Black August

Crowder was still kneeling on the floor, and had Kenyon arrived a second earlier he would have had him at his mercy. As it was the stoker's revolver was in his hand again and pointed upward at the middle of Kenyon's body. For a moment they remained, rigid, glaring into the barrels of each other's pistols.

'Stalemate,' panted Kenyon. 'If I fire, your gun will go off and get me. If you fire my finger will contract on the trigger and I'll get you how about it?'

'You're right.' Crowder came slowly to his full height.

'Lay your gun on the table and I'll put mine there too,' Kenyon lowered his pistol a fraction to encourage the leader of the mutineers. Then watching each other like cats, the two men put down their weapons, and stood one either end of the long table.

'What have we 'it?' demanded Crowder.

'We've been slap through a drifter.'

'Gawd! The poor blighters!'

'Do you think the ship is damaged?'

'What, the old hooker! She'd go through a drifter like a slab of butter, but we may have sprung a plate or two.'

'How can we find that out?'

'I'd better nip forward with some of the lads and have a looksee.'

In the sudden anxiety that they might be about to sink, both had momentarily allowed the mutiny to take second place, but they were brought back to it by Kenyon saying:

'Do you realise that the forepart of the ship is in our hands?'

'I know that an' I'm wondering how you ever got aft.'

'Crawled through your men in the dark with Sims here. It was he who put me up to the dodge of coming down the hatch, but how about making certain that the ship is all right?'

'Well, I can't go forward if your people are going to snipe at me, can I? What do you say to a bit of a truce?'

'Why not?' Kenyon drew himself up. 'I'm willing and you seem a sensible sort of chap; can't we agree to stop this slaughter altogether?'

'Yes, if you're prepared to accept me as Captain of the ship.'

'No, I can't do that. Your men would murder the General if they got hold of him, and I'll be frank with you, I'm scared for the ladies too. Even if you are giving me a straight deal, could you guarantee to protect them from a mutinous crew?'

'I couldn't, and I wouldn't have time to try.'

'Well, that's straight, anyway.'

For a moment there was silence while the two men considered the situation.

'Look here,' said Crowder suddenly, 'there's more of us nor what there is of you so I'll get you in the end won't I?'

'The odds are certainly in your favour.'

'Well, when I have, the hooker' be mine, won't it?'

'What's left of it; we may be damaged now.'

'Then I'm game to meet you 'alf way. We're makin' 'Arwich so I'll let you have a boat an' all the gear and you can 'op it for the nearest spot of mud.'

'All of us?' asked Kenyon quickly.

'Yes, all of you. An' to be honest I'd a sight sooner have the women out of it. If we kill your lot off there'll only be trouble among the men as to who get's at 'em first.'

'What about the badly wounded who've been fighting on our side?'

'Any who's not fit to be moved I'll take care of and put ashore later they'll be treated same as those who've copped it in our bunch.'

'You'll give us food and drink, and let us take our arms, ammunition, and Lewis guns?'

'Yes, them's the terms; I've no love o' killing for killin's sake, an' if you clear out it'll save life on both sides.'

Kenyon eyed his man for a moment. 'No tricks?'

'No, I'm a man o' me word.'

'All right, I agree to your terms.'

Crowder nodded, and picking up his pistol stuffed it in his belt. 'It'll be a bit o' time yet before we make 'Arwich, would you like to join your crowd on the fo'c'sle or will I send them down here?'

'A heavy spray was coming over the fo’c’sle when I came down,' said Kenyon slowly, 'so I think the ladies had better remain here and I prefer not to leave them again. Perhaps it would be best if you took Sims forward to explain to Mr. Marker what we have arranged, then he can come down or stay there as he likes. You'll accept Stoker Crowder's word that its all right, won't you, Sims?'

'Ay, ay, sir,' the Petty Officer agreed. 'I'll just close down this hatch though before I leave you in case someone takes a fancy to have a pot at you from the deck while we're away.'

'I'll shoot the first man wot tries any monkey tricks,' said Crowder gruffly. 'Come on, Sims, let's put a stop to that scrapping; they're still at it on the for'ard deck.'

'If Mr. Harker elects to stay up there you might ask him to send me down a couple of men will you?' Kenyon added. 'I'd like some help to clear up this.'

Fanshawe's dead body lay on the deck and a puddle of blood had trickled from his head. Brisket was crouching in a corner whimpering and groaning as he rocked to and fro, his hand clasped to his injured eye. The stoker pulled him to his feet and half led, half carried him out, throwing over his shoulder to Kenyon: 'I’ll send a couple o' your chaps unless the lot comes down.'

Sims, having secured the hatch, followed him from the wardroom and Kenyon was left alone with the two girls. Ann had sunk down on the settee and was weeping pitifully upon Veronica's shoulder. She had kept her nerve through the ordeal with Brisket but now that it was over all restraint had left her. She clutched the elder girl desperately while large tears welled from under her eyelids and coursed "silently down her cheeks. Her small body shook with the stress of her emotion.

Kenyon, who knew his sister more intimately than most of her closest friends, was well aware that her cynical irreverent humour was only an outer armour against the world, but even he was amazed by the soft natural phrases she used to soothe Ann's terror and distress.

A few moments later Rudd and his satellite the Grey shirt, Bob, appeared. The former grinned at Kenyon.

'Mr. 'Arker's compliments, sir, an' 'e sends 'is congrats on the Peace Treaty. An' there ain't no serious damage to the ship. Bein' 'is size 'e'd be certain to float all right, 'e sez, but 'e always did 'ate water.'

Between them they removed the Lieutenant Commander's body and cleaned up the wardroom. Rudd produced a bottle of brandy from the pantry and Ann was given a strong tot, after which her sobbing ceased and she lay with closed eyes against Veronica's shoulder.

For a seemingly interminable time the ship raced on into the darkness, while they sat, silent and disconsolate, weighed down with the horror and futility of the bloodshed which had taken place that night.

At last Crowder reappeared and told them to come on deck. They filed up the ladder for the last time, the stoker leading with his revolver drawn, and as they made their way forward the mutineers on the deck shambled aside to let them pass with sullen glances. In the bows they found Gregory propped up against the capstan.

'How is your Majesty?' Veronica inquired. She could not resist the gentle sarcasm.

He smiled up at her a little grimly in the darkness. 'Lucky to be alive, I suppose. The shell burst knocked me out, but miraculously I escaped further damage except for a twisted leg.'

Crowder's husky voice broke in behind them. 'Now if it's all the same to you I'm going to drop you here. See over there? That's the Sunk Lightship winking now an' that's the direction of 'Arwich. Nigh on fifteen mile it 'ud be, but if the men put their backs into it you should be there for breakfus'.'

'Right, carry on, Crowder,' said Gregory tonelessly.

The lurching form of the stoker disappeared in the shadows. Silence fell on the little group by the capstan while the thresh of the screws sensibly diminished and the destroyer eased down. The periodic flash from the Sunk appeared, a friendly note in the darkness, but as the ship heaved to in a gentle swell they felt a moderate breeze which had sprung up from the south eat,., and Petty Officer Sims remarked that he thought it heralded a threat of fog.