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escue. Pirates, they must be. Barbary, by the look of them, though
they were far afield if that were the case.
Captain Bayonne stormed onto the poop deck, his saber
brandished in one hand, his pistol in the other.
“What is the meaning of this!” he snarled. “Driving my ship onto
the shoals! Boarding without leave! Do you think you can take my
ship, or my cargo, without a fight?”
The pirate captain looked him dead in the eye, and then broke
into a broad grin.
“No.”
His crew laughed heartily, clearly relishing the prospect of a
bloodbath.
“Captain, sir,” Hawkins spoke up. “They outnumber us eight to
one. Mayhaps we ought to negotiate.”
“Why, you yellow-bellied, piss-proud, boat-licking bastard. How
dare you!” Bayonne turned is blade towards Hawkins, but no sooner
had his attention left the pirate captain, than his sword and gun were
flying through the air, knocked away by the pirate’s blade. A dozen of
his men swarmed over Bayonne. Bayonne fought ferociously,
swinging with both fists, kicking at any knee he could reach,
screaming for his crew to come to his aid. Gosset and Johansen
jumped into the melee, their swords whistling. Hawkins reached for
his cutlass, but the pirate captain’s blade was at his throat.
He shook his head slowly, speaking in the broad tones of West
Africa.
“I don’t think so.”
Hawkins hesitated. His captain needed his assistance. He might
be able to knock the pirate’s blade away. But to what purpose? The
pirates would take the Adeline, with or without resistance. What use
flinging himself to an inevitable death?
Besides, he thought these swarthy men might treat their African
brethren better than their future owners would. That alone, was
sufficient reason to yield. He’d rather cede the Adeline and their
profits along with her, than consign those poor souls to a lifetime of
living hell on some Cuban sugar plantation.
Hawkins tossed his sword to the deck. The pirated captain
swooped it up, and joined two of his men who stood at the top of the
companionway, blocking access to the poop deck, fighting off any of
the Adeline’s half-drowned seamen who cared to heed their captain’s
call. Truth be told, not many dared.
The battle was over in short order. Bayonne, Gossett, Johansen,
and Hawkins were lined along the fore rail of the poop deck, hands
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