CHAPTER 25 - THE STORM RAGES
CHAPTER 25 - THE STORM RAGES
The waves of the storm pounded upon the hull of the Essex causing a loud boom to echo below her decks. The crew had settled into a restless night. The lanterns swung wildly back and forth as each wave lifted the bow high into the air and then with equal force driving her down, casting light from bow to stern.
Kevin remained huddled by the select men with his eyes fixed towards the bow. Every time the Essex plowed down upon a wave the light of the lanterns would shine upon the glaring face of John Talbert. John Talbert who had spoken of mutiny against Captain Lewis.
Kevin's heart beat faster each time he saw those eyes, cold menacing eyes that did not waiver. Kevin knew if he made it through the night, he would have to report all that he had heard.
On deck Captain Lewis and Mr. Hagney both manned the helm of the Essex, as it took the strength of both men to hold the ship steady through the rain and the storm. The rain fell hard upon their faces, often blinding them. The waves mounted high into the sky with only the white caps upon the crest visible. Captain Lewis struggled to keep the Essex on course with her bow into the waves.
If the Essex were ever to falter off course, without her bow towards the waves, she risked being capsized by the mighty force of a crashing wall of water. As the storm raged through the night, their arms began to weaken and to quiver with each crashing blow of the Atlantic's great fury. Hour after hour the storm raged. Hour after hour, Captain Lewis and Mr. Hagney held firm and steady, with Essex making her way south by southwest through the dark towards Bermuda and safety.
In the early morning, before the dawn the storms fury began to fade. No longer did the waves crash upon the bow of the Essex and the rain subsided. The calming of the sea brought a new torment for the men who manned the Essex, the cold. The wind blew hard upon their wet clothes causing them to shiver in darkness.
Captain Lewis knowing the torment of his men who had guided the Essex safely through the night called out to his crew.
"Gentlemen, once again you have proven yourselves the finest crew who hath ever sailed upon the sea. Mr. Hagney, send for Mr. Marshall, it is a time for change of the watch."
The men, cold, tired and hungry gave a small cheer, patting themselves upon the back. They had outrun the French warships and survived the tempest of the Atlantic.
When word came to Mr. Marshall, Kevin bolted up the stairs and onto the deck searching for Captain Lewis. Aaron saw his nephew running towards him.
"Kevin, a fine night at sea, eh lad?"
"Uncle Aaron, I need to speak with you about Mr. Talbert."
At the mention of the name Talbert, Mr. Hagney drew close. Before the Essex had left Norfolk, Lord Pembroke had warned him that Mr. Talbert, was not to be trusted, that he was trouble.
If fighting the French and the storm had not been enough for one day's work, now a new peril faced the men of the Essex.
"What is it Kevin?" asked Captain Lewis, a little taken aback that Kevin had called him "Uncle Aaron" rather than "Captain Lewis".
"When I was below decks, when we were running from the French warships, Mr. Talbert talked to the men of how you were reckless and would get us all killed."
"Just talk, Kevin, I am sure. And truth be told it was a bit reckless but well worth it for we saved the prize ship and survived the night."
"There was more, he talked of mutiny, and many of the men were agreeing with him."
At the mention of the word mutiny, Mr. Hagney did not wait for his Captain's orders but ran to the hatch that led to the crew's quarters. Standing upon the deck Mr Hagney called out:
"McNulty, gather the select men, up and to your posts and make it lively!"
Patrick McNulty and the select men rushed on deck and followed towards the officer's quarters, towards Kathleen O'Donnell Lewis, the Master of the Ship and the holder of the keys to the armory.
Mr. Marshall and Mr. Crossland stood in shock and bewilderment as the select men ran across the deck of the Essex.
"Kate, to the armory! Mutiny!" cried out Mr. Hagney as he entered the officer's quarters.
Below decks, Mr. Talbert had not been caught unawares. For through the night he had gathered to his cause thirty men. He knew the boy had heard him, he knew that he would have to strike or it would be the noose for him. At the sight of the select men scurrying above deck, Talbert knew that during the changing of the watch he had to strike.
"Now lads, strike now."
The mutineers unsheathed their knives and grabbed their clubs striking down all who stood in their way as they rushed for the decks. The poor Wright brothers, exhausted from the night's work made a valiant stand. With their strong hands they smashed several blows against the mutineers. Their fists flew though the air landing upon the jaws of several foe who fell to the ground. But alas, bare hands against the clubs of the mutineers were no match. The mutineers struck hard upon their heads sending them reeling to the deck. Mr. Talbert led his disloyal band onto the deck.
Mr. Crossland stood wide eyed, as Talbert plunged his dagger into his belly. He fell onto the deck in a pool of his blood that poured forth from the open wound.
Captain Lewis stood at the helm staring at the mutineers, who briefly halted the assault at the sight of this man of the Sea. There was no fear upon his face, no sign of weakness nor surprise just the stern look of a man in command of his ship.
"Come on lads, the ship is ours, take the Captain!" Talbert shouted.
The doors of the officers quarters flung open, as the mutineers began to storm the aft deck to take the Captain. The select men with Mr. Hagney in the lead burst out onto the decks with muskets at the ready but outnumbered two to one.
"Select men, form ranks!" ordered Mr. Hagney.
The select men, true to their profession from years of soldering upon land, moved in perfect unison and in complete silence as they formed a thin line on the deck of the Essex, bringing their fighting skills to the sea.
"Rush them lads!" cried Mr. Talbert.
"Ready, steady, Fire!" Mr. Hagney cooly and deliberately commanded.
A wall of smoke and of lead spewed forth from the muskets into the ranks of the mutineers that felled ten and briefly halting the onslaught. A halting that proved to be a fatal error for the mutineers, for it gave Mr. Hagney an opportunity to give another order, a deadly order, for the fools who had followed Mr. Talbert.
"Fix bayonets!"
The select men calmly, methodically and in complete unison fixed bayonets upon their muskets.
"Charge!"
The select men lay into the mutineers. Clubs and knives were no match against the bayonets. The mutineers were no match against the select men, men of war. In less than a minute, the select men had cut through the ranks of the mutineers.
Most of Talbert's men lay dead or dying on the decks of the Essex. As the blood flowed upon the decks, Talbert in a fit of rage charged at Mr. Hagney with knife in hand. Mr. Hagney stood still with his musket at the ready, the deadly and bloody bayonet fixed upon the muzzle. As Talbert ran towards him, he lost his footing, slipping in a pool of blood. He fell forward to his own demise onto the Mr. Hagney's bayonet.
The mutiny ended, almost as quickly as it had begun. The crew took Mr. Crossland below, he had sustained a wound to the belly, not enough to kill him outright but with such wounds it would be days before any would know whether it was fatal.
Kevin beheld the bloody decks of the Essex full of the dead and the dying. Men cried out in agony and yet none gave the mutineers any relief. The loyal men of the Essex would rather these men die as it would save them the trouble of hangings. Kevin learned that day, that life upon the sea brings little comfort and little safety. He had stood by Captain Lewis's side during the entire mutiny. He saw the terrible force and destruction of men at war. He had watched his Aunt Kate form ranks with the select men with a pistol in one hand and her father's sword in the other. He saw what war was and is the murderous destruction of life, all for the desire for wealth, for gold and for silver.
He learned a most valuable lesson, one day he would die. Whether death would come to him by French cannons, or by stormy waves or by a mutineer's knife, one day he would die but it was not this day. And that fact alone, made this a good day.