SK Hit 6: Every man on board a hero
The First Mate sailed resolutely towards the destination given before the Captain headed to bed for the night. Doubts about this journey plagued his mind and he knew that there were similar misgivings among the crew. Oh he knew that pirating was risky business and sailor on board had felt the rewards had been worth it...until now. Pirates were killing other pirates and the death toll was getting out of hand. He looked up into the night sky hoping for some kind of sign but found none.
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A lone figure sailed the “Elusive Princess†towards her large and unsuspecting prey. It sat heavy in the water compared to the schooner, both stout and proud. No doubt every man jack on board slept snug in their beds fearing nothing save the reprisal of a bad meal.
The schooner was dark and unnervingly quiet without its crew. The men had been replaced with the ship's stores of gunpowder which had been loaded carefully in the bow of the ship. Looking down, the new Captain of the Princess made sure that the hooded lantern was still lit and that the tether around their waist was secure. While the figure had learned to swim, they didn't feel it wise to take any chases in the night's black waters.
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Still soul searching, the First Mate turned his gaze behind him and there chanced upon the very sign that he had been seeking. It appeared in the form of a ship, running dark and about to collide with his own. Perhaps by habit, his gaze lifted towards the topsail and there he noticed that it bore no flag. That was all the time he had to scrutinize the oncoming vessel before he heard the crashing sound of its collision with the aft of the ship. Making his choice, the First Mate quickly jumped overboard and put his life in the hands of fate.
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Therefore, he was the soul survivor of his ship and was witness to its spectacular end at the hands of a small schooner filled with explosives. From his place in the water, he witnessed the burning of the No Leaf Clover; the massive frigate was a flurry of yelling men trying in vain to breach the gaping hole and staunch the growing flames.
It was through their flickering, fire hued light that he could see another vessel sailing silently not far away. It paced the frigate bearing witness to the destruction of Colonel James O'Connor and his ship that proudly flew his country's colours.