Napoleon's Guard

by Griff Hosker

  “He would have to be a silent partner.” He winked at Jonas, “It’s why I never married. Women are never a silent partner.” He drank some of his wine. “If you are serious then I would let you invest for a share of the profits. But you ought to know the sea is a dangerous place to do business and many ships sink. Suppose you invested and the ship sank?”

  “Then I would lose my money. But as the money is in a dark and hidden place right now it is not doing me any good and might as well be at the bottom of the sea. But, as you say, there is no hurry. We have to travel to London and I may decide you are right but let us just say that at the moment I would be interested in becoming a partner and buying a second ship with you. If for no other reason than it would help to pay back Count Alpini and their family who have helped me so much.”

  Captain Dinsdale laughed and slapped me heartily on the back. “You are a rum bugger and no mistake. You are a young lad but I can see that you have an old head on your shoulders. I think you are right to make the offer but we will talk more about it when we see the coast of Kent.” He raised his mug. “Let’s have a toast. New friends!”

  “New friends.”

  “The count said that when we land in London you are going up to Scotland.”

  “Yes I have something to deliver.”

  “The best route would be up the coast to Newcastle. They have colliers bringing coal from the north and they are the fastest way. You can ride across the country in two days.”

  “Thank you captain, that sounds like a good idea. I would appreciate it if you could steer me in the direction of an honest skipper.”

  “Believe me if I recommend him you will be able to trust him with your life.”

  I was slightly drunk when I retired but I was happy and I slept well. I woke with a mouth which tasted of stale wine and cheese but a bucket of salt water cleared my head. I went on deck and began to strop my razor on my leather belt. The Second Mate came over and shook his head. “I wouldn’t shave if I were you.”

  “But I shave every day.”

  “We are at sea, master, and fresh water is precious. We shave in sea water and you can’t get lather. That’s why the lads all have beards. We shave when are ashore but at sea a beard is best.”

  I put them away. “You men know your business and I will do as you advise.” And so I grew my first full beard. The queues, pigtails and moustache became a thing of the past and I became as piratical looking as the rest.

  Perhaps I tempted fate by thinking I might look like a pirate for the next day Barbary pirates found us. I had thought that the crew might panic but they went about their business calmly. The First Mate shouted over. “Captain Macgregor if you would join the gun crew on number one gun. I am sure you have fired cannon before.”

  As I went to the gun he had indicated I saw the cabin boys bringing cutlasses, hatchets, axes and muskets onto the deck and spreading them around. They also spread sand around the guns to give a firmer footing. The wizened sailor on the gun gave me a grin as I arrived. He had an alarming look. He had but two teeth in his mouth and not a hair on his head but his arms were knotted like sea anchors. “Welcome young sir. We need a bit of muscle here and I hear you were a soldier.”

  I smiled, “Aye I was and I have fought these pirates before and so I know how ruthless they are.”

  He grinned and nodded to the two young sailors. “See I told you they were bad buggers. Just because they are darkies and row their ships doesn’t mean that they aren’t nasty pieces of work.”

  After we had loaded I looked astern and saw that they were steadily beating towards us. They were sailing close together and using their oars as well as the force of the wind. One of the young men on our gun asked.”Why doesn’t the captain turn and give them a broadside?”

  Before the old gunner could speak I said, “If he does that he will have to take one out because, if he doesn’t, they will close with us and board us.”

  The old man nodded approvingly, “The young soldier is right.” He patted the gun. “These are nice guns but we would need a lot of luck to disable one of them.”

  I looked at the sky. They had chosen their moment well. They would have all day to close with us. I could see that the gap was narrowing inexorably. The cabin boys came on deck with bags of powder which they deposited next to each gun. I turned to the old gunner. “This might sound a stupid question but when the powder comes on board it is in barrels isn’t it?”

  One of the young men sniggered and was rewarded by a clip to the back of the head. “Aye sir. We have eight barrels. We don’t use it very often apart from the practice we have.”

  “I have an idea. I will see the captain.”

  I joined the captain and he took his pipe out of his mouth and pointed astern. “I take it, from your eager young face and rapid gait, that you have worked out their plan then?”

  “Yes sir. They will slowly catch us and then attack from two sides at once. They want you to turn and try to fire and then they can end it quicker. Unless the wind changes we are doomed.”

  “You have the measure of it and I do not think that the wind will change in our favour any time soon.”

  “I have an idea.” I explained my plan to the captain and the First Mate and they liked it. I was given the carpenter, the cook and the cabin boys to help me. They brought up two half empty barrels of powder. We took off the top and the carpenter dumped handfuls of nails into the top of the black, stinking powder. I took two lengths of fuse and, after the carpenter had made a hole in the top of the barrel, slipped them through. The tops were sealed and, while the cabin boys and the cook smeared the outside of the barrels with grease, the carpenter and I soaked the fuse with brandy. Once the rope was tied around them they were ready.

  “Right boys, now comes the difficult part.” We took them to the stern. The two boys and I went to one side and the carpenter and the cook went to the other. “Carefully now, lower them into the water.”

  I held my hand up until was sure that they were safely in and the fuses were not immersed. “Now pay them out and hold them.”

  “Here you are sir.” Jonas handed me the first of the two muskets he had loaded. “These are the best two muskets we have and I selected the roundest ball. Are you sure that you can hit that little fuse?”

  “The trick will be to hit them when they are close to us and then release them. Hopefully I will have cut the fuses to the right length. “Right boys pay them out.” The ropes were slowly let out until the barrels were a hundred yards away and the two xebecs less than six hundred yards away. I held the first musket and rested the end on the rail. I breathed slowly and then squeezed the trigger. “Next musket!”

  Jonas handed me the next one and began to reload the first. When the smoke cleared I saw that the first fuse was alight. “Release the first barrel.” I squeezed the trigger and waited for the smoke to clear. The second was also alight but was spluttering a little. I took the reloaded musket and fired again. This time the fuse took. “Release the second barrel.” I took the second gun which Jonas had reloaded. I watched the barrels in case the fuses went out and I had to fire again although it was unlikely that I would manage to hit such a small target. The two xebecs were so focussed on us that they failed to notice the two barrels drifting slowly towards them. When they did see them it was too late. They were about three hundred yards away from us when the first barrel exploded. The force not only demolished the oars on one xebec but it sent the other barrel much closer to the second xebec. A few moments later the second barrel exploded.

  Captain Dinsdale had been waiting for such an event and he roared, “Fire as you bear!” He threw the wheel over and as the little ship heeled over, the guns rippled out their fire at the first xebec. It was hard to see the effect with the smoke from our guns and the smoke from the explosion. He spun the wheel again and we turned. It was a slow turn compared with the sloop but eventually the other guns fired. As we returned to our course we peered astern. The oars on one side of each
xebec had been destroyed and there were gaping holes in the sides of the ships. One xebec had been dismasted and the other had so many holes that it would need a new sail. They would not be pursuing us any time soon. The crew began cheering and dancing around the deck.

  Captain Dinsdale slapped me on the back. “Fine work and we owe you much. They would have caught us within the hour. That was fine shooting.”

  “That was lucky shooting captain. Had the ship been in a rougher sea then I would not have even hit the barrel but I am glad that they did not catch us. I hate the Barbary pirates more than words can say.”

  The crew quickly returned the ship to normal. The decks were swept and cleaned, the shot and powder returned to the powder room but they all went about their business in a happy frame of mind. We had all expected some wounds and probable death and we had emerged unscathed. We enjoyed our meal that night.

  The next day we passed Gibraltar. The captain stayed well away from the naval base. We could see the battleships and frigates in the harbour. “We avoid those places. They can press seamen from any ship but especially British flagged ships. With the battles in the Mediterranean they will always be short of men and mine are the best.”

  “But didn’t you say that some of your men had served in the navy?”

  “Aye sir, the best of them.”

  “Then why are they not in the navy now?”

  “Every time there is a peace the penny pushers in the navy yard lay up ships to save money. The sailors are laid off. It is stupid really but it plays into my hands. Every time peace breaks out I get to Pompey and pick up the best.”

  I could sense telescopes focussed on us as we slipped through the straits and into the dark Atlantic. The difference was immediately obvious. The ship moved far more vertically as well as horizontally when the swells from America struck the coast of Spain. Jonas grinned at me. “Now we’ll see your sea legs.”

  I had only ever sailed on the Mediterranean and I did not know if I would be able to retain the contents of my stomach but I was determined to stay on deck and see it out. Below deck had, at best a musty smell, and when it mixed with the water from the bilges it could induce vomiting without any help from the sea. If I thought it was bad when we passed by Cadiz and the southern coast of Spain, as soon as we struck Portugal it really ripped into us. It was as though it had only been flexing its muscles and when we reached the sea beyond Lisbon then we felt its full force and the ship tossed, dipped and seemed to submerge beneath great rollers.

  “Is this a bad storm?” I mouthed to Jonas.

  He laughed, “This isn’t a storm this is normal weather and sea conditions. Now a real Atlantic storm is something else.”

  He was right and I soon became used to the sensation of being up in the air one moment and in a trough almost as deep as the ship next. That evening as we ate Captain Dinsdale confided in me that the next section, from Spain to Cape Gris Nez was the most difficult. “You see there are French privateers who are like the Barbary pirates. They hide in inlets and dart out to capture unsuspecting ships like us. We have to sail close to the coast for protection and they are much faster than we are. Then we have the French Navy. It isn’t a very good navy but just about any of them can catch us and claim that they are protecting France.”

  “Aren’t they?”

  “No, they are legalised pirates. They steal everything of value and then sell the ship to the French government.”

  “What about the crews?”

  Jonas and Captain Dinsdale looked at each other, “It is amazing how many merchant crews seem to fight to the death.”

  “You mean they are killed out of hand?”

  “I have never heard of any survivors of ships captured by the French. That is why we will be extra vigilant from now on. We are still off northern Spain but that means nothing. If you are on a deck and you see another ship then shout out; the odds are it will be Johnny Frenchman.”

  I was never a lazy man and by nature I hated being idle. I joined in whenever there was work to do and that was all the time. There were just enough men to work the ship and if things were difficult then even the officers leant a hand. I did not have much skill but I had strength and I could haul on a line and help the others. I might not be able to navigate but I could hang on to the wheel and help the men steering the ship. In short, I made myself useful. If there was naught else to do I brought hot drinks from the galley.

  We were north of Bordeaux when the accident happened. Little Jamie was one of the two cabin boys. He was not yet ten. Like all boys that age he was fearless and he would race around the deck without any regard for his own safety. It was not a bad storm but the deck was wet and slippery. He managed to lose his balance and crash into one of the guns. It was obvious to all of us that he had broken his leg. I could see the two bones sticking out from the skin their jagged edges red with his blood.

  The captain’s expression spoke volumes. There was no one aboard who could tend to the boy. Jamie was a brave little fellow and did not cry unduly. He tried to bear it stoically but I knew that he was in great pain. Jonas liked the boy and it was he who faced the captain. “We have to put him ashore captain. He needs a doctor.”

  “Are you mad? This is France? We will all be put in jail. We’ll have to see to the boy ourselves.”

  I shook my head, “You can’t do that captain. He would be crippled for life and he is too young for that.” A sudden thought entered my head. “Besides this is the Vendee. They have royalist sympathies here. Get a chart and let’s find the nearest port.”

  I suspect that I was trading on the high regard I was held in following the incident with the pirates but I did not care. Jonas found the chart and brought it on deck. He jabbed a finger at a spot just off the coast. “As near as makes no difference we are here.”

  I saw a red speck which was quite close, “St.Gilles Croix de Vie. What is that?”

  Captain Dinsdale rubbed his beard. “A quiet little fishing port. It has a nice harbour for small boats but we wouldn’t fit inside.”

  I did not know what he meant. “Could you explain?”

  Jonas did. “There is a long breakwater which protects the boats inside. We are too big to get in.”

  “But we could tie up on the sea side?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then we can take him ashore without jeopardising the ship. I can take him to a doctor. I can speak French like a native and I can pass for French. I was a French soldier until a couple of weeks ago.” I could see that I had nearly persuaded the captain.

  “You can’t do that alone.”

  “I’ll go with him.”

  “Thank you Jonas. Well captain, you are just risking us two. You will be able to get away.”

  “I don’t know. As soon as they see the flag they will send for the navy and La Rochelle is quite close to here.”

  “Have you any other flags?” He looked at me as though I was speaking Arabic. “Do you have the flag of Naples and Sicily or Malta?”

  “We have both.”

  “Then fly the flag of the owner of the cargo, Count Alpini. I can speak Italian. The French are about to become allies anyway.”

  I could see him wavering and it was Richard, the Second Mate who swung it. “Go on captain. I would hate to see the young ‘un on the beach and besides,” he grinned at me, “I think Captain Macgregor might just be able to pull this off.”

  “Very well but if I end up in a French jail you will owe me a ship.”

  We headed in, gingerly, with the flag of Naples and Sicily hanging from our jack staff. We also flew a small flag from our masthead. It was white with a blue box around and a red square in the middle. I asked Jonas what it meant and he said, “It means I require medical assistance. The doctor may not know what it means but the fishermen will.”

  The small port hove into view. I hoped that they would have a doctor. Jonas and I waited on the main deck with Jamie strapped to an improvised stretcher. We had given him brandy to knock him out and
I hoped that it would last until he had been seen to. We tied up as close to the town as we could. Neither of us carried any arms and Captain Dinsdale said, “If I think you are captured then I will push off and leave you here. I am sorry but I cannot risk the ship.”

  I looked at Jonas and he nodded, “Just do what you have to captain. We will look after ourselves.”

  I could see that the comment hurt even though I had not meant it to. Captain Dinsdale was a kind man but he was in an impossible situation. The ship was his livelihood. As soon as we tied up we stepped up on to the harbour wall and headed for the town. Jamie was all skin and bone and no weight at all. I saw a gaggle of people appear at the end of the town end of the wall. “Remember Jonas, let me do the talking.”

  “Right sir.”

  I could see a couple of National Guardsmen there as well as someone in a hat who looked like the mayor. I did not allow them to speak first instead I launched into the speech I had mentally prepared. “We need medical help. We are an Italian ship and this boy has broken his leg. Have you a doctor?”

  There were two women in the group and they gasped when they saw the wound. The man in the hat said, “I am the Mayor, Philippe Latour. We have no doctor. Have you not got one on board?”

  One of the women snorted, “Imbecile! Would they come ashore if they had a doctor?” She turned to the National Guardsman. “Don’t you have a doctor at the barracks?”

  “Yes Madame.”

  “Well go and tell him we are coming.” She turned to me. “Follow me and you get out of the way!” She flapped a hand at the mayor who reddened and scurried away. The soldiers just stood there. “Well?”

  “We are on duty here.”

  “Men! Just one of you go to the barracks then. It isn’t as though the English are going to invade right this minute is it?”

  The force of nature swept all before her and we hurried through the town. She held Jamie’s hand. “Such a shame.” She flashed a look of hatred at the man in the hat. “My husband will pay for his stupidity. He will get his own dinner tonight. How did it happen?”