Treasure on the Southern Moor; Chapter 8: Repairs and a Rest; Pgs. 209-212
. The cook had come out of the galley, and those aboard ship had sat down to eat. In the distance, they could see the boats at the shoreline, and the hired crew had all left to gain materials and more supplies. They would soon be coming back with loads to work with the ship.
. “How long do you think the repairs will take?” asked Adrian as he lifted his wooden cup to his lips.
. “Not long,” said Mr. Toller. “We should be out sailing in another few days.”
. “And what land are we headed to next?” asked Jemmy Ducks.
. “All depends for certain,” said Mr. Toller, “yet the Canary or Cape Verde Islands will probably be next on our way to where we are sailing.”
. No one else said much as they looked out at the shore, with the ship swaying gently under them, turning around its anchorage. It was always a surprise over the next few days to see where it pointed in the morning after turning throughout the night.
. After breakfast, the crew was soon busy afoot with pulling more canvas and rope out from below and hoisting yard and rigging and bringing their own tools out from the supplies to be ready when the Portuguese came. And before they were finished preparing, Captain Underwood was back with the first set of help to lend a hand, and he stayed aboard and let others depart with more of the ship’s boats to bring more hands aboard the Southern Moor.
. Mr. Toller continued about his normal work to stay out of the way of those making repairs, and he inspected the chip log with Mr. Thrussell. Adrian and Adrianna could not be of much help either, as there was already a great many people aboard ship, and they remained in the captain’s cabin for the day, mending the mattresses and other items that had been torn or broken by the traitors. The main deck had become crowded, and only the doctor and captain could speak to the Portuguese as they were the only loyal ones aboard who knew their language.
. “Do you think we will have to replace the crew with all Portuguese-speaking people?” asked Adrianna, pausing from her work for a moment as she looked out the stern windows of the captain’s cabin at the sunlight upon the waters. “I would think it would be hard to communicate with them.” As she spoke, she saw a fish splash from somewhere ahead in the waters and cause tiny ripples to flow out in circles.
. “That is if we can replace the whole crew,” said Adrian. “We might just have to sail shorthanded. And we may run into storms on the way back.”
. “Storms are such a nuisance,” said Adrianna, biting off a needleful of thread as she held her mattress in her lap. The slashes the pirates had given it ran up and down near the seam. “Was Mr. Northrup really a pirate?” she asked, wanting to turn the conversation away from bad weather. The prospect of more storms didn’t give her pleasant thoughts.
. “Either that or very much near it,” said Adrian. “I heard Father once say that he knows of nearly every coin, and his former journeys that he has spoken of were never to any particular country. Father said he probably was pirating treasure along many sailing routes.”
. “He was beastly,” said Adrianna, “telling us he had Father locked in irons and threatening to set fire to the ship. You’re the hero of the crew, Adrian, rushing upon him the way you did.”
. “I only did it by accident,” Adrian admitted again, “when I slipped from the hatch above. But I say – Mr. Thrussell knows all there is to know about sword fighting, and I’m still sore from where his flat hit me.”
. “I thought you said that it didn’t hurt much,” said Adrianna.
. “Well, maybe a little more than I let on,” said Adrian, “but it was still wonderful. He says he will show me more later.”
Audio Continuation of Story; Pgs. 212-214
You may purchase this book directly here at Xulon or here at Amazon
Joshua Reynolds on Conservative Cornerstones – Author of Children’s Books, Young Adult, Historical Fiction / Family Stories – Finding Conservative Thought in Olde Books. Check out my Authoring Conservatism Post. Look up my two books, The Williams House and Treasure on the Southern Moor in my bookstore!