The Tides Of War Pt. 01

He wasted no time in opening the trunk and suitcase and, referring to his notepad, began calling out an inventory of the items they contained as an assistant removed the item to show David where it was before repacking it.

David was watching the smaller items being removed from drawers set into the trunk when Mr. Smithers arrived.

When they had finished, Mr. Smithers told Mr. Pattal to send his account to his office, at which point Mr. Pattal wished David a pleasant and prosperous voyage before departing with his assistants.

After he had gone, Mr. Smithers removed a large envelope from his inside coat pocket, explaining these were his travel documents for the ship and his arrival in England.

"As far as the crew and passengers are concerned, you are returning to England for health reasons," he said before handing David his card and assuring him that it would be a pleasure to provide him any further service upon his return from England. Shaking his hand, he wished David well as he took his leave.

Chapter 5

A crewmember loaded David's luggage onto a wheeled trolley and proceeded him along the deck to his stateroom, which proved to be placed near the bow of the ship with door access directly from the deck. The crewman and knocked on the door and a steward dressed in white opened it. Together, crewman and steward they lifted the trunk into the cabin as David followed carrying the suitcase.

He tipped the crewman a couple of Rupees as he left. Turning to the steward, he was informed that his name was Rangi and that he would be his personnel steward for the voyage.

The stateroom consisted of two rooms and a bathroom.

A compact lounge housed a small settee, built into the wall, and two comfortable armchairs, all in maroon leather. A coffee table was set between the settee and armchairs. By the window overlooking the bow of the ship were placed a desk and leather chair. The wall leading into the bedroom held a cabinet with cupboards and two drawers. A ceiling fan spun silently above them. All the woodwork of the furniture appeared to be of Teak.

The bedroom was smaller, containing a double bed with side cabinets, a dressing table and stool, and a small armchair set to one side of the bed. The wall leading to the lounge consisted of a built in wardrobe with sliding doors. One door was a full-length mirror. Another ceiling fan spun silently above.

Off to one side of the room was a door that led to a bathroom containing a small bath and washbasin, all had ornate brass hot and cold taps. Rangi explained the toilet's flushing action to him. He ended the tour by showing him the button that, when pressed, would summons him.

Finding that David didn't require help in unpacking, he informed him dinner that night would not require black tie as it was a port day. Returning to the lounge, he removed a leather folder from a desk drawer explaining that this would outline what facilities were on board, along with a map of the ship and information on meal times and dress codes.

After Rangi left, David looked around his new home, well pleased with it. He knew the ship only contained two staterooms. The rest of the passengers would be below deck in cabins with only a porthole for ventilation. He sat down and started to read from the folder, familiarising himself with the ship's layout.

He went onto the deck as the ship left port to a fanfare of ships sirens. Moving to the stern, he watched India slip away wondering when he would see it again. Returning to his cabin he referred to the information folder and found out the Eastern Comet was only three years old and held the record for the fastest passage to England from Karachi beating, its arch rival the P&O by a full day.

In the ships lounge he accepted a sherry from a circulating waiter whilst waiting to be called for dinner. He was informed by a steward that only nine of the ship's 15 passengers would be dining, as a family of six had had their dinner earlier due to the age of the children.

Of the nine passengers present, David realised he was the youngest. They appeared to consist of three couples, a clergyman and an elderly man, in his seventies David thought.

He stayed on the outskirts of the chitchat, content to listen to the various conversations. A ship's officer entered and mingled with them as the Captain would not be joining them that night for dinner, it being the first night at sea.

When they were called for dinner, he found himself sat to the left hand side of the officer, who he was informed was Richard Watts, the First Officer of the ship. The couple on his right were Sir and Lady Oliver Mantel who he judged to be in their fifties. They, it seemed, had the ship's other stateroom.

Sir Oliver tended to dominate the conversation, for which David was grateful. He was drawn into the dialogue only when Lady Mantel asked what his business was in India.

He explained he had been there overseeing the delivery of railway parts from his father's factory in Leeds. Which triggered off a conversation on the Indian railway system.

It was obvious to David that Sir Oliver had outspoken views on India and the British right to rule all of it. He wasn't surprised to find out that he sat on the board of a large investment concern back in the city.

After dinner he excused himself, as the rest of the dinners started to play cards.

Back in his cabin he sat at his desk with the magazines and books he had bought and began to read.

Over the following days he settled into the ship's routine, for the most part keeping to himself.

The magazines he had purchased had, as he had expected, revealed quite a lot of information regarding bolt-action rifles.

Handmade guns for the hunters tended to be in the forefront of modern firearms development. From what he had read, the two major developers in bolt-actions were a Mr. Lee, who worked for Winchester in America, and Mauser, in Germany. Mauser advocated a boxlike magazine whereas Winchester had perfected a tubular magazine that lay extended along the barrel of the rifle.

It also seemed that black powder loads for bullets were being superseded by cordite as the preferred propellant. The advantages of this propellant where it's almost smokeless nature and the higher energy produced, which gave the bullet more range and a flatter trajectory, but with less recoil than experienced by black powder.

All were factors that David considered necessary in a modern firearm, knowing at first hand the failings of the Martini Henry service rifle, and the savage recoil from its .455 Boxer ammunition

He made his own "hunting" list of English gun makers advertised in the magazines that manufactured hunting rifles.

To be continued.