had sent a message by one of the riding officers to tell them that a new cutter was to be supplied from the yard of John Gely of Cowes on the Isle of Wight.
“ Fine ships he builds,” said the officer “but it will be some time before it arrives here, though we are to have one that is almost completed and intended for another station, even then we will have to find a local crew, which won’t be easy after what has happened.”
Four days after his departure, Owen returned. When Merriman saw him trudgin g up the carriageway, he looked so downcast and miserable that it was obvious that he was not the cheerful sailor that had so looked forward to seeing his family again. Merriman immediately called him into the front hall of the house.
“ What’s the matter with you man? You look as if you’d just been flogged.”
Owen shuffled his feet, coughed and mumbled, “I’ll be alright Sir.”
“ Damn it man, speak up. You are my responsibility now, so if you have problems I want to know about them and help if I can. Come on, out with it.”
Owen looked up with such misery on his face that Merriman was quite taken aback.
“Here, come inside and sit down man. Get this brandy down you and tell me what the trouble is.”
In his agitation, the Welsh lilt in Owen ’s voice became more pronounced.
“ Aye, Sir, very grateful Sir, that helps. Well Sir, you’ll ‘ave ‘eard about the Revenue ship taken by pirates or smugglers; my young brother Aled was in her, part of the crew ‘e was, all killed, not a man left alive. When I got home Sir, seems that me Mam died only three days ago. The shock, you see. She were old and wore out Sir, and with me being away and Da dead of drowning years gone, she depended on Aled. They tell me she asked for me before she-------before she ----if only I’d been home a few days earlier she might not -----.” He couldn’t go on, his face twisted with misery.
Merriman put his hand on the man ’s shoulder. “I’m sorry Owen, really sorry. If there’s anything I can do; perhaps you want to go back home for a few days more?”
“ No Sir, there’s nothing to go back to now. I’ve seen the grave Sir, they were both put in with my Da. No, I’ve nothing now. Even the house belonged to somebody else.”
The big sailor lurched to his feet, “I’d dearly like to find the scum who did this and set about ‘em with a cutlass Sir, straight I would.”
“ Yes, I know you would,” replied Merriman. “Meanwhile, the authorities are doing all they can to discover who is responsible and I’ll tell you if there is any news. Remember that you are part of this household now and my responsibility. Be off to the kitchen now and ask Annie for something to eat. We’ll talk again later.”
Later that day, after giving the matter some serious thought, Merriman called for Owen to come in again. “Owen, when you were over in Wales, did you hear anything, anything at all which may have a bearing on this bad business?”
“ No Sir, not that I know Sir, except that they told me the only survivor was a boy. It was my brother what saved him Sir, and the fishermen who found them adrift in a boat, said my brother was still alive then, but all ‘e said ‘fore he died was something about French and Irish. Dunno if that means anything, I reckon ‘e was just rambling. But I did go to see the boy sir.”
“ Did you, and how is he? Did you learn anything from him?”
“ He’s recovering Sir, they got the musket ball out and his Mam told me that ‘e should be on his feet again in a few days. He couldn’t tell me anything except that ‘e was wakened by shouts and shooting and then my brother grabbed him and jumped over the side with him. They was both shot when they climbed into a boat tied astern. Another man cut the painter before ‘e was killed. That’s all Sir.”
“ Little enough I’m afraid, but I’m sure that there must be
“ Fine ships he builds,” said the officer “but it will be some time before it arrives here, though we are to have one that is almost completed and intended for another station, even then we will have to find a local crew, which won’t be easy after what has happened.”
Four days after his departure, Owen returned. When Merriman saw him trudgin g up the carriageway, he looked so downcast and miserable that it was obvious that he was not the cheerful sailor that had so looked forward to seeing his family again. Merriman immediately called him into the front hall of the house.
“ What’s the matter with you man? You look as if you’d just been flogged.”
Owen shuffled his feet, coughed and mumbled, “I’ll be alright Sir.”
“ Damn it man, speak up. You are my responsibility now, so if you have problems I want to know about them and help if I can. Come on, out with it.”
Owen looked up with such misery on his face that Merriman was quite taken aback.
“Here, come inside and sit down man. Get this brandy down you and tell me what the trouble is.”
In his agitation, the Welsh lilt in Owen ’s voice became more pronounced.
“ Aye, Sir, very grateful Sir, that helps. Well Sir, you’ll ‘ave ‘eard about the Revenue ship taken by pirates or smugglers; my young brother Aled was in her, part of the crew ‘e was, all killed, not a man left alive. When I got home Sir, seems that me Mam died only three days ago. The shock, you see. She were old and wore out Sir, and with me being away and Da dead of drowning years gone, she depended on Aled. They tell me she asked for me before she-------before she ----if only I’d been home a few days earlier she might not -----.” He couldn’t go on, his face twisted with misery.
Merriman put his hand on the man ’s shoulder. “I’m sorry Owen, really sorry. If there’s anything I can do; perhaps you want to go back home for a few days more?”
“ No Sir, there’s nothing to go back to now. I’ve seen the grave Sir, they were both put in with my Da. No, I’ve nothing now. Even the house belonged to somebody else.”
The big sailor lurched to his feet, “I’d dearly like to find the scum who did this and set about ‘em with a cutlass Sir, straight I would.”
“ Yes, I know you would,” replied Merriman. “Meanwhile, the authorities are doing all they can to discover who is responsible and I’ll tell you if there is any news. Remember that you are part of this household now and my responsibility. Be off to the kitchen now and ask Annie for something to eat. We’ll talk again later.”
Later that day, after giving the matter some serious thought, Merriman called for Owen to come in again. “Owen, when you were over in Wales, did you hear anything, anything at all which may have a bearing on this bad business?”
“ No Sir, not that I know Sir, except that they told me the only survivor was a boy. It was my brother what saved him Sir, and the fishermen who found them adrift in a boat, said my brother was still alive then, but all ‘e said ‘fore he died was something about French and Irish. Dunno if that means anything, I reckon ‘e was just rambling. But I did go to see the boy sir.”
“ Did you, and how is he? Did you learn anything from him?”
“ He’s recovering Sir, they got the musket ball out and his Mam told me that ‘e should be on his feet again in a few days. He couldn’t tell me anything except that ‘e was wakened by shouts and shooting and then my brother grabbed him and jumped over the side with him. They was both shot when they climbed into a boat tied astern. Another man cut the painter before ‘e was killed. That’s all Sir.”
“ Little enough I’m afraid, but I’m sure that there must be
Similar Books
