1805 by Richard Woodman Page B

Trinity House of Kingston-upon-Hull and engaged in a
profitable trade in whale-oil, whale-bone and the smuggling of furs
from Greenland to France where they were used to embellish the gaudy
uniforms of the soldiers they had so recently been cannonading upon the
cliffs of Boulogne. It had been this illicit trade that had reduced him
to his present circumstances. He had been caught red-handed engaged in
a treasonable trade with a French outpost on the coast of Greenland by
Captain Nathaniel Drinkwater.
    Although well aware that he could have been hanged for what he
had done, Waller was a weak and cunning character. That he had escaped
with his life due to Drinkwater's clemency had at first seemed
fortunate, but as time passed his present humiliations contrasted
unfavourably with his former status. His guilt began to diminish in his
own eyes as he transferred responsibility for it to his partner who had
been architect of the scheme and had died for it. The greater blame lay
with the dead man and Waller was, in his own mind, increasingly a
victim of regrettable circumstances. When he had been turned among
them, many of
Melusine
's hands had been aware of
his activities. They had shunned him and despised him, but Waller had
held his peace and survived, being a first-rate seaman. But he had kept
his own counsel, a loner among the gregarious seamen of his mess, and
long silences had made him morose, driven him to despair at times. He
had been saved by the transfer to the
Antigone
and a bigger ship's company. Among the pressed and drafted men who had
increased the size of the ship's company to form the complement of a
frigate, there had been those who knew nothing of his past. He had
taught a few ignorant landsmen the rudiments of seamanship and there
were those among the frigate's company that called him friend. He had
drawn renewed confidence from this change in his circumstances. He let
it be known among his new companions that he was well-acquainted with
the business of navigation and that many of
Antigone
's
junior officers were wholly without knowledge of their trade. In
particular Lord Walmsley's studied contempt for the men combined with
his rank and ignorance to make him an object of the most acute
detestation to Waller.
    On this particular morning, as Waller hauled wearily at the
heavy loom of the stroke oar, his hatred of Walmsley reached its
crisis. He muttered under his breath loudly enough for Walmsley and
Gillespy to hear.
    'Did you say something, Waller?'
    Waller watched the blade of his oar swing forward, ignoring
his lordship's question.
    'I asked you what you said, Waller, damn you!'
    Waller continued to pull steadily, gazing vaguely at the
horizon.
    'He didn't say nothing, sir,' the man occupying the same
thwart said.
    'I didn't ask you,' snapped Walmsley, fixing his eyes on
Waller. 'This lubber, Mr Gillespy, needs watching. He was formerly the
skipper
of a damned
whale-boat
…' Walmsley laid
a disparaging emphasis on the two words, 'a bloody merchant master who
thought he could defy the King. And now God damn him he thinks he can
defy you and I…'
    Waller stopped rowing. The man behind him bumped into his
stationary back and there was confusion in the boat.
    'Give way, damn you!' Walmsley ordered, his voice low. Beside
him little Gillespy was trembling. The oarsmen stopped rowing and the
launch lost way.
    'Go to the devil, you poxed young whoreson!' Waller snarled
through clenched teeth. A murmur of approval at Waller's defiance ran
through the boat's crew.
    'Why you God-damn bastard!' Walmsley shoved Gillespy aside and
pulled the heavy tiller from the rudder stock. In a single swipe he
brought the piece of ash crashing into the side of Waller's skull,
knocking him senseless, his grip on the oar-loom weakened and it swept
up and struck him under the chin as he slumped into the bottom of the
boat.
    The expression on the faces of the launch's crew were of
disbelief. Astern of them the towline drooped slackly in