We were about a day out to sea when we saw it.
"Nathan! Starboard side!" I look to my right, and I see a ship off in the distance. We haven't been paying much attention. Nathan and the crew have been teaching me to rig a sail.
"Alright, everyone calm down, we don't know what they are, it could just be a merchant!" Uncle Nate says.
"Nathan, you know good and well a sloop approaching directly like that is no merchant, and don't you dare try to deny it!" We cant turn to the port side, which would be running directly from them because we would be heading straight for land, which offers no safe haven, simply endless jungle. I begin putting together the peices in my mind as I watch my uncles face turn ashen. We have to go straight wile they approach from the side, which will cause to inevitably meet. Were about to be boarded by pirates!
"Everyone grab a musket, a pistol, and someone pass around the cutlasses." The crew begin to rush around, grabbing what they need, and getting in battle stations. I rush to grab a musket but my uncle grabs my arm.
"Uncle, I'm a man now, let me fight, like you taught me."
"Edward, you don't want a mans blood on your conscience."
I look at him dead in the eyes, and say, "But I wont be having your blood on it either." After a pause he lets my hand free and I grab my musket. The approaching ship raising a black jolly roger. A jolly roger is the ship flag. I cant make out the emblem, but its pirate in nature.
"Stop the ship, if they fire on us, we will have no chance, maybe we can fight them off! No one shoot until we know they mean us harm, if we can make it through this with no blood shed, God willing that will be our fate!" My uncle says. The orders are carried out, the sails retracted, and I rush to drop the anchor. We all kneel beside the rails and take aim, waiting for any sign of aggression from the other ship. The ship come closer and closer, until finally its yelling distance from us.
They point their broadsides at us, and the captain, or at least I assume he is the captain, yells, "We can do this the easy way, or the hard way, choose yer lot!"
My Uncle yells, "We have no plunder, no treasure, you may look yourselves. We only have food for a trip around Jamaica!.
The pirate yells back, "And what exactly are ya doin', sailin' around an island for no apparent cause?"
"We are teaching the boy how to sail!" They throw grapheling hooks on the ship, and start pulling us closer. "Steady as she goes boys, hold your fire. Have faith!"
The ship is close enough for speaking distance now. He looks around at his men, who all hold muskets pointed straight at us.
"I see treasure, don't you boys?" They laugh and agree.
"I assure you, no plunder is on this boat, like I said, only enough food to get us around the island."
"What port do ya hail from?"
"Port Royal."
YOU ARE READING
The Chronicles of a Pirate
Historical FictionWhen Edward Goldsteel finds he and his uncle kidnapped on a pirate ship, and soon captured by the British Royal Navy, they are offered one of three choices. Join the Navy, Slavery, or be hanged. Little does he know, his decision will place him in th...
