"A rollicking adventure!"
The trilogy is now complete. I plan to publish Jack: Book 3, by August 1, 2017 as well as a separate volume with all three parts. Until then enjoy Books 1-3 here on Wattpad. I completed the trilogy on May 30, 2017. The c...
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Mauricia and America were sad to leave the darkies on the island. They had cared for them in many ways for weeks and now had to let go. They cried softly when they got into the long boat after having helped set up fires for cooking. We gave the darkies all but two of the fishing nets that they would need to catch fish. We also gave them sugar cane, coconuts, coffee, rum, flour, nuts and many other foodstuffs that they would need to survive. There were 45 men, 27 women and 3 children that we left that day on the island. They immediately began felling trees to make little houses along the shore but tucked into the palm trees so as to be out of sight of any ships that happened to pass by. We had done all we could for them and now it was time to go back. We would need Captain Pendleton and the 25 Negroes that remained more than ever. We had lost several of the most experienced darkie sailors although we still had Morris and two others who had good nautical skills. Jack and I also had learned much from Captain Pendleton who was now at the helm 10-12 hours per day.
As we left the shore in the boat that would take us to the Midnight Raider, the darkies had all collected along the shore and all waved to us. We knew we would never see one another again. It was tragic to see the sadness in their eyes and the gratitude. But they gave us something too - the knowledge that they would live on in freedom and return to their families someday and that we had done some small part in the great Middle Passage saga that they and we would tell our descendants about. We left them knowing that they knew that there were good people in the world that they could count on when everything else seemed to conspire against them.
When we finally sailed from the islands in the Midnight Raider, Jack was standing next to Pendleton. He shot me a quick glance, then just as quickly turned away. He wiped a tear from his cheek.
