CHAPTER THREE - THE PIRATE AND THE OLD MAN
CHAPTER FOUR - THE GHOST OF THE PAST
CHAPTER EIGHT - A PIRATE ONCE AGAIN
CHAPTER NINE - THE QUEEN'S BUSINESS
CHAPTER 10 - HUE AND CRY!
Captain Lewis and Lord Pembroke stood alone on the deck, keeping the watch while the crew had bedded down for the night. They passed the time reminiscing past glories on the Sea, while occasionally discussing future fortunes to be made from the Letter of Marque. At the toll of midnight Lord Pembroke insisted that Captain Lewis take his leave and get some rest for tomorrow the Concord would set sail for Norfolk.
Lord Pembroke stood the night watch, staring at the bright stars in the night sky. Occasionally his comtemplations were interrupted by the loud sounds of drunken laughter coming from the town. As the night wore on, the watch tower tolled two bells. And with that, a final loud cheer arose from the town. Then all was quiet, as a stream of darkened figures began to stagger towards the docks, towards the Summerset and the Skye. Lord Pembroke thought himself lucky to once again be far away from the life of the Royal Court in London, to be once again upon a grand adventure.
The sight of drunken sailors returning to their ships along the dock brought him an odd sense of freedom, freedom from decorum and freedom from all the formalities.
While he pondered, his new sense of freedom and of his new found adventure, the quiet of the night was shattered.
"HUE AND CRY! MURDER!" came the the repeated shouts from the Skye.
Then came the cry dreaded by all sailors.
"PIRATES! PIRATES!"
Lord Pembroke ran to the ship's bell and began to ring it with all his might while shouting out:
"All Hands on Deck! All Hands on Deck! To Arms! To Arms! Pirates! Pirates!"
The crew of the Concord sprang to life from thier drunken slumber. Kate heard the cry of "To Arms" and grabbing her set of keys ran to the arsenal to unlock the muskets and cutlasses. Mr. Hagney had beaten her to the arsenal and by his side stood Kevin, bleary eyed and bewildered.
With perfect precision, Kate unlocked the arsenal and handed a musket along with shot and powder to Mr. Hagney. The crew had lined up in perfect order awaiting their arms, as soon as Mr. Hagney handed off one musket a sailor raced on deck with another immediately taking his place in the line. As soon as one sailor took possesion of his musket he raced above deck, and another sailor stood eagerly awaiting his weaponry.
When all the muskets had been handed out the sailors were armed with a cutlass. When the crew had been fully armed, Mr. Hagney raced to the deck.
Kate grabbed a belt with two loaded flintlock pistols and a small rapier that she girded about her waist. In her haste she almost knocked over Kevin who had been standing out of the way.
"Kevin, my dear, follow me!" she drew her sword with one hand and grabbed Kevin with her other hand, and the two of them together scrambled on deck.
The crew of the Concord stood in a grim array along the railing of the deck. Lord Pembroke stood with sword in hand at the head of the gangplank with Mr. Hagney by his side.
Kevin took in the sight with awe and wonder, thinking to himself that just three days earlier he had been a simple farmer's son, and now he stood at the ready for battle aboard the Concord.
The sounds of the night began to quiet, with only the bell and the shouts from the Skye raising the hue and cry being heard.
At last, Lord Pembroke surveyed the crew, and turning to Aaron said with a smile:
"Not bad for merchantmen but you will have to do a little better on the Essex. Take the roll, and make sure no one is missing."
Aaron immediately took the roll and as Mr. Hagney had noted earlier, all of the crew of the Concord were present and accounted for, on deck and ready for battle.
"All present and accounted for Lord Pembroke." reported Aaron.
"Excellent, there being a lack of the sounds of battle, I fear that this is but a bit of mischief and not a pirate attack. Nonetheless, Aaron, keep the crew at the ready while Mr. Hagney and I investigate what has happened aboard the Skye this night."
With that Lord Pembroke and Mr. Hagney went down the gangplank onto the docks headed towards the Skye.
Lord Pembroke along with Mr. Hagney boarded the Skye which was still in complete disorder. A frantic sailor was still ringing the ships bell and giving the hue and cry. Several members of the crew were huddled about on deck trying to awaken a seemingly lifeless sailor.
While several others were milling about outside the officers' quarters. No one was standing the watch and no one was gurding the gangplank. Worse yet, none of the sailors were armed for an attack by pirates.
Complete disorder reigned upon the deck of the Skye, and Lord Pembroke had had enough of the chaos.
"Silence, cease that incesscent ringing immediately!" and by his Lordship's command the bell fell silent and the entire crew turned towards Lord Pembroke.
Pointing at the largest man standing by the seemingly lifeless sailor the nobleman bellowed.
"You there, where are your officers!"
"The Captain was attacked and he is in his quarters lying down. The Master of the Ship is dead sir. Murdered sir." Then pointing towards the sailor on the deck he continued, "And this poor man, who was on watch, he was beaten senseless. As to our young Ensign, Mr. Cooper, I believe he is with the Captain."
Lord Pembroke had heard enough.
"Where is your First Mate?"
One of the men who had been kneeling by the unresponsive sailor looked up, and seeing the stature and contennance of Lord Pembroke, immediately rose to his feet.
"Mr. Williams, at your service sir."
"Mr. Williams, place a watch on the gangplank, and no one comes aboard or leaves the ship without my say so! Is that understood!"
"Aye, aye sir!"
"You!" pointing to the the largest man, "go into town and fetch the magistrate."
"Aye aye sir!"
Then looking at the lifeless sailor on the deck, Lord Pembroke strolled to a near by bucket of water and tossed the water over the sailors head, who sprang awake from his drunken stupor.
"See Mr. Hagney, it appears that miracles do happen, for the watchman arises like Lazarus from the dead. Now follow me to the Captain's Quarters."
The crew of the Skye parted before Lord Pembroke who along with Mr. Hagney entered the Captain's quarters. He looked about the room for a brief moment. The Captain lay on his bed groaning and mumbling, while being attended to by a young man, Ensign Cooper. Behind the table sitting upright in a chair, he saw the dead Master of the Ship, Malcolm Campbell, covered in blood about his neck, with a knife sticking in his heart, along with the note the had a single word written upon it - GLENCOE.
"Ensign Cooper, I presume, I am Lord Pembroke please report to me the meaning of all this."
"Well sir, the Captain was severely beaten and he is going in and out. But the best that I can gather is that he says he was attacked and overpowered by at least a dozen pirates. They must have overpowered the watchman as well. And poor Mr. Campbell, they butchered him. They also made off with all the silver, sir."
"A dozen pirates, slipped on board and seemingly sailed away without so much as a warning from the watch tower? And the only man who they killed was Mr. Campbell? What an extraordinary report, Ensign Cooper. Why do you suppose they let the Captain and the watchman live? And what do make of that message - GLENCOE?"
"I have no idea, sir, why they let the Captain live, but I am most grateful for it. As to the note, I am further without explanation, sir." Ensign Cooper nervously replied.
It was not long before the Magistrate had arrived aboard the Skye. Lord Pembroke immediately informed him of all he had learned. After assessing the situation the magistrate spoke.
"I will have to lock down the port, no ships may leave and I must call out the militia, as there are clearly pirates lurking about. And if not, I will need to conduct a thorough investigation."
"Let the militia rest easy tonight, there are no pirates lurking about. Despite the Captain's rantings I wager it was only one man and I know his name. No ship large enough to hold a dozen pirates could have slipped past the watchtower unseen. I personally kept the watch on the Concord this evening and no dozen men came along the docks until the crew of the Skye returned to discover this affair. Furthermore, see that dead man over there, he was a Campbell. This whole sorted business is an act of vengeance for the Massacre at Glencoe. The Carolinas are chalked full of Highlanders, exiled Scottish rebels seeking blood. You sir, are looking for one man, a man named MacDonald. And as to locking down the port, I am afraid that is not possible as the Concord must set sail in the morning for Norfolk. As to your investigation, I shall personally vouch for the entire crew of the Concord crew as all were in town together until nine o'clock. The crew had all returned aboard ship and were in their quarters, when the hue and cry went out. Being mistakenly informed that there was a pirate attack the crew was turned out on deck fully armed. Roll was taken and all were present and accounted for."
The magistrate stood still blankly staring at Lord Pembroke, he had never met a man such as this, a man of such authority and power.
"But, sir, an investigation must be had, I need to speak to the crews of all the ships."
"Keep the Skye and the Summerfield, if you must, but as for the Concord, she sets sail in the morning. As I have said, I personally vouch for the innocence of the crew of the Concord, unless of course, YOU are questioning the WORD of Lord Pembroke."
"No sir, no never, would I question your word, your Lordship, it is just that . . ." the magistrate mumbled a few more incoherent syllables before tailing off into silence.
"Excellent, I am satisfied that my word is enough for a local magistrate and the Concord shall set sail in the morning."
Lord Pembroke and Mr. Hagney returned to the Concord, where the crew was still at the ready. Having explained all the comings and goings, Captain Lewis ordered the crew to stand down and return to quarters.
Jack Henry had carefully guided the Glencoe through the Roanoke Sound and into Pamilco Sound when the hue and cry had been given on the Skye. He was once again safe in open waters. He thought not of the deeds he had done this night, he thought not of the gold nor of the silver, his only thoughts were of the Sea, of the waves, of the wind and of the stars that guided him onward to Okcracoke Island, a safe haven for all pirates.