Sails Across the Sea: A Tim Phillips Novel (War at Sea Book 8) Read Free Page A

you expect me to do about this? Ordnance decides matters like this. I might remind you, as soon as the dispatch pouch reaches us from London, you will be on your way to Gibraltar. You will take some transports with you which you will drop off for Wellington’s use. Anything you need done had best be finished by tomorrow.”
    Phillips sat in his launch thinking a bit before he ordered his cox’n to take him to the brig, where he collected his gunner.
    It was nearing the end of the working day when the men barged through the door of the shack that harbored the superintendent of the gun wharf. Greeting the suspicious official with jovial bonhomie he offered, “Mister Everson, I need some long guns for my gun brig. All she has are 32 pounder carronades and I need a few long guns that can reach out a little.”
    Everson sniffed and said, “Well Captain, I am sorry for your lack but I don’t make the rules. Your brig was ordered to be fitted with the carronades and that is what she has. Good day, Sir.”
    “Mister Everson, I realize the end of the working day is nigh and I am prepared to offer extra pay for workers to load the necessary guns and ball into my ship’s boats. We can furnish our own labor on our end.”
    “Captain, you do not understand that HM government keeps very close watch on all King’s property. Since you are not allocated the weapons, there is no way I could furnish them without running afoul of King’s justice.”
    “But what about captured enemy guns, Mister Everson? I know you have such. I sent in a prize filled with French ‘Eights’, fresh from a foundry.”
    “Well, we do have such piled up in back, mixed up with worn out British guns. When we get enough, we send them to a foundry of our own to be re-cast. The new guns are in the French caliber and would be useless to you.”
    “Mister Everson, you have no French eight pounder ball at all? I can prepare my own grape by breaking down our issue charges and remaking them.”
    With a calculating look in his eye, Everson said, “There is a stack of the French guns behind yonder warehouse. There are even a few hundred balls to fit, but I am afraid they have been stored outside and are now rusty. I think four of the guns could be removed without notice and who would care about those French ball? I would sell that material to you for say £20, but I cannot since they are King’s property.”
    “I am about to leave and it will be a few hours before the watchman comes on duty. By the way,would you care to donate £20 to our widow’s and orphan’s fund?”
    Borrowing pen and paper from the official, Phillips wrote out a note-of-hand for the sum and scribbled ‘Widows and Orphans Fund’ on the bottom of the paper. Showing the note to Gunner Andrews, he asked him to take note of the purpose of the note. “I would not care for some person to get the wrong idea about where this money is going.”
    After closely examined the paper, Everson then took the note, carefully tore the legend from the bottom, folded the paper and placed it in his pocket. I thank you for your charity, Captain. I am afraid I really must leave now. I need to find the watchman and insure that he will be coming on duty in two hours as he is scheduled.”
     
    Walking a short distance, the men spotted the launch and longboat out in the harbor as arranged previously, the men resting on their oars. The gunner hailed the boats in his loudest voice and they began moving toward shore. The bosun’s mate took a party of men equipped with tackle to the back of the warehouse to see what was required.
    A heavy tripod was already erected there with a block up in the apex. All that was required was to reeve line through the block. There were some four wheeled carts there, meant to be pulled by donkeys, but since there were none present, men would have to do.
    Another party of men went over to the stack of French eight pounder guns and levered one off the top to crash on the stone pavement.