The man clinked his mug to Gabriel’s, sloshing some cider out onto the table. Then he tipped his mug up and seemed to drain the cup in one long swallow. Gabriel took a sip. It was hard cider to say the least. It was all he could do to take a sip, let alone a swallow.
“The Lord only helps them which help themselves, my boy. Ye know that, don’t ye” said the stranger, slapping his mug down on the table. Before Gabriel could answer, the man went on, “Boston, Boston, that’s where ye be headed, isn’t it, lad? To seek fame and glory and riches. I was once a lad your age, seekin’ adventures. I found mine on a ship, mind ye, a privateer’s ship. Now, some folks calls us pirates, but we was always gentlemen, so we could rightly call ourselves the king’s privateers. Eat now, lad. Don’t ya let that fine meat go to waste.”
Gabriel, without taking his eyes off the man, slowly picked up the rib of meat on his plate and gingerly took a bite, watching the man as he smiled and peered closer to him. The smell from the man’s breath made Gabriel shake his head and wince.
“Do I scare ye a might?” said the man, pointing to the scar on his face. “Well, there’s nothing to be scared of, laddie. I may have ran a few swords through a fair number of sailors in my day, but at heart, I be gentle as a dove.”
Gabriel just nodded and took a larger bite of meat off the rib and a swig of his drink to show the stranger he was not scared of him.
“That’s a fine drum ye have there. A drummer boy, are ye? I’m slick enough to figure that one, I am. We used to take a drummer boy with us on our raids at sea. Fine, brave young men, every one of ’em. Me, now, I was never a drummer boy. I had a sword and a musket in my hand since I can first remember. It was my kin’s way. Thomas the Terrible is what they always called me.”
“Your name is Thomas the Terrible?” asked Gabriel.
“Aye. My name is Thomas Tew the Third, to be more precise,” said the man. They call me Thomas the Terrible. I was named after my grandfather, Thomas Tew. Sailed the West Indies in the service of the king. The French and the Spaniards called him a pirate, they did. A fine man, though I never knew him. Came back to settle in Rhode Island with riches untold.”
Gabriel looked in silence at Thomas. He did not look like the grandson of a wealthy man. He was dressed in rags, and Gabriel knew he could not have bathed in months. Gabriel wondered what happened to his Grandfather’s riches but thought better of asking. “Never talk to people about their wealth,” his father would tell him.
But as if Thomas could read Gabriel’s thoughts, he said, “What happened to my riches, ye ask?”
“I . . . uh . . . well,” Gabriel stuttered, “No sir, I mean I didn’t ask, but I was thinking about it.”
“HA! A more honest lad I’ve yet to meet,” said Thomas, almost shouting. He held up his mug to take another drink, forgetting he had already drained it with his last swig. He slammed it down on the table, waved his hand to Mr. Fletcher, and shouted. “Get over here with more cider for me and this fine lad, Fletcher!” Gabriel had barely touched his mug but decided not to say anything.
“If I’m going to be telling ye the story of the Captain Thomas Tew and buying ye drinks, I at least ought to know your name.”
Gabriel felt a little embarrassed he hadn’t introduced himself. “Gabriel Cooper, sir. I’m from New York, and I’m on my way to Cambridge to join the militia as a drummer.”
“Fine, fine . . . That’s a fine name, Gabriel, and a gentleman, I can tell. There’s not a more worthy supper companion I could’ve asked for. Why, if King George III himself came to sup at this here tavern and asked to have your place at this table, I would tell him to kindly look elsewhere, Your Majesty.” Thomas peered at Gabriel with a thin grin, revealing a gleaming gold tooth.
Fletcher came to the table and plopped two more mugs down. Thomas snatched his up and took a hearty gulp, shaking his head as the liquor swelled and burned from his mouth to his eyes.
“Now let me tell ya about me grandpappy, the Captain Thomas Tew. Captain Tew was a privateer most of his life and made a right fine livin’ of it. He lived in the Providence Plantations all of his days and raided against French and the Spaniards from Bermuda to La Tortuga. All of the raids were under authority of the king of England, as we was at war with France and Spain. Things were good for Tew and his crew, until England made peace with Spain. Then the capture and plunder of the Spaniard vanished. Tew was left only to attack French vessels, which were many a time heavily guarded by warships and didn’t have the vast treasures of the Spaniards.”
Gabriel had only read of the privateers’ adventures at sea. He was mesmerized by Thomas Tew’s story.
“I’m not boring you now, am I, boy?” asked Thomas.
“No, sir, no. Please tell me more.”
“Well then, Captain Tew heard tell of Arabian ships laden with gold, spices, and precious jewels that sailed the Indian Ocean. There were no gunboats to protect these treasure ships. He must’ve thought they were apples, ripe for the picking. So when the King asked Captain Tew to sail the Amity to raid French ships off the coast of Africa, my grandfather had another destination in mind. Instead
