Black Nate

Oi Lass! Happy Birthday! I'd sing ta ya, but I might scare th other party goers away. . . . Cheers luv!

Nate watched her head b low an once she were out o sight took a look about the sea around their ship. Nate walked back an took hold o th tiller an pushed it over, headin th sloop away from th other ships n shores about them. Nate took up th line there an made it fast ta th tiller before headin forward an b low ta see wot Red Cat might have found fer ta dine on wit th rum. Once Nate were b low he called out an squinted in th low light. "Oi Cat, ye find somin worth ta be had wit th fine drink? There be plenty ta be had right off, er we could get a fire in th galley an make a meal fit fer a king, wot say ye , luv?" Nate rounded about a barrel and near run inta the Cat as she stood up from peerin at a bunch o sacks full o rice laid out.

Nate stood a moment as his rum-fogged mind wrapped around wot Red Cat had said. When it finally cleared enough, Nate understood. "Oh, Aye lass! We gots a full larder, wot be yer pleasure?" Nate grinned and gave a bow, gesturing forward to the main hatch below. "Would Lady Red Cat prefer a cheese? Salted ham? Mayaps a look about ta see wot other fine things might be had in th larder wot I didn't find bfore?" Nate stood from his bow and held a hand out ta Red Cat and the other gestured to say 'Wot be yer wish?'

Nate weren't sure if he should take the pistol or the bottle off Red Cat. Instead he stepped to er side an gazed at th ships about them. "I ain't rightly sure wot who be after, er who be after wot. Wot ol' Nate tinks is. . . . He'll have another drink an keep our fine ship sailin out o gun range." Nate gently took th bottle from Red Cat an took a swig. Pointing wit th bottle, Nate mumbled to himself for a moment before speakin aloud. "I ain't so sure wot might be, wot I is sure of. . . . is we gots a full larder an fresh water enough fer ta keep happy fer. . . . fer a long time, that's wot!" Nate smiled his wild grin at Red Cat and put an arm around her til he saw her look at him. Nate removed his arm and offered her the bottle with a sheepish grin replacing his wild one.

Nate grinned and chuckled along wit Red Cat. "Nay lass, he ain't got much ta bargin wit at all. Wot ya tink th commodore gonna do wit im? Could give im a present o some cold shot." Nate took another hit off th bottle. "He could also throw him a line off a yardarm, let im swing fer a while. Who's ta say?" Nate handed the bottle back to Red Cat and stretched his arms over his head. 'Alla this excitement, now that it be past, makes me want ta relax. . . . Wot says ye, Cat?"

Nate watched as th galleon sailed away and scratched his jaw. Lookin up to the heavens, Nate paused and gave a nod. "Father had me worried fer a minute, but Aye, He done showed us right. This calls fer celebration!" Nate thunked his linstock into th deck and rummaged around fer more rum. "I do tink this lil ship has charm, glad we found it. . . . Ah-ha!" Nate exclaimed as he held aloft a full bottle before wrenching the cork free and offering the fresh spirits to Red Cat.

Nate was about ta answer Red Cat, sayin they'd not go racin in ta th fight when th biggest shiver went down his spine. "WhoOOooooOooOOooohhh. . . . Oh no. . . . nononononononono. . . ." Nate dashed to the tiller and steered th little sloop off the wind, slowin them down. "Nay, we ain't goin inta that fight dere, oh no. I got me a powerful feelin we ain't gonna head inta that. . . . Dunno wot kinda funny thing Father was tinkin' but we'll lay off here a bit. Got any more o that rum about, luv?" Red Cat stared at ol' Nate fer a time before givin a lopsided grin and shook her head. She pointed to a bucket close by and Nate saw the bottle in it. Nate took it up and had a gulp, grinned wide. "Aye. . . . This here will do fer ta watch wot happens now. Sides, likes ya said, we ain't set ta fight no galleon. . . . Be a long drawn out fight, but they'd eventually win, wall, maybe. . . ." Nate winked at Red Cat and grinned, all she could do was laugh and reach out fer th bottle he offered her way.

Nate had taken his slops off the lanyard and looked up to see that the Rakehell an Relentless had tacked towards th galleon. "Wot th bloody hell they doin?!?" Nate climbed up onto the gunn'l an pointed, shaded his eyes an pointed again more emphatically. "Jaysus! There be another ship comin up!" Nate looked to heaven. "A'right Father, wot have we gotten into?!? Wot ya wantin me ta do ta get us outta all this?!?" Nate jumped down off the rail and ran to each swivel gun, rechecked them and headed below. Red Cat was bewildered by his actions until he reappeared with some items from the magazine. He lay an armful o shot and powder, an two linstocks. Heading downwind, Nate pulled a flint and steel out with some lengths o slow-match. Nate made a small pile o powder from a horn inside a bucket. He placed th ends o th slow-match in th powder and began knickin sparks off the steel into the bucket until it set th powder afire, lightin th slow-match. Droppin the flint n steel he grabbed the match cords an stuck them on th linstocks. "Guns at th ready Red Cat! We gonna foller th commodore an all inta battle, aye?" Nate grinned his wild grin and held out a linstock to Red Cat.

Nate watched his new slops flutter in the breeze atop the masthead and grinned. Wearing his old ones, he didn't mind the draft the let through several rents in them, some of which, had he been more sober, he'd be a bit embarrassed in front of Red Cat. Both of them heard a hoot of laughter from the two ships. "Sound like they's got n understandin now, aye Cat?" Red Cat chuckled a bit and looked at Nate, suddenly her grin disappeared as somethin caught her eye over Nate's shoulder. "Oi, nother set o sails commin our way." Nate turned about and shaded his eyes wit a hand. The Lass was right. Nate reached for the glass but Red Cat already had it to her eye. "A Spanish galleon sneakin up on us. Jacky done signaled em right to us." Nate tapped Red Cat on the shoulder. She looked at him and he pointed to the Brig and Schooner. "Aye, now they's attracted a real foe, they's upin anchor an gonna run. We best follow suit." The new situation had sobered up the two of em and now they was all action. Sails trimmed and full, the little sloop was a quick sailer and was soon passing the two friendly ships. Nate watched as those crew scrambled to set sail and were finally drawing wind, tacking their direction to escape. Nate looked over their rig and laughed some. "Wot's so funny?" Nate grinned at Red Cat and pointed up to his slops. "Don't tink we need ta keep our 'ensign' flyin now." Red Cat's eyes flicked up to the masthead and back to Nate. She tried not to but a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Nate chuckled again and she couldn't help but laugh. Both were snickering as Nate took up the line and lowered the 'flag' they had been flyin.

Nate stared hard at the ships fer a short time thinkin about wot Red Cat had said. Lookin down Nate realized he had th rum bottle in his hand again, so took a pull on it. "Wall. . . . Only flag we gots aboard that I found were that there Spanish one. I don't tink th reception will get better if we do that. M other shirt's blue, no good. I ain't wantin me slops fulla grape neither, but they's th whitest cloth aboard, unless we cut up a spare sail n bend it ta th lanyard. I do gots spare slops ta wear, ragged as can be, but I'll fix em up when I can. Heh, an if they do blast m good ones fulla grape, I'll be fixin em up too!" Nate began to chuckle, and the chuckle turned into a laugh until he couldn't breathe.

Nate were singin away when he saw a billow o smoke come from the larger ship. His eyes went wide an Nate stopped singin as the thunder of the gun followed. "Cat!!!! Round up! Haul wind! Th commodore be tryin ta sink us! Jaysus, Marry, an Joseph, Lay off th wind!" Red Cat shoved the tiller hard to starboard, and the swift change nearly sent Nate off th mast an into th sea. Th shot fired whistled and splashed not twenty feet from their ship. Th sloop slowed as the sails flogged and Nate scrambled down to the deck and aft. "Bloody commodore gots a funny way a welcomin us. Ye'd tink we were a man-o-war bristlin wit guns an marines!" Nate glared at the two ships as they slowly sailed out of range of th guns. Nate picked the rum up and took a long swallow. "Now wot ye tink we might do? I say we jus keep outta range til they get some sense in their heads, wot's I tink." Nate took another swallow o rum an offered th bottle back ta Red Cat as she looked none too pleased wit the ships wot had just fired upon em.

Nate an Red Cat were handin th bottle back n forth while the sailed closer and closer to the two ships. It were only one bottle, but it were a big one and it was good rum, very very good rum. As they closed the distance, Nate took up th spyglass an focused as best he could on the ships ahead. There was some commotion aboard em both and through the rum soaked haze he wondered if the fuss were about them. "Cat. . . . They be scurryin about th deck like maids in a tizzy. . . . Think they's lookin ta give us a welcome o sorts? Like wot capin Ransom done ta us back in th swamp?" Red Cat's grin faded some and she looked atop th mast. They had no flag flyin and didn't know wot was aboard that they could fly. "Huh, I dunno Nate, I s'pose we should do summin ta let 'em know tis us." Nate looked atop the mast where she were lookin and his wild grin grew. "Aye, I gonna take care o that Lass, not ta worry, jus keep us on course luv!" Nate leapt forward and into the rigging, swaying to and fro as he climbed to the top o th mast, found his footing on the top gaff o th main sail and looked around the sea surroundin them. Only ships in sight were those ahead, who he knew were the ships they were searchin fer. Takin his hat in hand he began ta sing and wave it about. It were some irish jig o sorts and he swayed and bobbed as he sung.

Nate nearly jumped out of the rig to the deck. Humming a tune as he ran around the small deck, Nate trimmed the lines and took up th tiller, changed course for to intercept the ships sighted, trimmed the sheets and lines again. "Oh, Aye Father, We tank ya muchly, we do! We be off ta rejoin wit our ship n crew mates! Not ta worry now! Come down from there Cat! No needs ta hang about! I've a fine bottle ta share wit ya down ere!" Nate grinned his wild grin and sang out loud. "Fair well an adieu to ya fair Spanish Ladies, Fair well an adieu to ya Ladies of Spain!" Nate fished around and hooked his foot on the tiller line, bent over and grabbed up the bottle he were talkin about and yanked the cork out wit his teeth. Holding it up fer Red cat ta see Nate continued his singin.

Nate climbed the shrouds as high as he dared and put the glass to his eye. He swept the horizon and all the bits of land that were around. Nate still had that feeling of wariness and could not shake it. Glancing down at the deck, Nate watched Red Cat and knew she were spooked. Turning his face up to the heavens, Nate gave a silent prayer and it seemed as if the sun shined brighter upon them. A smile came across ol' Nate's face and with that reassurance he swept the horizon again. This time he spotted a fleck of white and brown East-Southeast of them. "Oi, Cat! I spotted a ship r summin yonder there, fine off th starboard bow! Hull down, too far off ta make out, but I gots a feelin fer th good!"

Nate piloted the fast little sloop around the atolls getting farther from the false meeting spot. But, the closer they got to the place they hoped to find the two ships, the more uneasy Nate felt. Nate felt like the hair on the back of his neck was akin to boar bristles. "Oi Cat, I gots a bad feelin bout wot we be headin inta. Tween it bein so calm, too calm as ye says and I jus gots a strange feelin. Father says we be headed rightly, but ol' Nate ain't happy wit where tis leadin us." Nate absentmindedly had pulled his Saint Brendan charm out o his shirt and was fingering it slowly. Nate had a feeling that whatever trouble was in store, no sword or gun would be much use against it. Only the Father, or maybe King Neptune, could stave it off.

Nate gave a shiver as Red Cat spoke of the strange calm. "Aye, Miss Red Cat, one course yonder." Nate went about rightin th chart an' takin a compass readin. Nate gave another slight shiver and cocked an eye to heaven. Off they sailed on the new course, bound fer deeper waters in the Tortugas.

Nate hummed a gentle tune under his breath as they studied th chart. Looking skyward wit his head cocked ta th side an one eye squinted, Nate mumbled "Wot yer tink?" Nate held that pose for a spell. He slowly nodded his head and shrugged. "If thas yer answer, aye." Nate looked at th chart an let his finger trace an invisible line through th atolls and around another larger key to a spot. "Father says we should go here, round like that." Red Cat raised an eyebrow at Nate. Nate shrugged his shoulders and held his palms up. "I's ony tellin yer wot He tol me. . . . Miss Red Cat. You gots a better plan, a better course ta foller, be m guest. You cn ask Him if ye'd like."

Nate wasted no time hauling in the sheet and rigging the spritsails. The sloop reacted well to the change and speedily ran before the wind. "Now wot yer thinkin we should do? I could ask Father fer the way, but I ain't too sure my askin will lead us ta find capin Ransom. Ain't sure she's in His favour presently, if ye get ma drift, aye?" Red Cat werre deep in thought and seein as much, Nate gave her room, silently manning the tiller, givin the little ship a long reach and keepin her out o the shallows.

Nate had pulled out the chart capin Ransom had given him with the pin prick at the location they would be. "See here Cat, th capin gave me this so we could find em after I found you. This be where she said they'd be an that's where we are. Now where be they?" Nate looked half confused and almost worried. Nate looked about, cocked his ear up as if waitin fer an answer, gave a mild grimace and barely shook his head and began lookin about some more. Nate did this three times before finally hissing a sigh and turned to Red Cat. "Father tells me capin told the lie. Says where she told me ta find em was a lie. That bein th case, an it looks ta be so as they ain't here. . . . An now I got an odd feelin about like we's bein watched agin." Nate took off his battered hat and shaded his eyes, rubbed the back of his neck and looked about with a more critical eye.

Nate had gone and checked the swivels to see if they were clean. Satisfied that they were in order he loaded them. After that Nate adjusted the sails as they were closing in on the spot marked on the chart. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end and Nate got a shiver up and down his spine. "Oi, Cat. . . . Somthin seem strange to yer? Jus got that feelin like someone jus walked over m'grave. . . ." Nate looked at Red Cat and she slowly looked around the ship and surrounding waters, swallowed awkwardly and slowly shook her head. Nate shivered again and touched the pendant under his shirt. Grabbing up the spyglass, Nate jumped into the rigging and climbed as high as he dared. Looking about to see if he could see the two ships they were to rendezvous with. Nate scanned the area and only saw one small boat. Puzzled, Nate called down to Red Cat. "Oi! Th chart says theys supposed ta be right round ere, Aye? Where are they?"

The little sloop sailed well and fast. Soon Nate and Red Cat knew they were near the Dry Tortugas. "Oi, Red Cat, I's thinkin another two ta four turn o th glass an we be about here. . . ." Nate dabbed his finger on the chart. "All goes as planned, we should sight th tops'ls o th Rakehell n Relentless, after that, life's a bowl a roses, aye!" Red Cat just smiled and laughed, ol' Nate grinned his wild grin.

Nate an Red Cat sailed along in their prize, having cracked open a barrel of salted ham and found a case of bottled wine they were stuffed. The wind was fair and in good time, they'd soon be near the spot capin Ransom had pricked on the chart she gave ol' Nate. Other small boats had appeared now and then, just some local fishermen coming in from a morning's haul, and others heading out later to check nets. Both Nate an Red Cat paid em no mind as none made any attempt to close haul em. Some waved an they merrily waved back.

"Head b low, aye." Nate looked over the rig, checked the lines and sheets, tied off the tiller and followed Red Cat below. Enough light made its way below deck and with a quick search, Nate was grinning up a storm. "Lookee here, she be set fer a goodly time. plenty o fresh water, sacks o rice, beans. Barrels o flesh, newly made barrels by th look. Not much powder n shot, course we only got them swivels. Wot you find?" Nate grinned and waited to hear wot the Red Cat found while she were below.

I think you missed a set of ellipses... "Hasn't been an honest politician..." Oi, BlackJohn, Yer sayin I quoted another? Who might that be? Hummm, two fellers wit th word 'black' in their names. Wouldn't want ta run in us in a darkened alley. :angry: