Ramage's Diamond

'I know, sir.'

'I know you know,' Ramage said sternly, 'but for the whole of your time at sea up to now it has been your commanding officer's responsibility. Now you are the commanding officer ...’

‘I understand, sir,' said a chastened Baker.

When the lieutenant left the cabin, Southwick nodded. 'He's a good lad, that one. Not many young third lieutenants could take command of a schooner the way he did and handle that flag of truce business so well.'

'We've a lot to thank Lord St Vincent for,’ Ramage commented. 'He sent us good officers.'

The Master straightened up in his chair and said in what Ramage immediately recognized as his serious, let's-get-down-to-business voice: 'The Diamond, sir, what are we -'

Ramage held up his hand to silence him and stood up, going to the skylight and calling: 'Deck there.'

‘Benson here, sir,' the midshipman answered from the quarterdeck.

'Has Mr Baker left the ship yet?'

'Just gone, sir; boat's about thirty yards away. D'you want me to hail him, sir?'

'No, it's all right,' Ramage said, and sat down again.

Southwick looked puzzled and Ramage smiled. 'My dispatch to the Admiral told him that we had captured the Surcouf and were making her ready for sea. The Admiral will assume I meant making her ready to send her to Barbados. Very well, that dispatch is now on its way. Unfortunately the circumstances changed just after the dispatch had been sent and fresh decisions had to be made ...'

Southwick slapped his knee in a familiar gesture and grinned broadly. 'So that was why you kept shutting me up.'

'I don't know how you dare suggest that your commanding officer might be party to any deception, Mr Southwick,' Ramage said mildly. ‘Ishould have thought that up to now we were all far too busy to do anything more than write reports and see what was needed to get the Surcouf under way, after all, it was my duty to inform the Admiral immediately that a French convoy was expected, and using a schooner was the quickest way. I think any group of captains would see the necessity for that.'

'By jove, yes!' Southwick exclaimed, realizing that Ramage's mention of 'any group of captains' was a veiled reference to the officers forming a court martial. 'So now at last we have a few minutes to decide about the Surcouf. After you discovered you could commission her, sir, anyone would agree that you dare not send another schooner with a further report: that would weaken the blockade at a critical time.'

'Precisely,' Ramage said, 'since the convoy is likely to arrive any day.'

‘When do we start the work?' Southwick asked eagerly. The moment La Mutine is out of sight. I want Baker to be able to tell the Admiral in all honesty that when he last saw the Surcouf her yards were bare of sails and there had been no time for anything more than a quick inspection by the Juno's Master. That is what I say in my dispatch, incidentally.'

'We'll have those sails bent on and the ship ready for action by this time tomorrow, sir,' Southwick promised. 'How many men can I have for the Diamond?'

Ramage raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. 'What do you propose doing over there? Chase goats or let the men cut that broad-bladed grass and plait sennet hats?'

'I want to get the Surcouf's sheep landed there to start with,' Southwick said. 'Can't stand the constant baaa, and there's grazing plenty at the landing place. After that, a 12-pounder to cover the landing place - or a 6-pounder, if you'd prefer it, sir. Then two 12-pounders hoisted up on top of the Rock and another 12-pounder half-way up on the north-west side.'

'How do you propose getting the 12-pounders up to the top?' Ramage inquired mildly.

‘I’ll find a way,' Southwick said grimly. 'Give me those dozen Tritons and we'll haul 'em up with our teeth if necessary.'

Ramage shook his head. 'First, I want you to get those sails bent on the Surcouf’s yards: use every able-bodied man you can find. The Marines can help if necessary. I think we need Aitken; I'm going to call him in and put Wagstaffe in command of the Créole. You'd better rouse out one of the Surcouf’s own cables; we are going to need the one we used to tow her.'

Southwick looked puzzled. 'The ten-inch cable, sir?'

‘The only way you're going to get those guns up to the top of the Diamond is to rig a jackstay, and the other cables we have on board are seventeen inch, almost twice the weight...’

'A jackstay, sir?' Southwick exclaimed. 'But where can you secure the lower end? The water's too deep for the men to dive down and find a big rock, and anyway, that'd –‘

A dull and distant boom interrupted him.

Ramage leapt up with an oath. 'That damned battery on Diamond Hill!'

There was a shadow at the skylight. 'Captain, sir,' Wagstaffe called. 'The battery on the Hill - a single shot and it's fallen half a mile short.'

Ramage acknowledged the report and followed Southwick up the companionway. He took the telescope Wagstaffe was offering him and trained it on the ridge that ran round the Hill a third of the way up. It was too late, the smoke had drifted away in the wind and there was no sign of the guns. Suddenly he spotted a brief red glow, barely a pinpoint, and then a puff of smoke.

'Watch the fall of shot,' he snapped. 'I don't want to lose sight of the battery. A clump of six small trees permanently leaning to the west from the wind - they're growing at the eastern end of the battery, A triangular bare rock in front. Yes, there's a track running just below - probably goes round to join up with the road that runs short of the north-east side ...'

'Fell half a mile short, sir,' Wagstaffe said.

'Pass the word for the Marine Lieutenant,' Ramage said and, looking round, nodded. 'Ah, there you are, Rennick. Take the glass and fix the position of that battery in your mind. Mr Southwick has its position marked on the chart, but you'll have to get up it in the dark tonight, unless their shooting improves and we have to leave in a hurry.'

A third and a fourth shot from the battery fell half a mile short, but both were in line with the Juno. Southwick gave one of his enormous sniffs of contempt but Ramage said: They're only 6-pounders. If they were 12-pounders we'd be slipping our cable in a hurry. These fellows know what they're up to; they just don't have the range.'

'Aye, belike they'll pass the word to the Governor and he'll decide they need bigger guns,' Southwick said gloomily. 'Better we get under way now and bowl 'em over.'

'Have a look through the glass,' Ramage said patiently. 'The battery stands well back on the ridge that spirals up the mountain. Twenty or thirty yards back, as far as I can see. Once we were close enough to open fire - don't forget they have an advantage of being five hundred feet up - that ridge protects them: it's a natural rampart. We'd need mortars to lob shells over the ridge and down on to them. A bomb ketch.'

Southwick glanced at the Marine Lieutenant, who was slowly swinging the telescope down the side of the mountain and across to the long beach running to the eastward, and muttered: 'He'll never find his way up there in the dark.'

Ramage saw Rennick stiffen but continue his careful survey of the coastline. He had obviously heard Southwick's comment. Then he turned, handed the telescope to Ramage and said: 'If you can spare a boat to land me and my men at the western end of that long beach, sir, I'll have those guns. I estimate the emplacement is large enough for three, though they're only firing one for ranging. I'll get them pitched over the edge within two hours.'

Ramage nodded, pleased at the lieutenant's enthusiasm. 'You can have a couple of dozen seamen too, if you need them.'

'Thank you, sir, but my own men will be sufficient. A few extra seamen in the boat, perhaps, in case there's cavalry patrolling along the beach.'