by J.A. Sprouls
Chapter 8
Once down below deck Wicket and Tally spread the paper out on the kitchen table and started to think about different ways to get them and the ship home. Tally was thinking so hard he had his tongue sticking out and his face was red.
"What we need to do is think of the most logical way to get us home. It shouldn't be that hard." Wicket said.
"Well, if that's the case then all we need to do is build a wagon that will carry the ship and us back to the Gulf. That's the most logical thing I can think of." Tally offered.
Wicket had to agree that was the most logical thing to do but he knew that wasn't what was gonna happen. "If it was gonna be that easy then Captain wouldn't have sent us down here to devise some method to do this. Nope, it's not the way it's gonna work. Besides, take a good look around outside. There aren't any trees big enough to build anything with. It's just flat land with scrub. So that's obviously not the way to go."
"Yeah, but there's a wagon train full of people who have all these wagons and oxen we could use. We could get a few of those wagons and make one big wagon that would hold the ship," Tally explained.
"Well, that could work but I don't see them giving up their wagons and oxen just for us to get home. You see, they've given up all that they had and loaded what they could on to the wagons to come out West. All they have is that wagon and so they ain't gonna part with it none too easily. I bet they would want a whole bunch of money for them wagons too. And I don't see the Captain giving up his treasure none too easily either. After all, he just kinda fell into the role of captain and he gets the perks that go with it, meaning the treasure. Now, if it were you would you give up the treasure, just like that?" Wicket snapped his fingers as he said the last part.
"Nope, I wouldn't. But the Captain seems to be a rather smart fella and so he might realize that getting back to the Gulf is more important than any treasure. So under those circumstances, he might be willing to give up the treasure." Tally thought this was only logical.
"Have you looked at the bottom of the ship? In case you missed it we got four, count them, four gaping holes in the hull. Two holes each on the port and starboard sides of the bow and stern. It's gonna take money to repair those holes. Okay, granted the holes ain't all that big but they are big enough to let water in, so they need to be fixed. So what's the point of getting back to the Gulf if you don't have the money to fix the ship? It's nothing more than firewood if it don't float."
"Yes, I see your point but I still think getting back to the Gulf is the number one priority so the Captain will want to do everything he can to get there. It's really the only thing we can do. It's the most logical way to solve the problem." Tally added the logical part just to show Wicket he could think logically too.
"Nope, if it was gonna be as easy as paying for the wagons then the Captain would have come up with that himself and not asked us to think on it. There has to be some other way to get back to the Gulf and not spend too much of the treasure."
"Well, we gotta have wheels of some sort. Because we aren't gonna move without water or wheels. And since this land is dryer then a cotton ball I don't think we can hope for a flood on Noah's level to float us back home. So wheels make the next logical solution." Tally wasn't gonna give up his wagon idea without a fight because it happened to be a darn good idea, as far as he was concerned.
"I've told you we've got four gaping holes in the hull, so no flood would help us, it would sink us. And we can't make the repairs to the hull simply because, as I said before, there is no wood around here. Besides, the Captain is seeing the Wind Hag not the Rain Hag. So asking for rain isn't gonna make a bit of difference."
Tally smiled smugly and said, "Then wheels are the only solution, right? Now don't go trying to tell me otherwise because you know I'm right."
Wicket got this big old grin on his face and smiled back at Tally. As much as he hated to admit it Tally was right but he wasn't right in the way he thought he was. And Wicket was gonna enjoy making sure Tally knew that he was only half right.
"Instead of buying the wagons and oxen we could save the treasure and just buy us the wheels. Then we rig some axles to fit through the holes in the bow and stern and then attach the wheels. From there we use the wind and the sails to get the ship moving. It would be like on the water but instead we're on land and we have wheels but it makes the ship move just the same. And so all we would have to buy is the wheels. We have plenty of large round posts in the storage hull to use as axles. All we need is two. So all we would have to do is spend a small amount of the treasure to buy the wheels. We already have the sails and everything else to fix up the ship in this way." Wicket was grinning from ear to ear. This idea was perfect and absolutely genius.
"One problem, how you gonna steer? In the water you have the rudder but that ain't gonna work on land. So that's a stupid idea. It ain't gonna work. You just don't want to admit that my idea is the only logical one and the only way we're gonna make it back to the gulf." Tally crossed his arms in defiance of Wicket and his idea.
Wicket stared at Tally for a second and thought to himself. Tally was right about steering but darned if he was gonna give him credit for it, if for no other reason than Tally was sitting there looking smug. So he thought and thought so hard he figured his mind might pop, when it came to him.
"Ropes." That was all Wicket said and smiled at Tally waiting for the sheer brilliance of the idea to sink into Tally's limited mind.
"Ropes? What the heck is that supposed to mean? Or are you thinking the Captain is gonna string you up with a rope when you spring this stupid idea of yours on him?"
Wicket rolled his eyes and realized that Tally wasn't as logical as he was making himself out to be. "Ropes, we tie ropes to the front axle and then to the ships wheel and we steer that way. When you turn the wheel one way the axle and wheels turn that direction. Turn it the other way and axle and wheels turn the other way. You see, it makes perfect sense." Wicket grabbed the paper and started drawing a sketch of the idea.
Tally grabbed the paper and yelled at Wicket, "We ain't agreed that is the way we're gonna do this and we need to agree on it. I still think my idea is the best and you're just not agreeing with me because I was the one who thought it up and not you."
"I'm doing what is the most efficient manner in which to get home and preserve the treasure. In case you have forgotten, the crew gets a portion of the treasure. That means the more we save the more we get. And we aren't gonna get any until the hull has been repaired. So I'm looking at it from the best way to preserve our share of the treasure. You just want to get back to the Gulf and who cares if we have any treasure left to spend on the ladies when we get back."
That stopped Tally in his tracks. He mulled over everything that Wicket said but he still thought Wicket was ignoring his idea because he was the one to come up with it and not Wicket. Wicket saw the dilemma in Tally's face and so he came up with a compromise, "I'll tell ya what, you draw out your idea and I'll draw out mine. Then we give both to the Captain and let him decide which one is the best one to use, okay?" Wicket stuck out his hand to show he was making a gentlemanly agreement with Tally. Tally looked at his hand for a few seconds and then grabbed it to show Wicket he was just as gentlemanly. Then they both hunkered down and started to sketch out their ideas. Both felt for sure the Captain would choose their idea and both planned on being smug to the other after the Captain chose their design.
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