CHAPTER THREE - THE PIRATE AND THE OLD MAN
CHAPTER FOUR - THE GHOST OF THE PAST
CHAPTER SIX - RACE
Mr. Hagney nudged Kevin, "Time to rise up, lad."
Kevin, who had been resting, with his eyes swollen shut from the tears, slowly got to his feet. The light from the Sun filled the morning sky.
"Come on Kevin, to the galley to fix the oatmeal."
Kevin followed Mr. Hagney into the galley, and was amazed to see a brick oven onboard ship.
"Now, Kevin, fire is the greatest danger onboard a ship. Before I light the fire you need to fill those two buckets with water. Now go on lad."
Kevin felt better having a task in front of him to keep himself busy. He and Mr. Hagney prepared the breakfast for the crew, oatmeal and biscuits. Mr. Hagney gave Kevin the honor of ringing the ship's bell calling the crew to the meal.
"Mr. Hagney." called Captain Lewis. "You will do our young cabinboy the service of showing him all the ropes and all the sails. You will instruct him on all the basic commands of the ship. And I will hold you personally accountable for his education at sea."
"Aye, Aye Captain".
And with that Mr. Hagney commenced Kevin's training in the ways of the ship. He was a hard task master. The day was spent memorizing all the sails, all the lines, and all the commands. Kevin climbed up and then back down the rigging, each time becoming slightly more sure footed. After supper, Kevin fell into a deep sleep, too tired to dwell on the parting.
Captain Lewis kept the midnight watch, constantly looking in a small black book where he kept all the records of the tides. He anxiously watched the eastern sky, waiting for the first signs of the coming dawn. When the morning star first came into sight, Captain Lewis purposefully made his way to the ship's bell. He rang the bell with such force that the silence of the night was pierced startling the crew from their slumber.
"All hands on deck!" the Captain cried out.
"Prepare to make way! Raise the gangplank! Cast the mooring lines! Raise the jib and hold her against the wind!" the Captain cried.
With each command, each sailor knew his duty and quickly carried out the task at hand, the ship and the crew were one. With the jib, held against the wind by two struggling sailors, the prow of the Concord slowly turned away from the dock and away form Bath Town.
"Raise the foresails! Raise the mainsail! Raise the topsail! Raise the aft sail!"
And with that the Concord quickly made her way east towards the open waters of the Sound and onward to Roanoke Island. Kevin and Mr. Hagney together raised the aft sail. Mr. Hagney told Kevin to stay by his side at all times, to watch, to listen and to learn. Kevin could not believe the speed with which the Concord was sailing. The southern wind filled the Concord's sails causing her to heel to the leeward. The sound of the bow slicing through the water filled Kevin's ears. His heart rejoiced, he was going to sea. The Sun began to rise and the wind began to pick up racing the Concord even faster towards the east. Mr. Hagney and Kevin went to the bow of the ship to watch as the Concord cut her way through the water.
Captain Lewis, pulled out his charts and began plotting the ship's course. Kate had been watching Kevin and Mr. Hagney when she noticed her husband plotting the course.
"To be sure, Aaron - Kevin will need to be knowing what you are up to."
Captain Lewis smiled, it was a pleasant request, and yet in Kate's way, her request had the tone of a command.
"Mr. Hagney, will you and young master Kevin join me for a moment."
Kevin raced towards the Captain with Mr. Hagney in tow.
"Come over here and look at this chart. We are here, east of Bath Town on the Pamlico River, and we are heading towards the north end of Roanoke Island, which is here. The Pamlico River opens up into the Pamlico Sound. We shall continue our heading to the east until we reach deep into the Sound. Once we get into the Pamlico Sound, we shall change our course and head due north towards Roanoke Island. To the west of the Pamlico Sound lie the Outer Banks, which are very dangerous to all ships because of the shifting shoals of sand, these are to be avoided. Do you understand?"
Kevin nodded, not really understanding, but nodding anyway.
Mr. Hagney nudged Kevin and whispered, "Remember the formalities."
To which Kevin quickly replied, "Yes Captain, I understand."
Both Mr. Hagney and Captain Lewis smiled. The Captain continued.
"Now Kevin, look here on the chart at Roanoke Island. To the north is the Albemarle Sound, which is wide and deep. To the west is the Croatan Sound, which is deep but nowhere near as wide. And to the east is the Roanoke Sound, which is narrow and shallow at low tide, with the Outer Banks here on its western shores. The only time the Roanoke Sound is ever passable is at high tide, and then it becomes more like a river that would take us directly into port. It is dangerous to sail through the Roanoke Sound except with the rising of the high tide."
"We shall set our course through the Croatan Sound and into the Albemarle Sound, past the north side of the island and then tack our way against the wind into port. Do you see that Kevin?"
"Aye, aye Captain." Kevin quickly replied, keeping to the formalities, so as too avoid the swift and certain nudge from Mr. Hagney.
"Kevin, you may rejoin the crew."
With that Kevin and Mr. Hagney returned to the bow of the ship to watch the Concord speed through the waves. The Concord sped towards the east with the Pamlico River slowly widening up as it emptied into the Sound. The Sun had risen high in the mid morning sky when a cry came from the crow's nest.
"Sail Ho!"
Captain Lewis grabbed his spyglass and sought along the horizon for the sails. He knew the ship immediately, the Summerfield. She was south of the Concord, but already on a straight northern course with the wind behind her. She was riding high and moving fast through the Pamlico Sound onward to Roanoke Island. The fact that she was riding high and moving fast meant that she had little cargo on board and what she had would be of poor quality. If the Summerfield made it to market first, she would set the market and set it high for her cargo.
The Captain of the Summerfield would convince the buyers that the crop was poor throughout the colony and they had better buy his now or risk getting none. The risk for Captain Lewis and the entire crew of the Concord was that the buyers would spend most of their silver on poor quality tobacco. The Concord's cargo hold was packed full of high with the best tobacco.
Captain Lewis needed to get to port at least an hour before the Summerfield. He could then begin to unload his cargo for the buyers to see. He would wait for the Summerfield to unload her cargo before beginning to sell. The Summerfield would be lucky to sell any of her cargo, and the crew of the Concord would receive a years wages for their trouble. Financial ruin or financial success all depended on whether the Concord could get to port first. He studied his charts, the best he could hope was to change course slightly to the north and cut off the Summerfield.
"Helmsman, five degrees to port, if you please." Captain Lewis commanded.
"Aye, aye Captain, five degrees to port." came the reply.
The two ships sped onward deep into the Sound. The Summerfield heading straight north with the wind behind her and making faster time. The Concord was headed on a northwest course, but being heavily laden, not making near as good time. Captain Lewis began to worry and fret. His thoughts were interrupted from another cry from the crow's nest.
"Sail Ho!"
The lookout spied the sails of the Skye. A much larger and faster ship than either the Summerfield or the Concord. She was sailing fast and riding high, directly behind the Summerfield. The financial stakes for the Concord and her crew had just doubled.
The Concord stayed her course to the northeast, even as the Summerfield crossed her bow. Captain Lewis had to wait, a little longer to fall in behind the Summerfield. All the while he kept watching to the south as the fast moving Skye closed in on both ships. Finally, the Concord had reached far enough into the Sound to change tack and head to the north.
"Helmsman, fifteen degrees to port."
"Aye, aye Captain, fifteen degrees to port."
With that the Concord, pulled in directly behind the Summerfield, 500 yards a stern, on a direct northern course. Meanwhile, the Skye had gained on both ships and was a mere 200 yards behind the Concord and closing fast. In another three hours, the ships would enter the Croatan Sound on the western side of Roanoke Island. Captain Lewis began to despair, the Concord, being heavily laden with cargo, was moving too slowly.
The Skye and the Summerfield would be in port before nightfall, while the Concord would be lucky to make port by the dawn. There would only be one way to get to port before the other ships, he would have to risk the passage through the Roanoke Sound. He looked at the Sun and it was only mid day. The Skye could never risk the passage through the Roanoke Sound, she was too large with a deep draft. The Summerfield, however was another matter, at high tide with little cargo she could easily pass through, if need be. Captain Lewis pondered the notion of how to convince the captain of the Summerfield there would be no need to risk passage through the Roanoke Sound?
Captain Lewis took his spyglass and studied the entrance of the Roanoke Sound, large waves could been seen smashing on the shoals. So long as the breaker waves were present, the passage through the Roanoke Sound would be blocked. He looked into his black book marking the tides. He stared again at the Sun, at least another four hours. If he could slow down just enough, the Summerfield would commit to sailing through the Croatan Sound.
If the Concord could safely pass into the Roanoke Sound with the rising tide and with the swiftness of the tide, she would beat both the Summerfield and the Skye to port. It was a risk, for even at high tide, the shifting sands of the Roanoke could cause the Concord to run aground.
"Mr. Hagney, a moment if you please."
"Yes, Captain."
"Mr. Hagney, loose the lines on the jib and the mainsail."
"Captain, the wind is not as strong as it was this morning, if I do that, to be sure the sails will luff and we shall slow down." Mr. Hagney replied.
"Mr. Hagney, do as I say."
Mr. Hagney obeyed his captain, but did so very reluctantly. What was his captain up to, what was he scheming. No sailor would ever loosen the lines in a light wind. With each drop in the wind, the sails flapped releasing what little wind had filled them. The Concord slowed, the Summerfield got farther ahead and the Skye drew closer.
Within the hour the The Skye had caught up to the Concord and began to overtake her on the starboard side. The crew of the Skye lined the rails and began shouting insults at the crew of the Concord.
Captain Lewis, with Kate by his side, had taken the wheel of the Concord. Mr. Hagney and Kevin stood along the rail when a final insult was hurled at Mr. Hagney himself.
"Ahoy, Hagney! If your lucky I will save you some of the rum, but to be sure, I will not save you any of the women!"
Without thinking and forgetting the formalities, Mr. Hagney shouted: "I was unaware your mother was in Roanoke! You dirty stinkin' son of a whore!"
"Mister Hagney, the formalities if you please." Kate crossly reprimanded.
"Begging your pardon, Mistress Kathleen." Mr. Hagney sheepishly retorted but he was not sorry for having said it.
The Captain of the Skye joined in with a final parting shot as the Skye pulled away from the Concord.
"Aaron, it looks as you shall be last to port. I told you it was bad luck having a woman onboard!"
Without thinking and forgetting herself, Kate shouted back: "Go to hell, you dirty stinkin son of a whore."
She continued shouting a barrage of insults in her own Irish that only Mr. Hagney could understand. Laughing and grinning from ear to ear, Mr. Hagney finally interrupted her.
"Mistress Kathleen, the formalities if you please, those words are not worthy of a fine young lady such as yourself."
Turning to Aaron, she pleaded;"Is there nothing we can do?"
Captain Lewis smiled and winked, "No worries my dear we have already won this race."