Ramage and the Dido

And, Ramage thought to himself, apart from my own feelings, Admiral Cameron is not going to be very pleased that this damned frigate has fooled us twice - made us look silly on successive nights. Now he knew he should have moved further north, doubling up on the brig. Now he knew that. But being wise twelve hours too late was the same as not being wise at all. He had to face the fact that the French frigate had hoodwinked him not once but twice. The first time could be put down to the Frenchman being unexpected; the second just showed that Ramage was unprepared.

Southwick arrived on the quarterdeck, and Aitken told him about the brig's signal. Southwick gave a rueful laugh, and said to Ramage: 'I can imagine you getting in and out of a port that the French were blockading. But to have them doing it to us . . .'

Ramage laughed as well, though there was little humour in it. 'Yes. that Frenchman caught us napping twice running. We've got to make sure that the Achille does not make it three times. We can't rely on the brig.'

'No, it's hard to know if young Bennett isn't up to the job or just plain unlucky: being in the wrong place at the wrong time.'

'He said he was going to get close in with Fort Royal,' Ramagesaid. 'Either he was not close enough or he chose the wrong place.'

'He couldn't have stopped the frigate actually sailing,' Southwick said placatingly. 'He could only have raised the alarm.'

'Yes, I was just mentioning to Aitken that she may have bolted out to the north.'

'Aye, well, the Achille might go the same way.'

'That brings up the next problem: do we try to intercept her on her way out to meet the convoy, or when she escorts it back?'

'Does it make any difference?' asked Southwick.

'Yes. We have two advantages over him when he's escorting it back. He's tied to the convoy's course and speed, and he has to come in round Cabrit Island.'

'Yes, but he'll be reinforced by a frigate or two - maybe another ship of the line: who knows, the French might be determined to get this convoy through, and have given it a big escort.'

'In that case,' Ramage said wryly, 'we are going to be bustling about, but whatever the escort, they'll be coming round Cabrit Island.'

'You don't think they'd risk coming north-about, guessing we'd be waiting off Cabrit?'

'No, they daren't risk the whole convoy losing the wind and being carried off to the north by the current. It was different for that frigate - the northgoing current would help him. But I can't see those merchant ships making a couple of knots to windward in light airs.'

'No, sir,' Southwick agreed. 'They'd be colliding with each other, especially if they were trying to get in at night.'

'I can't see them attempting it at night,' Aitken said. 'The French merchantmen must be as mulish as the British, and we'd never risk it.'

'No,' said Ramage, 'it will be south-about. By the way,' he told Aitken, 'you can fetch Orsini down now.'

If the frigate had brought news of the convoy, Ramage told himself, then the Achille must be making ready for sea. And that was a good point that Southwick had made - that the convoy might have another ship of the line with it. To let the Achille join the convoy meant making sure of having to tackle two ships of the line at once. If he could deal with the Achille before she joined the convoy . . .

What about going north to look at the Achille this afternoon, to see if she had swayed up her yards? He could rely on the brig to warn him, but he admitted he would feel happier if he had a look himself. Would the Dido's sudden appearance off Fort Royal alarm the Achille, or warn her what she might expect if she ventured out? Ramage doubted it: the French would know, from lookouts on the coast, that the Dido was round the corner, so it should not make any difference.

Well, what was he going to do, go for the Achille on the way out or on the way back? He needed to make up his mind. The prospect of another ship of the line with the convoy finally decided him.

By late afternoon the Dido was heading into Fort Royal with a brisk easterly wind knocking up white caps as she beat in towards Fort St Louis and the Carénage.

Southwick, Aitken and Ramage were all watching the Achille with their telescopes. Finally Southwick said: 'She's as ready for sea as she'll ever be. There's no doubt that frigate brought her the news she's been waiting for.'

'I wonder how far out the convoy is?' Aitken said, speculatively. 'Probably fairly close.'

'Close enough for the frigate to leave it and return, giving enough time for the Achille to get out to it.'

Southwick said: 'Why doesn't she sail now? She knows she's got to fight us, and a night action is always risky.'

'These nights are dark: no moon yet. She might think she can dodge us - and she might be lucky!' Ramage said. 'If we sit hove-to off Pointe des Nègres she's going to have trouble getting past us - unless it's squally and she manages to dodge us in a patch of poor visibility.'

Ramage looked round at the sky: the usual Trade wind clouds were coming off the island and the weather looked settled enough. 'Not much chance of squalls tonight,' he said. 'It looks as though the Achille is going to have to come out in clear visibility.'

'We need some luck after missing that damned frigate,' Southwick growled.

Ramage finally made up his mind. 'We'll wait off Pointe des Nègres, and the Scourge can watch to the south. Mr Aitken, I'll trouble you to hoist the brig's pendant and the signal for her captain.'

After the brig had sailed in and hove-to a hundred yards to windward, hoisting out a boat, Lieutenant Bennett came on board, nervous as though expecting a broadside from Ramage for missing the frigate when she sailed during the night. But Ramage did not mention the episode. Instead he said: 'I am fairly sure the Achille will sail tonight. I am equally sure that she will try to get out to the northwards. I shall be waiting off Pointe des Nègres and I want you to watch to the south.

'I'll be hove-to between the Banc de la Vierge and the Pointe, somewhere on the sixteen-fathom line. You can be waiting in your normal position. If you sight her under way, fire two white rockets if she is heading north, and three if south. And you shadow her as close as you can without her getting in a broadside. Set off a false fire at five-minute intervals, so we know where you are, and burn two if there's a radical change of course.'

'What if she attacks me, sir?' Bennett asked.

'You either dodge her or you get sunk,' Ramage said drily. 'But try to shadow her from astern. She might loose off her sternchase guns, but you won't have much to worry about after the first round: the muzzle flash will blind the French gunners.

'Now don't forget,' Ramage said. 'Two white rockets mean he's going northwards and three south. False fires at five-minute intervals and two together for a radical change of course. Do you want me to give you that in writing?'

'No, I can remember it, sir,' Bennett said, showing a sudden surge of confidence, as though listening to Ramage had made him more sure of himself.

Bennett returned to the brig, which went back to her patrol line, where she would wait until twilight before returning close in to the Passe du Carénage.

Southwick sniffed. 'I wish I could make up my mind about that lad,' he said. 'One minute he seems confident enough and the next he seems too nervous.'

'I think he expected trouble over that frigate,' Ramage said. 'From his point of view it was entirely his fault.'

'Aye, and if you weren't the man you are, your report to the admiral would say so.'

Ramage shrugged his shoulders and laughed. 'Well, it wasn't so long ago I was commanding a brig. Perhaps I feel sorry for him.'

Southwick shook his head. 'I hope you're not going soft, sir!'