⛵ ⛵ ⛵ ⛵...(Tour of "High Island")...Continued...
[Last time...]
“We had favorable northern winds lest night, we’re a guid half day aheid o’ schedule!” Galligan replied as he took long strides down the dim corridor, “Assemble a crew o’ fife in a longboat an' draw oot a tow-line, th' Keptin wants 'er secured by
noon!”
“Aye Sairrr!”
As they parted ways at the stairwell, Kerrislravenhill quickly made her way towards the main bunk houses as she ran names though her mind deciding who to take. (Deciding...who to take…🤼) (See: @joshuaslane/silver-adventures-captain-joshua-slane-05no24-la-serpent-has-been-sighted )
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[On La Serpent…one mile south of the Silverton…]
“Hey Rank! Get over here and take a look at this!” A raggedly dressed man said as he took a long drag on a corn-cob pipe.
“I’m kind of busy boss! There’s silver coins still scattered in the officers cabins and I aim to find them all!” The second man called back in a raspy voice.
”I said get your fat arse over here now! We’ve got company!”
“What?!”
“Look for yourself idiot!”
The second man walked over to the starboard rail of the French Corvette and gazed north…
“A bloody frigate?! Where in hell did that come from?!”
“I don’t know, but we better get our mates up here quick and high tail it to shore!”
“A bloody war frigate! On Lake Michigan?!”
“I said move it!”
“Alright, alright, I’m moving!”
The man with the corn-cob pipe took another long drag on his pipe and let out a trail of smoke that quickly wafted across the forecastle in the morning breeze…
“Right…” He mumbled to himself, “What the hell is a warship doing way out here?! This French Corvette was the only vessel on the Great Lakes, and abandoned at that! Makes no damn sense…”
[Down below…]
“Hey, you jack-asses! Get a move on! We’ve got company!” Rank yelled as he entered the ‘Captain’s cabin’.
An even more raggedy figure was bent over a small chest, shoving silver coins into his pockets while a second man was handling a French musket he’d just pulled from a cabinet…
“I said get a move on!” Rank yelled as he put a heavy boot on the other’s back-side and knocked him to the floor!
“Ow! Ye bastard! What’d you do that for!” He yelled as he rubbed the knot forming on his forehead and silver coins spilled on the floor.
“I said we got company man and the boss wants us up-top on the double!”
“Okay, okay! Company?!”
“That’s right dumb-arse! A bloody frigate sailing down hard from the north!”
“Haha! A frigate on Lake Michigan! Good one Rank!” The third man laughed as he brought the musket up to his chin an checked an aim,
“What a fine piece! How could the French have left all this, and their ship too on our side of the lake?!”
“Give me that gun Fard, and get up-top now! You too Stank!” Rank cursed as he grabbed the musket out of his arms and shoved him towards the door.
“You’re not my boss Rank! Ripper is!”
“Yah, well Ripper wants your ass up-top now!”
With a begrudging expression, Fard and Stank headed for the door, glancing warily behind them as they did.
With all three up on the main deck, Rank walked over to Ripper who was still watching the northern horizon, pipe in hand.
“We’re all up boss, we better make a run for it…” He said, as he eyed the approaching frigate which now looked twice as big as it did a few minutes before.
“No runnin’ now mate....” Ripper said flatly as he took another drag on his corn-cob pipe, “she’s comin’ in too fast. We’d never make it out of gun range in that dinghy.”
“What are you saying?!”
“I’m saying we’re blasted toast!” He replied calmly, his eyes filled with anger, “How many guns are still down below?”
“Plenty, but boss, we can’t fight a warship?!” Rank exclaimed in fear.
“Shut-up!” Ripper blasted as he back-handed him with his free hand,
“We’re not fighting any warship idiot! Now gather up four muskets, powder and balls and start looking for a good hiding place!”
“Ok, ok Boss!” Rank replied sheepishly as he walked off, rubbing his face.
“Oh, and cut that dinghy free before they catch sight of it!”
Rank’s eyes got as big as hen’s eggs as he nodded slightly and took one last glance to the north. The frigate’s tall oak masts seem to grow taller by the second and her dark ominous silhouette sent shivers down his spine!
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📝 Note: "If th' Toor o' High Islain' has caught yer intrest, all o' me stoatin' adventures kin be foond by searchin':
Silver Adventures of Captain Joshua Slane
Oan yer 'Hife Search tool' an' sae forth." 😉 -Keptin
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References: - Pictures from: RMC 100 oz Silver Bars, www.freeimages.com, www.pexels.com, pixabay.com, Hive.blog, Wikipedia an’ www.google.com/maps. Data also loosely interpretted froms: historica.fandom.com, Wikipedia, an' sometimes finely crafted reit from th' author's extensiff personal experience an' such.
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"Confused? Ascared? Seasick? Need tae gab with th' Keptin?- Skelp th' 'Reply' button muckers!" - Keptin
📝 "Remember maties, bein' crew oan th' mighty Frigate Silverton ⛵ is a sure cure fur loneliness! We sail together...ur nae at aw!" 🙌🏼🤝👲🏼🥷🏼👩🏼🍳👨🏼🔧👨🏼💼🧑🏼🎨🧕🏼🤵🏼♂️🤵🏼♂️🦹🏼💁🏼🙋🏼♀️👩🏼🍳🤴🏼👮🏼♂️💂🏼♂️🕵🏼👨🏼⚕️ 😉 -Keptin
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