“A ships been sight‘t, Lefttenent Noimess. Two points fore the port beam, looks like a heavy packet.” The Boatswain’s scarred face was enough to make any mother cringe, but when he drank, it scrunched up and became even uglier, and this was the ugliest this man’s face had ever appeared.
“Aye, I’ll tell the cap’n. Make the deck shorthanded, and stop drinking away our store of rum.” The last of what he had said was spoken over his shoulder as he made his way down the poop deck’s ladder to knock on the cabin door. A call from within let him know it was safe to enter. After closing the door he doffed his hat and made his report.
The Captain looked a little amused, “finally, something to do. Should give the men a bit of a lift if we take this vessel. D’you get a look at it?”
“A glimpse, ser, but nothing more as it is too far off to make much out. Man in the crows nest said it looked like a packet on it’s usual route home with a heavy load.” A smile crept upon the Captain’s face at the news. “I already told the Bosun to make it look as if we had fewer people.”
“Excellent work Lefttenent, lets go take a look and see what we can figure.” With that, he grabbed his compass and left his charts for when he came back.
**********
Captain Auley was a seasoned sailor, having been one since he was a child. A cabin boy on his father’s ship, The Austere. As he left his cabin the sea breeze slapped him in the face and forced its way up his nostrils, it smelled wonderful after having been stuck within working on those damned charts. Sounds that were just recently muted came to full bloom, waves flowing by, men singing chanteys, and the wind caressing the ship as if it were a child of it’s own. “Rouse the First Mate, Noimess, and tell him what we have here.”
As he dismissed the Lefttenent, he took his looking glass from his belt, extended it, and peered at the small object on the horizon that was now three points fore the port beam. He removed his eye for a moment to check the compass and muttered “heading about 337 degrees to our 310.” Turning about he aimed for the poop deck to see who was on trick as the helmsman, hopefully someone who was skilful.
He went up the ladder and saw it was indeed someone who knew how to handle the rudder. Master-at-Arms Christopher Magoon held the helm and kept an expert eye toward the sea while keeping the other on the people on deck. “Afternoon, Skipper. Take it we’re gonna ‘ave a bit of fun?” All the Captain had to do was smile and Magoon started to laugh.
“Keep on as you were, if anything steer her a bit port, but not enough to be obvious.” He practically ran down the ladder as an idea started bubble to life within his thoughts. The First Mate was arriving from below deck and the Lefttenent was walking through the cabin doors, looking for himself, the Captain could only assume. “Timoneer,” he called to the Mate, “do we have a body that sticks out as an excellent swimmer?”
Time passed as he unraveled bits and pieces of his plan. Before he knew it, everyone knew their roles and were ready to go into action at a moments notice. All they had to do now, was wait until the ship before them came close enough to easily see with the naked eye.
**********
Captain Cian of the Gaff Schooner ‘Ocean’s Treasure’ stared through his looking glass at the ship off to their starboard. It appeared to be a normal ship, but looks were almost always deceiving. It’s course stayed true since it came in to sight and it had now been close enough for some time that one on his ship could hear the singing and muted talking on the other ship. Movement caught his eye as he scanned the ship from bow to stern, a clew-line had snapped or come loose and was now threatening to whip sailors or even tear the sail it was attached to. A sailor began to go hand over fist in an attempt to reach it, but he must have had crap luck. At that time something happened away from his sight at the wheel, causing them to hit a hard wave just wrong. The man went overboard.
Bells began to clang on the ship he was watching and were taken up on his own ship as well. People shouted from both “Man overboard!” Through the glass he saw the undermanned crew scramble about, several others attempting to secure the wild line. One threw off several bits of excess clothing and others helped him tie a bit of something that would help him stay afloat. When he was ready he jumped overboard and swam after the man that had fallen off.
“Cast a net when that man has the other one floating safely.” He called back without looking, and heard his order echoed several times down the line. Looking through the glass some more he could see as well as being undermanned, the ship was also poorly stocked. There was a man with nothing more than a rope in hopes that the swimmer might be able to hold the man and the rope, what an idiot. He lowered the glass and looked toward the sea and the two men who thrashed about in it, the swimmer had managed to grab the other and keep him afloat. As soon as it was obvious that he had the man secured a net flew and wrapped them both and was quickly drawn in so it wouldn’t push them down.
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