Jack had only a small wagon and an old mule which he kept in a stable that was hidden behind his woodshop. The mule, he said, was named Captain Kidd; after the pirate.
"Did you sail with him?" Skylos asked excitedly, looking over to the big man who held the reins to his mule lightly, tugging gently when he wanted the animal to turn. Jack only chuckled.
"Nay, 'e was a bad man, 'e was. Me father, 'is pirates raided a pub 'r two in their time, aye, but never did they take a life. 'Tis for God ta do, not te hand of man," Jack said firmly, a twinkle in his eye.
"That is very noble of them," Skylos said softly, looking forward at the dusty road before them again.
"Aye, 'tis," Jack responded with a sad tone. "I s'pose I should get a seafarin' tongue on ye before ye make a fool of yerself. Thing is, on them small ships, ye ne'er 'ave the chance fer a sea dad," he added, a laugh punctuating his sentence. "Ye best tell 'em first that ye can write, then that ye can read," he said thoughtfully.
"A seafaring tongue? A sea dad?" the boy queried.
"Aye, an older sailor takes a young kid such as yerself under 'is wing an' takes care o' ye at sea," Jack explained. "Unless o' course ye got lucky as I an' yer dad be te captain," he chuckled.
"Would you be my sea dad?" the boy asked, hoping that since Jack had taken him in as he did, it counted enough even if they weren't at sea.
"Aye lad, ye'd be the Son o' Jack at sea," Jack smiled fondly down at the boy and noticed the comfort written plainly across his face. "As fer a seafarin' tongue, 'tis helpful te know te names of sails," Jack continued. "Ye'll not deal wit' many, te ship's got few. But ye'll need te know orders," he explained. The boy was quick to take out his notebook and a pencil as Jack began to rattle off different nautical terms.
"Port be left, starboard be right. Bow be te front, stern be te aft, te back it be. Point o' sail be te direction yer pointed wit' te wind. Ye cannot sail inte' te wind. Helm be te steerin' post, te wheel as it were. Helmsman be te man steerin'. Keel be te fin down under, ye'll not want ta be te one dealin' wit' that," Jack laughed.
"Why not?" Skylos tilted his head, confused, pausing his writing to look to the man.
"If yer dealin' wit' te keel ye'll be in te water. If yer dealin' wit' bein' in water, ye've gone overboard. If yer dealin' wit' te keel in water then, lad, ye've been crushed. 'Twould be an inordinate keelhaulin'," Jack said sternly. Skylos added a small note next to the keel.
"Heelin' be fer when yer boat's gone sideways from te wind. Tack is either te set o' yer course or te change te direction. Keep a sharp ear fer which te Captain means, savvy?
"Jibe be te turn te stern through te wind. Ye'll understand more when ye see it done," he assured the boy, seeing his confused look.
"Windward be te side closest to te wind. If yer heelin', 'twill be te high side. Leeward be te side furthest from te wind. 'Twill be te low side. Lines be te ropes. Rigging be te sail ropes. Mainsail be te biggest sail, te most important, savvy? Te boom be te beam beneat' te mainsail, 'tis te wood support. Jib be forward o' te mast an' have no beam," he paused. "Did ye get all that?" he asked, and Skylos nodded, adding a few more notes.
"Aye," the boy said distractedly.
"Good lad. Now, as fer yer sailor's tongue, copy te lads 'round ye. An' add a curse 'r two between," he laughed loudly as the boy wrote his words down. "Ye'll do well off te shore, lad," Jack said, softer, kinder. They shared a smile and Jack urged Kidd on with a light smack of the reins.
YOU ARE READING
A Trek of A Storyteller
AdventureThe second part in my trilogy of the young boy. A Tale From Before is the first, and now that our young Storyteller is freed of his captor, he has the whole world to explore. At long last, he is able to settle into a life that erases his past from h...
