arched his
arched his back over the rail behind him.
Abruptly, the mob of pirates parted. A tall man with sandy hair walked out of the midst of them in a scarlet coat, scarlet breeches and a large hat with a red feather. He wore an enormous gold chain and jeweled cross around his neck.
âWhat in the blazes is all this racket? Not a single one of ye to meet me. Whatâs going on?â bellowed the captain. Then he spotted the two men with their swords and eyes entwined, and shouted, âThereâs no fighting on my ship. Iâll not allow it. Itâs to be settled on shore.â He marched towards them. âYou there, back off,â he ordered Carlisle.
Carlisle glanced at him, but didnât move.
âSeaman, I ordered ye to back off,â the captain commanded again.
âYouâre not my captain,â Carlisle said.
The scarlet captain turned the same shade as his clothes in righteous indignation. âBut itâs my ship!â
Carlisle considered for a moment then disengaged his sword from Fowlerâs with a shove, almost knocking the fat pirate overboard. As Carlisle turned to face the captain, a brief gust of wind ruffled his once clean white shirt, now stained with dirty hand prints and speckled with Fowlerâs blood.
The captain snarled, âI donât usually repeat myself. Yer lucky I donât run ye through.â Then he barked out, âMurdoch.â
âAye captain?â
âWho is this man?â
âHeâs a prisoner that was found in a rowboat at sea. He looks a bit pasty, but heâs plenty brave and fast. Heâd make a first rate pirate.â
Carlisle spoke up. âLet the lasses go and Iâll join you.â
âLasses?â The captain sputtered.
A man with an eyepatch clamped down on Sheilaâs wrist. âHere,â he yelled. âItâs Fowlerâs doing.â Sheila sunk her teeth into his filthy mitt and the pirate howled. When he reached for her with his other hand, she ran across the deck and stood behind Carlisle.
âFemales?â the captain spat out. âAboard The Royal Fortune? Whereâs Fowler? Iâll kill him.â
But Fowler wasnât anywhere.
âDonât worry. Iâll 画像シェア find him,â said Murdoch, making his way through the men.
âShip ahoy,â called the lookout in the crowâs nest. A seaman handed the captain a spyglass and said, âSheâs French.â
âNay,â said the solemn voice of another. âItâs a trick. Thatâs The Swallow, Iâd recognize her anywhere. Sheâs British. I served on her and hoped never to see the likes oâ her again.â
âBritish? Is it so, lad? Are ye sure?â 車 査定 asked the captain, alarmed.
âAye, sir. That I am.â
The captain looked on the crew with disgust. âNone oâ ye are fit to fight; half oâ ye are drunk or hung over. Yeâre a pitiful lot.â In a tone of resignation he said, âWe shall make for the coast straight away.â He fingered the gold cross at his neck and stared sullenly at the approaching ship. âA cowardâs way; I would rather fight.â
âYou wonât win,â said May.
A man beside her hissed, âShut up, you little wench.â
âNay, nay,â said the captain. âLet her speak. The lass says we should run.â He turned to his crew, âWhat do ye think? Should we run like women? What say ye?â
The mob of men howled their dissent.
âJust so,â said the captain. âMethinks she has made our decision for us then. We will stay and fight like men.â
The crew cheered.
The captain pointed at Carlisle. âYou there. Get yer females off my ship. I donât want âem aboard when I go into battle, nor have their blood on me hands, neither. Nothing but bad luck from it. Besides, it looks to me like yeâve earned it.â
Carlisle grinned. âYes, sir.â
To the pirates, the captain yelled, âRelease the prisoners and let them take the craft they came in. We must prepare ourselves for battle.â
The captain began barking out orders, and the crew sprang to life. A dozen men drew up the enormous
Abruptly, the mob of pirates parted. A tall man with sandy hair walked out of the midst of them in a scarlet coat, scarlet breeches and a large hat with a red feather. He wore an enormous gold chain and jeweled cross around his neck.
âWhat in the blazes is all this racket? Not a single one of ye to meet me. Whatâs going on?â bellowed the captain. Then he spotted the two men with their swords and eyes entwined, and shouted, âThereâs no fighting on my ship. Iâll not allow it. Itâs to be settled on shore.â He marched towards them. âYou there, back off,â he ordered Carlisle.
Carlisle glanced at him, but didnât move.
âSeaman, I ordered ye to back off,â the captain commanded again.
âYouâre not my captain,â Carlisle said.
The scarlet captain turned the same shade as his clothes in righteous indignation. âBut itâs my ship!â
Carlisle considered for a moment then disengaged his sword from Fowlerâs with a shove, almost knocking the fat pirate overboard. As Carlisle turned to face the captain, a brief gust of wind ruffled his once clean white shirt, now stained with dirty hand prints and speckled with Fowlerâs blood.
The captain snarled, âI donât usually repeat myself. Yer lucky I donât run ye through.â Then he barked out, âMurdoch.â
âAye captain?â
âWho is this man?â
âHeâs a prisoner that was found in a rowboat at sea. He looks a bit pasty, but heâs plenty brave and fast. Heâd make a first rate pirate.â
Carlisle spoke up. âLet the lasses go and Iâll join you.â
âLasses?â The captain sputtered.
A man with an eyepatch clamped down on Sheilaâs wrist. âHere,â he yelled. âItâs Fowlerâs doing.â Sheila sunk her teeth into his filthy mitt and the pirate howled. When he reached for her with his other hand, she ran across the deck and stood behind Carlisle.
âFemales?â the captain spat out. âAboard The Royal Fortune? Whereâs Fowler? Iâll kill him.â
But Fowler wasnât anywhere.
âDonât worry. Iâll 画像シェア find him,â said Murdoch, making his way through the men.
âShip ahoy,â called the lookout in the crowâs nest. A seaman handed the captain a spyglass and said, âSheâs French.â
âNay,â said the solemn voice of another. âItâs a trick. Thatâs The Swallow, Iâd recognize her anywhere. Sheâs British. I served on her and hoped never to see the likes oâ her again.â
âBritish? Is it so, lad? Are ye sure?â 車 査定 asked the captain, alarmed.
âAye, sir. That I am.â
The captain looked on the crew with disgust. âNone oâ ye are fit to fight; half oâ ye are drunk or hung over. Yeâre a pitiful lot.â In a tone of resignation he said, âWe shall make for the coast straight away.â He fingered the gold cross at his neck and stared sullenly at the approaching ship. âA cowardâs way; I would rather fight.â
âYou wonât win,â said May.
A man beside her hissed, âShut up, you little wench.â
âNay, nay,â said the captain. âLet her speak. The lass says we should run.â He turned to his crew, âWhat do ye think? Should we run like women? What say ye?â
The mob of men howled their dissent.
âJust so,â said the captain. âMethinks she has made our decision for us then. We will stay and fight like men.â
The crew cheered.
The captain pointed at Carlisle. âYou there. Get yer females off my ship. I donât want âem aboard when I go into battle, nor have their blood on me hands, neither. Nothing but bad luck from it. Besides, it looks to me like yeâve earned it.â
Carlisle grinned. âYes, sir.â
To the pirates, the captain yelled, âRelease the prisoners and let them take the craft they came in. We must prepare ourselves for battle.â
The captain began barking out orders, and the crew sprang to life. A dozen men drew up the enormous