by Lisa Grace
The baby promptly went to sleep in his mother’s arms. Bennett held Mary and the baby, as they both just gazed at the most amazing miracle they had ever witnessed in either of their lives.
A faint cheer from the camp echoed back to them and the sleeping baby.
***
The next day Bennett called a meeting with the officers. “We are overdue to get the news from the King, whether he has pardoned us, and taken our side and will address the King of Spain as a misunderstanding, or whether there is still a bounty on our heads. We have two options ahead of us. One, we send a small party into town to receive the news. If we do this it must be men who know how to fight so they can make it back safe if the news is not favorable. Heading out on a windy day in a small pram would be best. Not many men on shore could catch our most skilled sailors.”
An alternate plan would be to risk taking the ship into port. If there is still a bounty on our heads, we risk all of our lives. Even if we outrun any followers there is a good chance they will find us and we will be in for a battle or immediate surrender.”
Mr. Gregory spoke up, “It is only logical sir that we take a small crew to town. We should land outside the port and walk into town for reports. We need men who can read, fight, sail, speak Spanish and Portuguese, and can blend in with the natives. We can take in a load of fruit to sell in the market, and catch up on the rumor of the pirates.”
Captain Graham nodded his assent. “Which men do you recommend and who will lead this dangerous mission?”
“I will, sir,” said Lieutenant Cullen.
Lt. Toussant added, “I recommend taking the carpenter David Charles, he can pass as a native with his tan skin and rough hands. He knows Spanish and some passable Portuguese. Also, Jim Brownlee, he is the best fighter and sailor in the group. He’s also proven to be a powerful swimmer. His Spanish is fine in common phrases and cuss words, sir.”
“Whom else? We need one more.”
“The cabin boy, Joseph, sir. He is stronger than he looks and can pass as Brownlee’s son. He’s also an excellent shot and can throw a knife. He knows the ropes and has been sailing the pram everyday. No one lands it as well as he does, sir. He’s a natural sailor.”
Bennett nodded. He rested his fists on the table.
“Leave tomorrow well before dawn. Farmers come to town at dawn. Sell your wares first, hit a tavern in the afternoon. Here is a note to take to the constable. Let Joseph take it. It is obvious he is not a soldier. He can say a stranger paid him to take the note. Have him ask for a note to take back to his village in return. Have him return up the mountain, and when he is sure he is not being followed, have him cut back to the shore.”
The men nodded that they understood.
“Let them think we have taken to hiding inland in the small villages of the north. I have prayed the King will see things as they are. But as a man who has seen many battles for ships against Napoleon and the French, then against the revolting colonies of the Americas, I have not much faith in the course of truth mattering. It is a serious matter when so much treasure is at stake and men who are swayed by riches are convinced that all men are thieves. They believe a sailor’s honor melts before gold. They cannot comprehend that honor might have more value to men than any earthly riches ever could.”
***
Randall walked Bennett back to his quarters. “Have you thought of a name for your son?”
“Yes, we have. ‘Bennett Decus Graham.’”
“Let us have a toast,” Randall suggested as he went to the sideboard and poured three fingers of scotch for both himself and Bennett.
“Aha, the Latin word for honor, Decus, a fitting choice.”
“Mary insists on his taking my name. The least I can do is remind him that he is honorable no matter what the world will think of his father.”
“To Bennett Decus Graham,” Randall said as he lifted his glass. “Here, here!” Bennett answered as he clinked his glass with Randall’s, and they drank.
“Do not give up hope yet. There is time to clear your name as long as you have breath.” Randall retrieved the bottle, and poured another splash into each of their glasses.
“I planted among the treasure an account of what happened before these accusations arose. It was a precaution in case a storm or enemy took our ship, and the treasure was found by honorable people. The truth will come out someday. If the worst happens, and we are treated as criminals, I expect the treasure to stay where it is, perhaps forever. The lives of my men cannot be sold for gold. They are worth more than that. I am sure they will receive a heavenly trove of untold wealth so if the earthly treasure must remain hidden, it will. I will only reveal its whereabouts once our names have been cleared. The treasure will go into honorable hands, or none at all. Are you with me?”
Randall raised his glass again, “To death.”
“To death,” Bennett answered as they toasted again.
*
***
*****
***
*
CHAPTER 7
Joseph, the cabin boy, had heard about India, Africa, and other lands that had no name yet. Having met men in the ports with black, brown, red, and yellow skin he was eager to know if there were more. He bet there were.
Once they reached the shore, they would take down the mast and hide the boat under fronds or behind a dune. They worked on a story of where they were from and how they were related in case of questions. They planned to keep to themselves, be polite, and listen just like the natives would. Joseph would break off after the produce was sold and go to the constable’s to deliver his notes. He would leave at a run and angle up the mountain until he was sure he was well away from prying eyes, then angle back down to the boat.
They were excited to be going into town for some of the luxuries they could not get on the island. But as the lieutenant warned, to not get anything that was strictly an English luxury, but stick to the simple ones peasants would want. Maybe new sandals or tobacco.
Joseph was eager to go into town to deliver the message from the captain. He hoped for good news as he had signed on this leg of the journey to travel the world. Costa Rica was fine, but what of the more exotic lands or even undiscovered ones? With being on a survey ship, he had hoped for a more exotic location. Not one that was already settled by colonists from England, Spain, and Portugal.
The men loaded up the pram with three heavy branches of plantains, and took one of the carpenters roughly made wooded wheel barrels for the coconuts. They hung the bunches of plantains from a stick the two men would carry on their shoulders to take the produce into town. They left at the fourth watch in the middle of the night. This would give them time to push the cart up to one of the roads to come down into the town from the land side. They would be tired and dirty and not have to act.
***
In town they set up their cart between a vendor of coffee berries, and another with a variety of tubers and roots. The shoppers came to barter and buy, and soon the town was filled with busy nanas, mamas, servants, and cooks looking for the foods that would comprise or supplement their meals for the day. By midmorning most were gone, and they traded what they had left for various wares from the other vendors. Joseph asked, “Where can I find the constable?”
The root vendor told Joseph down which street he could find him. Joseph ran all the way. He knocked on the door when he came to it, then let himself in, “Constable? I have a message for you from a man visiting the town. He said I was to get an answer and bring it back to him.”
“Yes? Hand it over.” He held out his hand to take the letter. He broke the seal and quickly read. The constable shook his head. He walked over to the fireplace, struck a match, lit the note, and threw it in. He sat behind his desk, took his quill, dipped it in his ink, and wrote a note. When done, he held his wax stick up to the candle, dripped the melted wax on the letter, and pressed his ring in.
“Tell him, I am sorry.”
Joseph raised his brow, “Yes si
r.” He took the note and ran all the way up and back up the mountain a ways before heading back to the beach. He knew no one was following him. He had the feeling from the expression on the constable’s face that he was genuinely sorry. Joseph thought, he had wanted an adventure, and now he would get one. One that might last his whole sorry life no matter how long or short that would now be.
At the beach the others were waiting. Joseph wiped at a tear from his eye while he jogged to the men. When he was close enough to see the look of hope on their faces, he shook his head slowly, no.
Their expressions went from one of hope to shock, then resignation.
The lieutenant looked at his men and said, “Well, that is it then.”
They took the fronds off the pram, turned it over, and put the mast back in. They silently loaded in their supplies. The men shoved the small boat off the beach and jumped in. They put the sail up and sailed back quietly. No one was in the mood to talk.
***
The pram approached the island. Lieutenant Randall Cullen knew where to look for signs of the inhabitants, but even so, no signs of life could be seen. He realized what a great job the captain had done in picking this island as their hiding spot.
As they entered the cove, David, the carpenter, spoke up, “What are the chances anyone will come looking for us?”
Lieutenant Randall answered, “With seven hundred prams full of a king’s gold missing, and a Vengeur class ship only six years out of the shipyards missing which has one hundred and twenty guns, and close to three hundred men?”
The men didn’t answer so the Lieutenant continued, “If the navy finds us, the officers and some of the men will be hung by our necks until dead, and the rest will be sent to prison where they indeed may wish they had been hung by their necks.”
Jim bit at a nail and spit it into the sea, “If pirates find us we have a fighting chance. They want riches so much they are willing to kill to get them. Not to mention switching to a fine ship like ours. The Devonshire would make them nearly invincible on the high seas.”
“We are about to embark on the adventure of our lives which includes hiding to stay alive.” Joseph said as the grown men around him maintained their silence.
“Where we are now is as safe as we can be.”
“Until we are discovered,” David said looking glumly to the Devonshire ship as they passed it on their way to the beach. They steered around to the far side. The two men in the front jumped out and pulled the skiff up onto the beach. They unpacked the supplies they’d brought: coffee, flour, and sugar, along with four crates packed with chickens and one rooster.
Randall spoke as they unloaded their supplies. “Do not fear though, because Captain Graham has been planning where we will go from here. To Tahiti or beyond, to keep the crew safe. Or to the north to the land attached to the territory of the United States might be a possibility.”
Jim Brownlee spoke up, “We need to hide and avoid as long as we can. Taking to the seas will lead to discovery by someone eventually. I do not relish our options, but our fate is better than those aboard the treasure ship we boarded.”
“I’ve learned one thing,” David said as they walked hidden by the tree line on a small path they had cleared so they could see the beach but not be seen by passersby, “life is not fair.”
Jim added, “And death is no respecter of men either.”
***
Lieutenant Randall handed the letter to Captain Graham, who read it and placed it on his desk. He pressed his lips together and nodded. “Break out the kegs tonight, the men should have a reason to celebrate. Round them up now. I have kept the men wondering about their fate too long. They deserve the truth.”
Randall looked at his boots and nodded.
Graham shrugged into his coat, and buttoned it up. He put on his good boots, something he hadn’t done in many months. “I will meet you out by their camp in five minutes, then we will take the pram out to tell the men on duty onboard the Devonshire.”
He walked back to the tent where Mary and baby Ben were. He entered.
Mary was resting on the bed, tired from caring for their son around the clock since giving birth. Ben was in his crib sleeping peacefully. Bennett picked him up and cradled his head in his hand. He held the babe and inhaled his scent while kissing his forehead. He took their son and sat on the edge of the bed next to Mary. She rolled towards him and opened her eyes, a sleepy smile on her face. “Good evening. Are you home for the night? I have missed you.” She rested her head on his thigh and threw her arms around his waist.
Bennett said, “I must go out and speak to the men on land and those on the Devonshire. There is still a bounty on our heads.”
Mary moved her hand to her face and paused in an attempt to gain her composure. “Will we stay here then? I am happy here with you and Ben. And I do not think the men mind that much. Or will we need to pack up and move?”
“For the time being we will stay here. The location is hidden and defensible. I cannot think of where else I could take the men that would afford them the freedom we have here, unless we head further north to the territories outside the colonists’ lands. When we leave, we run the risk of running into pirates, and merchant ships interested in the bounty, or sailors from the Spaniards, Portuguese, or Royal Navy. Yes, eventually we will be discovered here, but as long as it is not by the Royal Navy, I have no problem defending our claim here.”
Mary squeezed Bennett. She was at a loss for words.
“I am sorry Mary. I never would have chosen to put you in danger. It is not too late for you to take Ben and head back to your home.”
“Bennett, you are my home. Ben and I will go with you, wherever you are. Nothing will keep us from you. I feel blessed to have the time we do have. Our life is good.” Mary hugged him. “I cannot imagine my life without you.”
Bennett kissed their son and laid him down on the other side of Mary. He pulled Mary to him and gave her a kiss. “If I am taken and we are separated, I will do my best to find you. As long as there is breath in me, I will find you and Ben. The map for the treasure is hidden behind the picture of me on the deck. Insist on taking it with you as a memory of me. I cannot see how any soldier would deny you that. If you have a chance to get it to King George, do.”
“I will spend my life to clear your name.”
Bennett hugged Mary then reached over her to kiss Ben. “I must go and tell the men. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Mary smiled until he left the tent. After he left she lay back down and turned her head into her pillow to muffle her cries. Her fear for Bennett made her heart race. They would hang her husband. Just the idea they would, was unbearable. She cried until she had no tears left to spill.
***
Bennett stood in front of the men. “I am proud of you, the men who have served in my charge. You have served bravely and willingly. You are a shining gem in the King’s crown. The hand of fate has dealt us a blow. There is still a bounty on our heads. Pirates will hear rumors of the treasure, and just like they took it the first time they will try again. All types of men will be about seeking out the treasure and the crew of the Devonshire. If there are any among you who wish to leave, you may with no dishonor. You may find refuge in the North. Those that would like to strike out on their own may see Mr. Gregory for severance pay to start your new life. If you wish to stay under my command, I would be honored. I must warn you, if the Royal Navy finds us first, there will be no fight on our part, only surrender. I will not kill innocent subjects of the King who are following their orders. If it be pirates, the Spaniards, or the Portuguese, we will fight.”
Cheers went up at this pronouncement. Captain Graham waited for the men to quiet before continuing, “Tonight, in honor of your service, we will celebrate. I have ordered extra kegs to be served. Thank you.”
Bennett turned to Gregory, “I will be back from the ship soon. Have a list ready for me of the men who will be leaving.”
At the ship Bennett
made his announcement again. “If you choose to leave, I will be in my ready room with your severance.”
Bennett went to his room with Randall and waited. He’d been so proud the day he’d been given command of this beauty and her men. He never imagined it would end this way. How could he? He paced back and forth waiting for the knocks on the door. Fifteen minutes had passed, and not one had come to see him. He went back up on the deck, and approached the officer in command. Before Bennett could speak the officer said, “No one, sir. A good sailor goes down with her ship and her captain. We will not be deserting you, or her.”
Bennett looked at the officer and said, “Thank you.”
He and Randall went ashore to find out what the men at camp had decided. Perhaps the sailors he had to scourge in the past would choose to leave.
When he arrived at the camp, he found the celebration was under way. He dismissed Randall to enjoy himself among the partying men.
He then went to find Mr. Gregory. “Sir, not a one chose to leave,” he said proudly. “The sailors are enjoying their life under your command, and cannot imagine having to strike out on their own. They’re a good bunch, sir.”
“Good. And thank you for your service Lt. Gregory.”
“It is an honor, sir.”
Bennett went in search of his friend, Randall.
He found him back in the cave where he chose to camp out.
“How are you?”
Randall tilted back on the chair he was sitting on, “Fine. Not one chose to leave. Even the ones I was sure would. I believe they are more afraid to be on their own than to be under your command. You inspire such loyalty,” Randall shook his slightly tipsy head, “I have no clue how exactly you do it. Is it in your bearing or were born to it?” Randall burped quietly shielding it with the back of his hand. “But not one wants to face the future without you leading it.”
Bennett let out his breath, “It was the same on the ship. Not one. It will leave us more men to fight with if we come under attack.”
“Yes, there is that.”
“And, of course, more to hang or go to prison,” Bennett added.