realized the watches had disappeared. A sudden movement arrested his attention and he cast his dismal musings to the back of his mind.
Down in the waist, in the deep shadow of one of the boats, two men huddled together. Were the watches ignoring their duties? Intuition warned him that something was afoot—and it boded ill.
Silently, he moved toward them. Engrossed in whispering to each other, they did not notice his approach. He caught but a few words of their murmured plot for the wind blew most of their hurried conversation into the sea. However, he could not mistake the rumblings of mutiny.
He drew his pistols and cocked them. At that sound, the men jumped apart. Each held a pistol in one hand and a knife in the other.
He recognized them in the dim light from the moon. These were not the men who were supposed to be on watch. Aloysius Meeker glared at him, which did not surprise him. The man groused most of the time. He had become the most onerous malcontent in the foc’sle.
The other conspirator surprised him for he had trusted Woodrow Hooper, the quartermaster. True, the man ruled those beneath him with fear, but in a battle he fought with skill and daring. He was not the type of man to back down in any situation.
Steeling himself, Harlan calmly recited the words of the articles they had signed which pertained to the situation at hand.
Aloysius interrupted. “We have nothing to show for all the roaming we do. We have bad food and bad water.”
“You’ve had your fill of rum.” Harlan reminded. “And so far, you have your life, though that matter could change at any moment.”
Aloysius snarled. “And who will help ‘ye? Ye’ve no friends on this ship.”
“I need no friends.” Harlan admitted to himself that having someone else beside him to even the odds would be appreciated. He wondered what had happened to those who had been on watch. Were they part of this conspiracy? “I was elected to my current position by a vote from the men—all of them are aware I am well-acquainted with navigation.”
“The first mate is as knowledgeable,” the quartermaster growled.
“If there is a dispute about who should be captain, we shall call together the crew and all may cast their vote.” Harlan hoped these were the only two involved in this conspiracy, but he could not count on that. He wondered if Moody had set them up.
“You should never have become captain !” Hooper shouted.
“Did you vote against me then?” Harlan caught a movement from the corner of his eye in the distance. His opponents did not appear to notice what he had seen, but he hoped they did not have another disgruntled jack ready to join their side .
Hooper growled. “I could see what you were with your fine airs. We do not own any allegiance to England. We are not fighting for them. We can take any ship we choose and we will—without you !” Hooper leveled his pistol at Harlan’s heart. Aloysius followed suit.
At that point, he heard a scream which shook the rigid steel in his nerves. Lesley had disobeyed his orders and now placed herself in far worse trouble. However, though sweat trickled down his back, he did not move a muscle but the two men looked upward toward the quarterdeck.
In that brief moment of inattention, he shot the pistols out of his opponents’ hands. That stopped them for a few seconds but then they ran at him with their knives. He kicked Aloysius out of the way, but as he bent to pull his own dirk from his boot, Hooper slashed his arm.
“This is far better than voting.” Hooper crowed as he drew back his knife for the final lunge to Harlan’s heart.
Chapter Seven
Lesley had stood by the door after bolting it. Drumming her fingers against the latch, she knew the captain would have a conniption if she disobeyed him. Besides, staying in the cabin with the bolt on the door made a lot of sense. Otherwise, she might meet up with that dirt bag, Moody, again. She shuddered at the thought. Destined to become
Down in the waist, in the deep shadow of one of the boats, two men huddled together. Were the watches ignoring their duties? Intuition warned him that something was afoot—and it boded ill.
Silently, he moved toward them. Engrossed in whispering to each other, they did not notice his approach. He caught but a few words of their murmured plot for the wind blew most of their hurried conversation into the sea. However, he could not mistake the rumblings of mutiny.
He drew his pistols and cocked them. At that sound, the men jumped apart. Each held a pistol in one hand and a knife in the other.
He recognized them in the dim light from the moon. These were not the men who were supposed to be on watch. Aloysius Meeker glared at him, which did not surprise him. The man groused most of the time. He had become the most onerous malcontent in the foc’sle.
The other conspirator surprised him for he had trusted Woodrow Hooper, the quartermaster. True, the man ruled those beneath him with fear, but in a battle he fought with skill and daring. He was not the type of man to back down in any situation.
Steeling himself, Harlan calmly recited the words of the articles they had signed which pertained to the situation at hand.
Aloysius interrupted. “We have nothing to show for all the roaming we do. We have bad food and bad water.”
“You’ve had your fill of rum.” Harlan reminded. “And so far, you have your life, though that matter could change at any moment.”
Aloysius snarled. “And who will help ‘ye? Ye’ve no friends on this ship.”
“I need no friends.” Harlan admitted to himself that having someone else beside him to even the odds would be appreciated. He wondered what had happened to those who had been on watch. Were they part of this conspiracy? “I was elected to my current position by a vote from the men—all of them are aware I am well-acquainted with navigation.”
“The first mate is as knowledgeable,” the quartermaster growled.
“If there is a dispute about who should be captain, we shall call together the crew and all may cast their vote.” Harlan hoped these were the only two involved in this conspiracy, but he could not count on that. He wondered if Moody had set them up.
“You should never have become captain !” Hooper shouted.
“Did you vote against me then?” Harlan caught a movement from the corner of his eye in the distance. His opponents did not appear to notice what he had seen, but he hoped they did not have another disgruntled jack ready to join their side .
Hooper growled. “I could see what you were with your fine airs. We do not own any allegiance to England. We are not fighting for them. We can take any ship we choose and we will—without you !” Hooper leveled his pistol at Harlan’s heart. Aloysius followed suit.
At that point, he heard a scream which shook the rigid steel in his nerves. Lesley had disobeyed his orders and now placed herself in far worse trouble. However, though sweat trickled down his back, he did not move a muscle but the two men looked upward toward the quarterdeck.
In that brief moment of inattention, he shot the pistols out of his opponents’ hands. That stopped them for a few seconds but then they ran at him with their knives. He kicked Aloysius out of the way, but as he bent to pull his own dirk from his boot, Hooper slashed his arm.
“This is far better than voting.” Hooper crowed as he drew back his knife for the final lunge to Harlan’s heart.
Chapter Seven
Lesley had stood by the door after bolting it. Drumming her fingers against the latch, she knew the captain would have a conniption if she disobeyed him. Besides, staying in the cabin with the bolt on the door made a lot of sense. Otherwise, she might meet up with that dirt bag, Moody, again. She shuddered at the thought. Destined to become
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