A Shot Rolling Ship by David Donachie Read Free Book Online

and in weighing it, he realised that were it real, not wooden, he was close enough to the ship’s captain, provided his weapon was sharp enough, to sever his neck with one swift blow. What would happen then? Probably the musket-bearing marines would lower their weapons and shoot him, but what he could observe did bring home the notion that a disgruntled crew inclined to rebellion would have little difficulty intaking the ship if they so wanted, a quartet of marines being insufficient to stop them.
    He called to mind his reading of William Bligh’s published narrative of the Bounty mutiny, how easy it had been for Christian and his fellow conspirators to take the vessel. Really, like Bligh, all that Colbourne had to protect him was the authority vested in him by his officer’s commission and the threat of punishment that hung over any sailor who mutinied. He had a vision of casting this lieutenant adrift in one of the boats. At least he was close to home, unlike Bligh who had had to sail four and a half thousand miles to find a civilised landfall.
    ‘Move along there,’ the lieutenant said, and for the moment it took for Pearce to obey their eyes locked, Pearce holding the look for longer than discipline allowed so as to annoy Colbourne. The expression to which he was treated showed him how well he had succeeded.
    ‘Defenders to the lee rail,’ called Colbourne, ‘attackers to the weather. Mr Short, take on board your grappling irons.’
    Charlie Taverner had to push Rufus so that he went to right bulwark. As soon as he spotted Pearce moving in the same direction the boy joined him. ‘I ain’t looking forward to this Pearce, having seen the way those boats were heaving about as they was hauled in.’
    ‘They will be a little more stable full of bodies, Rufus.’
    The voice was tremulous as he replied. ‘What if I tumble o’er board.’
    ‘Then you have a choice, Rufus, swim for the ship orstay afloat till you are dragged back in.’
    It was telling comment of the youngster’s naivety that he seemed to give the twin notions due consideration. Then he brightened. ‘You can always dive in to my rescue, you being a right good swimmer.’
    ‘You got gills, Pearce?’ asked the sailor stood the other side of Rufus. The face was friendly, bright blue eyes and a broad winning smile under blond, near white hair. Pearce responded in kind, eager to address the first crew member, barring Latimer, to call him by name.
    ‘I’m a shark, mate, so if you tell me what you’d like for supper I’ll slip into the water and fetch it for you.’
    ‘Name’s Sam, mate, and I is partial to a bit of cod.’
    ‘You be too far south for that, Sam,’ said the man on the other side of him. ‘Water’s too warm.’
    ‘I’d like to hear you say that, Matt, if you was dipped in it.’
    ‘Mr Short,’ Colbourne shouted, ‘to command the cutter, Mr Bailey the jolly boat. Tally off the men you need.’
    The sailors preceding Pearce and Rufus dropped into the boat with commendable ease. Getting over the side was not so easy for either of them, though the former did not make as much of a pig’s ear as the boy. Lowering yourself, even if only some ten feet, on a single rope wet from seawater, into a boat bobbing four or five feet up and down, with a wooden sword dangling between your legs, was not easy. While Pearce dropped into the boat with a thud, Rufus practically fell in from his second hand-hold, dropping the padded club he had chosen as a weapon in the process.
    ‘Anybody still see that Indiaman, lads,’ asked the sailor called Matt, ‘for we will be wanting to send these arsewipes back.’
    ‘No need,’ came the reply. ‘Next man o’ war comes along we’ll ship them out in that.’
    ‘Not if I get first in line you won’t,’ replied Matt. ‘I’ll have my ditty bag shouldered and a foot over the side before they gets hull up.’
    ‘You,’ commanded a voice behind Pearce, ‘sit here. Somebody get hold of Ginger