Disclaimers......
Hilary, here's your prize, the next chapter up!
Sakhara, I think Maddy has learned her lesson. A sparrow can't change it's feathers!! :D
Lady Skywalker, there's plentt that will happen, just wait and see.
BridgetLynn Rachel, KK and A.H. Smith, thank you for the reviews, I'm glad you all enjoy the story.
Finally, thanks to Linnie, without whom we probably wouldn't have a story.....
************
Chapter 41
Maddy's eyes shot open at the loud banging on the door, and she looked anxiously at Jack who was pulling on his things. 'All right, all right, gimme a chance.' Jack hurried across the cabin and pulled open the door. 'What t'bloody 'ell do ye want?' He glared at Freddie Snow, jigging about agitatedly.
'Cap'n, there's a ship headin' for us.'
Jack groaned and bounded up the stairs, taking them two at a time and ran over to the helm. 'Eb?'
'Caught sight of it 'bout ten minutes ago, headin' t'same way.' Eb pointed towards the starboard bow at the faint glow of lights on the other ship.
'D'ya think they saw us stowing t'haul?' Jack cursed under his breath at the thought of another ship stealing his loot, which he had stashed on a small island near the Caye Marquet. 'Kill the lights. I want all the lights on board doused, savvy? I don't care if they're right inside, away from windows, if they can't see us, they can't chase. An' I want no shoutin' on board, ya know how voices carry.'
'Are we to sail on, Cap'n?' Eb suddenly felt very grateful for the moonless night.
'Aye, but we head fer them, then we'll take 'em out before first light.' Jack left Eb in charge of the helm as he kept his eyes on the other ship, watching for any clue to tell him whether or not they had spotted The Pearl. No one on board slept that night, all eyes keeping eager watch on the other ship, as it changed direction, then came to a stop, whether it had given up the chase or not, Jack wasn't sure. He muttered under his breath as the other ship began to move again, but it turned away from them and headed in the direction The Pearl had been taking in the first place.
'Who t'hell are they Madalene?' Jack murmured, more to himself than to his wife. 'We're so bloody close to t'island on the map, this is all I need!'
'Could it be Castigne? Maybe he saw us approaching and wanted to warn us off.' Jack took a long sideways glance in the direction of his wife, a crooked smile playing on his lips.
'It could be... it could very well be.' Jack found his way back to the helm from where he stood with Maddy on the deck in the darkness, and peered to where he thought Eb was standing. 'Madalene reckons it could be Castigne, so we'll back off a little an' make sure we're ready, just in case.'
'Aye sir.' Eb whispered as loudly as he could for the crew to hold fast on the mainsail, then piloted The Pearl towards the other ship throughout the night with Jack guiding him as he kept watch through his spyglass.
Jack saw the thin duck egg blue line on the horizon, indicating the dawn was not too far off. He then checked the distance between them and the lead ship, and deciding quickly that it was too short, he searched out a small island to seek shelter on. 'Eb, make fer that island and we'll wait there a while an' see if we can spot who that is, savvy?'
'Aye, aye Cap'n.' Eb steered the ship to port and made for the dark shape of the island, urging the crew to keep a sharp eye for reefs.
As it got lighter, the island took shape. It was small and relatively flat, with a hill rising near the centre. Eb nestled The Pearl behind a spit of land, while Jack organised a landing party that consisted of him, Tom, Moyles and Freddie, which would climb the hill and see if they could spot the mystery ship. Maddy watched them as they rowed ashore, then took up her position of watch, scanning around them for anything and everything.
**********
'Shit!' Jack rubbed his face where yet another overgrown branch had struck him, wincing as he felt the welt rise on his cheek. 'I'm keepin' a bloody a scythe on board for trips like these,' he muttered, scowling as he climbed the deceptively steep hill. Jack looked up, pleased to see the top of the hill getting closer, then looked back at his crewmen, trailing some way behind him. 'C'mon, keep up,' he hissed, not wanting to raise his voice. The hill flattened out near the top, and as Jack reached it he sank to his belly, crawling along, getting more and more bad tempered by the minute. 'Next bloody time, Eb can do this.' Jack stopped suddenly and fished his spyglass out of its case. He looked up at the ship, some two miles away from the island and held his glass to his eye, bringing the ship into close relief.
'Who is it Cap'n, can ya see anythin'?' Eb crawled alongside Jack, followed by the others.
'Hang on... it's a sloop, I can't make out t'name.' Jack crawled a little nearer and glanced out again, this time taking notice of the flag flapping in the morning breeze. It was a skull and crossbones set against the background of the Oriflamme, the flag of Castigne. The group crawled back, then stood and hurried down the slope, taking care to keep their balance as they went. They arrived at the boat together and jumped in, nearly capsizing it as they made haste back to The Pearl. The crew waited on deck anxiously, and as the landing party climbed back aboard The Pearl, they collectively held their breath.
'Aye, it is Castigne. Eb, Maddy, Tom with me.' Jack strode across the deck and down the stairs to his cabin, grabbing a bottle of rum as he leaned over the map of The Keys, spread across his table.
'Right, we're roughly here,' Jack jabbed a finger at an archipelago, 'The island on t'map is here,' Jack jabbed his finger at another group of islands just north of where they were anchored, 'An' Castigne is right in t'middle, so we're goin' ter go the long way round, savvy?' He traced a line with his finger down and around the group of islands where they were situated, as to go up and around the group of islands that housed their destination.
Maddy frowned, looking from the map to Jack and back again. 'Surely Castigne will see us?'
'Nah luv, the islands should hide us fer long enough to keep us well away from Castigne when he comes to look for us.'
'But we won't have enough time to get to the island, find out what's there, take it and get away again.' Maddy started feeling uneasy at the vast amount of things that could go wrong with this plan.
Jack pondered this for a minute then smiled a crooked, lazy smile. So we'll deal with Castigne first, we'll go through this channel here, an'come around them wi'all guns blazin.' Jack smiled, his eyes glinting with anticipation.
'Jack, we don't even know what's on the island. Is it worth risking this ship and the crew in a battle with Castigne?' Maddy threw her hands up in despair.
Eb shifted uncomfortably on his feet and glanced at Tom, then at Jack. 'Maddy's right Cap'n, we *don't* know what's there. Could be nothing,'
'If it nothing then why's Castigne standing guard over it? Nah, there's something o'value on that island, and we're goin' ter get it.' Jack fetched a more detailed map of The Keys from his locker and spread it across the top of the one they had been looking at, and the four of them poured over it, working out the best strategy for attack, using the islands as cover.
'Right, this has to be done now, before they spot us. Eb inform t'crew, Tom get t'gunners ready, Madalene organise t'armoury, and I'll be at t'helm.' Jack stood waiting for a moment, before frowning. 'Off ya jolly well go then.' He shooed his hands towards them following them out and up the stairs to the deck.
The Black Pearl instantly became a hive of activity as Eb and Jack issued orders left and right, and adding to it was the sound of Tom's voice carrying through the ship from the gundeck. Through all the activity, Maddy hurried to the armoury and began issuing swords and pistols to the men passing through, making sure each had enough shot and powder to make them last for more than one shot, and that the swords were clean and sharp. When the final man was armed, Maddy armed herself and made her way back to the deck and looked out at the group of islands they were making their way around.
'Have we spotted them yet Jack?' Maddy walked to the helm, where her husband was guiding the ship avoiding the rocky outcrops in the sea, close to the islands.
'Nah, not yet luv. We'll be goin' through a channel just up here, an' hopefully should come across them before they have chance to know what hit 'em.' Jack winked and smiled, his eyes shining with excitement.
'What if they've gone looking for us Jack?'
'We're not going up as far as I'd originally planned fer that reason alone, they're bound to have gone lookin' for us, so when we come out t'other side, they shouldn't be too far away.' Jack grinned impishly. 'What I don't want is fer them to be at t'end of the channel when we emerge.'
'If they are?' Maddy raised her eyebrows questioningly.
'If they are, we swing around as fast as we can and fire like hell.' Jack shrugged, hoping he sounded more confident than he felt.
Maddy looked sceptically at her husband, knowing only too well that was the worst thing that could happen. 'Where do you want me?' Maddy laughed at Jack's wicked grin, swiping his head with her hand.
'Hopefully we won't have ter board luv, but if we do, I want ya to stay on t'Pearl as long as ya can, savvy? I'm goin' ter be flying a red, so they'll fight as hard as they can fer their lives.' Jack took Maddy's hand and kissed it gently. 'But it won't come ter that, I'm sure of it,' he assured her, his dark eyes looking deep into Maddy's.
'Why flying a red?' Maddy stroked Jack's cheek and tugged his beard braids playfully.
'Cos Castigne doesn't take any prisoners himself, so we got to luv.'
'I hope whatever's on that island is worth all of this trouble Jack. Do you think its treasure?'
'Now that I don't know, I don't think it is, but I gotta find out, savvy?' Jack narrowed his eyes, as the opening for the channel appeared ahead of them. 'Bloody hell, it's smaller than I thought,' Jack swung the wheel around to port, taking the ship away from the islands. 'We're going ter need a wide sweep fer this.' He took the ship a fair distance from the islands, ordering those on watch to keep a sharp lookout for Castigne's ship, in case it had rounded the islands, then made for the channel, ignoring the worried looks some of the crew were giving him.
'Jack, it's a bit narrow isn't it?' Maddy voiced the worry that many of the men felt.
Jack narrowed his eyes and gave Maddy a sideways glance, raising his eyebrows slightly, so that only Maddy could see he agreed with her. 'No problem luv, I've steered through narrower than that.' Jack emptied his mind of all thought and concentrated solely on guiding his ship through the narrow passage.
Maddy joined the men at the bow watching out for rocks and other hazards, her heart in her mouth, her lips moving in silent prayer. The end of the channel appeared sooner than Maddy anticipated and she turned to look at Jack, whose face was taut with concentration. He nodded, acknowledging Maddy without looking at her, then he nodded at Eb who ordered the men to make ready for battle. Maddy resumed her watch for rocks, but actively scanned for any sign of Castigne's ship.
'Eb, haul out t'sweeps, we'll take this nice an' gentle.' Jack prayed there were no rocks hidden beneath the water, and he felt the ship lurch as she went from sail power to oar power and slowed considerably. Slowly but surely they edged to the end of the channel and the open sea, the masts and rigging crowded with men on the look-out for the other ship. Maddy held on to the rail as the rough water from the sea rushed into the passage, and buffeted the ship. She looked up at a cry from the rigging as someone spotted Castigne's ship, a distance away to the starboard.
'Eb, make sail.' Jack let out a long breath, glancing at Maddy in relief and smiling as she made her way to him.
'Now I know why they call you the best captain on the seas.' Maddy leaned to Jack and kissed his cheek before going to her battle station, her heart pounding in her ears.
Jack felt his ship respond as soon as the sails were unfurled, and under the twin powers of the sails and the sweeps, The Black Pearl was fast approaching Le Josephina, hugging close to the islands. Le Josephina turned into a flurry of activity as her crew hurried to make ready their guns and unfurl her sails, trying to make for the open water, but The Pearl cut across their bow and opened fire immediately, sending razor sharp splinters flying across the deck, killing a few men and injuring many more. The Pearl fired again, taking down the foremast, which crashed onto the deck, before sliding gracefully into the water. Castigne ordered his men to move the small cannons to the bow of the ship and return fire, while many of the shots finding their targets. Maddy gasped as two men near her fell, then she dropped to the deck and crawled to a gap in the ship's side, which made by a cannonball, and fired her pistol towards Le Josephina, reloading quickly and firing again. Jack took The Pearl past Le Josephina and turned to port, loosing all the port cannons into the port side of the French ship at once, causing mayhem. The blows from The Pearl shattered the main mast and fashioned holes the length and breadth of her sides, also sending both men and cannons plunging into the water. Jack ordered his men to ignore the French sailors in the water, many of whom where swimming for the nearby island, and told them to concentrate on the ship. He swore as a grape shot took down three of his men, then bellowed in anger and surprise as a cannonball smashed its way across the deck, glancing past the main mast, sending splinters flying, but not breaking it.
'Give them everything ya slackers,' he yelled, as he took The Pearl in as close as he dared. 'Loose the bleedin' cannons Tucker!'
Jack's crew responded immediately, volleying cannonballs, grape shot and pistol shots toward Le Josephina, whooping with delight as many of the French pirates fell. The Pearl rocked as a volley from the opposing ship hit home, blowing holes in her port side, disabling many of the cannons. Jack swung the ship once more, slower this time, as many of the sweepers were killed with the last attack. Eb's voice could be heard over the cacophony urging the gunners on the starboard side to load and fire quicker. Maddy fired her pistol once more, then fell back in agony as a shot spliced her arm.
'Madalene! Cotton, get her below.' Jack fought the urge to run to his wife's aid and forced his attention back to the battle. He watched as another round of cannon fire damaged Le Josephina further and she started listing in the water. 'Keep at 'em, we've almost got them, fire all!' Jack ordered his men on, eager to get the battle over with. He struggled with the wheel, as The Pearl lurched to and fro in the water with the vibration from her cannons.
'Cap'n, they're desertin' the ship.' Moyles grinned excitedly. Jack looked out and saw that the French crew were indeed deserting, swimming for the island. He wondered if Pierre Castigne was one of them, or whether he'd been killed in the battle. The gun fire from Le Josephina ceased as the gunners left their posts to join their crewmates in swimming for their lives. Jack ordered his men to carry on firing, until the opposing ship was fast disappearing beneath the waves.
'Cease fire, but stand your guard, they might yet try something stupid.' Jack kept a wary eye out for any signs of trouble, then steered his ship away from the scene and to safety, wondering what the damage was. But he had other things to attend to first. He yielded the helm to Moyles and went below.
'What's the damage?' Jack strode across the cabin to where his wife lay on the bunk. Cotton drew back the dressing covering Maddy's arm to show a shot wound that had gone right through her arm and out of her shoulder. 'You all right luv?' Jack stroked Maddy's damp hair, smiling as she managed a weak nod. He lifted Maddy gently off the bunk, while Mr. Cotton fastened a sling around her, taking care not to move her arm too much, but no matter how they tried Maddy still yelped in pain. Jack lay her back down, as softly as he could, and stayed with her until she fell into a restless, exhausted sleep.
**********
'Eb, damage report.' Jack's eyes roved the deck, inspecting the damage he could see.
'Well Cap'n, there's plenty o'damage to the port gundeck, an' we lost most o'the guns on that side too. The main mast should hold all right, but I'd rather it was repaired first.' Jack nodded his agreement. 'There's a great deal o'holes, the rail's broken in quite a few places, an' we lost 17 men.'
Jack winced, not realising the damage was so extensive. 'We'll make fer the island on t'map, and carry out the repairs there, savvy?'
'Aye Sir. How's Maddy?'
'She won't be using her arm fer a while, that's for sure. She'll be all right though mate.' Jack ran his hands through his hair, feeling drained. 'I hope whatever's on that island is damn worth this,' he thought to himself, wondering whether he should have listened to Maddy and Eb when they counselled caution. He took the helm back from Moyles, checked his compass and steered a course for the island, feeling glad it wasn't too far away.
******** Right settle down, it's time for your history and geography lesson! Caye Marquet is a large island near the tip of the Florida Keys and is surrounded by many smaller islands, ideal for stowing booty. The Oriflamme was a sacred banner used by the kinds of France in times of battle, before the French tricolour cam into being. I thought a pirate would be arrogant enough to use it as his banner.
Hilary, here's your prize, the next chapter up!
Sakhara, I think Maddy has learned her lesson. A sparrow can't change it's feathers!! :D
Lady Skywalker, there's plentt that will happen, just wait and see.
BridgetLynn Rachel, KK and A.H. Smith, thank you for the reviews, I'm glad you all enjoy the story.
Finally, thanks to Linnie, without whom we probably wouldn't have a story.....
************
Chapter 41
Maddy's eyes shot open at the loud banging on the door, and she looked anxiously at Jack who was pulling on his things. 'All right, all right, gimme a chance.' Jack hurried across the cabin and pulled open the door. 'What t'bloody 'ell do ye want?' He glared at Freddie Snow, jigging about agitatedly.
'Cap'n, there's a ship headin' for us.'
Jack groaned and bounded up the stairs, taking them two at a time and ran over to the helm. 'Eb?'
'Caught sight of it 'bout ten minutes ago, headin' t'same way.' Eb pointed towards the starboard bow at the faint glow of lights on the other ship.
'D'ya think they saw us stowing t'haul?' Jack cursed under his breath at the thought of another ship stealing his loot, which he had stashed on a small island near the Caye Marquet. 'Kill the lights. I want all the lights on board doused, savvy? I don't care if they're right inside, away from windows, if they can't see us, they can't chase. An' I want no shoutin' on board, ya know how voices carry.'
'Are we to sail on, Cap'n?' Eb suddenly felt very grateful for the moonless night.
'Aye, but we head fer them, then we'll take 'em out before first light.' Jack left Eb in charge of the helm as he kept his eyes on the other ship, watching for any clue to tell him whether or not they had spotted The Pearl. No one on board slept that night, all eyes keeping eager watch on the other ship, as it changed direction, then came to a stop, whether it had given up the chase or not, Jack wasn't sure. He muttered under his breath as the other ship began to move again, but it turned away from them and headed in the direction The Pearl had been taking in the first place.
'Who t'hell are they Madalene?' Jack murmured, more to himself than to his wife. 'We're so bloody close to t'island on the map, this is all I need!'
'Could it be Castigne? Maybe he saw us approaching and wanted to warn us off.' Jack took a long sideways glance in the direction of his wife, a crooked smile playing on his lips.
'It could be... it could very well be.' Jack found his way back to the helm from where he stood with Maddy on the deck in the darkness, and peered to where he thought Eb was standing. 'Madalene reckons it could be Castigne, so we'll back off a little an' make sure we're ready, just in case.'
'Aye sir.' Eb whispered as loudly as he could for the crew to hold fast on the mainsail, then piloted The Pearl towards the other ship throughout the night with Jack guiding him as he kept watch through his spyglass.
Jack saw the thin duck egg blue line on the horizon, indicating the dawn was not too far off. He then checked the distance between them and the lead ship, and deciding quickly that it was too short, he searched out a small island to seek shelter on. 'Eb, make fer that island and we'll wait there a while an' see if we can spot who that is, savvy?'
'Aye, aye Cap'n.' Eb steered the ship to port and made for the dark shape of the island, urging the crew to keep a sharp eye for reefs.
As it got lighter, the island took shape. It was small and relatively flat, with a hill rising near the centre. Eb nestled The Pearl behind a spit of land, while Jack organised a landing party that consisted of him, Tom, Moyles and Freddie, which would climb the hill and see if they could spot the mystery ship. Maddy watched them as they rowed ashore, then took up her position of watch, scanning around them for anything and everything.
**********
'Shit!' Jack rubbed his face where yet another overgrown branch had struck him, wincing as he felt the welt rise on his cheek. 'I'm keepin' a bloody a scythe on board for trips like these,' he muttered, scowling as he climbed the deceptively steep hill. Jack looked up, pleased to see the top of the hill getting closer, then looked back at his crewmen, trailing some way behind him. 'C'mon, keep up,' he hissed, not wanting to raise his voice. The hill flattened out near the top, and as Jack reached it he sank to his belly, crawling along, getting more and more bad tempered by the minute. 'Next bloody time, Eb can do this.' Jack stopped suddenly and fished his spyglass out of its case. He looked up at the ship, some two miles away from the island and held his glass to his eye, bringing the ship into close relief.
'Who is it Cap'n, can ya see anythin'?' Eb crawled alongside Jack, followed by the others.
'Hang on... it's a sloop, I can't make out t'name.' Jack crawled a little nearer and glanced out again, this time taking notice of the flag flapping in the morning breeze. It was a skull and crossbones set against the background of the Oriflamme, the flag of Castigne. The group crawled back, then stood and hurried down the slope, taking care to keep their balance as they went. They arrived at the boat together and jumped in, nearly capsizing it as they made haste back to The Pearl. The crew waited on deck anxiously, and as the landing party climbed back aboard The Pearl, they collectively held their breath.
'Aye, it is Castigne. Eb, Maddy, Tom with me.' Jack strode across the deck and down the stairs to his cabin, grabbing a bottle of rum as he leaned over the map of The Keys, spread across his table.
'Right, we're roughly here,' Jack jabbed a finger at an archipelago, 'The island on t'map is here,' Jack jabbed his finger at another group of islands just north of where they were anchored, 'An' Castigne is right in t'middle, so we're goin' ter go the long way round, savvy?' He traced a line with his finger down and around the group of islands where they were situated, as to go up and around the group of islands that housed their destination.
Maddy frowned, looking from the map to Jack and back again. 'Surely Castigne will see us?'
'Nah luv, the islands should hide us fer long enough to keep us well away from Castigne when he comes to look for us.'
'But we won't have enough time to get to the island, find out what's there, take it and get away again.' Maddy started feeling uneasy at the vast amount of things that could go wrong with this plan.
Jack pondered this for a minute then smiled a crooked, lazy smile. So we'll deal with Castigne first, we'll go through this channel here, an'come around them wi'all guns blazin.' Jack smiled, his eyes glinting with anticipation.
'Jack, we don't even know what's on the island. Is it worth risking this ship and the crew in a battle with Castigne?' Maddy threw her hands up in despair.
Eb shifted uncomfortably on his feet and glanced at Tom, then at Jack. 'Maddy's right Cap'n, we *don't* know what's there. Could be nothing,'
'If it nothing then why's Castigne standing guard over it? Nah, there's something o'value on that island, and we're goin' ter get it.' Jack fetched a more detailed map of The Keys from his locker and spread it across the top of the one they had been looking at, and the four of them poured over it, working out the best strategy for attack, using the islands as cover.
'Right, this has to be done now, before they spot us. Eb inform t'crew, Tom get t'gunners ready, Madalene organise t'armoury, and I'll be at t'helm.' Jack stood waiting for a moment, before frowning. 'Off ya jolly well go then.' He shooed his hands towards them following them out and up the stairs to the deck.
The Black Pearl instantly became a hive of activity as Eb and Jack issued orders left and right, and adding to it was the sound of Tom's voice carrying through the ship from the gundeck. Through all the activity, Maddy hurried to the armoury and began issuing swords and pistols to the men passing through, making sure each had enough shot and powder to make them last for more than one shot, and that the swords were clean and sharp. When the final man was armed, Maddy armed herself and made her way back to the deck and looked out at the group of islands they were making their way around.
'Have we spotted them yet Jack?' Maddy walked to the helm, where her husband was guiding the ship avoiding the rocky outcrops in the sea, close to the islands.
'Nah, not yet luv. We'll be goin' through a channel just up here, an' hopefully should come across them before they have chance to know what hit 'em.' Jack winked and smiled, his eyes shining with excitement.
'What if they've gone looking for us Jack?'
'We're not going up as far as I'd originally planned fer that reason alone, they're bound to have gone lookin' for us, so when we come out t'other side, they shouldn't be too far away.' Jack grinned impishly. 'What I don't want is fer them to be at t'end of the channel when we emerge.'
'If they are?' Maddy raised her eyebrows questioningly.
'If they are, we swing around as fast as we can and fire like hell.' Jack shrugged, hoping he sounded more confident than he felt.
Maddy looked sceptically at her husband, knowing only too well that was the worst thing that could happen. 'Where do you want me?' Maddy laughed at Jack's wicked grin, swiping his head with her hand.
'Hopefully we won't have ter board luv, but if we do, I want ya to stay on t'Pearl as long as ya can, savvy? I'm goin' ter be flying a red, so they'll fight as hard as they can fer their lives.' Jack took Maddy's hand and kissed it gently. 'But it won't come ter that, I'm sure of it,' he assured her, his dark eyes looking deep into Maddy's.
'Why flying a red?' Maddy stroked Jack's cheek and tugged his beard braids playfully.
'Cos Castigne doesn't take any prisoners himself, so we got to luv.'
'I hope whatever's on that island is worth all of this trouble Jack. Do you think its treasure?'
'Now that I don't know, I don't think it is, but I gotta find out, savvy?' Jack narrowed his eyes, as the opening for the channel appeared ahead of them. 'Bloody hell, it's smaller than I thought,' Jack swung the wheel around to port, taking the ship away from the islands. 'We're going ter need a wide sweep fer this.' He took the ship a fair distance from the islands, ordering those on watch to keep a sharp lookout for Castigne's ship, in case it had rounded the islands, then made for the channel, ignoring the worried looks some of the crew were giving him.
'Jack, it's a bit narrow isn't it?' Maddy voiced the worry that many of the men felt.
Jack narrowed his eyes and gave Maddy a sideways glance, raising his eyebrows slightly, so that only Maddy could see he agreed with her. 'No problem luv, I've steered through narrower than that.' Jack emptied his mind of all thought and concentrated solely on guiding his ship through the narrow passage.
Maddy joined the men at the bow watching out for rocks and other hazards, her heart in her mouth, her lips moving in silent prayer. The end of the channel appeared sooner than Maddy anticipated and she turned to look at Jack, whose face was taut with concentration. He nodded, acknowledging Maddy without looking at her, then he nodded at Eb who ordered the men to make ready for battle. Maddy resumed her watch for rocks, but actively scanned for any sign of Castigne's ship.
'Eb, haul out t'sweeps, we'll take this nice an' gentle.' Jack prayed there were no rocks hidden beneath the water, and he felt the ship lurch as she went from sail power to oar power and slowed considerably. Slowly but surely they edged to the end of the channel and the open sea, the masts and rigging crowded with men on the look-out for the other ship. Maddy held on to the rail as the rough water from the sea rushed into the passage, and buffeted the ship. She looked up at a cry from the rigging as someone spotted Castigne's ship, a distance away to the starboard.
'Eb, make sail.' Jack let out a long breath, glancing at Maddy in relief and smiling as she made her way to him.
'Now I know why they call you the best captain on the seas.' Maddy leaned to Jack and kissed his cheek before going to her battle station, her heart pounding in her ears.
Jack felt his ship respond as soon as the sails were unfurled, and under the twin powers of the sails and the sweeps, The Black Pearl was fast approaching Le Josephina, hugging close to the islands. Le Josephina turned into a flurry of activity as her crew hurried to make ready their guns and unfurl her sails, trying to make for the open water, but The Pearl cut across their bow and opened fire immediately, sending razor sharp splinters flying across the deck, killing a few men and injuring many more. The Pearl fired again, taking down the foremast, which crashed onto the deck, before sliding gracefully into the water. Castigne ordered his men to move the small cannons to the bow of the ship and return fire, while many of the shots finding their targets. Maddy gasped as two men near her fell, then she dropped to the deck and crawled to a gap in the ship's side, which made by a cannonball, and fired her pistol towards Le Josephina, reloading quickly and firing again. Jack took The Pearl past Le Josephina and turned to port, loosing all the port cannons into the port side of the French ship at once, causing mayhem. The blows from The Pearl shattered the main mast and fashioned holes the length and breadth of her sides, also sending both men and cannons plunging into the water. Jack ordered his men to ignore the French sailors in the water, many of whom where swimming for the nearby island, and told them to concentrate on the ship. He swore as a grape shot took down three of his men, then bellowed in anger and surprise as a cannonball smashed its way across the deck, glancing past the main mast, sending splinters flying, but not breaking it.
'Give them everything ya slackers,' he yelled, as he took The Pearl in as close as he dared. 'Loose the bleedin' cannons Tucker!'
Jack's crew responded immediately, volleying cannonballs, grape shot and pistol shots toward Le Josephina, whooping with delight as many of the French pirates fell. The Pearl rocked as a volley from the opposing ship hit home, blowing holes in her port side, disabling many of the cannons. Jack swung the ship once more, slower this time, as many of the sweepers were killed with the last attack. Eb's voice could be heard over the cacophony urging the gunners on the starboard side to load and fire quicker. Maddy fired her pistol once more, then fell back in agony as a shot spliced her arm.
'Madalene! Cotton, get her below.' Jack fought the urge to run to his wife's aid and forced his attention back to the battle. He watched as another round of cannon fire damaged Le Josephina further and she started listing in the water. 'Keep at 'em, we've almost got them, fire all!' Jack ordered his men on, eager to get the battle over with. He struggled with the wheel, as The Pearl lurched to and fro in the water with the vibration from her cannons.
'Cap'n, they're desertin' the ship.' Moyles grinned excitedly. Jack looked out and saw that the French crew were indeed deserting, swimming for the island. He wondered if Pierre Castigne was one of them, or whether he'd been killed in the battle. The gun fire from Le Josephina ceased as the gunners left their posts to join their crewmates in swimming for their lives. Jack ordered his men to carry on firing, until the opposing ship was fast disappearing beneath the waves.
'Cease fire, but stand your guard, they might yet try something stupid.' Jack kept a wary eye out for any signs of trouble, then steered his ship away from the scene and to safety, wondering what the damage was. But he had other things to attend to first. He yielded the helm to Moyles and went below.
'What's the damage?' Jack strode across the cabin to where his wife lay on the bunk. Cotton drew back the dressing covering Maddy's arm to show a shot wound that had gone right through her arm and out of her shoulder. 'You all right luv?' Jack stroked Maddy's damp hair, smiling as she managed a weak nod. He lifted Maddy gently off the bunk, while Mr. Cotton fastened a sling around her, taking care not to move her arm too much, but no matter how they tried Maddy still yelped in pain. Jack lay her back down, as softly as he could, and stayed with her until she fell into a restless, exhausted sleep.
**********
'Eb, damage report.' Jack's eyes roved the deck, inspecting the damage he could see.
'Well Cap'n, there's plenty o'damage to the port gundeck, an' we lost most o'the guns on that side too. The main mast should hold all right, but I'd rather it was repaired first.' Jack nodded his agreement. 'There's a great deal o'holes, the rail's broken in quite a few places, an' we lost 17 men.'
Jack winced, not realising the damage was so extensive. 'We'll make fer the island on t'map, and carry out the repairs there, savvy?'
'Aye Sir. How's Maddy?'
'She won't be using her arm fer a while, that's for sure. She'll be all right though mate.' Jack ran his hands through his hair, feeling drained. 'I hope whatever's on that island is damn worth this,' he thought to himself, wondering whether he should have listened to Maddy and Eb when they counselled caution. He took the helm back from Moyles, checked his compass and steered a course for the island, feeling glad it wasn't too far away.
******** Right settle down, it's time for your history and geography lesson! Caye Marquet is a large island near the tip of the Florida Keys and is surrounded by many smaller islands, ideal for stowing booty. The Oriflamme was a sacred banner used by the kinds of France in times of battle, before the French tricolour cam into being. I thought a pirate would be arrogant enough to use it as his banner.