“I understand that, Jack.” Daniel said. “Captain Micawber talks of his friends who fled the Confederated States of America, and how they once fought an air battle.”
“I should not wish that on anyone. Or to be below it, should it occur. Things have a terrible habit of falling from the sky to the ground, including men swept off ships. No one—no one at all—survives such a plunge. Whether there is water below you, or something you pray will break your fall, no one survives. Even if we are landed, there is forty feet from the deck to the ground, and that would kill you as well, should you fall over the side.”
Daniel knew the dangers in the RDC, like dangers elsewhere, but they had built ships with guns to fire on other ships. The Frederick here in Kimberley showcased that.
“Blast,” Lieutenant Dawkins said, and used his head to indicate Daniel needed to look somewhere.
Turning, he saw German airmen had entered. “Sir, those men were at the airfield when we left.” There was another man, dressed as a gentleman, with them.
“Yes, they’ve followed us. I expect all our crewmen on leave have been followed. I should advise the captain to cancel our leaves, but there is now really no way we can. Best we finish our drink and head back. Captain Micawber will want to ascend at dawn, and if the Germans are going to follow us all night, I expect the evening is ruined.”
Daniel nodded. “That is fine, sir. Even with an allowance, I am not sure that I can afford these Kimberley prices for more than one pitcher.”
A moment later, instead of reaching for his drink, Dawkins half rose and waved. Daniel turned again and saw Midshipman Jarndyce and Bo’sun Weller. The bo’sun said, as he sat, “Good, beer for us’m as well.” Then he leaned quietly in. “Noticed ’em sauerkrauts following ye from the airfield and thought us’m should be following ’em. Mr. Jarndyce was kind enough to join us.”
Dawkins said, “Good for you, Jarndyce. I thought we should finish here quickly and then return to the ship. Tell the captain.”
The bo’sun shook his head. “Do ye notice that cove, dressed all fine? Do ye be knowing ’im?”
Dawkins looked—stared, actually—at the Germans and the well-dressed man, and then he nodded. “Manuel Antonio de Sousa, Gouveia. The Portuguese poohbah.”
Daniel noted a sour look on both Weller and Jarndyce’s faces. “That rum cove again. He’s at the root of every evil there be here in Africa! And traveling with the sauerkrauts . . .” Weller said.
“The captain will want to know,” Jarndyce said
“Yes, he will, but first we are going to have to get back to the ship, and I think those airmen, and Gouveia, have other plans for us.” Dawkins said. “Drink up, and then, well, we will have to disrupt their plans, one way or another.”
Daniel tried to think what Lieutenant Dawkins meant. How they could disrupt what plans the Germans would have for them? Aside from the richly dressed man, there was one junior officer and four airmen. Six to four, and from the way the bo’sun looked, and cracked his knuckles, the near future likely would hold some sort of rough-housing.
By his upbringing, Daniel believed that the lower orders engage in such. But, Dawkins, Jarndyce and he were officers, and the bo’sun a leader who set an example for the airmen of the Golden Mary. The look on Jarndyce’s face showed that he was looking forward to a brawl as well.
Dawkins eyed him. “You look apprehensive, Mr. Copperfield. Have you not had your share of fights in this lifetime already? You did go to school, did you not? I did not have that luxury, but my friend Jarndyce has often told me that the boys of the lower forms learn to defend themselves over time.”
Daniel shook his head. “Yes, of course I learned to defend myself. I placed third in our pugilist championships last year at school. But I suspect there will be rather fewer rules. And there are more Germans then there are of us.”
Jarndyce chuckled, and Bo’sun Weller cracked his knuckles again. Then he reached for his mug of beer and drained it. Dawkins rose and said, “There are only two rules. Don’t get killed is the first. The second, don’t kill them.”
Daniel smiled, joining the others in rising from the table. “So, there is some sportsmanship involved?”
Weller laughed, “Sportsmanship? No, young mister. The lieutenant just doesn’t want to be answering the hard questions to a magistrate should there be any bodies left about.” And then the bo’sun seemed to find his hand stuck under the table where the Germans sat.
Dawkins had a hand on the lip of a chair that he was picking up. Jarndyce had the empty pitcher in his hand. A moment later, Weller’s hand forced up the table, and pandemonium ensued.
Dawkins crashed the chair against the back of one of the German sailors. Jarndyce brained another with the pitcher.
“Even odds now, eh, Daniel?” Jarndyce said.
Daniel did not have time to respond as one of the airmen stormed toward him, easily three stone heavier, and with longer arms. Daniel took a hurried step backwards to avoid being hit, even crushed, by such a punch. He waited for his moment, the best offense against such a large opponent.
The man Daniel faced raged that two of his comrades were down, and would make mistakes. Howsoever unprepared, Daniel and his friends had the element of surprise.
Daniel kept his forearms up like gates of a fort that blocked the enemy’s battering ram. Pain shot through his forearms each time his opponent hit, but he preferred that to strikes in the face.
In less than thirty seconds, the man had swung several times. With another blow coming high, Daniel would have a moment to land a solid shot to the man’s solar plexus. From there, all sorts of combinations might become available.
Daniel blocked the incoming blow with his left forearm, and then wound back and shot forward into the man’s middle. The German gasped for air even as Daniel recovered his defense.
From the left, Daniel heard Jarndyce yell. “Blast. You damn sauerkraut!”
Daniel couldn’t spare a moment for his fellow midshipman. He thrust at the German again. With his left fist, Daniel jabbed a punch. The German had left an opening.
Daniel aimed for the chin. He would use leverage, the chin extended, to apply torque. The man would spin to the left when the face went that way.
Daniel, though, found his aim off, or the man had moved his head a little. Daniel hit the man in his right orbital socket. He could feel the give of the German’s eye as it rolled back. A sickening feeling in his stomach and something he knew caused as much pain or more as any other solid blow.
The man staggered back a half step, and Daniel knew it was best to follow through. One, two, three hits to the ribs. Then two solid blows to the face, and this time one connected with the chin, forcing the man to start turning.
Daniel did not think his opponent would fall, but the man came crashing down. Bo’sun Weller had put out his leg to trip him. Weller’s opponent hugged the ground, crawling off. The fight looked like it was over.
“There now, Mr. Copperfield, ye has done well, sir. Better than Mr. Jarndyce who will be favoring ’is side there.” Weller said.
Dawkins put the man, de Sousa, in a chair. “You just sit there and rest, Mr. de Sousa. Rest and think about spying on Her Majesty’s officers. We both know that you are not supposed to be doing that. And consorting with these Germans. Men who instigated a barroom brawl with airmen of the RDC.
“Barkeep, Mr. de Sousa has agreed to pay for your damages, though should the constables come; these men might need a night in the city cells to cool their tempers.”
Dawkins had a small billfold and took some currency from it, then gave it back to the hands of the Portuguese man. He looked in his late fifties when Daniel could see him closer.
“I am sorry that we cannot join you for a round of drinks, Mr. de Sousa, but you will understand if we return to our ship.” Dawkins smiled again.
Then they hurried to the Golden Mary.
“Did ye manage to get anything worthwhile, Mr. Dawkins?” Weller asked as they race
d back to the ship.
“Bo’sun Weller, you do not think that I would resort to my former trade? I am one of Her Majesty’s officers!”
“Aye sir, and of course, them leopards ain’t be losing any spots, now.”
“Well, we shall just tell the captain that certain items fell from the pockets of Mr. de Sousa. I might have picked them up when they fell, and plumb forgot to return them.”
Lieutenant Dawkins removed from his jacket a sheaf of papers and proudly waved them about. Daniel had to wonder exactly what kind of education the lieutenant had gained in the streets of London.
Captain Micawber wasted little time in recalling the crew from leave and readying the Golden Mary for flight. He retired to his cabin to look at the papers that Lieutenant Dawkins had retrieved.
Two hours later, the captain paced on the starboard side of the quarterdeck. He ordered Weller, the bo’sun, to compile a roll of who had not yet returned to the ship. Daniel noted twelve missing the last quarter hour before the watch ended. One of those, a man who had tried to jump ship the last time the Golden Mary was in port in Kimberley.
Lieutenant Gay called Daniel over. “Aloft with you, Mr. Copperfield. It will be day soon and we will ascend. Your station is in the crow’s nest. There might be enough light for you to look about the streets of the city and see if any of our lads are trying to reach the ship.”
Daniel climbed up to his post. He learned later that a short debate had occurred amongst the captain and his officers. They could prepare to ascend promptly at dawn, or start preparations to ascend immediately, giving stragglers a few more minutes to return to the ship. The captain chose the latter, yet when the mooring lines were cast off and steam raised in the balloons to send them aloft, four men hadn’t returned to the ship.
Daniel did see from his glass two large parties of Germans struggling back to their own ship, with men in the groups clearly drunk and being carried. That had not happened amongst the men of the Golden Mary, though a few were unsteady on their feet.
Daniel and the lookouts reported what they saw. It was fairly evident the Frederick prepared to make way, as well. It was the laws of science that it took an idling steam engine a quarter hour to more than two hours to fill the balloons. A good deal of time to where they would create hot air to lift a ship to reach the highest it could go. The German ship would be left behind.
There was much speculation on the Fredrick’s capabilities, for it was a larger ship, and of course had a heavier weight of shot. That could be telling, for even should a good part of the broadside hit, they would feel it. Though gunnery practice, which Daniel had yet to partake of, had showed the inertia a ship of the Navy displaced was absorbed by the waves of the ocean. In the sky, the blast of a cannon pushed against the ship and caused it to alter its place in the sky.
To those on a dirigible, it felt much like jumping about on the ground. And the more guns firing at the same, or near the same time, caused the ship to take much bigger jumps.
That they had seen the German getting up steam, even as the Golden Mary made way, warranted gunnery practice that day. The captain briefed the officers after the course was laid in. A slight change to course had been made. They steered not for Pretoria, but for a bank of clouds.
The Captain said he hoped the clouds would be big enough for them to get lost in, else, he said, “We shall have to lose these fellows this night, which is easily done, just as if we were at sea. We shall have to run with no light, of course, for here, in the sky without clouds on such a night, a light can be seen for miles. We do not head for Pretoria directly, gentlemen.”
The captain pointed to a spot on the chart. “Lieutenant Bagnell and I have thought that we need to patrol this area. The men who have taken the diamonds should be reaching this area sometime no sooner than tomorrow. I know it encompasses a lot of empty space, but we have a great platform that can see for scores of miles from the sky. I intend that we should espy any caravan of men, and then set down and question them. Even search them, should it be necessary to do so.”
Lieutenant Gay spoke up. “Sir, such men will have rights, and they will be armed.”
“They do have rights, but we shall be armed as well. Cannister and grape will play hell from our twelve pounders. The Marines also have a few sharpshooters, I believe. Is that not so, Lieutenant Bagnell?”
“Yes, sir,” the Royal Marine commander replied.
“We shall make it seem innocuous enough. Ensign Baldrick, Mr. Copperfield, and Mr. Weller shall head the party.” Why Captain Micawber chose him was a mystery. The man said he did not plan to play favorites based on their ancient connection.
The captain explained. “Can’t afford any of you lieutenants should we have to fire, and you young gentlemen, Copperfield is the oldest man amongst you. These Boers, I expect, will be older still. Even older than Mr. Bunsby.”
That brought a smile, but it did not bode well for the junior warrants’ mess, where the midshipmen ate. Daniel knew that the rest of the midshipmen would be upset. He also knew, if they could not see it, going amongst the Boers they found would be very dangerous. Perhaps a chance to win glory, but more of a chance to win a bullet. He had not been in country a week, and he knew the Boers were considered excellent marksmen.
They shot from greater distances than soldiers of the Army or Royal Marines, with much better accuracy. With the Zulu War over, perhaps it was expected that there would be a war against the Boers.
Daniel had three hours sleep before he was crudely awakened by Jarndyce. “Hurry, you bleedin’ nummie. The call is clear for action and you’ve already lost three minutes!” Jarndyce was laying it on.
All the other midshipman had to do was get aloft with the top-men. Jarndyce had bruised ribs from the fight at the Three Cripples, so had light duty. Daniel oversaw the gun crews’ readiness, clearing the decks of all the crew’s dunnage in the middeck. Midshipmen lived a deck below that, and their space, if needed, would be turned over to Mr. Sawyer and the surgery.
During gun practice, few injuries resulted for the doctor to respond to. With a few seconds to spare, Daniel joined Lieutenant Dawkins in the middle of the deck, and saw that Wemmick had taken care of the starboard side of the ship. Gunner’s mate Tartar had taken care of the port watch, the half of the deck that nominally reported to Daniel. All was well and ready with them.
Sub-Lieutenant Dawkins said to him, “Right. The captain is going to look for two things: accuracy and speed. We don’t have an up-roll; no seas to contend with. Just the wind and the force of our own making. If we could, we would fire guns on opposite sides of the ship at the same instance. The force would cancel itself out, but then half of the ordinance would fly off to no avail, and we already have spoken about those on the ground below, if there should be anyone below, are apt to not appreciate such gestures. A twelve-pound ball makes a small crater when it lands on the ground. The higher up we are, the larger the crater.”
New books were being written about gunnery practice in the sky, and more math was used to triangulate where the guns were to be aimed. Simple balloons, with weights, often were sent off and the ship moved a little further on, before doubling back for the practice. But should shot hit the balloon, as it frequently did, then another launched from the ship. Hence, triangulation and mathematics. The captain asked that shot be aimed for a space, often a hundred yards ahead of the balloons, and all would train their glasses to see how well the crews achieved this.
Daniel had participated in gunnery practice while at sea, in transit to the South African station. He found it shatteringly noisy on the dirigible, as it had been aboard a seagoing vessel. Yet with care and attention to detail, the shots rang truer. One less dimension of calculation that was more art than craft. There was no effect of waves upon the shot.
Captain Micawber’s displeasure at the results was noticeable. His foul mood showed in his appearance and choice of words. He had much to say to Lieutenant Gay. They did this in the captain’s cabin, the d
oor closed. Yet ships are built thinly, so what was said was overheard by one crewman or another.
The captain asserted that their accuracy was fine, but the British Navy ruled the waves, and, he hoped, the sky, from the speed of their delivery of such shot. The British always got away three or four volleys, outpacing their enemies’ two. It meant that a ship with fewer weight of shot could defeat a larger ship.
That, every schoolboy knew to be true.
Something Daniel turned his mind to. Six gun crews were his responsibility on the middeck. He talked to the gun captains that evening after supper, and also the gunner’s mate for his watch. Daniel worried action might be soon. Throughout the day, they could not shake the sight of the Frederick tracking them.
Night came, and darkness. Every five minutes, give or take, the captain ordered a light be put out. It took two hours, the ship becoming blackened. Three lights remained, and the captain ordered the apparatus that the carpenter had put together.
The Frederick followed three or more miles behind. They could clearly see lights on the ship which followed them.
“Light the decoy, and prepare to douse our lights,” Captain Micawber ordered.
The three lights on the decoy were set, and the last lights aboard the Golden Mary then doused. The decoy was set to go forward on the course they had been heading with the wind, and generally towards Pretoria, while the ship went helm over and rose higher, with the making of more steam in the last of the six balloons.
To curb the noise the ship made, when they reached their new elevation, the propellers were turned off, and the steam engine idled. The ship lost altitude but was now on a new course. The sails also were brought down to eliminate the sound of their flapping in the wind. For three quiet hours they watched as the Frederick’s lights passed on the old course, on its way to Pretoria.
Mechanized Masterpieces: A Steampunk Anthology Page 10
