Baxley, I don't know where your writings are. Could you give a link or something?

A Pirate's Legacy

The inlet curved in like a crab's claw, and the unusual geography held Stephen's interest. Volcanic rock, of course, but the sheer exterior cliffs puzzled him. Had a volcanic explosion destroyed most of a larger island?

They took up anchorage in the deep interior of the island out of sight of the open sea. The northern and western shores consisted of broad, sandy white beaches that gave way to flat grassy areas and patches of dark jungle. The eastern shore was sharp, rocky, and full of caverns hewn by water: not the sea but fresh water tumbling down in three waterfalls from the cliffs high above. As the western shore curved southward, it too featured huge rocks and numerous caverns.

The crew were unaware of their reason for their journey, and there was no possibility of any other ship entering the inlet. Jack wisely had the watches set so that the men had plenty of liberty and very few had to remain with the ship. Cheerfully, all hands set about their work, fastening down the lines and sails and setting up their camp onshore well up from the sand beach and in the grassy area with a few banana and coconut trees between sand and jungle. Hats, coats and waistcoats were set aside in the heat, but no one minded on this sweet island paradise.

Days before, Rose had told them that the site where her father's papers were stored was a long way uphill and would have to be left till the next day. Therefore, the men had some leisure once the camp was set. Some enjoyed splashing the pools of fresh water underneath the waterfall. "There are some wild goats," Stephen overheard Rose told Jack in response to his inquiry about what kind of food could be found on the island. In confusion and uncertainty, the men had given her a wide berth since she had guided the ship. "Roots and berries, and fresh water, as you can see."

The glorious passions of the day had robbed her of sorrow and uncertainty. She laughed and talked easily with the others, though Mr. Allen said nothing and just seemed to watch her with a frown. It was something that Stephen could understand: he despised her for having been a pirate for however short a time; yet he admired the skill and nerve she had shown in the dangerous sailing over the reef.

There was an unsubtle shift with the others as well. Mowett had been polite and reserved with her since they had sailed from Kingston; Howard had been friendly but a little uncertain as to how to speak to her. Only Pullings remained unchanged, although Stephen seemed to think he was more fond of the lady. This night, they sat together for a meal ashore and Mowett seemed to have decided to esteem the lady for his friend's sake. Howard, too, relaxed in the orbit of her easy brilliance, and the two men chatted and competed with the other to make cleverer, wittier comments. As well as he knew Jack, Stephen realized that he was of two minds about the woman: although he would never approve of her appallingly unladylike qualities, he would also admire something of them as well.

In fact, he did feel a bit of pity for Allen who seemed exceptionally uncomfortable in the merry group. Pullings addressed him twice very kindly, but the response had been less than enthusiastic. Rose glanced at him from time to time, but what she was thinking was not at all apparent, though Stephen imagined she was not happy being estranged from her dear friend.

Very late in the evening, Stephen walked down along the shoreline which had gone down dramatically since their arrival at high tide. There were some interesting types of creatures there, and he crouched down to get a better look at a carnivorous sea-star digesting a mussel when a movement caught his eye. Turning his head, he was just in time to see a familiar silhouette and knew that Tom risked everyone discovering that he was spending the night with his lady.

After they had breakfasted, Jack was impatient for the day's work to be underway. "Before anything else can be done, there is something I must show you." Dressed again in loose trousers and a man's shirt, Rose wore what was a necessary uniform for her on the island: long skirts would have made movement very difficult for her.

"Show me?" he repeated.

"You and perhaps the doctor. And Mr. Pullings must come." She exhaled a long sigh. "He still intends to marry me after all that he knows, and I want nothing to be secret from him. It is only fair."

With a nod, he agreed. "I have no objection to make. Only, what is it that you intend to show us?"

She considered her answer for a moment. "It is too strange to speak of unless it can be seen. Indulge me this, Jack. You'll see presently what I mean."

Shortly thereafter, she lead the three men down southward along the western shore until the sandy beach gave way to sharp boulders and the caverns and grottos carved by sea and weather. Some little pools of water remained among the rocks, and they splashed through them on the way past. Rose paused a few times as she tried to remember the way among the labyrinthine caverns and grottos. Inside she finally lead them, and their footsteps echoed. The weather and water had worn holes above and sunlight filtered in.

There, outside a narrow inner passage sat two skeletons with rusted cutlasses resting across their bony knees. Rose, who was several paces ahead of the others, crouched down before the pair and gazed at them: first one and then the other. "Do you know who they were?" Stephen asked.

She turned to look at him with a frown and nodded a little before drawing in a deep breath and entering the passage. The men followed and discovered that it opened into a large, airy cave lit by sunlight streaming in through two large holes above. The floor was sandy, and up on a natural rocky shelf were iron-bound chests overflowing with coins, stacked towers of gold bars, and oilskin sacks of gems. Four additional skeletons lay guarding their loot, their eternal grins and the sabers in clutched in their fingers giving them a frightening, menacing air.

"By all that's holy!" swore Stephen, and his voice echoed strangely.

"Careful. This place is full of dark spirits," said Rose.

"My God," said Tom staring at the macabre sight. "How came these poor men to be here?"

"My father set them here to guard his legacy," she answered. "For this he intended to be my inheritance though I told him I would have none of it."

"They were certainly not alive when he set them here," remarked Stephen as he crouched down to study the unnatural way the bones were lying.

"No, he arranged the bodies and called upon the dark spirits to curse any who interfered here but the rightful heir: thus, I have come at last to claim it, but not for myself. I give it freely to you all, the men of the Surprise, who have kept me alive thus far."

A little smile spread across Jack's face, for he admittedly loved money and rarely had enough. Then he cleared his throat. "I'm sure there is some legal difficulties in such circumstances."

"For certain; yet you have no sea-lawyers aboard. Well, it's yours now, all of yours. Do with it what you think best." She stepped over one of the skeletons and stood close enough to touch the amassed riches though she did not. "No evil spirits will interfere."

"Are you certain you want to give it all away?" asked Stephen.

"Sir," said Tom at the same time. "When the men get wind of this, there's going to be a riot."

"Well, we'll set down a strict warning before we start moving it about losing grog rations and doling out lashes." Jack turned to the lady and studied her to assess her mood. "Nothing for you, then? Not even one jewel to remember your father?"

"I have memories and nightmares enough of this period in my life," she replied bitterly. "Any matter, I have the birdhouse, which is from a time when he was still…" She trailed off. "It is enough to say that it holds lovely and sad memories, and it is all I need to remember how I loved him and my mother."