John Drake - Skull and Bones

"Why should they do that?" said Chester.

"I don't know," said Flint. "More important: where did they get them? Those are such boats as belong to men o' war: ships too strong for Walrus to tackle!" Flint peered down the telescope and his quick mind sought an explanation, for he was indeed one who never trusted his own mother's milk – not that or anything else about her – and he did indeed see suspicion everywhere: he saw suspicion, betrayal, lies and deceit. For, like the Emperor Nero, Flint believed all others to be as base as himself.

"Perhaps they found the boats?" said Chester. Flint sneered, "Or perhaps…"

Flint ignored him.

"Colonel Bland!" he said.

"Mr Flint?"

"Are the guns of your battery loaded?"

"They are, sir!"

"With what shot?"

"Roundshot."

"Could I suggest that you immediately load grape over the roundshot and stand by with canister for close engagement?"

"But why?"

"Because one reason for towing longboats is to have them ready to embark a large force of men at utmost speed."

"For what purpose, Mr Flint?"

"To effect an armed landing, Colonel!"

"Ah!" said Bland. "And that's Silver down there? Capable of any foul trick?"

"The same, Colonel!"

Bland nodded and ran off towards the battery, clutching his hat to keep it on his head, and his sword to keep it from tripping him. He shouted as he ran. The gunners gaped, but then their sergeant started bellowing too, and the men reached for their rammers, and Flint nodded in satisfaction. Silver was coming for a reckoning just as much as Flint was, and in Silver's place, with ships and prize money to hand, Flint would have brought every man he could hire! So there might be a great need for grape and canister.

For a moment, Flint allowed himself a smile.

And then he groaned.

"No!" he said, "No! No! No!" For, staring hard through his telescope, he'd just seen the flash of taffeta on Walrus's quarterdeck. He'd seen who it was that might receive the deadly fire of Colonel Bland's guns. He'd not thought of that, not clever Joe Flint, jolly Joe Flint, vain Joe Flint… the immeasurably cunning, resourceful and talented Joe Flint.

He'd not thought of that at all.

"Seсor Teniente," cried Silver, "I will not hoist Spanish colours until your men are in the boats and pulling for the shore!"

"No!" cried the red-faced teniente, with his men massed behind him: the dozen of them that were on deck in their seamen's clothes, all of them glaring angrily at Silver and his men. "I will go no further, except in my king's service, under my king's banner!" cried Burillo. "Were I to do otherwise, my men and I could be shot, under the laws of war!"

"Jesus, Moses and Mary!" cried Silver. "Will you look at that battery up there? And the guns of the fort? Them bastards'll open fire the instant they see Spanish colours! You'll have a chance if it's at the last moment, but otherwise they'll be sending shot aboard when you're most helpless, as you man the boats and take up oars!"

"No!" said Burillo. "The world is at peace – the fort's guns will not even be loaded! We will have plenty of time to act with honour and yet to get our men ashore! So hoist the colours now, or I will send my men to do it!"

"Oh no you won't, my bully boy!" said Silver in English, and he looked to his own men. "Walruses, to me!" he yelled. "And none o' them Dago swabs to touch the halliards or the flag lockers!"

"Aye!" roared Silver's men. There were nearly as many of them on deck as there were Spaniards, and they were gentlemen o' fortune besides, that had smashed heads and slit livers all their lives, while the Spaniards were mostly honest seamen. So there was a great growling and scowling, and some shuffling forward… but for all Teniente Burillo's orders, no man of his moved forward to hoist the banner of Spain.

"So," said Burillo, "I at least shall act with honour!" And he threw off the greatcoat that was covering his uniform, cast aside his straw hat, and took his laced hat and sword from a canvas bag that one of his aspirantes was carrying. They did the same, and the three of them stood proudly in the uniform of their service.

"And now," said Burillo, "enough! I shall bring my soldiers on deck, and by the persuasion of their bayonets, you – Capitбn Silver – will hoist proper colours!" He turned to one of the aspirantes: "Alvarez!" he cried.

"Seсor Teniente!"

"Summon the drummers! Sound the muster!"

"For God's sake, don't!" cried Silver, pointing up at the landing stairs and the fort and the battery, where crowds of people were now visible even without a telescope. "You'll bring down fire on the ship, and there's no better target than men mustered in ranks. You'll lose half of 'em before they even go over the side!" He lurched forward, pushed all others out of his way, and clutched at Burillo's laced sleeve. "I'm begging you, Teniente," he said. "As I'm a seaman and you're one too – and I believe a brave one and a good one – don't hazard our ship and all aboard of her!"

"Oh…" said Burillo, "ah…" He was much moved, for Silver's words were from the heart, man to man, and authentic good sense. "Well…" said Burillo, "… perhaps not."

But then Israel Hands cried out from the quarterdeck:

"John! John! Beware astern!" And everyone turned to look at La Concha and knew the debate aboard Walrus to be irrelevant, for La Concha had already struck British colours, and the scarlet and gold of Spain streamed out from foretop, maintop, and stern post.

"Oh no!" said Silver, and turned to look at the battery. There was a horrible pause:

… a pause of… great… long… plodding… seconds…then:

Orange flashes and eruptions of white smoke, and a reverberating thud-boom-boom, bouncing around the river banks… and the howling scream of approaching shot.

Morning, 20th July 1754 The Savannah River

The first salvo missed, but the river heaved and churned around Walrus and a shower of foaming, muddy water came spattering down on her decks, drenching all hands.

"Bring up the men!" cried Burillo, in Spanish, and Aspirante Alvarez ran to the hatchways shouting and waving his arms. A stream of white-coated Spanish infantrymen poured out and on to the maindeck, led by their drummers who stood to attention and beat the muster with fierce concentration.

"God help us!" said Silver, and he turned to Israel Hands: "Might as well run up their blasted flag, shipmate. Can't do no harm now, and it might save our necks if we're took."

"Aye-aye, Cap'n!" said Israel Hands, and within seconds the big Spanish banners that Burillo had brought aboard were breaking from the halliards and catching the wind, to a huge cheer from the Spanish soldiers, and a great waving of hats and raising of muskets in delight.

"Bring the longboat alongside!" cried Burillo. "All hands, stand by for boat drill!"

"Bugger!" said Silver, studying the battery, which was ideally placed to hurl shot right through his decks, for the smoke of the first fire was blown clear and he could actually see the black muzzles running out into their embrasures, as the crews behind them heaved on their tackles.

"John!" said Selena, and tried to say something, clutching and hanging on to his arm. But he wasn't listening.

"Clap a hitch, my lovely!" he said, and looked down into the small, beloved face, and in that terrible instant he damned the fighting and bitching there'd been between them. He damned it from the bottom of his heart, and wept for the lies and broken promises he'd made. Then, in fear of imminent death, he cast his arms around her and kissed her and pushed her towards Mr Joe.

"Take her below, lad," he said. "Take my girl below, for I can't see no harm come to her! Not one hair nor one fingernail!