Ramage And The Rebels

'Get me some clothes, Silkin!' Ramage snapped. 'I've got to get on shore!'

'Sir!' Southwick protested.

'Don't argue! What time is it?'

'Half past four, sir. It'll soon be dawn.'

Ramage swung out of the cot and had to grab at the armchair to steady himself against the dizziness. 'Silkin, get a damp cloth and clean up this mess on my head.'

'It is clean, sir,' Silkin said, 'and that's a dry bandage. Your arm, too, sir: Mr Bowen says it will soon get very painful.'

'Soon!' Ramage exclaimed. 'It hurts like the devil already. Now, help me to get dressed and tell Mr Aitken to have a boat ready and I want him to accompany me on shore. The sergeant and a dozen Marines, too.'

And that reminded him. 'Rennick,' he said to Southwick, 'how is Rennick?'

'Bowen thinks hell be all right. Musket ball in the right shoulder. He lost a lot of blood. So did you, sir.'

Silkin was putting out clothes, and Southwick hustled off to warn Aitken.

'A hot drink before you go, sir?' Silkin said coaxingly.

'It would make me sick. All that salt water I swallowed.'

'A bite to eat, then, sir?'

'Nothing - now, don't jerk my breeches like that, blast you; my head feels as though it's going to fall off.'

It took ten minutes for Ramage to dress, but at the end of it his stock was tied neatly, his sword hung properly, and apart from the broad bandage round his head which forced him to carry his bat under his right arm, and his left arm in a sling and throbbing as though it was going to burst, he felt better than he guessed he looked.

Aitken met him at the gangway. The Marines are in the boat, sir. And Bowen - '

At that moment the surgeon came bustling up. 'Sir, I must forbid this madness. You should be in bed and - '

'How are your other patients, Bowen?'

'As well as can be expected, sir.'

Then you'd better be with them.'

'Yes, sir,' Bowen said contritely. 'I understand.'

Did he? Did Southwick? Aitken certainly did; he was a shrewd fellow. But he was probably the only other man in the ship who realized that blowing up the Delft was not the end of it: there was still van Someren and the potential of the guns of his forts to deal with. Now, with it still dark and the sight of the exploding ship fresh in the Dutchman's mind, was the time to deal with Gottlieb van Someren.

The walk up to the residence with Aitken seemed ten times as long as before, but the marching Marines gave the impression of a whole battalion striding along the cobbled street Aitken directed the sergeant to the big gateway and with a bellow and stamping the Marines halted.

'Wait here,' Ramage told the sergeant The sentry box outside the gate was empty but mere were lights in several of the windows of the residence. When the main door opened to Aitken's banging a startled major domo immediately retreated up the stairs when he saw Ramage.

'Come on,' Ramage said, following him, 'he's going to report to van Someren.'

The former Governor was in his study, sitting at his desk and facing several men who were probably town councillors. Two Army officers sat slightly apart As Ramage walked into the room, followed by Aitken, the major domo was bent over van Someren, obviously trying to whisper to him that the English captain had arrived. The moment he saw Ramage the former Governor leapt up so violently his chair fell over backwards.

'You murderer)' he exclaimed.

'Every one of those men would still be alive had you kept your word,' Ramage said bitterly. 'You wave white flags and surrender when the rebels frighten you, and then you tear up the surrender document the moment you think you are safe. And with the captain of the Delft you planned to imprison the very people who took great risks to save you. You surrendered; then you committed treachery.'

'You - you . . .' van Someren fought to control his temper.

This is a matter of honour: you must choose, swords or pistols. My - '

'You are such a scoundrel,' Ramage said contemptuously, 'that no gentleman would meet you on a field of honour. Anyway, you are under arrest. Your escort is waiting at the gate.'

'But - where are you taking me?'

To Jamaica. This gentleman - ' he indicated Aitken - 'sails at noon in the schooner Creole. You will go with him.'

'And you?'

'I remain with my ship until I receive orders from my admiral. You will go at once. Call the sergeant,' he told Aitken as he felt the dizziness pulling him down.

Van Someren came over to him. 'Are you badly wounded?'

Ramage shook his head and felt as though he had been clubbed. 'No, just a cut or two.'

Aitken was standing beside him. 'Are you all right, sir? Ill get this fellow on board and come back when you've had a bit of a rest'

'Yes, do that,' Ramage said, and managed to stay on his feet until van Someren and Aitken had gone through the door, and then quite slowly the floor came up at a steep angle and hit him in the face.

He woke to find himself in a cool bedroom lying in a large four - poster bed with a portly Dutchman peering at him through enormously thick spectacle lenses and examining his head, while Maria van Someren held his left arm as though any moment it might crumble into a dozen pieces.

The Dutchman caught his eye. 'Ah, you wake. You ask the usual question, "Where am I?" and I answer, "In Government House." I am a doctor.'

Ramage was conscious of a gentle pressure on the palm of his left hand and he looked at Maria. 'You have been unconscious a long time - you see, the sun has risen,' she said. 'Mr Aitken has been up to see you with - Mr Sousewick, is it? He leaves at noon. And one of your lieutenants is waiting, Mr Wagstaffe, and three seamen. He asked if when you recover consciousness they could see you - 1 have their names written - '

'Don't worry,' Ramage said, 'I know who they'll be.'

The Dutch doctor interrupted. 'I must insist you rest now. No more of the talking. I have bandaged the head and this afternoon we remove the musket ball from the arm. You will need all the strength for that'

'Quite,' Ramage said, 'and I am grateful for your treatment, but I have a lot to do.'

'My dear sir, your ship is safely at anchor, and Miss van Someren has told you that the schooner leaves at noon - with her father. There is nothing else to bother you.'

The island all round my ship happens to be my responsibility too, Doctor. If the French arrive and murder you all in your beds, I don't want your ghosts haunting me.'

'But surely there is no risk of that, my dear sir. Why, the island has been surrendered to you. We are now under British protection.'

'Look at me, Doctor,' Ramage said sarcastically. 'I am your British protection. Now, if you have finished, would you send in my men as you go out.'

Maria continued holding his hand to her breast and he was just becoming conscious that she wore no stays when there was a knock at the door and she answered. Wagstaffe looked in, saw Ramage was awake and grinned. 'Good morning, sir. We had no time to get you a posy of flowers, but I bring greetings from the Calypsos. Did you get a message about Jackson and - '

'Bring them in!'

The three seamen trooped in, startled to see Maria, and lined up at the foot of the bed. 'Glad to see you looking a bit better, sir,' Jackson said. 'More colour in your face.'

'I have my own doctor and my own nurse. These men,' he said to Maria, 'disobeyed orders and deserve to be punished.'

Maria looked startled and said, wide - eyed: 'I am sure they meant no harm.'

'Oh no,' Ramage said mildly, 'it was disobedience that saved me from being blown up. Now, Jackson, tell me what happened.'

The American looked embarrassed. 'Well, sir, there's not much to tell. While we had way on we were moving targets and those Dutchmen's muskets did no harm, but the minute we stopped alongside of 'em we were sitting ducks. But funny how it is, I don't think they actually hit anybody until after you gave the order to abandon ship.'