Stars and Stripes Triumphant sas-3 Page 6

  “Do up that tunic or you’ll be charged,” the sergeant snapped. McGrath fumbled with the buttons. The sergeant grunted and jerked his thumb for them to proceed, then turned away, no longer interested.

  Paddy drove slowly until a bend in the road and a grove of trees shielded them from sight of the camp; snapped the reins and urged the horse into a trot.

  “I thought I would die when that sergeant spoke to you like that.”

  “Stupid pigs!” McGrath was suddenly angry. Angry at life, the concentration camp, at the people who had seized him and brought him and his family to this desperate place. “There, that stand of trees. Pull in there and we’ll get out of these uniforms. See if there is any money in the pockets. We are going to need a few bob for the train if we want to put some miles behind us before the alarm is raised.”

  INTO THE LION’S LAIR

  The low-lying English coast lay directly ahead as Aurora made a slow turn to starboard. With her engine thudding quietly she steamed toward Dungeness near the mouth of the river Thames, where the Trinity House cruising cutter was established at the rendezvous for London-bound shipping. Count Korzhenevski had the nautical chart of the coastal waters spread out on the table on the forward deck. The three Americans looked on intently as he tapped it with his finger.

  “Here, off Dungeness,” he said, “is where we must stop to pick up the pilot. Every morning and every evening a tender from Dover tops up the number of men there, so there are always about fourteen pilots waiting. They will send one of them out to us when we heave to and signal. A pilot is of utmost importance now, because the river estuary here is a maze of shifting sandbanks. However, before the pilot joins us, I will ask you gentlemen to enter the main cabin and remain there as long as he is aboard. But once he is on the bridge, it will be time for Commander Wilson to appear in his role as deck officer to supervise casting off from the buoy. The crew has been directed to act as if they are obeying his instructions. Once we sail, Wilson will remain on deck and act as bow lookout until we approach this spot — where the river makes a sharp turn to the right. Before we reach the turn, he will move to the starboard side of the ship just below the bridge. Once he has taken up his position there, he will be out of sight of the pilot and can direct his attention to the defenses along the riverbanks. It is a matter of public record that a few years ago Prime Minister Palmerston ordered a spate of fort building; this was during the last French invasion scare. There is a new fort here at Slough Point, farther upstream at Cliffe Creek and Shornmead as well. But here is the place that you will really examine.”

  The Count tapped his fingertip on the chart again and they leaned forward to look at the indicated spot on the riverbank. “There is a small defensive position at the water’s edge called Coalhouse Fort. The last time I passed this way it was unmanned and the guns were gone. That may have changed. But most important of all is what is around this next bend in the river, where the Thames turns sharply to starboard. The river narrows at this point, and right at the bend, dominating the river, is the most dangerous armed position of Tilbury Fort. There are many gun emplacements in it, as well as extensive walls, moats, and other defenses. On the other bank, just opposite Tilbury Fort, there is a new fort and gun emplacements here in Gravesend. Once past these forts, the Thames becomes very narrow and built up along both shores; consequently, it is of no military interest. Therefore, once we are past the fort, the commander should join his comrades in the cabin and transcribe what he has observed of the river defenses. The curtains will be drawn, because very soon after that we will be tying up at Greenwich. Is this all clear?”

  “Very much so,” Sherman said. “What is not clear is what will happen after we arrive in Greenwich.”

  “That is in the hands of the gods, my dear general. My classmate Commander Mark Johnstone is on the teaching staff there, and before we left Ostend, I sent him a cable about our imminent arrival. I hope that our stay will be a brief one, but we will just have to wait and see. On a previous visit I had him aboard for a little banquet and a few bottles of champagne. We will just have to see what happens this time. But the long and the short of it is that we must stop at Greenwich. After all, our presence on the river is predicated upon a visit to the Naval Academy, and that we must do.”

  As agreed, Sherman and Fox stayed belowdecks and out of sight. Very soon after Aurora had tied up to a buoy and had signaled, a boat drew away from the waiting cutter and headed their way. They had a quick glimpse of the pea-jacketed figure sitting in the stern, then saw no more, for the steward closed the curtains as the boat approached. There were voices on deck and the stamp of feet as the Count showed the pilot to the bridge and stayed with him there.

  The pilot had gray hair and a scraggly beard; his clothing smelled strongly of fish. Unhappily, the bridge was too small for Korzhenevski to get far from the man. He closed the door and put his back against it. The pilot took a newspaper from his pocket and offered it to the Count. “Just arrived,” he said. “Only two bob and it’s yours.”

  Korzhenevski nodded and paid two shillings for the overpriced newspaper; he knew that this was a harmless bit of larceny that the pilots indulged in. Sailors who had been weeks at sea would be curious about recent events. Pocketing the coins, the pilot then peered through the front ports and turned to the helmsman.

  “Don’t get this ship above five knots,” he said. The man ignored him.

  “The helmsman, he don’t speak English?” the pilot asked suspiciously.

  “No more than you do Russian,” the Count said, forcing himself to ignore the man’s stupidity. “I will translate.”

  “Slow ahead. Five knots maximum speed. That’s the East Margate buoy ahead. Keep it to port for the Princess Channel or we will be onto the Margate Sands.”

  The Count called down to the deckhands and they let go one end of the line through the eye of the buoy and pulled it aboard. Wilson in his role of deck officer pointed and tried to look as though he were in command. Gathering speed, the Aurora puffed slowly away from her mooring and out into the channel toward the mouth of the Thames.

  The tide was on the ebb and the downstream current was very strong. The riverbanks moved slowly by; green fields on both sides, with the occasional village beyond them. When Wilson saw the turn in the river appearing ahead, he walked casually around the deck to position himself out of sight of the bridge.

  The Count had been wrong; Coalhouse Fort was not deserted, but boasted a new battery of big guns. Wilson counted them and made a mental note.

  Then they were coming up on Tilbury Fort and he gasped at the size of it. It was built on the spit of land just where the river narrowed, and it dominated the river — and could target any vessel coming upstream. It was star-shaped, with high, grim bastions looming above the water. Gun muzzles studded these defenses; more muzzles were visible behind the gunlines at the water’s edge. Wilson stared at the fort until it vanished behind them, then stepped into the main cabin and opened his drawing pad. General Sherman lowered his binoculars and turned from the porthole.

  “Impressive,” he said.

  “Disastrous,” Wilson answered, quickly sketching in the lines of the fort. “Any ship, no matter how armored, will never get past her unharmed. I can truthfully say that as long as that fort is there, London is safe from any invasion by sea.”

  “Perhaps the fort could be taken from the land side.”

  “Hardly. There is an inner and an outer moat — with gun positions in between them, a redan as well, then the brick bastions of the fort itself. They can probably flood the marshland beyond if they have to. I would say that this fort is next to impregnable — except possibly by a long siege—”

  “Which is of course out of the question,” Sherman said, watching the outlines of the fort take shape on the paper. He touched the drawing, tapping the west gunline on the riverbank. “Twelve heavy guns here; I counted them. From the size of their muzzles they could be hundred-pounders.”

  Wilson wa
s still hard at work on his drawings when the engine slowed then stopped. Aurora bumped lightly against the fenders of the seawall as they tied up. There were shouted commands and the sound of running feet on deck. The Count came in and went to Wilson to look at his drawings. “Most excellent,” he said. “This voyage is starting very auspiciously. But the same is, unhappily, not true of the rest of the world.”

  He took a newspaper from his jacket pocket and opened it on the table. “The pilot sold me this overpriced copy of The Times. This item will be of interest to us all.”

  AMERICAN TRADE POLICY DENOUNCED IN COMMONS

  Threat to British Cotton Trade Taken Under Advisement

  “What is it about?” Sherman asked, looking at the lengthy article.

  “I read it with great attention while we were coming upriver. It seems that Prime Minister Palmerston has accused your countrymen of dumping American cotton on the European market at ruinous prices, thereby undercutting the British cotton trade.”

  “There is nothing new in this,” Fox said. “The British have been going to the Empire countries for cotton ever since the War Between the States began. Mostly Egypt and India. But their cotton is inferior to the American variety and more expensive to produce. Therefore, Yankee traders have been selling cotton to the French and German mills. The British do not like this. We have been here before.”

  “I hope you are right. But in his speech Palmerston threatens the American trade if it continues in this fashion.”

  “Any specific threats?” Sherman asked.

  “Not really. But he is a man to be watched.”

  “He is indeed,” Fox said, seating himself with the newspaper and giving it his close attention.

  Korzhenevski crossed the room and took a sheet of crested notepaper from the sideboard. He wrote a quick note and closed it with a wax seal.

  “Simenov has been here with me before, so he can find his way to the college. He’ll deliver this note to Johnstone and wait for an answer. I’m inviting him for dinner tonight. If he accepts, we might very well be out of here tomorrow. We’ll decide what to do as soon as Johnstone leaves. I’m also taking the precaution of sending a sailor with Simenov. He will be carrying a bottle of champagne. Harbinger of joys to come! Might I suggest, Commander, that you continue your engineering pursuits in your cabin? Thank you.”

  Fox seemed more concerned with the newspaper than with his champagne, reading not only the article that had attracted the Count’s attention but all the other news as well. A distant look entered into Sherman’s eyes, one that Korzhenevski noticed.

  “Is something disturbing you, General?”

  “Something is, you are right. Is it really necessary for a ship to be guided by a pilot to proceed up the Thames?”

  “Not only necessary but essential. The sands here are in constant motion, and it takes a pilot skilled in local knowledge to find the correct channel.”

  “Does every ship need a pilot?”

  “Not necessarily. On a clear day a small group of ships could follow the first one with the pilot in line astern.” The Count drank some champagne and easily followed Sherman’s thoughts. “You are right, this is a very serious concern. I suggest that you leave that matter to me for the time being. I am sure that something can be done.”

  There was a knock on Wilson’s cabin door; Sherman, standing behind Wilson and Fox, looked up from the drawings when he heard the Count’s voice.

  “One moment,” said Sherman. He went over and unlocked the door.

  “Most industrious,” Korzhenevski said, looking at the growing sheaf of drawings. “I am pleased that our little voyage has begun so well. Now — I would appreciate it if you would turn over all of the plans, as well as the drawing instruments.”

  “You have a reason?” Sherman asked, frowning.

  “A very good one, my dear general. We are now in the heartland of a country which, while not an enemy country, would still object to the presence of foreign observers inside their military establishments. I am sure that Mr. Fox here will agree that the authorities would not take kindly to the presence of what they would surely see as spies in their midst. Commander Johnstone will be coming aboard soon, and our little ship must be Russian to the core. There are English as well as Russian books in my cabin — but that is to be expected. Mr. Fox, might I ask you to undertake a delicate task for me?”

  “And that is?”

  “Would you — I do not dare say ‘search’ — would you see to it that none of you possess any English documents? Or anything else — such as clothing labels — that might identify you as Americans.”

  “That is a most reasonable request.”

  His mien was most serious; Sherman nodded grim agreement. If they were discovered, it would be a severe and momentous disaster.

  Dinner was a time of great stress. Commander Johnstone was no empty-headed aristocrat like the Honorable Richard MacTavish. He was a professor of navigation, well versed in astronomy and mathematics, and he shrewdly examined the three disguised officers when he was introduced to them. Johnstone only sipped his champagne as he and the Count became involved in a technical discussion of Russian and British naval merits. When the meal was finally finished and the port passed around the table, the Count gave them blessed relief.

  “I’m afraid that Chikhachev here must relieve Simenov on the bridge — while Tyrtov and Makarov have their duties to perform.”

  “A pleasure to meet you gentlemen,” Johnstone said; there was much heel clicking in return. As they filed out, Johnstone spoke to the Count. “You must write down their names for me for the invitations. Your arrival at this time was most fortuitous. There will be a formal dinner at the college tomorrow, celebrating the Queen’s birthday. You — and they — will be our honored guests.”

  Sherman closed the door on the English officer’s voice and muttered a savage oath. Fox nodded agreement as they went down the passageway.

  “Dangerous. Very dangerous indeed,” Fox said darkly.

  Count Korzhenevski summoned them to the wardroom as soon as his guest had departed.

  “This is going to be a situation where we must tread carefully,” he said.

  “Any way of avoiding it?” Sherman asked.

  “I am afraid not. But we can better the odds. Commander Wilson, for a number of reasons, should stay aboard. Lieutenant Simenov will abandon the engine room and go in his place. Mr. Fox is skilled in these matters and will play his role well. So it will be up to you, General Sherman, to be an actor in a game that is far removed from your career in the field.”

  “I do not understand.”

  “Let me clarify. If I am correct, when you as an officer are involved in combat, you receive reports, make decisions, and act upon them. It is legend that in the thick of battle you are the most cool, the most courageous of men. Now you must summon up your intelligence to face a different kind of battle. You must do the part of a middle-aged Russian naval officer — who may well have faced some of your fellow diners in battle. You don’t like them, perhaps you are suspicious of their true intent in having you there. We Russians can be very gloomy and suspicious — and that is how you must feel. Not displaying these emotions at all times, but feeling them. Do you understand?”

  “I think that I do. It is something like being in a play, acting a role.”

  “Perfectly expressed,” Fox said happily. “I think that tomorrow you will do fine, just fine.”

  The meal, while a strain, went as well as could be expected. They were seated with the junior officers, far from the high table with its admirals and even a marine general. Toasts were drunk to the Queen, something the Americans had mixed feelings about. It was noisy and hot, which made it very easy to drink too much, so caution had to be shown. Sherman was seated across from a veteran naval captain who had many decorations and much gold bullion on his uniform. After his first terse nod of greeting, the captain had ignored the Russians and attended to the eating and drinking. Now, very much in his cups,
he began to take a firm dislike to Sherman.

  “You speak English, Russki? Do you know what I am saying?”

  He raised his voice as though volume would increase comprehension.

  “Nyet, nyet,” Sherman said, then turned away and sipped from his wineglass.

  “I’ll bet you do. Sitting there and eavesdropping on your betters.”

  Fox saw what was happening and tried to defuse the situation. “Pardonnez-moi, monsieur,” Fox said. “Mon compagnon ne parle pas anglais. Parlez-vous français? ”

  “And none of that frog talk either. Your lot should not be here. We whipped you like curs in the Crimea, now you come crawling around like spies…”

  Korzhenevski, farther down the table, stood up quickly and barked what sounded like an order in Russian. Lieutenant Simenov pushed his chair back from the table and jumped to his feet; Fox and Sherman saw what was happening and stood as well.

  “I am afraid that our presence here is an embarrassment and that we must leave,” the Count said.

  “You’ll leave when you are damn well told to leave,” the captain shouted, climbing unsteadily to his feet.

  It was Commander Johnstone who appeared suddenly and tried hard to calm the situation.

  “This is not the time nor place for this—”

  “I agree, Mark,” Korzhenevski said, pointing his thumb toward the door. “It would be wisest, though, if my officers and I just left. Thank you for your kindness.”

  They beat a quick retreat, anxious to be clear of the situation, relieved when the door closed behind them to cut off the captain’s drunken shouts.

  “That was not good,” Korzhenevski said as soon as they were out of the building. “There is still much bad feeling here about the Crimea, and this sort of thing only stirs up old hatreds. We don’t dare sail tonight, much as I would like to. Too suspicious. But we will start back downriver in the morning as soon as I can get a pilot.”