Once again Goddard was on his feet. "This is absurd! She was full of Frenchmen and -"
Napier rapped the table and Goddard broke off.
"This is the second time the court has had to warn the prosecution ..."
Goddard sat down like a sulky schoolboy, and Napier continued: "The witness will answer the question."
"She was a fairly large ship. She came up from astern -"
"What was the position you had assigned to her in the convoy?" Ramage interrupted quietly, and saw the heads of all seven captains jerk up in surprise.
"She was the eighth ship in the starboard column."
"The last ship in the column led by the Topaz?"
"Yes."
"When did the ship join the convoy?"
"I ought to explain that-"
Napier rapped the table. "Please just answer the question; you are not allowed to make statements."
"I can't be forced to incriminate..." Croucher began unhappily. He broke off as Goddard stared at him coldly. Slowly, as though they were the guns of a broadside, the seven captains turned to look at Goddard, those sitting with their backs to him swivelling round in their chairs.
"Do you wish the court to be cleared while this point is decided?" Napier asked Goddard.
"I don't know what the witness is talking about," Goddard said.
"Very well," Napier said crisply, and turned back to Croucher. "You will answer the question."
Croucher took a deep breath. "She joined the convoy in Barbados."
"A British ship?"
"No. Yes, I mean..."
Robinson held up his hand.
"The court understood you to say she was a French privateer."
"Well, she was!"
"But you have just said she was a British ship."
"We thought she was," Croucher said desperately. "She had all the correct papers. Her master claimed she was a runner and wanted to join the convoy to Jamaica. He said the route to Jamaica was thick with privateers!"
Captain Innes began laughing until he saw Napier frowning at him and gesturing to Ramage to continue. Ramage took out his watch and looked at the time, then asked: "Was any report made to you or to the Admiral about the behaviour of this ship at any time before she attacked the Topaz?”
"Yes," Croucher said grudgingly.
"Was this report in writing or verbal?"
"In writing."
"Do you have the report with you?"
"No."
"Do you recall what it said?"
Napier interrupted. "I'm not too sure whether the court ought not to insist on this report being put in as evidence."
"It is available, if required," Goddard said.
"Very well. Continue."
"It said, to the best of my recollection, that the ship - the Peacock was her name - had ranged up abreast her next ahead in the previous night."
"Did it say any more?"
"Well, it hinted that something might be wrong."
"Who made that written report?"
"You did."
"And what was the distance of the Triton from the ship ahead of the Peacock?”
"Well, the ships were a cable astern of each other. Six cables."
"So in the darkness the Triton's lookouts had spotted a suspicious movement twelve hundred yards away."
"I suppose so."
"What action was taken over this report?"
"A frigate was sent to investigate," Croucher exclaimed triumphantly, glad to have some positive evidence to give.
"What did she do?"
"She reported that all was well."
"I asked what she did, not what she reported."
"Well, she went close to the other merchantman and hailed her."
"Do you know now who in fact answered the frigate's hail?"
"Yes, a French prize crew."
"How did a French prize crew come to be on board her?"
"They had been put on board the previous night by the Peacock."
"Thank you," Ramage said heavily. "You gave evidence that on the night that the Peacock attacked the Topaz, the Triton engaged her. Do you think the Triton's fire drove off the Peacock, or contributed to her capture?"
"Not that I know of," Croucher said. "It was the alertness of the Topaz's own officers and the bravery of her own crew with the assistance of the Greyhound."
"How can you be sure?"
"The captain of the Topaz boarded the Lion the next day and made a report to the Admiral."
"In writing?"
"No, verbally, I understand."
"Do you have my written report on the episode?"
"No," Croucher said nervously, glancing at Goddard. "You made no such report."
Ramage's jaw dropped. He looked over at Goddard, who was staring at him, his eyes hate-laden and triumphant. So he had managed to persuade Croucher to condone the deliberate suppression of evidence.
"Did you make any charges or remonstrances when I came on board the Lion on the morning after the attack?"
"You know very well that the Admiral did. And I gather that Mr Yorke, the Master of the Topaz, did so as well."
Napier was watching Ramage, expecting a protest from him about hearsay evidence, but Ramage rubbed the scar over his brow and could not resist asking: "Did Mr Yorke make any specific accusations of cowardice?"
"I was not there," Croucher said lamely. "But I gather he was very bitter against you."
"He accused me of cowardice?"
"So I was told."
"And anything else?"
"I understand that he said you'd nearly been the death of his passengers, and that he was going to complain to the Commander-in-Chief."
"Did he?"
"No. They were all drowned in the hurricane."
"Did Mr Yorke make any written accusations of cowardice?"
"The Admiral thought it unnecessary. There was no hint that such a tragedy would overtake them. It could have been done on arrival at Kingston."
"Did the captain of the Greyhound frigate make any written report about the Peacock's attack?"
"He probably did, but it was not delivered to the flagship."
Ramage glanced at his watch again to have time to think. Croucher puzzled him. The man seemed nervous, many of his answers were qualified and the quick glances at Goddard seemed to indicate that he was giving evidence against his will and trying to say the minimum that would gain him Goddard's approval. Had Croucher at last seen the Admiral for what he was? Had his behaviour in the hurricane finally sickened him? Plenty of questions, Ramage thought sourly, and damned few answers...
"I have only two more questions. From what you saw, from your own professional knowledge and experience, do you consider I was guilty of cowardice during the attack by the Peacock?"
"I was too far away to see everything."
"Do you consider the accusation of cowardice made against me by Mr Yorke of the Topaz was justified?"
"From what I have heard of the incident, yes."
"Thank you. I have no more questions."
The seven captains were looking at Ramage as though he had gone mad. The deputy judge advocate's pen had been flying over the paper and he had been feverishly pushing his spectacles back as they kept sliding down his nose.
Croucher looked uneasy. His earlier doubts about his estimate of distances were of little consequence but Ramage's questions had brought out how little he knew from his own experience and how much he had heard from Goddard.
Syme began reading back the evidence and Ramage sat down and pulled out his watch again. Syme had five minutes to get through it and have Croucher sign it as a correct record of his evidence.