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

A heavy mat was laid down beside it and the barrel was rolled onto the mat. Men tailed onto the lines running from the mat, and it was hauled over to the tripod.
    The bosun made a cradle of line secured to the gun and another party dragged the gun, mat and all to the block, then hoisting the gun so a cart could be manhandled under it. Using drag lines to the cart, the gun barrel was hauled out onto the wharf. When three other guns were beside the first on the wharf, Phillips signaled Midshipman Orson to open the dark lantern for a few seconds. Soon an answering dim light flashed from the ship and the brig began to move. She ghosted across the harbor until she came up to the wharf. Crewmen on board tossed the mooring cables which were made fast to bollards on the dock.
    Now, the brig’s main yard was swung out over the dock and with the aid of tackle, the first gun was hoisted off its cart. The load swung violently until men on the drag ropes damped its movement, then men on the brig’s capstan wound the weight straight up. After the gun cleared the ship’s side, the main yard was hauled around and the load deposited on deck.
    When the other three guns were lying beside the first on mats, the brig was cast off from the dock and she proceeded to sea. Captain Phillips had alerted the port authorities that he would be proceeding out to practice gun drill after dark.
     
     
     

CHAPTER FIVE
     
     
    That is what the brig spent the evening doing, thundering away with the big carronades. While his men could use the practice, of course, the real purpose was to give the brig an excuse to be moving during the evening. Normally, of course, he would be forbidden by Admiralty custom from doing all this live fire, but he had purchased powder and shot with his own money. The Navy would take no adverse notice of that.
    While the thundering was going on, Chips and his crew were in the process of constructing a gun carriage to hold the first French gun. They were nearly finished when the ship returned to harbor.
    Chips reported to Phillips he would need more good oak timber to make the other three gun carriages as well as the iron fastenings. There was a portable forge in the brig which one of the landsmen, a former farrier, could use to make those fittings, but they had no charcoal for it. Phillips had a whole list of material he needed to acquire soon.
     
    It was three days later when Phillips finally was called to the Admiral’s shore office and was told the long awaited pouches had arrived from London. He was to escort four transports to the Spanish coast, find where General Wellesley wanted the supplies, then proceed on Gibraltar for further orders.
     
    With the newly purchased supplies brought aboard and stored, Terrier set sail. She picked up her convoy at Spithead and proceeded on her way. Training was continuous for the next days, both on board the escort brig and the transports. Terrier kept to windward of the flock so that she could swoop down on any misguided privateer that might attempt to destroy the tranquility of the voyage.
    Nearing Brest, a pair of luggers were spotted who were taking a suspicious interest in the convoy. Built as normal fishing boats, these particular craft had a few guns aboard and a large number of men to serve as boarders. Given the chance, one could swoop down on a poorly guarded merchant, overpower her crew and carry her off in a flash. Phillips instructed Hawkins to have the guns loaded with grape. The eight pounder gun carriages were not finished yet, so they would rely on the carronades.
    The predator boats had apparently worked out a strategy of getting a single transport separated from the convoy. Once they had driven it far enough away, it could be attacked and captured. The presumption of course, was these boats were faster than either the escort brig or the individual ships of the convoy.
    Phillips did not think so. Watching the boats he could tell when they were sailing well, and he