A Weather Eye on the Horizon

A Weather Eye on the Horizon (11)

Another Day – Several Days Later

Dear little book,

Something awful has happened. I was not sure I wanted to write this, but I must. It happened around three bells in the first dog watch. (This is around five o’clock land time, but everyone aboard ship uses bells, and I have gotten used to it.)

David was showing me the hold. I had been begging him to for days now, and he finally did. I was amazed at some of the things they had stored there! Loot, David told me it was called. He seemed uncomfortable, and when I asked him where they got it from, he told me they pillaged other ships for it! I cannot believe it!

But the worst was yet to come. When we came back on deck, the captain was standing there along with other members of the crew, including Anne and Mary – I mean Mark. He looked furious. David stiffened behind me as the captain called him forward.

I could only watch helplessly as the captain boomed, “And where have ye been, ye scurvy dog? I’ve been calling ye for over a bell!”

David looked as shameful as he could, but I could tell he was burning with fury by the way he stood, his back ramrod-straight and eyes straight ahead. He apologized stiffly, but the captain said, “Nay, lad, that won’t do it. I think ye need a watch’s worth of the bilge to get ye centered!”

I wasn’t sure what this meant, but I knew it wasn’t good. I expected Anne to say something, but she just stood there. So then I couldn’t take it any longer. I flew forward and said breathlessly, “Please, sir, it was my fault. I asked him to take me to the hold. Don’t blame him.”

I looked over at David, and he threw me a look of pure fury. I was hurt. What had I done? I waited on tenterhooks for Jack’s answer, and he looked at me. “So, it be the feisty Spaniard, aye?” he said. I dared not rebuke him. Then he looked over at Anne, to my surprise. But now I remember David’s tale and I guess it’s true.

“What are we to do with ‘er?” he said.

Anne looked at me and I saw the coolness in her eyes. She said, “Let her do the same as the boy. It be her fault, she say, so let ‘er be with the bilge rat in the bilge, aye?” The whole crew laughed unpleasantly at that. David’s face was flaming red and I could tell he wanted to hit Jack. I’m not sure whether ‘tis because of his injustice or of the fact that Anne – I think – just called him a bilge rat.

The captain agreed, and to my horror and terror, I found myself thrown into the bilge of the boat. There was disgusting water all over the floor, thigh-deep, and I felt sure I felt furry creatures scrabbling over me. I almost fainted, but David grabbed me by the arm and said, “You stupid girl! What did ye do that for?”

I was crying, I think, and he let go of me in disgust. Then he showed me how to pump the bilge water out and we set to it.

He coldly ignored me the whole time. It was long, nasty work. Rats scrambled across my feet, but I gave up screaming after the first time, when David gave me such a look of disgust that I felt my insides shrivel up.

I hated it, and I hated Anne for making me do this. By David’s skill with it, I’d almost say he’d done it before, and I reckon he has, too. We did it for four hours. Four! By the time we were done it was late, and I was exhausted. A man came down to tell us we could leave, and I went to the deck. David ignored me and went to the crew’s quarters without speaking to me. I went to my cabin, and now I am hear, shaking in my thin blanket.

Never again will I complain about having to watch my little sisters.

Next Day

Dear little book,