He saw Ramage point to some soundings marked on the chart, and Aitken wrote them in on the slate. The bay in fact was quite shallow: six and seven fathoms in the centre, but a gradual shoaling up to the beach probably indicated that the sand went well out. The wind was northeast, so it would be calm enough in there.

Martin nodded with the rest of them when Ramage asked casually: 'You all have the details in your memories?'

Then Ramage said: 'Before I roll this chart up and put it away, can you remember enough to take in a boat tonight, with no moon, and land it fifty yards to the west of the tower, on the bay side of the headland?'

Several sheepish 'Well sirs ...' had Ramage sitting down in his chair again and twisting the chart round for them all, grouped in the front of the desk, to study it more easily.

'Take as long as you need', Ramage said. 'If anyone wants to make notes or copy anything, here is pen and paper.' He opened a drawer and pulled out a bottle of ink, pen and a pad.

As he looked at the group, Ramage suddenly had an idea which seemed so absurd that for a moment he thought he was just daydreaming. Then he thought about it again with deliberate concentration. It still seemed absurd, but a faint possibility of it working emerged like a drowning man waving a hand. He drove it out of his mind for a full minute, then let it back and considered it for a third time. Even limited success would need a great deal of luck, but there was one important factor in its favour - complete failure neither endangered the Calypso nor her disguise, nor killed a lot of men. That was a rare situation; probably sufficient to justify an attempt.

Well, even his first plan, which he was about to describe to these men, had an air of absurdity about it. The second - really only the second part of the first - he would keep to himself for the time being. A few hours spent mulling it over would either improve it or reveal some drawback, when he would quietly forget the whole thing.

Aitken was now back in his chair; Kenton folded a sheet sf paper on which he had made notes, carefully wiped the tip of the quill and put the cap back on the inkwell; Rennick read through some notes and Martin crouched down on one knee to look at both chart and diagram for a sea-level view, or rather to see the view he would get from the thwart of a boat. Paolo stared for a few more moments, as though lost in thought, and then sat down.

Ramage looked round at the five of them and said casually: 'There's likely to be a garrison of twenty-five to thirty men at Foix. Probably the same at all the signal stations, so there's no advantage in attacking another one in preference to this. In fact this one has several advantages, hasn't it, Rennick?'

'Yes, sir. Sandy beach, so the boats can land without making a lot of noise.' He was grateful to the captain for that casual mention because Aitken looked surprised - obviously, the Marine considered, the first lieutenant had not thought of it. 'It's conveniently placed so we could draw a detailed plan of the position of the buildings and be fairly sure what they're used for. We can see they have no great guns, so there'll be only a normal guard with muskets. It is too far from the village for any general alarm to be raised, and the only road in is likely to be on the landward side of the camp, so the sentry will be there.'

Ramage nodded. Rennick had given the soldier's point of view; a sailor would add that a frigate could come into the bay towing her boats and anchor, reducing the distance the landing party would have to be rowed. And since they had no idea of the absurd second half of his plan - in the last few minutes he had decided to attempt it - they could not appreciate the greatest advantage of all.

'Very well, we'll say a garrison of thirty. It hardly matters but I am assuming they have six signalmen working two watches during daylight, so they'll be off watch and asleep when we arrive. Cook, carpenter's mate, various petty officers and a commanding officer - he'll probably be aretired or disabled naval lieutenant - and the rest of the garrison supplying sentries.'

He picked up the quill and scribbled on the pad. 'Our two cutters carry sixteen men each for cutting out, so your Marines, Rennick, can be split between those two boats. We'll row six men in each, Mr Aitken, so we have a dozen seamen available once the cutters are beached.'

'Commanding the cutters, sir?' Aitken asked.

'Kenton can take one, Martin the other.' He saw Paolo's face fall. And Aitken, too, was nodding in the businesslike manner which Ramage recognized as his way of hiding disappointment.

'You will command the Calypso, Mr Aitken, and you must be ready to deal with thirty or so French prisoners. I will take my gig, rowing eight oars, with a cutting-out party of sixteen seamen, in case Rennick needs a hand. Not with the attack' he added tactfully, 'but in getting the prisoners into the boats. Mr Orsini can command the gig.'

He added up two columns of figures. 'Yes, that gives us nearly fifty Marines and seamen available, without using boats' crews - I hope they're going to be busy rowing back and forth with prisoners.'

He glanced across at Martin. 'Well, you were the last to pass his examination for lieutenant, so you'll remember what gear a boat needs when sent on "distant service" ...'

It was obvious Martin could not remember and thought he was going to be asked. 'A compass, sir... water... yes, and provisions ...'

'Mr Martin', Ramage said sternly, 'you wouldn't reach the horizon. What about your spyglass, quadrant, book of tables, leadline, grapnel, spare oars and tiller? A lanthorn and candles, tinder box, keg of water, scuttle for bread? An arms chest, flints, watch? You'll stay behind now and write out a complete list.

'However, I wasn't going to ask you about "distant service", so I hope you've learned the lesson of never answering a question unless it is asked. You, Kenton, what do we need for tonight's expedition?'

'The Marines and boarding party will have their arms', Kenton said briskly, 'so each boat needs a grapnel and line, leadline, compass, muffling for the oars, at least one axe and a maul, spare tiller, nightglass, handcuffs for prisoners ... cutlasses and arms chest or skip of pistols for the oarsmen... blue lights or whatever you decide for signalling ...'

'Very good', Ramage said. 'We won't use blue lights or rockets, though, because the wrong eyes might see them, and lanterns must be kept shielded.' He pulled his chair round so that he was facing the men directly. 'Now, listen carefully. This is what we are going to do.'

'Sir, excuse me', Aitken interrupted with the sudden anxiety of a man afraid of forgetting something in the forthcoming bustle if he does not mention it at once. 'Fever ports. Will we have any quarantine problems in Gibraltar after landing here?'

Ramage thought hard and then took out his letter book from a drawer in the desk. He sorted through several until he found one from the port admiral in Gibraltar, informing Captain Ramage, newly arrived in the Calypso from the West Indies, that the following were fever ports, and ships from them were not to be boarded without risk of the Calypso having to serve quarantine. Ramage read through the list, which included almost all along the North African coast which had the plague or yellow fever, and several in Spain. 'Cadiz, Malaga, Alicante, Cartagena ... they are the only ones likely to concern us if we take prizes. Toulon is clear, otherwise Wagstaffe would find himself in trouble when he arrives at Gibraltar with our frigate prize, because she sailed from Toulon. Anyway, this stretch of the coast is clear.'

He put the letter book back in the drawer and nodded at Aitken. 'Thank you for reminding me. We should look silly swinging at the quarantine buoy in Algeciras Bay and just looking at Gibraltar ... Now, I want the boats prepared like this ...'