Barracuda

at the variation and amounts of specie… hard specie that was found. There was a chest full of specie from every nation, silver livres, gold louis, guineas, pistoles, dollars, all hard coins, no paper at all my lord.' Barracuda

'Humph!' Anthony grunted, 'You must have made it to the captain's cabin before Dagan got there.'

'Sir,' Earl asked, not quite sure what to make of Anthony's words.

'I said you must have searched the captain's cabin before Dagan had a chance.'

'Oh no, my lord. It was he that found the specie.' Nodding his head in understanding Anthony said,

'Well you can damn well bet you only got half at best.'

'Half sir?'

'Yes, man, half,' Anthony spoke sharply as the pain from his wound was getting more bothersome. 'You can be sure Dagan got all he could carry before you were notified of its existence.'

'Oh! I catch your drift, sir. Do we search Dagan's belongings?'

Anthony just looked up at Earl with a hard look that spoke volumes even though he was silent.

Seeing the look Earl said, 'No, I don't believe there's a need to embarrass Dagan. I don't see how he could have appropriated any significant amount of the booty without my knowledge.'

'If you're sure,' Anthony said, 'then it's a moot point. I have nothing but the utmost in trust and confidence in my captains so your word is good enough for me.'

Earl suddenly looked anxious. He rose from his seat, gulped down the wine in his glass then suddenly remembered he was needed on deck. As he left the cabin Bart came out of the pantry, 'Smart bugger, ain't he?'

'Bart!'

'Aye, my lord, I know's he's a King's ozzifer and a smart un to boot I'm thinking.'

Anthony quickly recovered from his injuries once they returned to Saint Augustine. He refused the bosun chair when going back on board Warrior, but by the time he made it up the ladder and through the entry port he was wishing he hadn't let pride get in the way of comfort.

Captain Buck was taken aback by Anthony's pale flesh tones and stooped position as he walked. Once in his stateroom Silas had a cup of his special coffee ready for the admiral, then went about making Anthony comfortable as he laid down on his day bed. Captain Earl and his ship's surgeon had accompanied the admiral over to the flagship. Merlin's surgeon was explaining to Warrior's surgeon Caleb's plan of treatment for the admiral.

'The man's treating the admiral and he's not even in the Navy,' Merlin's surgeon exclaimed.

Standing to the side Bart was amazed to hear the conversation. It appeared the two ship's surgeons were somewhat in awe at Caleb's plan of care.

'I would have bled him a pint at least,' Johnson, who was Warrior's surgeon, said.

'Nay,' McBain, from Merlin answered. 'Caleb says the depletion of volume stresses the cardium and prevents the sanguine suppuration which delivers the humours from the wound.'

Damn me ears, Bart thought. I don't need to be listening to this but if I's ever wounded I hope Caleb is handy.

Anthony sipped his coffee patiently until the two surgeons finished addressing his wound. He politely stated, 'Now if you gentlemen will forgive me I have duties to discuss with the flag captain.' Once the surgeons had left, Anthony moved around until he found a relaxing position. He then turned to Buck and asked, 'Has anything of interest developed while I was gone?'We had a day of strong wind and rain. Enough that the master wanted to up anchor and put some distance between us and the land.'

Shaking his head in understanding Anthony recalled his recent conversation with the Governor, 'If it came a blow they would have to put to sea.'

'Did you hear me, sir?' Buck asked.

'My apologies Rupert, my mind was on the weather and this damnable anchor. You were saying?'

'I was saying, sir, that Knight and Markham had a running battle with a group of privateers but lost them after the sun went down. Knight thinks they made it into one of the many inlets between Port Royal and Savannah. Markham wanted to explore a likely place feeling that with Swan's shallow draught he could put a man in the chains and get a look see.'

'However, since Neptune was too large to follow and render assistance should it be needed, Knight denied Markham 's request.'

'Sir Raymond is a wise officer,' Anthony said.

'Aye, my lord, I believe a few of our younger captains have succeeded until it may now prove to be a liability,' Buck said.

'Meaning Francis and Gabe?' Anthony asked.

'Aye,' Buck answered matter-of-factly. 'Them along with Bush and Kerry. That damn fool stunt of Kerry's, taking on a gunboat off Nova Scotia had disaster written all over it. Bart was right when he said,

'Brave man, Mister Kerry is, but not the smartest block I've known.'

Anthony smiled in spite of himself recalling the day.

'I didn't know Bart's words had got out.' Now Buck was smiling, 'Got out, my lord! Why they're damn near legendary,' Buck exclaimed. 'Bart summed up the feeling of every tar in the whole squadron with that one sentence. And with him being

the admiral's own cox'n! Why damn my eyes, sir, but most of the officers felt the same as Bart but wouldn't say it.

Over the next few days the number of ships entering port increased until the anchorage and even the harbour was bustling. Ships delivering their cargo of precious supplies that would be needed to maintain the force at Saint Augustine until after the hurricane season.

Anthony kept up the patrols and Merlin in company with SeaWolf and Audacity had driven off a group of privateers attempting to raid the convoy that had just dropped anchor. A dilapidated xebec had been taken prize.

Where in God's name had that come from, Anthony wondered.

Earl had said when he reported, 'She's an old craft, sir, her batteries were mounted with the refuse guns off some Frenchy's old, rusty relic's that had long since served their real usefulness. I'm surprised they didn't blow to pieces when they were fired.'

'Well,' Anthony said, 'maybe the Governor will have a use for her so that she'll make the jacks a farthing or two.'

Earl then silenced his admiral and flag captain as he continued, 'The captain of the xebec was Spanish, sir.

He was mortally wounded in the battle but he was still able to talk when we boarded. He was in fact in a rage and damned us all to hell for stealing his home and his land. I didn't put much stock in his ranting until in a fit of coughing he gasped 'you were nothing but bait for the Barracuda and Don Luis de Lavago.' The crew of the xebec was a mixed bunch. With a little persuading we discovered from a man who is most assuredly a British deserter, but claims to be Canadian, that Captain Barracuda

Galvez… Cesar Galvez, was always complaining of losing his plantation in Cow Ford.'

'Humph!' Anthony grunted when Earl had finished his report. 'I will bet herein lies the reason for the ruthless destruction of British ships. A Spaniard or Spaniards who were probably forced by circumstances, cultural differences, or any number of reasons to relocate to Cuba after the treaty between Spain and England.'

'Aye,' Buck said, 'A man with a vendetta. I wonder if we could find out more of either Captain Galvez or Don… '

'Don Luis de Lavago,' Earl added. 'Gabe and I discussed this when we captured the xebec and he said with your permission, sir, he would see if he could find anything out from Domingo.'

'Yes… yes, that would be useful,' Anthony replied after a moment of thought. 'I understand he is a man of much knowledge.'

Hearing this Buck added, 'He's a man with a beautiful daughter as well, my lord. Keeps our Sir Raymond in a fit of humours.'

'Not just Sir Raymond,' Earl added, 'But I believe he's won Nancy 's heart if not her hand. I'm not sure how that will play out but I wouldn't be surprised to see a Lady Knight in the not to distant future.'

'Would a priest be willing to do that?' Anthony questioned. 'Sir Raymond's a Protestant.'

'A sea captain could,' Buck interjected, 'If Domingo approved.'