Pirate on the High Seas Ch. 02

Belle and Blake roused the captive, a little persuasion soon had him talking, the missing crewmen were held in a makeshift prison at the back of the town. A natural cave had been fortified by means of a metal door, a stone guard house stood in front of it, manned by four soldiers. Belle asked how far the building was from the cave, which way did the doors open? It seemed the prisoners were initially held in chains at the guard house, that door opened outward, to hit against the cave entrance. The prison door also opened outward, to hit the other side of the guard room doorway, making a boxlike structure to shepherd the prisoners into their cell.

The following night, the black sloop once more performed the semi circle manoeuvre, sailing into the harbour towing three boats. Johnson once more at the wheel, Reno admired his touch as it slowed almost to a halt, the six rowers and Belle scrambled into the boats and pulled for the far end of the harbour. Each boat was moored randomly amongst others, a slip knot ensuring quick departure. The seven pirates separated and filed along roads and alleys to gain their objective. Coming up to the guard house on each side, one party started to dig quietly near the base of the guardhouse door. Another party alerted their shipmates in the cell and proceeded to wedge iron pry bars between the edge of the door and the cave wall above and below the lock.

The hole in front of the door was quite deep, a heavy timber was placed into it and angled to force the door shut. A brace was placed crosswise above that, holding the top of the timber in place, the brace had room for wedges at each end they were pressed tightly to hold the brace within the stone doorway. Fine gunpowder was poured into the cell door lock and a fuse fitted. Each party checked on the progress of the other, nods all round and they bent to their task. The iron bars at the cell door were heaved on by all seven would be rescuers, the door didn't move. Belle checked the fit all around the door, it was chilled to find it fit tightly. Perhaps the thinner vertical bars could be bent, the noise of the gunpowder would rouse the town and there was no guarantee it wouldn't just jam the lock closed. The iron pry bars were employed on the vertical bars of the door, the ends pivoted on the wall of the cave, squeaks and creaks ensued but little progress was made. A small covered lanthorn was opened to light the fuse, the spluttering was drowned in the heavy blows to the wedges at the guardroom door.

Soldiers were banging on the door as the gunpowder went off, the large lock held quite a lot, the effect was not as dramatic as was hoped. Each side of the lock bowed outward but the lock remained firmly closed. A pry bar was given to the prisoners and each side of the lock case was attacked, finally the outer case peeled back enough to free the mechanism and the door swung open. Shouts came from all around, armed men were soon upon them. The governor, William Selwyn, was told of the theft of the Harrier and, as an exemplary soldier, reasoned that an attack was likely on the prison. The guard was doubled but at present it just meant more men trapped in the guardhouse, the town defence volunteers were on standby and streamed half dressed from their homes. The pirates ran back to the boats, not that they were afraid of poorly trained, frightened householders but enough blood had been shed due to Captain Teach's actions. A further party of volunteers was gathered at the harbour, led by the new governor, resplendent in a white shirt. The pirates made their way to the boats, ducking and running as pistol and musket balls harried them, pursued by the townsfolk. As the crew got aboard the boats, so the speed of their flight slowed drastically and they fired their pistols to stem the pursuit. A lucky shot hit the governor, only in post for 42 days he died on the quayside on that early April morning.

The boats pulled strongly away from the dockside, the townsfolk shooting sporadically as the distance increased. Johnson brought the sloop back in and the men scrambled aboard, leaving the privateers boats behind in their haste. Having made the journey back to their ship, six men boarded the black sloop and cut the tackle to each cannon. The thick rudder cable was set alight with lamp oil, burning it through before being doused with water. The ship would take days to repair but was otherwise intact and Harrier would get clean away.