Marathon Gold
By Chris James
Chapter Four
I could not have written about my feelings while in the midst of such great turmoil. I was too young, and only the effects of time and distance from these events have allowed me to speak so freely now. Life on the island was filled with chaos, day and night. Given a choice I would not choose to be a pirate, especially not one belonging to Caesar.
In time I discovered that pirates voted for their leaders, it seemed very strange to me. But Caesar was ruthless and no one dared oppose him. But some transgressed, and even a slight to his leadership was met with extreme force.
That first day didn't end with the coming darkness as the pile of goods had to be off the beach by morning. After our supper Caesar whipped the rest of his crew into a frenzy of activity and all was soon quite set to rights. The sheds were filled and Caesar lamented that fact, ordering two more to be built, and that meant immediately.
Men scavenged the beach in darkness, picking up timbers from the sunken merchant ship that washed ashore. The work went on for hours, but Tickle dragged me away into the night. We walked a path through the trees for what must have been a mile or two where we came upon a grove of larger trees.
"Gumbo Limbo the Haitians call them, biggest trees on the island. You afraid of heights?" Tickle asked.
I looked up in the darkness and tried to judge the height. If he was going up there then I would as well. At this point I could not be judged a coward.
"Not really, what's up there?" I asked.
"The crow's nest," He replied.
He led me to the base of a tree and placed my hands on the rope ladder affixed there. These were shrouds off a ship, the multi-rope ladders that were broad at the gunwales and narrow at the top where they tied off to the mast. I looked up and saw almost nothing, but I began my ascent.
This tree seemed the tallest in the grove, and I soon understood why. I reached a branch some thirty feet later and there was the beginning of another shroud. The night was dark except that starlight gleamed dimly to light our way. I had enjoyed the effect on the deck of a ship; it gave the masts a ghostly luminescence that was almost magical.
Here the stars allowed me to see the handholds in front of me but little else as I kept on going upwards. I reached a cross bar, not part of the tree but a piece of mast that had been lashed into the tree. And standing up through that was a mast with another shroud to climb. Tickle was right behind me and I knew he was judging my ability.
I knew we were high, but the darkness removed any sight I might have of the ground below, and that was probably a good thing. I climbed the final shroud and came to a solid wooden deck.
"Push up the trap door," Tickle said from below me.
This was the hard part. I had to take a hand off the ropes to do that and the shroud was continually moving beneath me.
"Push up," He yelled and I slammed my hand into the wood over my head and the trap flew open with a clatter. I heard a laugh. "You didn't have to do it that hard," Tickle said.
I stuck my head through the opening and pulled myself on up onto the wooden floor. The sky above was filled with stars and around me was a railing woven of ropes with poles every few feet. But what shocked me so much was the wide open view of the sea.
"I brung you up here at night so's you wouldn't be scared of the height. This is about how tall a mainmast is on a ship, some sixty feet off the ground," Tickle said. He sat down beside me on the flooring and pointed away into the distance. "Havana be that way, if you're wonderin'."
The mast stuck up above our heads and so I grasped it to stand. "I feel like a bird up here," I said.
"You will come mornin', some of them fly in here and join us."
The sea was a mass of darkness all the way to the horizon which appeared as a line where the stars began. To both the east and west I could see a different texture in the night; this was the island. To the north was more water, not too far distant either. This told me the island wasn't very wide, just long.
"You got the lay of it now?" Tickle asked and I nodded.
"What are you looking for?"
"Ships moving in the night," He replied.
Hanging on the center mast was a sack and from it he withdrew a long glass and a jar of water.
"I can see lights moving in the darkness, it gives us warning of anyone approaching. Some of the patrols sail down along the islands in this chain, but because of the reefs they anchor at night. Come morning they might sail our way but by then all fires are extinguished and the beach cleared of anything that might give us away."
"Do you stand day watch as well?" I asked, and suddenly realized how silly that question was.
"Of course, that's how we caught you," Tickle said. He smiled and gave me the nod. "It was my eyes that first beheld your ship and sent the Captain running to fetch you. I knew we'd grabbed ya when I saw the sails spill the wind and you stopped to help those poor shipwrecked sailors. Works all the time, Caesar been doing this for years."
"And he never gets caught?" I asked.
"There's a mean question, why would he want to do that? I hear he's got a price on his head. The Spanish would love to catch up to us, they sure would," Tickle laughed. "Now settle down a while, I have to be doin my job."
Tickle took up the spyglass and stood with his back to the mast, scanning the distant horizon in a slow and methodical fashion. The sea held no promise for me; I was trapped here with no way off this island. I looked to the east and saw nothing, it was too dark. I was now sure Tickle had brought me up here so that I could see the hopelessness of my cause and not try to run away.
It was not likely that I would be allowed up here in daylight, at least not anytime soon. Tickle was facing away from me so I leaned back against the mast and looked west. Tickle had said we were in a chain of islands, and I thought about that as I stared away into the gloom. My eye caught a glimmer almost on the horizon, a little flare that quickly disappeared.
If this was Caesar's island, were their other inhabitants further down the chain? I saw the glimmer again, but held my tongue. Tickle would never tell me the truth of it. To my mind that looked like a fire in the far distance, and that meant people.
We sat up there all night long, and I slept away most of those hours. The sun had baked the energy out of me the day before, but it was a fitful sleep. I awakened occasionally and saw Tickle staring out at the horizon. Finally the sky was beginning to lighten and I awoke to see him asleep on the floor. I sat up and immediately looked east towards the rising sun.
This island ended about a mile away because I could see the lines of surf colored by the dawn's light. Beyond that was a smudge that seemed to fill the horizon from east all the way north, a really big island I assumed.
"That's the mainland," Tickle said, startling me. "There's Indians there would skin you alive if they caught you, but first you'd have to make it through the swamps. You ever seen an alligator? All teeth with a mouth that can bite a man's leg off. There won't be any runnin away from here."
"I am not thinking of running," I said.
"Did you see that fire down west of here last night? I'm sure you did. Those are what's left of the Calusa Indians. Used to be a strong confederation of tribes all up and down the coast, the Spanish put an end to most of them. A few settled down through the islands to fish, they don't bother us. But you might get to see some of them, they come to trade, a real sorry lot."
Tickle opened the trap door and grinned. "I go first in case you slip. Just might be able to catch you. But a word of advice, don't look down. Watch your hands and feel the rope with your feet, you'll be on the ground in no time."
He sprang through the hole and began to make his way down the shroud. I grasped the rope and felt through the hole for a foothold. Then I started down slowly until Tickle yelled for me to shut the trap. I reached back up to grasp the pull on the trap and happened to look out at the horizon. There were sails in the distance.
A ship, I was thrilled. But I quickly pulled the trap closed and worked my way down out of the tree. Tickle was standing on the ground and smiled.
"See, wasn't so bad, was it?"
"Nice view, you stand watch all the time?" I asked.
"Every third day is my lot. Stick around a while, maybe Caesar will give you a task."
I followed Tickle down the path towards the village. We passed another man on the way to take his watch and Tickle stopped to speak with him. Caesar would never trust me with watch duty, I knew better than that. The sea was broad, and just seeing a sail meant nothing except to get me excited. I knew little about Tickle or how he had come to be here. Wasn't sure I wanted to ask either.
There were few up and about this early, but Tickle led me straight for the cook shack. Wills had a pot of gruel on the fire, oatmeal by the looks of it. Tickle wrinkled his nose at the meal and then smiled.
"I hate that mess, now you know why that sugar off your ship will come in handy. Might even kill the taste of that slop."
Wills growled at Tickle. "You be eatin' somewhere's else I suppose?"
"Not me," I said.
Wills grinned. "Smart lad, don't be listenin' to that scallywag. I added some sweet spices to the mix, it tastes right good today."
"Then I'll take my chances," Tickle said.
Wills swung his ladle at Tickle who ducked out of the way. "Eat before you run your mouth then. Damned ungrateful children will be the death of me," The man grumbled.
"You best not make him mad or you'll end up in the soup. We used to have a few dogs in camp but they disappeared," Tickle said.
"That warn't me," Wills yelled over his shoulder. He stumped back to the fire and ladled out two bowls of the oatmeal mush. Tickle immediately grabbed a handful of sugar out of a jar and dumped it on top, I decided to taste mine first. Wills had added cinnamon and clove to the oats, a little sugar brought out the flavors quite well.
As I sat eating Wills lay a mug of hot tea in front of me with a wink. Tickle eyed it and then shook his head.
"Damn, boy, he'll be feeding you breakfast in bed next," Tickle said. Wills had gone back to his fire and didn't hear that. Tickle leaned across the table and grinned. "I bet he'd like to get you in his bed."
I choked on my first sip of tea and Tickle laughed. I looked at Wills and then back at Tickle who nodded at me. Was his the voice of experience? I doubted that very much, the boy didn't look the type. I had heard the stories of what sailors did on long voyages, and here it seems Caesar had the only decent women around.
There were some native women in the camp, Mama Koobo being one of them. But even if Wills was funny like that I could always outrun him, I wasn't worried.
"Do you want to turn in or stay up yet a while?" Tickle asked. "Better to sleep away the afternoon heat like most of us do."
"What shall we have to do until then?" I asked.
We ended up on the gardening detail under the close supervision of Mama Koobo. Her garden was huge and filled with medicinal herbs and vegetables to augment the diet of the pirates. There was no doctor on the island or anywhere nearby, and that meant she was charged with the health of the men. I was handed a hoe and put to work tilling the soil which was nothing more than treated sand.
The island was overrun with chickens and pigs, animals that contributed the nutrients used to assure a better crop. Mama supervised the watering of her plants using an awful smelling mixture of manure and water. That last ingredient was one of the rare precious items on the island.
Beside each shed and building was a roll of canvas, former sails that had been pressed into duty as a way to catch rainfall. It was clever since each could be spread out to dump the accumulated moisture into a barrel lashed to the cloth. I had been there only one full day and yet saw no sign of rain on the horizon, the islands were terribly dry.
"You watch careful round de plants," Mama said. "You get the bellyache you be needin' Mama's special medicine."
"That's for sure," Tickle said. "You eat enough of Wills' food and you will get sick."
"What happened to his leg?" I asked.
"Cannon ball took it clean off. Caesar said he'd fix it right up and thrust a boarding axe into the galley fire. When that thing glowed red hot he jumped on Wills and held him down as he applied the axe to that wound. That was years ago but I was told you could hear Wills screaming all the way to Jamaica. The crew knows know Caesar saved the man's life, they respect him for that."
Tickle looked around the garden but no one was near. "Caesar is a monster, a stone cold killer. He killed my brother," He said.
"Oh, that's terrible," I said.
"You get a chance look at the back of Caesar's right shoulder, that's the scar where I buried my knife. My brother shot at Caesar and missed, he would have been better off with a knife and I told him that. But that's the past."
"Why didn't he kill you?" I asked. "He ordered the whole crew of the Mystic Lady killed after they surrendered."
"Caesar honors courage, it's some kinda spiritual thing for him. I fought him and didn't win, but he admired my courage, at least that's what he said before he clapped me in irons. Mama understands that Haitian religion, devil worship if you ask me."
"I attacked Caesar when he struck my mother, he laughed at me."
Tickle nodded. "Well look at you, a brave one, eh? Boy, you got a lot to learn about fighting. You got lucky with Caesar. I've seen him crush a man's throat with his bare hand. He's stabbed, slashed, shot, burned and hanged dozens of men. You bein a young fat boy he musta taken pity on you."
I should have been angry, but Tickle was only telling the truth. I wore the words young and fat quite well, but that would all change someday. I worked up a sweat that morning and refused all but water. I had enough extra fat to work off, and from that day forward I swore it would soon be gone.
Mama sent us packing as the heat built up and we sought shelter under the trees. I had not thought to find a sleeping place as last night I was sixty feet in the air. Tickle led me to a small shed behind Caesar's house and scrounged in the piles of canvas and cord the building contained. He pulled something out and handed it to me.
"It's a hammock, ever sleep in one?" Tickle asked. "No, imagine you haven't bein a big city boy and all that. This is what real sailors sleep in onboard ship. We sleep outside unless it rains, some don't even mind that. You can take space in a hut I suppose, but then Wills might corner you and have his way."
I grabbed the hammock from his hands and turned to walk away, that's when I saw my mother. She was outside of Caesar's shack and heading for the cook shed. Tickle tried to pull me away but I rebuffed him and ran after her.
"Mother... Mother," I called.
She was being escorted by a man I recognized as the mute I'd first seen on the beach. The man drew his sword and pointed it at me.
"He's my son," She said to him. "Can't I even talk to him?"
The man shook his head and drew his hand across his throat. I was furious and threw the hammock on the ground. I shook my fist at him.
"One of these days I'll have a pistol and shoot a hole between your eyes, you dumb bastard."
He lunged at me with his sword and I sidestepped, thinking I was pretty clever. The man dropped his sword and I thought my move had caused that until I saw Tickle's knife sticking out of his arm. Tickle kicked the man's legs out from under him and pulled out his knife.
"You watch yourself, Gunny. This boy has my protection."
I turned to my mother and saw the tears in her eyes. "Are you treated well?" She asked.
I nodded. "And you?"
"I'll survive, but you be careful."
I gave her a hug and whispered. "I'll get us out of here, I swear I will."
"Not now, dear. I told you, just do what they say and we'll live. I have to go, we'll talk again."
She kissed my forehead and hurried off to the cook shed. Gunny picked himself up off the ground and limped along behind her, clutching his arm. I turned to Tickle and watched him wipe his knife off on his pants before sliding it into the sheath he wore in the small of his back.
"Why did you do that?" I asked.
Tickle looked surprised, and then laughed. "I suppose you were going to thrash him with your fists and take away his sword."
"If I'd had a sword he wouldn't be standing."
"Oh, you have skill with a blade?"
I nodded. "I've studied fencing."
"Fencing? Look, boy, all that fancy sword work won't mean a damn thing when you come up against a cutlass in the hands of a skilled man. Gunny would have sliced you to pieces if I hadn't stopped him."
"I will shoot him just like I promised, that day will come," I said.
Every afternoon Tickle and I spread our hammocks between the trees on the north side of the village. The breeze was strongest here and we could sleep in relative comfort. With ugly men like Gunny around I stayed beside Tickle at every opportunity. We had the watch every third day, worked in the garden and slept, it became the pattern of my life all through that first summer.
I would see my mother on occasion, usually escorted by Caesar or Gunny. Every time I saw the latter I would hold up my hand, point my finger and pretend to pull the trigger on my imaginary pistol. Gunny got the message, but all he did was scowl back at me. I could see my mother getting fatter as I was headed in the opposite direction. It took me three months to lose the fat I had carried most of my life.
I told no one when my birthday came. I had no idea of the exact date, I just knew it had come and gone. My clothes were now as ragged as the others, and fit poorly because of the physical changes. My pants were too short and I had to use a length of cord to tie them up. By now I was going barefoot like most of the others.
Tickle sought to test my skills with a blade and borrowed two fancy swords from Caesar's armory. I was not allowed in the building, but I stood in the door and gaped at the stacks of cutlasses, boarding axes and pistols. The swords Tickle chose were rapiers, weapons confiscated from prizes they had captured.
"You look a right gentleman with that in your hand, are you planning to kill me with it?" Tickle asked.
I laughed. "I never kill friends, its bad form."
I had attended a school for young gentlemen in Boston. As part of the curriculum of study we were required to take fencing, a gentleman's sport. Despite the gross nature of my childish body I had become adept at using a sword from the time I was eight, and then I went to sea with my father.
There was little for me to do onboard except read my lessons and take further instruction from my father's first officer who was quite the swordsman. Those sparring sessions had taught me the finesse and balance my otherwise pudgy body could handle. When my grandfather in Cuba had witnessed my ability he assigned a local teacher to further my knowledge.
But now I was slightly older, taller and certainly thinner. The months of work on the island had built my endurance. It would remain to be seen if I could adapt my new found strength to the lessons I had once learned.
Tickle was hardly a good opponent for someone with the skills of a swordsman. He could bash and slash with a cutlass like most of the others, but his knife work was unequaled. I hesitated to tell him that a sword was not a long knife, and worried that I might hurt his pride if I did.
We should have retired to a deserted clearing far removed from the camp, but Tickle chose to get right at it on the edge of the village where all could see. Some of the men ceased to work when they saw me, a captive, with a sword in my hand.
"Here's as good as anyplace," Tickle said, and face me with his sword raised.
I assumed the defensive position and awaited whatever brilliant attack he might make. He slashed and I parried, nearly knocking the sword from his hand. I had not intended the blow to be so severe, but my arms were much stronger now.
"Ahh, you do know how to fight," Tickle said. "No stabbing and we quit when one if us draws blood." With that he charged me with gusto.
I backed up, parried his thrusts and dodged his slashing moves. He was more dangerous because of his lack of knowledge than a fencing master. But I could not allow him to back me up for long as that would only embolden him and might get me hurt. He came at me and I stepped up the attack. The clash of arms had attracted quite a crowd which I ignored.
My efforts required focus, especially if I was to keep from hurting Tickle. Round and round we paced, my sword pulling back from every opportunity he gave me to thrust and score a kill. The blades were good, Toledo steel captured from the Spanish. But I was afraid to tire and stumble, or worse, I might seriously hurt Tickle. He moved in and I swatted away his sword, sliding mine down to his guard where I withdrew it quickly, thus cutting his wrist and drawing blood.
I stepped back several paces and bowed to him, to my mind the fight was over.
"Oh, you're not getting off that easy," Tickle said.
"I drew blood, you said it stops here," I said.
"No, it don't," Tickle said, and he lunged. I parried his blow and we both jumped at the sound of a pistol's discharge. Tickle lowered his sword and I did as well, turning around to see Caesar standing on the sidelines. I dropped my sword in the sand and faced him unarmed. The expression on his face was unreadable, but he had more than one pistol in his belt.
"My, my, my," Caesar said. "You fight with skill, and yet you do not kill."
"I'm sorry, Captain," I said. "This was only meant to be practice."
"You not be needing practice, but he does," Caesar said, teasing Tickle and causing the men to smile. "Is this how you would fight?"
Tickle shook his head, raised his sword and that deadly knife appeared in his left hand.
"The Captain knows we fight at close quarters, there is only one way for that to end," Tickle said.
Caesar turned to me with a smile. "How many you kill with a sword? Not a one be my guess. Would you fight Caesar if I said you go on try kill me?"
I shook my head. "No." And then I smiled. "I am not ready to do that... yet."
Caesar roared with laughter as did his men, but I could see the curiosity in his eyes. He knew I would like to try and kill him for all he had done to me and my mother. But I would not, could not, if she was to be protected. He stepped forward and I almost cringed, but he laid a hand on my head and the crowd became silent.
"I respect courage I see in your eyes, but do not fool youself, I would crush you." He leaned over and picked up the sword, holding it out to me. "This boy game is good for you, make you strong."
I took the sword and braced myself, for I could see the madness return to his eyes. He slapped me across the face so hard I fell to the sand. And then he pointed a finger at me.
"You life is mine, never forget." And with that he turned and walked back towards his shack. Tickle had stood there the whole time and watched Caesar, but now as the crowd broke up he collected the swords and headed for the armory.
I could not forget where I was and who was running this insane island. My mother was right; he could kill us at his whim. At least I could avoid him most of the time, she had no option but to live with him and... I didn't want to think about it.
I knew better than to dwell on what was happening to her, I could do nothing about it except get us both killed. I had remorse for my inability to do something, but then time was my greatest friend in that aspect. Like Ancient Rome, this domain of Caesar's was in a fixed spot with the world revolving around it. Sooner or later the world would intrude upon this place and I had to be ready. I just hoped it was a large man-of-war with a company of marines coming ashore. That was my dream.
Late summer and the world did come to find us, but only in the form of stormy weather. We had such rain that the barrels all filled in little over an hour's time. The wind howled in the eves of the hut where Tickle and I sought refuge and I was sure the storm's fury would kill us all. But the men gathered inside played games and seemed excited, I was sure this was just another form of pirate madness.
The wind had been steady from the south for almost two days and then it seemed to calm a bit. Caesar ordered the watch back into the crow's nest and the rest of us were ordered to prepare the boats. One look at the sea told me only a madman would venture forth in such heavy surf.
"What is he thinking?" I asked Tickle.
"Salvage, that's what he has in mind. A storm like this pushes ships north right into our arms. You didn't think it was by chance that Caesar chose this place as his base, did you? The reefs stretch far south from here and many a large ship has gone aground in finer seas than this. Best to be prepared is what Caesar thinks."
The lookout in the crow's nest sent word, a ship was foundering on the reef, south by southwest, not ten miles away. Eight boats were made ready and the men armed themselves in preparation to board and take possession of whatever they could find. Tickle placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Stay and help Mama Koobo prepare for our return," He said.
"Help her, but why?" I asked.
"There will be a fight and that means there will be wounded for her to attend. No man gives up his ship without a fight."
We had, but then Terrill had been tricked. I saw the value in that, no fight meant fewer injuries, at least for the pirates. I understood Caesar's methods by now, there would be no prisoners.
"I'll go help her," I said. I almost told Tickle to be careful, but I didn't. We had become friends, but he was still a pirate and my enemy. If my mother and I were ever to escape Tickle would be one of those who stood in my way.
The boats were run down the beach and into the rolling surf. With skill and daring Caesar and his crew breached the waves and began to row towards the distant reef. I could not see their objective from here so I turned into the trees and ran.
By now the path to the crow's nest was familiar, but I had no idea who might be on watch this morning. The rain had stopped as I reached the base of the tree and threw myself into the shrouds. All fear of the height had left me; the climb was fast and sure. But I called out as I reached the upper level to alert whoever might be up there.
"Ahoy, the watch," I yelled as I reached the trapdoor. It swung open to reveal the last person I wanted to see, Gunny.
He grinned down at me and offered his hand, pulling me up onto the deck. I have no idea why he offered that help except he seemed excited. I stood beside him and he pointed away to the reef. Even without the aid of a spyglass I could see the ship trapped in the sharp coral. He handed me the glass and I snapped it to my eye and looked.
A two masted brig came into focus, but both masts were down, fallen across the deck in a disarray of sails and rigging. The ship leaned heavily to port which told me her cargo must have shifted in the hold due to the storm. I could see her boats smashed in the davits; the crew had no chance of escape. And when I lowered the glass a bit I could see Caesar's crew fast approaching.
I handed the glass back to Gunny who quickly snapped it back to his eye. It was then I realized this was not the same glass Tickle and I had been using. Turning to the bag hanging on the mast I found that one and snapped it out full length. This was a more powerful device and the image jumped at me.
I could see crew members on the deck armed with muskets. What fools, Caesar would kill them all. I could see shots being fired but could hear nothing. There were two swivel cannon on the stern deck and they were being loaded. Caesar's boats split up, one group to the bow the other to the stern.
It was a study in tactics, and Caesar had the advantage. The muskets on deck fired and the boats returned fire, I could see the puffs of smoke but not the effect. The swivel guns were useless as I am sure Caesar determined, and now the boats moved under the shelter of the ship's hull.
I could not determine who was in which boat at this distance, except for Caesar. He stood up in a boat and fired his pistol at the crew on deck. Any of the ship's crew foolish enough to lean over the side and shoot down at the boats was immediately met with a hail of pistol shots, I could see several of them fall into the water.
Ropes were thrown and the pirates swarmed up them and onto the deck where a pitched battle quickly ensued. Gunny was humming something, happy to be watching his mates in action. The flash of cutlasses in the morning light soon ceased, Caesar had taken the ship. Bodies began to be tossed overboard, and again from this distance it was hard to tell if they were alive or dead. I knew that didn't matter to Caesar.
Gunny soon went back to scanning the horizon, watching for any other ships which might interfere with Caesar's operation. I had seen enough, for soon they would be picking through the holds and loading the boats for a return to the beach.
I put the glass back in the bag and opened the trapdoor. Just as I reached for the shroud Gunny laid a hand on my shoulder. I looked up into his cheerful face and he pointed his finger at me, cocked his thumb and made to shoot at me. I nodded, we were still not friends.
Mama Koobo was tearing sheets into bandages, a chore she soon turned over to me when I arrived.
"They bad men soon come to Mama for fixin'," She said. "Some die, some live... all same."
"Will there be captives do you think?" I asked.
"Sometime, Caesar like de women. He take boys like you, make them pirates."
"I will not be a pirate. Nothing will force me to be like him," I said.
"We see. Sometimes the gold she makes a man crazy, do bad things. You be here long enough, we see."
She was grinding herbs in a bowl and the smell was powerful strong. I knew nothing about medicines, but I had seen a gunshot wound before and knew a man was lucky to survive such a thing.
The first of the boats returned, and brought three of Caesar's men who had been wounded. I helped one of them limp up the beach and over to Mama's hut. She laid him down on a blanket and began to cut away the leg of his pants. I turned away and went back to the beach.
The surf was still pretty rough, but the boats began to come ashore laden with goods. Tickle was on the third boat and greeted me with a grin.
"A Dutch ship filled with goods from across the ocean. They were headed for Havana," Tickle said. I helped them unload the boat, carrying the crates and sacks up the beach above the tide line. "Did you see any of it?" He asked.
"I did, Gunny let me up into the crow's nest."
"Ahh, he ain't such a bad sort, just not right in his head. The Spanish cut out his tongue and tortured him years ago, cut off the sack between his legs as well. Sometimes Caesar lets him have a Spaniard; you don't want to see what Gunny does to them."
I probably didn't. We finished unloading the boat and Tickle joined the crew on a return visit to the ship. Caesar's boat slid up onto the beach and two large dogs jumped out. He laughed as they ran into the woods and reached down to hand out something else.
There were three children and a woman Caesar had taken captive, along with four slaves in chains who were now to be freed. The men were dark, true Africans by the look of them. Caesar assigned one of his crew to lead them and then hesitated.
"Boy, come here," Caesar said.
No one used my Christian name, not even Tickle. I had become used to being called boy. I ran to him and awaited the commands.
"Take men to Mama, get Wills take chains away. Feed and water, you in charge," Caesar said.
I raised my knuckles to my brow in a semblance of a salute like the members of his crew performed. Caesar smiled at the gesture and turned back to the boat.
"Come," I said to the men, realizing they wouldn't understand a word I might say. I gestured and they followed, their eyes roving the beach and the village as we approached Mama's shack.
"Mama," I called. "Caesar wants you to look them over. Can you speak their language?"
She looked at the men and tried a few words, then a few more. One of the men perked up and babbled at her until she smiled.
"He Niger man, we can talk some," She said.
"Caesar said to get Wills to take off their chains and feed them. Do they know they are free now?" I asked.
She said a few more words to the man and he babbled with excitement. Then they all fell to their knees and bowed to her. Mama laughed. "They knows now," She said.
I led the men over to the cook shed where Wills was dropping ingredients in his daily stew. There was an old anvil in the corner and one by one he struck off the chains with a large hammer. The Niger man came to me and made as if he was going to bow and I shook my head. I motioned for him to stand up straight and grasped his hand in a civilized manner.
"Welcome to hell," I said, and Wills broke up laughing.
"You bout got that right," Wills said, and then he set about feeding them.
I walked back to the beach and Caesar was gone. The woman and children stood uncertain and shaking with fear amidst the pile of booty brought from the ship. They had to be Dutch, and for that reason I knew this was all terribly confusing. She was pretty, and they were all blonde much like me. She would soon join my mother in Caesar's harem. I had no idea what he would do with the children.
Two boys and a small girl. I judged the boys to be about eight to ten years of age, the girl around six. My blonde hair seemed to attract interest, and yet I am sure they thought me a pirate.
"Hello," I said in English and got no response. "Bonjour," I said in French and the woman nodded. We could communicate in French, a language I had studied back in my other life.
"What will happen to us?" She asked me.
"I am a prisoner too," I said right off. "You will join my mother so serve Caesar. Do your children speak French?"
"Yes, the boys do a little," She said.
"Then I will leave my mother to explain your duties," I said.
I could not leave the children standing in the hot sun nor did I want to say aloud the fate this woman soon faced. I led them into the village and over to the cook shed. Wills eyed our approach and shook his head.
"What do think this is, a bloody hostel?" He laughed.
"I'm sure the children are at least thirsty," I said. "We should not be unkind."
"Where's Caesar, he don't like his women out and about amongst the men," Wills said.
"He's back out at the ship. Give her food and drink then I'll escort her over to his shack."
"Aye, a right gentleman you are."
Wills gave them each bowls of leftover morning mush and a tankard of tea. I watched them gobble down the food, but when they were done I told the children to remain seated and motioned for the woman to follow me. The little girl wailed with grief at the sight of her mother leaving so I demurred.
"Take the girl with you then, the boys are not allowed," I said.
They followed me over to Caesar's shack where I knocked upon the door. The response was slow, but finally his servant opened the door. She looked at me and shook her head.
"Tell my mother I'm here, please." She looked doubtful but then closed the door. The next time it opened it was my mother. I sighed and motioned at the woman and her little girl.
"Caesar left them standing on the beach, will you watch over them until he returns?" I asked.
"I suppose, does she speak English?"
"They're Dutch but speak some French. Are you well?" I asked.
"As well as I can be. I have watched you grow stronger, it gives me hope that you may have the chance to leave here."
"Not without you. I cannot stay, I have duties," I said.
She nodded and pulled the woman and child inside. I could certainly not leave the boys with Wills, even if I didn't know what motivated the man I also didn't know what Caesar had in mind for them. We walked back to the beach and I had them each pick up a sack and we all began to carry things up the beach to the new storehouses.
Boats came and went. The boys and I helped to unload them. No one said a thing so it seems I must be doing what was expected of me. Caesar returned and began to unload his own boat. I knew he was watching me and the boys, but he and two of his crew struggled to carry a chest up the beach. Finally he motioned me over.
"Where woman I bring back?"
"I took the woman and the little girl to your shack, turned them over to my mother," I said.
He nodded, and then smiled. "What you think in chest?"
I looked at it and shook my head. "I have no idea, it's not my business."
Caesar reached over and opened the lid for a moment, just to give me a brief glimpse. The chest was filled with gold coins and I gasped. He smiled and held a finger to his lips.
"No tell, our secret," Caesar said. He looked at the boys carrying bags up the beach. "You do right thing, make work. Soon we make you pirate." He laughed at that and then the three men struggled to carry the chest up the beach.
I had fallen into the trap; I was cooperating with Caesar's wishes. He might think what he wished, but Michael Burns would never become a pirate. I would bide my time and await an opportunity to escape. But with every captive Caesar took it became harder.
My mother would not want to leave anyone behind to face Caesar's wrath if we escaped. Two little boys would be of no help with my plans, if I had a plan, which I didn't. I had better resign myself to the wait. Something would happen to assist me in my thoughts, but it would take time.
We were past due of the time we were supposed to arrive in Boston and I knew my father would be out searching for us. His ship frequented the Caribbean trade, but unlike many others they carried cannon to defend the cargo and crew. He might search, but nothing would point the way to this island, nothing at all.
Until then I would do as I was told just like my mother said. It was galling to work like one of Caesar's crew, but it made me worthy in his eyes, and that was all that mattered. Caesar knew I could use a sword, but he had little knowledge of my other talents. Given the chance I would steal a boat and head north, I certainly knew how to sail.
I knew little about the coast of the mainland except that there was supposed to be a Spanish settlement up there. I had no chart of the waters and so it would be a risk in a small boat. But if they came after me I was sure I could hide in the marsh and scrub just as they did now. It was all conjecture and that didn't leave me in the least bit confident.
If I was to captain a small craft, the life of my mother would be in my hands, along with any others we chose to accompany us. I could see no other means of escape, we would have to sail. What we needed was an event, a diversion so large that Caesar would not know we were gone until it was too late. Until then I would have to begin my preparations in secret, at least it would give me something to do.
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