Kathleen looked around at the ships surrounding her. Most were
large, powerful vessels with wide, billowing sails. Mr. Morganton walked
ahead looking for the Horizon. The man he had hired to carry Kathleen's
trunk slouched behind them.
"Will father be waiting there when I arrive in the Caribbean?" Kathleen asked Morganton.
"Yes, more than likely he will," Morganton said without glancing at her.
"Is the ship large like these?" inquired Kathleen.
"Most likely."
"Will there be other passengers?" asked Kathleen, while watching a monkey dance on a barrel near by.
"Didn't you learn not to ask so many questions in boarding school?" Morganton said, stopping and glaring at her.
"I was just wondering," she shrugged.
"Well, if you are wondering, then look at the paper yourself," and he shoved it in her hands.
In about ten minutes, they had reached the ship. The man with Kathleen's trunk took one look at the Horizon and dropped the trunk with a heavy thud onto the dock.
"I won't go no nearer to that ship," he said, looking up at the figurehead.
Morganton and Kathleen looked at him.
"Why not?" Morganton asked, but the man started walking away. Morganton shrugged. "Miss Sparrow, you stay here while I verify with the captain that you have arrived."
Minutes later, Mr. Morganton came back with a frenzied look on his face.
"What's wrong?" asked Kathleen, who felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"You're the only passenger to arrive! Not even the captain has! I had to speak with the first mate. The others won't come. One said their child is sick and the other is having a funeral."
"But, I can't go alone!" protested Kathleen. "Father would say it is inappropriate!"
"Your father also said it would be this ship that you would take to the Caribbean, and so it will be. That is final."
Two of the crewmembers came and heaved the trunk on board the ship. Kathleen walked as though she was in a trance, following them to the Horizon.
Once on deck, she could tell this was not right, but instead followed the men. Below deck, they showed her to her cabin and stowed the trunk in the tight place. Kathleen felt the mattress on the bed. It was thing and coarse. The bed itself was no more than a shelf. She looked up, and was surprised to see that one of the men had not left yet.
"Yes?" she said.
"Miss, you really shouldn't be here," he said, looking at the wall.
"Why not?"
But he walked away, leaving her in the dark.
She sat down, and knew this was not right. As hard as she could, she punched the thin little mattress, only to shriek because of a splinter imbedding itself into her knuckle. She cried with desperation and fell asleep where she was sitting.
"Will father be waiting there when I arrive in the Caribbean?" Kathleen asked Morganton.
"Yes, more than likely he will," Morganton said without glancing at her.
"Is the ship large like these?" inquired Kathleen.
"Most likely."
"Will there be other passengers?" asked Kathleen, while watching a monkey dance on a barrel near by.
"Didn't you learn not to ask so many questions in boarding school?" Morganton said, stopping and glaring at her.
"I was just wondering," she shrugged.
"Well, if you are wondering, then look at the paper yourself," and he shoved it in her hands.
In about ten minutes, they had reached the ship. The man with Kathleen's trunk took one look at the Horizon and dropped the trunk with a heavy thud onto the dock.
"I won't go no nearer to that ship," he said, looking up at the figurehead.
Morganton and Kathleen looked at him.
"Why not?" Morganton asked, but the man started walking away. Morganton shrugged. "Miss Sparrow, you stay here while I verify with the captain that you have arrived."
Minutes later, Mr. Morganton came back with a frenzied look on his face.
"What's wrong?" asked Kathleen, who felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"You're the only passenger to arrive! Not even the captain has! I had to speak with the first mate. The others won't come. One said their child is sick and the other is having a funeral."
"But, I can't go alone!" protested Kathleen. "Father would say it is inappropriate!"
"Your father also said it would be this ship that you would take to the Caribbean, and so it will be. That is final."
Two of the crewmembers came and heaved the trunk on board the ship. Kathleen walked as though she was in a trance, following them to the Horizon.
Once on deck, she could tell this was not right, but instead followed the men. Below deck, they showed her to her cabin and stowed the trunk in the tight place. Kathleen felt the mattress on the bed. It was thing and coarse. The bed itself was no more than a shelf. She looked up, and was surprised to see that one of the men had not left yet.
"Yes?" she said.
"Miss, you really shouldn't be here," he said, looking at the wall.
"Why not?"
But he walked away, leaving her in the dark.
She sat down, and knew this was not right. As hard as she could, she punched the thin little mattress, only to shriek because of a splinter imbedding itself into her knuckle. She cried with desperation and fell asleep where she was sitting.