As the sun came up in the Indies, the flag rose on a pirate ship, Excalibur, 70 miles from the shore of its crew's secret island. A cry arose as the watch spotted a British Navy ship in the distance. As silently as a panther stalking its prey, the pirate flag went down and an English navy flag went up.

Without the usual lurch, the ship changed its course to become perpendicular to the other ship. But apparently too late. As the regulation ship also changed course to glide along parallel to the pirate ship the sound of a warning shot awoke the captain, and grumbling, he got up and dressed.

With a sudden afterthough, he pulled an old sword from his cabinet and fastened it on his belt.

Then, with a satisfied grin, he shot out of the door to his cabin and limped up the stairs. Calling for his mate, Hawk, the two walked up on deck. What a sight!

Captain Lash Williams, tall, well-built man with dark hair and a scraggly beard, and mustache, from which he got his name, as his mustache was as curled as a white lash. First mate "Hawk" Jones, a head shorter, about 30 pounds skinnier, his pointed head had sandy hair atop and a long nose, from which he got his name.

"All ye lads on deck, go below and get slicked up enough to look English. Those with navy uniforms, put them on."

"What's that you say?" muttered he. "Oh, yes, have him come aboard."

Slowly his mind wandered back to the matter at hand, and he sautnered down the deck just in time to greet the admiral. His sudden change of both accent and atititude reflected the wonderful actor that he was.

"Wonderful day, isn't it, admiral, sir?" he exclaimed.

"No, it's dreadfully frightful," snapped Adminral Hornblower. "But I didn't come all the way over here to tell you that."

er a moment or two, Lash respectfully answered, "No, sir, of course not."

Grenadier looked sharply into the pirate captain's eyes, only to see the glazed monotony of a peace time captain written in them. Finally he gave up trying to read minds and said, "My watch says you lifted down a pirate flag just after we came within sight of each other. What do you say to that?"

After a start at this apparently new information, the sly pirate cautiously asked, "Meaning no disrespect, sir, but how long have you had the lad, meaning if he would make this up."

Quickly Hornblower barked, "No none of my boyd would lie."

After apparently pickling his words carefully, Lash replied, "Well, sir, we shall find out. Jones, come over right now."

Meekly, the first mate walked over to his captin.

""Jones, he lashed out. "Did one of the crew spy a pirate ship and hoise the pirate flag without consulting me first? If they did, by George, I'll have their head!"

Hawk answered meekly in the manner of one terrified of the punishment to be meted out. "Well, you see sir, I gave the order because I figured twould be best to let you rest. Begging your pardon sir."

With a stern glance at Hawk, he announced, "I'll deal with you later." Then with a pardoning glance at the admiral, he began his explanation. "You see, sir, with all these beasty pirates out here, we must be ready for them. With the pirate flag, we can get close enough to fire on them without having them suspect a thing. I'm sorry for your inconvenience, but you can bet they'll all be punished."

With this simple explanation and wonderful acting, the Navy Admiral seemed satisfied and said smugly, "I knew my boys were right." And without any further ado, he filed away and returned to his ship.

It wasn't until he was out of sight that the original flag of the Excalibur went up. It wasn't until then that Captain Lash gave the order to again change direction, this time to come parallle to the course of the West Indies Company's ship returning from India with silks and spices. Lash gave the order to continue on course until within sight of the ship, and then to call him and switch flags again. Then, he went below deck to eat his breakfast. His breakfast was so very different from most commanders. Instead of hard rolls with weevils and water, Lash ate fresh vegetables and wine, made and grown on his secret island. After savoring his meal for a considerable amount of time, he returned to his cabin to rest until it came itme for the action.

Lash, having been a very wealthy and educated man in his youth, had never quite lost his taste for fine books as he had his taste for civilization. This morning he was methodically reading an old log book written by his late, great captin Wiliam Hoseason. It related the story of one Alan Breck Stewart and David Balfour and the troubles they caused him until he finally died of starvation and a goddamn island in Scotland. He had gotten as far as the boy's first escape when he was aroused by Hawk's word of the apporaching voyager.

Again, he got up, and dressed as a Navy captin until he was satisfied with his appearance, and strode on deck. Across the water, he glimpsed at the victim ship. He suddenly sighed and said to no one in particular, "Well, Captain Lash, here we go again." Quickly checking his sowrd to make sure it was in good working order for the workout that might come, he waited until within speaking distance. He yelled across, "Let me speak with your Captain."

As quickly as a boy had left to find the Captain, he returned with him. Lash invited the Captain over for dinner and to talk business during it. Captain Grendaier accepted and Lash's plan was in motion.

Lash went back to his cabin to get dressed for the occasion. At 1800 hours to the second, Captain Lash, atired formally, was seated at the Captain's table, awaiting Captain Grenadier. At 1900 hours, Captain Grenadier was also seated and a veritable feast had gegun.

A main course of fresh fish fried in butter and served in cream sauce, then came fresh peas, corn, and salad. After nearly an hour and a half, the dessert of fresh fruit came and the captains got down to business.

Grenadier was the first to speak. "Tell me Captain, why is it you stopped us?"

Slowly, Lash spoke, "Sir, the cargo aboard you ship was taken illegally from the natives of the island of Cana. The cago was paid for in advance for the English Navy for the men fighting in Africa."

After a start, Grenadier exclaimed, "Why, nonense, I paid cash for all of the supplies."

"May I ask how did you do so, sir?"

"Why, after my first mate, Addlie had bargained for the price, I gave him 1200 pounds to pay for it, and the supplied were loaded on the ship."

"Exactly how dependable is this Addlie?"

"Why, sir, I'd trust him with my life."

"Well, we'll call him aboard and get this thing straightened out, sir." And with a determined look in his eye, he called for Hawk and told him to ask Lieutenant Adllie to the ship.

As soon as he had been ifnormed of Addlie's being on board, Lash and his contemporary walked up on deck. While going through Lash's head were the last few details of his plan. But instread, going through Grenadier's mind was the scene he had talked to Lash with. Slowly, a gleam came in his eyes, as if he knew the solution to the whole problem. The gleam showerd hard purpose, but too, it showed intelligent reasoning. As Lash stared at them, he wondered what solution Grenadier had come up with, the right one or the wrong one?

But it was no matter. Resistance was basically useless. And with that thought in his mind, he gave the signal for the attack to begin. He tapped his hand to his head as though giving a salute, and then all hell broke loose. The pirate crew simultaneously jumped across to the opposite ship with their scabboards and their alertness raised. Within seconds, half of the crew laid dead at their posts, so taken by surprise were they.

By that time Captain Grenadier and Girst Mate Addlie had gotten over their shock and gotten out their pistols. But unfortunately for them, Captain Lash already his pistol out and was beckoning for them to move along the deck down to the officers' brig. It wasn't too long before the pirate crew had rounded up all of the rest of the prisoners and put them in the brig. When everything had quieted down adnn the guards had been psoted, Captain Lash settled down in his bunk for a long rest. Lash was the kind of captain that instead of having his crew for him, he worked for his crew. He alone had killed six of the 34 dead. Lash laid down and wondered which isalnd he would maroon the prisoners on. He looked out of the porthole in his cabin berth just in time to see the Elizabeth II go up in flames as he had ordered. He, afdter all, had no urse for another ship. It would only cause him trouble.

Kawani, he suddenly remembered. Kawani was the perfect place to set the prisoners on. It was plentfiul in vegetation, and close enough to shore to have a chance of resuce if they had enough ingenuity. Yet far enough away to be safe for Lash and his boys. With that thought in his mind, Lash fridted off into a land of dream and fantasy for a much needed rest. The warmth of a new morning's sunrays awoke the Excalibur's captain from a sweet dream with a start. He was remembering the night he fell in love. It was while he was in a bar, gambling his week's allowance of twenty pounds, when suddenly he looked up and saw her. It was love at first sight. He oson found out, her name was Danielle. Danielle Throckmorton. He came back every night after that for three weeks. In that short period of time, they came to know and love each other.

But tragedy struck soon after to the young lovers, as often happened in Old England. On the night of their third week anniverary, Lash went to his parents, Lord and Lady Williams of Morshire Manor, and told them the news. The sparkling in his eyes and his bolivion told the story plainly to the rest of the world. Only his parents were blind to his ecstacy. As he told them what he wanted, a sudden realization of horror came over their faces. After he was through with his story, he asked his parents' permission to marry Danielle. It was only custom, but he did so anyway, apparently not seeing the expression of dismay that had overcome them.

"Son, I will not have you disgrace the Williams' name by marrying this tramp. That is that!"

Nowadays, the condition that overtook young Alexander Williams would be known as shock. He suddenly fell, white to his very bone. He did not come out of shock for six days. When he did, he awoke almost completey recovered, got out of bed, dressed, and hurried down to the Towen where Danielle worked. But when he got there, he looked up at the door, adn there was the dreaded sign of smallpox. The yellow quarantine sign, death had struck the Raven. But Danielle could not have been struck. She was too vibrant, too strong. But just to make sure, he ran to where she boarded. Up the stairs, he bounded to her room. But there it was again, the sign of almost certain death.

He left, and wandered around London for almost three days, sleeping int he street, eating only what the money in pockets would allow. When he returned home, he could hardly have been recognized as the man that left. He was wearing a beard of nine days, and the tattered clothes of three. He smelled and looked a disgrace, but so horrified was he that he didn't notice. He went upstairs tiredly and there he stayed in his room for nearly five months. The best of doctors were called, but almost no change occurred, despite the herbs and tonics they poured down him constantly.

When he finally awoke, it was through the constant care of his younger sister, Althea, who had been employed 24 hours a day. He awoke perfectly fine, with no after efects of his illness effecting him. The moment he awoke, he suddenly straightened in bed and looked around the room with a distinct determination in his eyes. He got up and dressed and packed a sailor's seachest full of the best of all his clothes, along with a Bible, and his favorite book, the Monks of the Krympton CHapel. He left his rich home with nothing else, and never eturned.

He signed on board the "Saluations," as cabin boy and rose in 8 years to his present position. Here he was now, with a crew of cutthroats, a brig of prisoners, and a--What is that sting in my eye, he asked himself.

Slowly he put a hand up to his eye and found out what it was. A single tear, the first one he had shed since Danielle's death. Funny how just when you thought you had gotten over something, you realize that you never will.

But now back to the points at hand, setting those troublesome prisoners on an island where they might be rescued. He shot out of his bunk and hurriedly dressed to be able to check on his cargo.

Striding slowly upon deck, he called for Hawk while at the sime time took a deep breath of sea air and in a moment realized how much he had come to love the sea.

Jerking himself back to the present, he turned around just in time to see Hawk return with a terrible look on his face. It reminded Lash of his first day on board ship and the seasick green in his countenance. He called loudly to Hawk, asking what was wrong, but when no answer came, Lash hurried over to him. He shook him hard and slapped him in the face twice before Hawk became aware of his presence. Then he asked the question again.

With a quick gasp of intaking breath, Hawk almost went into shock again. But he regained his composure and spoke rather shakily, "Cap'n Lash, the boys were guarding the long a'last night, when one broke out the ole bottole o' rum. When our prisoners saw the boys were drunk, they broke out and grabbed a gun. When they were all been killed, they holed themselves up in the brid with a couple a guns, and all our rum. When I went adown there this morning', they say they goin' give ye three hours to set them on solid ground."

Return to home page