The Shadow of Great Britain

106: Chapter 66: The Blue Boat Flag Rises High!

106: Chapter 66: The Blue Boat Flag Rises High!

On the bow of the Beagle, sailors scurried up and down the mast like monkeys, as three sails unfurled fiercely, and the blue ensign of the Royal Navy reserves soared high.

Under Colonel Fitzroy’s orders, the Beagle blared its whistle madly as it charged full speed towards the mouth of the Thames.

This action naturally drew a stream of curses from the merchant ships on the Thames River.

“Fuck your mother!

Are you blind?”

“Son of a bitch, are you rushing to Hell?”

Some merchant sailors were even furious enough to hurl dead rats and fermented herring at the Beagle from a great distance.

“Fuck off, I’ll stink you bunch of fucking idiots to death!”

In response to the merchant sailors’ cursing, the sailors didn’t retaliate verbally; they simply deftly lifted the wooden covers on the ten gun ports on both sides of the Beagle.

When the merchant sailors saw the dark muzzles of the twelve-pound cannons extend from the ports, even with their foul mouths, they instantly became as decorous and quiet as naive high-society ladies.

Actually, under normal circumstances, sailors were not so eager to go to sea.

But when they heard that the target of this sea voyage had changed to pursuit of the ‘Black Thorn’, they suddenly felt like they were bursting with unstoppable energy.

Tom, seeing the sailors’ fervent willingness to undertake various tasks, couldn’t help but feel moved and said.

“I always knew that justice still existed in this world.”

But no sooner had he finished his statement than Eld poured cold water on him, “Give it a rest, Tom.

Perhaps the sailors do harbor a sense of justice, but I think the main reason is that the target this time is a slaver and smuggler ship.”

Tony, puzzled, asked, “What’s the connection between the two?”

This time, without waiting for Eld to explain, Arthur let out a puff of smoke and said, “For the Royal Navy, since the Convoy Act of the 18th century was established, it must be quite rare to encounter such legitimate privateering business, right?”

Eld winked at Arthur with a mischievous grin, “Exactly.

I just took a glance at the nominal displacement of the Black Thorn, and if we drag that back, even speaking conservatively, it would sell for five or six thousand pounds!

By custom, Colonel Fitzroy takes a quarter, and since there’s no Fleet Commander on the Beagle, the rest is for the crew to split.

With a hundred men on our ship, that’s an easy forty-five pounds each.

Besides, we might even snag some rewards and honors from the Navy Department.

Anyone who doesn’t pull their weight is just getting in the way of their own good fortunes.”

“Forty-five pounds?” Tom exclaimed, “That’s more than a year’s salary for me!”

Eld grinned, “You see?

And that’s just calculating the merchant ship’s value; I haven’t even added the income from other unknown items.

If we include those, the final tally will only be more frightening.

Why else do you think I’ve been itching for a battle with the French?

If a normal merchant ship is worth so much, imagine dragging in a French first-rate battleship…

tsk, tsk…

those things cost tens of thousands of pounds to build.”

Hearing this, Tony couldn’t help but sigh, “No wonder so many people turn to piracy, it’s a quick way to make money!”

Eld replied, “Too true, the good days are past!

Now the issuance of privateering licenses is also too damn strict.

Before the Napoleonic Wars, as long as you could afford eight thousand pounds you could legally plunder; now, even if you have the money and connections, they might not issue one to you.”

Eld had just reached this point when he heard Darwin’s voice behind him.

“Arthur, Eld, Colonel Fitzroy is calling you to have something to eat in the officers’ mess.”

Hearing this, Eld couldn’t help but remind Arthur earnestly, “I’m going all in for you this time.

Arthur, don’t screw me over with the Black Thorn thing!

Even if Colonel Fitzroy lets it slide, if my uncle hears about it, he’ll flay me alive.”

Arthur glanced at him and said, “Don’t worry, brother, I won’t let you down.

Why would I deceive you about something like this?”

“Good to hear.”

The two followed Darwin down to the officers’ mess in the cabin.

Perhaps limited by the cramped size of the Beagle, the mess wasn’t very large, just barely accommodating a table meant for four and a cupboard for utensils.

The neatly dressed Colonel Fitzroy was cutting a lamb chop with knife and fork on his plate.

When he saw Arthur and Eld arrive, he did not stand but merely smiled and nodded at them, “Take any seat.”

A moment after Arthur and Eld sat down, their meals had already been delivered by the burly cook.

Today’s officers’ breakfast was hearty, with not only lamb chops but also peas and fried eggs.

Seeing Arthur’s face looking a bit pale from the wind, Fitzroy asked with a laugh, “Would you like a glass of ‘Nelson’s Blood’?”

Arthur, puzzled, asked, “What’s that?”

But before anyone could explain, the cook had already placed a cup of the drink in front of Arthur on the plate.

He fanned himself with his dinner plate as he replied, “It’s nothing to fuss over, just the Royal Navy’s flavored rum.

Give it a taste and you’ll see.”

Eld draped one hand over the back of his chair and popped a pea into his mouth with the other, “That’s right, have a taste and you’ll know.”

Arthur took a sip from his glass and savored it carefully.

It seemed to him quite similar to ordinary rum.

Just as he was about to set down his glass, he looked up and found the cook, Eld, and Colonel Fitzroy all watching him with ill-disguised mirth.

Even Agares, who had been silent at his side, couldn’t help covering his mouth to stifle a laugh.

Arthur immediately felt that something was amiss.

“You…”

The portly cook asked with a grin, holding his dinner plate, “Young man, do you know why they call this concoction ‘Nelson’s Blood’?”

“Why?”

Eld could no longer contain himself.

He laughed heartily, pounding the table with his fist as he did.

“Because when General Nelson died at Trafalgar, to prevent his body from decomposing, the Royal Navy immersed it in a barrel of rum to preserve it.

But when the fleet returned to Britain, the Navy Department discovered that not a drop of rum was left in the barrel.

Now do you see where the nickname ‘Nelson’s Blood’ comes from?”

The cook laughed out loud as well, “But don’t you worry, the barrels on the Beagle are quite clean; I’ve made sure they were washed out with fresh water many times before boarding.

However, I can’t guarantee if they’ve held anything else before that.”

Hearing this, Arthur couldn’t help but take the table napkin and wipe his mouth, “I’ve heard for a long time that there are all sorts of nasty things on a ship, and it seems it’s quite true indeed.”

“What’s that compared to what’s coming?” Eld turned to the cook, “Allen, did we bring sheep on board this time?

Go fetch one for my good brother here.”

Upon hearing this, Colonel Fitzroy couldn’t help but toss his white gloves from the table into Eld’s face, glaring at him.

“Eld!

That’s quite enough!

Are you not embarrassed enough for me, spouting all this nonsense?

We’ve only got a week of sea training, and if you can’t hold yourself for even that, go and grab a fish from the nets to cope with it yourself!”

After being scolded, Eld smacked his lips and obediently dug into his mutton chops.

Seeing him quiet down, Fitzroy put on a smile and turned back to Arthur, saying,

“Mr.

Hastings, regarding the pursuit of the Black Thorn, I’m not saying I don’t trust you.

But out of caution, I need to get more information from you.

If it truly is a slave smuggling ship, then it definitely possesses a certain level of armament.

“In that case, I must consider what tactics to use for the approach.

“And if it’s just an ordinary merchant ship, then I must explain to you, there is certainly no problem for the Beagle to stop it for boarding and inspection.

“But, you may not be aware that firing upon a domestic merchant ship…

would mean facing a military court.”

Arthur understood very well what concerns the colonel harbored after hearing this.

He took out a police badge from Scotland Yard from his pocket, “You should have seen my name in the newspapers, Arthur Hastings, Police Superintendent of the Greenwich District, London Metropolitan Police.

Colonel Sir, you don’t want to gamble with your career, and neither do I.

Can you trust me now?”

Colonel Fitzroy took a glance at the police badge and exclaimed, “I knew it, how could an ordinary man receive such extensive coverage in the papers!

No wonder your family didn’t want you to board the ship.

Apparently, they had your path laid out after you left the Army.

“Joining Scotland Yard and becoming a Superintendent right away, it seems the position of Police Superintendent of the Greater London Police Department is yours for the taking.

Spend a few years at Scotland Yard, build some reputation, hone your skills, then run for a seat in Parliament, and after that, get a placement in the Home Office.

“With a bit of luck, by the time you’re in your forties, you might well be in the Cabinet, and it’s not impossible you could be Prime Minister.

“Indeed, that’s a far better path than the Royal Navy.

Young man, you should listen to your family more—the future holds great promise for you!”

Eld was just quietly gnawing on his mutton chops, trembling slightly as he held his head down.

Arthur offered no objection to Colonel Fitzroy’s bold conjectures, merely nodding, “I appreciate your kind words.”

And to Colonel Fitzroy, Arthur’s lack of denial was as good as an admission.

At that moment, his head was full of visions of Arthur becoming the future Naval Minister.

The thought of this young man potentially becoming their ultimate superior at the Royal Navy made even the composed colonel let his imagination run wild, picturing himself being appointed the first Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff by Arthur.

He rose absentmindedly to his feet, and was about to salute Arthur when he caught himself midway, realizing the impropriety of his action.

Seeing Arthur and Eld’s strange gaze, he quickly lowered his hand in embarrassment and assured them, thumping his chest,”Please rest assured, I will have the Black Thorn in the palm of my hand this time and will cooperate fully with Scotland Yard to complete the pursuit mission.”

With that said, the colonel grabbed his gloves and hurriedly left the officers’ mess, and soon there was the sound of Fitzroy’s bellowing across the deck.

“Helmsman, go have your meal, you’re moving like molasses.

Today, let me show you what top-tier helmsmanship is all about!”

The Red Devil glanced in the direction of the departing colonel and whispered to Arthur, “See that, Arthur?

Such is the allure of power.

Even the imagined kind can send a seasoned Royal Navy colonel into a delirium.”