skills
sooner than expected by the looks they received. When they were
alone, he would mention to William to keep his knife handy at all
times. He may need it to defend his life.
They came to the galley, where a man who was
as wide as he was tall was known as Beans. They were quickly
introduced which ended by Beans tossing them a sack each. Supplies
or rations, Jessop thought, but before they could open the bags to
see what had been given to them they were off walking once again.
They passed through a corridor or two and entered a large work room
of sorts with tools hanging everywhere from beams above. A very
tall lanky man was hunched over a workbench tinkering with
something they could not see from their vantage.
Harry announced, “Woody, these men have been
recruited by the captain from the royal navy ship. They be claim’n
to know a thing or two bout carpentry and metalwork.”
“Do they, now?” the thin man retorted in a
rogue Scottish drawl. “We’ll be seeing aboot that, won’t we,
lads.”
Jessop nodded and made a quick glance
towards William who looked terrified by the towering red-headed man
with an enormous ruddy-gray mustache that almost hid his entire
mouth. What worried William so was the very large chisel the man
held in his fist like a dagger ready to be thrown their way.
“Me name’s George McDonnel. Most call me
Woody as Blewdy Harry duz for me trade. You kin call me McDonnel
til’n we get better acquainted. What do yous two go by?”
Jessop said, “I’m Jesse Andrews, but you can
call me Jess if you like. This is my mate, William Rees.”
“Sir,” replied William.
“Jess and William, aye. Seems the captain’s
takin’ a shinin’ to yous. I’m guess’n near on four years, since
he’s done such a thing, wouldn’t ya say, Blewdy Harry?”
“Aye. That’s about right,” answered
Cash.
“Lucky lads yous is. Lucky indeed,” McDonnel
said.
“I best be showin’ them their quarters,”
Cash said.
“Aye. Be seein’ yous both on the morrow,
lads.”
“Thank you, sir,” Jessop said and William
mumbled the same.
Chapter
Seven
Again they followed Bloody Harry through the
narrow halls of the ship’s middle until they came to a room full of
hanging hammocks. They zigzagged through the maze of empty and
manned burlap beds until they arrived in a far corner where there
was one empty and a grumpy looking pirate in the hammock next to
it.
Harry said, “Horace, time to move yer
carcass.”
“Why? This ’ere’s my swing.”
“No longer. ’Tis Mr. Rees’s now. Knowin’
y’all, these here lads need to be stick’n together for protection,”
Harry responded to Horace’s disgruntled whine with a stern eye.
Horace removed himself from the hammock, gathering a few items then
made his way to a hammock near the far wall next to a snoring man,
smacking him on the forehead as he passed saying, “Shut it,
Jack!”
William turned with a jerk to Jessop with a
look of terror at Harry’s comment. Jessop only raised an eyebrow to
William in response.
“I’ll be taking leave of ya now. Best be
getting some shut eye,” Harry said to William and Jessop.
All those awake in the dark stuffy room had
their eyes on the intruders and it made the act of getting
comfortable and sleeping almost impossible. Despite the exhaustion,
Jessop and William felt from the day of battle and the unsettling
state of their lives at the moment, they lay wide awake well into
the night jumping at any stir of inhabitants around them.
The seas too seemed to feel their discontent
and answered them with the oncoming of a storm. The frigate was
tossed between swells as if volleying between two angry teams, each
trying to show they were the most powerful making the ship their
punching bag. Nary a soul onboard wasn’t feeling the stirrings of
nausea in the pit of their bellies—even the well-seasoned old salts
passed on eating the next morn.
Aching and worn out from the sleepless
night, William and Jessop
sooner than expected by the looks they received. When they were
alone, he would mention to William to keep his knife handy at all
times. He may need it to defend his life.
They came to the galley, where a man who was
as wide as he was tall was known as Beans. They were quickly
introduced which ended by Beans tossing them a sack each. Supplies
or rations, Jessop thought, but before they could open the bags to
see what had been given to them they were off walking once again.
They passed through a corridor or two and entered a large work room
of sorts with tools hanging everywhere from beams above. A very
tall lanky man was hunched over a workbench tinkering with
something they could not see from their vantage.
Harry announced, “Woody, these men have been
recruited by the captain from the royal navy ship. They be claim’n
to know a thing or two bout carpentry and metalwork.”
“Do they, now?” the thin man retorted in a
rogue Scottish drawl. “We’ll be seeing aboot that, won’t we,
lads.”
Jessop nodded and made a quick glance
towards William who looked terrified by the towering red-headed man
with an enormous ruddy-gray mustache that almost hid his entire
mouth. What worried William so was the very large chisel the man
held in his fist like a dagger ready to be thrown their way.
“Me name’s George McDonnel. Most call me
Woody as Blewdy Harry duz for me trade. You kin call me McDonnel
til’n we get better acquainted. What do yous two go by?”
Jessop said, “I’m Jesse Andrews, but you can
call me Jess if you like. This is my mate, William Rees.”
“Sir,” replied William.
“Jess and William, aye. Seems the captain’s
takin’ a shinin’ to yous. I’m guess’n near on four years, since
he’s done such a thing, wouldn’t ya say, Blewdy Harry?”
“Aye. That’s about right,” answered
Cash.
“Lucky lads yous is. Lucky indeed,” McDonnel
said.
“I best be showin’ them their quarters,”
Cash said.
“Aye. Be seein’ yous both on the morrow,
lads.”
“Thank you, sir,” Jessop said and William
mumbled the same.
Chapter
Seven
Again they followed Bloody Harry through the
narrow halls of the ship’s middle until they came to a room full of
hanging hammocks. They zigzagged through the maze of empty and
manned burlap beds until they arrived in a far corner where there
was one empty and a grumpy looking pirate in the hammock next to
it.
Harry said, “Horace, time to move yer
carcass.”
“Why? This ’ere’s my swing.”
“No longer. ’Tis Mr. Rees’s now. Knowin’
y’all, these here lads need to be stick’n together for protection,”
Harry responded to Horace’s disgruntled whine with a stern eye.
Horace removed himself from the hammock, gathering a few items then
made his way to a hammock near the far wall next to a snoring man,
smacking him on the forehead as he passed saying, “Shut it,
Jack!”
William turned with a jerk to Jessop with a
look of terror at Harry’s comment. Jessop only raised an eyebrow to
William in response.
“I’ll be taking leave of ya now. Best be
getting some shut eye,” Harry said to William and Jessop.
All those awake in the dark stuffy room had
their eyes on the intruders and it made the act of getting
comfortable and sleeping almost impossible. Despite the exhaustion,
Jessop and William felt from the day of battle and the unsettling
state of their lives at the moment, they lay wide awake well into
the night jumping at any stir of inhabitants around them.
The seas too seemed to feel their discontent
and answered them with the oncoming of a storm. The frigate was
tossed between swells as if volleying between two angry teams, each
trying to show they were the most powerful making the ship their
punching bag. Nary a soul onboard wasn’t feeling the stirrings of
nausea in the pit of their bellies—even the well-seasoned old salts
passed on eating the next morn.
Aching and worn out from the sleepless
night, William and Jessop
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