CHAPTER TEN
MORE PIRATES
Two days into their voyage, the crews of the Black Pearl and the El Tigre Fiero sighted a ship behind them, gaining quickly.
"Commodore, I believe it is a English ship. Perhaps a merchant ship." Nicholas told Jack after studying it for a few hours through a telescope. "The burgee's unclear to me, but the build is definitely English."
"Where away is she lad?" Jack asked. Nicholas pointed to the east and Jack studied it for a moment before lowering his telescope. "Pirates." he whispered.
"Pirates?" Nicholas said. "You must be joking."
"No. I recognize that ship, the Navigator, English pirates, sail out of an African port I believe." Jack said.
"I thought we were the last pirates in the Spanish Main." Nicholas said.
"Aye. They don't normally sail these waters." Nicholas and Jack began discussing how to handle the situation, there was no doubt in their mind that the pirates behind them were going to try to attack once they had raised the Jolly Roger, a declaration of war.
"They're crazy! We have two ships to their one." Samantha said, joining in.
"Aye, I wonder what they're thinking." Bootstrap Bill added.
"Heave to and ready the guns." Jack said.
"It's not a fair fight. We'll thrash them. They're lunatics." Nicholas said.
"They brought it upon themselves." Jack said. "They want a fight, we'll give them a fight."
On the El Tigre Fiero, Ana Maria had done exactly the same, they lowered the anchor and brought out the guns as the Navigator closed in, nearer and nearer.
"Samantha, go below deck, where you'll be safe." Nicholas said.
" But, I want to help." she protested.
"You'll help by being out of the way." he told her. "Now, go!" she reluctantly shuffled down the stairs to the cabins. Nicholas turned away and loaded his musket and pistol.
Once The Navigator was in range, they fired the guns on them. The other pirates fought tooth and nail, and got close enough to board the Black Pearl, forcing the crew to draw their swords and cutlasses on them. Nicholas was attacked and dragged to the ground by a man twice his size, the man raised his sword and brought it down into Nicholas' arm, missing his chest at the last moment. Nicholas rolled out from under him, clutching his arm in pain. The man raised his pistol and a gunshot rang out; the man fell to the ground. Nicholas turned to see Samantha standing above him with a musket, smoke billowed out of the barrel and she looked down at him in shock at what she'd just done. Nicholas grasped his arm and sat up. Samantha reached out to help him up and pulled him to his feet. He brushed himself off with his good arm.
"Thank you." Nicholas said. Samantha nodded and ripped a strip of cloth from her skirt. "What are you doing?" Nicholas asked. Samantha took his arm and pulled his sleeve back.
"Hold still a moment, will you?" she said. She proceeded to tie the cloth strip around Nicholas' wound, she pulled it tight and he gasped in pain. "Sorry." Samantha apologized.
"No...it's fine..." he said. "I just...I mean, I...Thank you." Nicholas sputtered. He grabbed his musket from the deck and turned away from Samantha as fast as he could. Samantha shook her head at him and reloaded her musket, firing it at a short man boarding the ship, he fell into the water with a loud splash. Nicholas watched as the other ship raised a white flag of surrender and the men aboard the Pearl dropped their weapons in defeat. Commodore Jack Sparrow held up his sword in victory and the rest of the crew exploded into cheers, not one of their men (or two women) had been lost.