by Michael Aye
The part of the voyage from Africa to wherever the slaves were to be sold was called the middle passage. Depending on the size of the ship, anywhere from one to seven hundred slaves might be chained together and packed into tiers, selling them was very profitable.
So the decision was made to head for the middle passage and prey on slavers. This would also keep the Raven from the Caribbean where Admiral Anthony’s squadrons were patrolling.
LaFitte provided a ready market at discount, but fair prices and without any paperwork. Barataria was a lot closer to the slave route than Savannah, so the men of Raven voted to raid slavers. The easiest to raid were the Dons. Therefore, an area off the main slaving ports along the upper and lower Guinea coast became Raven’s hunting ground.
A ship would be hit, the captain and crew put in boats not far from the coast and a mad dash made for Barataria. Before long, every man jack of the Raven’s crew was wealthy beyond imagination. Slaves ships were sold at Trinidad and broken up for the wood; some of the ships in a poor state of repair were sunk or given away.
It was after several such hauls that LaFitte sent word for Cooper and Mac to visit him at his house. After a fine evening of lobster and steak, a better than average wine, dessert, and good cigars, LaFitte came to the point. “I can’t take anymore slaves for a while. Buyers are coming from Texas, Memphis, Mississippi, and even Alabama and Georgia and we still have more slaves than we can sell. Prices have dropped and I’m catching hell from my own lieutenants that they can’t sell their own cargo.”
“Sounds like it’s time to take some time off,” Mac said.
“Aye, or change markets,” Cooper said.
Mac continued, “We’ll put it to a vote, but I think it’s time to relax. We have been on one cruise after another since…for several months now.”
“You were going to say since Sophia’s been gone,” Cooper explained.
Mac nodded his reply, “You needed to be kept busy but now the men need some time. Let’s take a week or so off here, and go visit Cindy and her people. Maybe go into New Orleans, and see Otis and eat some decent food.”
Smiling, Cooper said, “Belle will have some decent food. I need to see Mr. Meeks and we need to arrange things with the bank to transfer some funds to Savannah. It’s decided then, we’ll inform the crew.”
Mac said, “You should spend the night ashore, Coop. You haven’t slept off the ship…”
“Since Sophia died,” Cooper said, finishing Mac’s sentence again. “What are you going to do, Mac?”
“Humph, I thought I might find some strong rum and a weak woman,” he said.
Cooper smiled and punched his friend. “Never let it be said that David, from clan MacArthur, let a willing lass go unattended.”
***
Cindy and her clan were making ready to head to the Veigh Plantation outside of New Orleans, so Cooper and Mac followed along in their pirogue. The first night they camped on a medium sized cheniere. Cold cornbread fritters and catfish were served as the evening meal, washed down with cider.
Cindy and Cooper moved away from the fire so that they could talk in private, but stayed close enough so that the smoke helped keep the mosquitoes at bay. “Eli wrote me of your loss,” Cindy volunteered. “For what it’s worth, Sophia felt more loved and more like a person than all the years before you came along, Cooper. It’s not our place to question God’s ways or reasons. Just be grateful for the time you shared.”
“You sound so much like another friend,” Cooper said, and told Cindy about Dagan.
A sound of a short struggle was heard, followed by a loud splash. “A bull gator has just caught his supper,” Jumper volunteered.
“I don’t like it when they’s gators about,” his mother, Belle said with a shiver.
“Humph!” the boy snorted. “Watch this.” He picked up a burning stick from the fire and held it out toward the dark bayou waters.
“Lordy me,” Belle gasped.
“They is a thousand eyes out there, and all of ’em waiting on you, mama, thinking what a good supper you’d make,” Jumper said, trying to scare her. “Ouch, what’d you do that for, Papa?”
“For trying to scare your mama,” Gus replied firmly. “Next time, I might just throw you into them black waters, and see what kind of meal you’d make.”
Jumper walked just out of Gus’ reach and chirped, “Not as good as mama, she’s got a lot more meat.”
“Ah, that hurt.” Jumper had stepped away from his daddy, but close to his mother, who smacked his rump with a wooden spoon. This caused everyone to laugh except Jumper, who was still recovering and rubbing his rear.
After everyone was talked out and getting ready to call it a night, Gus walked over to Mac and Cooper. “Must be in for some rain, there’s more than the usual amount of gators and snakes. I saw two moccasins at the water’s edge when I went to check on the boat lines. I think we need to take watches and keep a good fire going.” Mac and Cooper nodded and Cooper took the first watch.
It was the afternoon of the third day when they pulled up at the dock of the Veigh Plantation. The river was several feet higher than the land so a dike had been built to keep the plantations along the river from flooding.
Gus had built a set of wooden steps up from the dock and over the dike. A path made from hauled in oyster shells went from the dock up to the house, winding its way through a stand of giant old oak trees. The huge, lower limbs from the oaks touched the ground in places.
“When I was little, I played on them oaks,” Jumper told Cooper and Mac. “A couple places there, you could make like a limb was a horse and it would rock up and down with you.”
As they neared the back of the house, which sat up on a rise, a gazebo with a swing set faced the river. “I love to sit in that swing and read,” Cindy said, but looking at the sky. “I think we’ll stay inside the rest of the day.” She was right.
It started to sprinkle, and then turned into a steady rain but was gone the next morning. After breakfast, Cindy had Gus hitch up the carriage.
“I need to see Lawyer Meeks and we need a few supplies. I think since you needed to see him as well, we’ll go into New Orleans early and then get back before it starts raining again. This time of year it usually rains in the afternoon.”
***
Cooper and Cindy went to Meeks’ office immediately after reaching New Orleans. Mac volunteered to go with Gus and get the needed supplies. Weather permitting, they’d see Otis and have lunch at Hotel Provincial.
Gus and Mac had just returned to Meeks’ office when Cooper commented, “Were we at sea, I’d be looking for a safe anchorage.” Overhead the sky had dark clouds that were moving from east to west.
“Storm clouds sure enough,” Gus said and climbed into the carriage. By the time they’d traveled a few blocks the wind had picked up, causing store signs to sway back and forth making rusty hinges groan and squeak. Thunder could be heard in the distance by the time they made it to the hotel. Pulling around to the back, the first streak of lightening came down with a tremendous crack.
Otis must have seen them drive around the hotel as he dashed out with an umbrella for Cindy just as the rain started. There were just a few drops at first, and then a hard driving rain. Otis spoke to everyone as he rushed Cindy inside. Cooper and Mac helped Gus get the carriage full of supplies into the small barn and the horses into stalls. When they came out the barn door, the sky was almost black and the howling wind had the trees bent over.
“This ain’t no afternoon thunder boomer,” Gus said, concern in his voice. “We are in for a storm, maybe a hurricane.”
Flashes of lightening were crashing down, one after another. Just before the three men made it to the hotel door, a big boom shook the ground and the sky was suddenly bright before turning dark again.
“Damn, that was close,” Cooper swore.
It was no more than seventy-five feet from the barn to the rear entrance of the hotel, but the three men were drenched and dripping a
s they ducked through the door. Otis had a couple of workers there with towels and blankets.
“Dry off best as you can and we’ll get you some dry clothes to put on,” Otis offered.
A black maid was busy lighting hall candles, as the room was almost too dark to see anything. Outside the wind was now raging. Hotel guests were gathering around the windows of the main lobby, when someone screamed, “Look out!” A sign torn from its hinges was blown threw a window, breaking glass flying everywhere. A loud ‘oomph’ was heard as the sign hit a man in the chest, knocking him to the floor, his wife was calling for help for her dazed husband.
A large blanket was nailed over the opening but soon it was in tatters. A table was brought from the kitchen and put over the busted window. This was better than the blanket but water continued to come through, drenching the lobby’s French carpet.
Outside on the street, a small oak tree was torn up by its roots and somewhere a great tearing sound was heard as the roof on a nearby store was blown away.
“I think we need…” CRASH!! Otis never finished his sentence as debris crashed through another window pane, sending a shower of rain and glass over everyone. Blood poured from a laceration on Otis’ forehead. Cindy quickly put her hand to the wound to staunch the flow of blood. Mac snatched a cloth from a side table. He ripped it in half and Cindy used it to cover Otis’ wound. Looking about, several of the people had small cuts.
“Let’s move back,” Cooper shouted to be heard above the wind. “Move back toward the kitchen.”
“Shouldn’t we go upstairs so we won’t be standing in water,” one man asked.
Thinking of the store roof that was just blown away, Cooper shook his head, “I wouldn’t, not now with the wind blowing like it is.”
As the group passed through the dining room toward the kitchen, Mac froze. A man had just been swept past the window. Once inside the kitchen, the sound was not so loud. Food sat on the stove and a few filled a plate and ate. Cindy tended to Otis’ head wound, while Mac and Cooper stood by the kitchen door.
“Did you see what I saw?” Mac whispered.
“Aye,” Cooper responded. Before long, it grew still and the wind died down to little more than a stiff breeze.
“Is it over?” a woman asked.
“Must be,” her companion answered.
“No, not yet,” Mac said. “We’re in the eye of the storm. We may have a few minutes.”
“I gotta go then,” a woman said.
“Me too,” another admitted.
“Quick, into the pantry and to the mud room,” Otis ordered.
The men went to see the damage at the front of the hotel. The lobby was drenched and the carpet made a squishing sound as they walked over it. The dining room, which set to the side, was untouched except where the water had run in from the lobby. One gentleman pointed at the wine cabinets, “Let’s get a few bottles before the storm starts up again.”
“Go ahead,” Cooper responded and then said, “Let’s check things out upstairs, Mac.”
The two bounded up the stairs two at a time. Everything was in order. Cooper stopped at the room he and Sophia had shared. He walked over to the bed and picked up the pillow she’d rested on and held it to his face as his eyes began to tear up. Outside, the sky began to darken again and the wind picked up.
“Coop! It’s time to go down. Coop!”
“Leave me,” Cooper said.
“No, let’s go Coop,” Mac said.
“Leave me, Mac.”
“No Cooper, let’s go.”
“I’m not going, Mac.”
“Alright, but look at me, Coop.”
Cooper Cain never knew what hit him. As he turned, Mac hit him on the chin at full swing, knocking his friend unconscious. Mac tossed the pillow on the bed and scooped up his friend and was back in the kitchen as the storm raged outside.
“What happened to him?” a woman asked.
“He slipped on the wet floor,” Mac lied. Cindy caught Mac’s eye and gave him a knowing look.
CHAPTER THIRTY SIX
Sail ho!” the lookout called down, creating excitement in the crew. “To the south,” he called again. “Ten, no twelve sails it be, it’s a bloody convoy.”
Raven lay hove-to off Praia, Cape Verde. Cooper leaned forward, bringing the front legs of his chair down with a bang. He’d been daydreaming about their last day in New Orleans. After helping Otis get his head attended to, they went back to Cindy’s plantation. She had been worried expecting the worst. But aside from dead limbs blown across the lawn, everything was as it had been when they left.
“Thank you, Lord,” Gus had prayed. He’d been worried about Belle and Jumper. Belle exceeded all expectations that night. She made a soup with crawfish tails, corn, rice, and peppers in it. The peppers gave it a little kick but did not overpower it. After the soup, there was fried catfish that had an unusual lemony flavor. For dessert, she served what she called a tafia cake. It was a cake using the local rum, tafia, as an ingredient. The cake was accompanied by chicory coffee with a heavy cream and sweetened with sugar. Now that the thought of food was swept away by the convoy sighting, Cooper rushed on deck, his heart racing at the news.
Mac handed Cooper a glass and advised, “Look almost due south.”
“Probably an Indiamen on the way home,” Johannes volunteered.
“I can only make out two escorts at the front of the convoy,” Banty said. Hearing the cry, he’d swiftly made his way up the shrouds and into the tops.
“Bound to be another to the rear,” Diamond said.
“Aye, there’s bound to be,” Mac agreed.
“Prepare to make sail, Mr. MacArther,” Cooper said, using the formal tone learned from Eli Taylor. “Mr. Spurlock, let’s prepare our guns. Set a course to intercept yonder convoy, Mr. Ewers.”
“Aye,” Johannes replied, but smiling as he thought if only Captain Taylor could see the boy now.
“Deck thar.”
“What is it, Banty?” Cooper called back.
“Two of the ships fly the yellow Finylson flag, Captain.”
Now it was Cooper who smiled. “Banty has just named our targets, men. If we get the both of them, I’m buying when we get home.” This created a cheer by the crew.
The Raven was overhauling the convoy fast. Cooper thought about getting the Royals on her, but Mac gave the slight nod that said, ‘I wouldn’t.’ Raven tacked and then tacked again. Mac had recommended coming up on the windward side of the convoy.
“Deck thar,” Banty cried down. “The frigate has worn ship.”
“Too late,” Diamond said. “Had we another ship, we’d cut out a few at the head of the column before she could come about.”
Cooper looked along the deck at his men. “McKemie, you and Moree take twenty men with cutlasses and pistols and board yonder ship when we get alongside. We’ll cover you with the swivels until you’re aboard. Lay your men along the starboard gangway, lively now. Johnson, get a group of men ready with grappling hooks; smartly now. Lay us alongside, Mr. Ewers.”
Raven slid up next to the Finylson ship and the grapnels shot out. A pistol shot was fired but didn’t seem to hit anybody.
“Avast there or we’ll blast ye,” Moree shouted.
The boarding party was quickly over the side and Johannes had the helmsman steer a course for the next Finylson ship. Looking at the men still in the waist, Cooper called for Robinson and Bridges to lead the next boarding party over.
As they neared the next ship, the captain had the helmsman change his course. “Mr. Spurlock, put one across the bow and if she doesn’t heave to, give her a broadside.”
“Aye Captain,” Spurlock said.
The forward gun roared and leapt inboard, straining at its ropes and tackles. The round shot skipped across the waves like a well thrown rock across a pond. Immediately, the chase dropped her sails. Without being told, Johnson had the grappling hooks heaved and the slack was taken up. The two ships came together without any offer o
f resistance from the prize’s crew.
A rumble of gunfire caused Cooper to swear. “What the bloody hell?”
“It’s the rear escort, Captain. Little more than a brig, but she’s got her teeth bared.”
“Put Raven about, Mr. Ewers. If she makes chase we’ll give battle, but if she’s content to let us escape with our prizes, we’ll call it a day.”
“Aye, I’m thinking she’ll be content, Captain. But the insurance companies won’t.”
With all sail cracked on, Raven and her two prizes were soon distancing themselves from the convoy.
“Secure the guns, Mr. Spurlock.”
“Aye, Captain.”
***
“The bilge sucking sodomite doesn’t want to cooperate, Captain.”
The ship was the Sir Phillip. At five hundred tons, it was the larger of the two Finylson ships. Reading the ship’s papers, Banty swore that some of the writing with no apparent meaning was in fact code. “That usually means specie, Captain, gold or silver coin.”
Cooper had the crew lined up, twenty-four with two mates and the captain. “I’ll ask you once and that’s it,” Cooper said. “If you fail to answer, you’ll lose your ship. Now, where’s the coin?” The ship’s captain made a little snort and jerked his head to the side.
“You have just lost your ship, Captain. Banty, you take Johnson and chop the captain’s cabin apart until you have our plunder.”
“Aye,” Banty replied, with a devilish smile.
The sound of hacking could be heard as teak paneling was chopped apart. Soon an excited shout was heard. Banty showed himself and called, “Come have a look see, Captain.” He had been right, several bags were found. “I make it about eleven thousand English pounds, Captain, plus what’s in her hole.”
The second captain produced his papers and admitted to having eighteen thousand English pounds, but knew not where as it was stored in a sealed compartment while he was guarded on deck by Phillip’s men. It took Banty no time at all to find the compartment and take the coin aboard Raven.
The cargo of tea, silk, rum, and teak was transferred aboard the larger Finylson ship. No one volunteered to serve aboard Raven, so both crews were sent aboard the second ship. As the Phillip’s captain made to enter into the longboat with the rest of the crew, Cooper took out his sword and said, “I think not.”