' Do you mean that I am your prisoner? * Roger asked, his ire again beginning to rise.
'1 should prefer not to put it like that,' the cheerful Shotter replied. ' It is simply that I am under orders to deliver you to Sir Sidney Smith. My Admiral was most positive about that. Therefore I must ask you to give me your parole or, if you will not, I shall have to take the precaution of putting you under guard whenever we are within swimming distance of the shore.'
For a moment Roger considered. Had he been in an enemy ship he would have refused to give his parole, and backed himself to escape. But to do so from a British ship while under guard would be almost impossible without seriously injuring one or more of the British sailors; and that he was not prepared to do.
With a nod he said, ' Very well, then. I'll make no attempt to escape until you have carried out your orders with regard to me.'
They then shook hands on it and drank ' good luck' to the voyage in their first glass of wine.
The voyage of Firefly proved uneventful, except that she was twice blown back and forced to shelter for a few days under the lee of Crete. Having escaped being caught in the open she evaded the worst of the storm and Roger, although distinctly queasy, managed to survive the week of bad weather without being seasick. Just under three weeks after leaving Palermo they sighted Alexandria.
They received the latest intelligence from a blockading frigate. Bonaparte had adhered to his plan and, early in February, had launched his invasion of Syria. On the 20th, after a twelve-day siege, the powerful fortress of El Arish had surrendered to him. The French had then proceeded up the coast and were now laying siege to Jaffa. Having learned this, the new Commander in the Levant had left Alexandria to succour the besieged city. Shotter prompty rehoisted sail and set off after him.
Three days later Firefly was off Jaffa. There was no sign of Sir Sidney Smith and tricolour flags were flying over the city; so it had evidently been captured. They hailed an Arab dhow that was lying half a mile out from the harbour and, as Roger was able to act as interpreter, secured an account of what had taken place.
The French had appeared before the great walled city on March 3rd. The garrison, which was said to have numbered over four thousand men, had made several determined sorties, but had been driven back. After two days of severe fighting the French artillery made a big breach in the walls. Bonaparte, presumably to save his Army from the casualties inseparable from an assault, sent a messenger under a flag of truce to offer terms. But the ferocious Djezzar Pasha, who, from Acre, ruled all Syria, had ordered the messenger's head to be cut off and sent back to Bonaparte. The French then carried the city by storm. Djezzar succeeded in getting away but the greater part of the garrison surrendered.
It was then discovered that some two thousand of them were from the garrison of El Arish. Apparently, not wishing to be burdened with so many prisoners, Bonaparte had, after taking the great fortress, freed them on condition that they would take no further part for a year in the war between France and Turkey. However, they had promptly broken their word and marched off ahead of him to strengthen the garrison at Jaffa. On March 9th, two days after the fall of Jaffa, Napoleon had had thp whole two thousand taken out to the sand-dunes and shot.
When Shotter heard this his language about the French became unprintable. Roger, too, was profoundly shocked and felt that such an appalling massacre must always remain a stain on Bonaparte's name.
Proceeding up the coast on the following day, March 12th, Firefly came up with Sir Sidney Smith's Squadron. It consisted of two frigates: Tigre—in which Sir Sidney, having promoted himself, was flying the broad pennant of a Commodore— Theseus, and a number of smaller vessels. A boat was lowered and Shotter went aboard Tigre. Three-quarters of an hour later he returned and called up to Roger to come down and join him in the boat, which then made a second trip to Tigre and they both went aboard.
Sir Sidney received them in his stern cabin. He was a fine-look-ing man of thirty-four, very richly dressed and wearing the sash and diamond-encrusted Grand Cross of his Swedish Order. When the introduction had been made he said to Shotter, '1 thank you, Lieutenant. You may leave us.*
During the three and a half weeks of Firefly's voyage, her Captain and Roger had become firm friends; so as Shotter was about to leave the cabin, Roger wrung him firmly by the hand, thanked him for his many courtesies and said he hoped they would meet again. Shotter warmly reciprocated the hope and closed the cabin door behind him.
Sir Sidney then tapped a letter that was lying on his table and said, ' Mr. MacElfic, do you know the contents of this? '
' No,' Roger replied coldly, ' but I can make a good guess. It is from Admiral Nelson and in it, without any warrant to do so, he places me at your disposal as a secret agent.'
' It does much more than that. Sir Horatio informs me that for several years you have been in the service of the Prime Minister, and may be entrusted with both military and diplomatic secrets of the highest order. It also states that you performed the extraordinary feat of getting yourself appointed one of General Bonaparte's aides-de-camp. You must be a very exceptional man, Mr. MacElfic, and I am honoured to have your company on this station.'
Considerably mollified by this welcome, Roger replied,'1 thank you, sir. I am much relieved to feel that, from what Admiral Nelson has said of me, you are not likely to request me to risk my neck counting the guns in a fort for you, or finding out if some local Sheik can be bought for a small sum of money. For my part, since I have been sent here against my will, I am at least consoled that it should be to an officer so distinguished for his brains, initiative and daring.'
Sir Sidney smiled. ' That was generously said. But Sir Horatio says nothing of your having been reluctant to join me. Perhaps you would clarify the point.'
' Put briefly, Admiral Nelson decided that my connection with General Bonaparte could be used to inflict greater damage on the French than would allowing me to return to Paris. So having promised me a passage to Gibraltar he virtually shanghaied me and put me on a ship bound for Egypt.'
' Then I can sympathize with your resentment. But the little man will stick at nothing that he feels may help discomfit our enemies, and I am the gainer. When, pray, were you last in Paris? '
' In early May. I sailed with Bonaparte to Egypt. But in March we might well have met.' Roger gave a sudden laugh. 'There was an occasion when I was threatened with being sent to join you in the Temple.'
'Indeed! Well, you may thank your stars that you did not. I spent two years in that damnable prison, and during them I nearly died of frustration.'
' That I can well believe, sir, knowing your zest for action. I, too, know that gloomy prison, though not as a prisoner. I penetrated it several times during an abortive attempt to rescue poor Queen Marie Antoinette.'
' Did you now! Perhaps, then, you knew a most devoted servant of the Queen and dear friend of mine—a Swedish nobleman, Count Axel Fersan? '
'1 knew him well,' Roger smiled. ' And that brings us to Sweden. We might well have met there for I, too, served King Gustavus in his war against Russia; and, for a special service I was fortunate enough to render him, he did me the honour to confer on me the Order that you wear. But, alas, I had to bury my Star beneath the foul straw of a cell in the fortress of Schliissel-burg, for had it been found upon me it would have cost me my life.'