CHAPTER 24 - RESURRECTION DAY
The Sparrow slipped quietly out of Okracoke harbor and into the Atlantic with the Fortune trailing her 100 yards astern. The crew below decks settled in with most sleeping, though the occasional clanking of the chains upon the men of Frisco did disturb their rest.
Jack did not sleep but stared at the bulkhead, feeling the the rhythm of the waves under the ship as she plied through the water. His only thoughts were upon the third day, the day of judgement, the day of his wrath, and the day of vengeance. The day of resurrection for the pirate.
Charles Bonnie stood upon the aft deck with the Captain of the Sparrow and the Master of the ship, Jacob Campbell. With his mind set upon his prey, he began to plant the seeds of doubt in the heart of his Captain and the heart of Jacob Campbell.
"Captain, the men of Frisco, have they signed the log yet? I mean to say, only when they sign the log shall their presence aboard the Sparrow as members of the crew be lawful."
"Not yet, Mr. Bonnie but I believe that Mr. Campbell shall use his ways of persuasion, and they shall sign the log."
"Have no fear Mr. Bonnie, the men of Frisco shall sign the log in due time." Jacob Campbell coldly replied.
Life aboard the Sparrow settled into the life at sea. With the men taking their shifts on duty sailing farther into the Atlantic on a Southern tack en route toward the Caribbean to fill her hold with French and Spanish plunder.
The men were of good cheer, dreaming the dream of pockets full of silver and gold. All of the crew, with the exception of the men of Frisco, were glad to be at Sea. All the men of Frisco had refused to sign the log. All refused to consent to their bondage, all had hardened their hearts against the whole endeavor and most importantly all were united in their loathing of Jacob Campbell.
On the evening of the second day at sea, the Captain of the Sparrow went below deck to address the men of Frisco.
"Gentlemen, my name is James Cumberland and I am your Captain. I understand that ye may have a bit of an issue with the manner in which ye find yourselves aboard my ship. However, by letters of marque, granted unto me and this ship by Her Majesty Queen Anne, I had every legal right to press ye into service. Continued refusal to meet yar legal obligations unto Queen and Country shall not be long tolerated. I therefore offer ye this last opportunity to voluntarily meet yar legal obligations without further methods of persuasion."
The men of Frisco blankly stared at Captain Cumberland, none speaking a single word. Then as if by a signal, the men of Frisco began to rattle their chains in defiance, first quietly then louder and louder their chains rattled echoing below the decks of the Sparrow.
Many of the men of the crew smiled in delight at this open act of defiance. Men who themselves had known the shackles and chains aboard transport ships that had brought them to the Americas, for being thieves, drunkards and rebels. For no man who has ever been shackled forgets those who clasped the chains upon them.
"Come the morrow, if ye persist in this outrageous unlawful conduct, ye shall learn of the powers of persuasion of Mr. Campbell."
The dawn broke in the eastern sky, the third day at sea, and with it Jacob Campbell arose, went on deck and bellowed out.
"Beat to quarters. And bring the men of Frisco to me!"
The silence of the early morning broke with the beating of the drums as the entire crew assembled on the deck of the Sparrow. The men of Frisco were hauled up in front of the entire ship's crew and stood before Mr. Campbell.
"These men have stubbornly refused to meet their lawful obligations to Queen and Country by failing to sign the log. Captain Cumberland has made exhausted pleas of reason with these men. And yet they have chosen their own fate. Insubordination to authority shall not be tolerated aboard the Sparrow. Having refused all manner of reason, it is time for a new means of persuasion. Mr. Brown let the cat out of the bag."
Mr. Brown, an old sailor and bosun's mate aboard the Sparrow, pulled from a pouch about his waist, a cat of nine tail. A whip of nine strands of leather with small holes in each strand to pull the flesh off a man's back, which Mr. Brown held in open display for the men of Frisco to see. The men of Frisco stood defiant glaring alternatively into Mr. Browns' eyes and then upon Mr. Campbell, the author of their bondage.
Mr. Brown order two men to grab one of the men of Frisco.
"Time to kiss the gunner's daughter." scowled Mr. Brown.
The man of Frisco, still in shackles and chains was bent over one of the cannons. He was stripped of his shirt and held down over the cannon.
"Two dozen lashes, laid on hard Mr. Brown!" ordered Jacob Campbell.
Mr. Brown laid on hard two dozen lashes on the man, who to his credit he did not even flinch as the first dozens lashes were felled upon his back. With the thirteenth blow, the small holes in the leather straps had done their work ripping small portions of flesh from his back.
The blood began to flow and with each subsequent blow, more flesh was ripped from his back causing his blood to flow freely over the deck. The man of Frisco began to wince with pain uttering small groans with each strike. And yet he remained defiant.
With the twenty-fourth strike, Mr. Brown ceased and inflicted a final insult of pain by throwing a bucket of Sea water upon the open wounds. The man of Frisco grimaced in pain as the salt water hit his open wound. Writhing in pain, the man of Frisco was brought before Mr. Campbell.
"Will ye sign the log."
"Nay."
Turning to the rest of the men of Frisco, Mr. Campbell scowled:
"Will any of ye sign the log or shall all of ye suffer the cat? For I shall let ye feel her claws everyday until ye either sign or ye die."
Still the men of Frisco stood in complete defiance. Looking down the line, Mr. Campbell fixed his eyes upon the small lad.
"Mr. Brown, tis time to introduce the lad to the gunner's daughter! What sort of men should allow this young lad to undergo such pain for their own misguided sense of honor? All ye must do is sign the log, lest the cat take the flesh off this poor lad's back."
Still the men of Frisco stood still as Mr. Brown and his men grabbed the lad and led him to the cannon still dripping in blood. The lad wept but said not a word as his shirt was stripped from his back.
"Will none of ye scoundrels spare this lad and sign the log?"
Charles Bonnie whispered into Mr. Campbell's ear:
"He is just a lad, the cane perhaps but not the cat sir. The cane not the cat tis the law of the Sea."
"Mr. Bonnie, I am the law of the sea aboard the Sparrow." Mr. Campbell coldly retorted.
Mr. Bonnie looked over to Captain Cumberland in hopes that he might intervene on behalf of the lad. Captain Cumberland stood stoic staring blankly into the sky, he would not intervene and stop Mr. Campbell.
"Mr. Brown, seeing that these men desire to hear this poor lad scream, lay on two dozen lashes and lay on hard!"
The crew muttered amongst themselves, tis the cane not the cat for a lad, but none dared to speak these words above a whisper.
Mr. Brown stood idle for a brief moment, for he too knew the law of the sea.
"Lay on hard, Mr. Brown!"
The bosun's mate lifted the cat high in the air, hesitating briefly, before laying the whip down upon the the tender back of the lad but not with all his might for he had not the stomach for such work. The lash fell upon the lad's back causing him to squeal in pain but no blood was drawn.
"I said, lay on hard Mr. Brown or it will be ye who feels the claws of that cat."
Again he lifted the whip high in the air and brought it down upon the lad's back with such force that small drops of blood splattered into the air. The lad cried out in pain. Mr. Brown stood still with his eyes closed in shame for the blow he had struck.
"Sign the log and the lad shall be let free!" cried Mr. Campbell.
Yet the men of Frisco stood still and the murmuring of the cry grew louder.
"Mr. Brown, lay on!"
The whip raised once again high in the air as Mr. Brown prepared to strike another blow hoping deeply in his heart that the men of Frisco would break and end this utter madness. But none of the men of Frisco said a word. The whip crashed down upon the boy's back, ripping his flesh off and splattering even larger droplets of blood into the air.
"Will ye sign, for the lad's sake! . . . . Mr. Brown lay on!"
The whip once again went high in the air, Mr. Brown halted once again, once again hoping that someone would intervene. His eyes turned towards his Captain, who stared into the sky oblivious to the whole affair, the Captain would not intervene. The whip found its mark and with it the boy cried out in agony.
"Sign the log you sons of whores or hear the lad squeal! . . . . Lay on Mr. Brown!"
"Halt! I shall sign yar log. We shall all sign the log." one of the men of Frisco called out.
Mr. Campbell smiled.
"I see that ye have decided to be men of reason and do thy lawful duty thus sparing the lad the full two dozen lashes. But just to remind ye of the high price of disobedience, Mr. Brown lay on hard a final stroke."
Mr. Brown stared at his Captain, for surely he would intervene to delay the cruel order. Still Captain Cumberland said not a word.
"Mr. Brown lay on hard!"
Mr. Brown lifted the whip high in the air, he did not hesitate but landed the final lash upon the tender back of the lad.
And with that final blow, Mr. Brown swore in his heart that if ever the occasion arose he would let Mr. Campbell feel his handiwork.
The lad cried out one last time.
The men of Frisco all signed the log book becoming lawful members of the crew of the Sparrow.
Mr. Campbell dismissed the crew who once again went below deck to tend to the wounded. It was Mr. Bonnie who went below and personally attended the lad. All the while he spoke of the cruelty of Mr. Campbell and of the uncaring nature of the Captain to have allowed such a complete breach of the laws of the sea. And thus he sowed the seeds of dissension and mutiny in the hearts of the crew.
The day wore on and into the eventide, the time of the dogwatch.
The Captain and the Officers set down for mess. Mr. Bonnie had made sure that two bottles of port had been place upon the Captain's table suggesting that it was well deserved to celebrate Mr. Campbell's successful powers of persuasion.
Thus the officers drank heavily in celebration for their last supper.
Jack and several of his old shipmates, from his days as a pirate, manned the dogwatch on the third day at sea.
Mr. Bonnie made his way over to Jack who stood silently looking over the western horizon as the Sun set below the waves.
"Jack due ye remember yar scripture?"
Jack continued to stare at the Sun and the waves while moving his hand over the hilt of his sword, then in a low and cold voice he spoke:
"I beheld a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him."
"Good man Jack, a right true believer" Bonnie replied.
Mr. Bonnie and four of his men ran into the Captain's quarters:
"The crew sir, they be a bit upset with this day's business, they have begun to mutiny. Some of the lads on deck are holding them back with swords but we need the muskets to put an end to it."
The Captain without thinking, for the port had robbed him of a clarity of thought, tossed Mr. Bonnie the keys to the armory. Mr. Bonnie distributed the muskets to his men and prepared to follow the Captain on deck. The officers drew their swords prepared for battle. Mr. Bonnie leaned over to Mr. Campbell and advised him to remain in the rear as he had been the cause of much of this trouble.
The Captain flung open the doors to his quarters and with Mr. Bonnie's men behind him stormed onto the deck and over to the hatch that led to the decks below. Standing at the hatch to the crew's quarters stood three men with swords, cussing and swearing at the crew below decks.
Mr. Campbell stayed in the rear with his sword drawn but he never made it onto the deck. For as he began to step upon the deck, a blow from a sword struck his hand, causing his sword to fall to the deck, leaving him defenseless as Jack pushed him backwards into the cabin with his sword pressed upon Jacob Campbell's neck.
"I am Iaian MacDonald of Glencoe, son of a murdered Chieftain, husband of a murdered wife and father of murdered children. I am the Ghost of Glencoe. I am Death and Hell follows me!"
Jacob Campbell's eyes grew wide at the mention of the name MacDonald, his eyes grew even wider as the sword of vengeance cut deep into his throat, passing him on from this world and to his final reward.
Captain Cumberland also had the look of surprise about him when Mr. Bonnie's men turned their muskets upon him and his officers. His eyes grew even wider as the crew of the Sparrow tossed him overboard.
Charles Bonnie gave every man aboard the Sparrow a choice, to join the crew or to join the Captain. Every man agreed to become a member of the crew, especially delighted were the men of Frisco. One day they would return home, but not as poor fishermen, but as wealthy pirates with chests full of silver and of gold.
A similar turn of events had occurred aboard the Fortune.
Mr. Bonnie had pulled out his spyglass to watch the English banner being stricken from the mast of the Fortune. He watched with great delight as the black pirate flag was raised high in the air.
"Strike that damned English banner and hoist the Jolly Roger!" cried out Captain Bonnie.
Jack stood aboard the deck of the Sparrow, deep in thought, with his face to the West as the last rays of the Sun's light faded out and darkness shrouded the Sparrow. I think it not a sin to steal from those who steal. I think it not a sin to kill those who murder.