Chapter 3

People were scattered on the river struggling against her currents. Men cried out in pain as alligators made their way to prey and ripped their limbs and arms profusely as men and woman suffered imminent death to the creatures of the river. The ships-hull screak as it rubbed against the rock loudly enough to be heard for miles. The crew of Sara fight to stay above surface and were pulled under by the rivers fierce current and gators grabbed their next meal easily in their territory.

Sara remained a float for nearly five minutes before over turning on her side. The ships weight shifted and the current ripped through her side bending it in way and separated she sank quickly. Mothers held on to their children and were pulled under and never made it to the banks of the Ocmulgee River. The loss was catastrophic.

Thomas Hall was a swimmer and struggled hard and faith was on his side. He managed to get on the bank, coughing, and terribly shaken by the screams and the loss of his mother. Thomas lay poignant and uttered no words, as he lay calmly by himself alone on the bank.

Debris and canvas was moving at the river rate downstream. Men fight to grab anything floating near to save their lives, but proved unworthy to help as all drifted downstream. Bodies were seen floating by the banks effortless and no movement was made.

Frank pounded against boxes for support and he could hear Rebecca screaming and struggling to stay afloat. He tried immensely to reach Rebecca.

" I'm coming to get you," he said

"Hold on Rebecca," he yelled.

Frank had a lappet in his hand to help fight the current as he reached for Rebecca. "Suddenly, he was attacked from underneath," his voice shrilled in horror as an alligator pulled him beneath the surface. Frank was never seen again. Rebecca screamed and managed to get nearly close to safety, but she was too far from the bank, Adjacent to her was Marlowe, frantic, and nearly exhausted she was fighting for her life to the banks. She managed to get footing below her just above the drop off and saw Rebecca drifting in her direction with the current.

Rebecca continued to scream frantically to Marlowe, "help me," she said.

Marlowe never reached out for her as she approached coming down with the current."

Rebecca continued to splash her arms in distraught and reached for Marlowe, but Marlowe refused to grab her hand.

Marlowe looked at her eyes as she gulped in water and the sound that was heard was more frightening to watch than to hear. Marlowe was recreant to adjust her position and footing to grab Rebecca. She stared in dismay and watched Rebecca frantically miss her within arms reach, but Marlowe never budged. She was gasping with breath and remained idle. The last thing she encountered was watching Rebecca swallow water and her eyes bulged and swelled as if with anger. Her wrist bracelet was shining as her hand slowly went in to descent. Rebecca disappeared from the surface.

Marlowe could have grabbed her and saved her, but she didn't. Moments after Marlowe bellowed out a loud cry and she began to weep uncontrollably. She would never be able to live with herself knowing that she could have saved a life especially, Rebecca's. Marlowe was a coward and her jealousy was confided in hate of a beautiful woman who meant her no harm. Even when she spoke to her in a harsh tone on the ship, Rebecca never showed anger and was always on her best manners, sweet, honest and beautiful.

Thomas moaned on the banks of the Ocmulgee. Mosquitoes were biting him through his dress and he shivered from a mild shock and the cold water that soaked him. He raised his head up and looked around to find nearly all of the passengers had died. He rose up from the mud and reached in his pocket and pulled out the arrowhead that Duke had given him. He could hear voices in his mind and a vague whisper,

Be brave like the little Indian girl, my spirit is with you young man.

Thomas cried out for help. In the distance downstream he could hear voices of the survivors. He walked along the banks south until he comes upon, Marlowe.

"Ma'am, are you all right?"

"Yes,

"Help me up, where is everybody else?" Thomas bowed his head and didn't reply.

"Is anybody else alive down there," she asked.

Thomas didn't say a word.

"We are down here," a voice shouted.

She grabbed Thomas by the hand and gently walked south to other survivors. One man laid down badly bleeding from an alligator bite.

"Help me"

"I'm bleeding bad,"

Marlowe quickly tore a piece of her dress off and wrapped it around the mans injured arm.

Several men downstream had got up strength to walk and decided where to go next. The riverbanks are muddy, dark and slippery. One man named, Charles spoke out.

"I think we are just below Queensland, about several river bends ahead,

Many times I have sailed this run with, Sir Frances Darake, and I shalt remember I'm sure we are just several bends to Queensland."

The men hollered and their voices could be heard as an echo through the woods, but no sound returned for help.

"One of us must get some help," Thomas said, I want to be brave like Sir Duke told me and I will help get somebody here."

"I shalt not stay here and be scalped by no Indian," Marlowe said, I value my life allot more than scalps I tell yea! That. I'm going to walk up north on the bank until I find someone with a horse that can ride to queensland, and send message to Jacksonville, which the Sara has, sank up river. We have a bleeding man here and if we don't get him help we will lose another life. I'm not going to sit around here and wait for that to happen. We can't build a fire, So we must stay together and try to find help," she said.

Marlowe's trickery may have fooled the survivors, but it didn't fool the spirits of the dead.

Now, back at Abbeville there was another worry taking place.

Jean Leon worked steady keeping a good supply of Applejack.

Elizabeth began to worry when the Sara didn't arrive on time in Abbeville. She knows something was wrong. Time was slipping away and there was little luck that Sara would arrive. She'd look at Jean and with him amongst the people in the bar, indulged in conversation on what to do next.

"I'm worried Jean, It's been too many hours past." "The Sara should have been here already". "I've waited so long to see my lovely friend," Rebecca.

"Don't give up yet," he said

"You think maybe something happened to them or maybe the ship broke down?" Elizabeth asked.

"Maybe," Jean said.

"I have a friend in Queensland. I'm sure he can give us some information on the Sara." The door of the bar swung open and in walked a blacksmith from Queensland. He sat down and asked for some Applejack. He wore a gray suit and his lapel was white. He was neatly groomed with a large black mustache.