Ramage and the Dido

'By the way, sir,' Kenton said, 'the admiral is going to plant a couple of mangoes in his garden. He says he won't gain much by it but his successors will be grateful - providing the mango likes the West Indies!'

Shortly after dawn four days later Ramage was walking up and down the quarterdeck, soon after the lookouts had been sent aloft, when there was a hail. The Scourge was steering down towards them from the north, the lookout reported. 'What the devil does he want?' Kenton muttered, talking to himself.

The Dido was two miles to the westwards of Diamond Rock and the brig was off Cap Salomon, about four miles away, when she was sighted coming clear of the land.

Did Bennett have something special to report? Ramage wondered. That seemed the only explanation of why she would leave her cruising station, unless they were short of water, and wanted some casks from the Dido.

'We'll steer up to meet her,' Ramage told Kenton. The wind was light, from the east, the sea was calm, and it looked as if it was going to be a typical hazy July day, punctuated by showers and weak sunshine. July was almost always a rather depressing month, starting off the hurricane season. It was unusual to have fully fledged hurricanes this early; instead, at three- or four-day intervals, there were these days of plain dull weather, sometimes with a brisk wind but always the dull cloud scudding through from the east. It would be different in August and September, when this sort of weather could quickly turn into a hurricane, or at least a storm, and a ship had to find shelter or make an offing, well clear of land, where she could ride out the hurricane.

In less than half an hour the Dido and the Scourge were lying hove-to within a cable of each other and Ramage watched as Bennett was rowed over. The lieutenant was either in a great hurry or nervous at keeping the Dido's captain waiting, because the brig had hardly backed her foretopsail before a boat was being hoisted out.

By now Aitken and Southwick had come up to the quarterdeck, curious at all the activity.

'Water,' Southwick declared. 'He's short of water and wants us to give him some. He was too lazy to fill up his casks when he was in Barbados, which was the obvious thing to do.'

But Ramage was becoming less sure that water was the reason for the visit. Bennett would not have missed the opportunity of taking on water in Barbados - particularly since he could go alongside for it, instead of having to have the casks rowed back and forth.

Ten minutes later Bennett was saluting Ramage, his face troubled. Then he reported, the words tumbling out. 'Sir - a French frigate got into Fort Royal during the night! We sighted her there at daylight - in roughly the same position that the Alerte was.'

Bennett waited, expecting the tongue-lashing for having let the frigate get into port without sighting her. Instead Ramage said grimly: 'She got past both of us - more by luck than anything else, I suspect: she probably didn't even know we were here. And it's a good piece of seamanship to round Cabrit Island and then make your way up to Fort Royal in the dark.'

Bennett was still uncertain of himself. 'I'm sorry sir: she must have nipped in when we were at the northern end. Just chance. We'd have seen her if we were at the southern end.'

'You couldn't have done much about it,' Ramage said. 'Fired off some rockets and hoped we saw them, perhaps, but you'd have been hidden by the land unless we were well out.'

'I'm glad you understand our position, sir,' Bennett said, his relief obvious.

'What sort of frigate?'

'It was too dark to make out many details. Flush deck, thirty-two guns - that was about all we could see. I came south to report as soon as we spotted her.'

'Very well,' Ramage said cheerfully. 'Go back to your station - no sign of the Achille stirring, I suppose?'

'No sir, no sign at all.'

'Well, keep a sharp lookout: the frigate might have some news that means she puts to sea.'

'Aye aye, sir, I'll stay in really close.'

'Keep clear of that big reef on the east side of the Passe du Carénage - what do they call it? Oh yes, the Grande Sèche. I always think that Nature put it there specially to protect the eastern side of Fort Royal.'

Bennett returned to the Scourge, and as soon as the boat was hoisted in the brig let her foretopsail draw and headed back up to the north.

'So a French frigate sneaked past us during the night,' Southwick grumbled. 'Well, no moon and a dark night, and our lookouts must have been asleep. Still, give the devils their due: as you said, sir, it was a good piece of seamanship. What's he up to, though?'

Ramage said: 'He brought the French the news we've been waiting for: the convoy is near. Anyway, that's my guess. And I think we'll see the Achille cross her yards and get ready to sail.'

Southwick rubbed his hands together thoughtfully. 'Yes, if the Achille gets ready for sea we'll know that's why the frigate came in. But she may be bringing despatches. Fresh orders for the governor, perhaps. Might be something as mundane as wanting water.'

Ramage nodded and said: True, it might be only one of those things. But the only reason for the Achille to be waiting here in port is to be ready to escort a convoy in, and the only way she would know where to meet the convoy was if a frigate came ahead and warned her - gave her a rendezvous, in fact.'

Southwick gave one of his sniffs, this time an approving one. 'Yes, that makes sense. But is the frigate going to sail again at once, without waiting for the Achille?'

'I should think so.'

'What about getting out to sea and intercepting the convoy, sir?' Aitken asked.

'It's hopeless trying to find a convoy out there. The point is it has to come round Cabrit Island to get up to Fort Royal, and that's the obvious place to wait for it. And with a bit of luck the Achille will go out that way too, to the rendezvous.'

'Ah yes,' said Southwick, 'if we wait at the eastern side of Cabrit, out of sight, we may catch the Achille napping.'

'Exactly,' Ramage said. 'Just as the damned frigate caught us napping. There's no point in waiting off Fort Royal - if the convoy got up that far, some of the merchantmen might be able to bolt in.'

Daybreak was a repeat of the previous day: the lookouts had been sent aloft and Ramage and Aitken were on the quarterdeck, talking about the day's work, when there was a hail from aloft. Aitken grabbed the speaking trumpet and answered, and the shout came back that the brig was approaching them from the north.

Ramage had a sudden sick feeling he knew why. 'Send Orsini aloft with a bring-'em-near; she may be flying a signal.'

By chance the Dido was heading north towards the brig, and they were approaching each other at a combined speed of nine or ten knots. By the time Orsini had grabbed a telescope and made his way up the ratlines, it was getting lighter, and he was soon hailing the quarterdeck.

'She's flying a signal, "Frigate sailed in night".'

Ramage cursed and told Aitken: 'Acknowledge. Tell him to resume his patrol.'

Aitken gave the orders and said: 'Does that mean we missed him a second time, sir?'

Ramage was not sure. The officers of the deck had been given orders to make sure that the men kept a sharp lookout: the Dido had moved further north to patrol off Cap Salomon. The brig was patrolling close in off Fort Royal. There seemed to be only one explanation of how the frigate had eluded the Dido.

'I don't think he came this way. If he knew we were down here - and they would have warned him - then I think he made a bolt for it to the north: he had the current to help him and it is a far easier passage.'