Chapter 8
As soon as Josh felt the furry little creature run across his face, he sat upright, fully awake. He feverously brushed his fingertips across his eyes and cheeks. As his hands flew over his arms, trying to rid himself of the feeling that something was still on him, he bumped Annabelle.
“What?”
“Just a bug. I think. It ran across my face.”
“Oh. I’m glad you woke up. I was sound asleep. I usually am a light sleeper, but I was exhausted!”
Looking up at the sky, Annabelle continued, “We have a few hours before daylight. Let’s get a look at the camp. Follow me.”
Annabelle walked soundlessly. Josh’s attempts at stealth were not so good.
They hid behind a small patch of bushes that grew along one side of the camp. A small amount of light was available from the stars and moon which were fading slowly out of sight.
“My Mother’s tent is to the right of us. The opening is in the front of the tent, directly in front of the campfire. Three more tents are opposite, facing us. I can see one guard by her tent. He is asleep. I do not see anyone other than him around. Let’s go.”
Josh pulled her back. “We better go left and check the other tents. It’s hard to see from this angle if anyone is awake. We have to know where everyone is before we go into your mother’s tent.”
Annabelle moved left, “Good idea.”
Crawling on hands and knees, they moved around the end of the bushes. They had a good view of the camp. Besides the sleeping pirate outside Annabelle’s mother’s tent, there was a second one asleep to the side of the tent.
Josh held up two fingers. Annabelle nodded. She whispered, “Five more to find.”
When they got to the first of the other three tents, they looked inside. The tent was torn and dirty. There were crates stacked up along the back of the tent. They are dusty and unopened. Other crates were scattered about. The tops had been removed and most were empty.
“Supplies. Looks like they keep this tent and whatever is in it here all the time.”
After glancing at the two pirates asleep outside Annabelle’s mother’s tent and relieved to see they were very sound asleep, they slowly pulled back the cover on the next tent.
Annabelle’s hands trembled and her eyes grew large. As Josh surveyed the inside of the tent, a shiver run up and down his spine while sweat beaded on his forehead.
Three pirates occupied this tent. Although they were sleeping, they looked menacing and dangerous. An earthen jar lay on its side with a puddle of grog surrounding it. Metal plates and wooden bowls, together with food scraps and cups, littered the dirt floor. The smell was repulsive.
What had brought the look of fear to both their faces, was the weapons piled to one side. There was a long, sharp cutlass, three boarding axes, and a dozen pistols. A flickering oil lamp cast shadows on the weapons, giving them a lifelike appearance. A grapnel with razor sharp hooks was next to the hand of one of the pirates. Several flintlock blunderbusses stood upright against the side of the tent.
They let the opening flap fall silently into place as one of the pirates mumbled and snorted as he turned over onto his side.
The last tent held barrels of food and a wooden table that leaned to one side. The table was littered with dried brown biscuit crumbs, rotting meat morsels and cheese. The last two pirates were also asleep. The tent smelled rancid and stale. One pirate lay on his stomach, shirtless. Welts crisscrossed his back as evidence of a recent beating. The other had a peg leg which made being the cook his only choice of work among the pirates.
They crossed the camp site to the tent Annabelle’s mother was in. Josh and Annabelle walked carefully between the two pirates outside the tent. Another oil lamp flickered in this tent. Annabelle’s mother was lying down on a mat with her legs tied at her ankles and her hands tied behind her back. She was awake. Her smile quickly turned into a grimace as she moved her legs to stretch.
Annabelle hurried over and kissed her on the check. She proceeded to untie her hands and legs, being careful where her ankle had swollen.
Before Annabelle could speak, her mother put her finger to her lips. She whispered, “Don’t say anything. We need to check on the pirates right outside the door. There are seven in camp.”
As Annabelle nodded her head that she knew this, the flap of the tent flew open. Annabelle and her mother looked at the pirate in dismay. Josh had been standing to the side of the opening and wasn’t seen by the pirate who pulled a pistol from his sash.
Without hesitation, Josh grabbed a board that was leaning against the side of the tent and swung it as hard as he could. Silently thanking his mom for all the years she drove him to baseball practice, he watched the pirate topple over and fall face down on the dirt, dropping his pistol.
Annabelle spied rope in the corner of the tent. Moving swiftly, she had the pirate’s ankle and hands bound and his mouth tied with the sash she pulled off of him.
Josh said, “I’m impressed.”
Annabelle smiled as her mother asked who this wonderful person was. As Annabelle was explaining how Josh had gotten there, Josh motioned for her to come outside with him.
The two of them managed to pull the other pirate, who didn’t wake up, from outside the tent into the interior. Annabelle bound this one in similar fashion.
Seeing Josh watch Annabelle at work, Annabelle’s mother explained that Annabelle was an expert at knots. She climbed the ratlines like a monkey and handled buntlines and manropes like at expert. She also said she’d explain what those were later as they had to hurry. Annabelle and Josh gathered rope and other pieces of material that might be useful. Annabelle’s mother found an old crutch among a pile of blankets and smelly clothes. Dusting it off as best she could, she used it to keep the weight off her ankle.
Josh helped Annabelle’s mother get out of the tent as he filled her in on the location of the other pirates. They decided to take care of the two in the end tent.