Pirate's Treasure

10 Giovanni was assigned the larboard watch, opposite that of Matthews, Douglas taking whatever precautions he could against the two conspiring. The Sophie, like most merchant ships, was shorthanded and the two new arrivals were put to work immediately. It was, after all, free labor to Douglass. The work was hard, just like on any ship, the captain and mates more brutal than some, less than others. Some captains towed the line between keeping their crews fearful and working and beating them to death better than others. Douglass was not always sure of where that line was. The man Giovanni saw hanging in the rigging was cut down the second day he was aboard. Giovanni learned his name was Edward Chambers. His crime was falling asleep on his watch. Edward was also part of the larboard watch so he was below when Giovanni was. The other men took care of him as best they could but he was dead within the week, never having returned to duty. He left a young bride and son in...

“Sail ho!” Captain Roger Douglass gazed up at the lookout. “Where away?” he shouted over the wind. “Right off the beam sir, to windward!” “My glass Mr. Dickson.” The mate of the watch handed him the spyglass. He opened it and trained it on the sea. Scanning the horizon, he saw nothing. Douglass was a short man with a large belly, a round, bald head, fleshy lips and hooded blue eyes. His features gave him a perpetually bored expression. He had a nice cargo and was headed for Williamsburg, only a week out of Plymouth. He didn’t want to see any ships on his way. Privateers were everywhere and with only six guns, his ship wasn’t a match for most of them. He didn’t want to see an English ship either. They would force him to heave to, board and press his best men. Then he saw it, a flash of canvas rising on a swell and then it was gone. “Mr. Parr!” he ordered. A tall young man in a maroon coat came to his side. He was the first mate, Douglass’ sister’s son. ...

8 “Giovanni!”  the cry was weak and hoarse.  He stood on the raft and looked around, his eyes squinting in the noonday sun.  There was splashing a hundred or so yards to his right. “Here!  It’s me, Matthews!”  he yelled, “and I 'ave Will!” Giovanni jumped into the cold water and quickly swam out to them.  Matthews was holding onto a broken barrel with one hand and Will with the other.  Matthews had a deep gash on his forehead and Will’s head was barely above water.  Giovanni placed himself on the barrel opposite Matthews and pulled on Will, getting his face farther out of the water.  He sputtered and rolled his head from side to side, looking at them with one half open eye.  He smiled slightly. “We must get out of the water,” said Giovanni, “it’s too cold.”  Matthews just nodded weakly.  His lips were blue and his teeth chattered occasionally.  They kicked and paddled to Giovanni’s raft.  He helped Matthews ...

7 “Did you hear something?” “I’m not sure.” Captain François D’Bollier peered into the fog from the rail of his quarterdeck.  He couldn’t see more than a few fathoms over the water.  He had left port the night before, counting on just this kind of weather to get past the English ships, but sailing in this soup made him nervous. “Silence fore and aft!” ordered the first mate in a loud whisper.  Both strained to see or hear anything. “I don’t think there’s anything out there but keep the bells muted for now.  We’ve got to get farther out before we start worrying about prizes.  Have to make sure we’re past the blockade.” “Aye aye sir,” smiled the first mate, a glint in his eye. Captain D’Bollier knew what that glint was, hunger for gold.  This was their third cruise together and each of the previous had been very successful.  As the war had worn on and reached a kind of stalemate with little naval action, English merchantmen had become car...