Ian ran and grabbed a musket already loaded and joined Gunny. “One volley Gunny, and then shoot the grapples.” As soon as the volley was fired Ian shouted “Grapples away!” The grapple mortars fired and even through the smoke the devastation was easy to see. The pirates were able to fire back a ragged volley and one round caught a man trying to descend from the mainmast. He fell to the deck some ten feet and yelled as he grasped his leg. From their lower height the pirates couldn’t find another target to shoot at.
Five of the eight hooks took hold and the second pirate craft’s fate was sealed as Gunny’s marksmen fired yet another round at anything standing aboard her. Others of the crew drew in the grapple lines, drawing the pirates close. Ian was first over the side as the cargo booms were swung out and downward. He felt a surge of adrenalin again as he swung out over the lower craft, and then dropped some twelve feet to their deck. Pulling both pistols he shot a pirate point blank and snap-kicked a second one in the groin as he raised his saber to strike. He caught that man with a vicious knee to his face and followed by a front kick to his chest that sprawled him back on his shipmates. By then three of Ian’s shipmates had joined him and the bloody hand to hand fighting was in full swing. Elsie’s crew began to swarm over the two cargo booms to drop onto the deck of the stricken craft with a great cry.
Dispatching the fallen pirate in front of him with a thrust of his sabre, Ian leaped over him towards a knot of men who were advancing with cutlasses drawn and raised. He ducked as one of them leveled a pistol and fired a round that sang past his right ear. Aiming his second pistol he shot that one in the face and kicked his falling body back onto the others. Moving toward the last of the pirates he and his shipmates engaged them. The sounds changed from gunfire to those of ringing steel as the last pistols had been discharged. The last group of pirates was cut down, but not before inflicting a mortal pistol wound on one of Ian’s companions.
It was over. Ian and the others warily ran about, looking for anyone else who might be hiding with a loaded pistol or musket. No more combatants were found and after confirming that with the twenty seven men from Elsie now on board the pirate craft, Ian turned and shouted “She’s ours!”
A loud cheer erupted. Then someone shouted “Three cheers for Cap’n McCloud!” Then the whole crew shouted “Hip-hip huzzah! Hip-hip-Huzzah! Hip-hip-Huzzah!”
Angus McCloud shouted “Silence!” and rang the ship’s bell repeatedly until the cheering died down. “Now listen, ye men! We’ve beaten the odds by God’s grace. Let’s not be congratulating ourselves on this victory. Let us instead offer up a prayer of thanksgiving to Almighty God for our deliverance! Bow your heads now, and we’ll pray.”
Angus offered up a prayer of thanksgiving and all the crew echoed his “Amen.” Then he said “I’m pleased with every one of you this day. We’ve lost one of our own and we will see to it that his family receives his share and a widow’s share when we return home. We only have six wounded, which is a miracle. When you tell this story to others, don’t forget God’s great blessing this day. Get all of our wounded aboard Elsie now and rig the prize for towing.”
Chapter 3
After heaving the pirate dead overboard the crew assisted Ian in rounding up the remaining pirates, numbering eight. He then ordered four shipmates to bind them and set them to be hauled aboard Elsie with the two starboard cargo booms. Three of his crewmates who were wounded were lifted back on board Elsie first though, for the ship’s surgeon, shipwright, and carpenter Mark MacCarr to look after.
After reloading both of his pistols, Ian took two of his crew mates with him and began a search of the ship. Coming to the stern castle cabins, he stopped. Listening intently, he thought he heard a stifled sob. He gestured to the door on the left and then he kicked open the door on the right. A loud scream came from a woman who ran and hid behind another woman. Ian looked and made sure that no one else was in the room. First uncocking, and then sticking both pistols back in his sash, he smiled reassuringly at the two women and raised his right hand palm outward as a sign of peace.
“I have two women in here, no arms. See to the other cabin now.” There followed a sound of splintering wood as the door was kicked in and only a few seconds later “No one in here, Ian”
McCloud hadn’t taken his eyes off of the two since entering. The one in front was a beautiful young lady, appearing to be Spanish. Ian noticed her strikingly beautiful large hazel-green eyes, thinking Lord but they look like I could fall into them! He was stunned by her beauty. She shielded the other one who was about her age, but from her clothing, likely a handmaiden, also Spanish and quite lovely. Ian smiled again and using a crude blend of Spanish-Portuguese, he attempted to reassure the two that they would come to no harm. He stepped back and held up a hand with one finger and attempted to ask them to wait a short while and he would get someone who could speak their tongue. The lady noted the quiet gentleness of his voice, liking its low pitched timbre.
Looking at Ian she saw a tall lean man, deeply tanned with frosty blue eyes that sparkled merrily beneath heavy arched black eyebrows. The man had a shock of dark wavy hair with a slight widows’ peak, high cheekbones, and a slightly aquiline nose. A black closely cropped beard barely masked a strong jawline. His teeth appeared to be especially white whenever he flashed his bow-like smile and she couldn’t help but respond with an answering smile herself.
Speaking then she said “Parlez vous Francais?”
Ian smiled and shook his head, then said “English…..er….uh….Anglo.” The lady nodded and spoke again “I speak….little…Anglo…no…much.”
Ian said slowly, holding his hand to his chest “Ian McCloud.” Again, that voice! thought the lady. Ian hesitated to let that sink in, then “I will find one who speaks your tongue. Please wait here.” The lady touched her breast and said “I… Alandra Vasquez…. this … Celita.” Ian gave a slight but courtly bow and with a friendly smile said “I am honored to meet you both. I will return shortly. Please do not be afraid.” Turning he said to the two sailors gaping open-mouthed in the doorway, “See to it no one comes in here. I’m going to fetch Armando.”
He saw that preparations to tow their prize were well underway. Calling out for Armando he beckoned for him to come aboard. Soon Armando made his way to Ian and quickly learned of the situation below deck. Taking a moment to oversee the towing preparations, Ian called out “Let ‘er drift to stern, straighten the rudder and tie down the helm.” He joined Armando and led him below where he made a crude introduction to the two ladies with a slight bow and a smile.
Ian then stood aside as Armando courteously asked Alandra a series of questions. At one point he erupted in laughter, causing Alandra to blush. Ian asked “What’s that all about?” Armando said “They thought you were a pirate when you kicked in the door until they saw your blue eyes.” Ian tipped back his head and laughed, as Alandra’s blush deepened, even as she thought he’s even more handsome when he laughs.
He tried to courteously excuse himself, bowing slightly with a friendly smile. Turning, he left Armando and went back on deck to see to the repairs and also to begin a search for tools to repair the damage to the mast and sails of their prize. The first pirate craft was as good as lost as the fire burned out of control.
Elsie’s Cloud and her towed companion ship Tico made headway to the northeast, widening the distance between themselves and the burning ship as rapidly as they could. They all knew it was best to be well away from there before other pirates in the area might see the smoke and investigate.
Chapter 4
They had been making headway for some seven hours since getting underway. It was maybe three hours before sundown, and the afternoon sun sparkled off of the waves of the Mediterranean. The sea was an azure color, but the puffy cumulus clouds scattered from horizon to horizon had vanished, leaving an empty blue sky. Within minutes the seas calmed and the wind slackened to a whisper.
They were becalmed, but were well away from the Moroccan coast, on course for Marseille. Angus ordered everyone aboard Elsie to attend a trial for the pirates. He stood on the aft deck overlooking the main deck, the two ladies and Armando beside him.
Evidence consisting of an engraved pistol and watch, gifts from Alandra’s father to her uncle were found in the possession of the captain of the prize ship. After hearing the pirate’s unbelievable version of the story that the two women were whores whom they had bought in Spain, Angus pronounced a sentence of death.
“I find you guilty of the crimes of piracy and murder on the high seas. You are sentenced to death by hanging, and may God have mercy on your blighted souls.”
The surviving crew of eight was taken to be hanged. Ian spoke and said “Cap’n McCloud” (using a more formal term of addressing his uncle in deference to his rank since this was a proceeding in law at sea with the whole crew witnessing.) “I’ve noticed that one of these pirates is only a lad of twelve years. I think that Lady Alandra and Celita might have something to say about him.” Alandra emphatically nodded her understanding. She attempted to speak in English, saying as she pointed, “That Arab…boy…helps us. He…very…nice. Bring us water and food…fruits too…. at times. He… beaten…by others…treat him …bad.” Then Alandra turned to Armando and gestured for him to speak.
Angus signed to Armando to speak, and he replied “The boy was taken by force after his family was killed in a tribal feud. I fear that he may even have suffered buggery at the hands of these villains.” At that, there arose an angry murmuring from the crew assembled on deck. Angus looked inquiringly at Ian who nodded assent. “Then that settles the matter. The lad shall not be hung. Separate him from the others and take him to be fed now. He’ll work with Li Hong in the galley. Hang the rest of this scurvy lot now.”
With that the remaining seven were hoisted and hanged while shouting curses. Their feet jerked and danced a macabre dance of death in the near-still Mediterranean air. Celita looked away, but Alandra watched in grim satisfaction. Ian joined Mustafa and gave him a manly hug and a warm smile, tousling his hair. Mustafa smiled back and hugged Ian as well. Alandra noted that and it had a profound effect on her regard for the tall Scot.
The ladies were invited by Angus to join him and the officers for supper. Captain McCloud then raised his voice and said “We now have a funeral for our shipmate to attend to.” Signaling to two crewmen he made his way to the starboard main deck where the body of the young man waited. MacGregor had already sewn it into sailcloth along with several ballast stones.
Angus signed for silence as the crew removed their hats. He read the 23rd Psalm and finished with “Father may you receive this man, our faithful companion Rob Macrae, a member of your flock in this his final resting place. We commit his body to the deep in the knowledge of the sure and certain hope of the great resurrection day; when the seas shall give up their dead to be raised to eternal life, in the name of our sovereign Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.” The assembled crew replied with an echoing “Amen.” Then the body was raised and poised on the rail, secured to a plank balanced there. Angus then said “Guard of Honor step forward!” Three sailors stepped forward and aiming muskets out to sea they fired them. The body was then allowed to slip into the sea.
There was silence for a bit, and then Angus ordered the crew excepting for Gunny’s and MacCarr’s men to take advantage of the calm seas and bathe as soon as the ladies were back aboard Tico.
“Ian, take a detail of MacCarr and 12 men and see if that broken mast can be rigged to hold a sail of sorts. Use the cargo boom extensions.”
“Aye-aye, Cap’n.”
“Leon, see to cleaning and securing the cannon on Tico. I want all muskets cleaned and secured as well. When that is done, you and your men will bathe as well. We might just as well make use of these calm seas.”
The well trained crew went about their tasks and had completed most by dusk.
It took until evening using both starboard cargo booms to get the mast to where it would function in normal winds. The sun set as a giant red ball, and the water looked to be on fire.
Supper was delicious as Li Hong had caught a marlin and a grouper and had prepared them well. Fruit that they had taken aboard in Africa was served with steaming hot yams prepared with a special sauce of Li’s concoction. Angus asked a blessing and everyone ate ravenously as there had been little time for a proper meal during the hectic day and the anxious hours after separating from the burning pirate ship.
Conversation was mostly between Angus, Armando, and the two ladies as Ian and the others said little. Ian asked that full supplies be loaded aboard Tico as early as possible just in case they became separated, and MacCarr spoke concerning the current state of repairs.
Alandra noticed that although these men were a rugged group, nonetheless they were courteous Christian men, well-mannered, with whom she felt safe and secure. She had looked from time to time at Ian and had thought how handsome he was with his black waistcoat, red shirt, and white cotton trousers.
Alandra then piqued everyone’s interest with a suggestion that she and Celita be taken directly to Spain at the port of Barcelona. After some translation involving Armando, it was disclosed that Alandra’s father was an ambassador to King Louis court in Versailles, and that she had two uncles who were ministers of King Charles III’s government in Madrid.
Ian spoke then, saying “Uncle Angus, the pirates took the flag of the ship they sunk in the battle as a souvenier. I found it in the captain’s cabin of the prize ship. We could fly it along with our own as we approach Spanish waters. With our cannon ports closed and these two fine ladies on deck next to you the Spaniards will surely not fire upon us.”
“By Heaven, we’ll try it. Lady Alandra, you and Celita are to be taken to Barcelona.” After Armando translated, both ladies smiled and hugged one another.
Supper being ended and no further business to discuss, MacCarr then offered to give Ian the chance at becoming the arm-wrestling champion of Elsie. “Ye did so well with those pirates that I thought to give ye a chance to beat me Ian.” Ian shook his head laughing and accepted the challenge. Exclamations of “Oho!” echoed about the room even while wagers were made. Angus thought it a good thing to help relieve the tensions of the day, so he didn’t object.
The table was cleared and the two sat down opposite each other and began. Alandra and Celita watched, confused but interested. The chief boatswain was a big man weighing easily fifty pounds more than Ian. He had thick muscular arms by comparison to Ian’s muscular but lean arms. The two were locked arm to arm and neither budged. That only changed after three or four minutes when burly MacCarr began to press Ian’s arm down. Eventually he forced it to the table to an accompanying chorus of “Ohhh!”
“Well laddie, too bad you had a bath already tonight, because you are getting another one.” At that everyone laughed even including Ian who was shaking his head. The ladies were puzzled but followed the whole group on deck. The cargo net was lowered and four torches lit and brought over to the side. Ian took off his boots and coat. MacCarr picked him up then and threw him into the sea to accompanying laughter and cheers.
Alandra saw that Ian climbed up the cargo net laughing as hard as the others. The torches were extinguished immediately so she asked why. Armando explained to her that no lights were to be allowed due to their having a crippled prize ship in tow. Then he went on to explain that Ian was the only one who would challenge MacCarr for the title of arm-wrestling champion of Elsie’s Cloud, and that MacCarr had never been beaten. She and Celita had been laughing with the rest of the men but were puzzled by it all until then. They were favorably impressed by the unusual but good-natured behavior, sensing that this crew was a close-knit family as much as they were a ship’s crew.
Chapter 5
Sometime later aboard Tico, Ian stood at the helm and tried to explain to a crewman about navig
ation as he had been taught by Armando. He had been teaching both of the crewmen how to find some of the constellations. There was a slight noise below Ian and he stepped forward. Someone was coming up the stairs from the cabins below the stern deck. He strained to make out who it was, and then spoke.
“Lady Alandra, are we too noisy?”
“No. I come….speak … you…Ian.” She made the main deck then climbed the steps to the stern deck and made her way towards Ian and the two men. The two sailors with Ian took their leave and made their way to the foredeck at the opposite end of the vessel.
“I am so…grateful....you…and uncle…yours….help us….so kind….You not speak much …table…supper...tonight.”
“You are welcome, Lady Alandra. I’m never in the company of ladies very much.”
“You…behave…as good…as any men I have … met. You are….what is word…sincere. That means much to me.”
“You are too kind, Lady Alandra.”
“Ian, please to….call me Alandra. Ian, tell me….battle today…how you win…hardly any crew… die….only one.” He slowly tried to tell a simple version of it and offered to show her in daylight how Elsie had been able to turn so sharply, describing the deception as best he could. She was nodding her understanding in the dark. He couldn’t escape noticing how lovely she was, even by the limited light of the moon.
“Tell me…your country….your family.”