The Threat in the West Indies (The Merriman Chronicles Book 4)

by Roger Burnage

  Merriman thanked his stars that he had insisted on gunnery practice every day although men hated him for it, but the result of that training was only too obvious. He strode to the quarterdeck rail and surveyed the damage to his own ship. The dead, only four as yet were lying amidships and the wounded taken below to the care of Doctor McBride. Little damage could be seen aloft and men were already aloft to repair broken ropes and lower down a torn tops'l. On deck the damage was more obvious with two cannon dismounted from smashed carriages and holes in the bulwarks. As he stood there some unknown voice yelled “A cheer lads, a cheer for our Jimmy, and another one.” He smiled and raised his hat but shouted, “There's another one yet men but she won't have as many guns.”

  Aphrodite was now rapidly overhauling the Indiaman and Merriman could see her name on the transom - Enterprise. He determined his next move. “Mr. Laing we'll board her, Mr. Laing?” “He is below Sir, a splinter wound in his leg but Mr. McBride says it's not too serious,” reported Andrews standing behind him.”

  “Very well Mr. Andrews, pass the word, one broadside of chain-shot to try and dismast her and then we'll board, so have the boarding parties mustered ready. You can lead from for’ard and I will go from aft. Oh, and make sure that our carronade gives a good account of itself before we board.” Aye-aye Sir” replied Andrews with a big grin on his face. Merriman turned to look aft. One frigate was alongside the corvette but no firing could be heard. A large column of smoke could be seen further away and the second frigate was not far astern of Aphrodite. Looking for’ard he could clearly see men aboard the Indiaman throwing stuff overboard in an attempt to lighten the ship. “They realise that we will catch them, and they must realise that they stand no chance against our guns. Do you no good, we've got you now,” said Merriman to himself. He raised his arms as his cox'n Owen buckled his sword about his waist. But it became clear that he was wrong. Men could be seen gathering on deck, armed men, obviously determined to fight back if their ship was boarded.

  Using a speaking trumpet Merriman shouted “Heave to or I will fire into you.” There was no reply but defiant shouts and the ship began to bear away to larboard. “He's not going to surrender Sir,” said Andrews. “No, he's not. Mr. Cuthbert, bring us up alongside, not too close and then we'll give her a broadside before we board. Mr. Laing, what are you doing here, you're wounded?”

  Laing had come back on deck, pale faced and with a bloody bandage round his thigh. “Couldn't stay away Sir, I won't be of much use if you board her, but I can still keep an eye on things from here,” he said and clutched the pinrail to help keep the weight off his leg. “Thank you Mr. Laing, we are about to open fire.” He shouted the order, “Fire as your guns bear.” Mr. Cuthbert had already ordered the courses furled which reduced the ship's speed as she drew alongside. The broadside rippled out in a continuous roar as each gun came to bear. The damage to the Indiaman was immediately obvious, sails were shredded, some standing and running rigging was in shreds and the carronade had loosed a devastating hail of musket balls into the men on deck.

  The Master at the wheel with his Mates brought Aphrodite close alongside and the two ships met with a thud as the carronade released another lethal hail of balls into the men on the Indiaman's deck. “Boarders away,” yelled Merriman, leaping across the gap between the ships with his eager boarding party while others of his men threw grapnels to hold the ships together. As Merriman landed on the deck his foot slipped in a pool of blood and he nearly fell. A seaman ran at him with a boarding pike and would have spitted him but for Owen close behind him who deflected the pike thrust and opened up the man's throat with a vicious slash with his cutlass. Then they were in the thick of it, and it was all slash, cut and parry, tripping over wounded and dead men and parts of men whilst his men followed and spread out on either side of him. They were surrounded by screaming, swearing, sweating men desperate to kill them.

  As Merriman fought savagely but coolly he became aware that most of his enemies were shouting in English and he realised that there must be a lot of English deserters in the crew who would know the fate waiting for them if captured. Other men were shouting in French and Merriman's momentary attention on that was nearly the end of him a Frenchman aimed a vicious slash to his head. He managed to deflect the blow but received a cut to his sword arm which slowed his riposte. At the same time a red coated arm with a sword thrust between them and St James panted “Just in time Sir, he nearly had you, excuse me.” St James was a master swordsman and quickly dealt with the man with a rapid thrust to the man's throat. He fell with blood pouring from his mouth and then Merriman returned the favour by parrying a slash to the marine's side and dispatching the attacker with a thrust between his ribs.

  Suddenly he heard Lieutenant Andrew's voice and his men cheering as the two groups of men met. “Nearly done Sir, they were an ill disciplined lot, no idea how to fight together so we had to kill most of them to stop them. The fighting was almost over, only two or three small groups of men still resisted but they were soon finished. “Oh, I say Sir, you are wounded.” But blood was running down Merriman's arm and dripping onto the already blood soaked deck. “Not seriously though David, only a slight cut, but I expect our instructor will have a few words to say,” referring to the regular instructional lessons given by St James.

  “I haven't seen Egerton or his wife yet, have any of you?” asked Merriman. “I haven't seen a woman and as for the man I don't know, Sir,” replied St James, pointing to the heaps of bodies lying about them, “Perhaps he is dead and she might be in a cabin,” “We must find her,” said Merriman, “You David can take charge here, Edward and I with two or three marines will go below.” The companionway led down to a short passage with two doors on either side, all open, but at a gesture from St James the marines investigated. “Nowt in 'em Zur,” reported one of them in a broad Cornish accent.

  “That just leaves the big cabin then, allow me to go first with my men.” He pushed the door open with his sword to reveal Egerton and his wife standing behind a wide table, he holding a pistol in front of him and she holding a long knife. Two of the marines and Merriman followed St James, the marines holding their bayonetted muskets threateningly towards the couple.

  “Ah, Captain Merriman, good to see you again, I must try and explain this little misunderstanding.” ”Not until you put that pistol down and you, lady, put that knife down,” said Merriman sternly. Neither of them made any move to do so and Egerton continued “You will wonder why we are involved in buying cheap land and stolen goods. My wife as you know can be very persuasive and it was all her idea, we were wealthy but she wanted more you s----------------” He stopped as his wife turned and stabbed him screaming “Lies, lies, I had to do what my husband ordered.” ”No it's all true Gentlemen, she persuaded me but her father Don Carlos started it all” said the man and slowly lifting his pistol he shot her. The force of the ball flung her back to the cabin wall where she slowly slid down leaving a trail of blood on the paneling. “Die you bitch” said Egerton as he too slid to the deck.

  They turned to leave but heard a gasp from behind them and saw Egerton's bloody hand clinging to the edge of the table as he tried to pull himself upright but he fell back with a groan.

  St James moved round the table to see and said “Fellow's still alive Sir, but not for long I think.” Merriman looked at the dying man and said “So Le Seigneur, we ran you to earth at last.” Egerton looked up, “I'm not Le Seigneur damn it,” he coughed and blood filled his mouth and ran down his cheeks. He swallowed and gasped “That's my wife's father, he was behind all of this, he—he's Span – Spanish, and you’ll never find him.” Those were the last words he ever spoke; he convulsed, coughed and died. Both men and the two curious marines looked at the two bodies.

  “My God, I didn't expect this Sir,” said St James as they all stood staring.

  “No, neither did I, but we can't do anything for them for now.” As they out of the cabin door a seaman came hurriedly down the companio
n ladder, saw Merriman, knuckled his forehead and gasped “Frigate's 'ere Sir, Captain's coming over.”

  The frigate Captain climbed aboard to such ceremony as Merriman could muster with his marines and one lone bos'n's whistle, and as he did so he looked about him at the dead and wounded littering the deck. Merriman stepped forward and touched his forehead in welcome, his hat had disappeared. “Welcome aboard Sir, I apologise for the poor welcome but------------” The captain waved his hand dismissively, “I'm Langworthy, don't worry about that Lieutenant, I see you have done well. The Admiral will be pleased. Have you captured the man Egerton?”

  “Yes and no Sir, he and his wife are below, they killed each other.” “A pity Lieutenant, the Admiral was hoping for a public trial and a hanging. But I suppose we should have expected something like that to happen. Now we must return to Kingston with the prizes and prisoners. Have you enough fit men to form a prize crew or shall I send some over?” “Thank you Sir, that would be appreciated, I don't yet know how many men I have lost, but this ship will need a lot of work aloft before going very far.” “So I see, anyway let me know what you want, I'll stand nearby.”

  And so, after much repair to the Indiaman's rigging and new sails brought up from her sail room they proceeded towards Kingston. The dead were disposed of over the side and the prisoners securely locked below divided between all the ships.

  Chapter 34 - Reports and legal difficulties

  After the routine gun salutes between the ships and the Flag the three naval ships and the prize corvette all anchored in the harbour except the captured ship Enterprise which was taken alongside the wharf she had left only hours before. In response to flag signals Merriman and the captains of the two frigates hastily had themselves rowed over to the Flagship. They climbed aboard one after the other to the expected ceremony. Not often did three captains arrive so closely together and the marines who fired the first salute had to have their places taken by more marines and so on. They were greeted by the Flag Captain who led them below to where Admiral Hawkesby was waiting, surprisingly accompanied by Governor Scarrow and Mr. Grahame.

  “Come in Gentlemen, come in and seat yourselves. I see you have been successful with two prizes out of the three you chased.” A servant appeared with a tray of glasses and began to serve various drinks from a row of bottles on a sideboard. When all were served the Admiral raised his glass and said “Your health Gentlemen. And now Captain Wykeham, will you start please.”

  Wykeham, the senior of the two frigate captains then related all that had happened until he caught up with the Aphrodite. He turned to Merriman, “Damnably fast ship you have Captain, I wouldn't have caught up with you had you not shortened sail to fire into the Corvette and then stopped to engage the Enterprise. Admiral, with your permission I will ask Captain Merriman to continue from here.” Hawkesby nodded and Merriman began, “Thank you Sir, yes my ship is fast, with the advantage of that speed I overhauled the Enterprise and asked them to surrender but they took no notice so I fired a broadside and then we boarded her. The crew was a mixture of French, Spanish and English Sir, who knew what fate would await them if they surrendered so they fought hard but to no avail. My Marine Lieutenant St James and some marines found Mr. Egerton and his wife below and called me. It seemed that he wanted to talk his way out of it by blaming his wife for all he had done, she blamed him and stabbed him and then he shot her. They are both dead now Sir. I had lost several men but Captain Wykeham sent some of his men over to help my prize crew and----and here we are Sir.”

  “Excellent report Gentlemen” said the Admiral “but what happened to the smaller sloop?” “That too was taken thanks to Captain Merriman,” said Wykeham, “his shots hit her stern and damaged her steering. Captain Parsons, would you continue.” “Yes Sir. Well she ran aground and her crew swam ashore. We couldn't get closer because of the shallow water so they managed to escape. I sent my First Lieutenant and the marines to take the ship but thank goodness they hadn't reached her before she blew up, a total loss Sir, she burned to the waterline.”

  “A very successful enterprise Gentlemen,” said the Admiral, “Governor, have you anything to add?”

  “Only to congratulate these officers Admiral. Thanks to them an evil core has been removed from our society. Captain Merriman, the documents you captured have proved to be invaluable but it could take lawyers months to sort it all out and try and return some of the stolen goods to the rightful owners, even if it is possible. Beside the silks and other stuff found at Isaac Meyberg's premises, some of the carts they left on the quayside are full of more goods, coffee, brandy, tobacco and wine which we can only assume to be stolen. I sent soldiers to Egerton's plantation where they found more of the same. And of course there is whatever may be found on that ship you captured.”

  He paused and then said “I don't suppose we shall ever find the original owners as the documents don't tell us where all that came from. All privateer loot I shouldn't wonder and what cannot be claimed will have to be sold, and the ships you caught will be sold. Maybe the corvette could be of use to the navy Admiral?”

  “Yes Sir George, maybe but it will have to be surveyed first. And now Gentlemen I urge you all to have another drink. Business is over and I want to hear more about your racehorse of a ship Captain Merriman and I'm sure you other Gentlemen do.” The officers immediately started asking questions at once, about the ship's design, her speed, her rig and her armament which caused Merriman to hold up his arms in surrender.

  “Gentlemen, Gentlemen, enough, I'll try and answer you all together. First, she is one of the first of a new breed of sloop with slim lines for’ard and a deep keel. As you know she is fitted with square sails on two of the three masts plus the usual jibs and trysails and I am constantly surprised and delighted at how fast she is and how close to the wind she will sail. The deep keel means of course that she can beat to windward without a great deal of rolling. My crew is as you would expect and my guns are nine-pounders.”

  “There's more though isn't there Captain” asked Wykeham, “you have two big bow chasers and two Smashers on the foredeck, a heavy armament for a sloop and you have marines as well, and that isn't usual either is it?”

  “No Sir, it isn't, when I took over command she was fitted out as you see her and with the marines. That was because the Admiralty wanted the ship for a special mission in the Irish Sea with Mr. Grahame. I don't really know what or how much I should tell you about that. Perhaps Mr. Graham would tell you, after all I am nominally under his command. Mr. Grahame?”

  “All I will say Gentlemen, is that we were after French spies and smugglers and other miscellaneous traitors and thieves, all banded together in a plot to capture the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. It failed miserably thanks to Captain Merriman whose sterling work saved the lives of the Lord Lieutenant and my own.”

  “By God Sir, I wish you Mr. Merriman and your ship were part of my command. We need more of such ships and men. Is the Admiralty building more do you know?”

  I believe so Sir, but how many I can't say,” replied Merriman who was becoming restless under the gaze of his superiors. He was saved from more talk of ships by Captain Wykeham asking “Captain, your name is not a common one and I am minded of another Captain Merriman, a fine captain he was and I had the honour of serving under him as a very junior midshipman aboard the frigate Alexis. Are you related by any chance?”

  “Indeed I am Sir, he is my father and many tales he told me of his time at sea and of the Alexis . He retired to the country in Cheshire with my mother and I am his first born. He has a daughter and another son too.”

  “I'm pleased he survived, led us into many hair raising adventures he did. I'd be obliged if you will remind him of his little Midshipman Wykeham when you next see him.” “That I will do Sir, He will be delighted to hear from you.”

  On that note the meeting dissolved with the Governor Inviting them all to dinner the next day, and the captains departed to their own ships to write up their various
reports in full for the Admiral. Of course Grahame went back with Merriman.

  Chapter 35 - Repairs and preparations for Departure

  Back aboard, Merriman lost no time before asking for reports on the condition of his ship. Mr. Laing met him, all smiles although limping about on a stick, reported that most of the repairs had already been completed. “The carpenter and his mates have repaired the two damaged gun carriages; the guns will be swayed up shortly Sir. All the damaged ropes aloft have been repaired and he reports no damage to the hull except for the bulwarks on the larboard side which as you can see are being repaired as we speak. He estimates all repairs will be completed in two or three hours. Oh yes, Sir, he requests permission to go ashore to the dockyard to obtain some new timber.”

  “He's a good man our carpenter, he'll only ask if he needs it. Have him make a list and I'll sign it. See to it if you please Colin and then sit down and take the weight off your leg.” “Yes Sir, I've also arranged for fresh water and supplies of fresh food, all that will be aboard shortly. I think that's all Sir.”

  Below, Merriman found Grahame seated with his head in his hands and with his uncle there with him. “Too much brandy James, too much brandy, I don't usually drink so much but it was hard not to with all that was going on. Wine I can take but brandy, no.” “Don't worry Sir, my head feels a bit the same but some of Peters' coffee will soon make us feel better. Peters, coffee and hurry about it.” he shouted. Peters instantly appeared with a jug of coffee and three mugs. “Knew you would want this Sir, brewed it as soon as you came aboard and I've been keeping it warm” he said in an aggrieved tone of voice.

  Thank you Peters, I should have known. I apologise for shouting at you.” Peters smiled a little and poured out the coffee, set down the jug and left the cabin. The men drank the coffee in silence, busy with their own thoughts for a while before Merriman said “I didn't say so when we were with the Admiral and the others but Egerton wasn't the one they called Le Seigneur. Before he died he said it was his wife's father, a Spaniard.”