STO'B 15

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Twenty-four hours later Badger had completed all of her major repairs, except for her rudder, which neither her commander nor her carpenter had yet figured out how to address. A thousand minor repairs remained, but for the moment all hands had been called aftt to witness punishment. They stood there in the waist, heads bare, facing Philip and his officers on the quarterdeck. Sergeant Harris and his marines lined the gangways, bayonets fixed, ready to suppress any sign of unrest.

"Master at Arms," called the Captain, "bring forward the first case."

The master at Arms, a burly man with arms like an ape, led a slight, light-haired seaman aft, stopping a few feet short of the quarterdeck. "Seaman Wright." he announced hieratically, "charged with neglect of duty on the night of the fourth, allowing the enemy to approach undetected to such a point as he was able to attack and severely injure this sloop, Badger, and kill some 24 persons of her crew, and injure another 12 persons."

"Well, Wight, what have you to say for yourself?" asked Captain Fitton.

Wight touched a knuckle to his forehead. "Yes, your honour, which I am sorry as what's happened, like, with that French brig and all, but as I tolds Mr Grey here-"

"Your eyes are not the issue, Wight," interrupted the lieutenant. "It is your neglect of duty."

"No, your honour, which I didn't neglect-"

"Then how did the Chasseur get so close?" asked Fitton.

"The Chasseur, your honour?"

"The Chasseur, the Frenchman," said Grey. "If you did not neglect your duty then how did she get so close?"

When no answer appeared, Captain Fitton turned to the officers assembled on the quarterdeck. "Have his officers anything to say for him?"

They had not. The Captain nodded to the bosun's mate, standing by with his cat,"strip him and seize him up."

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