Black Sam - Prince of Pirates

Thirty One - TURNING POINT

 Thirty-One – TURNING POINT

 December 1716

 Captain Benjamin Hornigold stood amidships with one hand resting on the hilt of his sword. He barely even had a crew; just enough men to get this ship out to sea, but not enough to sail it well. Sam now understood why Edward was so eager to recruit him.

 “Gentlemen, welcome aboard the Mary Anne,” Hornigold said with a bit of ceremony.

 Paulgrave gave a slight bow of the head. “Thank you, Captain.”

 Sam’s concern about sailing with these men amplified with reality. He didn’t want to cohort with pirates, but he also had a duty to these men who have helped him now more than once. “Looking forward to sailing with you sir.” Sam reached out his hand, but Hornigold did not take it. The much older and smaller Captain Hornigold turned to his crew. “Raise anchor and set sail.” He turned to Edward with a stern glare. “If your new friends are hungry, we can share what little we have.” He walked away without another acknowledgment of Sam or his men.

 Sam folded his arms, and put a finger to his mouth. “That wasn’t exactly the welcome I expected.”

 Edward chuckled. “He’s often out of sorts on an empty stomach.”

 “Speaking of empty stomachs,” Paulgrave said.

 Sam patted his. “Yes, I believe we’ll take the Captain up on his offer.”

 “Follow me.” Edward led them down below deck.

 Hornigold sat at a large wooden table eating salted pork with bread.

 “It’s not much but it should be enough.” Edward pointed to the table and then sat down next to Hornigold.

 “Enough is as good as a feast,” Sam said as he sat and broke off some bread.

 Paulgrave and John sat and dove right in. For a moment no one said a word, there were only the sounds of hungry men.

 Sam washed his food down with water. “This is excellent food Ben, thank you.”

 Hornigold stopped and looked at Sam. “It’s Benjamin, and you will address me as Captain.”

 Sam gave a slight bow. “My apologies, Captain, I meant no disrespect.”

 Hornigold got back to his slow, meticulous eating routine.

 Edward cleared his throat. “Those are some nasty wounds on your back. I imagine you did not get them in the swamps.”

 Sam shook his head. “Just a disagreement between me and Southack.”

 Edward raised an eyebrow. “Disagreement? About what?”

 Sam shrugged. “The shape of a soldiers face.”

 Edward laughed “A man after my own heart. You should have killed the bloody fool.”

 “If he would have, we wouldn’t be sitting here now,” Paulgrave said.

 Sam chewed through another piece of salted pork. “Cyprian is all too eager to get rid of me.”

 “You two have history, aye?” Edward rubbed his black beard.

 “You could say that.” Sam didn’t feel like getting into all that right now, particularly with the Captain in the room. “What ship are we after?”

 With a mouth full of bread, Edward answered. “Before spotting Cyprian’s burning ships, we came across a single Spanish galleon heading west.”