"When shall we leave to find Jim Harris then, sir?" asked Captain Balfour
"Within the hour!" replied Colonel Bennett determinately as he looked at his pocket watch.
The pirate crew aboard the Lady Jane was feeling very optimistic. They had found the map; they had taken the map, and they had escaped the shore patrol in Calcutta. Now it was just open sea and treasure hunting. Perhaps the men thought of the possibility of being followed, but they didn't seem concerned. Perhaps they felt they had an advantage on the sea. Perhaps they figured on their good luck holding out until they could lay their hands on the treasure. Whatever their reason for ignoring the threat of being followed, the crew was boisterously happy below deck that evening.
Caterwauling songs echoed up from the noisy crowd. Several sailors banged on their tin plates for more food, while others serenaded the group with chorus after chorus of "Roll, me bully-boys, roll." The air was dense with the smell of cooking salt pork, spilled ale, and sweaty sailors. The men joked and laughed and sang in a random patter that seemed to wash back and forth like the waves of a stormy sea. To an outsider, this scene might be somewhat distasteful, but to the hyper pirates, they wouldn't have traded it for the wealth of kings.
In the captain's quarters, Jim, Artemus, Laramie, and the first mate, were carefully studying the treasure map, and charts of the area. This room was quite an contrast with the galley, for everyone was quiet and thoughtful.
"Cap'n, Ay jest dona see any place on these charrts what matches thet map." said the mate in a heavy Scottish accent.
"The latitude and longitude just don't make sense. That treasure map will have us in the middle of the Indian Ocean without any food or fresh water." Laramie chimed.
"Yer right, me boys," answered Captain Jim, "One-Eye had a code fer this map, an' unless we figure it out, we'll never fin' thet treasure."
To be continued...
"Within the hour!" replied Colonel Bennett determinately as he looked at his pocket watch.
The pirate crew aboard the Lady Jane was feeling very optimistic. They had found the map; they had taken the map, and they had escaped the shore patrol in Calcutta. Now it was just open sea and treasure hunting. Perhaps the men thought of the possibility of being followed, but they didn't seem concerned. Perhaps they felt they had an advantage on the sea. Perhaps they figured on their good luck holding out until they could lay their hands on the treasure. Whatever their reason for ignoring the threat of being followed, the crew was boisterously happy below deck that evening.
Caterwauling songs echoed up from the noisy crowd. Several sailors banged on their tin plates for more food, while others serenaded the group with chorus after chorus of "Roll, me bully-boys, roll." The air was dense with the smell of cooking salt pork, spilled ale, and sweaty sailors. The men joked and laughed and sang in a random patter that seemed to wash back and forth like the waves of a stormy sea. To an outsider, this scene might be somewhat distasteful, but to the hyper pirates, they wouldn't have traded it for the wealth of kings.
In the captain's quarters, Jim, Artemus, Laramie, and the first mate, were carefully studying the treasure map, and charts of the area. This room was quite an contrast with the galley, for everyone was quiet and thoughtful.
"Cap'n, Ay jest dona see any place on these charrts what matches thet map." said the mate in a heavy Scottish accent.
"The latitude and longitude just don't make sense. That treasure map will have us in the middle of the Indian Ocean without any food or fresh water." Laramie chimed.
"Yer right, me boys," answered Captain Jim, "One-Eye had a code fer this map, an' unless we figure it out, we'll never fin' thet treasure."
To be continued...
No comments:
Post a Comment