Читать книгу King's Ransom - William Speir - Страница 14

“Captain Henry Hastings reporting as requested, sir,” Harry said, using his proper given name.

“Come in, Captain, and sit down,” Shovell said to the young officer standing in the doorway of his cabin onboard the squadron’s flagship.

“Thank you, sir,” Harry said as he placed his hat on the side table and sat down. Even though Harry was in the presence of a much senior officer, the customs of the English Navy led to generally polite interactions between officers unless the situation demanded something different.

Shovell handed a piece of paper to Harry. Harry took it and read it.

Admiralty Orders1 April 1700To: Captain Henry Hastings HMS Peregrine Galley You are ordered to take immediate command of the HMS Peregrine Galley and carry out the orders of your Commanding Officer to the best of your ability using any and all means at your disposal to do so. You will not discuss your orders with anyone apart from your crew and the others specifically designated as having knowledge of your orders and of your mission.

“What do you think?” Shovell asked when Harry looked up from reading the paper.

“Vague, sir. I’m to be given a new ship?”

“Yes, a new kind of ship known as a Runner Class Frigate. She’s the first one ever built. She’s fast, maneuverable, and carries twenty 9-pounder and two 6-pounder guns. She’s being assigned a hand-picked crew of 161 plus 26 Marines.”

“A 6th Rate, sir? Am I being demoted?” English Navy officers were conscious of the rating of their ships, and being removed from a 34-gun ship to serve on a 22-gun ship wasn’t considered a good sign for a captain’s naval career.

“Not at all, Captain. You’re one of the best captains in the squadron; nothing about that has changed. No, you’re being selected for a specific mission, and we think this ship’s the best one for the job.”

“What mission, sir?” Harry asked. In spite of being given command of a smaller ship than he was accustomed to, a specific mission meant the opportunity to gain the attention of the Admiralty and advance his career.

Shovell held up his hand and walked over to the window. After a minute, he turned and smiled. “Everything will be explained shortly. We need to wait for one more person to join us.”

Three minutes later, there was a knock on the cabin door, and Rear-Admiral Leicester entered Admiral Shovell’s cabin. Harry quickly rose to his feet, but Leicester motioned for him to sit back down.

“Is it done?” Shovell asked.

“She just sailed. She’ll be a bit crowded for the crossing, but the trip home will be more comfortable.”

“Good. I just started telling Captain Hastings here about his mission, but I wanted you here before we went over on the details.”

Harry hid his confusion. Clearly, this secret mission was important, and he was excited and honored that it was being entrusted to him. He sat quietly and waited, knowing that Shovell and Leicester would fill him in when they were ready.

“Captain Hastings,” Shovell said as he and Leicester sat down, “as I said before, you’ve been chosen for a specific mission. It will take you far from home for a long time. You’ll be cut off from the Admiralty to a great extent and forced to handle things using your own initiative. Given the nature of the mission and the demands it will place on you and your men, the crew has been specifically selected to complete the mission with as great a chance of success as we can arrange. You must never discuss your orders with anyone outside this room – with the exception of your crew and the individuals who just sailed a short while ago. They’re part of the mission as well, and they’re also under your direct command. In total, almost 350 men will be reporting to you, both on sea and on land.”

“Land, sir?” Harry asked, surprised.

“Yes, land. You’re going to need a base of operations to supply, refit, and replace what you need, including crewmembers. No port will be a friendly port where you’re going, so you’re going to have to build your own.”

“No friendly ports? Where am I going?”

Leicester pointed to a map on the wall. “The Americas.”

“But, sir, we have a number of colonies in the Americas. Why wouldn’t they be considered friendly ports?”

“Let us fill you in on the entire plan, and then you can ask all the questions you want,” Shovell said.

Harry nodded silently, and Shovell continued.

“Captain Hastings, we’re on the verge of another war with France. Even though a new treaty has been signed to avert war, His Majesty doesn’t believe it will work. France has its sights set on the Spanish colonies in the Americas. With their wealth, Louis could wage war for years – possibly even achieving victory this time. And we don’t want the ‘Old Pretender’ King James or his Catholic son returned to the throne – French puppet or not.”

“Our concern is the Spanish treasure fleets,” Leicester interjected. “It’s bad enough that Charles is amassing all that wealth from his colonies, but if the French get their hands on it, it could be real trouble for England. We need to seriously disrupt the flow of treasure from the Americas to Spain and France.”

“This is where things get complicated,” Shovell continued. “We need to capture or sink as many treasure ships as possible, as well as their escort ships. We’re sending you and your crew over there to do just that.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, sir, but isn’t that what we have privateers doing already?”

“Yes it is,” Shovell replied. “But they can only do so much. They’re only equipped to raid on smaller merchant ships – not the large treasure ships or their military escort ships.”

“But if I attack a French or Spanish Navy escort, sir, won’t I be committing an act of war? We’re not at war yet, are we?”

“No, we’re not at war yet, but it’s coming. Maybe not this year, maybe not next year, but soon. And yes, if a warship sailing under the English flag attacks a warship flying the French or Spanish flag, it will be committing an act of war. That’s why the French and Spanish cannot know you’re an English Navy frigate.”

“How do I prevent that, sir?”

“You won’t be sailing under the English ensign or jack, Captain. You’ll be sailing under the black flag.”

“Pirates?” Harry said, rising to his feet. “You’re ordering me to engage in piracy?”

“Sit down, Captain Hastings, and let us finish telling you the plan,” Leicester said calmly.

Harry’s mind was racing as he sat down. The English Navy did not engage in piracy and did not attack the ships of other nations except during times of war. Harry couldn’t believe what he had just been told, and he fought to keep his face from betraying the outrage he felt at his orders.

His two superiors smiled at him. “Confidentially, we had the exact same reaction when we heard the plan, Captain,” Shovell said. “But in the end we agreed there was no choice. We need time to prepare for the next war. We need the treasure diverted to England to help us pay for our preparations. We need to delay the start of the war by denying the treasure to France and Spain so they can’t pay for their own preparations. And we need a captain who can carry out this mission for the king and the country. Do we have one?”

Harry stared at the two admirals without answering. He had no love for either the French or the Spanish, but raiding their shipping without a declaration of war seemed wrong. There was no honor in it, and he always considered himself an honorable man.

As he sat there, deep in thought, he saw the necessity for what he had been told. He understood the need to prepare for war while denying the enemy the means to also prepare for war. His efforts could save countless English lives and potentially shorten the coming war considerably.

Looking at Shovell, he nodded slowly, still not sure he liked the idea.

Shovell continued. “Good. We need to do everything we can to distance England from your activities over there. Your ship lies at anchor on the far western end of the harbor. You and your crew will board the ship at night, throw the post watch overboard – unharmed of course – and sail off with the ship, making it look like you stole it. The French spies in Portsmouth will report back that one of our frigates was stolen. We’ll pretend that you decided to take the ship to the Mediterranean, and we’ll send a squadron after you the next day. Those captains won’t know of your mission and will be chasing you. You’ll head for the Americas, so the squadron will never find you. Your ship is a totally new design, so it won’t be recognizable as an English frigate when you reach the Americas.”

“You’ll set up your base here,” Leicester said, pointing to the map. “It’s an island in the Bahamas called Cat Island. It’s uninhabited, and the southern coast has a defensible position. You’ll have to be careful, though. The island of New Providence is nearby, and that’s where a number of pirates and privateers make port. You’re not to interact with them at all, do you understand? You’ll avoid attacking our privateers unless necessary, but privateers from other countries and all pirates are fair game. Engage and sink them at your discretion.”

“The whole point of this deception is to make it look like there’s a new pirate threat in the Americas that has nothing to do with England,” Shovell said in a low voice. “You’ll attack whatever French and Spanish treasure ships you deem practicable, whatever French and Spanish warships you believe you can sink or capture, and even the occasional Dutch merchant if the right opportunity presents itself. You may occasionally engage English warships in the area, but you’ll make no attempt to sink them or cause serious damage. We’ll spread the word that English merchant ships are also being attacked and sunk so our enemies won’t think we’re behind all this.

“Most pirates allow the crews of captured ships the opportunity to join the pirate crew, as opposed to being thrown overboard, set adrift, or beached. You cannot do this. The crews of foreign ships cannot be trusted. I’m not saying you’re to kill the captured crews, but you must appear to be ruthless in your dealings with your captives.”

“Now, here’s another interesting point to all of this,” Leicester said. “You and your men will maintain fortifications on Cat Island. Your land forces and extra crewmembers are onboard the Seven Provinces, which sailed already. They’ll get there a few days before you and begin setting up the camp and defenses. You’ll have a number of cannons, but you might want obtain more while you’re going about your business. You’ll house your captured treasure at Cat Island. On a regular basis, you’ll transfer a portion of the treasure to English ships that you’ll rendezvous with on a prearranged schedule. The king’s share is 70% of the treasure you capture. You and the men in your command may keep the remaining 30%. You may also keep and dispose of any ships you capture during your mission. Any extra ships you bring back to England, should you return to England when the mission is over, can be treated as prizes and reimbursed accordingly.”

Harry was shocked to hear this. Not only was he being given command of a large force on a secret mission, but he was also being given the chance to come out of this a wealthy man!

“A lot is riding on this mission, Captain Hastings,” Shovell said, snapping Harry’s thoughts back to the present. “Your actions won’t prevent the war, but it will make it harder for France to wage war against us and easier for us to make war on France. However, I need for you to remember that once you set sail, you’re on your own. If captured, you risk the fate of all pirates – even in English ports. You may be hung, but you cannot reveal that you’re a serving officer of His Majesty’s Navy and neither can any member of your crew. Once onboard your ship, you’re a pirate until you receive orders telling you that your mission is concluded. None of the colonial governors will be notified that your ship isn’t really a pirate ship, but the squadron commander over there, Admiral John Benbow, will be fully briefed. You’ll coordinate your actions with him as you see fit. Should war be declared, you may find that his squadron can help leave merchant ships unprotected for you to raid. Though he outranks you, he cannot issue you orders. He’ll pass orders from me to you, however, and will be your way of sending reports to me if necessary.”

“You’ll also be changing the name of your ship when you take her out,” Leicester said. “She’s to be named the King’s Ransom.”

“That has a nice pirate feel to it, sir,” Harry commented.

Leicester handed Harry a large package. “This is your flag. You aren’t to fly an English flag except when returning to England at the end of your mission. You can use the flags of other countries as you see fit to accomplish your mission, but this is your ship’s official colors.”

As Harry opened the package, Leicester continued. “It’s called a ‘jolly roger’ and has found popularity among pirates of late. It has the image of a skull with two crossed bones beneath. This one’s known as a ‘One-Eyed Jack’ because it has an eye patch over one eye. This one’s also wearing a cocked crown, which will identify you as the King’s Ransom to Benbow’s squadron.”

Harry looked at the design on the flag and then folded it again and put it back in the package.

“Do you have any questions at this point?” Shovell asked.

“No, sir,” Harry replied, still feeling disturbed about his orders. Then an idea came to him. “What about the crew, sir?”

Leicester handed over a packet of papers. “Here’s the list. You’ll recognize several of the names. They’re all from the Blue Squadron and have been selected for their skills. You’ll be meeting with them tomorrow to inform them about certain select aspects of the mission. The rest can be shared with them once you’ve cleared Portsmouth harbor. The sailing master and his mates are already onboard the ship and will be the only members of the crew that you won’t meet in advance. They’re the only ones who know exactly how to sail her, so their presence is required. You can take time during the crossing to put her through her paces and see what she can do when pressed. She’ll be your home for the next several years, so you need to know her as well as you know yourself.”

“Let me go over the members of your command who have already left for Cat Island,” Shovell said, handing Harry a larger packet of papers. Harry opened the packet and saw papers listing the names, skills, and functions of each of the men as well as the stores that were being delivered to Cat Island. Harry began to appreciate the immensity of the operation and how much planning must have been required.

“How long have you been putting this together, sir?” he asked.

“A week,” Shovell replied. “It’s one of the more intricate operations we’ve ever planned, and it’ll be a miracle if we managed to keep spies from finding out what we’re up to. Our real advantage is timing. The French and their spies will never think that we’ve managed to pull together a major military operation this quickly, and hopefully they’ll never connect the activities going on around here lately with your mission over in the Americas.” Pointing to the notes, he added, “We’ve written everything down so we don’t forget anything, but you’ll need to burn those notes once you have them committed to memory. Make sure your two lieutenants familiarize themselves with those notes as well.”

Leicester snapped his fingers. “I just remembered something else. There is another person who will know who you are. We have a spy on New Providence. He’s a French Huguenot that the French think is their spy and the pirates think is a double agent working for them. Actually, he’s one of our spies and will help keep you updated on what’s going on from time to time. His name is Jean-Claude Durand. He’ll meet you on Cat Island later in the year.”

Harry nodded. The Huguenots were French Protestants that the French government had been trying to destroy for years. Many had been burned as heretics or had fled the country. Others pretended to convert back to Catholicism but were actually working for the various Protestant powers and had proven to be valuable spies during the wars over religion.

“When do I set sail?” Harry asked as the afternoon sun approached the horizon.

“Tomorrow night,” Shovell replied. “We need to finish loading provisions, and we need to gather together all the boats you’ll be using to get your crew onboard. An hour after sundown tomorrow night, just as the watch changes, you’ll take the ship. You need to be well out of the harbor by ten o’clock if you want to outrun the squadron that’ll be pursuing you. Remember: throw only the Marine guards overboard. Everyone else needs to be onboard the ship when it sails.”

“I have one more gift for you, captain,” Leicester said, handing Harry another large package. “Consider it a going-away present.”

“What is it, sir?”

“Well, you can’t very well command a pirate ship wearing the uniform of a captain in His Majesty’s Navy. I had a new coat and hat made that I think will work well for you. Don’t put them on until after you are at sea and have started the mission.”

“Thank you, sir,” Harry said, setting the package on top of the new flag. Then Harry rose to his feet. Shovell and Leicester stood up and shook his hand.

“Good luck to you, Captain Hastings,” Shovell said. “I know we’re asking a lot of you, and I know you’re capable of doing what needs to be done. We’re at war, even though at the moment it’s an undeclared war. Your actions will have a tremendous impact on the war effort, even though no one will ever know what you did or how you did it. If you return from all this, there will be honors waiting for you – more than you could ever dream. You’ll never be known as a hero publically, but you’ll be a hero to the Admiralty and to your king.”

“Thank you, sir. And thank you for trusting me with this mission.”

“Best of luck to you, Captain,” Leicester said. “Godspeed.”

Harry picked up the packages, took his hat from the table, and left the admiral’s cabin. Once he was gone, Leicester looked at Shovell. “Do you think any of them will make it back alive, sir?”

Shovell lowered his head slightly. “Doubtful, but you never know with that Hastings lad. If it can be done, he’ll get it done.”

Harry left the admiral’s flagship and walked along the docks to get a look at his new ship. Mast after mast of warships and military supply ships filled the sky like a forest of bare trees in winter. After walking for nearly twenty minutes, he finally caught sight of it – anchored well away from the other warships in the harbor. Its sails were furled, and the ship rocked with an unexpected grace in the rising tide. He estimated it to be about 120 feet long from the head to the taffrail at the stern, and around 30 feet wide at the center. Its general construction was familiar – three masts and a single gun deck, which were common to frigates, but Harry noticed immediately that this was no ordinary frigate. The shape of the hull gave the ship a sleeker look. It seemed to Harry like a ship built for racing more than for war.

As he continued walking, he caught a glimpse of the figurehead on the bow. The wooden figure, mounted just below the bowsprit, was a roaring lion mounted on a fiddlehead design on the prow of the ship that supported the bowsprit. Many sailors called the roaring lion design the “Old Leo,” and Harry thought it was a good choice for a ship being renamed the King’s Ransom.

He continued looking at the ship for quite a while, and then he turned to walk back toward the town and the inn where he was staying that night. He’d be meeting with his crew the next morning in a warehouse that the Admiralty had set aside as a staging area for materials that had already left for Cat Island, and he wanted to be well-rested before committing his first act of piracy – stealing his own ship.

Harry spent most of the night tossing and turning in his bed – unable to go to sleep. The conversation with Admirals Shovell and Leicester kept playing over and over in his mind. His mission would unquestionably help England prepare for the coming war, but his orders included committing acts of piracy for king and country!

Harry wrestled with this thought for hours. He saw the logic of what the king wanted, and Harry felt confident in his ability to carry out the Admiralty’s orders. But he felt deeply concerned about committing acts of war against French and Spanish shipping. Harry knew the Navy occasionally skirmished with French and Spanish warships, but it was done openly with the English flags plainly visible. Disguising the ship as a pirate ship to attack the ships of other nations during peacetime was something else altogether.

He was also bothered by the risk to his crew if any were captured, and the ruthless was he’d have to treat the crews of any ships that he captured.

Every sailor in the Navy knew the risks of being captured by the enemy. The Spanish sold prisoners as slaves in the American colonies, or sometimes kept them to serve onboard ships of the Spanish Navy. However, if any of Harry’s crew were captured, they wouldn’t face the same fate as captured English sailors. Pirate crews were hung, and Harry knew this was a prospect no captured English sailor had contended with before. He wasn’t sure how his crewmembers would react once they realized the personal risk they were facing by being part of the mission.

Harry knew that he couldn’t take prisoners from the enemy ships; he couldn’t spare men to guard prisoners, and he couldn’t risk one escaping and telling the French or Spanish who committed the acts of piracy or the location of Harry’s base. I can’t order the enemy sailors butchered, though. I may have to become a pirate and employ ruthless tactics to defeat the enemy, but I don’t have to act without mercy.

Harry thought about this for a while. I guess the most humane thing would be to throw the enemy sailors over the side and set them adrift with at least one of the rowboats or some timbers to cling to as they swim for land or wait to be rescued. It wasn’t a perfect solution, but it didn’t bother Harry’s conscience as badly as the alternatives.

Even though England wasn’t at war yet, Harry had no doubts about the French and Spanish ships being the enemy. If my king tells me that someone is the enemy of England, then I’ll treat him as my enemy and do everything I can to defeat him. The French and Spanish will be trying just as hard to destroy me as I’ll be trying to destroy them.

Harry firmly believed that his crew would obey his orders. English sailors were obedient to their officers, and to be otherwise was an act of mutiny, but they’d look to him to help them rationalize that they were doing the right thing. If he had doubts about the orders he gave to the crew, the crew would have the same doubts. He knew he had to carry out the Admiralty orders in a way that accomplished what the king needed while allowing himself and the crew to have no doubts about the methods they were employing. He made a mental note to make sure his new officers understood this point clearly.

Harry then rolled over and tried to get a little sleep before sunrise.

Harry woke up just before dawn, feeling somewhat rested yet anxious for the day to begin. He rose, washed himself with the water in the basin next to the window, and began shaving. This might be the last time I shave for quite a while. He had already decided that a beard might help him look more like a real pirate.

He finished shaving, put on his uniform, and went downstairs to eat a quick breakfast before setting off for the warehouse. He wanted to be the first one there so he could greet each member of the crew as he arrived. Harry hadn’t sailed with so many men unfamiliar to him since his first cruise as a cabin boy, and he wanted to get a sense of the measure of each man selected for this mission.

The proprietor set a platter of cheese, butter, and preserves in front of Harry after he sat down. Then the proprietor disappeared to get Harry a loaf of fresh bread and a pot of tea. Steam rose from the bread when the proprietor returned with it, and Harry wasted no time in filling it with butter and preserves. He tore off a piece and found it was delicious. I wonder if this is the last decent breakfast I’ll have for a long time. He tore off another piece of bread.

As captain of a warship, he’d have the privileges of any senior naval officer – a private clerk, an orderly, and a cook. He remembered looking at the name of the cook being assigned to him on this mission, but he didn’t recognize it. I hope the man is a good cook and not just a good sailor. He finished the bread and started eating the cheese.

A few minutes later, he finished his breakfast, settled up with the proprietor, and went back upstairs to get his things. He knew his sea trunk had been moved from his previous ship to his new cabin onboard the King’s Ransom already, so all he had to get were the packages and the two packets that he had received from Admiral Leicester the previous day.

He walked briskly to the Navy Yard, breathing in the smell of the sea. It was a cloudless morning, which was unusual for early April. He paid little attention to the rhythmic swaying of the masts along the wharf or the sounds of bells lightly ringing as the ships rocked gently in the rising tide. He returned the salutes of the subordinate officers and seamen he passed along the way, but his mind remained focused on his ship, his crew, and his mission.

When he arrived at the warehouse, two Marine guards snapped to attention and politely asked to see copies of Harry’s orders. He showed them the piece of paper given to him by Admiral Shovell, and the guards allowed him to enter.

The warehouse was quite large and nearly empty. Harry had succeeded in being the first to arrive. He placed his packages against the wall to the right of the door and sat down on a small crate while he waited for others of his crew to arrive. Pulling out the list of crewmembers and the inventory that had already sailed for Cat Island, Harry went over the details once again.

Thirty minutes later, he heard the guards outside challenge someone approaching the warehouse. As Harry stood up, someone in the uniform of a first lieutenant appeared in the doorway. Seeing Harry, he immediately snapped to attention.

“Captain Hastings? I’m Lieutenant Charles Pemberton. I’ve been ordered to report here as your second-in-command.”

“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Pemberton,” Harry replied, walking forward to shake the officer’s hand. “I understand you served onboard the Defiance before being transferred to the Bedford under Captain Haughton.”

“Yes, sir,” Pemberton said, surprised and pleased that his new captain knew this information already.

“I served with Haughton as a midshipman. I was happy when he was given the Bedford.”

“We all were, sir,” Pemberton acknowledged. “Sir, if you don’t mind my asking, can you tell me what this mission’s all about?”

“Were you told anything at all about it?” Harry asked.

“No, sir.”

Harry looked around for a moment before saying, “I’d like to wait until Lieutenant Hamilton arrives and then brief both of you at the same time. You two will be my second- and third-in-command on this mission, and there are aspects of the mission that I want you to know before we sail. The rest of the crew won’t be given the full details until after we’ve cleared the harbor.”

“Very well, sir,” Pemberton said.

A moment later, Harry heard the guards outside challenge another person approaching the warehouse, and soon another naval officer stood in the doorway.

“Captain Hastings? Lieutenant Andrew Hamilton reporting as ordered.”

Harry returned the lieutenant’s salute. “Mr. Hamilton, welcome. This is Mr. Pemberton, my second-in-command.”

“Lieutenant,” Hamilton said to Pemberton with a quick salute. Pemberton returned the greeting.

Harry motioned for them to place their gear next to his own. “Gentlemen, I need to brief you on the details of our mission before the rest of the crew arrives. However, I need to warn you that you’re not going to believe me the first time you hear it. I also need to warn you that you’re not to discuss this with anyone unless and until I give you leave to do so. The Marines guarding the door aren’t just to make sure only the right people enter this building. They’re there to make sure that, once inside, no one leaves until we’re ready to board the ship. That’s how secret our mission is and how vital it is that no word of it leaks to anyone.”

Harry motioned for the two officers to follow him to the other side of the warehouse so the Marine guards wouldn’t be able to hear their conversation.

As Harry briefed the two officers, he noticed that both men had very similar features. Both were slightly taller than Harry, both had the same weathered look in their faces, and both had very dark hair. Hamilton, however, had hazel eyes while Pemberton had brown eyes and a hawkish nose that made him look like a predator.

It took about an hour for Harry to finish giving the details of the mission to his two lieutenants. They reacted the same way he had, and Harry learned a great deal about the two men who had been chosen to support him on the mission by watching how the conversation went.

“I still can’t believe that the Admiralty would order us on a mission like this,” Hamilton said finally.

“They were following the king’s orders, Mr. Hamilton,” Harry responded. “And so are we.”

“Yes, sir,” Hamilton replied.

“Are there any more questions?” Harry asked.

When the two officers shook their heads, he handed them the lists that he had received from Admiral Leicester. “Study these lists carefully and commit as much of it as you can to memory. Those lists must be destroyed as soon as possible.”

Over the next several hours, the officers and crew continued arriving. Each had been ordered to report based on his rank, with the officers first and the seamen last. Harry greeted them and motioned for them to find places to sit on the floor. Shortly after the last of the seamen and cabin boys had reported, Harry saw a company of 25 Marines march in smartly, led by a stern-looking lieutenant. The lieutenant ordered his men to halt and then stepped forward to present himself to Harry.

“St. John Scarborough, Lieutenant, Royal Marines, reporting for duty, sir!” he said with a flourish.

Harry hid his amusement with the lieutenant’s entrance. “Welcome, lieutenant. I’m Captain Hastings. Please post your men along the back and join my other officers over there,” he said, pointing to Pemberton and Hamilton, who were standing with the midshipmen and the surgeons.

Scarborough nodded, gestured to his sergeant, and walked over to the other officers as the Marines took their positions.

Harry nodded to Pemberton and Hamilton, and then he turned to address the crew.

“Gentlemen, we are all here now, and I need to give you a few of the details of our mission. The remaining details will be given at sea. First and foremost, this is a secret mission, and much will depend on our ability to keep it a secret. Second, the way the mission is going to start will be a bit unorthodox, and that should give you a fairly good idea of how the rest of the mission is going to be carried out.”

Harry paused a moment and then continued. “Here’s what I can tell you now. We’ve been assigned to a brand new Runner Class frigate – the first one ever built. She’s supposed to be faster and more maneuverable than any frigate built so far. She’s armed with twenty 9-pounder and two 6-pounder guns, and she has ‘Old Leo’ as the figurehead.”

Harry noticed several members of the crew nodding their approval when they heard about the figurehead, and he knew that superstitious sailors believed it was a good omen to have Old Leo onboard the ship.

`“Because she’s a brand new kind of ship, we don’t want the French or the Spanish finding out about what she can do. They have spies everywhere, and they’ve undoubtedly seen her sail into the harbor and drop anchor. They’re probably lining the wharf already to watch her sea trials and report back about her capabilities. We’re not going to let them succeed in this.”

“Tonight,” he continued, “we’re going to board her after nightfall and pretend to steal her. We’ll toss the Marine deck watch, and only the deck watch, over the side and be at sea before anyone can report her missing.” Turning to Scarborough, he added, “Sorry about that, lieutenant, but it’s necessary.” Turning back to the crew, he added, “It’s important that the French and the Spanish think the English lost their new ship. I’ll explain that more once we’re at sea, but believe me when I say it’s an integral part of the plan. There are rowboats waiting for us at the far end of the wharf. We’ll wait until one hour after sunset, head for the boats, and then we’ll take the ship.”

Harry looked around the room and watched the expressions on the faces of his crew. Several looked confused while others looked amused at the deception they were about to be a part of. Looking at his officers, he knew they shared the same emotions as the crew.

“Everyone get some rest. It’s going to be a long night, and we have to be far from here before the squadron is dispatched after us in the morning.” He heard sounds of surprise and added, “Gentlemen, we’re trying to convince the French and the Spanish that the ship was stolen. If the Admiralty doesn’t send someone after us, it’ll just look like we left the harbor at night to escape notice. The enemy spies watching the harbor will tell their governments to keep a close watch out for us, and that’s the last thing we want to have happen!”

He saw his crew nodding in agreement. Rather than separating himself with his officers, he walked around the room, talking with the crew and the Marines. He had already learned their names and service records from the notes Admiral Leicester had given him, but now he wanted to connect faces and voices to those names. After he had finished talking with everyone still awake, he walked across the room toward his officers.

One aspect of the composition of the crew was unique. Most ships only carried one surgeon and one assistant surgeon. This crew had two trained surgeons, and both were experienced at their craft. The senior surgeon, Warrant Officer Robert Tonkin, had served with Harry before, and Harry was glad to have him on the mission.

All in all, Harry knew and had served with almost 20 members of the crew, including two of the four cabin boys. John and Joseph Ward were twin 12-year-olds and had been cabin boys on Harry’s previous ship. They knew their basic seamanship and would be trained on various duties onboard the ship throughout the mission. They also helped the gunners during battles by bringing powder and shot up the stairs to the gun deck from the powder magazine in the holds of the ship. He had been teaching them the basics of seamanship, hoping that they’d become midshipmen one day and then perhaps Navy officers. He ruffled John Ward’s hair as he passed the two of them, and he flashed Joseph a quick smile before walking back to his officers.

“Gentlemen,” he said as he approached, “see to your men and then get some rest. We have about two more hours before we take the ship.”

“Yes, sir,” they all said before dispersing to meet with their non-commissioned officers and key personnel.

Two hours later, the officers and crew made their way in the darkness to the boats that would take them to their new ship. The Marines covered the rear, making sure no one was watching or following. The full moon and the lanterns mounted on the sterns of the ships they passed on their way to the end of the wharf provided the only light.

They approached part of the shipyard where several rowboats had been stacked upside down on the wharf to stay dry. The crewmembers ran forward, lifted the boats, and placed them in the water. One crewman entered each boat to help the others board in the darkness while another held the gunwales to prevent the boat from moving. Others retrieved the oars from their stacks near the boats and handed them to the crewmembers already onboard.

Soon they were rowing silently toward the stern lanterns illuminating their new ship. As the unusual flotilla approached, Harry saw four Marines on the frigate’s weather deck serving as the deck watch, which was the number that he had been told to expect. Half of the boats approached the starboard side of the ship, and the rest approached the larboard side. Soon sailors were climbing up the starboard side of the ship, trying to keep from being heard by the Marines of the deck watch, who had no idea what was about to happen to them.

When Harry heard the first loud splash, he gave a short whistle, and he and the crew on the larboard side of the ship climbed up toward the deck. Harry heard two more splashes, and he had just cleared the railing on the quarterdeck when he saw the fourth Marine of the deck watch go over the side.

As the crew moved across the deck, Harry saw one of the cabin doors beneath the quarterdeck open, flooding that part of the deck with lamplight. “What’s going on here?” a voice demanded.

Harry hurried down the stairs and approached the man holding the lamp. “I’m Captain Hastings. I believe you were told to expect me.”

“Captain, I had no idea. We didn’t expect you until noon tomorrow. Sir, I’m Connor Chisholm, sailing master and one of the designers of the Peregrine Galley at your service.” Looking around, he added, “I see you brought the entire crew with you.”

“Yes, Mr. Chisholm,” Harry responded. “Now please help us make preparations to get underway.”

“Now, sir?! An untried crew on a new ship in the middle of the night? That’s highly irregular, sir!”

“I know, but it’s necessary. Take us out of the harbor, if you please.”

“Yes, sir. What heading?”

“Take us westerly toward Cornwall, and then turn north towards Ireland until sunrise.”

“Very good, sir.” Chisholm turned and shouted orders to his mates, who took charge of the seamen and led the way with lanterns up the rigging to the yardarms to set the sails.

“Raise the anchors, Mr. Hamilton,” Harry said to the lieutenant standing next to him.

“Yes, sir,” Hamilton responded. “All hands, weigh anchor!” he shouted to the crew and Marines on deck who weren’t helping to set the sails.

Harry watched as the Marines stacked their muskets and ran to retrieve the four shipping bars from where they were kept at the base of the quarterdeck. They then fit them into the sockets on the capstan just behind the mainmast. Twenty men grabbed the shipping bars and began heaving the capstan around clockwise to raise the anchors.

Harry moved forward and heard the stowing party in the starboard cable tier coiling the rope as it came in. The veering party was in the larboard cable tier getting ready to coil the rope from the other anchor, and Harry knew they’d soon be groaning since there was always more tension on the second anchor being raised than on the first.

Harry watched in the low light of the lanterns as another team of crewmembers stood ready on the forecastle to help with the anchor once it broke the surface. Two more teams prepared to handle the messenger cables and nippers used to secure each anchor for sailing. Harry felt a sense of pride in his new crew. In near-total darkness on a strange ship, their training took over and they were able to get their jobs done with no problems. It looks like they picked a good crew.

He turned and looked up as he heard a fluttering sound above him. The first sails on the mainmast and the mizenmast had been set, and he saw the outline of more sails unfurling in the moonlight.

Harry turned back to the capstan and saw the youngest of the cabin boys, a ten-year-old named Anthony Defoe, sitting in the middle of the capstan, keeping the rhythm by beating a small drum with a short stick. He heard the anchor teams shouting forward and knew that the starboard anchor had broken the surface. Soon the first anchor was secured, and the second anchor was quickly being secured as well. The ship started moving toward the mouth of the harbor.

Chisholm continued shouting orders. Soon the wind caught the sails, and the ship picked up speed. By the time the four Marines who had been tossed overboard had reached the shore to report what had happened, the Peregrine Galley was out of the harbor and sailing west.

When Admiral Shovell heard the news that his newest ship had been stolen, he shouted for Admiral Leicester to be brought to him immediately. Twenty minutes later, looking somewhat disheveled, Leicester entered Shovell’s cabin.

“What happened, sir?!” he asked, playing his part the way he and Shovel had rehearsed it.

“Someone has pinched the Peregrine Galley! She’s our newest frigate, and someone tossed the Marine guard overboard and just sailed her right out of the harbor!”

“At night, sir? Where do you think she’s been taken?”

“Where else?” Shovell shouted. “France, of course. Get four ships ready, and go after her, Leicester. Do what you have to do, but don’t let the damn French get her home.”

“Yes, sir!”

Leicester left the flagship trying hard to hide his smile. So far, the plan was proceeding on schedule. He issued orders for the captains of his four fastest ships to get underway as soon as possible. He transferred his flag to the Bedford with Captain Haughton, and within the hour his small squadron left Portsmouth harbor and headed east under full sail toward Calais on the coast of France.