Puma shook the colonel’s hand, smiled, and said, “Thank you, Colonel Hamilton. It is agreed.” He took Lightning’s head in his arms and whispered, “Thank you for saving my life. I will return one day and we will again ride this magnificent land together.”
Lightning moved her head up and down, indicating that she understood. Puma handed the reins to the colonel, turned, and walked away.
The colonel said, “I wish I could have had a son like that. I have been too busy in the army.” He then turned to his lieutenant, handed him a slip of paper, and said, “Draw this amount of money from the quartermaster and pay Mr. McBain. Then prepare a letter to the general asking him for his recommendation for this young man to attend West Point.”
“Thank you, Colonel Hamilton.” Sage then turned to Juanita and said, “Juanita, let’s talk to the captain of that schooner and see if we can get passage to Virginia.”
The McBain family arrived at the docking facilities and saw a beautiful ship that bore the name The Dolphin. When they arrived at the gangplank, they asked to speak to the captain.
In a rather gruff voice, the sailor standing watch asked, “And who may I say is asking to speak to the captain?”
“Tell him that Michael McBain would like to speak to him.”
The sailor, with a puzzled look on his face said, “Michael McBain, now that name sounds familiar. Wait here.” He returned in a short time, and the captain was with him.
The captain had a quizzical look on his face also when he said, “I am Captain Mason.” Then he asked, “Could you be the Michael McBain?” Before waiting for an answer, he said, “Would you and your family please come with me? I want to show you something.”
They followed the captain to the wheelhouse where he showed them a bronze plaque, which had just recently been placed on the overhead. The plaque read: This ship built at the shipyards of Michael McBain.
Michael said, “You have changed the plaque. It used to read ‘Robert McBain, Owner.’”
The captain, in an astonished voice, said, “You are the Michael McBain! Welcome aboard, sir.” Then, in an embarrassed tone, said, “You don’t need my permission to come aboard your own ship. You probably don’t remember me, but I worked for your father. He taught me to sail. You sure look like him. He was a fine man. What can I do for you and your family, Mr. McBain?”
Michael answered, “My family and I need passage to Virginia.” He turned to Juanita and said, “Captain Mason, this is my wife Juanita, my daughter Carmen, and my son Puma.”
The captain acknowledged the introduction and said, “You may have the captain’s quarters, of course.”
“No,” Michael responded hastily. “You need your own quarters. Have your carpenters hire whatever help they will need, and convert some of the on-deck stowage into quarters for us.”
Captain Mason turned to a sailor who was standing nearby and said, “You heard him. Get it done.”
“Aye, aye, sir,” The sailor responded and dashed away.
Juanita, Puma, and Carmen were standing beside Sage, and they all marveled at what was happening.
Carmen asked, “Daddy, do you own this ship?”
“No, my daughter,” Sage smiled. “I’m sure this ship was built for someone else, but I do own the shipyards where it was built. These sailors are my employees, I guess. Let’s go to the hotel until they get our quarters ready. It will take them a couple of days.”
“We’ll have it finished by tomorrow night,” Captain Mason stated.
“That will be just fine,” Michael replied. “Let us know when we can come aboard. When will we be sailing?”
“We can leave with the tide, the day after we get your accommodations built.”
Michael nodded. “We’ll be bringing some of our cargo on board before then. Please send two of your men to the hotel to pick it up tomorrow morning.”
“Yes, sir, they’ll be there early,” the captain responded.
Puma asked, “May we look around the ship?”
Both he and Carmen were so excited, they dashed off looking at all the strange new things. They couldn’t wait to be setting sail.
“This is going to be an exciting adventure,” Michael said to Juanita. “There’s so much happening so fast that I can hardly keep up with all of it.”
“It’s happening fast for me, too,” Juanita said as she took Michael’s arm. “I’m just beginning to realize what an important man I married.”
Michael smiled and said, “Don’t make too much of it. I was just a boy when we left our home in Virginia. I’ve got to get used to this, also.”
It was still early afternoon. Puma heard Carmen calling him in an excited voice, asking him to come to see what she saw. He ran to her and looked in the direction she was pointing. As far as he could see there was nothing but a vast stretch of blue water. The sky and the water came together, and without the white clouds in the sky, it would have been difficult to determine where the water stopped and the sky began. Puma stood spellbound, looking at the awesome sight. There was an odor in the air that he had never smelled before.
“Father, what is that unusual smell?” Puma asked.
His father explained, “That’s the smell of seaweed and salt air rising off the ocean. If you’d like, we can go for a swim. The ocean is salty, so we’ll have to wash the salt off with fresh water."
Puma and Carmen couldn’t wait. They raced away, eager to get into the water. Juanita was concerned that they might run right into the ocean and get hurt. She raced after them. Sage saw what was happening and ran after them. They all stopped on the sand and gazed at the ocean, then removed their boots and waded into the cool water. It was a wonderful moment for all of them, enjoying the wonder of discovery as a family. They laughed and romped in the white crested waves as they came rolling in. Then they put their boots on and walked back to the hotel. After a hot bath and a wonderful meal, they all went to bed early. It had been a long time since Michael and his beautiful wife had an opportunity to be alone. Oh, how they had looked forward to this moment. They found themselves wishing the night would never end.
The next day, Juanita and Carmen spent time shopping for clothes suitable to be worn onboard the ship. Michael acquainted his son with the ship and was remembering when his own father had been telling him all the things he was now telling Puma.
The day of departure came, and they all went aboard. Their quarters were not spacious, but they were comfortable and allowed for a degree of privacy. They each had their own bunk.
* * *
Their first destination was the plantation home of Michael’s grandparents in Georgia. Michael explained, “My mother’s parents, the O’Hannons, are getting old, and they have waited a long time to hear about what happened to their daughter. We are their only descendants.”
The Dolphin departed with the tide and moved smoothly until it passed the mouth of the harbor. Then they felt the gentle role of the waves. It was a pleasant feeling, and everyone was in high spirits. Puma and Carmen rode the bow of the ship watching the deep blue water sliding beneath them. The land was slowly disappearing as they moved farther out to sea. Looking ahead, all they could see was a seemingly endless expanse of rolling blue water. Michael and Juanita stood with their children and, after a time, Carmen and Juanita went to their quarters.
“Come, Puma,” Michael said. “We must begin your training in navigation. You will learn about the tools sailors use to determine their position on the ocean. Since there are no landmarks, they use the stars, sun, and moon to keep track of their location. These things remain constant whether you are on the ocean or on the Great Plains where you were born. You already have a working knowledge of the sun, the moon, and the stars. Most students of navigation do not have that advantage.”
Michael took Puma to the chart room and showed him how to read the charts. Using the charts, he showed him their point of departure, their present location, and their next intended landing. Then he showed him the different routes they cou
ld take to arrive at that destination.
Michael had talked to Captain Mason and informed him that they wanted to stop in Savannah, so that he and his family could visit to his maternal grandparents.
The captain said, “The crew will be pleased to find that they will be stopping in Savannah because it’s always a good spot for shore leave. There are women of the night for the sailors, and many other interesting things to do.”
The captain set The Dolphin a course of east by southeast. They planned to sail through the Florida straits, then north between Florida and the Bahamas. If they didn’t experience bad weather, it should be a beautiful trip.
Puma worked with the sailors learning to operate the ship, and he studied geography and navigation with his father. In his spare time, he loved to stand on the bow and feel the spray of the ocean on his face while he watched the flying fish sailing across the blue water. He also enjoyed watching the dolphins racing with the ship. He wondered what Evening Star would say if she could see him. He was probably the first Arapaho to sail the Gulf of Mexico. So much has happened since I left my village. What do the coming years have in store for me?
Chapter 18
The Pirates
Puma stood on the bow late one afternoon and saw a sail on the horizon. The ship appeared to be on an intercepting course with The Dolphin. Puma watched it until he was sure the phantom ship was trying to over take them. He found his father and pointed out the phantom ship and shared his opinion. His father watched the ship for a while, and then he went to the captain.
The captain watched through a telescope and said, “It may be nothing; then again it might be a privateer. There are still a few of them operating in the Gulf. That’s a fast ship, and if it is a privateer, they’ll board us and take our ship. We have few choices; if we try to outrun them, they’ll overtake us. If we try to fight them, they can blow us out of the water with their cannons. They are well-armed, and we have no armaments.”
“Let’s watch them for a while,” Michael suggested. “Puma, ask the girls to stay below deck and out of sight. The sailors on that ship may mean us no harm, but if they do, they may be biting off more than they can chew.” Then, turning to the captain, he said, “Captain, have the men stack some of our spare sail up here on deck. It will look harmless enough, and it will give us a barricade from their small-arms fire. If they want to board us, we’ll allow about twenty of them to come aboard. Then we’ll turn sharply away from their ship and take the ones who have come aboard prisoners. There are plenty of us to do that. We’ll hold the prisoners hostage, for our safe passage through the Straits of Florida.”
Captain Mason asked, “Won’t they just blow us out of the water with their cannons?”
Michael replied, “That’s why I want to take as many prisoners as possible. I’m hoping they won’t fire cannon on their own men. It’s worth a try. Now get the guns and ammunition up here and get ready. We’ll have to take them by surprise. How many of your sailors can fire a gun effectively?”
“They can all shoot,” the captain answered. “But I don’t know how effective they’ll be.”
“Then get them on deck and have them armed with belaying pins hidden in their tunics,” Michael said. “When I give the word, I want them to start knocking heads. Ten seconds after I give the word, I want all prisoners lying either unconscious or tied. The sailors will have to get ten of them; Puma and I will get the rest. How many rifles do you have on board?”
“We have ten rifles locked up in the munitions locker,” the captain replied.
“That will have to do,” Michael said. “Have four of your men take the rifles to Juanita. She and Carmen will teach them how to reload the rifles quickly. The sailors are going to reload while Puma and I fire at the pirates.”
“Do you think you can hit them with rifles?” The captain asked.
“At the range Puma and I will be firing, we can’t miss,” Michael said. “We’ll teach those pirates a few tricks we had to learn in order to survive in Indian Territory. Now, let’s get ready.”
“Dad, I’ve been looking at those metal belaying pins. I think I can throw them just like throwing my ax. Let me show you,” Puma said, as he picked up one of the pikes and threw it at the mast about thirty feet away. The pike stuck into the masthead dead center.
“Yeah! Let me try that.” Michael threw one of the pins, and the result was the same. The pike that Michael threw hit the mast right beside the one Puma had thrown.
Michael said, “Captain, could you give us a pile of those belaying pins right here on deck between us?”
The captain’s eyes were wide with astonishment. He answered, “Yes!” Turning to his crew, he said, “Men, get an armload of those pins for these two!”
Puma looked up. Without a doubt, the pirate ship was closing in.
Michael called out, “All right, men, everybody stay calm. They’ll be throwing grappling hooks to hold the two ships together while they board us. We’re going to let about twenty come aboard so everybody, act as though we have submitted. When I give the word, Puma and I will cut the ropes attached to the grappling hooks. As soon as we cut the ropes, turn The Dolphin sharply to port, and start knocking heads. We’ve got to get out of reach of the attacking vessel until we get the ones we have allowed onboard under control.”
As Michael had expected, the men on the pirate ship threw grappling hooks onto the deck of The Dolphin, feeling sure they were going to take the ship captive without incident. Michael was pleased to see that the man who looked like the leader was one of the first to come aboard.
When Michael felt that there were about twenty pirates on board, he yelled, “Now!” He and Puma cut the grappling ropes with their axes. Michael yelled, “Hard aport, Captain!”
Their ship swung hard to the left, leaving the pirate ship all by itself. By the time Michael got into the fray, Puma was dropping enemies right and left with the heavy end of a belaying pin. The attackers were surprised by the sudden furiousness of the fight being put up by the defenders. They were confused and overwhelmed before they could mount a defense. The men on the pirate ship were yelling and screaming, while they waved their sabers in defiance and again started closing in.
Michael said, “Everyone, stay out of sight and just keep handing us loaded rifles!”
Puma and Michael took shelter behind the rolls of sail and waited until the attacking ship came into range. Then they began picking the enemy off the deck of the attacking ship. With every shot, an enemy dropped. The long hours of rifle practice were paying off; no one on either deck had ever seen shooting like that before.
The pirates evidently realized that their tactic wasn’t going to work and pulled back. Michael figured that they had probably decided to wait for darkness.
Michael said, “I think they’ll try to board The Dolphin under the cover of darkness. After they come aboard, they’ll try to kill us and free their captain. Then they’ll be able to end this takeover as they had hoped.”
As soon as it was dark enough that the people on The Dolphin would not be seen by the pirates, Michael had the crew set pots of tar all around the deck. Then he had them set one big pot of tar in the middle of the deck, where he and Puma could see it from their shelter.
Michael told the sailors, “They’ll wait until they think we’re asleep, and then they’ll board us. But we won’t be asleep. After they’ve boarded The Dolphin, we’ll light up the deck by setting those pots of tar on fire. That will give us enough light to pick them off. Don’t hesitate to kill them; after all, they’re coming aboard to kill us.”
Michael said to Puma, “Bring our bows and arrows up here, dip ten arrow heads in tar, and have a fire ready to light them. When they come aboard, we’ll light up the deck by igniting the tar. Then you and I will stop them with our six-shooters. We each have two guns. We can get at least twelve of them. That will cut them down to size, and we can handle the rest.”
Puma replied, “Okay, I’ll be ready in a few minutes. They
probably won’t hit us until early in the morning when they think we’ll all be asleep. We’ll just have to wait for them. They’ll come.”
“Yes, I think you’re right. How are your mother and sister doing?” Michael asked.
“They’re doing all right,” Puma said, “but they’re worried about us. I told them what we were doing. They want to help. I told them that they could help most by staying out of sight.”
The night wore on. Nothing was happening. Everyone onboard The Dolphin was awake, anticipating an attack. At about four o’clock, they felt a soft jarring of the deck.
Michael said, “They have cushioned the contact point between the two ships. They’ll be coming aboard; fire up the pots!”
The captain had brought up a small container of burning oil and kept it hidden. Puma and his father used the fire to light the tips of their arrows and began firing the arrows into the pots of tar. In only an instant, they had the deck lit up. Shadowy figures of the boarding party could be seen carrying rapiers, swords, and knives.
Michael and Puma drew their pistols and began firing. Again, at that range, they couldn’t miss. The pirates were scrambling over one another, trying to get through the locked doors of the cabins and out of range of those deadly pistols. The sailors of The Dolphin were also firing into the attackers. The attackers managed to get two cabin doors open, and they were pouring in. Michael ran to block the onslaught. Too late; several pirates had gotten through. More were pouring onto the deck from the pirate ship. Michael knew Juanita and Carmen were below deck and were barricaded behind heavy locked doors and armed with revolvers.
His revolvers, now empty and with no time to reload, Michael charged into the melee on deck. He had his ax in one hand and his knife in the other. The look in his eyes was terrifying. Puma had never seen him like this before. For just an instant, he was held fascinated, then realizing his father was in danger, he stepped forth armed with the same weapons and the same determination. With his ax and knife slashing, he charged into the confusion of struggling bodies. Puma was only 17, but he was big for his age and unusually strong and agile. His age was no barrier; he had been trained by the best. Under the onslaught of both he and his father, and with the help of the sailors of The Dolphin, the attackers were driven back to their own ship.
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