“I’m sorry,’’ he replied. “I didn’t want you to be troubled with such.”
“Oh, I won’t be, my love,” she answered. “It just makes me more thankful you came along when you did.”
“Hmm,” said Anthony, a smile breaking out on his face. Just how thankful?”
“I’ll show you,” she replied, letting her shawl drop. “Shut the door.”
Chapter Twelve
Anthony had finally gotten a replacement lieutenant for Witzenfeld. Although Gabe and Markham had been commissioned, Anthony was still short of watch-standing officers since his lieutenants were spread throughout his growing flotilla. He had also acquired two more midshipmen. One was a twelve-year-old pimple faced youth who was as round as he was tall. The lad’s name was Joshua Young, and he’d been taken as a favor to Commodore Gardner.
“The young man is a mama’s boy and his father wants to ‘wean him from the teat,’”, confided the commodore when he’d approached Anthony about a possible berth. The boy’s father was a self-made, well-todo merchant and he wanted the boy to amount to something besides a spoiled brat. An eventual commission would also make him a gentleman and not just a tradesman’s son.
The other youth was Nathan Lavery. He’d been a midshipman for six years and would now be the senior mid. Anthony was concerned about how he’d get along with Davy, but the two hit it off fine. The older boy would be a good influence for Davy.
They’d have to wait and see how young Mr. Young would turn out. His first day on board he cried and whimpered so the master had him “kiss the gunner’s daughter” for sniveling so. The weaning had begun! After a half dozen by the bosun he “dried it up quick enough.” Because Mr. Young was the junior mid, Davy strutted his seniority like a peacock till Buck told him he could find himself at the masthead with his tail feathers plucked. Davy became his old self after the first lieutenant’s warning.
Anthony also received confirmation on his broad pendant. However, the new lieutenant made Anthony feel that the stars were truly shining down on him. He was heaven sent as far as Anthony was concerned. The man’s name was Julian Pope. His father was a former Governor of Barbados and then retired on the island. Since retiring he’d become a wealthy planter who owned a goodly portion of Barbados and St. John. Pope had entered the Navy as a midshipman under Admiral Rodney in 1760. He had been first lieutenant on the ninety-eight gun first rate
With the weather moderating, it was time for the patrols to resume in earnest. Anthony returned to his earlier tactics. He took his flotilla out as a group and deployed them so as one ship would never be out of sight of another. This tactic would allow them to cover a greater area. Anthonv also decided to concentrate more towards the Leeward Islands on this patrol. Only St. Martin and Guadeloupe were considered French-held islands, but that was too obvious. If there were a hidden French influence to the ongoing piracy, Anthony didn’t think that the rogues would make a French island their base of operation. More likely, a small cay or inlet on a sparsely populated island would serve as a rendezvous. Such a place would offer some shelter from a storm, and yet wouldn’t be visible to the casual passerby. A covert cay would be a place they could camp and divide their plunder. Numerous such places were delineated on the local charts the master had acquired, and probably just as many more that had yet to be mapped.
Maybe they would get a break soon. Otherwise he would be hauling down his new pendant and sailing back to England as a failure. The Leeward Islands seemed to be the area hardest hit recently. If one wanted to catch a pirate, Anthony thought, go to where the pickings are the ripest. Unlike some commanders, Anthony had never been shy of seeking advice from someone with experience. Therefore he sent for Pope, and together with Buck and the master, they went over the reports on the recent raids, plotting the positions on the charts.
Anthony listened closely to his counsel, and was subsequently rewarded by his flotilla’s capturing of several small prizes to sail back to English Harbour. They had also burned several “coasters,” and had just captured a gun ketch that was definitely French built-the
Anthony knew Gabe wanted the ketch by the time he and Earl had “fetched her up.” When Anthony went on board the vessel, he’d heard Gabe declare, “Damme but she’s a fine vessel, even after those bastards have abused her so.” Being French built, she was not as wide of beam as a British ketch, and slightly longer. Her lines were more sheer and curving with ornate bulwarks and two raked masts. Her transom was beautifully carved, and she carried five six-pounders on each side with a long nine in the fo’c’s’le. There also were four swivel guns on the main deck and one at the masthead. These were obviously rigged by the pirates who had taken her. The swivels were good for cutting down opposing crews without causing too much damage to the ship itself. Gabe’s only complaint with the vessel was its smell.
After a careful inspection of the ketch, a number of letters were found. They were addressed to various people in England, some of the local islands, and one to Virginia in the Colonies. Why the letters had not been discarded was a puzzle. The only reason Anthony and his fellow officers could surmise was that some of the letters might contain sailing dates, and maybe a hint at what cargo a ship might be carrying. The letters were also evidence that many ships had fallen prey to the cutthroats.
Upon searching the ketch’s storerooms, it was found she carried several barrels of spirits. When Anthony made his way to where the barrels were being “inspected,” he found the master had already broached a cask of wine, which he proclaimed far superior to
Anthony now had nearly a hundred pirates as prisoners scattered throughout his flotilla. He had also sent many of his crew back on prizes they had taken. Considering this, he decided it was time to return to English Harbour. He had given the ketch,
“I don’t mean to tell them their jobs, but they don’t know it all yet,” Buck said by way of explaining the signals. Anthony, without realizing, had turned over more and more of the ship handling to Buck.
Taking a look around, Anthony could see
