The Seahorse (9 page)

Gabe watched with satisfaction as great pieces of the frigate's bulwark caved in. Fragments of torn planking filled the air with deadly splinters. One of the quarterdeck guns bellowed out its defiance, causing Gabe to cover his ears with his hands. They were now past the larger ship and not a single gun had fired on them, the surprise being so complete.

Shouting to be heard above the gunfire, Gabe ordered, “Cross her stern, Mr Gunnells, cross her stern.”

The bang of musket fire sounded and balls thudded into the deck.

“Walk about,” Gabe told Sir Victor. “No need to give the cutthroats a prime target.”

Men coughed and wiped their eyes as gun smoke drifted about. Then
Peregrine
heeled again as the wheel was spun and she crossed the stern of the frigate. An explosion and screams came from forward. The frigate had its stern chasers in action and a forward gun was overturned, killing two of its crew.

Davy had the main battery firing again and again. Gun after gun fired. “That's it.” He fairly leaped up and down. “That's it. Bugger them good. Put another round up her arse.”

Dagan leaned over and shouted into Gabe's ear. “Boy has gone wild, worse than Caleb's ape.”

Gabe burst into laughter. One of the quarterdeck gunners poked his mate and pointed at the sight of their captain laughing away in the den of battle.

“'E's 'aving a gay old time, that one is.”

“Probably counting 'is prize money, I 'spect.”

As
Peregrine
crossed the frigate's stern, Gabe ordered, “Cease fire…cease fire.”

He then turned to Lavery, “That was well done, sir.”

“Mr Gunnells.”

“Aye, sir.”

“Come about and lay us alongside the frigate.”

“Aye, sir.”

“Why?” Sir Victor asked.

Gabe held back the angry retort, realizing the man probably didn't know. “I intend to board her, sir.”

Dagan again was there. “Arm yourself or go below, sir. No spectators this go around.”

“Where's
Lizard
?” Gabe asked.

“She's took the brigantine, sir.” This from one of the younger midshipman, Peter Chase. His little face was so smudged Gabe wanted to laugh.

“Good, young sir. Mr Hawks.”

“Aye, Captain.”

“Signal
Lizard
, board enemy.”

“Will he know which one, sir?”

Lavery cuffed the boy a good one. “He's already took the brigantine, lad. There's only one left to board.”

As
Peregrine
came about, Gunnells said, “Look there, Captain. It appears when we crossed the privateers' stern we scored a luck hit on either a rudder cable or the rudder itself.”

“Damme, Gunnells!” Gabe exclaimed, taking a glass from his eye. “Bear off, bear off, signal
Lizard
to take station astern. Mr Lavery, how would you like to board yonder vessel and ask them to surrender?”

“Terms, Captain?” Lavery asked.

“Terms?” This from Sir Victor. “I'll tell you what terms: a fair trial and a swift hanging.”

Gabe cleared his throat. “As we've always done, Mr Lavery. We'll sign those we can within the squadron. And we'll review the papers the captain may possess before a further decision is made. Otherwise, we'll stand off and blast them to hell. The choice is theirs.”

A longboat was pulled alongside using the towing rope she'd been tied to.

“Shall I go?” Dagan whispered to Gabe.

“No, Mr Lavery has to gain the experience if he's to be ready to command at some point.”

Peregrine's
hull rose and fell with the gentle swell as the officers and crew waited for Lieutenant Lavery's return. The men remained at their battle stations…guns loaded and run out. They were ready for any signs of treachery on the privateers' part.

“Deck there,” the lookout called down. “A group o' ladies, sir, 'as been brought on deck.”

Everyone who had a glass trained it on the enemy ship. Six women lined the rail. Lieutenant Lavery could be seen as he went over the side and down into the waiting longboat. It was only a few minutes till Lavery climbed through
Peregrine's
entry port.

“Yonder captain is a black heart, Captain.”

The group on the quarterdeck drew closer to hear Lavery's comments. “He has six women and a plantation owner aboard his ship as hostages. He says you have fifteen minutes from the time I reached this ship to set sail or he'll start hanging the hostages. One every fifteen minutes we delay. Starting with the women first. At least two of the women are related to the gentleman so he'll have to go through the misery of watching his kin hanged.”

“Surely he knows we'll blast him to hell if he touches even one of the women,” Sir Victor hissed.

“I said the same. The bastard only shrugged his shoulders and replied, ‘They'll still be hung.'”

Looking across at the badly damaged brig, Gabe knew the privateer had the advantage. “Prepare my gig, Paco.”

“It won't do,” Lavery said. “Either I'm to return or it's no good. He said he didn't like to deal with more than one person at a time.”

“Was anything said about the captured brigantine?”

“Not specifically but I took it he meant they sailed together.”

“They'll be dead or worse if he sails off with the women aboard,” Dagan said, speaking for the first time.

“I agree,” Gabe answered. “Lieutenant Lavery return quickly and tell the captain to put the hostages in a longboat and he has my word of honour that when he is over the horizon we will collect the women and release the brigantine.”

“Tell him,” Gabe said as an afterthought, “once the brigantine is over the horizon, I will be coming after him.”

As Lavery climbed down into the awaiting boat, Gabe saw Dagan following.
He needed to go to get a feel of the situation,
Gabe thought.

“Paco!”

“Aye, Cap'n.”

“Take my gig over to
Lizard
and explain what has transpired. Tell Captain Culzean not to release the brigantine before my signal.”

“Is it necessary, Captain?” Sir Victor asked. “Is there no other way?”

“None that I can think of,” Gabe answered. “Besides I've given my word.”

“No one would hold it against you,” Sir Victor hissed. “You could blow them away and no one would even know you gave your word.”

Gabe's sudden frown and squinted eyes frightened Sir Victor as he hissed, “They would.” Sweeping his arm out and pointing to his crew. “And I would.”

“They're lowering a boat, Captain.” This was from Lieutenant Wiley.

Had he heard the exchange? I don't care if he did
, Gabe realized.
Do him good to know how politicians think. Damn them all anyway
.

Gabe then put the encounter out of his mind and watched as the women were lowered into the waiting boat. No sooner had the last woman made it safely into the boat then the man was thrown over the side. He landed next to the bobbing longboat. Two of the oarsman unhooked a boat oar and held it out for the man to latch on to. The sound of laughter was heard about the privateer.

“Thinks it's funny don't they?” Gunnells said.

“Aye,” Gabe replied. “They'll think it's funny when we next meet and they don't have a group of women to hide behind.”

Watching the two boats, Lavery could be seen tying a rope onto the bow of the hostages' boat. He then returned to the ship trailing the rope behind them.

Once aboard he explained, “I didn't see any need to send another boat to gather them when we could just pull them over.”

“Good thinking. Prepare to get us underway, Lieutenant Wiley. Mr Gunnells, lay us alongside the brig. We may still be of some use.”

“Captain.”

“Yes, Mr Lavery.”

“As I was leaving the privateer, a man approached. He was not the ship's captain but he seemed to be in charge. He was the one who agreed to your terms. He asked me,” Lavery continued, “‘Who is your captain?' Seeing no reason not be honest I told him who you were. ‘I thought I recognized him,' the man replied. He…ah…he then said…No offense please, Captain.”

“Go on,” Gabe prodded.

“He said, ‘Ask the bastard how is Faith?'”

Gabe clinched his fist until the knuckles turned white. “Montique!!! It must be him.”

“Aye,” Dagan, who was standing close by said. “I had a feeling.”

Gabe stood there staring out at the disappearing ship. Dagan laid his hand on his nephew's shoulder. “His day will come, I promise.”

***

The damage to the little brig was worse than anyone imagined. One mast hung over the side causing it to list. The other mast was completely gone, leaving only a shattered stump. The rails were battered beyond recognition and huge sections of the deck planking were torn apart. Mr Livesey was being helped down onto the smaller ship. A few of the brig's crew moved around in a daze trying to comfort the few survivors. Gabe and Dagan ducked below for a quick look in the captain's tiny cabin. It was almost bare.
Not unlike SeaWolf's
, Gabe thought.

“Not much here,” Paco volunteered.

He had entered behind the two. As the three started out of the cabin, Paco stopped suddenly. Movement came from under a piece of bed linen in the corner. Gabe and Dagan stepped back as Paco took a broken chair leg and lifted the cloth.

“A dog,” he exclaimed.

“A puppy,” Dagan corrected.

“A damn big puppy,” Gabe added.

“He's been hurt,” Paco said. “Looks like somebody went after him with a blade. Do you want me to finish him, Cap'n?”

Gabe paused as if in thought. Taking a deep breath, he said, “No, there's been enough of that sort of thing already. Let's see if the surgeon can fix him up.”

The puppy stared at the men, cowering until Paco reached for him. Then the dog bared his teeth and snapped at the man. Clearly startled at the dog's tenacity, Paco jumped back.

“Let me see him,” Dagan said and stepped around Paco. He knelt down on his knees next to where the dog lay. He whispered softly to the dog and slowly reached out his hand. Continuing to whisper he laid the piece of linen over the dog's wound and gently picked it up.

“That's it. Now take it easy. We won't hurt you, big fellow. He's a big one all right.”

“Big and tough as Sampson,” Paco said.

“Why you've named him, Paco. We'll call him Sampson.” Gabe said.

Chapter Thirteen

Sir Victor went ashore at St. Lucia but was back within an hour. “We will make sail as soon as possible, Captain.”

“Aye,” Gabe replied. “Are we headed back to Barbados?”

“We are not. We are sailing to Antigua and there you may be relieved of my company,” Sir Victor informed Gabe.

“What about
Lizard
, sir?” Gabe asked. “Does she sail in company or report back to the admiral?”

“I see no reason for her to return. She may yet prove useful.”

Hearing Sir Victor's words, Gabe wasn't sure if the foreign affairs agent felt safer having two ships in company or if he was still looked upon as bait. Either way they were going to Antigua and that meant seeing Faith.
Wouldn't that make Gil envious?
Gabe thought, smiling to himself.

“Captain.”

“Aye, Mr Lavery.”

“I've talked to the ah…hostages, sir.”

“They're no longer hostages, Mr Lavery.”

“Ere, well…yes sir. At any rate Mr Houghton and his family are from Barbados. The other hostages…young ladies are from St. Johns on Antigua.”

“Thank you for the clarification, Mr Lavery,” Gabe said. “I'd hate to sail all the way to the Virgin Islands only to learn I was at the wrong St. Johns.”

“You're welcome, Captain, though I wouldn't mind a little more time at sea to get to know a couple of them better. I don't know if you've noticed, Captain, but a couple of them are lookers.”

“Humph!” Gabe responded.

The young ladies were certainly attractive even in their torn and ragged attire. The dresses the girls wore were all in a state of ill repair. Some were torn so that most of a leg was visible or the top buttons were gone so more of their chest was open showing more than considerable cleavage. All of this caused Gabe to rethink his previous thought. Maybe it's this attire that made them more attractive.

Dagan, who had sided up to Gabe, touched his shoulder and motioned to the waist of the ship. One of the young ladies sat on a hatch cover. Standing over her Lieutenant Davy could be seen in conversation with her. However, standing over her as he was he had a full view of her healthy chest.

“Bring back memories of our days back in Antigua?” Dagan asked.

“Was I so obvious?” Gabe asked.

“Like Squire Hugh's dog pointing pheasant.”

“Why didn't somebody say something?” Gabe asked.

“Cause they were all looking too.”

“I see,” Gabe said, joking with his uncle. “I guess that included you as well.”

“Me especially,” Dagan replied with a chuckle.

“Well, let's get ready to weigh anchor,” Gabe said, turning to give orders to the first lieutenant. Then as an afterthought he turned and called out, “Mr Davy!”

“Aye, Captain.”

“Please attend to your duties, sir, before you go blind.”

“Right away, sir,” the young lieutenant replied and dashed off, leaving the young lady to puzzle over the comment…go blind?”

The evening air was much cooler as
Peregrine
and
Lizard
sailed northward to Antigua. Seeing his captain glance aloft at the sails the quartermaster volunteered, “Winds steady and holding, sir.”

“Thank you, Yates.”

“Captain, it's a beautiful evening.”

“Aye, that it is, Mr Houghton,” Gabe replied to the planter they'd rescued. “Few things can match the beauty of the sun going over the horizon at sea”

“I agree, Captain, especially after what we've just gone through. When we were taken aboard that privateer I just knew my time was up. I also knew a fate worse than death awaited my wife, daughter, and the other young ladies. If it wasn't for the ship's captain…he tried to behave as a gentleman but the other man…he was cruel.”

“Aye,” Gabe answered. “I know the man. He is evil…a devious, evil man. He's been a foe for some time now but I've yet to get the upper hand.”

“Well keep your pistols loaded and primed, Captain. Loaded and primed.”

“I will, sir,” Gabe replied. He asked the planter if he and his family would care to dine with him that evening.

“My pleasure, sir,” Houghton said. He then looked at his watch. “I will see to my wife and thank you for the invitation.”

***

Nesbit rushed around making sure everything was as it should be. This was the first time the captain had entertained since he'd taken over the duties of captain's servant, or as he liked to say, captain's steward. Nesbit had recruited the “cleaner” of the ship's cooks to assist him tonight. Since the sea was calm, he'd set out candles and instead of the usual sea service he'd set out the captain's best china and crystal.

They had all sat down at the table and a glass of claret had been poured. Some of the young ladies appeared giggly over being served the beverage.
Most immature
, Nesbit thought.

A bowl of potato soup was then served after the drink had been poured. Nesbit made his way back towards the pantry when a crash was heard. He quickly rushed inside the pantry where he let go a string of profanities. They filled the air along with the sound of pots and pans hitting the deck in addition to a series of growls and barking. Gabe jumped up and made it to the door in time to see Samson win a tug of war over the roast mutton with Nesbit.

Sitting on the deck, Nesbit looked up at Gabe and said, “The main course has just been changed from roast mutton to boiled beef.” He then gave a sigh and continued, “Samson, it appears, is a most disagreeable dining partner. It does seem, however, that his wounds no longer inhibit his appetite.”

***

It was just after dawn that the island of Antigua broke the horizon. The air was already humid and Gunnells, the master, promised it would be much worse by midday. Soon word would spread the length and breath of the island that two warships were in the offering. Gabe had made his pre-dawn visit to the quarterdeck but now decided to go back down and have a cup of coffee.

His cabin had been turned over to the Houghton family and the four other girls so he'd have to walk quietly in order not to awaken everyone. He'd not slept well last evening partly because he was not in his quarters and partly because Faith had been on his mind. He'd find a reason to spend at least one night in port.

Sir Victor was on deck when Gabe returned. He walked over to him and held out his hand. “Captain, I want to thank you for being such a splendid host. I was very impressed on how you handled yourself against the privateer. It will go in my report.”

“Thank you, sir,” Gabe managed. He was at a loss for words with the sudden politeness from the foreign office agent.

“Tell Lord Anthony he may be hearing from me soon.”

“I will, sir,” Gabe answered, not sure if this would be considered good or bad news for the squadron.

“No flagship,” Lavery reported seeing Gabe back on deck.

That means the commodore at the dockyard will be the senior officer present
, Gabe thought.
This means if I don't bother him he'll likely not bother me.

“Paco!”

“Aye Captain.”

“Have my gig ready so that I may go ashore once we drop anchor. You may ask Sir Victor if he would care to be rowed ashore with us.”

“Aye, Cap'n.”

“Mr Lavery!”

“Aye, Captain.”

“Make sure the young ladies are properly delivered to their families. As I'm going ashore I'm afraid you will have to remain aboard. However, I believe Lieutenant Davy and Mr Ally would not mind the inconvenience of acting as escorts until the ladies are reunited with their families.”

As Dagan prepared to go ashore, Gabe noticed he had Samson in tow. Seeing Gabe's look Dagan explained, “Ship is no place for this beast. He'll be more at home with the women.”

Nodding his agreement, Gabe added, “Nesbit will be relieved.”

This caused Dagan to chuckle.

***

Lady Deborah's cottage had a deep wraparound porch that provided a relief from the blazing sun. A new room was being added on the left side. This surprised Gabe. If more room was needed why didn't she just move into her main house?

“I'll tell you why,” Dagan said. “You can see the harbour from here, plus this was her and Gil's love nest.”

Feeling dense, Gabe acknowledged Dagan's wisdom. Faith was on the porch with Lady Deborah, who watched as Macayla rolled over in a small playpen Lum had made. Seeing the approaching men, Faith rushed out to her man. After a passionate greeting, Faith gave Dagan a hug while Gabe did the same with Deborah. Watching Faith hug Dagan, Gabe could see a difference in her. The color was back in her face and it had a glow, so to speak. Maybe the island is good for her.
Has she put on weight
? he wondered. She didn't seem to be as skinny as when he left for Barbados.

Hearing the door creak Gabe turned to see Lum grinning from ear to ear. “Lawd Gawd Almighty,” he said. “The captain done come home. Nanny…Nanny!”

“Hush you old goat. You wake dat baby and it won't mattah none whose heah, her Ladyship's gonna wallop you a goodun.”

Hearing a yelp, Faith asked, “What's that?”

Paco was still in the saddle holding Samson. Dagan took him from Paco and set him on the ground. Faith leaned over to pet the dog and received a sloppy kiss from a big wet tongue.

“Kisses better than some I know,” Faith declared, causing everyone to laugh.

“Why he's so ugly he's pretty,” Deborah said.

“He's not ugly, he's a handsome fellow,” Faith said. Then she asked, “Where did you find this brute?”

“We'll discuss that later,” Gabe said.

As Faith turned and went back on the porch, Samson followed. When she sat down in one of the rocking chairs Samson nudged her hand with his flat nose until she started scratching his head.

“He's such a loving dog,” Faith said.

Paco sitting close by said, “If you say so, Miss, but I'm not sure Nesbit would agree.”

This prompted the question, “Who is Nesbit?”

So Gabe told the story about the roast mutton, causing everyone to laugh…except Macayla, who slept the peaceful sleep of a child.