Spring had finally given way to summer. The warm weather had all the residents of Moominvalley frolicking down to the beach to cool off. Martin and the Moomins had found themselves a nice secluded spot on the beach and enjoying the sea.
"Watch me, Martin!"
Moomintroll gave a leap off a nearby pier, doing a spectacular cannon-ball that drenched them all. Nearby, Snorkmaiden, who had been smart enough to take a step back, giggled in amusement. Little My, her new dress dripping wet, balled her fists.
"You idiot, Moomintroll! I'll get you for this! I'll... Oh, no!" Moomintroll had splashed her, drenching her again. Little My, getting the message, turned tail and ran. Snorkmaiden was laughing so hard at their antics that she was caught completely off-guard when the mischievous Martin grabbed her around the middle. Carrying her like a giant teddy-bear, he marched to the edge of the pier.
"No, Martin! Put me down!" squealed Snorkmaiden, trying to wriggle out of his grip. Ignoring her protests, Martin dove into the sea, taking the screaming Snorkmaiden with him. The pair resurfaced; Martin chuckling and Snorkmaiden giving him an indignant look - one which soon turned into laughter.
They had a great time swimming, diving down to the seabed and having water-fights. Martin was amazed at what a good swimmer Snorkmaiden was; unlike the last time he'd seen her in the sea, when she'd almost drowned, this time she took to the water like a seal, even better than Moomintroll did. Nearby, Little My was enjoying herself rafting on a piece of driftwood she'd found. The only one not enjoying the sea was Sniff, preferring to stuff his face with Moominmama's superb ice-cream and lemonade.
"Hey, Martin, not fair!" protested Snorkmaiden, as Martin playfully grabbed her by the feet and yanked her back, trying to overtake her in their swimming race. She responded by latching onto his shoulders, trying to slow him down; she was rewarded for her efforts by Moomintroll swimming up behind her and tickling her sides.
After several hours of fun, they made their way back to the shore to dry off. Moominmama had brought along a king-sized picnic basket and they all happily sat down to lunch in the shade of a giant beach umbrella Moominpapa had built. This sure beat a summer holiday down at Brighton Pier any day, he thought.
They spent the rest of the afternoon collecting seashells. Snorkmaiden, who loved collecting shells, surprised them all with a rich selection she had found. Moomintroll felt real touched when she passed him a shiny, heart-shaped shell, which reflected both their faces side by side.
"This is my heart, Moomintroll," she said, hugging him lovingly, "Promise me you'll always look after it."
"This is lovely! Thank you so much, Snorkmaiden!" exclaimed Moomintroll excitedly, "I promise you I'll always place it under my pillow before I go to sleep every night."
The pair left the beach walking aside from the others, holding hands all the way to Moominhouse. Little My glanced out at the sun slowly sinking below the horizon, thinking she could see the outline of what looked like a ship far out at sea, but ultimately dismissed it as an optical illusion and ran to catch up with the others.
The weather took an abrupt turn that evening, turning into a howling gale, which raged all night. Inside Moominhouse, its occupants slept soundly, oblivious to the trouble that was coming to Moominvalley...
The following morning, the Moomin family were in the middle of breakfast, when there was a sudden knock on the front door. Opening up, Moominpapa came face to face with the Inspector, who had some bad news.
"There was a shipwreck last night," he said grimly, "A schooner ran aground in the storm last night, just off shore."
"Dear me, that is bad news," exclaimed Moominpapa, thinking of the poor sailors who had probably been lost. Having travelled around the world, he was well acquainted with the dangers of life at sea, "Are there any survivors?"
"We don't know yet," said the Inspector, "The problem is we can't seem to identify the vessel's nationality or port of registration. And there are no passing ships expected either. I was hoping, given your experience as a former sailor, you could help us find out where it came from, so we can notify the proper authorities."
Moominpapa was more than glad to offer any assistance he could. With Moominmama and the children tagging along, they made their way back down to the beach, where a large crowd had gathered, all eyes looking out at the sea., Sitting grounded on a reef a few hundred yards offshore was a black, triple-mast schooner.
Martin could see the stricken ship had taken quite a hit in the storm. Undoubtedly once a fine vessel, now she was a sorry sight indeed. The foremast had collapsed and hang toppled over the side, still attached to the ship only by its tangled rigging. The other two masts still stood, one missing its top half. All her sails were in tatters, shredded by the winds. The schooner was resting at a tilted angle, her bow partially submerged. There was no sign of movement on deck.
"Well, anything?"
"Still nothing, Inspector," said Mr Hemulen, who was surveying the wreck using a borrowed telescope, "We had people search the shoreline as you requested. No sign of lifeboats anywhere. No one signalling from the ship either. She's probably a derelict."
"What about a name? Nationality? Can't you see a flag?" Unfortunately, whatever flag the schooner had been flying, it had been on the top of the mainmast, which of course was broken from the middle up, taking the flag with it. And without any survivors, they'd probably never know.
"You know, if there are no survivors, Inspector, whoever boards her first can claim her as salvage," said Moominpapa, who knew a few things about maritime law. An abandoned vessel, even wrecked, could be worth lots in salvage.
"I see," said the Inspector, casting a brief glance at the crowd of spectators, hoping nobody was listening. The last thing he needed was a frenzy of amateur salvagers stripping that schooner clean before he could make sure there were no owners, who'd still have legal rights over the vessel, and who might accuse them of looting.
The Inspector wanted to send out a search party to board the schooner, but the swell made it impossible. They would have to wait for low tide in the afternoon, to send out a boat. If there really was no one still aboard, they would attempt to salvage her. But only as long as it was done legally and by the book.
"It's up to the magistrate to decide what's to be done," he said finally, "I'll write him a letter at once. If that old tub is still there by the next low tide, and no owner's come for it, you'll be granted full salvage rights to board her. But until then, she's off-limits to everyone."
There was nothing much else to see. Pretty soon, the crowd got board and dispersed, and the stricken schooner was left alone again. If she survived the next six hours, until low tide, maybe she could be salvaged. No one knew that that ship had a sinister secret hiding onboard...
"We should try and salvage that ship ourselves," said Sniff excitedly for the hundredth time, "You never know, there could be treasure aboard!"
"Or there could be nothing at all, save for the drowned bodies of the crew," said Martin, "Frankly, seeing as they haven't found anyone by now, I can't see how there could be anyone still alive."
"Stop talking like that, Martin, you're scaring me!" cried Snorkmaiden. The very thought of a ship filled with corpses made her shudder. Martin muttered an apology, knowing how much his friend abhorred listening to macabre stories.
"And don't forget, the Inspector has declared the schooner off-limits until further notice," Moomintroll pointed out. Sniff however wasn't giving up.
"If we wait, someone else will come along and claim that ship for himself!" he insisted, "Or another storm will hit and sink her. Look, I'm sure there aren't any owners coming; they probably think she's lost at sea. We don't even need to salvage the whole ship; we can always sneak a bag or two of gold off. The Inspector will never know."
"But we'd still be stealing it," said Snufkin, who'd come to visit, "That's what common pirates do, Sniff!"
"Only the law of the sea says anything lost that's found belongs to the finder, right Martin?" piped up Little My, who was just as keen on going aboard that wreck as Sniff was, albeit just for the sheer recklessness of it.
"Think about it, everyone," Sniff continued, glad to see someone was backing him up for a change, "We could all be rich! We could buy our own ship and sail the six seas ("The seven seas, Sniff, you duffer," Martin corrected him), jewellery for Alicia and Snorkmaiden, more seed money for Snork's flying ship...!"
At this, Martin stood up. Of course! It hadn't even occurred to him until now that that ship could be the key to making his and Snork's dream come true. Probably the ship itself couldn't be salvaged, but maybe some of her cargo was still intact. Even if there wasn't any treasure, any merchandise, navigation instruments or ship's hardware would still put a pretty penny in their pocket. Of course, if the owners ever did turn up, they'd have to return everything, however, they'd still be entitled to a salvager's fee. Either way, it was worth a shot.
We'll never get another chance like this, he reasoned. It was too good an opportunity to waste. He turned to his friends.
"All right, we'll take Too-Ticky's skiff out to the ship and see if we can board her. I'll go and I'll need three others to come with me. The skiff won't take any more. So, who's coming?" They all raised their hands eagerly, all except Snufkin.
"What's wrong, Snufkin?" asked Moomintroll, puzzled by his friend's unusual lack of enthusiasm, "Aren't you interested in another adventure?"
"I'm always up for adventure, Moomintroll," said Snufkin, "But I think you're all looking for trouble, going onboard that ship. Something feels very wrong about it."
"Good, then I can have your share too," scoffed Sniff, trying not to laugh. After all, what could be so scary about exploring an abandoned wreck, when they'd braved ant-lions, witches, mountains, not to mention the terrible Groke? Snufkin shot him an incredulous look, but said nothing.
Leaving behind a note, explaining to Moominmama and Moominpapa where they were going and promising Snufkin they'd be careful, the group, consisting of Martin, Moomintroll, Sniff, Little My and Snorkmaiden left, hurrying to Too-Ticky's house. Following some persuasion, she finally agreed to take them out to the wreck.
The swell had died down by now, so the ride out was smooth and uneventful. Even Sniff, who hated water, didn't get seasick, eagerly looking forward to his dream riches they would be bringing back with them. They approached the stricken schooner.
The wreck was still there all right, just as they'd seen it that morning. Looking at it up close, they could see she had shifted slightly and would probably slip from the reef with the next tide and probably sink. Too-Ticky pulled them alongside and Moomintroll secured the skiff to a rope hanging down from the deck. In their excitement, none of them noticed a pair of narrowed eyes watching them from an open porthole.
Using a rope-ladder hanging over the side, probably left by the crew, they boarded the schooner. Martin went first, followed by Moomintroll, Sniff and finally Snorkmaiden, leaving Too-Ticky behind to mind the skiff. Helping Snorkmaiden aboard, they turned to get a good look at their surroundings.
The deck of the schooner was a shambles, cluttered with broken spars, fragments of railings, shreds of torn sail and loose rigging. The platform on the forward deckhouse, where the launches were usually kept, was empty. On the roof of the roundhouse, the ship's wheel was still attached to its pedestal, but when Martin tried turning it, it wouldn't budge, probably because of a jammed rudder. No sign of the crew anywhere.
"What do you think happened here?" asked Snorkmaiden, staring at all the debris scattered on the deck, "I wonder where the crew are."
"They probably thought they were going to sink in the storm and abandoned ship," said Martin, noticing the missing launches, "Those poor fools wouldn't have stood a chance against the open sea in a small boat and in the middle of a storm." They all lowered their heads sadly. It seemed this was truly a ghost ship.
"Hey, look what I found!" called Little My, who had been pawing around under a pile of wreckage nearby. Helping her shift a bundle of sailcloth aside, they saw she'd found the flag from the broken mainmast, now lying on the deck. The all-too-familiar black flag with the skull-and-crossbones made them gasp.
"Pirates!" gasped Moomintroll, "Snufkin was right. This is a pirate ship!"
All of a sudden, the group were struck with great unease. So this was a pirate vessel, crewed by dangerous cutthroats, who attacked and robbed other ships. Only it seemed they'd met their match in a storm - leaving behind their ship and everything on it for them to find and claim as salvage. Sniff seemed to think so anyway, realising the jackpot had just gotten much bigger than they'd ever dreamed of.
"This ship must be loaded with treasure!" he exclaimed, giddy as a schoolboy, "It's got to be here somewhere. Let's split up and find it!"
"Not a good idea," said Martin, realising they might have found more than what they'd bargained for, "A pirate ship, abandoned or not, can still be dangerous. There could be any number of nasty surprises hidden below decks. Maybe we should call it off..."
"We can't leave without the treasure!" protested Sniff, looking appalled at the very idea, "Come on, Martin, are you going to give up on a fortune when it's literally at your fingertips?" Martin was sure he'd turned that tune from Sniff before, that day up on the Lonely Mountain, when they'd found the King's Ruby. And that hadn't exactly gone well either... Unfortunately, temptation was a strange thing, even for the most level-headed of people.
"All right, we'll go take a look below, but let's be quick. Everyone stick together and keep your eyes open."
They made their way down the forward stairs, into the bow of the ship. The interior was pitch-black, making it very difficult to get their bearings. Snorkmaiden, who was afraid of the dark, clung onto Moomintroll's arm. Martin struck a match, illuminating the scene.
They seemed to be in some sort of mess hall, where the crew had their meals. Remembering from his school lessons on naval history, Martin had read that officers and sailors ate separately onboard ship, the former in the Captain's quarters in the roundhouse. The mess-hall, like the deck, was a mess. Tables and chairs had been overturned, tin dishes, tankards and other kitchenware littered the floor, amidst heaps of long-spoiled food, which a couple of rats were nibbling at.
At the sight of the rats, Snorkmaiden screeched and looked away, recoiling with disgust. Moomintroll held her close to comfort her. Grabbing an undamaged kerosene lamp hanging from a hook on the ceiling, Martin lit it, allowing them to see where they were going. They pressed on.
They found the galley, cluttered with piles of pots and pans Moominmama would have given anything to have in her kitchen, if they weren't so dirty that is, the ship carpenter's workroom, containing more tools Moominpapa and Snork would ever dream of. A less pleasant find were the crew's bunks, which painted a pretty grim picture of the pirates' personal hygiene and housekeeping habits.
Dozens of unmade hammocks with filthy blankets, smelling like dirty socks, hung from the ceiling. Several empty rum bottles littered the floor and the strong odour of alcohol added to the other unpleasant smells in the air. Pinching their noses shut in disgust, they quickly hurried away from that horrible stench.
"Filthy lot, those pirates," muttered Little My, trying not to be sick, "Don't those pigs ever take a bath?"
"Mama would have a fit if they made such a mess in Moominhouse," muttered Moomintroll, looking appalled at the state of the place. Those pirates obviously knew nothing about housekeeping or personal hygiene.
"Guess this explains why they were stupid enough to abandon ship," said Martin, picking up an empty rum bottle, "They must have been in the middle of a drunken binge when the storm hit. With such a sorry lack of discipline aboard ship, it's no wonder they drove their ship up onto the reef and themselves to the bottom of the sea. Mind you, we're real lucky to be rid of that riff-raff."
"Martin, how could you say that?!" exclaimed Snorkmaiden reproachfully, "Those poor pirates drowned out there! I never thought you'd be so mean!"
"Pirates deserve no sympathy, Snorkmaiden," said Martin coldly, "My father was a Royal Navy pilot and had seen his fair share of pirates - real-life pirates, that is. They're nothing like the charming folk heroes you read about in those storybooks of yours. They're no different that common thieves; this very ship was probably stolen from its original crew, after they'd fed them to the sharks. The last thing we need is the likes of them running loose in Moominvalley."
"Oh, so you think I'm stupid because I like to read storybooks?!" exclaimed Snorkmaiden, clearly getting the wrong idea, "Well, I think you can find good in anyone if you only look hard enough! Just because they've made some bad choices in life doesn't necessarily make them evil people!" She turned her back to him, her nose in the air. Little My scoffed, no doubt sharing Martin's view of pirates. Snorkmaiden shot her a reproachful glare.
Knowing how touchy Snorkmaiden could be whenever she wanted to voice her opinion, albeit naively, and not wanting to upset his friend more, Martin didn't push the matter further.
Exploring further down, they came to a hatchway that led to the bilges. They could see the bilge was completely flooded, the water having forced its way up through the hatchway, swamping the lower decks of the ship. The collision with the reef had obviously caused a breach in the hull. However, it was impossible to see the full extent of the damage.
At last, they came to a heavy locked door in the stern that led to a sealed room of some description. Sniff's eyes lit up, realising why would someone want to keep something behind a locked door. This had to be the ship's vault, where the pirates' treasure was stored!
"We found it!" Sniff cheered excitedly, picturing all the gold coins, jewellery, silks and gems that had to be stashed behind that door, "Get that door open! Time to get rich!"
They looked around, but there was no key. Moomintroll tried forcing open the door. It was locked tight. Sniff, losing patience, tried kicking the door open, but only succeeded in hopping around on one foot with a bruised toe. Martin rolled his eyes at their futile efforts. Ushering them all aside, he got down on his knees and took out his pocketknife.
He got to work, picking the lock. The lock was old and pretty rusty from long-term exposure to sea air, making it difficult to turn the tumblers over. At last, it clicked open. Feeling excited, the boys removed the iron dead-bolt and swung the door open, revealing not treasure, but rather stacks upon stacks of sealed waterproof kegs that filled the vault. Was this the treasure?
Using some hammers and crowbars they'd found in the carpenter's chest, they cracked several of the barrels open. Sniff, expecting them to be full of gold, dipped his hands in, pulling out handfuls of...
"Black sand?" he coughed, staring incredulously at the fine blackish powder, which at first glance resembled worthless soot, trickling down from between his fingers. He furiously continued pawing around in the keg, thinking maybe the treasure was buried underneath. But Martin, who'd seen that stuff before, jumped.
"Careful, you idiot!" he barked, "That's not sand, it's gunpowder! You'll blow up the whole ship!" They'd found the ship's powder magazine, not a vault. Gulping nervously, Sniff backed away, hastily dusting the gunpowder off his fur.
They returned up to the deck empty-handed. So far, they'd found no treasure onboard. The only place they hadn't searched was the roundhouse, which housed the captain's quarters. Meanwhile, they were running out of time.
"We need to go!" called Too-Ticky from her skiff below, "The tide's coming in!" As if on cue, they felt the wreck shift slightly beneath their feet. Very soon, the rising tide would force the schooner off the reef with them still onboard. They had to get out of here.
"We can't leave without the treasure!" protested Sniff yet again, "We only need a few more minutes to check the roundhouse." But Martin had seen enough for one day. The last thing they needed was to end up joining the vanished pirate crew on the bottom of the sea when the schooner foundered. He was about to call out to Sniff to get a move on, unless he'd rather the left him behind, when suddenly they heard Snorkmaiden's screams coming from the roundhouse...
While the others were getting ready to leave, Snorkmaiden had wondered off to explore a little more by herself, still feeling rather sore from her little argument with Martin earlier. He was a good and loving friend, yes, but he could use a bit of a heart sometimes. Unlike her kind-hearted Moomintroll, whose family had opened up their home to him, a complete stranger, Martin saw enemies everywhere, in everyone he met. Not exactly a virtue of a Moomin or a Snork for that matter!
The door to the roundhouse stood ajar. Curious to see what was inside, Snorkmaiden entered. Inside, she found herself in what looked like the captain's cabin. Unlike the rest of the ship, which only had rough and plain accommodations, this room was furnished with luxury and good taste. Carved oak panelling and posh furniture could be seen everywhere, including a large dining table where Martin had said the ship's officers had mess. But like the rest of the ship, the cabin was a shambles from the storm, the floor strewn with debris and overturned furniture. All the lamps were extinguished, turning the room gloomy and eerie.
Looking around, a small chest in a corner caught her eye. Could that be the treasure? Snorkmaiden was overwhelmed by her discovery. The boys had searched the whole ship trying to find it, but this time, she, Snorkmaiden, would have the honour of finding it first! Forgetting she was supposed to be on her guard at all times and not stray away from the others, she walked over for a closer look.
The chest was locked and she couldn't open it. But no matter. She could still carry it out on deck as it was. The thing was extremely heavy, forcing Snorkmaiden to drag it across the floor. At that moment, she heard footsteps behind her. Startled, she turned round, expecting to see Moomintroll or Little My, but there was no one there.
"Hallo? Is anybody there?" For a moment, she thought she saw a figure duck into the shadows, but no one answered her. Just loose debris clattering about somewhere on the ship, she thought. She turned her attention back to the chest she was dragging.
She'd almost made it, when suddenly she heard someone slam the door behind her. Too late she realised she was indeed not alone. Whirling round, she came face to face with her attacker. She was trapped! Scared out of her wits, Snorkmaiden uttered a loud scream of terror. Her attacker clapped a dirty hand over her mouth, muffling her cries...
"Snorkmaiden, are you all right?" called Moomintroll, as he and Martin came bursting into the roundhouse, Little My and Sniff in tow.
"What's going on in here?" said Martin, stopping dead in his tracks, realising there was big trouble, "Blimey! Snorkmaiden!"
It seemed the abandoned pirate schooner wasn't completely abandoned after all. They had found a survivor still on board, and of the very worst sort. They all felt their blood curdle as they laid eyes on a large beefy man with a hairy face and wearing a filthy sea captain's uniform, holding Snorkmaiden against him, a long shiny cutlass pressed hard against her throat. Poor Snorkmaiden was petrified with fear, thinking this was surely the end.
"Let her go, at once!" shouted Moomintroll, about to run to his sweetheart's rescue, but Martin held him back, "Don't do anything stupid; that guy means business." The pirate captain's eyes shone with a monstrous look, glaring back at these intruders who'd boarded his ship uninvited.
"Well, well, what have we here?" growled the pirate menacingly, "We've got a rat onboard! And she's got some friends too, I see. So, come to steal my treasure, have you, you little landlubbers? Nobody touches Captain Rumpot's treasure!" He gestured at the chest at his feet, which Snorkmaiden had been trying to take.
"Captain Rumpot?" asked Little My mockingly, "Not Captain Pork Pie? Because you sure are fat as one!" Martin furiously nudged Little My to shut up. Captain Rumpot's face contorted with fury at the insult.
"How dare you, you measly little barnacle!" he roared, "I should have you keelhauled for talking like that to me, the great Captain Rumpot, the terror of the Seven Seas!"
"Only not much of a sailor are you?" pointed out Sniff angrily, "You ship's wrecked!"
"Only after those scurvy curs I used to call my crew jumped ship in fear when we were struck by that storm," snarled Captain Rumpot, "Those mutinous maggots left me behind when I refused to leave without my treasure. Now I get to keep all their shares for myself whilst all they get is to feed the fish!"
"Look here, Captain, we're not interested in your rotten treasure!" said Martin. Right now, all he cared about was getting Snorkmaiden - and themselves - off this accursed ship in one piece, "You let Snorkmaiden go and we'll leave without causing you any further trouble." Captain Rumpot let out a bark-like laugh.
"So you can turn me in to the authorities of this backwater? You think I'm stupid, boy?" he asked, tightening his grip on Snorkmaiden, "This good-looking little wretch is my hostage until I can make good my escape, me hearties!"
"Don't make it any worse for you than it already is," said Martin, realising this wasn't going to end well at all, "They already know about you on shore; you'll find the entire police force waiting for you the moment you set foot on land! Where I come from, pirates are hanged!"
"Who says I intend to make for shore?" laughed Captain Rumpot, unfazed by Martin's threat, "A pirate Captain has no business on land; I intend to make my escape back out at sea with my treasure! And for that, I'll be needing your skiff. What do you say to that, me hearty?"
So that's what this is all about, thought Martin. This creep intended to use Snorkmaiden as a bargaining chip for the only available escape ride: Too-Ticky's skiff. Of course, that would leave them stranded on the stricken schooner. Rumpot frowned at his hesitation.
"Either I get that skiff, or I feed your friend to the hungry sharks!" Poor Snorkmaiden screamed in terror.
"No! Please don't feed me to the sharks!" she cried, struggling in vain to escape Rumpot's iron grip. "Moomintroll, help me!"
"Cheer up, Snorkmaiden, everything will be all right," Moomintroll desperately tried to reassure his friend, although he too was shaking, fearing for Snorkmaiden's life like he'd never felt before.
Martin's hands were tied. He hated to have to help this miserable villain escape by handing over Too-Ticky's skiff, but at long at it would guarantee Snorkmaiden's safe release, he could jolly well have it!
"Very well, you can have the skiff," said Martin, "But only if you don't hurt Snorkmaiden."
"Glad to see you're willing to do business, bucko," said the Captain, looking satisfied, but, the sly look on his face told Martin he might not keep his end of the bargain.
Ordering them all up on deck in an orderly manner, still holding Snorkmaiden at cutlass-point, Captain Rumpot slowly made his way towards the rope ladder, his eyes watching their every move, making sure no one tried anything. However, he hadn't counted on the fact that Too-Ticky was down there, waiting on the skiff. Martin braced himself; the instant Rumpot was distracted by Too-Ticky, he'd make a quick dash at that scoundrel and snatch that cutlass...
CRASH!
Suddenly, the schooner gave a larch as it slipped free from the reef and back into the sea. The sudden momentum knocked everyone off their feet. The battered ship swayed unstably in the water, before righting herself. But not for long. Below decks, the sound of water gushing in through the breach in the hull was heard. She was sinking.
Now drifting with the current, the derelict began moving away from the shoreline towards the open sea, taking her captain, Martin, Moomintroll, Snorkmaiden, Sniff, Too-Ticky and her skiff with her.
Martin got his feet again. To his disgruntlement, he saw Captain Rumpot hadn't lost his grip Snorkmaiden in the confusion. Worse still, the shifting schooner had bumped against the skiff, catching Too-Ticky off-guard and knocking her overboard. Their only chance of foiling this villain's escape was history.
With the coast now clear, the pirate captain made a beeline for the rope-ladder. Carrying the flailing Snorkmaiden under one arm like a sack of potatoes and grasping his treasure chest firmly with the other, he lowered himself down into the skiff with amazing ease for someone so obese. Before anyone could stop him, with one swing of his cutlass, he cut the mooring line and took the oars.
The group watched helplessly as Captain Rumpot rowed the skiff away from the schooner, taking his hostage and his treasure with him.
"Come back, you lying scoundrel!" yelled Martin furiously, "We have a deal! You said you'd let Snorkmaiden go!" Captain Rumpot burst out laughing.
"I've changed my mind," he called, "Your friend's such a good-looking blonde; she'll make a fine travel companion on my journeys! Besides, why leave a lady stranded on a ship that's headed for Davy Jones' Locker?" he smirked, watching his ship start to tilt sideways as she took on water. Within a few hours, the schooner would be on the bottom of the sea, along with any witnesses of his escape. He took off his hat, waving them goodbye, "Farewell, me hearties! Thank you kindly for your gift!"
"No! Snorkmaiden!" cried Moomintroll, looking about to jump over the side and swim after his dear friend, currently being kidnapped before their very eyes and them powerless to help her. In the skiff, Snorkmaiden, bound and helpless, could only watch as the drifting schooner receded into the distance, leaving her friends trapped and her in the hands of her captor.
"Moomintroll, save me! Please, save me...!" Then her cries died away as the skiff sailed out of hearing range.
On the schooner, Martin and his four remaining companions looked helplessly at each other. Here they were, trapped on a sinking ship drifting out into the open sea. They were already too far out to swim back to shore, the coastline of Moominvalley quickly receding in the distance. Not a single lifeboat or lifejacket remained on the schooner, everything having been taking by Rumpot's fleeing crew. Meanwhile, the tilting of the deck was getting worse. Sniff glanced down the open cargo hatch and gasped.
"There's water coming in down there!" he cried, realising they were in big trouble, "We're sinking!" In a state of panic, he began running up and down the deck like a lunatic, searching for a way off this death trap, which of course didn't exist.
"We're trapped! We'll all drown!" he wept, scared out of his wits, "Help! Somebody help us!" he screamed out into the empty sea. None of the others paid him any attention, thinking of Snorkmaiden. A terribly distraught Moomintroll turned to his step-brother. Martin had gotten them out of so many tight scrapes since they'd met; he was the only one who could save Snorkmaiden now.
"What are we going to do, Martin?" he begged him, "Please, we have to get Snorkmaiden back! She must be so frightened...!" Martin run his hands through his hair in exasperation, unable to think of a solution. Then, the obvious occurred to him.
"Then, we have to go after her ourselves," he announced with a fierce determination. His friends looked at him, thinking he'd gone mad.
"How?" asked Too-Ticky, "We don't have a boat..."
"Yes, we do. We have this," said Martin, gesturing at the wrecked schooner they were standing on, "We've got to get this old tub moving now!"
"But she's not even seaworthy anymore," pointed out Moomintroll, who couldn't imagine a ship in this condition being able to sail again.
"Then we have to make her seaworthy again," said Martin, already putting his engineering mind to work, mentally listing all the problems and prioritising. First, they had to stop the schooner from sinking.
"Moomintroll, go down below and find the carpenter's chest," he said, "We'll need hammers, nails and saws. Sniff, start collecting all the loose planks you can find on deck; we're going to cut them into patches to fix the hull. Too-Ticky, you and Little My find the bilge pumps and start pumping. We need to buy us as much time as possible to make repairs. Come on, there's no time to lose!"
Running up to the helm, Martin consulted the large glass compass in relation to the direction the skiff had gone. Taking a pencil and some scrap paper from his pocket, he jotted down the heading and time. Then, using a rough estimate to determine the direction in which they were drifting, he noted that down as well. Once they'd gotten the schooner moving again, if they ever did, at least they'd know in which direction to search. He looked out at the skiff, now but a speck on the horizon.
"Hang on tight, Snorkmaiden. We're coming for you..."
Author's note: Originally, I intended to have this adventure in one chapter, but it came out much longer than I thought. For reference, it is inspired from episode 12 of the 1990 Moomin series, The Pirate. Enjoy and please review!