"Unfortunately, Matilda, it was not one of my finer moments," Issac agreed.
"Should we ask what happened next?" Matty inquired.
"Well, as you would say, things got really fucked up from there.
My family and the other families were confined below deck, except for some of the women who were ..."
It were as though tears were filling Issacs eyes.
"Well, let us just say that some of the womenfolk were taken into the clutches of an evil that none of us were ever exposed to.
We did attempt to overpower the sailors at one point and we did managed to capture several and even get as far as the Captain's cabin, but there we were met with resistance and several of the men were injured and poor Calvin Dove was shot and killed."
"That is terrible," Matty shrieked.
"And it only got worst, young Matty.
Webster was going to make us all jump overboard and fend for ourselves, in the cold waters of the ocean. Surely most of us, if not all, would have perished if such an act had occurred.
It was my wife, Lydia that saved us. She informed Webster that we had gold and silver and that we would trade it all for a safe passage to a small bay along the coast."
"But if Webster knew there was gold and silver, why wouldn't he just take it and throw you all overboard anyway?" Bill asked.
"Indeed, William. That was the same thing I pondered for many years after. The only conclusion I could come to was that Webster and the others were so intoxicated that their thinking was impaired.
At that time we we headed northward, along the west coast of the New Found Land. We passed several adequate locations, but Webster would not allow us to leave the ship. Finally, one sunny morning, we were awaken and told to come to the deck.
Once on deck we were informed that we were about to disembark.
Webster laughed, as he pointed to a very small inlet that was several hundred feet from the Emily Rose. High cliffs surrounded most of the inlet and the beach looked to be mostly rock.
I immediately demanded that a more suitable location be found."
Nanny Dove laughed.
"Youse never learned, did you Poppy. Bit dense in da 'ead Ise tinks."
"Indeed, Matilda. I was a bit dense in de 'ead."
"And youse accent still be suckin'"
Issac smiled, but it was a sad smile.
"Well, needless to say, Webster did not agree to go any further and for the remainder of the day, we were loaded into the four dories that were on the deck of the Emily Rose and rowed to shore.
Webster, somewhere in his drunken stupor did agree to allow us most of our personal belongings, after he and his men unceremoniously picked through them and took anything of value. He also allowed us four cattle, a couple sheep and pigs and a dozen chickens. We were also given all our tools and weapons, as they were packed in wooden crates and his men were too lazy to try and open the crates. Although we had to pack them in the dories and they were dumped in about six feet of water, near shore."
Matty was shocked.
"It all sounds so terrible."
"Indeed it were, young Matty, but an even more terrible happening was to unfold. One that could have torn the very hearts out of me and my Lydia."
"What could possibly be any worse?"
Bill already knew the answer, but he remained silent.
"There was an altercation between myself and Webster, as I again protested what was happening. Not being a violent man, Webster gave me a thrashing and forced me over the side of the ship into the awaiting dory. I called out to my daughter Elizabeth, but Webster accounted her and would not let her go, informing me that she would be warming his bed."
Nanny Dove stopped rocking and knitting and wiped her eyes.
"It were a terrible time fer sure."
Matty was speechless, she was in such shock.
"But Elizabeth did make it off the ship, did she not?"
Issac stared at Bill.
"That she did William. There was a young deckhand, by the name of Silas. He and Elizabeth had built somewhat of a friendship during our voyage. Apparently he stood up to Webster, even under the threat of death. There was an altercation and this Silas slashed at Webster, cutting him deeply on the arm. He then grabbed my Elizabeth by the waist and dove over the railing of the Emily Rose, into the icy waters.
We watched helplessly from shore as the crew of the Rose shot at the two young people, in the water. They disappeared and we all feared the worst."
Matty turned to Bill.
"Isn't Silas ..."
Bill kissed Matty on the lips and whispered to her.
"Let Issac finish his story, my love."
Matty stared curiously at Bill for a moment, then back at Issac.
"What became of Elizabeth and Silas?"
"God was on our side that day, young Matty. Elizabeth and Silas did make it to shore, although poor Silas was gravely injured. He had taken a shot to the upper chest. He was very fortunate, as a few inches the other way and he would surely have perished."
"So it was not all a lost cause."
"Indeed not, young Matty. God did see fit to have all of us survive and the rugged shoreline did offer some shelter and one side did allow us access to the top of the cliffs.
By days end, we had a fire going and the younger men and women of the families had gathered some fish and crabs, lobster and mussels. There was talk of slaughtering one of the cows to celebrate, but we decided that all livestock would be needed for further breeding.
So we ate fish and gathered all of our belongings, as they floated to shore. Webster and his crew were discarding as much as they could, so we were fortunate for that.
The Emily Rose stayed anchored off shore that night and we kept a huge fire going, as well as a guard of at least eight men, armed with pitchforks, shovels, sickles and scythes."
"I thought you said you had weapons."
"We did, William, but weapons and gunpowder do not do well in salt water. They were useless until they dried.
But we were fortunate. The Emily Rose stayed anchored overnight, but the next morning it resumed its journey. We watched as it went to open sea, turned and headed southward, laden with our livestock and all our valuables.
We stayed on the beach for another couple days, while the men if the group began the task of getting livestock, supplies and people off the beach and to a more suitable location, atop the cliffs and into the shelter of a wooded small valley, near a stream. It supplied us with fresh water, plenty of firewood and some grazing area for the livestock.
Unfortunately Elizabeth refused to leave Silas' side. We had found a small cave that offered some shelter to the young man. Elizabeth said she would join us when Silas was healed, or he died."
"Elizabeth sounds like a very strong young woman," Matty smiled.
"Like all the Dove women."
"That she was," Silas agreed. "We left my son Bartholomew and his cousin to stay with Elizabeth until she was ready to leave."
Issac took his pipe out again, as he continued his story.
"We were thankful for what we had, but we realized that for us to survive, we would need a more permanent location, in a decent bay.
That night, the Lord saw fit to challenge our faith once again, as a horrible storm came out of nowhere. For three days we were exposed to heavy rains, high winds and even snow. It was a monumental task to keep the fire going and keep people and livestock safe and dry.
It certainly pushed us all to our limits of belief and faith, but once again, we were fortunate to come through the ordeal with only the loss of one sheep and two chickens.
With fish and some baby greens we found, we had a feast and thanked the Lord for, once again, sparing us."
Matty was crying.
"I cannot even begin to imagine what you and the others must have went through, Poppy Issac. To be in a new land, uncertain of the future. No shelter, limited food."
Matty wiped her eyes and hugged tight into my waist.
"We are so fortunate."
"It were hard, young Matty, but we only became stronger and more determined. We began to explore the coastline, north and south, looking for a more suitable location.
It was the second day of our excursion south that we came upon quite a discovery.
Myself and the four men of my party were atop a small cliff when below us, we saw wreckage of what looked like masts of a sailing ship. We followed the cliff and about an hour later we came upon the wreck of the Emily Rose. She had brought aground upon a group of rocks that were about two to three hundred feet offshore.
The Rose had broken up on the rocks and wreckage was scattered all along the shoreline, including in a well sheltered small bay that was just beyond another small bay, with a wonderful sandy beach line.
We walked to the second bay and stood on the rocky shore. Debris and bodies were scattered all along the shore.
Despite the carnage, we all fell to our knees. We had found our home."