Free Across to America: A Tim Phillips Novel (War at Sea Book 9) by Richard Testrake Page B

built right up in the foc’s’le of the schooner that took us. We could hear them talking well enough. It sounded like they were waiting for the other schooner to come back from a chase she was on, and then they were going to send us into port in the brig and the pair of them would then go off to try their luck in the Channel, back home.”
    “They were going to take Miss Humphrey off the brig, put us back on and they were going to be off.”
     
    “Just a minute, Captain Lawton. Just who is this Miss Humphrey, you mentioned?”
    “Her? She is the owner’s daughter. Mister Humphrey took her to sea, when her mother died. Then, during the chase, a ball from the four pounder that one of the schooners fired, took off his arm. Our first mate bound it up, but Mister Humphries lost too much blood and he died.”
    “I heard one of the privateers men say they were going to send the brig in to port, and see if they could ransom Miss Humphries.”
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

CHAPTER TWELVE
     
    Captain Larson was sent aboard the Sarah Hayes and a prize crew commanded by a midshipman was put aboard, ordered to take the brig to Halifax. The remainder of the original crew was pressed into the Navy and would serve aboard Andromeda. The post ship was put on the course that would follow normal shipping lanes to the Channel entrance across the Atlantic.
    As Phillips explained to his sailing master, he intended to follow the pair of privateers, if possible taking them, if not, they could at least spread the word of their presence.
    The sailing master wondered what they could do about the woman taken from the brig. Phillips answered, “I don’t see how we can do much, Mister Harding, unless we manage to take the schooner she is aboard. Apparently, they mean to ransom her. To do that, they will need to get a message ashore somehow with their demands and the payment method. This all could take months, and I expect they will either be back in America by then or possibly taken.”
     
    The ship continued on course for days without sighting another ship. Then, almost two weeks after leaving the Sarah Hayes, two sails were spotted ahead. Both were moderate sized ship-rigged merchant vessels flying the American flag. Heavily laden, they were run down with no difficulty and brought to heel.
    Mister Otis, acting as third lieutenant, in the absence of Mister Goodrich, went aboard the Boston Commerce and reported she was laden with wheat, destined for Portugal. The second ship, Rebecca Morris, was also laden with the same cargo, but additionally carried a deck-cargo of spars. Deciding to inspect this one himself, Phillips left Mister Gould in charge and was pulled over in his gig.
    The captain of the merchantman was decidedly nervous. He knew well he could find his ship taken prize and himself on his way to a hulk very soon. Keeping his silence, Captain Phillips had Mister Otis lead him to the cabin where the manifest and ship’s log were laid out on a small table.
     
    The ship ostensibly was destined to make port in South Carolina where she would offer her cargo in trade. Instead, here she was in mid-Atlantic heading for Europe. Questioned, the captain told him this cargo was his own private venture. Rumors abounded in Boston there was an excellent market for American wheat in Lisbon, and good straight spars were also bringing respectable prices. The American government had placed an embargo on the export of certain goods important for Britain’s economy.
    The American captain was concerned the American government would not take kindly to his commercial activities, since they could be construed as aiding the enemy. So, his manifest indicated he was taking the cargo to South Carolina, while he was actually sailing to Lisbon.
    Phillips decided this situation matched the issues raised by Vice-Admiral Sawyer previously. Namely that he should assist any American shipping endeavoring to deliver supplies to Wellington and his Army.