"Best not give 'em the choice, sir, begging your pardon. Having a lot o' dunnage on deck when we hit..."
"You're quite right; it could be dangerous. Very well, belay that."
What gives a ship a personality? What makes an inert mass of timber, canvas and cordage into an almost living thing which inspires loyalty and affection among such men?
He shrugged his shoulders - a gesture noticed by a puzzled Southwick - and decided to stop thinking about it. Since it had never occurred to him to think about it before, there was no point in trying to find an answer now.
"An anchor is cleared away, Mr Southwick?"
"Aye aye, sir."
"At least we won't have to watch out for the masts going by the board."
The Master chuckled. "We must count our blessings, sir."
Snake Island was closing quickly now. Ramage glanced at Southwick's chart to refresh his memory and then lifted the telescope.
On the south side and farthest from the Triton the island ended in Punta del Soldado, Soldier's Point, a row of high hills dropping gently to a low peninsula. Nearest, on the eastern side, there were three big hills with San Ildefonso out of sight beyond. There was a small mountain, Cerro Balcón, to the north, with a higher one beyond - Monte Resaca, more than 600 feet high.
As he looked through the telescope and saw his immediate future magnified in the circle of the lens, he wondered how many Spanish telescopes on the island were watching the two hulks coming down towards them and what orders the commander of the garrison was giving to his troops to secure the capture of the two crews ... then he noticed that the wind was dying.
More than two hours passed before the Triton hit the first of the reefs. The sun was dipping towards the horizon as her keel caught the staghorn coral sticking up from the bottom like small trees. The impact broke off the tops of the coral and the ship drove on farther, swinging round broadside to the wind and waves and crunching across more coral. The splintering and groaning of timber warned that the rudder was being torn off. Two men had been at the tiller until, a few minutes earlier, Ramage had ordered them to stand clear. They watched openmouthed as it suddenly slammed over and broke off.
Then the ship stopped, heading north. Southwick had disappeared below at the first shock of impact, and Ramage waited impatiently for him to return.
He signalled to Jackson.
"Get both leadlines. Sound round the ship. Mind the lead doesn't get stuck in the coral. Aft, each quarter, amidships and either bow."
It was routine but really irrelevant. There was no question of ever refloating the ship so it would be of interest only to the court-martial trying him for the loss of the ship. He realized suddenly that he had not thought of Jamaica, Rear-Admiral Goddard or Sir Pilcher Skinner for many hours.
Southwick returned to report that the Triton had not been holed and was not making water, and Jackson reported on the depths.
Both Ramage and Southwick then used telescopes to search carefully along the whole of the eastern shore of the island, looking for any sign of troops on horseback or boats putting out, but there was no indication anyone had seen them.
"Looks safe enough," Southwick said. "No patrols or sentries, and they can't look seaward from the village."
"A lookout wouldn't show himself."
"No, sir, but we've been in sight for hours. Plenty of time to get boats ready."
"They may be ready."
"Doubt it, sir: they wouldn't want to leave it until dark to try to get through the reefs to us."
"Less risk from the reefs at night than from our guns in daylight."
"True, sir, but all the same I'm sure we haven't been spotted."
Ramage shook his head, impatiently. "If I commanded a garrison here and I saw two ships drifting down on the island, I'd keep my presence secret."
"But why, sir? Surely that would mean the seamen would be more eager to land. I mean, if they thought there was no opposition ..."
"And I'd have my men hidden, so when they stepped out of their boats or off their rafts, I'd shoot them down."
Southwick said ruefully, "You're right, sir. I only hope they haven't got a commander like you."
"There may not be a garrison here anyway," Ramage conceded. "I can't see any reason for one. I doubt if the Spaniards use the island. Just fisherfolk and some sheep and goats." And, he thought, frangipani and jacaranda, hibiscus and troupial birds singing...
As they talked they watched the Topaz. Yorke had very little steerage way; the merchantman would hit the reef more or less where the current decided. But, Ramage was pleased to see, it would be close to the Triton.
The Topaz grounded seventeen minutes after the Triton and one hundred yards farther north. She too let go an anchor and then swung broadside onto the sea, and by the time she had come to a stop, the two ships appeared to have reversed positions: the Topaz heading north seemed to be leading the Triton.
As soon as he saw the merchantman had settled, he shouted to Yorke through the speaking trumpet: "Welcome to the Triton Shoal!"
"Thank you," Yorke called back. "Sorry you beat me to it: I've always dreamed of naming a piece of territory."
"It's yours in fee simple, then," Ramage told him. "I'll put it in the log: 'Both ships grounded on the Topaz Shoal'."
Yorke swept off his hat in an exaggerated gesture. "Much obliged, m'lud, much obliged!" The two men, with throats getting sore from the prolonged shouting, discussed plans. Yorke agreed that the ship's company of the Topaz and her passengers should transfer to the Triton for the night and join them for the trip to the shore in the rafts next morning.
Ramage gave Appleby orders to set men to work chopping away a section of the bulwarks so that the rafts could be slid over the side, and as soon as he saw the axes at work he had a talk with Southwick.
"The weather looks reasonably settled now. I want to send the Marines and a dozen seamen on shore tonight with muskets to be ready to cover us as we land tomorrow morning."
Southwick nodded his head in agreement.
"They'd better start as soon as a raft is ready. I'm going to put Appleby in command of them."
"Oh, Appleby?" the Master said. "I was hoping -"
Ramage shook his head.
"Shall I tell Appleby, then, sir?"
"Yes. And tell Jackson and the master-at-arms to take three men at once to empty the spirit room. I want all the spirits brought here."
"The fish'll get drunk," Southwick commented as he went to find Appleby.
Ramage was thankful he could give the order about the kegs and barrels of rum stowed below without having sentries with muskets on guard everywhere. In all too many ships that went aground or started sinking, the accident was a signal for a number of the men to batter their way into the spirit room and drink themselves into a stupor. Often such men were the only ones drowned ... He would keep a half hogshead of rum and the rest would be poured over the side.
There was a big splash, and Ramage saw the men had successfully launched the smallest raft and were hauling it forward, while a couple of men carried newly made paddles which had been lashed into bundles.
Damn, he'd given instructions for Appleby, but now he needed him to take the raft up to the Topaz. At that moment Southwick came bustling back.
"Appleby's mustering his men, sir. I've given the key of the spirit room to the master-at-arms. With your permission I'll leave with the raft to fetch the Topaz people."
Ramage eyed the old Master.
"I didn't know you liked these boating expeditions."
"Makes a change, sir. I can do with the exercise."
Ramage eyed Southwick's pronounced belly and nodded.
Two hours later, as darkness fell, most of the people from the Topaz were on board the Triton. A dozen armed men under a mate had been left to guard the merchantman. Yorke had suggested getting all the provisions and water they needed next day and then setting fire to the ships but Ramage demurred. Both wrecks were hidden from prying eyes on the Puerto Rico coast by the bulk of Snake Island, and they had such low profiles it was possible that passing enemy ships would mistake them for some of the many low cays scattered across the area. A lot of flame by night or a big pall of smoke by day would be visible from just about everywhere - St Thomas, Vieques or Puerto Rico.