Rib Bone Jack: The Breaking Tide by John Williamson

Author:John Williamson [Williamson, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-05-11T17:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

“Man in the water, Captain,” the sailor called, whom Captain Garnet had assigned the task of looking out for Bart. Garnet hurried to the stern, where so much woodwork had been destroyed.

“Where, man?” he demanded, looking frantically for movement.

“He was definitely there, Sir,” the lookout insisted, pointing specifically at a spot in the water, behind them. “About sixty yards out, Sir. There, look.”

It was little more than an irregular ripple in the water, but it was enough. “Lower a boat on a line… Slow the ship, Mr Barker.”

“What is the state of my gun deck, Mr Lovell?” the Captain asked harshly, as if Lovell had broken it.

“We can operate five cannons on the port side, Sir, but reloading may be slow.”

“Very well. We may yet need them, Mr Lovell. Ready your men for battle.” Garnet looked out at the Spanish gunner. Despite its damage and the fire amongst the rigging, it was still limping their way. “Why the bloody hell are we not slowing. Let the wind out of those sails or I’ll have your backs skinned,” he bellowed to the men in the rigging.

“Captain, I cannot give that order,” Barker announced loudly, the men in the rigging listening, rather than obeying the Captain’s order. “To slow this ship for one man will kill us all.”

“This is mutiny, you do know that,” Garnet said, drawing his pistol and pointing it at Barker, who now stood only six feet in front of him. “You have already killed yourself.”

“You would murder nine British officers, to save this floating log, yet you would see it sunk for a priest. You’re not fit to command.” As Barker spoke, Garnet heard the clicking of two muskets being cocked behind him.

“We have orders, a duty, Mr Barker. That man, if he is retrieved, could make all the difference.”

“We have a duty to these men, first and foremost,” Barker snapped back.

The Captain hurriedly glanced into the water, before reattaching his stare on Barker. The two rowers were making progress towards Bart but he knew they would run out of rope soon. Something had to be done, there and then.

Dewson casually walked up beside one of the two men with their muskets on the Captain. He was fully aware that any number of the crew could feel the same way, but those two were bold enough to show their hand. With one swift movement, he struck the man to his right in the temple, knocking him out cold, before holding his rifle on the second man.

“I’m sorry it’s come to this,” Garnet said with hesitation and distress. His hand began to shake as if he’d never held a pistol before. At that moment Barker knew as he looked into the water-filled eyes of the man he had counted as a friend. A look of horror and disbelief appeared on Barker’s face as the Captain squeezed the trigger, shooting Barker in the centre of the chest. It was surely to be a memory of the man that would blur all others as his friend lumped like an inhuman object, on the deck, killed by his hand.

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