Black Nate

Nate continued ta pull the sweeps and they headed into the mouth o the creek. It were broader then he had thought when Nate saw it, and it curved gently inshore. Nate kept pullin and Red Cat kept them in the middle of the water. It weren't long until they rounded the bend a bit and sure as could be, there sat a fine little sloop, her mast lost in the trees. Red Cat saw her first and almost laughed out loud. "Well I'll be damned, Nate, you were right, there be a ship hidden up yonder." Nate turned hisself til he could see it and as he turned back he was grinnin big. "Aye, Father didn't steer me wrong, no sah." He kept pulling, but now with a powerful stroke and a pause between, so as not to make much noise. "Cat, put us long side an I'll tie us off, then we'll sneak aboard, see who's home." She nodded to him and they kept heading up stream. Red Cat gave Nate a signal and he pulled in the sweeps, they glided alongside and he fastened the line to the side of the small ship. Pistols checked, up the side and on to the deck. No sounds aboard to be heard. Nate crept aft and looked about, carefully headed below. Nate strained his eyes as they adjusted to the darkness below and still no one was to be found. Creeping forward through the cabin and into the hold, still no one. Then he heard a footfall. Nate froze for an instant and very quietly pulled his knife out. Nate continued to the bow and came face to face with none other than Red Cat who had headed below through the fore hatch. Nate whispered, "Not a soul aft, you see anyone?" She slowly shook her head. "Nay, not a soul, looks like she be 'bandoned." Nate grinned and stuck his knife back in its sheath, tucked his pistol in his belt. "Aye Cat, she be abandoned alright, so I be guessin she's ours now. What say you?" Red Cat grinned. "A s'pose yer right, ol' Nate, a right fine ship we have 'ere. Shall we set sail?" Nate winked. "Agreed." They headed topside and still being quiet, checked over her rig and hull. She was tied to some trees along the bank, so no need to pull up an anchor. Nate devised that the best way to get her out of the creek was if he got back into the wee boat with a line to the sloop and pulled, keeping her off the banks until they were out in the main channel. Cat agreed and soon as he was ready, she cut the lines to shore. Nate had to work hard, but son they were out of the creek, still not a soul to be seen. As soon as he made it aboard they set sail and were running east along the coast toward deeper water.

Woah!

Huzzah! Ta see th pub be back!

Scary, creepy, ta see er so stark. Gotta do somethin about all this white-wash, or is it white lead paint?

Oi,

Welcome ta th pub Tomas.

Tanks fer th round a drink.

Ray! A gil or three o Blackstrap!

Off ta a fine start are ya?

Hope them pockets are deep, deep, deep.

Nate expertly sailed the little boat up the coast and to the inlet. It were a deep inlet and the breeze began to falter. The small sail fluttered and flogged several times until it wasn't worth keeping up. Nate brought it down and broke out the sweeps. Red Cat took the tiller and Nate began pullin. Weren't long before some masts came in to view. "Oi, Nate, looks ter be some ships at port not far." Nate grinned his wild grin at Red Cat. "Father don't steer me wrong! But th tide r current here be a bit strong, gonna get wore out soon here." Nate pulled and paused a short time, just to see how strong it was. He was watchin the shore when he noticed a creek or some other small waterway emptying into the inlet. Nate pointed wit his jaw. "Ya don't suppose we might find somthin hidin back yonder, aye? Fancy a look?" Red Cat looked to where Nate had gestured to and put a hand to her chin. A smile crept across her face and as Nate puled on the sweeps, she pushed the tiller over to head them in the right direction.

Nate pointed to the inlet up the coast. "Up yonder, Father says there be a port hidden a ways in. So, as th day be early, lets see who's about, or not." Nate smiled back at Red Cat and picked up the one water flask, took a gulp and corked it, setting it back down. He adjusted course, getting what speed he could out of the strengthening wind. Soon he began humming a tune.

Nate were happy ta be back on the water, a full sail drawing, on a fine little boat. Red Cat were busy lookin at the chart and didn't see the person on shore where they had departed. Nate gave the Cat a nudge. "Look yonder. There be a man back where we jus camped. Not much round that I can see ta say it ain't but the same lad wot spied on us last eve." Red Cat made no bones about it and covered her eyes from the glare, peerin back at the man ashore. It looked ta be a long distance starin contest for a time. Nate searched the shore and horizon, not seeing a ship or port anywhere. Further up the coast there looked to be an inlet. Nate turned his eyes heavenward and smiled. "Aye Father, a sound plan."

Nate saw the look and stance of Red Cat. He looked to heaven, "Jeysus help me." Nate keeping a hold onto the painter closed the gap between he and Red Cat. "I ain't orderin ye inta th boat, but we do need ta get a move on. Once we got th sail up n full, it'll be spirits up an smooth sailin. I gots a chart n compass, knows about where we be." Nate lowered his voice to a whisper. "An I knows where they's gonna be in th Tortugas." Nate leaned away. "So. We gots supplies enough fer a couple days, add some local whatever we find when we beach at night and I think we'll have a right good time o it. Yer chariot awaits." Nate took off his hat and gave a very low swooping bow to Red Cat, neatly falling over with the effort.

Nate leaned against th side o the wee boat and put his hands on the gunnel. "How I propose we do it in this here wee boat. Firstly, I survived a ship wreck not so long ago, made up a raft outta her flotsam an survived on that fer almost a fortnight. Couldn't really make any steerage wit that, but it got me ta safety. This here's a sound boat wit a good sail. An we ain't gonna head straight fer open ocean. We'll skirt th coast long as we can, might take a bit longer than straight across, but we'll make it. An we may not have a gun or two, not sure this boat could handle a swivel, but we gots good pistols n a musket, plenty o' shot n powder. An who's really gonna pay much mind ta two sailors in a wee boat anyway?" Nate headed to the bow and started pushing it into the surf. "Be'sides, never know wot we might find along th way ta help us along." Nate grinned his wild grin and kept pushing the boat until the surf started to take hold of her. Nate looked at Red Cat still standin there. "Well, ya gonna climb aboard sos we can get along?"

Nate woke ta someone nudgin him in the side. As he opened his eyes, there was Red Cat drawin her cutlass and givin Nate a sign to stay quiet. At first ol' Nate thought her cross at him and about ta give him what fer. Nate realized she weren't agitated at him, but something near by. Red Cat scanned their surroundings with a sharp eye in the growing light of dawn. Nate finally had ta break th silence. Nate whispered as quietly as he could. "Oi, Cat, wot ye see out there?" Red Cat gave Nate a glance before turning her eyes back to searching before she whispered back. "Up on th bluff there be tracks. I think someone were watchin us at some point, maybe not, but I ain't one ta take no mind to em." Nate slowly nodded his head. Slowly he rolled over and drew his pistol, looked over and saw his musket leaning against the water cask. Nate stood and peered about, the hairs on the back of his neck gave no sign of trouble. "We's alright Red Cat, ain't no one about now." She gave him a sidelong look. Nate pointed to a clump of brush and palms. "That where ya saw them tracks?" She nodded to him and Nate slowly nodded back. "Aye, last night. Someone were there alright. We best be on our way then, aye?" Red Cat stood taller an relaxed a bit. "Aye, time ta be on our way, but on our way ta where?" Nate had set down his musket and stuck his pistol in his belt. "We're ta catch up wit the Rakehell n Relentless. Not gonna be easy, but we'll manage, Father's sure of it." Nate turned and walked to the overturned boat and righted it, walked back over to the camp and began putting the supplies back aboard, breaking down the camp. Wit the slowly rising sun came a breeze.

Nate guessed an hour had gone by, between nodding off twice and the state of the fire. Lookin at Red Cat, Nate wondered the best way ta wake the lass witout causin undue problems. He didn't need a pistol pointed in his face again so soon. After a short while Nate looked heavenward, gave a shrug and slowly laid a hand on her shoulder to give her a little shake.

AMEN BROTHER!!!!!!!!

To many f***in sheep!

Nate spent a couple hours watching over the Red Cat and their little camp. After awhile Nate found himself falling asleep standing. Settling down next to her where he had been before, Nate didn't feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing. Leaning over, Nate poked at the little fire, added some more wood to it and smiled at the added warmth. Soon he would try to wake her so she might stand a watch. Daylight would come and they would be on their way, trying to catch up wit the ships they came off of. Nate mused that it wouldn't be easy in the little open boat, but some how they would manage. Looking at Red Cat, Nate figured another hour, or what he thought another hour from now would be, then he'd wake her.

Don't forget our men and women in uniform.

http://www.defenselink.mil/home/features/2.../0708_olympics/

All of it has been outstanding.

Nate was just uneasy enough that he couldn't get comfortable enough to fall asleep. Looking over at the Red Cat, it looked as if she had succumbed to her weariness. Nate smiled softly at her and gently took the bottle of rum from her hand, eased the cork into the top and set it in the sand between them. Taking in a long slow breath, Nate let out a long, contented sigh. Aye, this be th life. Freedom. Thanks be, Father. Nate though to himself. Shifting about to get comfortable and not being able, Nate stood and stretched, scanned their surroundings and cradled his musket in his arms. He slowly walked a circle around their little camp and satisfied all was as well as could be, Nate remained standing, keeping watch over them both.

Nate took another draw on his pipe. Keeping his eyes away from the firelight as best he could. Nate was happy fer th company, but something still had the hairs standing on the back o his neck. Nate would slowly look about the area, scanning the shore and brush. One spot kept drawing his attention, but for what reason Nate did not know. Nate just looked at the area for a time, looked around at the rest of the area and back to that spot. Nate reached over and laid his musket across his legs, checked the prime in the pan. Satisfied, he continued to puff on his pipe.

Nate turned and began to head towards the scraggly palms down th beach an up th embankment when the hair on the back of his neck stood up. "Aye Father", he mumbled to hisself and stopped, turned around and slowly scanned the area. Nate's senses were tuned in to his surroundings and he knew something was amiss. Nate took a particularly long stare into a stand of brush down the other way. It was then that he heard the sound of a twig snappin over yonder. Slowly he drew his pistol and pulled back the cock. The sound of the cock seemed very loud and Nate froze a moment. Seconds later Nate thought he heard a similar sound in the direction he had heard the snapping noise. He hunched low and made his way up to the palms and bits of brush. Nate was sure he heard some movement on the opposite side now. Nate got to the palms and peered through the brush, but it was too thick and the light too dim. Slowly he stood up to look over the brush, holding his pistol out ready for action. As Nate stood he found himself looking down the barrel of a pistol himself. Nate looked over to see a familiar face staring back at him who made the same discovery. "Good ta see ya alive, Lass. Tank ya Father, I always had faith in Ye ta help me find er." Nate grinned at her over the bushes. "I were about ta get a fire goin ta stay warm, Ya look like ye could use it too. Come along Red Cat, ye look hungry too."

Nate finished up his meal and relaxed for a time, watched the sky grow dim. Nate had an odd feeling about, so kept his musket close, his pistol and cutlass closer. His eyes roamed the shores around him, still with that unsettling feeling. As dusk approached, it was time to go scavenge for wood for a small fire.

It were gittin darker an darker. Nate decided that he didn't want ta hafta beach the boat in th dark, so he dropped canvas an pulled out the sweeps once more, pulling for shore on what looked to be a jutting outcrop o beach. Nate's eyes were tired from searchin and nearly teared up from th wind an spray. As Nate got close he pulled harder and run the small boat up on shore as much as could be before he jumped out and pulled her up as best he could. There were some palms further up, but too far for the line to reach, so Nate pulled the boat as far as he could. Climbing back aboard, Nate got his musket, shot n powder and walked a short ways in each direction, scoutin out the area. Seemed uninhabited, so Nate headed back to the boat to set up some sort o camp. Down went the mast and rig, the supplies put up further ashore and covered wit th sail. Nate emptied the boat and with effort, turned it on its side, he stuck a sweep into the sand and tied off the line to it as well. The other sweep and mast was fashioned wit the sail into a shelter of sorts. Nate did all this in silence as he were too tired ta sing as he worked. When he was finished, Nate plopped onto the sand under his shelter and leaned back. "Alright Father, ya got me this far. Nother bit o kip an mebee a wee fire ta keep me warm. Come dawn and We back on the hunt, aye. She ain't in Fiddler's Green, I knows it. She made it ta land, you says so. Tank ya Father, fer this fine meal, I should be sharin it wit the cailin right now."

Nate let the wind and waves push the small boat along until he finished his biscuit and a chunk o cheese carved off a larger hunk, washed it down wit a bit o water and set to loosing the sail. Nate were pretty close to shore, so he tacked out a bit and ran close-hauled to the wind for a time, scouring the shore. Some sand bars and atolls lay ahead, so Nate dropped off a point and eased closer at a slower run. Not much flotsam now, but wit the current and wind blowin', it had all been blown east a ways since the Cat went by the board. "Where be that cailin, I knows she be this side o Fiddler's Green still. Jus startin ta get dark now, hour er two an I'll hafta beach this ol' boat an start fresh in th morn. Father, you gonna leave us both ta shiver thru th night?" Nate hunched his shoulders and redoubled his efforts in trying ta spot the Red Cat along the shore.

Nate had been searching for a time, getting close to the shoreline. More bits of flotsam had been found, nothing useful besides giving the flow of the current and where Red Cat might be. Nate dropped canvas after a time, but left the rig up and a small pennant flying at the top. It were a gamble cos it could be seen by someone on shore. Nate hoped it would be the Cat who would see it. Nate let the current and breeze push the small boat along, hoping that mother nature would take him to the right place. Nate had worked up a powerful hunger and thirst, so it were time to have a kip. "Need ta keep up me strength, dunno how long til I finds her. Aye Father, you heard me right, til I finds her, not if." Nate snapped a biscuit apart and began gnawing on a piece, always keeping his eyes busy along the strand and surrounding waters.

Nate had to tack several times, due to the direction of the wind, in order to get closer to shore, and back to where they came from. At one point he saw topsails off to the south. Nate hauled wind and dropped the sail, taking up the sweeps again. There was no way another ship could spot such a little boat from so far off, no matter how sharp an eye or depth of their glass. After a time Nate was about past the ship way off in the south, and as luck or fate would have it, he spotted some flotsam in the water. Nate maneuvered over to it and was sure it came from the Rakehell. "Aye Father I'll follow yer trail to er. She ain't made it ta Fiddler's Green, not by far." After taking another bearing Nate put the rig and sail back up, continuing northwest. He saw land by and large, and what looked to be some sand bars and some such. Patting his charm, Nate hauled in the sail, picking up half a knot more and again began humming 'spanish ladies'.

Nate pulled and pulled til his arms ached. He set for a time before unrolling the chart and checking his compass. He had marked the location o the schooner when the last bearings were made, so he had a good idea where he was. Nate gulped down some water, put up the mast and rig, set sail and was soon headed in a northerly direction and back along their course. Nate kept his eyes peeled for anything in the water, and as soon as he got close enough to land, he would scour the shoreline. Nate continued to hum 'spanish ladies' all the while.

Nate had put all his belongings in the small boat, along wit the supplies given him. Roberts had tossed in a bundle of things as well stood on deck wit Nate. "So Mister Roberts, looks like we be all set ta find Red Cat. Ye gots all ye need ta spend some time in a wee open boat?" Roberts looked at Nate, not too sure he wanted to spend whatever time they'd be off with the odd Irishman. "Aye, Nate, I got wot I need I think, lets be off already." Nate gave a wild grin. "Aye old son, we're off!" Farewell an adieu to ya fair spanish ladies, farewell an adieu to ya ladies o spain! Nate was over the side and into the boat quickly setting her to rights. Roberts put a leg over the side when something flew up and whacked him in the head, sending him tumbling back on to the Rakehell. With a curse he stood up to find his bundle laying on the deck. As he turned to look over the rail, the lines to the small boat went slack. "My apologies Mister Roberts! I can't let ya leave th ship short-handed! Not to worry now, I'll have this here boat back to ya, ship shape, an Red Cat too!" Roberts and some others looked and saw Nate pulling like mad on the sweeps, making as much distance as he could. "Have faith man! He tells me it's all gonna get sorted out! See ye all in th next port!" As he got further away he began singing 'spanish ladies' again.

Nate thought a short time, looked to the heavens and a slow grin followed by a slow nod. "Aye capin, fair deal, aye. Spanish'll not fine me, but ye want me ta find you folks in th Tortugas, I knows where they lay, just a pin-prick on th map'll do. Yer choice. Thankee Ma'am, capin. We'll have Red Cat back aboard soon as can be had." Nate grinned his wild grin and went to collect his gear. When he returned topside, fully armed and a bag over his shoulder, he was singing. Farewell an adieu to ya fair spanish ladies, farewell an adieu to ya ladies o spain!

Nate raised an eyebrow and the corner of his mouth rose as well. "Capin, Ma'am, I's a fine sailor, better'n most. Some says I got luck, I says I got God on me side, most o th time. An He says more bad things'll happen if we leave one behind." Nate shot a look at a crewman who stopped and looked at him as he spoke, then shuffled off quickly. Nate turned his attention back to the capin. "The crew's already spooked. The Lord'll help me find Cat. She's livin right now, but who can say if I don't go find her. Yer ship is sounder than many I've sailed upon, unless ya take a broadside in the same spot, she'll hold." Nate lowered his voice. "As fer findin you in th Tortugas, that'll be on you. a map wit a mark is all I ask. I'll be there. Ye gots two boats, the smallest be a trifle ta part wit fer a short time. Th Father as my witness, I'll have it back to ye." Nate looked at the big moore and smiled at him, which caused him to touch the small bag around his neck and grimace back at Nate. "Me. A bottle o' powder n shot. Two days o provisions fer two. Th little boat. A map n compass. Fer a handful o days. Would be bad luck ta leave a good sailor behind."