The Baltic Prize

Chapter 14

Tyger met the day as always with a brisk holystoning of the pristine decks, followed by a stout burgoo breakfast, then turned to for a forenoon watch of exercise at the guns. But this day turned out differently.

A pinnace appeared, heading purposefully for them. A single officer was in the sternsheets and when the boat had hooked on he came in over the bulwarks, punctiliously doffing his hat and reporting to Kydd. ‘Sir Thomas? Lieutenant Cartwright and I’m bid by Admiral Saumarez to desire you to prepare for sea this hour.’

‘My orders?’

‘Ah, these are being readied and will be dispatched to you shortly.’

This was irregular but not unusual for a frigate and, with a quickening of his pulse, Kydd recognised the preliminaries to some swift dash to adventure.

The officer had a pleasant manner and showed no pressing inclination to leave so, finding a quiet corner of the quarterdeck, Kydd asked him casually, ‘You know what’s in the wind, then?’

‘Well, it’s all a bit curious,’ Cartwright drawled. ‘Not to say a puzzler.’

‘What is?’ Kydd said, hiding his impatience.

‘Sir Thomas, you were at Copenhagen for the recent complications?’

‘I was.’

‘When the Danish Navy ceased to exist, everything that swam was carried off to England, leaving nary a thing under sail to the Danes down to their last admiral’s barge.’

‘Yes, I saw it.’

‘Then, sir, I’m desolated to have to tell you that the job was botched.’

‘What the devil do you mean?’

‘You quite overlooked a powerful 74 skulking in Kristiansand harbour in Norway.’

So, would it be a cutting-out expedition against a ship-of-the-line? A bloody affair, if that was the case, but why all the haste?

‘You said a puzzler?’

‘I did, Sir Thomas. A fine ship – Prinds Christian Frederik, commanded by one Carl Jessen, a veteran of the Caribbean against us there. And her premier, this is none other than Peter Willemoes, a hero of theirs at the first Copenhagen, facing Nelson himself.’

‘Damn it, sir, what is this to me?’

‘She’s sailed.’

‘What the devil …?’

‘We’ve intelligence from the Swedes that she’s been sighted leaving harbour and heading south with all speed.’

‘This way?’

‘Safely to seaward around our fleet. And directly towards the Sound.’

‘Then why haven’t our own sail-o’-the-line put to sea after the rascal?’

‘General Moore is in some sort of a tizz with the Swedes and won’t disembark his troops. Admiral Saumarez declares he can’t spare any of his ships of size until the expedition is established ashore, so …’

‘Are you telling me that a single frigate is being ordered to-’

‘No, Sir Thomas.’ The lieutenant straightened, realising that Kydd was not to be baited further. ‘There are two 64s joining as reinforcement, Stately and Nassau. They’re being dispatched south after them. You’re to accompany, flag in Stately, Captain Parker.’

‘And this is your puzzler?’

‘No, sir. I’m rather thinking it passing strange that the Danes are risking their only precious battleship to do what seems only to be a descent on our trade shipping into the Baltic.’

‘Rather than tying up the fleet in watching it. Yes, an odd thing, I’ll grant. Well, Lieutenant, you’ll be wanting to get back?’

It was all around the ship in a trice.

In the midshipmen’s berth a wide-eyed Rowan heard Teague give voice to his fears. ‘Neb, what’s it like? I mean, when you sights the enemy and-’

Gilpin leaned back and regarded them disdainfully. ‘Listen close, Tilly – and you, Kit. I’m older, I’ve smelt powder so I knows the griff. Like when we chased a whole convoy with only a pawky sloop lying off, rare do’s that.’ He rubbed his chin in reminiscence. ‘It’s when you sees ’em lifting over the horizon, guns run out an’ all, and coming at you like a dog after a rat that you knows in your gut it might not turn out well.’

‘What do you do then, Neb?’ Teague whispered.

‘Why, there’s only one thing you can do.’

‘What’s that?’

Gilpin snapped forward with a harsh glare. ‘Your duty! Stand afore the enemy, take the worst they can do – and ask for more!’

White-faced, Rowan ventured, ‘Then you’re not … scared, as who should say?’

‘Scared?’ he said scornfully. ‘What word’s that, then?’ Gilpin continued, ‘And when you sees Tom Cutlass on the quarterdeck, cool as you please, you worry more you’ll fail him as anything the Frogs can do. When you’ve been in battle as much as me, you’ll understand.’

Rowan heard the words with unease. Gilpin was much older and must have sailed with Tyger into countless battles. Would he himself be able to stand up in the face of an evil enemy like that? He hadn’t even heard a gun go off, let alone been in any fighting. What if the enemy came right up and made to board them? ‘Repel boarders!’ He’d seen it at the theatre but in real life … With his little dirk against a towering French officer who’d singled him out and …

He gulped and tried to smother the hot images.