Well, hello to all the readers who actually came this far into the story! I'm so pleased on how well this story is turning out! This chapter will be one of the more humorous chapters so enjoy it while it lasts! Well, I better get started! This is cp4ever signing off.
Chapter 6: A riddle, a fiddle and Howdy's new clothes
Gleamjaw stood on the deck of the slowly sailing ship, watching the waves roll swiftly along the water's top and smashing before ever reaching the beach. Gleamjaw's head was swimming with thought. He thought of Cappy, now being chased by Gleamjaw himself without even knowing it. He thought about Boss, whom he thought was dead. He thought about how Boss didn't even seem to know who he was. It must be the dirt. Gleamjawthought, remembering Boss's look when he had told him and Cappy to run. He thought about the locket, now dangling from Cappy's neck. Would Boss even recognize it? Deep in thought, he was abruptly disturbed by the shouts of his fellow pirates.
"Captain Hambone, the enemy is within reach!" shouted Crossbones.
"Good." Replied Hambone. "Prepare to fight!"
Gleamjaw looked over the side of the boat. A small yellow raft carrying two passengers was drifting in the waves ahead.
"Oh no!" Gleamjaw said to himself. He grabbed a scrap of parchment and scribbled furiously, staining hid paws with ink. He stuffed the paper into a small bottle and threw it over the edge. It was caught in a current and floated back towards Pirate Island. "I can only hope that the note reaches good paws." Gleamjaw sighed, watching the bottle going…going…gone.
Many yawns were made by the ham-hams waking up on the shore of the island.
"Morning all." Said Maxwell, trying to brighten this otherwise gloomy situation.
"Morning Max." Sandy responded.
"Has anyone seen Howdy this morning?" asked Pashmina. "I have to beat him to a pulp for what he did to Penelope."
"You know, I don't see Howdy anywhere." Said Hamtaro. He was quite right; Howdy was nowhere to be found.
"Well, I guess we're just going to have to wait and- Howdy!" Oxnard noticed his comedian friend walking towards them from the center of the island.
"What are you wearing?" asked Bijou, pinching her nose.
"Oh this?" Howdy chuckled a bit. "I got it at a clothing shop in town!" he pointed along a row of palm trees where there was a small hole in the rock wall. "Yep, just go through there and you'll find the town!"
"Please change put of zat 'orrible outfit!" cried Bijou. Howdy did look quite ridiculous. He wore a pair of shiny black boots along with a pair of fishnet stockings. Bundled around his torso was a large orange kimono. Howdy paid no attention to this heat from Bijou and merely skipped about merrily, playing a new fiddle that he apparently also got at a pirate shop.
"Hey Maxwell, what are you like, doing? Sandy asked, running over to Maxwell who was sitting by the water's edge.
"Oh, I just saw this floating in the water and I thought I should pick it up for research purposes." Maxwell responded, holding up a light green tinted bottle.
"Hey! There's like, a note inside!" Sandy exclaimed, snatching the bottle from Maxwell and reaching in for the note. She unfolded it and scanned over the writing.
"What does it say?" asked Hamtaro. Him and the others had formed a small ring around Sandy.
"I like, don't understand." Said Sandy. "This doesn't make sense." She read aloud.
Take the first and lastOf each line you pass
Go meet there at eight
On the day of Agate
"Got any ideas Maxwell?" asked Dexter.
"Not a clue." Maxwell took the note and leaned against a tree, deep in thought.
"Hey! We missed something." Exclaimed Pashmina, unfolding another scrap of parchment. "It's a map!"
Maxwell stepped over to see the map. "This appears to be a map of Pirate Island. Everything is named after famous Pirates."
"Hmm," said Hamtaro, looking at the riddle. "What's the day of Agate?"
"According to my book," said Maxwell, opening his large blue dictionary. "It's a day named after Cornelius Agate, the pirate who founded this island. Oh no!"
"What, Max?" asked Sandy.
"The day of Agate is tomorrow! We've got to solve this puzzle soon!" Maxwell snatched up the papers and sat down in a serious thinking position. Howdy began playing his fiddle again.
"Boss! Wake up!" Boss awoke to Cappy's startled yells.
"What's the matter?"
"The pirates!" Cappy pointed to a huge advancing ship.
"Paddle!" Boss yelled, tossing Cappy an old wooden oar. The two began stroking, not daring to look back. As Boss paddled furiously, the corner of his eye caught a gleam of gold around Cappy's neck.
"What's wrong Boss?" Cappy asked at Boss's bewildered expression.
"Nothing." Boss responded, snapping out of his trance. "Just keep rowing!"
Suddenly the two felt a huge current pulling them in the opposite direction. A powerful current was pulling them back towards the island.
"We're caught in a current!" Cappy yelled.
"Ha ha!" yelled Boss triumphantly. "A current leading away from the pirates!" They rode the current until the pirates were out of sight and they were able to stop at the island.
"Phew!" said Cappy. "We made-" Cappy stopped quickly, noticing something on the island.
"Cappy, what's wrong?" said Boss, taking a look on the island. It was then that he noticed what Cappy was staring at.
"Ham-hams?"
I know, short chapter! The next one shall be very long, I think. The next chapter has some tragedy and adventure so be sure to keep reading Arrgh!