Birds of Prey c-1

by Wilbur Smith

  At that moment the second explosion swept through the camp. It did even more damage than the first for, in response to his bellowed orders, the Buzzard's men were charging straight into the blast when it struck them.

  "There's something to keep them busy for a while," Aboli grunted. "Pull for the frigate, lads, and leave the Buzzard to his kinsman the devil." al had not waited for the first explosion to shatter the night before he launched the &Hfireship. With all the men in the party helping, they dragged the hull down the beach. Relieved of her cargo, she was a great deal lighter to handle. They piled into her the bundles of cutlasses and the chest filled with loaded pistols.

  They left Sabah to hold her and ran back to fetch the second vessel. The women ran beside them as they dragged it down to the water's edge and scrambled on board. Big Daniel carried little Bobby and handed him to Zwaantie when she was safely seated on the floorboards. Hal lifted Sukeena in and placed her gently in the stern sheets. He gave her one last kiss.

  "Keep out of danger until we have secured the ship. Listen to Ned He knows what to do."

  He left her and ran back to take command of the first boat. Big Daniel and the two birds, Sparrow and Finch, were with him, as were Althuda. and Sabah. They would need every fighting man on the deck of the frigate if they were to take her.

  They pushed the boat out into the channel and as their feet lost the bottom they began to swim and steered her for the anchored frigate.

  The tide was at high slack. soon it would turn and give them its help as they ran the frigate for the deep channel between the heads.

  But first we have to make her ours! Hal told himself as he kicked out strongly, clinging to the gunwale.

  A cable's length from the Golden Bough Hal whispered, "Avast, lads. We don't want to arrive before we're welcome. "They hung in the water as the boat drifted aimlessly in the slack of the tide.

  The night was quiet, so quiet that they could hear the voices of the men on the beach and the tap and clatter of the frigate's rigging as she snubbed her anchor and her bare masts rolled, almost imperceptibly, against the blaze of the stars.

  "Maybe Aboli has run into trouble, Big Daniel muttered at last. "We might have to board her without any diversion." "Wait!" Hal replied. "Aboli will never let us down."

  They hung in the water, their nerves stretched to breaking point. Then came the sound of a soft splash behind them, and Hal turned his head. The shape of the second boat crept towards them from the island.

  "Ned is overeager," Big Daniel said.

  "He's only following my orders, but he must not get ahead of us."

  "How can we stop him?"

  "I will swim across to speak to him," Hal answered, and let go his hold on the gunwale. He struck out towards the other boat in a silent breaststroke that did not break the surface. Close alongside he trod water and called softly, "Ned!"

  "Aye, Captain! "Ned answered as softly.

  "There is some delay. Wait here and do not get ahead of us. Wait until you hear the first explosion. Then take her in and latch on to the frigate's anchor cable."

  "Aye, Captain, "Ned replied, and looking up at the black hull Hal saw a head peering down at him over the side. The starlight glowed on Sukeena's honey-gold skin, and he knew he must not speak to her again or swim closer lest his concern for her affect his judgement lest his love for her quench the fighting fire in his blood, He turned and swam back towards the other boat.

  As he reached its side and lifted his hand to grip the gunwale, the quiet night was shattered by thunder and the echoes that burst against the hills swept over the lagoon. From the dark grove, flames shot up into the night sky and, for a brief moment, lit the scene like dawn. In that illumination Hal saw every sheet and spar of the frigate's rigging, but there was no sign of an anchor watch or other human presence aboard her.

  "All together now, lads," Hal said, and they struck out again with new heart. It took them only minutes to close the gap. But in that time the night was transformed. They could hear the shouting and musket fire from the beach and the flames of the burning forest danced and glimmered on the surface around them. Hal was afraid that they might be lit brightly enough to be spotted by a vigilant sentry on the frigate's deck.

  With relief they swam the awkward craft into the shadow cast by the frigate's tall hull. He glanced back and saw Ned Tyler bringing the other boat close behind them. As Hal watched they reached the frigate's drooping anchor line and he saw Sukeena stand up in the bows and take hold of the cable. He felt a lift of relief. His orders to Ned were to keep the women safely out of the way until they had control of the frigate's deck.

  He saw with satisfaction that a skiff was moored alongside the Golden Bough, a rope ladder dangling into her from the deck above. Even more fortunately, it was empty, and no heads showed above the frigate's rail. However, he could hear a babble of voices above. The crew must be lining the frigate's far rail facing the beach, staring across in alarm and consternation at the flames, watching the running figures and the flashes of musket fire in bewilderment.

  They pushed the fire ship the last few feet and bumped softly against the side of the empty skiff. Immediately Hal hauled himself out of the water over her side, leaving the others to secure her, and swarmed up the rope ladder to the deck.

  As he had hoped, the skeleton crew of the frigate were all watching the disturbance, but he was dismayed at their numbers. There must be fifty of them at least. However, they were absorbed in what was happening ashore, and as Hal gathered himself to climb out onto the deck there was another mighty detonation from out of the forest.

  "By God, will you no" look at that?" one of Sam Bowles's pirates shouted.

  "There's a bloody great battle going on out there." "Our shipmates are in trouble. They need our help."

  "I owe no favours to any of them. They'll get no help from me."

  "Shamus is right. Let the Buzzard fight his own battles." Hal swung himself onto the deck and, with half a dozen quick steps, he had reached the shelter of the break in the forecastle. He crouched there and surveyed the deck. Jiti had told Aboli they were holding the frigate's loyal crew in the main hold. But the hatch was in full view of Sam Bowles's men at the far rail.

  He glanced back, and saw Big Daniel's head appear at the entry port He could not delay. He jumped up, ran out to the main hatch coaming and dropped on his knees behind it. There was a mallet lying beside the hatch, but he dared not use it to hammer out the wedges. The pirates would hear him and be upon him in an instant.

  He knocked softly on the timbers with the hilt of his cutlass and spoke in a quiet voice. "Ahoy there, Golden Bough. Do you hear me?"

  A muffled voice from beneath the hatch cover answered immediately, in a lilting Celtic accent. "We hear you. Who are you?"

  "An honest Englishman, come to set you free. Will you fight with us against the Buzzard?"

  "God love you, honest Englishman! We beg you for a taste of his mongrel blood."

  Hal glanced round. Big Daniel had brought up a bundle of cutlasses, and both Wally Finch and Stan Sparrow carried others. Althuda had the chest of loaded pistols. He lowered it to the deck and opened the lid. At first glance the weapons within seemed dry and ready to fire.

  "We have weapons for you," Hal whispered to the man under the hatch. "Lend a hand to throw back the hatch when I knock out the wedges, then come out fighting like terriers but call your ship's name, so we will know you and you us."

  He nodded to Daniel and hefted the heavy mallet. Big Daniel seized the lip of the hatch and put all his weight under it. Hal swung the mallet, and with a resounding crack the first wedge flew across the deck. He leaped across the hatch and with another two more full-blooded swings of the mallet sent the remaining wedges clattering to the deck. With Big Daniel straining above and the trapped crew of the Golden Bough heaving underneath the coaming cover flew back with a crash and the prisoners came boiling out like angry wasps.

  At this sudden uproar behind them, Sam Bowles'
s men turned and gaped. It took them a long moment to realize that they had been boarded and that their prisoners were free. But by that time Hal and Daniel faced them across the fire lit deck, cutlass in hand.

  Behind them Althuda was striking sparks from flint and steel as he hurried to light the slow-match on the locks of the pistols, and Wally and Stan were tossing cutlasses to the liberated seamen as they stormed out of the hold.

  With a wild shout a pack of pirates led by Sam Bowles charged across the deck. They were twenty against two, and their first rush drove Daniel and Hal back, steel ringing and rasping against steel as they gave ground slowly. But the pair held them long enough for the seamen of the Golden Bough to dash into the fight.

  Within minutes the deck was thronged with struggling men, and they were so mingled that only their shouted war-cries identified foe from new-made friend.

  "Cochran of Cumbrae!" Sam Bowles howled, and Hal's men roared back, "Sir Hal and the Golden Bow." The frigate's freed sailors were mad for vengeance not merely for their own imprisonment but for the massacre of their officers and the drowning of their wounded mates. Hal and his men had a thousand better reasons for their rage, and they had waited infinitely longer to pay off this score.

  Sam Bowles's crew were cornered animals. They knew they could expect no help from their fellows on the shore. Nor would they receive mercy or quarter from the avengers who confronted them.

  The two sides were almost evenly matched in numbers, but perhaps the crew of the frigate had been weakened by their long confinement in the dark and airless hold. In the forefront of the fight Hal became aware that it was swinging against them. His men were being forced to yield more of the deck and retreat towards the bows.

  From the corner of his eye he saw Sabah break and run, throwing aside his sword and scurrying for the hatch to hide below decks. Hal hated him for it. It takes but one coward to start a rout. But Sabah never reached the hatch. A tall black-bearded pirate sent a thrust through the small of his back that came out through his belly-button.

  Another hour on the practice field might have saved him, Hal thought fleetingly, then concentrated all his mind and strength on the four men who crowded forward, yammering like hyenas around their bleeding prey, to engage him.

  Hal killed one with a thrust under his raised arm into his heart and disarmed another with a neat slash across his wrist that severed his straining sinews. The sword dropped from the man's fingers and he ran screaming across the deck and threw himself, bleeding, overboard. Hal's other two attackers drew back in fear, and in the respite he looked around for Sam Bowles.

  He saw him in the back of the horde, keeping carefully out of the worst of it, screaming orders and threats at his men, his ferrety features twisted with malice.

  "Sam Bowles!" Hal shouted at him. "I have you in my eye." Over the heads of the men between them, Sam looked across at him and there was sudden terror in his pale, close set eyes.

  "I am coming for you now!" Hal roared, and bounded forward, but three men were in his way. In the seconds it took him to beat them aside and clear a path for himself, Sam had darted away and hidden himself in the throng.

  Now the pirates clamoured about Hal like jackals around a lion. For a moment he fought side by side with Daniel and saw with amazement that the big man was wounded in a dozen places. Then he felt the hilt of the cutlass sticky in his hand as though he had scooped honey from a jar with his fingers. He realized that it was not honey but his own blood. He, too, was wounded, but in the heat of it all he felt no pain and fought on.

  "Beware, Sir Hal!" Big Daniel roared, close beside him in the confusion. "The stern!"

  Hal jumped back, disengaging from the fight, and looked back. Daniel's warning had come just in time to save him. Sam Bowles was at the rail of the stern overlooking the lower deck. There was a heavy bronze murderer in the slot of the rail and Sam had a lighted match in his hand as he swivelled and aimed the small hand cannon. He had picked out Hal from the press of fighting men and the murderer was aimed at him. Sam touched the match to the pan of the cannon.

  In the instant before it fired Hal leaped forward, seized the pirate in front of him around his waist and lifted him off his feet. The man yelled with surprise as Hal held him like a shield, just as the murderer fired and a gale of lead shot swept the deck. Hal felt the body of the man in his arms jump as half a dozen heavy pellets smashed into him. He was dead even before Hal dropped him to the deck.

  But the shot had done fearful slaughter among the crew of the Golden Bough, who were grouped close around where Hal stood. Three were down and kicking in their own blood while another two or three had been struck and were struggling to stay on their feet.

  The pirates saw that this sudden onslaught had tipped the balance in their favour and surged forward in a pack, Sam urging them on with excited cries. Like a cracked dam Hal's men started to give way. They were seconds from total rout when from over the rail behind the raging rabble of pirates rose a great black tattooed face.

  Aboli let out a bellow that froze them all where they stood, and ashe sprang over the rail he was followed closely by three other huge shapes, each with cutlass in hand. They had killed five men before the pirates had gathered themselves to face this fresh onslaught.

  Those around Hal were given new heart. they rallied to Hal's hoarse shouts and, with Big Daniel leading them, rushed back into the fight. Caught between Aboli with his savages and the rejuvenated seamen, the pirates wailed with despair and fled. Those unable to swim scuttled down the hatchways into the bowels of the frigate while the others rushed to the rail and jumped overboard.

  The fight was over and the frigate was theirs. "Where is Sam Bowles?"Hal shouted across at Daniel.

  "I saw him run below."

  Hal hesitated a moment, fighting the temptation to rush after him and have his revenge. Then, with an effort, he thrust it aside and turned to his duty.

  "There will be time for him later." He strode to the captain's place on the quarterdeck and surveyed his ship. Some of his men were firing their pistols over the side at the men splashing and swimming towards the beach. "Avast that nonsense!" he shouted at them. "Stand by to get the ship under way. The Buzzard will be upon us at any moment now."

  Even the strangers he had released from the hold rushed to obey his command, for they recognized the tone of authority.

  Then Hal dropped his voice. "Aboli and Master Daniel, get the women on board. As quick as you can." While they ran to the entry port he turned his full attention to the management of the frigate.

  The topmast men were already half-way up the shrouds, and another gang was manning the capstan to weigh the anchor.

  "No time for that," Hal told them. "Take an axe to the anchor cable and cut us free." He heard the clunk of the axe into the timbers at the bows, and felt the ship pay off and swing to the ebb.

  He glanced towards the entry port and saw Aboli lift Sukeena onto the deck. Big Daniel had little Bobby weeping on his chest and Zwaantie on his other arm.

  The main sail blossomed out high above Hal's head, flapped lazily and filled with the gentle night breeze. Hal turned to the helm and felt another great lift of his heart as he saw that Ned Tyler was already at the whipstall.

  "Full and by, Mister Tyler,"he said. "Full and by it is, Captain." "Steer for the main channel!" "Aye, Captain!" Ned could not suppress his grin, and Hal grinned back at him.

  "Will this ship do you, Mister Tyler?"

  "It will do me well enough," Ned said, and his eyes sparkled.

  Hal seized the speaking trumpet from its peg and pointed to the sky as he called the order for the top sails to be set above the courses. He felt the ship start under his feet and begin to fly.