The Pirate Hunter's Smarter Brother!

[Ransom]

I started laughing. I laughed so hard I thought I'd split something.

"We braved spiders..." Holds sides and wheezzing..."rum fumes, bone-cages, and, for me personally"....Tears are running down my cheeks...(snort, gaffaw)..." getting shot at......all for a ....SPITTOON!"

I point at the shiny gob-bucket. "Well, it better be a magic spittoon, to make all this bother worth it."

***Waaa...ha ha ha ha, snort, wheez, sniffle.*** I lean against Red Cat to keep from falling down. "Spittoon, for God's sake, can you believe it, a spittoon..."

[Jacky Tar]

Waitin' fer Ransom t' regain her composure...

[Red Cat Jenny]

Red Cat would normally be leanin right back on Ransom ta hold the two o them upright laughin... but her face is a mix of incredulous shock and complete confusion... her eyes are big as the moon and her cheeks are turnin red.. she be sputterin and murmerin, but nonesuch makes any sense .. at least if ye speaks the Kings English..

"Mrgbl.. blrba buckets, fancy gold spitter, slimy buggy ship grrrr dammit, red headed eight legged srglwhrpr flbrnps gahhhh!"Clenchin both fists she turns t' the others "We braved all fer this.... this....." "Bloody ..... "

Unable to think of an appropriate expletive ridden title for said pot, she spouts the first thing which comes to mind..

"...Terbakky Tankard!!!???"

The word hangs in the air .. even Ransom stops laughing with a sudden hiccup

A slow smile creeps over the Cats face at the rediculousness of the phrase as well as the prize.. not to mention Ransom's suggestion that it be magic, and with a snort she begins ta laugh starting Ransom an Chloe howlin like hyenas again.. Jacky an Oderlesseye look at the wimmin in hysterics and then back at each other and they get drawn in till the whole group seems ta have spent th day in a rum barrel!

[Jacky Tar]

Watchin' Red Cat's seizure subside, an chucklin' me self, I reach fer our hard fought fer prize. There is an inscription, in latin, on it, "Sic friatur crustum dulce." It certainly does I thought, an hand the spittoon to Eyes.

[The Spider]

The dust has settled, the hysterics are dying down, and no one seems to have noticed the red haired corpse is back, leaning against the cage. The treasure chests are all empty, the cage is broken, and five very tired pirates stand together. For their efforts, they have little.

When the spider enters...

The spider points a hairy leg at Eyes, "miiine!!!"

[Jacky Tar]

I don't think the beast wants Eyes, I pull the spittoon from his tremblin' hands, an toss it t' the spider. The spider takes it an scampers away, 'fore anyone should object.

I get glarin' looks from everyone except CrazyChole, whom has just realized she be holdin' the red haired corpse.

I address me unhappy friends, "I believe that spittoon were the spider's rum pot!"

[The Spider]

The rope from the pub is missing. Now a silken ladder connects the ship railing to the floor of the pub, above.

The spider hopes the pirates will use it, and leave her in peace.

[Red Cat Jenny]

Red Cat sits or rather flops heavily down on a bucket an pulls er hat down toward her eyes... crossin her arms "hmmmph!" No treasure, no riches, no magical gold spittoon! Hmmph!"

[oderlesseye]

the whole lid falls away and exposes... 

Thinkin Eyes was holden onto a Golden Spittoon resembling me Tankard, studded wit Rubys, Garnets, and diamonds,

Oderlesseye a bit wheezey, regains his conciousness and moves from a slumped position over the third chest and stands up and looks at Jacky Tar and Red Cat .

Nothin like a runnooonnnnnnn sentence. Letts climb the ladder an get outta 'er !

[Ransom]

"That's it? No treasure, no nuthin'? What the hell was the point? Just ta supply some wooden-eyed spider with a drinkin' mug?"

I flop down next ta Red Cat, cursing under my breath, " Flippin' ^%$*& spiders...dang %$#^@ rum vapors...blasted waste o' me...*^$@^ time!

[Jacky Tar]

"Aye, t' return empty handed would be a shame." I walk over t' the ladies, an dangle a small leather purse, in front of them. "I don't believe the red head, will be needin' this. It doesn't sound like coins, when I shake it." The bag has several small precious gems in it.

[oderlesseye]

Whaoo... wheres me loot?

[Jacky Tar]

The lasses still look glum, as I pass out the gem stones, "Did I ever tell ye 'bout the Treasure of the Lagarto Grande?" Their faces turn t' me, "Aye, I see I have yer attention!"

I turn t' leave the cage, an the red haired corpse behind, "Shall we return t' the pub fer a drink? I fer one am parched."

[oderlesseye]

Oderlesseye make his way up the ladder and climbs out the floor back into the pub wit Red Cat Jenny,False Ransom and Jacky tar followin closely behind.... Oderelesseye awaits anxiously for Jacky Tar to share 'bout the Treasure of the Lagarto Grande..... Ray Drinks all round for all us now tired rum stinched, squinty eyed Pirates.....

[Ray the Bar Keep]

Ray kicks the Trap door shut and throws a rug over it made from old wine

skins.... Hey ....Ahoy mate where ye all been? Barter has been slow round 'er! Ray slams a cold one in front of each of the salty dogs awaitin his coin. Oderlesseye diggs deep and produces a gold coin to Jacky Tars

dismay... Jacky loks at Oderlesseye and say he thought he made it plain that no treasure be taken..... Ray graps the coin and bite into it for anathenticity test. Jacky Continues to tell Oderlesseye that now ye has done it! Oderlessey looks back and takes a deep draw from his tankerd ,his eyes now Questioning EYEs Done what?

Ray laughs deeply as he pockets the coin..... :)

[Jacky Tar]

Jacky looks at Eyes, an then at Ray, they look a lot alike. (Coincidence... I think not!) "Thanks fer the drink Eyes.. er Ray..."

[oderlesseye]

The end.

[Red Cat Jenny]

RedCat, Chloe and Ransom now bedecked wi some o th jewels an warmed by th pubs fire an the rum, all smack tankards together in a pirate toast... "Hey! I wunner what ever became of ol Inigo?" He still owes me a bottle...."

[Jacky Tar]

Lookin' at the lasses jewels, an relivin' our brush wit' the spider, wit' the tales bein' retold around our table. I looked into each face before me, an wondered outloud, "Hav' any of ye heard of the Nuestra Senora de Atocha?" I didn't wait fer an answer, "She was part of the Spanish fleet, of treasure ships, an the gold an silver she carried has not been recovered by the Spanish, t' date. The Atocha an several other ships sunk along 50 miles of the Dry Tortugas, in less then 55 feet of water!"

I sipped my drink, an looked at the anxious faces around me, "Repeated storms, an the ocean, hav moved the treasure 'bout. I've heard tales that local natives, had seen the ships masts before the ocean reclaimed 'em, an dove down t' these wrecks an recovered many gold an silver cobs." I paused an pulled a few cobs from my pocket an placed 'em on the table, "Also, the natives traded this gold an silver t' people in the everglades fer healin' waters, an protection."

Everyone is dead silent, "These people of the everglades hid this gold an silver in a cave, from whence the healin' waters flow." I paused, "Shall I go on?"

[Red Cat Jenny]

Red Cat puts her tankard down an leans in so the conversation be exclusive ta this small group..after a quick glance over her shoulder she turns back to the pirate before her.

"Aye Mr. Tar I've heard tell of such treasure....go on then.."

[Jacky Tar]

I nodded, "Aye, a sailor hears many tales about the Spanish ships lost t' storms. I would hav thought this one just that. Were it not fer a year ago while sailin' through the keys, we picked up a dutch sailor adrift. He was grateful we gave him safe passage, an gave me those cobs an this." I held up a totem on a leather cord. The totem was that of an alligator, carved in coral. "The natives call it, Holata!"

I paused t' let my companions look over the trinket. "The sailor claimed t' have seen the treasure first hand. He did not wish t' return t' the tribe, fer a sickness had befallen them, that not even their healin' waters could cure."

[Red Cat Jenny]

Red Cat turned the totem over in her hands. It was simply carved out of a single piece of reddish coral, not extraordinary in design, though she assumed it's importance lay not in its beauty.

The surface was worn smooth in one spot as if it had been caressed often as a talisman against some unknown evil. The tiny beast's mouth slightly upturned in a merry, yet fiercely toothed grin..if such a thing were possible. It seemed to be enjoying some secret known only to itself as it dangled on the plain brown leather lanyard which ran through a loop at it's tail.

"Interesting...." Jenny muttered still inspecting the trinket as if it would suddenly reveal some hidden clue "Holata aye?.."

"I suppose there are many such things as there are mysteries in the world.." Handing it back to Jacky she inquired "What became of the native wot gave ye this ?"

[Jacky Tar]

I turned my gaze on Red Cat, "No native, luv. The dutch sailor gave it to me. I intended t' follow up on his stories, but after goin' over the dates an locations he wrote down, I hav t' question how long he was a drift. Ye see, fer if he were correct about his natal day, he would hav been over a hundred! So, the other dates an bearings may not be reliable."

[Red Cat Jenny]

Cat studied the man's face.. Jacky warn't a man ta tell tales if'n he didn't believe there may be some truth in their weave..

Oh, he could spin a yarn as deep as the sea at times, but this was different..she could tell by the glint in 'is eye... that faraway look that already was searching...

Lowerin her voice a bit she leant cross th table an fixed im wi an earnest stare.."Whar keep ye these ...maps an such?"

"Mayhap a second look is merited?" He paused a moment, at her question. She supposed he were tryin ta determine if she be playin him a fool or truly being drawn in as he by stories which had drifted about the local fringes for some tyme...

[Ransom]

I took a healthy slug of rum, then looked Jacky square in the eyes. "This doesn't involve mythical beasts, oversized spiders, giant squids, or man-eating sharks, does it? And this Dutchman wasn't a flying one, was he? Being as how I've just escaped one hairy beast, and a fast-draw pyrate, I'm none too keen ta start on a new adventure until I have a few more facts."