Usual disclaimers. have I told you lately how I hate them!
***
Jack had worked all day at the coal face, loading the coal into the trucks as some of the Chickasaw Indians pushed them to the shaft. Eventually the last truck was loaded and Little Feather pushed beside him. Jack's nose twitched. "What the."
"Gas!" Little Feather cried. "Run!"
Jack and Little Feather ran for the base of the shaft, leaving the truck behind as they fled. The mine started to shake, large lumps of rock falling from the ceiling.
Boom! The fire damp gas exploded, sending the roof crashing down around them. Little Feather fell dazed to the ground, a rock crushing his shoulder but Jack grabbed him, hauling him along by his good arm. More rocks fell. Jack stumbled, sprawling on the ground, unable to move as his leg was crushed beneath another rock. The world went black.
***
When Jack regained consciousness he found himself in the cage at the bottom of the shaft. Little Feather sat quietly next to him. He hissed in pain as he tried to move, but at least his leg was not broken.
"Ssshh!" Little Feather warned. "They are taking us to the infirmary on the surface."
"Can you run?" Jack asked, remembering how close the shaft was to the gates of the mine and praying that it was only the Indian's shoulder that was hurt.
"If I have to."
"Wait for the opportune moment - and don't look back!" Jack smiled.
Little Feather nodded, knowing that Jack was in no condition to follow him. Even one of them escaping would be seen as a victory by those still below in the deep shaft. "You have honour," he smiled.
"Sod honour!" Jack argued. "I want you t' find my wife when she gets here an' help her!"
Little Feather frowned. "How will I know her?"
Jack sighed. "She is short - about, oh, so high." He indicated what was to him mid-chest height. "She has auburn hair, like a sunset. and a tattoo that matches mine on her upper arm." He tried to show Little Feather his tattoo but it was too dark and he was too dirty. "A bird, over water in front of a sun," he explained. "She fights dirty an' swears like a."
Jack stopped talking. Although it was night he could see that they were nearing the head of the shaft, the moonlight making it seem as bright as day to him. He nodded to Little Feather, knowing he was taking a risk but trusting his belief that Lact had wanted him kept alive. He smiled, noticing that there were only two loaded rifles aimed at him. and the fools were standing next to each other. With a crazed roar he rushed them, knocking them over before they had a chance to fire. The rifles went off, bullets flying high into the night sky.
Although Little Feather was surprised at Jack's actions, he knew he had little time. Deerskin boots sped across the small courtyard and he was out, over the high gate before the guards could react. Angry rifle butts added to Jack's injuries, but he just smiled. His attitude annoyed the guards even more and kicked him hard where he lay.
"Hold!" A voice shouted commandingly from the doorway of the office. Louis Lact had been talking with his manager Isaac Blanche about how to shore up the lower mine after the collapse. He was shocked to see Jack Sparrow on the ground obviously in agony. "What is going on?"
"He was brought up following the collapse, but charged us Monsieur. one of the savages that had been injured escaped before we could stop him."
"I see." Louis Lact looked carefully at the pirate before him, smiling despite the pain. "Jean Claude warned me you were a slippery one," he mused. "Take him to the infirmary but keep him manacled to the bed. As soon as he has been seen he can be sent back!" He nodded to the guards who dragged Jack along the ground towards the building he assumed was the infirmary.
***
Within a day Jack was declared fit enough to go back down the shaft. Louis Lact himself came to watch as the cage was slowly lowered to the depths. Jack Sparrow stood quietly, still smiling. It made him uneasy, the man knew something and he had the niggling suspicion that he should know it too. The pirate held his eyes as he disappeared into the darkness, an insolent smile curling on his lip as he threw a lazy salute. and then he was gone.
The Chickasaw Indians gathered around Jack as he stepped from the cage. "Crazy Bird! Where is Little Feather?"
"Free - I hope!" he smiled. "Last I saw he cleared th' gate and was running fast."
The men around him whooped in delight. "If Little Feather is free then the tribe will know where we are. we will soon be free!"
***
Jack had worked all day at the coal face, loading the coal into the trucks as some of the Chickasaw Indians pushed them to the shaft. Eventually the last truck was loaded and Little Feather pushed beside him. Jack's nose twitched. "What the."
"Gas!" Little Feather cried. "Run!"
Jack and Little Feather ran for the base of the shaft, leaving the truck behind as they fled. The mine started to shake, large lumps of rock falling from the ceiling.
Boom! The fire damp gas exploded, sending the roof crashing down around them. Little Feather fell dazed to the ground, a rock crushing his shoulder but Jack grabbed him, hauling him along by his good arm. More rocks fell. Jack stumbled, sprawling on the ground, unable to move as his leg was crushed beneath another rock. The world went black.
***
When Jack regained consciousness he found himself in the cage at the bottom of the shaft. Little Feather sat quietly next to him. He hissed in pain as he tried to move, but at least his leg was not broken.
"Ssshh!" Little Feather warned. "They are taking us to the infirmary on the surface."
"Can you run?" Jack asked, remembering how close the shaft was to the gates of the mine and praying that it was only the Indian's shoulder that was hurt.
"If I have to."
"Wait for the opportune moment - and don't look back!" Jack smiled.
Little Feather nodded, knowing that Jack was in no condition to follow him. Even one of them escaping would be seen as a victory by those still below in the deep shaft. "You have honour," he smiled.
"Sod honour!" Jack argued. "I want you t' find my wife when she gets here an' help her!"
Little Feather frowned. "How will I know her?"
Jack sighed. "She is short - about, oh, so high." He indicated what was to him mid-chest height. "She has auburn hair, like a sunset. and a tattoo that matches mine on her upper arm." He tried to show Little Feather his tattoo but it was too dark and he was too dirty. "A bird, over water in front of a sun," he explained. "She fights dirty an' swears like a."
Jack stopped talking. Although it was night he could see that they were nearing the head of the shaft, the moonlight making it seem as bright as day to him. He nodded to Little Feather, knowing he was taking a risk but trusting his belief that Lact had wanted him kept alive. He smiled, noticing that there were only two loaded rifles aimed at him. and the fools were standing next to each other. With a crazed roar he rushed them, knocking them over before they had a chance to fire. The rifles went off, bullets flying high into the night sky.
Although Little Feather was surprised at Jack's actions, he knew he had little time. Deerskin boots sped across the small courtyard and he was out, over the high gate before the guards could react. Angry rifle butts added to Jack's injuries, but he just smiled. His attitude annoyed the guards even more and kicked him hard where he lay.
"Hold!" A voice shouted commandingly from the doorway of the office. Louis Lact had been talking with his manager Isaac Blanche about how to shore up the lower mine after the collapse. He was shocked to see Jack Sparrow on the ground obviously in agony. "What is going on?"
"He was brought up following the collapse, but charged us Monsieur. one of the savages that had been injured escaped before we could stop him."
"I see." Louis Lact looked carefully at the pirate before him, smiling despite the pain. "Jean Claude warned me you were a slippery one," he mused. "Take him to the infirmary but keep him manacled to the bed. As soon as he has been seen he can be sent back!" He nodded to the guards who dragged Jack along the ground towards the building he assumed was the infirmary.
***
Within a day Jack was declared fit enough to go back down the shaft. Louis Lact himself came to watch as the cage was slowly lowered to the depths. Jack Sparrow stood quietly, still smiling. It made him uneasy, the man knew something and he had the niggling suspicion that he should know it too. The pirate held his eyes as he disappeared into the darkness, an insolent smile curling on his lip as he threw a lazy salute. and then he was gone.
The Chickasaw Indians gathered around Jack as he stepped from the cage. "Crazy Bird! Where is Little Feather?"
"Free - I hope!" he smiled. "Last I saw he cleared th' gate and was running fast."
The men around him whooped in delight. "If Little Feather is free then the tribe will know where we are. we will soon be free!"