A Sea Too Far

by Hank Manley

  Gladstone nodded with satisfaction. “I will help ye free the hostages. It will cost ye neither medicine nor rum nor gold. And I will help ye capture the most feared pirate sailing the seven seas. With the defeat of Blackbeard, ye will become the most famous governor in the colonies of America.”

  * * *

  Two days later Fancy, a forty foot fishing schooner, sailed from the Charles Town harbor. Captain Marks was in command of the vessel which carried a wooden chest purportedly loaded with medicines for the pirates of Queen Anne’s Revenge. A burlap sack rested on the deck of the boat that claimed to be stuffed with 500 gold coins. Cases of empty rum bottles were stacked nearby.

  Robert Gladstone was aboard Fancy. His written pardon remained ashore, secure in his room at the Boar’s Tooth Inn. The duplicitous pirate knew the medicines in the chest were merely vials of water and beakers of ground flour. He also knew the rum bottles were empty and the sack of gold contained only rocks.

  Marty Read had passed two interesting days wandering about Charles Town. The young pirate marveled at the large homes on South Battery Street facing the Ashley River and the magnificent four story mansions lining Meeting Street.

  Marty reflected back to his youth in Devon County, England where his mother had raised him with the assistance of an allowance from a grandmother. The impoverished village had consisted of tiny huts made of mud bricks and stone.

  After the death of his grandmother, with no more funds forthcoming, Marty had left the countryside and taken a job as a footboy to a wealthy French woman in London. The city was overwhelming. People lived in filth. Rats wandered the stone streets with impunity, feasting on garbage and the carcasses of dead animals.

  Two years later, following an enlistment in a military regiment, Marty had fled England on a Dutch ship that was headed for the Caribbean. He had seen enough deprivation and spent sufficient nights freezing in dank rooms. He longed to be warm, see the sun, and possibly earn enough money to enjoy a decent life.

  Before the Dutch ship had arrived at its destination in the islands, Blackbeard had spotted the vessel and launched an attack. Captain Teach stripped the ship of its valuables and took young Marty Read aboard Queen Anne’s Revenge to join his piratical crew. The life of freedom and adventure immediately appealed to the fifteen year-old. He wanted no more poverty and dirt and hunger. The lure of a life at sea called loudly to Marty Read.

  The youthful pirate now stood beside Robert Gladstone, completely oblivious to the traitorous plot underway, and unaware of the ten armed men hidden below deck in the fish holds of Fancy.

  “Ahoy, the Queen Anne’s Revenge,” Captain Marks shouted as he brought the fishing vessel close to the pirate ship. “Where be Captain Blackbeard? We have his medicine and rum and gold as ransom.”

  Queen Anne’s Revenge’s Quartermaster Stede Bonnet appeared on the rear deck and waved for the fishing boat to come alongside.

  “Nay, tis not possible,” Captain Marks replied pointing to the elaborate rigging used for fishing that hung from the mast. “Me thinks the nets will tangle in thy yardarms. It be best if we anchor nearby. Blackbeard can row over in his launch and inspect the bounty we have brought from the governor.”

  “I’ll inform Captain Teach,” Quartermaster Bonnet shouted back. “Anchor thy boat close by and stand by to receive our launch.”

  * * *

  Captain Edward Teach stood in the prow of the Queen Anne’s Revenge’s launch with one foot on the railing. The candles in his braided beard were unlit; Blackbeard felt no need to embellish his fierce countenance. His ubiquitous sword rested inside his waist sash, however, and the three loaded pistols dangled from lanyards hanging from his neck. A satisfied smile was spread across his face.

  Warren toiled at one of the oars. Conchshell paced anxiously in the stern of the launch, jumping from one bench seat to the other.

  Warren had volunteered to row Blackbeard across the one hundred meter expanse of water between the two vessels for three reasons. He was bored with sitting on the pirate ship’s deck after two days of inactivity. He was curious to study the fishing boat and understand their net gear. And he wanted to see his new friend Marty Read and ask him about Charles Town.

  The other pirates in the crew were more than happy to let the newest recruit work while they continued to sit and sip on the remaining wine captured from the French merchant ship.

  Quartermaster Stede Bonnet hauled on the other oar. Normally he would not submit to such menial labor, but he was anxious to board the fishing boat and inspect the medicine and count the rum and gold. As quartermaster, Bonnet was singularly responsible for the correct distribution of the bounty and thus the happiness of the crew.

  Blackbeard grabbed a line dropped from Fancy and tied the launch securely. He reached for the railing and pulled himself up. With a single bound, he swung his long legs over the side and stood on the deck. His eyes immediately fell on the chest supposedly containing medicines, the cases of rum bottles, and the satchel alleged to be stuffed with gold coins.

  “I see thou has kept thy word,” Blackbeard said to Captain Marks as he approached the ransom piled on the deck. “Then there be no need for bloodshed. If all is in order, the hostages are thine. Not a hair on their heads has been harmed.”

  “Not so quickly, Mr. Teach,” Captain Marks said agreeably. “We must exchange the ransom and the hostages properly. Call back to thy boat. Tell thy men to release the hostages from their confines and let us see them on thy deck. We have no reason to doubt thy word, other than ye be a man of treacherous reputation.”

  Blackbeard bristled at the thinly veiled insult. He placed his hand on the butt of his sword and contemplated drawing the blade and slashing the captain’s throat, but he refrained. Instead, he turned and cupped his hands to his mouth. “Bring the prisoners topside,” he yelled. “The captain harbors some doubt about the word of Blackbeard.”

  “Send thy launch back to Queen Anne’s Revenge,” Captain Marks said reasonably. “The governor of South Carolina has expended much time and treasure to assemble this bounty. He instructed me to be certain we receive our citizens back in good health. Put Mr. Wragg and the others aboard thy launch. When they are half way back to Fancy, ye may gather up the gold and rum and medicines.”

  Blackbeard glanced at the treasure lying close by his boots. The medicine was much desired by the men. Sickness and wounds aboard ship often meant death. A storeroom of healing potions meant a happy and productive crew. The gold would purchase much grog and wine in the pubs of Nassau or Jamaica. The rum would bolster the pirates’ courage when it was time to fight.

  Captain Teach had no further use for the hostages. Keeping them alive was a waste of food and drink. Attacking Charles Town could be costly in blood and munitions. His plan to extract bounty from the town had worked. He could afford to wait a few minutes before seeing his gold and rum and medicine.

  ~20~

  Warren and Quartermaster Bonnet rowed the launch back to Queen Anne’s Revenge as quickly as possible. Samuel Wragg and the other citizens of Charles Town who had been confined below decks on the pirate ship scurried aboard the little craft without delay. They were thrilled to be free of the cramped confines of the hold and relieved that their rescue appeared to be imminent.

  Conchshell yielded her place on the rear seat to the first of the newly released captives and contented herself to sit between Warren and Stede Bonnet.

  Sitting backward on the bench seat next to Bonnet, an oar in his hands, Warren noticed that the men had been relieved of much of their fine clothing. The elaborate silk jackets and colorful ascots the citizens had worn when captured were no longer in sight. The boy suspected the men’s pockets were also lighter than when they embarked Fancy in Charles Town.

  Suddenly a commotion sounded behind Warren as the launch approached to within thirty yards of Fancy. Three distinct rhythm
ic stomps sounded from the fishing boat, followed quickly by the pounding of heavy feet on the wooden deck. Angry words were followed by an agonized scream. Samuel Wragg looked up from his seat in the launch. An expression of severe concern crossed his face.

  Conchshell released a long howl of alarm.

  * * *

  “The hostages are underway,” Blackbeard had said when the launch departed Queen Anne’s Revenge. “I’ll collect me bounty now and prepare to return to me ship.”

  Captain Marks had looked at the launch as it made its final approach to Fancy. Only two pirates were aboard and one appeared very young and unarmed. He was certain the hostages could overpower both men and continue their way safely back to the fishing boat. It was time to execute the deceitful plan outlined by the traitorous Robert Gladstone in return for a pardon from the governor.

  Captain Marks lifted his right foot and stomped on the deck three times to deliver the prearranged signal. Moments later a hatch burst open and ten armed men vaulted from the fish hold below and dashed across Fancy’s main deck brandishing swords.

  “Surrender your weapons,” Captain Marks said in a taunting tone to Captain Teach. “It appears the great Blackbeard is not so clever and fearsome a pirate as his reputation suggests.”

  Blackbeard’s reaction was immediate. He drew his sword from the sash about his waist and held it in front of his face. “Damnation seize me soul for trusting thee,” the pirate shouted at Captain Marks. “For thy treachery ye will feel the wrath of Blackbeard.”

  Edward Teach stepped forward and feinted to the left with the tip of his broad weapon.

  Captain Marks leaned sharply to his own left to avoid the sham thrust toward his right shoulder. It was a disastrous move.

  Blackbeard’s arm moved with blinding speed. He rolled his weapon to his right side and slashed down on Captain Marks’s right shoulder. Bright red arterial blood spurted from the deep wound and immediately saturated the unarmed man’s white shirt.

  Captain Marks released a long howl of agony as he groped for the gaping slash and attempted to stem the flow of gushing blood with his left hand. “Ye have killed me,” he groaned.

  “No more than ye planned for me,” Blackbeard said as he cocked his arm in preparation for another blow.

  The second thrust pierced Captain Marks’s stomach. He fell backward to the deck as Blackbeard withdrew his blade, dripping crimson, and resumed a ready position to engage again.

  Marty Read had stood silently alongside the railing of the fishing boat as Blackbeard and Captain Marks negotiated the terms of exchange for the prisoners and the ransom. The young pirate could appreciate the governor’s instructions to Captain Marks not to release the medicine and rum and gold before receiving assurance that the hostages would be freed. He had believed Blackbeard’s pledge not to harm the citizens of Charles Town, but he also realized that the pirate’s reputation might cause doubt in the minds of the town citizens.

  The sudden and completely unexpected appearance of ten armed men dashing from the hold below deck shocked Marty Read. He stood, unarmed, with his pouch of coins and spare shirt in his bandana, apparently posing no threat to the Charles Town militia who were focused totally on Blackbeard.

  That assumption was costly to the sword-wielding man closest to the young pirate. Marty delivered a powerful punch to the man’s mid-section, causing him to double over in agony and lose his grip on his weapon. Marty promptly grabbed the man’s sword and backed toward Blackbeard to protect the captain’s flank.

  “A treacherous move they have made, Captain Teach,” Marty said, brandishing his weapon toward the advancing men.

  Marty then looked at Robert Gladstone, expecting his shipmate to disarm another of the Charles Town men and form a defensive triangle on the other side of Blackbeard. His surprise was multiplied when he witnessed his fellow pirate firmly shake his head and then ease toward the group of menacing Charles Town men, declaring himself with the militia.

  “Ye be one of these deceitful scoundrels,” Marty spat toward the retreating Gladstone. “Ye have no honor.”

  “Aye,” Gladstone said with a shrug of his shoulders. “But at least I’ve me head still attached to me neck.”

  Blackbeard glanced at Marty Read and smiled. “Ye be a good lad,” he said. “Come. Let’s repay this treachery with our sharp blades.”

  Captain Teach stood taller than any of the men on the deck. Although badly outnumbered, he remained an imposing force that gave pause to the remaining nine armed citizens of Charles Town. His rapid dispatch of Captain Marks, with the impressive display of swordsmanship, struck fear in the men’s hearts and dampened their enthusiasm to advance.

  * * *

  Warren rested his oar on the gunwale of the launch and jumped to the seat. From this height advantage he was clearly able to see the unfolding drama on the deck of the fishing boat. Ten men had miraculously appeared from the fish holds below deck.

  Blackbeard had been tricked! His promise not to harm the hostages was being repaid with hostility. Warren bristled at the deception and feared for the safety of the man who had spared his life at the Wells.

  The boy heard Captain Marks and Edward Teach exchange loud words. Then, in the blink of an eye, Blackbeard had slashed the captain’s shoulder and run him through with his sword.

  The young man’s eyes had burst wide with amazement. His jaw dropped open when he saw the massive burst of blood issue from the wounds.

  Marty Read had moved into Warren’s vision when he had punched one of the Charles Town men, grabbed his weapon, and stepped to Blackbeard’s side assuming a defensive posture with the purloined sword.

  Conchshell growled and barked a sharp protest as the Labrador saw her master’s friend tread into danger.

  Warren knew he had to get aboard Fancy. The young pirate Marty Read who had shown him such kindness, encouraged him to join Blackbeard’s crew, and offered to facilitate his return to Serenity Cay, needed his help.

  Warren dropped to the seat and grabbed the oar. “Pull,” he yelled to Stede Bonnet. “Another few strokes and I can get aboard the fishing boat.”

  Within seconds the launch was alongside Fancy. Conchshell raised her head and issued an uninterrupted howl. The Labrador rose on her rear haunches and scratched wildly at the sides of the fishing boat with her front paws. She continued to wail at her inability to leap from the launch and board Fancy. The dog knew her master was about to join the fray, and she was determined not to be left behind.

  Warren dropped the oar and mounted the seat. “Give me your sword,” he said to Bonnet who had prudently brought his weapon from Queen Anne’s Revenge. “I’m going to help the captain and my friend Marty Read. You might as well put Conch aboard as well, unless you’re willing to hear her barking the rest of the day.”

  With the quartermaster’s sword in his right hand, Warren sprang over the gunwale of the launch and cleared the railing of the fishing boat. He landed behind Blackbeard and Marty Read and immediately stepped forward to take up position to the captain’s left side.

  “Ahoy, laddie,” Blackbeard said as he glanced at Warren. “I welcome thy help. The honorable men of Charles Town seem to have us at an unfair advantage.”

  “Our shipmate Robert Gladstone appears to be the cause of our distress,” Marty Read added. “He has betrayed us to these villainous rogues.”

  Conchshell dropped to the deck from Quartermaster Bonnet’s outstretched hands. The loyal dog squeezed her head between Warren’s legs, and bared her fangs at the phalanx of adversaries facing the three pirates.

  ~21~

  Without a direct command, the three men to Warren’s immediate front instinctively separated from their comrades and stepped toward the young man and his dog. They raised their swords to a ready position in front of their bodies and inched into a semi-circle formation.

&
nbsp; Warren was forced away from Blackbeard. He looked directly into the eyes of the men and saw their determination, but he also saw their reluctance to attack and injure a youngster. The presence of Conchshell added to the men’s hesitation. They didn’t know if the dog was vicious and posed a threat. None of the men had ever seen a Labrador before.

  The weight of the large sword dragged on Warren’s arms. He hadn’t realized the energy needed to wield such a huge weapon. Blackbeard had made his defeat of Captain Marks seem easy, but the pirate was considerably larger, stronger, and vastly more experienced.

  Warren cocked the sword over his right shoulder and delivered a chopping blow toward one of the men. The intended victim easily parried the swing with his own sword and deflected the blade away harmlessly.

  “Lay down thy sword,” one of the men said kindly to Warren. “There’s no need to fight. It be certain ye be no experienced swordsman.”

  “Aye, lad,” a second man said. “It not be thy head we want. Our interest be only in the pirate Blackbeard.”

  Warren’s ire rose sharply. He was being dismissed as inconsequential. “I can’t let you harm Captain Blackbeard without trying to help,” he said. “The man saved my life. I owe him my loyalty in return.”

  “Ye do not have to die for him,” the third man offered. “He be nothing but a common thief and criminal.”

  * * *

  The two men positioned in front of Marty Read managed to ease him away from Blackbeard’s other shoulder so that there were now three distinct groups of combatants on the deck of Fancy.

  Marty slid along the railing voluntarily, abetting the citizens’ objective. He was more interested in confronting Robert Gladstone who had taken up station behind the line of Charles Town volunteers.

  “Ye miserable wretch,” Marty snarled to the traitorous pirate. “Unsheathe thy sword and face me. How dare thee return to my sight after the dastardly deed of betraying Captain Teach and the rest of thy friends?”