Chapter 4

"Avast and sail ho! Off the port bow, Captain Billy, I spot a pair of sails sitting low in the water. Looks like a couple of Spanish pigeons off course and needing our help."

The lookout was almost jumping up in down in excitement because it had been several days since we had hove to in sight of any movement on the horizon in any direction. The voyage had been only mildly successful but at least we had not come to grief in coming in the sights of any Spanish heavily armed men of war or French naval brigs. We were only two small privateers operating out of the Dry Tortugas and no match for a fighting ship of the line. Our only defense was the speed of our hull and the filled sails that let us escape time and again.

Most of the crew was occupied down below still sporting the two female English indentured servants who were pressed into servicing the fat merchantman that dealt in human flesh. We had taken that prize with no bloodshed which is always a pleasant way to do business but it was lacking in proper excitement for the temperament of my men who needed some stress to keep their sharp edge. The females were not purchased by the trader at the prize auction because they would not be marketable to the plantation owners who needed brawny muscled men and not weak females to eat their food and only give up their slits in reward. There were thousands of willing dark-skinned split-tails who could take care of that need without paying good money. Besides, they were both a bit scraggly looking after their treatment by the merchantman crew treating them like bits of sweet to drive away the boredom.

I know that I was not interested in either of them because of their foul mouths and their lack of common cleanliness that was poor even by pirate standards.

I could hear their squeals of pleasure and their raucous laughter harsh on my ears from all the way down below. I was half a mind to turn them into castaways on the next available desert island but feared the men would not take kindly to my drastic solution to their annoying presence. It was probably fortunate that I did not take such thoughtless action because later I found that these two harpies were invaluable to me in escaping from the wrath of the Governor of the Sugar Islands who was intense on my hanging.

We took advantage of the quartering winds and soon drew close to the laggard ships attempting to flee into a building storm off to the west and over the horizon. I was none too happy about heading into the storm's path but the lure of the two prizes was too tempting to pass up.

They were flying the flag of Spain and the way they were sitting low made me think they might be carrying gold bullion but the slovenly appearance of their rigging told me that was most unlikely. It was pathetic how fast they were to haul down the flags and run up the white flag of surrender to forestall bloodshed if at all possible. They were lucky that is was my crew since I had never shed blood unless absolutely necessary and never hesitated to give quarter when quarter was due.

I signaled my supply ship under the command of my loyal comrade Captain Distain to board the smaller vessel and I hooked up to the larger prize and readied my boarding party which consisted of almost every swinging dick on board my ship "The Raven". I was gratified to see the Captain had stacked his arms and swords on the deck to illustrate his desire to not engage in combat with our superior forces. It was all I needed to relax my suspicious nature and I allowed him to keep his sword as a reward. His name was Don Francisco de la Porta and I assured him we had no quarrel and this was "purely business". Of course, that is how I would describe it but it was after all a simple fact of robbing him of his cargo and allowing him to continue on his way as I didn't see any merit to dragging him into a port to trade his vessel for booty.

I was unhappy to receive the report that the hold of the ship I had boarded was filled with "Bat Droppings" which the good Captain assured me was a valuable cargo at his point of destination. I had no concept of what value it would have being ignorant of its use and having not a whit of interest in turning a profit on it. When I discovered the other ship was identical in its cargo, I was ready to make the whole enterprise "walk the plank" just to redeem my reputation as a fearful villain of the Caribbean Sea. Fortunately, a search of the staterooms on my prize yielded an unexpected treat in the form of a French-speaking school mistress and a half-dozen little flowers certain to be virgins if not close to it. Apparently, they were scheduled to go to a special school in Europe to prepare them for marriage to wealthy landowners in the Sugar Islands.

They were all over the age of sixteen and still had that blush of inexperience that would make them most valuable in the proper circles. I could tell the men were all for taking them on board our ship and making them acquainted with the ways of men but I knew such use would certainly reduce their value in any future barter for needed items. It was a perplexing situation but I considered it a challenge to my ability to make good use of a commodity before disposing of it at a profit. After all, it was just business and not personal.

I was going to take the girls and leave the teacher but she begged me to take her as well so she could look after her charges. I didn't like the fact that she was so skinny that I would have to take care in mounting her and not damaging her person. It seemed like the best course of action would be for me to take the teacher into my bed for personal use and allow the crew to sport the girls using only their mouths and their posterior entry. I knew the attempt to keep their female slit pure for bartering purposes would be most rewarding at the first port of call that had such a trading block available. Almost every port of call in the Sugar Islands had such arrangements and it was unlikely that the girls would object strenuously because it would be a better future than as play things for a randy crew of female starved pirates on a long voyage.