by D. J. Holmes
The Dutch Captain had enjoyed talking with Gray Wolf and had felt completely at ease. Now he was taken over with fear as it gripped his heart and mind, making it impossible to move. In this mindset he answered every question and did anything that Black Beard told him to do.
“Do you have any gold?”
“No, Sir. But I have twenty-nine bales of cloth and sixty bales of sugar. We also have livestock on our lower levels.”
“Because of your honesty I’ll take fourteen bales of your cloth and thirty bales of your sugar. What kind of livestock do you have?”
“There are six pigs, ten chickens and two cows.”
“You have cows?”
“Yes, Sir, we have women and children aboard.”
“Why haven’t I seen them?”
“They are always put is a safe place when we come upon another ship in the open waters, Sir.”
“You are a good Captain, you take care of your passengers without giving up where they are, and it is because of this and your honesty that I will only take half of your live stock. That is except for the cows, you can keep both of them.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
“No, thank you… After I share this with my men, all of our women will love us. We haven’t had sugar for a long time and of course you know that women love cloth.”
“Yes Sir, I know.”
Turning to his men he shouts, “Two by two, go into their lower decks and get our bounty: Fourteen bales of cloth and fifteen bales of sugar. We also have three pigs and five chickens. Leave the cows alone.”
“Aye, Aye Sir.”
Turning around he whispers, “Gray Wolf, I want you to go down on the lower levels and make sure that they don’t take anything else. If you see the women and children I want you to guard them from my men.”
“Yes, Sir…”
Soon, Black Beard’s ship is loaded and the Dutch ship is on its way.
While the men are putting everything into their lower levels, Gray Wolf asks, “Black Beard why are you dressed this way?”
“Did you see what just happened? Not one shot was fired was it?”
“No, Sir.”
“It’s all in the way that you direct their attention. I am tall and scary looking when I’m dressed like this, aren’t I?”
“Yes. If I didn’t know that you were a kind man, I would have been scared.”
“That’s the whole purpose. I draw their attention to me so that they are scared. While they are scared they don’t think of their weapons; they are frozen. And while they are frozen they don’t hurt my men and in turn my men don’t hurt them. We just take their merchandise.”
“Why do you take what doesn’t belong to you?”
“I’m a pirate, and that’s what pirates do.”
“So this is what you want to teach me? To take what doesn’t belong to me?”
“Well I hadn’t thought of it in that way.”
“Black Beard, I love you like a father, but I don’t know if I can do this.”
“Will you stay with me for a while longer son? I need you; you’re the best thing that the skies have ever sent to me.”
“I’ll stay until we get back to Haiti where the Island girls are.”
“That’s a deal.”
In the next few days Black Beard and his crew take several ships in the same manner as they did with the Dutch.
If for some reason the same tactics don’t work the helmsman, on the enemy ship, is wounded. With no one at the ship’s wheel, the ship drifts aimlessly. The pirates sail to the side and snare the other ship with grappling hooks. With all of the pirates pulling on the ropes of the grappling hooks they bring both ships side to side and jump aboard. Once aboard they ransack the ship looking for gold, silver and jewels.
Black Beard repeats both of these scenarios over and over again until the lower levels of his ship are full. Standing on the quarterdeck Black Beard announces, “You’ve done a great job. It’s time to celebrate! First we go to Ocracoke and then we go home to Haiti.”
Heading for open sea with a full cargo of grain, kegs of rum, molasses, rope, tools, sugar, cloth, live stock and ammunition, The Queen Anne’s Revenge is riding low in the water, making it hard to maneuver.
“…Ship on the Horizon!”
“What are its colors? Maybe this time we will just pass by it.”
“It’s red on the top and bottom and yellow in the middle with a crescent.”
“…The Spanish!”
“Gray Wolf get the men together, we need to take a vote on this.”
The men quickly gather just below the quarterdeck.
“Men, there is a Spanish ship on the horizon and as you know their ships are usually full of gold. Our lower decks are full to capacity, which makes it hard to maneuver this ship. Do you want to take the Spanish, or let it sail by? …Before I take your vote I want to remind you that they usually have soldiers and are armed quite heavily. Some of us might not make it… All those who want to take it say, Aye.”
All of the crew yell “Aye.”
“Are there any that I may have missed, that vote nay?
Silence…
“Then we had better get ready. Everyone to your stations and be sure to post the Spanish Flag. I’ll go below and get ready. Gray Wolf, would you take over again?”
“Yes, Sir…”
Word that Black Beard was in these parts of the Caribbean Sea had reached the Spanish before they sailed and they were prepared for him.
Everything went as it had with all the other ships that Black Beard had taken the last few days, until he came out with all that gray smoke swirling around his head. Ready to fight, the Spanish soldiers pulled out their swords. In defense, the pirates pull out their swords concealing their pistols for later, if needed.
“As you can see, Black Beard, my men are ready to fight your men.”
“And as you can see Captain my men are rugged, and within the last few days we have had a lot of practice.”
“We cannot let you take our gold; it would mean our heads when we get home.”
“Think of it this way, we take half of your gold and you get to keep your heads today.”
“…What about a third of it?”
Standing straight and tall with his men he growls, “I’m not here to barter with you; it’s either half or all of it.”
The Spanish Captain states nervously, “I am sorry then Sir, we will have to fight.”
Smiling, Black Beard replies, “I was hoping that you would say that, I felt like having a good fight today.”
“What would you think about picking one of our men from each side and let them fight. Whoever wins is able to keep the gold.”
“Now that is the first time that I have heard the Spanish give up a good fight.”
“I am only trying to be fair, kind sir.”
“…Fine. My deck is larger, would you mind having the fight on my ship?”
The Spanish Captain still tries to hide his fear, “Not at all… In fact I would feel a lot better about it if I brought five of my soldiers with me.”
“You feel safe coming to my ship with only six of you?”
“Yes. I have heard that you are ruthless in your fighting, but you are an honorable man.”
“Pick your man. The fight will start in five minutes.”
“We will be there.”
Black Beard brings his crew together. “Who do you want to fight for the gold on that ship? I will leave it up to you. Each one of you speak the name of the person that will represent us.”
As the pirates state their choice there is only one name that is spoken over and over again. “…Gray Wolf.”
Black Beard is sick. Speaking to his crew, he states “Gray Wolf has only fought a few times. All of you have fought for months.”
“What you say is true Captain, but in those few short days, Gray Wolf has become better than all of us put together.”
Knowing that Gray Wolf this to be true he asks, “are you ready to do this Gray Wolf?
”
“Yes… You have taught me well.”
Five minutes have gone by… Everyone is ready.
As Gray Wolf shows his Cutlass and the Spanish Soldier pulls out his double-sided Rapier; in his mind Gray Wolf wonders what kind of a sword the enemy is using.
Watching Gray Wolf and looking over at the smile on the Spanish Captain’s face it finally dawns on Black Beard, “they knew that he would react this way. Their blades are usually wider than the one he is holding.”
Lunging forward the soldier cuts Gray Wolf’s shoulder. The dynamics of the longer sword are hard for Gray Wolf to maneuver until he decides to move forward, blocking and cutting at the same time. While the soldier is distracted with his first cut in his dominate arm, Gray Wolf quickly strikes again at the same arm knocking the sword to the deck.
Moving back he allows the soldier to bend over in an effort to pick up his sword. Something catches Gray Wolf’s eye. “Where is the Captain? He was just behind his soldier.” The Spanish Soldiers seem to be in position to board Queen Anne’s Revenge. Quickly turning to check on Black Beard he notices the Spanish Captain with a knife in his hand standing directly behind him. Pulling his dagger from it’s sheath he yells “father” and quickly throws the dagger hitting the Spanish Captain’s arm directly above his wrist which stops the chance to wound Black Beard. At the same time he quickly kicks his opponent’s sword out of reach before he is able to pick it up from the deck.
All of Black Beards crew pull their swords and stand ready to fight, as he walks toward the Spanish Captain and his bleeding arm. “What I learned today is that the Spanish are not honorable.” Raising his sword as he holds the captain by his neck, Black Beard commands, “now have your men bring my half of your gold over here or I am going to run you through.”
Sweating and squealing like a pig he shouts, “…quickly, quickly bring his gold up.” His soldiers run up and down the stairs as fast as they can, bringing the gold that their Captain has asked for.
“That was quick. Now how are we going to get it to my deck?” Black Beard asks as he pushes the sword deeper into the Captain’s neck.
Still squealing like a pig he shouts ever louder, “bring it over here!”
Looking at his men Black Beard states, “they may need some help.”
With this monumental task of transferring gold from one deck to another, Black Beard’s pirates and the Spanish Soldiers work together putting gang planks over the railing of the two ships.
Watching the team work, Gray Wolf comments, “This isn’t going to work, Black Beard. The full trunks will break the planks and fall into the sea.”
“What’s your suggestion then, Gray Wolf?”
“Pour two thirds of the gold onto the deck and send the trunk over on the gang planks. Then put the gold coins into bags and walk it over. As soon as they are on our deck all they need to do is to pour it into the trunk.”
“Sounds like it will work. What do you think Captain?” Black Beard asks the Spanish Captain.
“Yes, yes it will work. Just do it, get it done.”
“Thomas, hold this sword to his throat while Gray Wolf and I supervise.”
“Aye, Aye, Sir.”
Finally the gold is on board; the Spanish Captain and his soldiers are on their ship and Black Beard along with his crew sail to his favorite island for a few days of fun.
Sailing their ship to the inner side of Ocracoke Island, they drop anchor. Black Beard has sent a message to all of his pirate friends to meet him. He is anxious to entertain his guests on the other side of the island and leaves after he has asked Gray Wolf to go ashore and be the captain over his men, making sure that they won’t get into trouble. With all of this on his mind Black Beard forgets to set a lookout.
The party lasts all day long and well into the night.
Morning brings the strong rays of sun light. Black Beard and a small part of his crew are still asleep. Gray Wolf is still on the island trying to get a few of his mates that got out of control, out of jail.
The silence is broken with the sound of a cannon being fired. Realizing that his ship is their target, Black Beard cuts the anchor, while his small crew hoists the sails. Maneuvering his ship around to attack from the starboard, their jib sail is torn with small arms gunfire causing them to lose control and run aground on a sandbar. As the attacking ships close in, Black Beard and his men board the first advancing ship. A fierce battle with pistols and swords begins.
As his men fall to the fierceness of the fighting pirates, fearing that he would lose the battle, Lieutenant Robert Maynard of the Royal Navy to Ocracoke signals for more of his men, who had been hidden below deck, to come and help in the fighting. Bursting from the hold as they yell and fire their pistols at the pirates, Black Beard and his men are overcome with the enemy. Finally surrounded, Black Beard is ready to kill the captain, but in all the smoke from the firing of the pistols, a Navy Seaman has come from behind and slit Black Beard’s throat.
The famous Black Beard is dead. When his body is examined they find that he had been shot 5 times and had been cut at least 20 times all over his body.
News of the fierce battle and how Black Beard’s head is hanging from the bowsprit spreads all over Ocracoke. It is in the brig where Gray Wolf is trying to get his mates free that he first hears of his death.
Running into the brig, a townsperson yells, “He’s dead. Black Beard is dead!”
Gray Wolf could hardly believe his words. The six foot five inch famous pirate is dead?
“No. No, this can’t be true…there are always rumors that people love to spread around,” he says to himself. “I’ll get my mates out and then we’ll meet our Captain on the Queen Anne’s Revenge and sail away from this place.”
***
As Diana and her island crew enjoy their maiden voyage, the waves of the sea begin to challenge them. “The waves are getting higher, Diana.”
“I know. I’ll make some adjustments.”
Pushing the lever forward the ship rises higher in the sky, bringing the ‘Destiny’ high enough to be out of danger from the rise and fall of each wave.
“That should do it Diana. Now let’s just see if those waves can reach us… Look down there at the sea it looks like the waves are playing a game to see if they can be the one that will touch our ship.”
“Well it’s not going to do them any good, I’ll just go higher,” Diana says with a huge smile… “Now that we can maneuver this ship, let’s decide where we are going. Would you talk to all of the sisters that talked with Black Beard’s crew, and bring back the information about the different places that the pirates said that they would go?”
“Sure thing, I’ll be back in a little bit.”
While Jaimie is gone, Diana begins talking to herself. “Father, why haven’t you returned? Your ship, the ‘Mysterious’ has always brought you back before now, you have never been gone so long. How sad you would be to find out that your sweet little Jody was taken by Black Beard. I hope that by the time we get back, that you’ll be home. And Daniel I wish that we could still talk. Both you and father would have been such a great help to all of us. While we search for our little sisters, please send your spirits to me, because I need your help. Everyone thinks that I am the strongest one, but I don’t know if I really am. Please I need your help.”
Walking back into the Captain’s cabin, Jaimie says, “Here is the list. They all go to Port Royal, New Providence and their favorite is Ocracoke.”
“Let’s go to New Providence first its coordinates are 25 degrees, 02 minutes north, 77 degrees, 24 minutes west. We’ll go east, along the outer edge of our chain of islands, so that we won’t come in contact with all of the pirate ships leaving from and sailing west of our island around Port Royal.”
“I’ve heard that New Providence has salt. Our village could use some.”
“Jaimie, don’t let me forget when we get there.”
“I won’t…there’s something that I have been th
inking about.”
“What’s that?” Diana questions.
Jaci walks into the cabin, and hears their conversation.
“When we arrive at our destination how are we going to handle this? If we all get out, and wear our pirate uniforms, then how are we going to talk? And if we go as women, we won’t be safe, and they won’t take us seriously.”
“You’ve got a point, Jaimie…” Thinking for a moment Diana says, “go and ask the other sisters.”
Speaking up Jaci says, “You don’t need to ask anyone else, I have an idea.”
“What is your idea?”
“Have one sister go as a woman, and the other sister as a pirate dressed in a uniform. That way the woman can do the talking, and the pirate can still be silent, but be there to protect her. And if there is a problem, both of them can use their swords.”
“You are one smart cookie aren’t you?”
“I thought that it was a good idea,” Jaci says with a smirk on her face, a slight tilt of her head, and her arms folded.
“Jaimie we’ll use Jaci’s idea. Four of us will go in, while the rest are left here to guard the ship. You stay here as commander of the ship, in case something happens to me. I’ll take Danielle, Jaci and Kristen. Jaci and Kristen will be the women. Danielle and I will be the pirates. You, Stacey, Marie and Jessica will guard the ship. How does that sound to you?”
“…Fine.”
“Would you and Jaci go and tell the others our plan? And if anyone else has any suggestions, tell them to please let me know.”
“I’ll tell them.
A half a day later, they arrive at the island of New Providence, in the Bahamas. The harbor has a few ships anchored for the day. Nearing the island, Diana rolls out the sails, lowers the ship to the water and sails their ship, the ‘Destiny’ into the harbor.
“Well, here we are everyone. The show is on. Make sure that you all have your pistols and swords hanging in the holders that our mothers made for us. Remember that they are to make a crisscross so that you can access them easily. Put the daggers in your boots to hide them. And play your parts to the best of your ability.”
“The show is on Diana,” Marie says as the other sisters nod their heads in agreement.
The bay is deep enough that the ship can slowly sail up to the dock. Once the ship is secured they walk down the gangplank to the dock. Many visiting pirates are watching them wondering who they are. Impressed with the beauty of the women, yet wondering who the pirates are and noticing all of the weapons, they ask, “Who are those guys?”