by Carly Smesh
After a further ten minutes, Mr. Pattal and his two assistants left him with the promise that he would return in the morning at nine.
After they had left, Mr. Smithers handed him a slim briefcase extracting from it a thick leather wallet, "There are £500 in this for your out of pocket expenses, Mr. Ramage," he said before replacing the wallet back in the briefcase.
"Thank you Mr. Smithers you have been a great help. I'm afraid I'm a little out of my depth in these matters," he said accepting the briefcase.
"Not at all my boy," Mr. Smithers smiled, replying, "the Prince's instructions were quite explicit concerning your welfare."
"But you haven't had much time in which to organize all of this surly," David replied.
Mr. Smithers frowned "I've known since Thursday of your arrival. One of his agents brought me word of what was required."
After Mr. Smithers' departure, David sat considering the implications of the Prince's disclosure of his pigeon communications system. A message capable of being carried securely by a pigeon would require some sort of abbreviated code he decided. He was developing a newfound respect for the Prince and wondered how many agents he had working on his behalf scattered around India with pigeons in their lofts.
He placed the letters of introduction the Prince had given him to his bank in London and to the hotel he was to use, in the briefcase.
He had room service that night and was in bed by ten.
True to his word, Mr. Pattal arrived promptly at nine accompanied by two assistants bearing boxes. He waited whilst David dressed in his new clothes then fussed around for several minutes to ensure the fit was satisfactory before leaving David to his affairs.
Although it was a Sunday, he still found most of the shops were open due to the difference in religion. He made a point of visiting a large book and magazine shop and purchased a number of hunting magazines and books on modern firearms and ammunition along with a notebook pencils and pen. These he intended to study on the voyage, making notes as he went.
Back in his suite, he sat down with a drink and continued his thinking about about what lay ahead of him as he strove to accomplish the mission the Prince had given him.
He knew you couldn't just go into a shop as if buying a pair of shoes and ask if they would be so kind as to provide him with several hundred rifles and hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition.
There was also the question of whether the Government would allow him to make such a purchase. He couldn't believe they would wholly favour an enterprise that provided the means for Kanda to maintain its independence from a complete colonial takeover.
He would have to be very careful in his dealings.
With those thoughts, he had an early dinner before retiring for the night.
Mr. Pattal arrived at nine again the next morning carrying a suitcase, whilst his assistants struggled with large leather cabin trunk, brass bands reinforcing the trunk at the corners and base.
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 c
ity.
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.
Chapter 6
The voyage went without any incident and the Easton Comet tied up at Southampton sixteen days after leaving Karachi, on a dull April morning.
He boarded the boat train to London, marvelling at the green English countryside has it passed his window.
At the reception desk of the Ascot Hotel, he passed over the letter the Prince had given him.
Within seconds the hotel manager appeared and conducted him personally to a suite while porters carried up his luggage.
After settling in, he bathed and changed, then took a handsome cab to the address of the Princes bank.
The gothic columns outside its entrance giving it an imposing air.
Inside he presented the Princes second letter addressed to the Bank Manager. Once again within moments the Bank Manager a Mr Tompkins was ushering him into his dark oak lined office.
David explained that he was in England to purchase equipment for the Prince and that he would require the means to pay for it.
In short order a chequebook was provided for him along with the necessary documents to validate them, whilst he took tea with Mr Tompkins.
On the way back to the hotel he stopped off to buy more magazines on hunting, the ones he had bought in Karachi being six months old.
Once back in his suite he began to read them, has he planned his next move?
He decided not to use the more renowned London gun makers, whose clientele were normally the very wealthy or aristocracy, has some one may query his requirements.
Two days later he took a train to Birmingham and booked into The Stratton hotel, from there he telephoned to make an appointment with a Mr Tomas Cartwright of Cartwright and Son makers of fine firearms.
The next morning at ten he was shown into the office of Mr Cartwright who was sat behind an imposing desk with a younger man who looked to be in his mid-thirties stood by his side, who was introduced has Henry Cartwright his son.
David took an immediate liking to the father and son with their bluff friendly mannerisms.
He outlined his requirement for a box magazine bolt-action rifle firing a smokeless bullet. Mr Cartwright sat back in his chair, "Henry is the authority on such weapons has you have described," He murmured, "perhaps it would be better if you talked to him."
David followed Henry through to his office and sat down in front of his desk.
Henry began the conversation "what calibre were you thinking off Mr Ramage" he asked.
David took a chance and explained exactly what the rifles were to be used for.
Henry listened sat back in his chair. When David finished he smiled, "what you propose is not new, most of the foreign powers in Europe and America are thinking along similar lines. Unfortunately most are loathe to give up black powder and large calibre bullets."
He sat twiddling a pencil thinking for a moment, "I would suggest the .303 round, it has already been tested and the results of those tests are most encouraging. Regarding the bolt mechanism you have a choice between the two leading contenders in this field either Lee or Mouser. The Mouser is better for hunting but the Lee allows a faster fate of fire. We have examples of both in our workshops.
They sat talking for hours discussing the finer details of the requirement. It appeared that Henry had a small development team working on the practicality of a rifle firing 303 ammunition from a hunting prospect.
He agreed to return the following day to continue the conversation.
Over the next three days he spent at the company, he was shown the workshops and the different bolt mechanisms, slowly the requirement became agreed.
It would be shorter than the current Martini Henry by seven inches suiting the stature of the Ghurkha and having a Lee modified bolt action.
In talks with the company's ammunition expert it was explained that the cordite round had a higher muzzle velocity of 1970 feet-per-second but a lower chamber pressure of 17.5 tons per square inch resulting in lower recoil, longer range and a much flatter trajectory than black powder rounds.
On tests carried out they had found out that a square rifling of the barrel suited the .303 round best.
The only downside to it was due to its velocity a bullet was likely to pass through a body. But it was suggested that if part of the copper sheath of the bullet was removed and the lead head of the bullet was blunted creating what was called a hollow point bullet, it would spread on impact creating more damage to a body.
During his talks with Henry the question of cost came up, when informed 150 rifles would initially be required in lots off 50 rifles, a price of £25 each was agreed, to offset tooling costs of the price per rifle, dropping with subsequent lots, subject to testing it.
Henry promised a working model would be ready in a week's time.
On his return to London David made a number of purchases for himself comprising of a leather cased compass, a powerful pocket telescope and a matching brace of Smith and Wesson New Model Number 3 .44 pistols with six and half inch barrels. He added 200 rounds of ammunition to the order.
Reading the newspapers, it was full of demands for Gladstone to rise of a force, to be sent to avenge General Gordon's death at Khartoum and tensions were rising in South Africa with the Dutch settlers of Natal. It seemed to David that the British Army were going to have its hands full all across the Empire.
When he returned to Birmingham he found a prototype rifle ready for his inspection.
The rifle had full beech furniture covering the rifle with just an inch of muzzle protruding. And angled box magazine came down to nearly level with the trigger guard. Henry demonstrated how the bolt mechanism worked. Lifting the bolt to fifty degrees allowed to be drawn back some three inches opening the breech, sliding the bolt back forward and dropping the bolt down again loaded a bullet into the breech and cocked the firing pin. There was a knurl knob on the left hand side of the rifle that could be clicked down thereby making the rifle safe.
When David tried it Henry immediately noticed that he was left handed.
"You realise that the tooling for this, to make it mass production will mean we can only make right handed rifles" he warned.
"Yes I realise that, unfortunately" David replied.
Henry smiled "I can get Mr Jenkins our master gunsmith to make you a left handed variant but it will be hand built".
David's face brightened "If that's possible, yes please".
Later Henry along with a Peter Hynes the ammunition expert drove out in Henry's carriage to the test rifle range of the company.
Henry explained on the drive out, the sight for the rifle was calibrat
ed to a thousand yards on a folding column operated by a knurl screw. At the foot of the column were two screws, one either side of the column for zeroing the sights to the individual shooters eye sight.
When they arrived at the range there were already some other men present. David followed Peter down to the firing pit off the 300-yard range where he took up a position alongside of him. Peter opened the breech and loaded five bullets into the magazine, whilst Henry waved a flag to the men in the butts to take cover.
Peter fired, it was a crack rather than the boom David was used too, but remarkably there was not the dense smoke that normally accrued when firing the Martini Henry.
A pointer appeared from below the butt showing a bull. The next four shots followed suite. David could see through his telescope that all the shots were in a one-inch group.
Peter loaded another five bullets into the breech, "now for rapid fire" he said. He discharged the five shots off in less than eight seconds, all hitting the target within a four-inch group. David had to admit it was remarkable shooting.
"Do you want to try now? Peter asked.
David being left-handed found it a little hard to load it, he notice that the sight was a hole that you looked through to line up with the blade front sight. He fired getting a bull albeit on the left of the six-inch bullring, he had to change hands to cock the rifle for the next round, which too fell inside the bull. His remaining shots all hit the bull but scattered around it.
"If you hadn't had to change hands you would have had a tighter group," Peter told him.
He examined the rifle has the targets were changed noticing that the sight was calibrated in one hundred yard incidents from two hundred yards.
He mentioned this to Peter, who replied that the trajectory was so flat it only began to show around the three hundred yard mark stage.
Looking down the range he saw two beef carcases had been raised. Peter smiled at him, "I want to demonstrate the effect the bullet has on flesh, he removed a bullet from his pocket and one from the box that held the ammunition and handed them to David.