Ramage's Signal Read Online Free Page A

perched on the settee and Aitken occupying the only armchair, Ramage said: “You’ve been bored since we captured the bomb ketches, and have to stand an extra watch while Wagstaffe takes our frigate prize to Gibraltar. I’m sorry I couldn’t keep the bomb ketches as toys for you, but you saw how slow they were, so there was no choice but to scuttle them.”
    â€œThat seemed to change our luck, sir,” Aitken said ruefully.
    â€œYes. Here we are with orders to attack anything we can find, no British admiral within a thousand miles, and all we see are a few small coasting vessels carrying grain, almonds, rice, casks of wine, olive oil, salt fish and meat. Nothing worth sending in as a prize.”
    â€œSo that was why you decided to leave the Italian coast and try the coasts of France and Spain, sir?” Aitken asked.
    â€œYes. What advantage have we, Martin?”
    He liked springing questions on his younger officers; it made sure they stayed awake, and, more important, kept them thinking ahead.
    â€œWell, sir, the
Calypso
being French-built and still using French-cut sails, it means we can keep close in with the coast and the Frogs think she’s one of theirs.”
    â€œAnd the disadvantage?”
    Martin looked puzzled but Orsini asked permission to speak, and said: “It isn’t worth sinking these little tartanes and xebecs because that would reveal we are a sheep in wolf’s—no, I mean wolf in a sheepskin.”
    â€œExactly,” Ramage said, “but as Mr Aitken will probably agree, although we have no choice, it’s an appalling waste of the kind of orders we dream about.”
    â€œAye, in a day or so I’ll be suggesting we sail into Toulon and attack the French fleet.”
    Ramage nodded. “In the meantime we might attack this semaphore station.”
    Aitken, still holding the slate, slowly uncrossed his legs and said warily, knowing by now to be watchful of his Captain when he was in a bantering mood: “I’ve been thinking about that, sir.”
    â€œGo on,” Ramage said, sensing the First Lieutenant’s unease.
    â€œWell, sir, doesn’t the same thing apply? I mean, we’re leaving the small coasting vessels alone in the hope of finding better prizes, but knocking down a semaphore tower—well, it …”
    â€œIt raises the alarm without giving us a decent reward,” Ramage finished the sentence for him.
    â€œYes, sir.”
    â€œBut, my dear Aitken, we need neither knock down the tower nor raise the alarm. Why, in half an hour we’ll be out of sight from the tower, even if anyone is watching us, which I doubt.”
    â€œThen how are—”
    â€œGive me your slate,” Ramage said, reaching up for a chart, which he unrolled and held flat with his stone weights. “Now, gather round, all of you.”
    He put his finger on a section of the coast. “You see this large bay, a perfect half moon, sheltered from all winds between southeast and south-west by way of north. It deserves to be better known. Now, here inside the eastern end and a mile or so inland is the village of Foix. Out on the end of the point is the semaphore tower and the little barracks.
    â€œNow, look at the western side of the bay. No villages until you get to Aspet, twelve miles round the coast but only eight as the crow flies across the water from the semaphore tower at Foix. And what do you notice about Aspet, Mr Martin?”
    â€œIt’s almost at the end of the headland at the other end of the bay, sir.”
    â€œAnd, Mr Orsini?”
    â€œThat’s where the next semaphore tower will be, sir.”
    â€œI hope so,” Ramage said. “We’ll soon see. And once we sight the tower at Aspet, we’ll alter course for Minorca.”
    Martin was just about to exclaim “Minorca!” when he noticed that Aitken was using the dividers to measure the distances from Aspet back to Foix.