CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Time was slowing down now, and Ramage felt calm; he could understand Bowen's fascination with chess because here were eleven French pieces under attack from three British. And every moment that passed made him certain he could outmanoeuvre the leading French frigate because her captain was at this very moment making a very elementary mistake. He had started off correctly: the moment the Juno tacked across the convoy's course the Frenchman had realized that she might get between the shore and the convoy and had made the proper response, bearing up to cover the gap.

Then he had seen that he might be able to rake the Juno in the process. At some point in the last three or four minutes the Frenchman had forgotten that his prime task was to cover the gap, he had become obsessed with the idea of raking the Juno and to increase his chances of doing that he was now widening the gap he had been trying to close.

In the meantime the convoy was still lumbering through the Fours Channel. Ramage estimated that all seven merchant ships were just inside the circle he had pencilled on the chart as representing the effective range of the Juno and Ramage batteries but he decided to wait a few more minutes.

The French frigate was fine on the Juno's starboard bow and in a couple of minutes would be in a perfect position to rake her, but a quick glance at the compass showed Ramage that the centre of the convoy was bearing south-east by south. The second frigate was in position leading the convoy and keeping on a steady course through the Channel.

The first frigate was now almost dead ahead; her captain would have to wait another two minutes to be in a perfect position, firing a whole broadside into the bow of a ship which could not fire back. Now for the surprise Ramage thought to himself; it might save a few lives.

'Mr Southwick, we'll tack now, if you please, and tell the men at the starboard guns to get under cover and the larboard side to stand fast! Jackson, steady her on a course of south-east!'

The Master bellowed to the men at the braces and sheets, then shouted to the rest of the men to duck down beside the guns, the safest place when a raking broadside smashed roundshot through the bow and swept the decks.

The French frigate was still not quite dead ahead as the Juno's wheel was put over. Ramage could see every one of her larboard guns and pictured each French gun captain crouching, trigger line in his hand, waiting just one more moment before the Juno's bow came in sight.

Then the Juno began to swing fast as she tacked; swinging towards the French frigate's stern as she turned. Instead of an unprotected bow, the French gunners peering through the gunports would see the Juno's broadside guns.

Ramage took up his speaking trumpet. 'Larboard guns, stand by. Fire as your guns bear!'

The gun captains would only have a fleeting glimpse of the French frigate as the Juno continued her swing towards the convoy, but if a few shot landed it would help. There was distant thudding over on the larboard bow and he saw the French ship firing wildly, her gunners obviously taken by surprise, but the Juno was still swinging round on to the other tack, with ropes squealing through blocks aloft, Jackson cursing the men at the wheel, and Orsini hurling a shrill stream of Italian blasphemy at the French frigate as she passed across the bow. Then a couple of the Juno's forward guns fired and thundered back in recoil, followed in sequence by the rest. Smoke drifted aft and he remembered to breathe shallowly to avoid coughing.

Now the Juno's sails had filled on the other tack and she was sailing fast to the south-east on an opposite course from her erstwhile attacker, heading straight for the head of the convoy.

The captain of the new leading French frigate waited, perhaps in indecision. The Juno's sudden tack directly towards the head of the convoy would show him that he too had made a disastrous mistake - he was much too far ahead of the merchant ships. He could haul round immediately to the north and try to cut off the Juno before she reached the merchantmen or he could simply tack and try to get back to the head of the convoy. Give me three minutes, Ramage prayed; please hesitate a little longer! A glance astern showed him that the first frigate had already tacked and was chasing along in the Juno's wake. She hoisted a string of signal flags and almost immediately the second frigate hauled her wind, turning north towards the Juno. Ramage watched the Frenchmen bracing the yards sharp up, desperately trying to point higher. The luffs fluttered and she paid off a fraction. That was the best she could do - and he saw it was not going to be enough: the Juno would just scrape past ahead, giving her a raking broadside on the way.

He had taken a chance going into action with topgallants set instead of fighting under topsails alone, but so far in this weasel-in-a-hen-run type of action it had paid off. The French were under topsails alone and it was costing them a couple of knots.

More signals came from the first frigate. Suddenly and almost unbelievably the second frigate tacked and came round on the same course as the Juno, but nearly half a mile to leeward, leaving the British frigate between her and the convoy.

Southwick, watching open-mouthed, turned to Ramage, and said: 'I must be dreaming. Why the devil has he done that?'

There was only one explanation Ramage could think of. ‘They reckon we're going down to join the Surcouf!’

He looked over towards her and felt quite sick: Aitken had two frigates bearing down on him. But there was nothing he could do. The time had nearly come for the Juno to start the bishop's move.

'Orsini,' he called. 'The Diamond's pendant and number twenty-two!!

'Aye, aye, sir,' the boy yelled, running towards the halyards. 'Engage the convoy!'

'Mr Southwick, we'll tack again. Jackson, keep her as close to the wind as you can!'

The Juno turned north again, heading straight for the shore and leaving the convoy on her starboard side.

‘That'll fool them!' Southwick exclaimed gleefully. 'Both the frigates are tacking again. They did think we were going down to the Surcouf. Not that she couldn't do with a hand,' he added soberly. A moment later he was berating the men at the wheel and glowering at Jackson as a luff fluttered.

With the Juno heading for the shore Ramage kept glancing at the convoy over the top of the compass. It looked as though the frigate would run up the beach before the middle of the convoy bore south-east, so he could fetch it on the next tack.

As he watched Orsini arrived in front of him, almost squeaking with excitement and pointing at the far side of the convoy, towards the Surcouf. Ramage stared, frowned and then snatched Orsini's telescope, cursing as he had to adjust the focus.

One French frigate had rammed the other! Her jibboom and bowsprit were stuck in the second ship's side and her foremast had come crashing down, locking into the other frigate's mainmast. Even as he watched, her mainmast began to topple, slowly at first and then gathering speed, until it fell over the side, its yards giving it a cartwheeling effect. The Surcouf, which he had last seen between the two frigates, wreathed in smoke and obviously trapped, was between the wrecked ships and the convoy, sailing fast. And La Créole had hoisted her own flag and was firing into the last ship of the centre column.

Ramage thrust the telescope back to Orsini. 'Watch the Surcouf for signals!'

There was no time to tell Southwick: all that mattered now was that the Juno stayed close-hauled until she was almost on the beach and then tacked south-east again into the middle of the convoy.

The two frigates the Juno had dodged were still tacking, trying to catch up with her. The first one had her topgallants set but Ramage knew there was precious little the Frenchman could do now to save the convoy, unless, of course, the Juno ran aground. This was becoming a distinct possibility.