Author's note: An updated edition of this book has been republished in three books UNDERCOVER - DARK FIRE DATA, CURIOUSERS and STEAM POWER.
It's Christmas and the school's time machine malfunctions, sending us to 1778 CE where we are press-gan...
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By the time I reached Denny, he had crawled out along the spritsail yard, which hung across the bowsprit like a crossed letter Tee. I could feel Alfie tugging at the other end of the halyard. The ships pitching motion was magnified out here over the sea and we were going up and down like a yo-yo. Denny's complexion was distinctly green as I slipped the loop of rope over his head and under his arms. I looked back to see Harpetzoon crawling out along the bowsprit swinging his axe in one hand. 'YOU VILL NOT ESCAPE YOOSTICE, YOU SCUTTLER,' he bellowed.
Denny edged backward out along the spritsail yard, clinging to the tightly furled sail. I crawled out the other way to counterbalance his weight and get out of Harpetzoon's way.
'Denny!' Licia was shouting from the gun deck. 'Jump!
'Denny,' I yelled. 'Let go!'
The carpenter crawled onto the yard. 'NOW, YOU CANNOT ESCAPE,' he rumbled. He wrapped his legs around the furled sail, took careful aim at Denny and swung his axe viciously just as Denny fell off sideways and Alfie and Miguel hauled on the other end of the spare halyard. The axe thudded into the yard just missing Denny's hand.
As Denny swung away, his foot caught on a stay and Harpetzoon stretched out to take another swing. The axe just missed Denny but slashed through some of the rigging. Mr Harpetzoon rotated slowly around the boom bowsprit until he was completely upside down. He hung for a few seconds before crashing down onto the bowsprit stays, and then his head disappeared into the bow wave and he fell off.
'Phew,' I told Licia as I crawled back to safety. 'That was close.'
Denny was dangling upside down over the foredeck his legs tangled in the halyard which was caught on the forestay. Alfie and Miguel lowered him to the deck as I climbed over the bow onto the main deck. The water was now up to the gun ports and water was sloshing across the gun deck.
We rejoined Alfie and Miguel as they disentangled Denny from the foresail rigging. Nearby some of the crew were trying to manhandle a cannon over the gunwhale but there was a mob of men milling around the main mast and suddenly one of them held the bowl of a small clay pipe to his lips and blew a long, ear piercing shriek.
This was the signal for a general revolt. The men took belaying pins from the rack and attacked the crew near the steering wheel. One of them shouted, 'All ballast over the side lads,' and within seconds, the quartermaster's mate was bundled over the side of the ship and the captain and several offices were tied to the mainmast.
Then there was a general melee as the pressed men took revenge on the officers and the bo'sun and his mates and, as this left no one steering, the boat was now pointing toward the land.
'Quick,' I yelled at Miguel and we sprinted down the deck.
The marines had retreated back along the quarter deck behind the mizzen mast and were standing along the stern rail loading their muskets. Miguel grabbed my arm and pointed at the flag. 'We are going to gybe. The wind is coming from behind.'
