Buckner
passed the papers behind him without looking at them. His lips set in a tight
line, but his voice was thin and weak. 'Do you understand that I have no
authority to concede on any point?'
Muttered discontent
rose to shouts. 'Why did yer come, then?' It was McCarthy. 'Keep an eye t'
wind'd, Admiral, we c'n easily set yez ashore like we did before.'
Davis
looked round and glared.
'You may,' said
Buckner, quavering in his indignation, 'but I also have my instructions, which
are that I may not even discuss any points you might bring forward.'
So engrossed were the
seamen with the drama on the quarterdeck that they did not notice Parker appear
from the main-hatchway. He strode quickly to the admiral and, without ceremony,
deftly detached him from the confrontation.
Kydd followed and
stormed over to the delegates. 'What the blazes are ye about, y' swabs?
Couldn't y' wait f'r Dick?'
Hulme scowled. 'What's
ter wait, cock? We done the talkin', we done the votin', admiral lies to,
waitin' fer a steer — where's Parker?' His lip curled contemptuously. 'Not as
'oo should say, a real copper-bottomed pres-i-dent!'
The admiral and Parker
returned. Buckner faced the delegates. 'Ahem. I have your er, articles, and I
shall send these by special rider to the Admiralty this very hour, together
with my recommendation for their early attention. But this I have to tell you,
I am not sanguine as to their reception.' His face sagged in fatigue, and his
voice was barely above a sigh. 'But I beg you once more, do you please accept
His Majesty's gracious pardon and return to duty.'
McCarthy sidled round
until he was behind Parker. He leaned forward and whispered hoarsely, 'Why don'
ye settle him?' There was a scandalised pause until it was evident that no one
was going to notice the provocation.
Parker crossed to the
main-hatchway, gesturing unmistakably. 'Thank you for your visit, sir, we will
not delay you further. Mr Davis!'
As soon as the admiral
was clear of the ship, Parker turned on McCarthy. 'You lubberly knave! Do you
think to destroy our reputation? Damned rogue!'
'Scrag the bastard!'
Hulme shouted, and a dozen seamen threw themselves at McCarthy. Held by others,
a halter was fashioned from a running bowline, and he was dragged forward along
the deck.
Terrified, clawing at
the tightening noose, McCarthy gurgled, 'What've I done, mates? What're yer
doin'?'
'Let him go!' Parker shouted, but it had
no effect. Stepping forward Kydd bawled at the leaders of the horseplay, but
they obviously wanted their sport. Something snapped: he threw himself at the
men, taking blows and giving them. Others joined in until the master-at-arms
and boatswain's mates intervened.
'We gives him a trial
first — a court martial,' Kydd snarled. They frog-marched McCarthy below to the
Great Cabin and lashed him struggling in a chair.
'Court comes ter order,' growled Davis.
'Stands accused o' sedition.'
Parker
arrived, breathless. 'You can't do this!'
'Guilty!' spat Hulme, who had taken a
punch that had bloodied his nose.
'What
are you about? This man—'
'Who votes fer guilty?' More seamen
crowded into the cabin. 'Is there any who'll speak fer Charles McCarthy?' No
one offered.
'It's m' sad dooty to
pass sentence on yez, McCarthy. Are ye prepared?' The rope was produced again -
but the sentence turned out to be one of transportation.
'Take him away!' He was thrown in a
boat, turned out of his ship.
Kydd watched, brooding,
but Parker was clearly nettled. 'At times I despair of the quality of these
men's devotion to the cause we all share.'
The following day was sulky, grey
and cool. Drizzle hung in slowly moving curtains over the Nore.
The morning wore on,
but there was no word. Then a rumour came from ashore; it seemed extraordinary,
but Admiral Buckner had been seen wandering about the dockyard, stopping any
sailor he could find and urging him to persuade the delegates to submit; the
Admiralty would never agree to terms.
'It seems apparent to
me,' Parker said, 'that the cowardly knave has had his answer from their
lordships, and is frightened to tell us.' His assessment seemed reasonable, and
Davis went ashore to seek out the old man and find the truth.
The mutineer captain of
Sandwich returned within the hour.
'So that's it,' Parker said, sitting
suddenly. Davis remained standing, his arms folded. 'Did he give any hope of a
parley?'
Davis shook his head. 'Nope. My
feelin' is that he's got a cast-iron "no" fr'm their fuckin'
lordships, an' is too yeller t' tell us ter our faces.'
Parker stared at the
table, his face grey. 'This I don't understand. At Spithead they talked with
the delegates, the board came down to listen, they agreed their demands. Why
don't they do the same for us? Why are we treated like lepers, criminals?' His
voice tailed off in dismay.
'So
what d' we do, then, Dick?' Kydd asked gently.
'Do?' With rising anger
Davis pushed forward and said forcefully, 'We got a pardon not worth a brass
razoo, no hope o' getting' our gripes heard, an' now no clear ways ahead.'
Parker raised his head.
'Possibly it might now be time—'
'Ain't no way we c'n
back-water on this'n,' Davis broke in. 'Our necks 're in a noose soon's we give
it in. I reckon there's only one course t' steer. We show we means what we
says. An' goes at it hard, like.'
'That's what we do, no
doubt about it. It's the only way we're going t' get them to see we're not f'r
turnin',' Kydd agreed vigorously.
Parker
gave a ghost of a smile.
Sailors began landing in numbers, each
with a red cockade in his hat. The processions started again but there was no
festive mood, no hilarity. Instead it was a march of grim-faced seamen preceded
by a huge red flag, damp and streaming in the oppressive drizzle.
Townsfolk watched
apprehensively, sensing the mood of anger and frustration. Some called
encouragement but for most it was a disturbing, frightening sight - jolly Jack
Tar in an ugly mood.
Aboard Sandwich a meeting
was called. Parker, pale-faced but resolute, addressed the Parliament. 'We need
to step up our vigilance, keep a strong hand in our discipline.' The assembled
delegates waited. 'I have here a list of proposed regulations that we—'
'Enough of yer soddin' regulations!
Let's 'ave some action, blast yer eyes!'
'The chair recognises
Brother Blake, Inflexible? said Parker warily.
'Are we sittin' around
here while they waits us out? Be buggered we are! Look, I heard there's
soldiers on th' march fr'm Chatham, comin' over King's Ferry now. So how about
some regulations fer that, Mr President?'
The news caused a buzz
of dismay, but the fire-breathing Blake stood up and challenged, 'Strike
Admiral Buckner's pennant, an' hoist the Bloody Flag fr'm the masthead instead.
Every fuckin' man-o'-war t' do the same and be damned t' any who stand in th'
way of justice an' our rights!'
In the animated
discussion that followed, Parker rapped on the table. 'It's more serious than
that. If they are moving troops against us, when we have always been peaceable,
we are betrayed, brothers. And we can do only one of two things. Surrender
without a pardon, or resist. I leave it to this meeting to decide.'
Kydd laid down his quill while argument
raged. Soldiers, sent to Sheerness Fort no doubt. Did this mean a deliberate
act of encirclement or was it something more innocent? Whatever the reason,
Parker was right: their alternatives were few. Their only chance now was a showof
strength to persuade the Admiralty that negotiation was in their own best interest.
He raised his voice stoutly over the din. 'We take steps t' secure the fleet.'
'An' what's that
supposed ter mean?' Blake stared at him suspiciously. Kydd was not a delegate
and had no right to speak, but he was given a hearing.
'All ships t' shift
moorings t' the Great Nore, ground tackle down so's we're in a defensive
circle, that sort o' thing. Then f'r sure they can't come close without we c'n
greet 'em with a broadside. They'll never try that, so we'll be safe 'n' snug.'
'Um, intelligent,'
Parker mused. 'They can't accuse us of an offensive action, no provocation, but
by this we render ourselves quite beyond their power to harm us.'
'What about th'
standin' force o' gunboats?' Hulme had made little contribution so far, but
this idea was good. Sheerness as a naval port had its local defences, and these
included a small squadron of gunboats.
'We helps ourselves, in
course,' said Blake warmly. 'An' then we has th' buggers around us t' see off
any cuttin' out tricks b' boats.'
'Er, it sounds a useful
move, I'll admit,' said Parker doubtfully. 'We must suppose that if we leave
them, they may well be used against us. Very well, we make our plans.'
One by one the men-o'-war of the
Nore took up their positions; concentrated in a double crescent their combined
broadsides were a fearsome threat. Every vessel in Sheerness that could sail
was brought out to join the fleet. Some were fearful of the way things were
shaping, and a certain amount of coercion, sometimes forceful, was employed.
The column of soldiers
made their appearance on the Queenborough road - two full regiments — but they
turned out to be militia, and succumbed quickly to the antics of the seamen
ashore, who ran alongside taunting or striking up patriotic songs. The soldiers
straggled into their barracks in disarray.
In the dockyard the
sailors found allies among the shipwrights. In sympathy with the wronged seamen
they resolved never to take any vessel for repair unless it was flying a red flag
at main. Blue Town loyally urged on the sailors they had taken to their hearts,
and when a flotilla of armed boats from the fleet swept round the point they
were roundly cheered.
Eight gunboats were
boarded and carried, with most crews joining the mutineers. Without delay, they
set out to join the fleet.
'Should be comin' in sight any minute,'
said Kydd to Parker, clamping his telescope against a shroud.
'And I'd never have considered Blake the
man to do it,' Parker said.
Kydd looked out over
the low-lying fortifications. 'He's a short-fused beggar, I know, but he's the
kind o' man y'd like next to you in a boardin'.' He saw the masts. 'Here they
come, thanks be.'
The gunboats drew
abreast of Garrison Point. Then came a jet of smoke and the thud of a gun. The
next vessel passed; it also fired. And the next took its turn. There was no
mistaking this time: an untidy scatter of black fragments leaped skywards.
'Jesus!' shouted Kydd. 'They're bombardin' the fort!'
Chapter 9
‘Kind in you, Dundas — my own shed a
wheel this morning, most aggravatin'.'
The Secretary of State
for War did not appear particularly communicative, staring out of his carriage
window at the sunset traffic on the Thames as they passed over Westminster
Bridge.
'Billy Pitt must be hell-bent on some
adventure, callin' a cabinet meeting at such a notice,' Windham, leader of the
Commons, offered.
'He has much to consairn him.' The burr
of a lowland Scot had not entirely left the secretary, but Windham knew that,
of all men, Dundas was closest to the beleaguered prime minister. 'Know it for
a fact that Lord Moira is tappin' his friends with a view to bringing him and
his gov'ment down — wants Northumberland as premier an' Fox to be a minister.'