On Fire
The Liberty Belle was ready to sail, in a record-breaking time
The Smoky Stoker had been working overtime
The boilers were burning like a funeral pyre
The Smoky Stoker was on fire
Stood beside him dreaming of his Italian pizza oven, was the ships, Cook
He was reveling in his task of shoveling coke
Bart was racing up and down the ship
He was moving so fast; it was a small wonder that he didn't slip
You'd be mistaken for thinking; he'd been doing this for years
Shadow couldn't believe the change in her little brother, closing her eyes to focus, she was almost in tears
As luck would have it, they were facing the right way
It was good to have something going their way, they'd soon be making hay
They found their way into the Salt Marshes, and sure as hell they would find their way out
Bart had three rowing boats, leading the ship, he would ensure her safe exit, of that there was no doubt
There was one boat to port, one to starboard and one amidships
He'd sailed on many ships; it was now time to employ the knowledge gained from those trips
They plumbed the depths; it was like they were doing it to music
Three knots to the Port, four knots to Starboard and five knots Amid Ships Captain, the joy in their voices was a tonic
Everything was going to plan, as the Liberty Belle inched along in their wake
No one was more surprised than Bart, he never expected this to be a piece of cake
So, it came as no shock when the Port plumb-man disappeared, dragged overboard by the knotted cord
Engines Full Stop, came to the cry, man overboard
Slightly embarrassed, the bedraggled plumb-man, rose to the surface, after his plunge into the bog
It was no surprise to find, that the plumb-line had tangled in a sunken log
All was clear amidships, as was the starboard side
All it took was for the Liberty Belle, to cruise a little wide
With the surveyor Miss Smithfield at the helm, they had an excellent navigator
She was more than familiar with the art of reading a nautical map, it was what she was trained for
Denver thought he'd chosen his time well, as he galloped past Missy, grinning like a Cheshire Cat, as he looked back
But then from the rear, she looked on in terror as his ride began to slide, it reared, and he slid off and was dragged like a rag doll, along the flooded track
Just as suddenly her horse came to a neck-breaking halt, and she flew like a wounded bird, diving face-first into the muddied waters
When the dive was over, she found herself topped and tailed with Denver in muddy sludge, they couldn't have gotten closer in their quarters
After moaning and groaning about their aching bones, they soon found themselves giggling in each other's arms, he couldn't resist giving her a little tickle
But were soon croaking like a couple of marsh frogs, as they watched their horses disappearing down the flooded track, realizing they were in a pickle
They hoped and prayed, that Conan had taken the same track, along the reaches
In their confusion, they didn't hear the riders arrive, until a familiar voice rang out, well-well Pa, it looks like It's not only me who doesn't practice what he preaches
They look up to see Bart smirking from his horse, sat to his rear is Conan, looking a little sheepish
Okay, lad, every dog has its day, and we all get a moment to relish
Bart wasn't about to let them get off that easy and said, if you are wondering what big boy is doing sat here with me, the poor lad's horse lost a shoe, so it couldn't take the weight of his fat ass
We found him tracking you on foot, probably just as well, because we would have carried straight on up the Pass
There's no time for your gloating son, what's important is that you have the helmet designs, and they are taken to Petra, post haste
Nice to see you too Pa, and yes, we do, the Chief has them sealed in his saddlebags, but right now we need more sped and less haste
A couple of hours won't make any difference, clean yourselves up a bit while we go fetch your horses, they won't have gone far
Denver was about to speak, but Bart interjected, don't argue Dad, the decision has been made, trust me, we've managed thus far
He was on the verge of blowing off some steam when they heard a distant ship's whistle blow
Denver and Missy couldn't see a thing, and even though Bart and the Chief had a better view from horseback, they could still only see the river flow
What can you see son, nothing much dad, but that was definitely a ship's whistle, and sounded a lot like that of the Liberty Belle
That would be impossible said the Chief, but with that similarity of tone, it is impossible to tell
Straining his eyes Bart peered into the distance, the skies were clear, but for two plumes of smoke that billowed on the horizon
It's the Liberty Belle, said Missy, the Chief replied, come on, even you can't see over the horizon
Denver told the Chief to be quiet, let Missy concentrate, she doesn't need the help of a slide rule, to work things out
Without the sound of beating hoofs and chattering men, she could sense that Shadow was coming and how the events had turned about
Brett, it seems had no choice but to make good a temporary repair, or the ship would surely have been lost
Shadow thinks he is a genius and says he will have every right to boast
She'd sensed that we were heading toward troubled waters and got Bart to speed things up so that they could come to our rescue
She wants us to sit tight and wait, as they'll be here in a few hours or so, and true to her words, they arrived right on cue
It turns out that Miss Smithfield's surveying skills, and her river map reading, made her a natural choice as the navigator
She wants Bart, to hang onto her, she's a good one, and without her aid, they would have been blind, but she's no angel and will give him a run for his money, that's for sure