Pirates On The Move
The Never Ending Quest - Episode 2289
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Capt.Roberts ran to the forecastle where his first mate waited for
him. Grabbing
his spyglass he peered across the wide stretch of waves that separated him
from the other
ship. "She's a doubled-masted merchantman, Briggs," Roberts said with
excitement to his
first mate. "She's flying Hespan colors and she's lying low in the water.
Her hold must be
full!"
"But what is she doing out here?" Briggs asked. "We're nowhere near the sea lanes." Roberts glanced over to him, "Perhaps she met a sudden gale and was blown out to sea. Or perhaps she's on the run from pirates." Briggs chuckled, "And she's running straight to us." "Hoist the Hespan flag!" Roberts bellowed at his crew. "Ease her starboard and head straight for that merchant ship! We're gonna pay our respects and by the time her captain figures out who we really are, it will be too late." The crew sprang into action and Fred could only look on helplessly. The stories he had heard at court told him what was going to happen next. The pirates would sail up to the luckless merchantman and when they were in range would grapple her. Bowmen in the fore and aftcastles would fire down upon whomever put up a defence while the others would swing down from the mast rigging or jump across the side rails and board her. It would be quick and, Fred hoped, bloodless. Because, for good or for bad, merchant seamen were not known for their heroism. But perhaps that was all that could save them from a dastardly death. Fred was outraged that he could do nothing to stop this and struggled once again to free himself from his chains.
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WolfRun
7/19/1999 6:35:08 PM
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