Chapter 16

I used the gold I found near the bronze cannon at the bottom of the centuries old washout near the eastern shore of the western Gulf north of Brownsville to pay my tuition and books for a meteorology course at UT Austin. A fitting use for disaster.

There were 11 of us onboard the Lagoon when the bell clattered as we sailed slowly to a quartering breeze.

I was expecting the alarm when the forward looking sonar revealed the underwater gully approaching. I wasn’t expecting that many signals over that wide an area. By the depth and width of the mouth of the small under water canyon I suspected it was the evidence of torrential rain. Unless ... evidence of an Ice Age breakup. That was a long shot.

Perhaps the ship had arrived during the storm and the cut through the sand island looked like safety ... if so ... they were dead wrong.

We left no evidence of our plunder and the eleven way split insured silence. Everyone on board settled loans with our gains. I had no loans so I took the class and paid for it.

Some day some accountant would tie us all together ... same place ... same time ... same payout same crew ... or maybe not. I do know this ... the beauty and craftsmanship of the artifacts showed evidence of extremely early Spanish plunder.

Perhaps the first of the Conquistadors. 1519? Maybe sooner. There was a wave of west bound armed traders and explorers immediately after Columbus returned. Was this haul that early?

No one knows ... if it’s not written down it never happened. Some day, I expect I’ll go salvage a couple Spike Culverins, small muzzleloading artillery mounted on a ships rail and used for shooting boarders or mutineers. Many were in the half pound to one pounder size.

As for the course, I expect to learn about wind currents and their uses. Always good to know.

I used the equipment and identified a great many metallic objects while continuing our shoreline sail to Brownsville.

“I wasn’t planning to sail this far. I’ll be sailing back to Galveston. I expect it’ll take as long to get there as it took to get here. If you’re in a hurry, I can have the Brownsville to Galveston Texas Cruise Ship pick you up at Port Isabella... 47 bucks each. I can cover the cost if all ten of you go. They claim a 3 and a half hour trip.

“I need to know by 1o am.”

Everyone wanted to stay but it was guilt. Guilt for leaving me alone to sail back.

“Nope ... I’m looking forward to the solo sail. Go.”

They went.

All the way from Galveston to Brownsville, most of the women did what women do on a sailboat during easy weather ... they go to the foredeck, strip down and all over tan. Everybody but me. I’m 15 almost 16 and I can’t compete.

I plan on setting the auto-pilot and getting my skin BROWN ... yessir ... brown ... all over. And I’m looking forward to it. I am not going back to my Senior year lily white!