The Herald Cryptic Puzzle

Cryptic No. 779

Answers in next Saturday’s Herald

ACROSS

1. Sick lose credit in quiet retreat (10) 6. Shoulder perhaps festering and hot (4) 9. Horn in tree fire! Melted! About third gone! (9) 10. Soft resolution is garbage! (5) 11. Indiana, caught in bar (5) 12. Tries to repair Road Seven (9) 13. Andrew’s deranged strays (7) 15. Blackened faded mess around Maine (7) 16. Alvin not popular in plant recovery (7) 19. Remains faithful for half mile in caverns (7) 21. “Wine and Chinese Tea Tip” page in magazine, “New England” (9) 22. Forward, from Alabama to Ontario, to gulf (5) 24. Space between pews is covered in beer! (5) 25. Toss out counter length: inches at one edge (9) 26. Sovereign and last kopek among $1000 (4) 27. Gee! Crooks rent venom from state! (10)

DOWN

1. Bracing, I hear, for hot pepper (5) 2. Figure to go on? Act dissipated (7) 3. Fish Saturday around Puerto Rico (5) 4. Holes in empty shell on upended stone monument (7) 5. Concluded about me being “fixed” (7) 7. University fellow in minor new military outfit (7) 8. Sh! Li idles around slopes (9) 10. Steal a bit (7) 13. Gag and most of wig on second stretcher! (9) 14. Illustration from re-programmed PALM.EXE (7) 17. Amelia is only partial link (7) 18. Unusual Cree log painter (2,5) 19. 100 regarding wicked events in fissure (7) 20. “Six, Love” held up to dishonour (7) 22. Out of cola? Lie (naturally!) to stranger (5) 23. Wonderful Greek quarter nearby (5)