Chapter 1

So, after I had been double-crossed by Arthur Jacobs, my late father’s steward, and his gang of friends I found myself on board a ship heading to the Americas. I was being guarded on the trip by The Pugh brothers, John and James, who had been part of the plot to get me off my dead fathers’ estate and out of the country. Jacobs had bribed them to make sure I got America and did not jump ship. It meant that Jacobs could take over the estate and live off its riches and rents. He would become Squire in my absence and gnawed away at my gut.

The Pugh brothers stayed out of my way as I wandered the deck of the Pretty Polly. I wanted to take my revenge on them, but I knew that doing it on the ship would mean only one thing, death to me, there was no way the captain would allow me to make trouble on his ship. Most of His small crew tolerated me but there was no love lost between us. I knew that I could take on the twins in a man on man fight but if the crew joined in there was no way I would win. Besides, they had access to weapons, and I had nothing but my hands.

I was sure the captain would have no qualms about tossing me over the side if I caused any trouble and there was no way I would make it back to dry land. He had been paid to get me to the new world but I am sure no man on board would ever be questioned to see if I had arrived there safe and sound.

So, every day I wandered the deck of the ship and every night I dreamt of how I would take my revenge on Arthur Jacobs and his band of men, the names of them were etched on my mind. The Pugh twins, James and John Pugh. Barney Mcgrew Albert Cuthbert, Simon Dibble, and Peter Grubb. They would all get their comeuppance one way or another. Their names were noted, their faces engraved in my memory. If it was the last thing I ever did I would see Arthur Jacobs buried...

The storm that hit us hit us hard; I was locked away as soon as the sky went dark. The captain lowered all the sails and had the ships pumps double manned as waves crashed over the little ship and the bilges started to fill. I could hear the panic from the deck above me. I heard shouts, and I heard spars and masts toppling.

The cargo we were carrying in the hold was moving around and I heard some of the crew shouting for more strapping.

Above me, men were screaming at each other. The ship was being tossed about like a leaf on the water; the power of the storm was making its old timbers creak and groan. There was a blood-curdling scream from the foredeck, and I heard more shouting. Men were calling for the surgeon and the officers were shouting at them, telling them to be silent.

There was pandemonium on deck shouts, screams, the sounds of people running around and all the time the sounds of the waves and wind, the sounds of bits stuff rolling around the deck as the ocean tossed the small ship around.

All of a sudden, a loud bang echoed all over the ship. The captain called for the first mate and then there was silence. I heard people running down the steps that led from the desk to the lower decks. I heard the first mate cursing as he ran back up to the deck. The senior ratings as senior sailors are known were trying to get the other men working as a team, but panic was spreading that was obvious.

I heard the first mate calling for more men to man the pumps, it was a command that was repeated a few times.

Then I heard the words no sailor wants to hear...

“Prepare to abandon ship” the captain called out. It was echoed around the deck by the senior ratings.

There was a chorus of Aye Aye Sirs from all parts of the deck. I heard feet running and then winches being used to lower the ship’s boats. We must have either hit something or been hit by something. This was not good, as the ship was being tossed around in this tempest of a sea then the ship’s boats would be tossed about twice as bad. I did not envy the lads in the boats, but then again, I did not really want to be locked on my cell in this leaky old tub.

I called for help, called to be released, but no one came. I hammered the door and even tried to bang on the ceiling to attract attention. There was so much noise around the ship it was not surprising no one heard me.

I waited in vain for the Pugh brothers to come and release me; I heard shouts and cries from above for a good half an hour. I called out for the brothers, but no one came. I could tell the ship was letting in water. She had started to tilt at a strange angle and was not making headway as she had been doing earlier.

Then an eerie silence fell across the ship. The sound of the sea and the wind was still evident, but the voices had faded. The silence was both deafening and scary. I sat and waited, waiting for someone to save me from a watery grave.

I tried to listen for the sound of anyone. The deck was as silent as a grave. They must have taken to the boats. I sat back on my bunk. My heart raced; this was no way to die. To be drowned in the brig of a ship. I tried to rattle the bars, but they were steadfast, I tried to shoulder barge the door open, but it was made of heavy oak with good irons and there was no way I would break it down.

I looked around for tools to aid my escape, but there was nothing. I was well and truly scuppered. My time on this earth had come to an untimely end I was sure of that.

I sat on my bunk and watched the foot of the door; how long would it be before the water seeped under it to end my short life. I could hear the squeals and squeaks of the rats as the moved up from the ship’s bilges to escape the water as it flooded their nests.

I sat and pondered about my life, about the good times and the bad times, and regretted my decision to return to my father’s estate after all those years, for it had led to my downfall.

The old ship slewed and there was a huge groan as the winds turned its bow. Then I was sure I had heard a noise. I listened keenly I was sure I had heard a voice, perhaps two voices talking. Then I heard footsteps coming toward me. I wondered if I was dreaming if this was some sort of nightmare.

Then the voices were close enough for me to make out the words they were saying, and I knew the voices. It was young James the cabin boy and Ken the surgeon’s mate. They looked in at me through the bars. I could see the panic in their eyes and hear it in their voices.

“Squire, the crew have left us,” Said James through a hail of tears. “We were told to man the pumps while the hands got the sea boats ready, but they rowed away and left us here!”

“We are doomed,” cried Ken, the panic in his voice was obvious. “We will drown as sure as eggs are eggs”

“Let me out, and let’s see if we can get off this floating grave,” I said, I was desperately trying not to show just how scared I actually was. In my head, it would be better to die trying to escape from this sinking coffin than to die locked in a tiny shell.

“The captain said not to release you, or we will face the cat, “Ken told me.

“The captain left you to die lads” I shouted, “I am your only chance to get off this hulk”

They looked at each other for advice but nothing was said between them, it was young James that made the first move. He unlocked the door and it swung open as the ship lurched.

“what would the captain say, James,” said Ken.

“Fuck the captain” James retorted, “that bastard has abandoned us, and he won’t be coming back”

We could have stood there and argued the facts all night, but we didn’t have that time.

“Right we need to get moving,” I told them and led them up onto the deck. As we ran onto the deck, the ship seemed to lurch and shiver below us. There was a big groan and the ship settled deeper into the sea.

I took a good look around the deck, the place was a mess. The ship’s masts had all fallen and ropes Crisscrossed the deck. I ran up to the poop deck, I could not see any signs of land in any direction. That was worrying, to say the least. I could not see the ship’s boats either. I guess it was a good half an hour since the captain and crew had taken to the boats.

There was one small boat to let on the ships lower deck; it was the boat that they had used to take me to the ship from the quay. To be fair it was more of a dingy than a boat, but you have to work with what you have. It had no sail; I was sure if we had time, we could fashion one, but I was sure we did not have that time.

I called James and ken over to me, there was a look for sheer panic on both of their faces. It was like they had resigned themselves to a watery death.

“James, we need food and water,” I shouted out the crashing of the waves, “go to the galley, and see what you can find”

“Ken, we need sea coats and waterproofs” I cried, I knew that any time we spent in the boat would be cold and wet, any protection we could find would be a great benefit. I was not sure how far we were from land and we might be in the boat for some time, and any time in that sea, if you are cold and wet, would be tough.

“Aye Aye sir, “he said and touched his brow. As I walked across the deck, I saw a sailor pinned under a fallen mast, he was dead, the gash in his head told me he had been unlucky and taken a blow to the head. He had his sea knife in a scabbard on his side; I took it, as he had no further use for it that was for sure.

I slipped down the steps into the captain’s cabin; he had left in a rush that was obvious there was stuff spread all over the place. The weapons cupboard was open there were two pistols and musket in there, so I grabbed them as well as some shot and powder.

I ran up to the deck and placed them by the small boat. I went back into the cabin hoping to find a chart or a compass. I found neither, but I did find a small bag of silver coins, which I pocketed. I ran back onto the deck, I stumbled as the ship lurched again. I heard James scream and I headed down to the galley. Water was washing along the floor as I ran to find James. We did not have much time left I figured as cold seawater lapped around my ankles.

James was in the galley and was struggling with a huge sack. I grabbed it from him and grabbed him, dragging them up to the deck. I threw the bag and the boy into the small boat. He was crying and shivering as he sat huddled up. Ken joined me on the deck and threw a bundle of sea coats at James.

“Squire John, we are sinking fast,” he shouted, to be fair I did not need to be told. Another loud groan from the belly of the ship made us both turn to the boat. I untied the ropes fastening it to the side of the ship. We did not have time to launch it.

“Get in ken, and get ready to row for your life,” I told him. The boat there were two sets of oars and to thwarts, the seats we would sit onto row.

“James as the ship sinks this little boat will float off it, but we are in danger of being sucked down as the ship goes under, as we start to row you need to take the tiller and steer us to open water,” I said firmly

“Aye Sir,” he said and jumped up and sat in the stern, gripping the tiller firmly.

“Ken as soon as you feel the boat lift of the deck row like your life depends on it “I shouted, as I was sure it would!

We watched as water slewed over the deck and lifted our small vessel. Ken and I pulled on the oars and James guided us into open water.

“Ken pull on your oar for all you are worth!” I cried, “we need to get away from the ship, as it sinks it will create a vortex that could pull us under”

He threw all his weight into his rowing; the sea was pulling us back toward the ship as it sank; it took all of our combined efforts. The wind and the waves pummelled us as we tried to row as far away from the sinking ship as we could. I put all my strength and weight into pulling on those oars. I knew that we had to get as far away as possible. I knew that it could pull us under as it slipped under the waves.

There was the sound of gushing water as the pretty Poly slipped into the depths. We all looked back at the place where the ship had been and then we looked at each other. They were signs of relief on everyone’s face.

I put a smile on my face and told the others we would soon be back on dry land. They both agreed but I was sure they knew as well as I knew, we were in trouble.

For two solid hours, ken and I rowed that small boat, where we were going, we did not know, there was no sun or moon to guide us and we had no compass. The waves had been whipped up by the storm and our little boat was tossed into the air and then dropped off the top of waves as the storm raged around us.