Capt Jane Holst, pirate

Chapter 4: saving the ship

It was still dark when she awoke. She could feel that there was something wrong, something not right with the way the ship was moving.

She got out of her bunk, careful not to wake Alesso sleeping nearby; she dressed quickly and went up onto the deck. It was heavily overcast and the gloom was complete, despite the fact that a lighter patch on the horizon to the east showed that the sun had already risen.

She ran up on to the quarterdeck and addressed the mate who was on watch, "Are we on course, Mr Morris?"

"Yes, of course, Miss Jane."

"Then we should be in open water, Mr Morris, and we are certainly not. There is something wrong, very wrong."

She checked the compass and then examined the chart while the mate stood there holding the lantern uncertain what to do. She spoke to the helm, "How long have we been in these calmer conditions, Aldo?"

"Maybe a quarter-hour or so, Miss Jane."

"Shit," under her breath. She grabbed the spyglass and scanned the area on the starboard side; there, a darker silhouette, "My God."

"Mr Morris, rouse the men. We're in trouble, we must heave to immediately."

"The Captain . . ."

"I'll deal with the Captain. Get all the sail in and a sea anchor out. Quickly, quickly."

"Keep her straight, Aldo, keep her straight."

"Aye, Miss Jane."

The woken Alesso, swearing and cursing, "Off course, you say. I'll have that fool's hide."

"It may not be his fault, Captain. I think I know what might have happened."

But Alesso wasn't to be mollified. "Morris, you imbecile, where have you taken us?"

"Captain, come here, look," Jane ordered, trying to drag him to the starboard rail. "Here, use the glass. Can you see a darker shape? Out there?"

"No, I cannot, I can see nothing in this accursed gloom. Where's that damn sun?"

"Wicks, Wicks," Jane called out to a young sailor, "come up here."

"Here take the glass, directly out there, a darker shape. Can you see it?"

"Where, where . . . why yes, Miss, there is something."

"Like a large hill, a mountain?"

"Yes, yes. I think that's what it is, a mountain, and not far away."

"What in Hades . . ." from Alesso.

"Captain, look at the chart," dragging him across to the chart table.

"Our course was along here, outside these shoals. But that mountain we can see is this island."

"What? The devil, you say . . ."

"Captain, I think that island is an iron mountain, a lodestone. It's deflected our compass and has drawn us off course. We've sailed down this narrow passage between the shoals. I think we are right here." Jane pointed to a place on the chart.

"In amongst the shoals and near blind. Have we stopped in time?"

"I hope so Captain, I hope so."

She turned to the young sailor, "Wicks, take the glass and get up into the nest. Look for white traces ahead of us and to the sides."

"Aye, Miss Jane."

Alesso was calming down, "We will have to anchor. We daren't move until we can see."

"Miss Jane, Captain," Wicks called out from the crow's nest, "I can see glimmers of white ahead and to both sides. They seem very close, less than half a cable."

"You are right, Captain, we daren't move," Jane iterated the obvious.

They were there for two days before the gloom lifted and they were able to pull themselves out of the channel with the longboat.

Morris did not escape a roasting for failing to realise that they had left the open water. Jane grimaced and thought to herself, "Captain, you should know that Morris is no sailor; a good ship's clerk, yes, but sailor, no."

The crew soon learned that it was Jane's sensitivity to the sailing conditions and her quick action that had saved them from floundering. She was now well regarded and respected. She maintained good relations with the crew by returning their respect - provided they behaved.