The Delfe Treasure

44. Of Crew and Tails

Aldrick and Wilson joined Elizabeth and Judith in the deeper water, and after they had frolicked for a while, Wilson shouted a loud, "Huzzah!" when he learnt of Judith's possible pregnancy. He wrapped her in a tight hug, and they rolled together in the water, kissing and caressing.

The two couples enjoyed a long, rambling intercourse as they swam and floated in the warm water beneath the midday sun, then Elizabeth rubbed her breasts and belly and said, "We need to cover ourselves again, else we will become sunburnt. My skin begins to tingle."

Ashore a while later, as they dressed, they saw the longboat being pulled southward toward the ship, and Aldrick paused to examine it more closely. "I see only four besides the men on the sweeps. Something seems amiss."

They all stopped dressing to look, then Wilson said. "There, amidships. Someone rising from a crouch."

Aldrick nodded. "Yes, Doc and his aides are likely ministering to the injured maroons." He watched for a while longer. "Yes, that appears to be the case. But there are far too few; we sent a dozen north on foot."

Elizabeth pointed to her right along the strand. "There in the distance at water's edge. They are walking back." 

The four finished dressing; then with their baskets and bag of lobsters, they headed southward along the strand toward the gathering around the fire. Most of the men were still naked, and as they neared, Elizabeth whispered to Judith, "See. Compare with their hands. Normal is thumb-sized or less." 

Judith nodded, pursing her lips as she appraised the variety of dangles, then she whispered back, "I wonder to what size they grow."

Elizabeth giggled. "We could undo our shirt fronts and shake our titties at them. They will quickly show us."

Judith looked into Elizabeth's eyes trying to hide a snicker. "It pleases me to be discovering your lighter side, Elizabeth. Not always taking your words so seriously."

"Life can be so much more fun if we look at it in a less serious way."

"But one must have all their needs met, both the current and the future ones, to be able to relax into an attitude such as this."

"But pause to consider, Judith. George is entitled to three shares of the treasure. It would take you several lifetimes to spend all he is due. You heard what Aldrick said about investing and causing the fortune to grow."

Judith's eyes widened as she nodded. "Three shares? He has not told me it is three. I had assumed but one."

"Men seem not to want to share details about money. About wealth. His grandfather was one of the officers in Delfe, so it is three. But even with only one share, there would be more than sufficient for you to enjoy a lifetime of ease." 

"True." Judith shook her head. "I am still trying to accept the fact that this is not all a dream. George, your wonderful friendship, the treasure, everything." 

When the women had stopped to observe and talk, Aldrick and Wilson had set their baskets down, took their four tankards and a platter and continued with the burlap of lobsters the short distance to the gathering at the fire. 

While she conversed, Elizabeth spread the bath sheets on the sand and invited Judith to sit with her. When the men returned a few minutes later with a laden plate and four tankards of ale, she said, "Oh, my! So quickly cooked."

Aldrick chuckled. "No, these were already cooked when we arrived. They have many dozens, the men continue to bring them ashore, and the gridiron is kept full. We simply filled our plate from the bin." He set the platter of grilled tails in the centre of the sheet while Wilson passed the ladies their tankards.

The four sat talking and enjoying the lobster and ale while they watched the men frolicking along the strand and in the water. After a long lull in their conversation, Aldrick said, "What a splendid idea this was, Beth. We must give them similar relaxations at every opportunity."

Elizabeth pointed to the glassy calmness of the water. "We would not have been able to sail in this stillness anyway, so you would have been forced to give them this."

"But announcing it in advance while the storm still raged — that adds to their appreciation of you, Sir." Judith shrugged. "Most would not think the respite is because of the lack of wind."

Aldrick pointed to the southwest. "Out there, beyond the protection of the ridge, we can see the water disturbed by the light breeze. We would have had the longboats pull us out into the wind, and we may well need to do that on the morrow unless the wind increases."

As they looked seaward, Charles and the ten hands arrived from the north. "Sir, sorry to disturb. But I thought it important that you know the state of the five maroons."

"Thank you, Mister Charles. Indeed it is. Please, do tell us." 

"They are suffering from starvation, Sir. Two of them are no longer sufficiently strong to walk. Eleven had survived the wreck, but with the difficulty of finding food through the last two storms, now there remain but five." 

"And what has Doc Haines said about their condition?"

"I heard nothing about that from him. After we loaded the French, the boat was pulled away, and Brady went with them so he could translate." Charles pointed to the longboat being pulled away from Elizabeth and heading toward them. "That might be him now. I had told him to come and inform you of what he has learnt."

"Fine enterprise, Mister Charles." Aldrick pointed to the fire. "Continue along and get yourselves some lobster tails."

"Aye, Sir."

A few minutes later, Brady arrived and related what he had learnt from the French. "None who had survived the wreck knew anything about the richness of the sea, the lobsters, conchs, clams, oysters and so on, nor that they are so easily gathered. They found some edible fruit they called raisins de mer, which translates to sea grapes, and they caught a few lizards. After they moved across the ridge, they ate mainly frogs they caught at the edge of the freshwater pond."

When Judith lifted a hand to her mouth and blew out her cheeks, Elizabeth rubbed her back to comfort. "Frog's legs are a French delicacy." She shrugged. "Marie, my lady's maid, told me they taste like chicken."

Brady continued, "The problem was that as the weeks passed, the frogs and lizards became increasingly wary and more difficult to capture."

Aldrick listened to the details of their survival ordeal, then he asked, "Did they say from where they came? To where they were going?"

"They had a load of sugar from Baye Saint Mare, Sir, and they were headed to France, back to Le Havre-de-Grâce."

"Did they say where Bahee San Mar is?"

"On Saint-Domingue, Sir. An anchorage in the centre of its western end. Pierre said there is a large settlement ashore there."

"Thank you, Brady. This evening, you and I will talk with them to gain more information. But now, go get yourself some lobster tails and ale."

"Aye, Sir. With great pleasure."