In Distant Waters Read Online Free PDF Page B

being unjustly hard on a conscientious officer.
    â€˜It’s high summer hereabouts, Mr Fraser, though it has a damned uncivil way of showing it, but I want the men worked . . . d’ye hear? Worked, sir, and damned hard. Not a single task that ain’t necessary . . . I’ll have no gratuitous hazing, but I want every man-jack of’em to know that they don’t refuse to go aloft on
my
ship!’
    Drinkwater drew breath, his anger at his predicament concentrated on the helpless Fraser.
    â€˜Aye, aye, sir.’ But the first lieutenant hesitated.
    â€˜Well, Mr Fraser? What’s the trouble?’
    â€˜Well, sir . . . such tasks . . . we’ve sent down the foretopmast . . .’
    â€˜Tasks? Are you suggesting your imagination cannot supply
tasks
? Good God man, was there ever a want of tasks on a man-o’-war?’
    It was clear that Fraser’s imagination fell somewhat short of Drinkwater’s expectation. The captain sighed resignedly as the frigate lurched and trembled. A sea smashed against her weather bow and the spray whipped aft, stinging their faces.
    â€˜Turn up all watches, Mr Fraser. I want the people worked until they drop. I don’t care that it blows a gale, nor that the ship’s doing a dido, or that every man-jack of ’em hates my lights by sunset, but we had one brush with an enemy off the Orkneys that I don’t want repeated . . . and that ship we sighted this morning, be he Don or Devil, bore
two
decks of guns. If we have to fight her in our present condition, Mr Fraser, I’ll not answer for the consequences . . . d’you comprehend my meaning? And I mean the officers to turn-out too . . .’
    â€˜The officers, sir?’ Fraser’s jaw dropped a little further. Anxiety about the unstable state of the crew and the captain’s reaction to their behaviour this morning was worming his belly. Drinkwater pressed relentlessly on.
    â€˜Now, as to tasks, Mr Fraser, you may rattle down the lower shrouds, slush the new topmast and reeve a new heel-rope. I don’t doubt an inspection of the gun-deck will reveal a few of the gun-lashings working and the same goes for the boat gripes. Let’s have the well sounded hourly and kept dry as a parson’s throat. Have the gunner detail a party to make up more cartridges, the quarter-gunners to reknap the flints in the upper deck gun-locks and overhaul the shot lockers. Turn a party to on scaling the worst-corroded balls and send some men to change all the shot in the garlands. Get an officer aloft with a midshipman and a pencil to carry out an examination of all the spars for further shakes and let me have their findings in writing . . .’
    Fraser caught the reproach in Drinkwater’s eyes and coloured at his own negligence. He had taken so much of
Patrician
’s gearfrom the dockyard on trust, since she had been so recently refitted after being cut down to a razée.
    â€˜Yes, sir.’
    â€˜Very well. You can carry out an inventory of the tradesmen’s stores and have a party assist the cooper to stum some casks ready for watering and if that ain’t enough, Mr Fraser, do not neglect the fact that we lost two good topsails this morning . . . in short, sir, I want you to
radoub
the ship!’
    â€˜Aye, sir . . .’
    â€˜And the officers are to take an active part, Mr Fraser . . . no driving the men, I want ’em
led
, sir,
led
by officers so that, when the time comes, they’ll follow without hesitation . . .’
    â€˜The time, sir . . . ?’ Fraser essayed curiously catching a moment of mellowing by the captain.
    â€˜Aye, Mr Fraser . . . the time . . . which may catch a ship at a disadvantage and deliver her to the devil in an instant.’
    â€˜Or a Don,