stumbled about was heart wrenching. Men were lying with open mouths and open dead eyes. A man seemed to shudder then slumped forward. Mr. Davy pulled at the man who fell back half his face gone, the other half covered in dark congealed blood.
The Pigeon was listing badly. Great sections of the once beautiful ketch floated on the tide. Men were working to cut the mainmast adrift as it thumped against the battered hull. Of the fifty-five men who crewed Pigeon only a handful were not wounded and able to perform their full duties while another half dozen were walking wounded. When Neptune 's surgeon had made his way on Pigeon's deck he had declared, 'Not much work for me, a chaplain maybe but not me.'
Once the survivors were removed Knight had charges laid about. 'I'll not see her scavenged,' he said to Markham. There was precious little to scavenge thought Markham but he agreed. The explosion that sent swells under the boats being rowed back to their ships was ignored by the men. Not one turned to see the little ship slip away below the surface as she and her dead came to their final resting place.
Admiral Anthony and Flag Captain Buck sat quietly at the admiral's table. Bart and Silas were silent in the pantry and Flag Lieutenant Hazard stood to the back of Admiral Anthony, moisture filling his eyes as Knight made his solemn report. Markham stood by quietly reliving the moment as Knight explained in detail the loss of Lieutenant Kerry and HMS Pigeon. As usual the word had spread throughout the squadron and created a somber mood. Everyone had known and liked the captain of the lost ship and its crew.
'I'm sorry, my lord,' Knight said as he finished his report. 'I shouldn't have allowed Kerry to venture in as he did.'
'Sorry… why damme sir it's I who should be sorry. I should have brought this rogue to play before now.
Captain Buck.'
'Aye, my lord.'
'General signal to the squadron, prepare for sea.'
'The entire squadron, my lord?' Buck asked.
'Yes, put every ship a sail. We're going fishing… for Barracuda.'
Anthony reported to Tonyn and made him aware of his plan.
'But what of Saint Augustine, what are we to do?'
'You have both the Rose and the captured xebec,' Anthony answered diplomatically. 'But in truth, sir, I believe the knowledge of us being here has been spread so that no attempt on the city is likely. We will probably be back before the word can be spread that we're gone. I also believe once we deal with the Barracuda the menace will be so reduced there'll be no need for an entire squadron.'
'We'll see,' Tonyn answered skeptically, but he did agree the Barracuda had to be dealt with and soon.
For six long days Anthony's squadron sailed down the coast of Florida and into the Keys. The cutter, Audacity,
was used to take soundings and mark channels in and around the Keys where a ship could hide. Lieutenant Hazard was on board acting as a pilot to help mark the channels on the admiralty chart. It felt good being back at sea doing something useful… something he'd spent his life before the Navy doing.
At the larger Keys men went ashore in boats. At Key Largo a large fishing village was found where the Barracuda
fisherman admitted seeing the large ship captained by a Spaniard. He was last seen at Long Key the man had said, but he was also seen at Sugarloaf Key and Cayo Hueso. Cayo Hueso is much in use.
'Lots of pirates hide in that area,' the man had said.
'They call it Pirates Cove. It has a deep water anchorage and therefore many ships stop there. This makes for big profit for the pirates.'
After hearing this Anthony set down with Buck and Oxford, Warrior's old master. 'Looking at these charts,' Anthony said, 'it looks like it's only a small distance from Cayo Hueso to Havana.'
'Aye, my lord, about ninety to one hundred odd miles I'd say.'
'And to Isla de Tesoros?' Anthony queried.
'I'd double that and more,' the master said. 'You have to sail around the western tip of Cuba from our current position.'
'Yes, I remember,' Anthony said. Then turning to Buck, he said, 'I think we'll poke our nose into Havana Harbour. Just enough for them to know that we're about.'
'Might flush out a rat,' Oxford said.
'Or a Barracuda,' Buck chimed in.
'Might not either.' This interruption made the three men look up from the chart. Anthony knew something was amiss the way Bart had spoken. Once he had their attention, Bart continued, 'We just got a signal from Gabe, water spout on the horizon and the sky is turning dark.'
'Gawd!' Buck exclaimed.
The group then made their way on deck.
'Aye, we're in for a blow,' Oxford said in a nervous voice as he went to check the barometer. 'Pressure is falling,' he stated matter-of-factly.
Buck then turned to Anthony and could see the conflict going on in his mind. Command… so much responsibility; not just one ship but the entire squadron.
Without thinking Buck touched Anthony's arm.
Glaring at the darkening sky Anthony said, 'I know Rupert. We can't be caught here in a blow. Make general signal, take position on flag, and then set a course for Saint Augustine. The Barracuda will live to swim another day, but not for long.'
As Anthony walked dejectedly back to his cabin Buck thought, Damn the Dago bastard anyway!
PART III
Rain falls when it wants to,
Like the wind that fills our sail.
I recall the tears on her face,
When we said our farewells.
Her memory's like a dagger,
The blade, cold and sharp.
All the nights I walked these decks,
With a lonely aching heart.
Tomorrow we'll return to port;
This cruise is finally over.
She'll be standing on the pier,
Waiting for me to hold her.
– Michael Aye
Chapter Nineteen
The storm lashed out violently as the waves crashed and beat upon the wooden hull of the ships in Lord Anthony's squadron. The pennant snapped and sounded like a gunshot as the mast and spars groaned. The winds created a whistling sound in the shrouds as the storm blasted down on the ships.
The helmsman steered a course almost due north as the squadron tried to outrun the tempest. It was on the eve of the third day the sun peeked through the clouds and the wind that drove the ships so furiously quieted down to a gentle breeze. Anthony came on deck and greeted his flag captain.
