Chapter 4

I was up early the next morning and I took a wash before I gathered all of my gear together. As I headed toward the front door of the inn, I noted with interest that old man Jenkins was asleep on the floor of the bar. Empty plates and bottles surrounded him; he was snoring loudly in his drunken stupor. He looked just like the pig he really was.

I was tempted to kick the big fat oaf to the head as I passed by him but his wife’s more than generous apology had dented my anger. I slipped out of the front door and headed toward the stables. John, the stable lad, had my horse, Emperor, saddled and ready for me. I tossed the lad a couple of coins and threw my saddlebags over Emperor’s flanks.

The weather was wet, grey, and dull so I wrapped myself in my sea cloak for protection from the elements. As I rode away, I looked back toward the inn and saw Kathryn Jenkins in one of the windows, she was waving at me. I hoped that I would meet that lovely woman again someday.

The road to Plymouth was busier today, and the nearer I got to the city the much busier it was. There were lots of traders and travellers heading down toward the port. I stopped at a well at the top of a hill, around mid-morning and bought food from a roadside trader. As I ate, I looked down at the city. The harbour was bristling with masts since there were many ships berthed down there. I just hoped that the men I needed to find were still ashore.

I reached Plymouth late in the afternoon. The weather had turned for the better and the sun was beating down on the streets. I was soon on the docks. There were so many ships at berth along the quays that it took me quite a while to find my old home, the HMS Jolly Jane, the ship of Captain J Leonard. I found her eventually and although the sailor guarding the gangplank did not know me, an old shipmate on deck spotted me. It seemed most of the crew had decided to take billets ashore whilst the ship was re-fitted. He pointed in the direction of the Joking Jack Tar Inn, the home of many of the crew I was informed.

I decided to find a home for the night for me and my horse before I set about my task. I found a hotel away from the hustle and bustle of the docks and made sure Emperor was well stabled before heading onto the docks to find the Jolly Jack Tar Inn. I could hear the buzz of excitement from outside. Once inside I could see that many of the sailors stopping here were indulging in both the ale and the women that the inn was famous for. I looked around the room, trying to find a familiar face in the crowd. I saw one, Norris, who had been the cook onboard our ship. He was full of drink and did not seem to recognise me but for the price of a mug of hot rum, he told me where I could find the man I was looking for.

Oliver Jones had been a shipmate for five years; he was a big man built like an ox and was thus blessed with the nickname Ollie the ox. He was well over six feet tall, with strong thick arms and hands the size of hams. He was the kind of chap you wanted by your side in a fistfight or a sword fight. He had once told me that he had fled to sea to escape the law because he had been involved in a fight in Cardiff where at least one man had died. He was not the sort of man to take a step backwards and I had seen him in many brawls. He was more than capable of holding his own.

I found Ollie the ox in a small tavern in a quiet side street; he told me he preferred the quieter side of life. We embraced like old shipmates do and sat in an alcove next to a window. Ollie asked how I had been since we docked so I told him about the loss of my father and my elevation to squire; he was amazed at my tale and even doffed his cap in mirth. A bar girl approached and took my order for ale. Once we had been served with our drinks, we toasted each other’s health and I turned the conversation to business.

“Ollie, I have a job for you. It’s a tough job and not strictly legal as such,” he made to interrupt, but I stopped him. “Ollie, please let me explain before you say yea or nay.”

It took me an hour and several pints of ale as the full story unfolded. Ollie took it all in and when I had finished he sat back and exhaled loudly.

“So you have a plan to put this guy out of action?” Ollie mused.

“Yes, a good plan at that, but I will need your help and few more good men besides,” said I.

Ollie sat back in his seat, a puzzled look on his face. “John, this chap Levy sounds like a bully and a coward and I would love to help you out but as for roping in any other of the crew... “He stopped when I placed twenty-five gold coins on the table.

“Ollie, there is more of this, more than enough to hire the crew, and equipment we need,” I told him.

His face cracked into a smile. “That should do the trick,” and with a laugh, he emptied his pint of ale and called for more. “Count me in, John. This seems like the kind of fun and games I like.”

We moved into a back room of the inn and ordered food and more ale. Whilst we ate, I told Ollie about my plan. He offered a few tips and ideas that would help. It sounded from the way he was talking that Ollie had done things like this before. We ran over the plan twice, and we both decided that it could work, as long as the right men for the job could be found. We parted that night with a promise to meet the following lunchtime at the Jolly Jack Tar Inn.

The long ride and the amount of beer that Ollie and I had consumed made me quite tired and I was dead to the world as soon as my head hit the pillow. I slept late the following morning and only had time for a quick wash before I walked down to the harbour. Ollie was sitting on a bench outside the inn. The table in front of him had several mugs of ale on it, one of which he pushed toward me as I sat down.

“How did you sleep last night, Squire John Trelawney, Sir?” he asked with a sly grin on his ugly mug.

“Ollie cut that out. To you and me old shipmates, I am plain old John, and as you so kindly asked, I slept very well, thank you. How did you sleep yourself?”

“Good, very good.”

Ollie was chewing on a piece of bread that had been torn from a large loaf that sat before him. I tore off a crust and chewed heartily.

“Well, John, I have your crew for you,” Ollie said as he ate.

“You have already had a busy morning, it seems!” I laughed.

“That I have, and I have seen the craft that will be needed,” he said looking around to see if anyone was listening. “I will need a fair bit of gold to make things happen, John.”

“Do think you can handle everything from this end, Ollie?” I enquired.

“Sure thing. I have the right crew lined up, I have the ship sorted and I know what else has to be done. The most important thing will be the timing. You need Levy and his gang to be in the right place at the right time, John,” Ollie said.

“Ollie, if there are any problems, I will send a messenger to find you.” I passed him a bag of gold. “There are one hundred gold coins there. I will give you the rest when we meet at the estate.”

He slipped the bag into his pocket without counting them and extended his hand to me. We shook hands and said our goodbyes. I left Ollie at the inn and made my way back to the stables to collect Emperor. I thought long and hard on the ride back to my estate, questioning had I done the right thing. I wondered if the plan would work, and of course, the big question, would Levy fall for it. If he did not we could suffer great losses.

I decided to ride through the night and get back to my estate as soon as possible. The weather was good, a full moon provided me with light, and I made good time. Emperor was a big strong horse and never slowed or faltered on the trip. I rode all through that night to make it back to my estate to get the plan in place for the date I had agreed with Ollie. The estate was already bathed in the early morning sun as I rode up the drive toward the house. By the time I reached the door, Arthur Jacobs was standing on the steps.

I tossed him the saddlebags as I dismounted and shouted my greeting.

“So did you have a good trip, John?” Arthur enquired as one of the estate lads led the horse away.

“It was most productive, Arthur, most productive indeed!” and with that, I led Arthur to the library. We shut the door behind us and I filled him in on the plan. At first, he was sceptical but when I ran it through again he began nodding his approval. He asked some good questions which got me thinking and between us, we honed the plan until I was sure that we could pull it off.

“By Jove, John, I think it could work!” Arthur cried.

“Arthur, I hope it does because if not it could mean a tough time for those involved,” I said. “Arthur, I have decided that you should not be involved. If this does not go according to plan, things could get ugly.”

Arthur tried to interrupt me.

“No, Arthur is it important you don’t get caught up in this!” I was adamant but so was Arthur.

“John, it is important that I help out. I have lived under the curse of Levy for too long. I want to be there when he gets his just deserts.” The tone of his voice told me that this meant a lot to him. He had always been a good friend to me. How could I refuse him?

Over the next few days, I was on edge. I was worried that Ollie might have second thoughts and that the bag of gold would disappear with him. He was a good friend but all of that gold would be a distraction for any man.

The plan had to work, it just had to ... for all our sakes.

I walked down to the Sailor Maker’s Arms. As I walked in, Sally Treglown was serving ale to an old farmer. She gave me a wink and smiled at me as I walked in.

“We have not seen you around these parts for a few days, stranger,” said she with a cheeky smile.

“I have been away but your beauty pulled me back, my lady.”

I smiled back at her, and I was sure she blushed. I ordered ale and a pasty before I took my place at a table by the door. I had been sitting there for an hour or more and beginning to get bored when they arrived.

The door nearly came off its hinges as it was kicked wide open. The room was suddenly full of noise and bustle. The eight men that had entered the bar were large and loud. They walked toward the fire. Tipping a chap off his chair they sat down at a table in the centre of the fireplace. The table was busy with mugs and plates. One of the men lifted the edge of the table, clearing the contents of the table to the floor. I turned to the bar and noticed that Sally was gone and old Mister Treglown was now behind the bar.

The biggest and ugliest of the gang called out for brandy and food. Treglown soon had a tray with five mugs and two bottles of brandy for them. As he placed it down, I heard the leader of the gang, whom I had already guessed to be Levy, shout out to add it to his bill. It was a bill I guessed that never was paid, and that annoyed me no end. Trays of food also soon appeared from the kitchen and were carried over to the gang’s table.

The gang was loud and raucous; they ignored everyone else in the room and shouted and cursed loudly at each other. I sat and watched them for a while. The effect they had on the place was obvious. Every now and then the door would open and a head would look around, but on seeing Levy and his gang, they would not enter. Slowly the inn emptied until Levy and his gang were the only people apart from me in there. I was about to leave when one of the gang approached me.

“Boy, who are you and why are you in my inn?”

I looked up at the owner of the voice; it was Levy himself.

“My name is John Jones, “I lied.”I left my ship in Plymouth and have been looking for another master in Mevagissey, sir.”

As I spoke, I looked him up and down; he was a big man. His face advertised the fact he had been in a brawl or two.

“Well, John Jones, it is your lucky day. My friends and I have decided that you look a friendly young lad and we will gladly take a drink from you.”

I started to argue but the sight of a large dagger being driven into the tabletop stopped me in my tracks.