Fifty One – PRINCE’S PLAN
April 1717
Prince lowered the telescope to look at the two ships trailing behind with his own eyes. His breathing sped up and he looked away, as if searching for an answer. He looked down into the palm of his hand at the gold coin. He started toward the stairs that led down to the lower decks, when the company commander grabbed hold of his arm. “Get us out of here,” the man said in a threatening tone.
Prince yanked his arm away and continued down the stairs. He got to the gunnery deck and called for the sergeant. It was a loud chaotic mess with men nervous and clamoring. The sergeant came forward. “Captain,” he said at attention.
Prince pulled the man aside. “I need you to listen to me very carefully.”
***
Sam stood at the bow of his ship and through his scope watched the chaos unfold on the Whydah Gally. He lowered the glass and looked over to the Mary Anne. He could see Paulgrave standing at her bow, looking through his own scope. He smiled and walked along the deck giving encouragement to his men as he went. Down in the gunnery, the men were ready and waited for instruction. The gunnery sergeant came forward.
Sam stepped toward him. “Remember speed is the key, take out the main mast. We want her immobile not sunk. Paulgrave will clear her deck.”
The sergeant nodded and went back to his men shouting orders.
Sam hurried back up to the main deck and then up onto the quarterdeck where John stood at the helm. “Bring us up on her port evenly with Paulgrave on her starboard. Got it?”
John nodded. “Got it.”
Sam walked to the base of the main mast. There, his pistols sat on a barrel already tied with ribbons. He put them around his neck and readied for the oncoming attack. He motioned for some of his men to the starboard rail. They would be the first to board the Whydah.
Down in the gunnery deck, the sergeant walked back and forth along the aisle behind the guns. He looked out a hole built for spotting ships.
“Get ready, men,” he yelled.
One single blast from a cannon on the Whydah rang out. The sergeant held his hand up to stop the men. “Hold.”
The shot flew over the bow of the Sultana. No other heavy guns were fired.
***
The company commander grabbed Prince by the collar. “Are you mad? They’ll attack for sure.”
Prince took out his knife and cut the man’s wrist wide open.
The commander grabbed his wrist to stop the flow of blood, but it seemed to keep gushing.
“Touch me again and you’ll lose your whole hand,” Prince said.
The commander yelled out and three company men standing nearby rushed to him.
“Arrest him.” The commander pointed to Prince.
Prince raised his hands and went willingly. They took him down to the cargo deck, put him in shackles and chains, and locked the chains to one of the steel loops fastened to a post. He was now a prisoner on his own ship.
With a make-shift bandage on his wrist, the company commander flew down the stairs to the gunnery deck. With A look of astonishment on his face, he stopped and stared. Every cannon was pointing toward the inside of the ship, and down toward the floor. The gunners were nowhere in sight.
***
Gunfire erupted between the two ships, but it was pistols and rifles, not one more cannon shot fired the rest of the battle. Sam threw a grappling hook over and caught the rail of the Gally. Several others did the same, and they pulled her toward the Sultana. Paulgrave unleashed hell on the other side of the ship, and the men aboard the Whydah scattered, dodging death from both sides.
The company men surrendered as Sam and Paulgrave led their men aboard the Whydah. Hendrick gathered the captured crew and held them on the Sultana, while he and Paulgrave took to the task of clearing the ship as they usually did. They found little resistance; men seemed to have their hands raised even before Sam and Paulgrave entered the hold.
In a room off to one side of the captain’s chambers, they found a young African girl naked and chained to the bedpost. She did her best to clutch the blanket around her body with her free hand. She trembled at the sight of men with guns and screamed out.
Sam handed Paulgrave his guns and raised his hands up where the girl could see them. He knelt beside the bed and pulled the rest of the blanket to cover the girl fully. He pointed to her bindings, chains under lock and key. He made the motion of unlocking it with a key. The girl pointed to a desk across the room. Paulgrave rifled through it, found the key inside, and handed it to Sam. He unlocked the chains from the girl’s wrist and she clutched the blanket tight with both hands. She shook from head to toe, tears streaming from her eyes as she cried.
The image of this young girl clutching to the blanket was more than Sam could bear. She looked exhausted. Sam imagined that was partly due to lack of sleep because she was always on guard being surrounded by strange men who sold the rest of her people into slavery, and apparently kept her as a play thing. Sam’s stomach twisted as his eyes began to swell.
Sam looked to Paulgrave who was in the same emotional condition. “We’ve got to get her out of this room.”
Paulgrave nodded. “I’ll see if John King has some clothes she can use.”
“Good.” Sam turned to the girl. He knelt on the floor in an effort to look less menacing. “I need to get you out of here,” he said in a soft voice. She likely could not understand his words, but maybe she could understand his tone.
“I’m going to pick you up.” He motioned what he was going to do. She looked at him with a blank expression. He scooped his hands under her and slowly lifted her up. His tears flowed again as he thought of her small body wrapped up in the blanket. He closed his eyes, clenched his teeth, and sobbed.
With tremendous effort, he regained his composure, walking out of the room slowly and with purpose past the prisoners. Later there would be a reckoning with the person responsible; he wanted them to see this, and know it was coming. Inside the captain’s quarters, he laid the girl on the bed. He put another blanket over her, then put his hands to his mouth to signify eating. “Are you hungry?”
The girl, now calmer, nodded.
“I’ll bring some food.”
Sam found Doctor Ferguson on the main deck, tending to some of the men. “Doctor, there is a patient in the captain’s quarters who needs your attention immediately.”
The doctor looked up at Sam then patted his current patient on the shoulder. “I’ll be back.”
Sam watched the doctor enter the captain’s chambers, then turn to the group of prisoners. His eyes hardened. He wanted to destroy the man responsible, but the girl needed food so it would have to wait. In the storeroom, he collected some bread and salted pork and then headed back to the girl.
Handing the food to the doctor, Sam watched as the girl ate. Her wrists where the chain had dug into her flesh looked painful. His mind filled with anger. He stood and pushed his way out of the room. The doctor followed him out and called for Sam’s attention.
The doctor shifted his weight. “She’s got bruising on her legs and torso.”
Sam exhaled a long breath, trying to hold it together.
The doctor continued. “She would nae allow me to check her thorough, so my guess is that he tried, but she was able to resist. He probably punished her by depriving her of food.”
Sam took Dr. Ferguson’s arm. “Thank you, Doctor.”
“Maybe Hendrick can talk to her and see if he can find out any more.”
Sam gave him a nod. “Good.” Sam was anxious to get to the task of finding this man.
“Sam,” the doctor said making sure Sam was listening. “She fought him, which means the man could have markings on his face or body.”
Sam never questioned his ability to find this man, but this information would make it easier. He took a big breath and gave Ferguson a pat on the shoulder. “Thanks, Doctor.” He was happy with the news that she might be okay, but he had not changed his mind about the man. The stranger fully intended to take advantage, and if Sam and his crew had not found the Gally, it would have happened eventually. He felt grateful for being in the right place at the right time. Sam hated to leave her but knew she would be safe in his quarters. Besides he needed Hendrick to open up communication.
***
Guarding the prisoners from the Whydah, Hendrick and John stood with arms folded and their backs toward them.
“Shouldn’t you be in chains?” one of the prisoners said from behind them.
Hendrick looked back at one of the prisoners who smiled at him.
John tapped Hendrick on his shoulder. “Don’t pay attention to them.”
Hendrick turned back around.
“Is that your master?” The prisoner said again, this time getting chuckles from men around him.
“Can’t be his master,” another prisoner said. “He’s a darky too, just with straight hair.”
John shook his head. “They are not worth it.”
Hendrick turned to John. “What does that even mean?”
The prisoner made monkey noises, getting more laughs. Hendrick raised his hands up. “You can take it if you want, I’m not going to.” He walked back and with one punch knocked the man completely out.
Sam walked up. “How’s it going?” he said looking at Hendrick.
Hendrick smiled, walked back and stood by John. “No problems so far.”
Smiling, John pointed toward the bow. “Their captain requests a meeting.”
Sam nodded, and then placed his hand on Hendricks shoulder. “I need a special favor from you my friend.”
“Name it,” Hendrick said.
“The doctor has a patient in the captain’s quarters.”
Hendrick nodded. “Yes, I saw.”
“Will you speak with her?”
Hendrick scratched his bald head. “I’ll try,” he said, and moved toward the cabin.
Sam looked back to John. “Which one is he?”
John pointed to the far side of the group of prisoners. Sam looked and saw a man sitting in chains.
“You put the captain in chains?”
John wiped the sweat from his face. “He was in chains when we found him tied to a pole in the cargo hold.”
Sam motioned for John to follow him as he walked toward the captain. “You did the right thing John. Have we found the keys?”
“Yes, we did,” John said unlocking the bonds from Captain Prince’s wrists and ankles. He helped the man to his feet. “Captain Prince, this is Captain Bellamy.”
Sam turned to John. “Thanks, John.”
John nodded and walked back to his post by the prisoners.
Prince rubbed his wrists. “Black Sam” Bellamy, yes, I’ve heard of you.”
One corner of Sam’s mouth rose slightly. “Captain Bellamy will be just fine.”
Prince raised his arms up. “Of course, I meant no disrespect.”
Sam stood with his hand resting on the handle of this sword. “Will you kindly explain to me the positioning of your guns?”
Prince chuckled. “A part of my plan.”
“Which was to surrender?”
“To escape,” Prince said.
Sam looked at the man as if he were crazy. “Escape from what?”
“Come, let me show you something,” Prince said.
***
Prince took out a key and knelt down next to a wooden chest. Sam watched as the chest opened up to reveal brilliant gold and silver coin.
Sam picked up a coin from the top. “How many of these are there?”
Prince waved his arm around the room. “As you see.”
Sam looked around the hold at the multitude of chests roughly the same size. “I meant how many are full like this one?”
“I know what you meant,” Prince said with a smile.
Sam shook his head. “I don’t believe you.”
Prince extended the key to Sam. “Look for yourself.”
Sam walked over to a random chest in the back and opened it. It was full. He picked another one and it was full. He could not believe the amount of treasure that surrounded him. He smiled realizing that this would almost double the amount of treasure he had taken thus far.
Another thought struck him and he looked up at Prince. “What do you want Prince?”
“I want to join your crew.”
Sam stood and walked closer to Prince, putting the key in his own pocket. “You surrendered your ship and your crew without a fight, just to join my crew? What do you really want?”
Prince smiled. “I was hoping you’d be a smart man.”
Sam stepped closer to the captured captain. “Prince.”
“I want to join your crew as captain of the Whydah.”
Sam stared at Prince for a moment. “No.”
Prince put his hands behind his back and paced. “You have a third ship and you need a reliable captain.”
Sam thought about it for a moment. “Is this also part of your plan? Take the ship back and leave in the middle of the night?”
Prince stopped and looked Sam in the eye. “I handed my ship over to you without a fight. Why would I do that?”
Sam shrugged. “Fear?”
Prince was obviously getting aggravated. “The Whydah is the fastest merchant ship on the water; I could have out run you in my sleep.”
Loud, quick boot steps sounded off the wooden stairway.
“You’re not getting the Whydah,” Sam said turning to see Paulgrave bound into the hold.
“How’s the patient?” Sam asked.
Paulgrave pulled his sword. “She’s fine.” He raised the blade to Prince’s throat. “Did you know about the girl?”
Prince gasped and looked to Sam.
Sam raised his hands. “Don’t look at me. I’m not the one with the sword to your throat.”
Prince put his hands up. “I can explain.”
Paulgrave grabbed his throat and raised the tip of his sword to Prince’s eye.
Prince pleaded again with Paulgrave. “The commander of the Royal African Trading Company kept her after the trade.”
Paulgrave threw his sword away and punched Prince square in the jaw knocking him over a chest.
The humiliated captain picked Paulgrave’s sword up by the blade and handed it to Paulgrave. He told Sam and Paulgrave the details of what happened with the company men and the girl. “You see, I was a prisoner on my own ship.”
It was all making sense to Sam now, the cannon facing inward, and prince’s incarceration. “This is why you surrendered it?” Sam asked.
Prince wiped his bloody lip and nodded. “If I could have done something about the girl, believe me I would have.”
“Where do the loyalties of the Whydah crew lie?”
Prince perked up a bit. “With me, absolutely.”
Paulgrave sheathed his sword. “The company men, you’ll help us determine who each of them are?”
Prince looked at Paulgrave. “Gladly, and if I may, captains,” Prince said to both Sam and Paulgrave, “I humbly ask for one last command as captain of the Whydah.”
Sam looked at Paulgrave, who shrugged his shoulders. “What did you have in mind?”