True Treasure: Real - Life History Mystery (22 page)

He continued listing jobs to be done, “Bring any goods or equipment we can barter to shore. Lieutenant Kerry, you are in charge of the prisoners, and their accommodations, provisions, and transportation.”

He turned to face Sedgwig, “Lieutenant Sedgwig, you will take the carpenters and break apart the ship. Bring what you can to shore, and sink the rest. Within two days, I want no sign there was ever a ship in the mouth of the cove.”

Bennett looked at the ship again, slowly making its way against the incoming tide which flowed between the mainland and the island. What would possess the pirates to round the island against the currents? Bennett thought to himself. Only one thought came to him. They had treasure and were looking for a place to hide it. His heart sunk then hardened. They would be in for a fight. Pirates do not give up ill-gotten gains without a battle. Bennett let his breath out slowly. He spoke quietly to Randall as he handed him the glass. “I am sure they have loot which they are looking to hide. I can think of no other reason they would be fighting against the stronger currents on the land side.”

Randall frowned as he peered through the glass. “We are in for a fight.”

Randall spun around and aimed the glass at the Devonshire. “The guns are coming into position to blast a wall of balls along the cove. Once the first volley hits, and it will, they will be able to narrow the scope and sink it. Perhaps the treasure will sink with the ship.”

“Then it would be salvage under the rules of the seas,” Bennett answered.

“So we will sink the boat and leave the treasure there. Then the men can dive and salvage to have some spending money,” Randall added while keeping his eye to the glass.

“That is a good solution,” Bennett answered

The breeze ruffled through Bennett’s hair as he looked up at the sky. The winds had picked up. “Looks like we are in for a big blow sometime during the night. With luck, anyone who knows about this ship will think they were sunk by the storm.”

“Yes. The timing couldn’t be better,” Randall continued, “with the storm fast approaching, it could be why the pirates have settled on this cove to unload their treasure. They have run out of time before the storm hits to pick a better location.”

As the ship rounded the bend into the cove, the lieutenant in charge on the Devonshire aimed its cannons at the middle of the entrance to the cove. The Devonshire was hidden from view by the curve until the ship was in the entrance, at which time it would be too late. The men onboard were ready for the command, the powder in, the balls loaded, and the charges ready to be lit.

“Ready,” the Lieutenant said, which was repeated by the chief gunner for all the men below decks to hear, “Set, fire.”

The sounds of the fizzle of the charges being lit, followed by the popping pressure of the cannons firing, and a second later, the boom and cracking of the cannonballs hitting the sides, top, and main mast of the slow galleon, filled the air. The lead gunner on each cannon yelled out the adjustments to be made as the men on the cranks adjusted to hit their target.

The Lieutenant repeated his orders, “Ready, set, fire,” as the second barrage let loose a mere five seconds after the first. The galleon started listing as the men aboard the Devonshire could hear the shouts of the men on the galleon. The galleon hastily fired back with only three guns. The ship was so wounded from the surprise attack they’d had no chance to aim. Men could be seen jumping ship and heading for the far shore away from the Devonshire. The men knew their fellow crew men were hidden in the tree
line ready to capture the pirates.

“One more volley men!” The Lieutenant said as the cannons were adjusted yet again to hit the undamaged parts of the ship.

“Ready, set, fire!”

The cannons smacked through the sides of the ship and the screams of dying or injured men could be heard. One pirate took a canvas bag and dived off the ship, but never resurfaced. Possibly holding onto his gold cost him his life. The battle was soon over as another pirate was seen from the prow waving a white cloth in surrender. Three skiffs from the Devonshire with an empty one roped to one, approached the listing ship which was rapidly filling with seawater. Men crawled onto the broken mast which was floating on top of the waves. Others held onto planking that just minutes ago made up the sides of the ship. “Sir, I don’t think there will be anything to board within the half hour. We nailed it good,” said one of the sailors to Lieutenant Gregory.

He nodded in agreement. “That will make our job easier. When the incoming storm passes, we will send men down below the waves to salvage anything of value that can be bartered.”

More pirates jumped ship and made for either the shore or the boat to be kept as prisoners.

In all twenty-five men were fished from the sea. Another eighteen made it to the shore. Six fought and lost their lives while the other twelve surrendered. Another forty or so died from the cannon fire or were trapped on the sinking ship. Fourteen more were seen jumping from the ship never to resurface.

In all Bennett estimated from his interrogation of the prisoners and the observances of his men that ninety-seven crew were aboard the pirated Spanish galleon.

Thirty-seven were left in his charge, five that were badly wounded and may not make it through the night. That would leave a prison population of thirty-two to watch, and feed. It created a dangerous situation. He wasn’t sure what to do about the prisoners. He couldn’t let them go. They knew their location, and would report it to others who would not be fooled as to be sunk at the entrance again.

It wasn’t honorable to kill them when there were resources to keep them alive on the island, unlike when they were at sea, and walking the plank was customary for the crime of piracy. Walking the plank they had a chance to survive, no matter how slim, if God willed, just like the ones who managed to escape.

For now they would keep them and feed them. They would meet their future together and perhaps their end too.

***

“What has happened?” Mary asked when Bennett finally made his way back to the tent.

“Pirates.”

“I heard the firing of the cannons. Is the ship I see sinking in the cove, pirates?”

“Yes, we’ve taken thirty
-two captives. We do have a big blow heading this way. The tent is not safe. For the evening you will move into the cave Randall shares with the officers. The men will be moving the furniture out of here and into there, shortly.”

“But we have withstood the storms before.”

“This one is larger. Can you not feel it? The thickness of the air, the way the wind blows? Perhaps these are the things a captain learns on the high seas.”

“Yes, I have felt this before. Is it wrong to hope it will not be as bad as it appears?”

“I must see to the prisoners. Keep Charles close by,” Bennett said as he walked away.

“Bennett?” he turned back to face Mary.

She went into his arms, “I was so worried for you. I am glad you are safe.”

He kissed her before leaving her to see to his new charges.

***

“Find out what nationality the men are, which treasure they captured, and which ship we sunk. Give them lashes if that is what it takes to get them to speak.”

The blacksmiths had built a gate into an opening where the men would have to duck down to get in. The room was only tall enough to stand in in the very back. It was about two and a half fathoms wide, once past the opening, by four deep. A keg of water stood in front of the gate with the spigot pushed through the bars, and the men were given half coconut shells to serve as cups and bowls. Slop buckets in the back worked as chamber pots. The men were ushered through except for the strongest looking four. Those were the ones that would be lashed for information, or their heads stuck in a barrel of sea water until they would talk. Information was needed to know where the pirates came from, how they worked, and if they could expect more. Also, they needed to know what ships they had passed into port, carrying what loads, and from what countries.

If any Navy ships had been spotted in the vicinity, and most important of all, if they had any word of who the traitor was, implicating them as pirates.

“What ship did you loot?” Randall asked for the sixth time. The pirate was held by two soldiers over the water barrel, gasping for breath, then swore in Portuguese. Randall nodded and the sailors grabbed his hair and held his head under again, holding him until several big bubbles arose to the surface. They held him under until the bubbles stopped, lifted his head out where he coughed and gasped for air. The men then picked up his legs, and held them higher than his head, then slapped him on the back until he puked out even more water from his lungs. Randall motioned for the men to put him down and grab the next man who witnessed the torture of his friend. “Habla Anglais, or Espanol?”

“Anglias si, Espanol, si.”
The prisoner nodded his head furiously in agreement.

“I
will
break you. Why put yourself through all this misery?”

The man looked sorrowfully at his feet. “I will speak.”

Randall motioned for the prisoners to be moved out of range of hearing, including the man gasping for breath on the ground. “Lash him to confirm this one’s story,” he said loud enough for the leaving prisoners to hear.

“I want the truth. If I find out you have lied, we will cut you, tie you to a float with bait, and let the sharks rip you apart while you are alive. Do you understand? If it is our lives versus yours, we will take yours. We have no interest in treasure, which is why we let it sink. You can have your life, and salvage your treasure. All I want is the truth. Do you understand or should I repeat it in Spanish?”

The man nodded furiously “Si, I understand.”

“Get him a chair, and ale.”

The prisoner’s eyes widened with gratitude. When the drink was placed in his hands he sipped it gingerly. After his initial taste of the thick amber liquid he gulped half of it down. Randall tilted his head indicating the sailor should refill his cup.

Randall spoke while the pirate drank.

I want to know where your base is, how many pirates, what ships you have seen arriving and leaving port, and what ships you have taken. I want to know who has met or said they met the pirate Sangree Graham, Bloody Graham.”

“We are on the big island, I think they call it Cocos. Pirate town there. Good rum, women, and laws. Pirates do not steal from others on the island or it is death.” He paused to take a long drink from his mug.

“I will tell you the truth. It is worth nothing to me, why would I hide it?” The pirate sipped from his mug. “We took a small merchant ship bringing coin to pay for cocoa or coffee. Who cares?” he sipped again.

“A storm chased them off course. They came within sight of our island, so our crew lead by Gaspar, went after it.” The pirate shrugged and drank more ale. “We came to this island to dump it. Everyone is afraid of the sharks.” He raised his eyebrows.

“How many men are in the town?”

The pirate shrugged. “I never count. Enough to fill twenty ships like yours. Less now that you did us in.” He shrugged and drank again, then held out the cup again for a refill. Randall nodded, and the cup was filled.

“Has anyone on your island talked of the pirate Bloody Graham?”

The pirate nodded. “Two. Only two say they have met him. He is on a fine ship like yours. He surprised their ship in the middle of the night. Boarded and tortured the men then killed them, or fed them alive to the sharks. These two said they were to be fish food, but one had a knife tied to his thigh. He cut the rope of him and his brother, and they found a palm floating in the sea. They used the rope that had tied the cannonball to them to lash themselves to the tree. They rode it back to the island. On the island they joined the crew of Jemmy. They claimed they were Spanish soldiers who could pay a reward, then went to the mainland town to send a message to the King of Spain.”

The pirate bent his head down, leaned forward, and in a rough whisper said, “Do you work for Bloody Graham? We can work for him too.” He winked.

“What was your job on the ship?” Randall asked.

“Sail maker, cloth repairs. I’m good with a needle and ropes.” He paused to take another drink and let out a burp. “They say bloody Graham thrives on spilled blood. He is a force to be reckoned with. The way you sank our ship was a thing of beauty. A complete surprise. Bloody Graham is as cursed a pirate as any on the high seas. He’s put fear in the likes of the merchants, and Jemmy, and the rest.”

“Where is this Gaspar who led you?”

The pirate guffawed. “He’s the man you have been drowning, the one who won’t talk. He won’t talk if you lash him neither. He will find a way to escape and slit your throat though—for sinking his ship.” The pirate leaned forward and wiggled his eyebrows, laughed again, and took another swallow of his ale.

Randall raised his brow, and spoke dryly, “He won’t be the first who has wished to slit my throat, but the last man that tried, found the other end of a straight blade can do the job just as admirably. Thank you for the information.” Randall motioned, “Drink up.”

The men went to take him by his arms and escort him back to the prison cell.

“Bring me the captain, the man we tried to drown.”