reminded him. 'Rennick,' he said to Southwick, 'how is Rennick?'

'Bowen thinks hell be all right. Musket ball in the right shoulder. He lost a lot of blood. So did you, sir.'

Silkin was putting out clothes, and Southwick hustled off to warn Aitken.

'A hot drink before you go, sir?' Silkin said coaxingly.

'It would make me sick. All that salt water I swallowed.'

'A bite to eat, then, sir?'

'Nothing - now, don't jerk my breeches like that, blast you; my head feels as though it's going to fall off.'

It took ten minutes for Ramage to dress, but at the end of it his stock was tied neatly, his sword hung properly, and apart from the broad bandage round his head which forced him to carry his bat under his right arm, and his left arm in a sling and throbbing as though it was going to burst, he felt better than he guessed he looked.

Aitken met him at the gangway. The Marines are in the boat, sir. And Bowen - '

At that moment the surgeon came bustling up. 'Sir, I must forbid this madness. You should be in bed and - '

'How are your other patients, Bowen?'

'As well as can be expected, sir.'

Then you'd better be with them.'

'Yes, sir,' Bowen said contritely. 'I understand.'

Did he? Did Southwick? Aitken certainly did; he was a shrewd fellow. But he was probably the only other man in the ship who realized that blowing up the Delft was not the end of it: there was still van Someren and the potential of the guns of his forts to deal with. Now, with it still dark and the sight of the exploding ship fresh in the Dutchman's mind, was the time to deal with Gottlieb van Someren.

The walk up to the residence with Aitken seemed ten times as long as before, but the marching Marines gave the impression of a whole battalion striding along the cobbled street Aitken directed the sergeant to the big gateway and with a bellow and stamping the Marines halted.

'Wait here,' Ramage told the sergeant The sentry box outside the gate was empty but mere were lights in several of the windows of the residence. When the main door opened to Aitken's banging a startled major domo immediately retreated up the stairs when he saw Ramage.

'Come on,' Ramage said, following him, 'he's going to report to van Someren.'

The former Governor was in his study, sitting at his desk and facing several men who were probably town councillors. Two Army officers sat slightly apart As Ramage walked into the room, followed by Aitken, the major domo was bent over van Someren, obviously trying to whisper to him that the English captain had arrived. The moment he saw Ramage the former Governor leapt up so violently his chair fell over backwards.

'You murderer)' he exclaimed.

'Every one of those men would still be alive had you kept your word,' Ramage said bitterly. 'You wave white flags and surrender when the rebels frighten you, and then you tear up the surrender document the moment you think you are safe. And with the captain of the Delft you planned to imprison the very people who took great risks to save you. You surrendered; then you committed treachery.'

'You - you . . .' van Someren fought to control his temper.

This is a matter of honour: you must choose, swords or pistols. My - '

'You are such a scoundrel,' Ramage said contemptuously, 'that no gentleman would meet you on a field of honour. Anyway, you are under arrest. Your escort is waiting at the gate.'

'But - where are you taking me?'

To Jamaica. This gentleman - ' he indicated Aitken - 'sails at noon in the schooner Creole. You will go with him.'

'And you?'

'I remain with my ship until I receive orders from my admiral. You will go at once. Call the sergeant,' he told Aitken as he felt the dizziness pulling him down.

Van Someren came over to him. 'Are you badly wounded?'

Ramage shook his head and felt as though he had been clubbed. 'No, just a cut or two.'

Aitken was standing beside him. 'Are you all right, sir? Ill get this fellow on board and come back when you've had a bit of a rest'

'Yes, do that,' Ramage said, and managed to stay on his feet until van Someren and Aitken had gone through the door, and then quite slowly the floor came up at a steep angle and hit him in the face.

He woke to find himself in a cool bedroom lying in a large four - poster bed with a portly Dutchman peering at him through enormously thick spectacle lenses and examining his head, while Maria van Someren held his left arm as though any moment it might crumble into a dozen pieces.

The Dutchman caught his eye. 'Ah, you wake. You ask the usual question, "Where am I?" and I answer, "In Government House." I am a doctor.'

Ramage was conscious of a gentle pressure on the palm of his left hand and he looked at Maria. 'You have been unconscious a long time - you see, the sun has risen,' she said. 'Mr Aitken has been up to see you with - Mr Sousewick, is it? He leaves at noon. And one of your lieutenants is waiting, Mr Wagstaffe, and three seamen. He asked if when you recover consciousness they could see you - 1 have their names written - '

'Don't worry,' Ramage said, 'I know who they'll be.'

The Dutch doctor interrupted. 'I must insist you rest now. No more of the talking. I have bandaged the head and this afternoon we remove the musket ball from the arm. You will need all the strength for that'

'Quite,' Ramage said, 'and I am grateful for your treatment, but I have a lot to do.'

'My dear sir, your ship is safely at anchor, and Miss van Someren has told you that the schooner leaves at noon - with her father. There is nothing else to bother you.'

The island all round my ship happens to be my responsibility too, Doctor. If the French arrive and murder you all in your beds, I don't want your ghosts haunting me.'

'But surely there is no risk of that, my dear sir. Why, the island has been surrendered to you. We are now under British protection.'

'Look at me, Doctor,' Ramage said sarcastically. 'I am your British protection. Now, if you have finished, would you send in my men as you go out.'

Maria continued holding his hand to her breast and he was just becoming conscious that she wore no stays when there was a knock at the door and she answered. Wagstaffe looked in, saw Ramage was awake and grinned. 'Good morning, sir. We had no time to get you a posy of flowers, but I bring greetings from the Calypsos. Did you get a message about Jackson and - '

'Bring them in!'

The three seamen trooped in, startled to see Maria, and lined up at the foot of the bed. 'Glad to see you looking a bit better, sir,' Jackson said. 'More colour in your face.'

'I have my own doctor and my own nurse. These men,' he said to Maria, 'disobeyed orders and deserve to be punished.'

Maria looked startled and said, wide - eyed: 'I am sure they meant no harm.'

'Oh no,' Ramage said mildly, 'it was disobedience that saved me from being blown up. Now, Jackson, tell me what happened.'

The American looked embarrassed. 'Well, sir, there's not much to tell. While we had way on we were moving targets and those Dutchmen's muskets did no harm, but the minute we stopped alongside of 'em we were sitting ducks. But funny how it is, I don't think they actually hit anybody until after you gave the order to abandon ship.'

Is right,' Rossi confirmed. 'Is a miracle but no one was hit.' Then as you blew the whistle, I saw Mr Baker hit One shot took off the side of his face, and then he was hit again.' 'How do you know?' Ramage asked out of curiosity. 'Staff was holding him - just making sure there was no hope. Then we saw Mr Rennick was hit He ordered us - Staff and me, that is, 'cos Rosey had already seen you were hit but we hadn't - to leave him be.' 'What happened then?' 'Staff and the Marine sergeant picked him up and dropped him over the side, and the sergeant swam with him towards the boat' 'And then . .. ?' 'Well, sir, Rosey let out a yell and we saw you lying down, sort of hidden by the binnacle, and you was lying on your left side, so all the blood from the wound on the right was running down all over your face.'

'I thought you was gone, sir, but - ' he looked embarrassed - 'well, Rosey and Staff and me picked you up anyway and tossed you over the side and went in after you. We thought the schooner would blow up any minute, and - well, somehow it didn't seem right to leave you dead on a half - breed ship like that' 'A half - breed ship?' Maria murmured, both horrified by the story and puzzled by 'the expression. 'Well, ma'am, she had a Spanish name and a French owner, and they were all murderers. At least the sea made a better resting place for the captain - not that he needed it,' he added hastily.

Maria looked at Ramage. 'When he says "murderers" does he really mean - ' 'Yes,' Ramage said abruptly. 'Now, Jackson, the other wounded seamen?'

They were tossed over the same way. You see, sir, I'm afraid no one took too much notice about your order about leaving the wounded.'

'But I made it quite dear when I called for volunteers. I said that anyone wounded and unable to fend for himself would have to be left behind.'

'Oh yes, sir, and bless you for it but you didn't expect that to stop anyone.'

'No - the whole ship's company volunteered.'

'And you only picked sixteen, not counting the officers and the sergeant That's why die sail handlers stowed away.'

Ramage sighed. He realized that he had watched the last strands of the Nuestra Senora's anchor cable part under the axe blows, and as the ship gathered way he thought he was in command . . . and the men, he had to admit, were kind enough to leave him with that illusion.

He looked over at Wagstaffe. How is Rennick now?'

'Hell be all right, sir. Bowen has removed the ball in one piece and nothing vital is damaged. He's sleeping now.'

'And the rest of the butcher's bill?'

'Apart from Baker, we know six seamen were killed, and two more are missing. We can find no trace of them. Five were wounded - that includes you and Mr Rennick, sir.'

'And Dutch survivors?'

Wagstaffe glanced at Maria, but Ramage nodded.

'None, sir.'

Maria said quietly, 'It was better that way. That dreadful man, the captain, be threatened my father with the guillotine, and he was going to seize you today when you came on shore. He was certain you would try to negotiate. And then tonight, after you had been . . . after you had been shot, they were going to board the Calypso . ..' 'And that was why you gave back the ring and Lausser resigned his commission?'

She nodded, weeping quietly. 'I could not ever marry a man who agreed with his captain doing that, and Major Lausser could not persuade my father . . .'

Ramage looked up at the three seamen and grinned. 'You will tell the ship's company that any further disobedience will be punished.'

'Oh, natcherly, sir,' Stafford said. 'Fact o' the matter is,' he added soberly, 'I 'spect that before next Michaelmas some of 'em will be regretting their disobedience!'

With that the three men left the room and Maria asked: 'What is a mickle mouse?'

'Ill tell you in a moment,' Ramage said. 'Now, Wagstaffe, as the second lieutenant you are in temporary command of the Calypso. I want a dozen Marines in each of the forts until we establish discipline on shore. I am making Major Lausser the acting governor, but all his orders will be countersigned by me. And have a guard boat rowing across the harbour entrance from sunset until sunrise. Can you think of anything else?'

'Bowen was worrying about your medical treatment, sir. That ball still in your arm . . .'

'You can report the evidence of your own eyes,' Ramage said, lie can inspect the ball tomorrow - the doctor removes it this afternoon. In the meantime it hurts, I can tell you that much.'

Two weeks later to the day Ramage climbed down into a boat, wearing a hat for the first time over the large scar on his scalp, and sat back as Jackson gave the orders which sent the boat surging towards the ship of the line which had just anchored a hundred yards to seaward of where the Delft had blown up.

Fifteen minutes after that he was on board the Queen, reporting to Admiral Foxe-Foote, whose first words were a complaint, not a greeting: "I expected to receive a written report, Ramage, and all I get is a verbal report from your first lieutenant'

'I trust you received the instrument of surrender for this island, sir, and the former Governor.'

'Yes, yes,' Foxe-Foote said impatiently. 'Now, what about those privateers. Young Aitken tells me there are only nine left. And I hope the wreckage of this damned Dutch frigate hasn't blocked the harbour. The channel's narrow enough as it is.'

The area has been buoyed, sir.'

'I should think so. An enemy frigate and a schooner lost. Not a penn'orth of prize money; thousands of guineas just sunk. Bad business, Ramage; no forethought, that's your trouble. Oh yes, a convoy came in two days before I sailed, and some young woman was asking about you. She had a foreign name."

Ramage looked blankly at Aitken, who was standing behind the Admiral. The Scotsman winked.

'A name like Volterra, sir?' Ramage asked.

'Yes, that was it. Miss Volterra. You know her?'

'I know a Marchesa di Volterra, sir.'

'Marchesa? Why, is she related to the lady that rules Volterra?'

'Yes, sir. In fact she is the lady.'

'Good heavens I Why - well, had I known, my wife would ..."

'I am sure the Marchesa is quite comfortable, sir,' Ramage said politely, watching the Admiral's face as he realized that this 'Miss Volterra' not only had her own kingdom, but probably had enough influence in London to make or break admirals on distant stations. 'Now, sir, about those nine privateers . . .'