Pirate's Promise (6 page)

“A ship is sailing from here tomorrow,” said Tom. “The captain is going to put me ashore where I can—”

Benjy asked quickly, “What captain?”

“Captain Red,” answered Tom.

“No, no!” cried Benjy. “You will not go with Captain Red!”

“But why?” asked Tom.

“He is bad,” said Benjy. “You would not believe how bad he is.”

“He is a pirate, I know,” said Tom, “but he promised to help me find a ship back to England.”

“You must not trust him,” said Benjy. “Do you know why he is here now? He was in a battle at sea. Many of his men were killed or wounded. He is here to find men to take their places. His cabin boy was killed. If you sail with him, you will never go back to England. You will be the cabin boy of Captain Red.”

“Why should he want
me
for his cabin boy?” asked Tom.

“I do not know,” said Benjy. “It may please him that your hair is the color of his beard. Or he may wish to make our captain angry by taking you away. He has long been an enemy of our captain. Surely you knew that.”

“How could I know it?” said Tom. “No one told me.”

“Our captain once took a prize from under Captain Red's very nose,” said Benjy. “The prize was a Spanish ship that carried gold and silver. Captain Red will never forget.”

Captain Land had come to the doorway. He called Tom into the house.

“It's time I talked to you,” he said. “All that Benjy has told you is true. Captain Red is a friend to no one. He is cruel. He does not keep his word. I am a pirate, yet I can speak the truth. Do you believe me?”

“Yes, sir,” said Tom.

“Listen,” said Captain Land. “I'll tell you a story.”

The story was about a boy in America. He was born near the city of Charlestown in a place called Carolina. His name was Davy Tanner.

His home was a plantation where rice and sugar cane were grown. His mother and father were good to him. They gave him a pony cart and a pony. They sent him to England where he lived with his uncle and went to school.

When Davy came home he was a man. “Now I need you here,” said his father. “I need you to help me on the plantation.”

But Davy was not ready to stay. He wanted to see more of the world. He and his father quarreled, and Davy left home.

He fell in with a band of pirates. Their ship was wrecked off the Carolina shore. They were caught and thrown into prison.

Some other pirates broke into the prison and set him free. He ran away to sea with them.

But he missed the plantation. He missed his mother and father.

One night he went back. His father would not open the door.

“You are a pirate now. You have brought shame upon us,” said his father. “Leave this plantation and never come back. I shall try to forget I ever had a son!”

Davy went back to his ship. He took another name, so that he would bring no more shame to his father and mother. Time went by, and he became captain of a pirate ship.

But he was weary of the sea. He was weary of a pirate's life.

He could not go home again. He could not go ashore and live the life of an honest man. Too many people knew his face. He would be sent to prison or put to death.

That was the end of Captain Land's story.

He asked Tom, “Do you know the man in my story? Do you know his name?”

“Is it—Captain Land?” asked Tom.

“Yes,” said the captain. “I know this life, and I'll not let you be drawn into it. Trust me, and I'll look after you.”

They heard Benjy's voice outside, “Why do you come here?”

Someone else spoke in a loud voice, “English boy! Come out! I am waiting!”

It was Captain Red.

Captain Land opened the door.

Captain Red took off his hat and made a mock bow. “Good day to you. Where is the boy?”

“The boy is here,” said Captain Land.

“I've come for him,” said Captain Red.

“The boy is here,” said Captain Land, “and here he stays.”

“English boy!” called Captain Red. “I'll have a word with you.”

Tom went to the door.

“Are you ready?” asked Captain Red. “Shall we go?”

“No, sir,” said Tom. “I—I'll stay with Captain Land.”

“This is strange,” said Captain Red. “Half an hour ago you were ready to go with me. What changed your mind?”

“I changed his mind,” said Captain Land. “I told him you were a friend to no one. I told him your word was not to be trusted. And there's much more I might have said.”

“You've hated me always,” said Captain Red.

“And you have hated me,” said Captain Land.

“That I have,” said Captain Red. “I hate you all day, and I wake up at night hating you!”

He took a step forward. With his open hand, he struck Captain Land in the face.

Captain Land stood still for a moment. Then he spoke in a quiet voice, “When shall we meet?”

“Whenever you say,” said Captain Red.

“Tonight?” said Captain Land. “When the moon rises?”

“Good,” said Captain Red. “And where?”

“On the beach,” said Captain Land, “by the old fort?”

Captain Red nodded. “Swords or pistols?” he asked.

“Swords,” said Captain Land.

Captain Red showed his teeth in a smile. “Until tonight,” he said, and he walked away.

Benjy had been listening. “Master!” he cried. “You must not!”

Captain Land looked at the fire Benjy had made. It was almost out.

“Build up your fire and make my medicine,” he said. “I need to be strong tonight.”

He went back into the house.

Tom brought wood for the fire. He asked Benjy, “What did they mean? Are they going to fight?”

“Yes,” said Benjy.

“Is it because of me?” asked Tom.

“Do not blame yourself,” said Benjy. “The fight has been a long time in the making.”

The new wood caught fire. The kettle began to boil. Benjy put in more leaves and bark. Tom heard him whisper, “Medicine, be strong!”

As the day went by, Benjy said over and over, “Do not fight, Captain. You are not yet well and strong. Do not fight tonight.”

At last the captain told him to be quiet. “I am well enough and strong enough,” he said.

“Then call the crew and let us fight beside you,” said Benjy. “Call them together, and we will all fight Captain Red and his men.”

“No,” said Captain Land. “This is between Captain Red and myself.”

Night came, and the moon rose. The captain buckled on his sword.

“If you must fight,” said Benjy, “may I be with you?”

“Yes,” said Captain Land, “but no one else.”

He and Benjy went away.

Tom sat alone. The house was warm. Bugs and moths were flying about the candle flame.

He went outside.

The beach was white in the moonlight. He could see the tracks Captain Land and Benjy had made in the sand.

He tried not to think about the fight. Birds were crying in the jungle. The sounds they made were lonesome and strange. He tried not to hear them.

He went back into the house.

It seemed a long time before he heard footsteps outside. He opened the door a little way. He saw Benjy's face in the moonlight, and he opened the door wide.

Benjy came into the house. He carried Captain Land in his arms.

The captain's eyes were closed. The front of his shirt was wet with blood.

Benjy put him down in the hammock.

The captain's eyes opened. He tried to lift his head.

Benjy knelt beside him. With a knife he began to cut away the cloth from the wound.

“Stop,” said the captain.

“Do not try to talk,” said Benjy.

“I must,” said Captain Land. “Listen to me. Take the gold pieces, Benjy. Take the gold pieces in my sea chest. They are yours. . . . Tom?”

Tom went close to him.

“I lost the fight. I was too slow.” The captain coughed. He closed his eyes for a moment. “Go to Charlestown. Go to my people. They will help you.”

His voice had become a whisper. He turned his face away.

Benjy laid his hand over the captain's heart.

“Captain—!”

He put his head down against the hammock and began to weep. “Master, master!” he cried.

Tom was weeping, too.

He heard someone at the door, but he did not turn. He did not look up until the door opened.

Captain Red stood in the doorway. One of his men was with him. The two came into the house.

They looked down on the face of Captain Land. Then they looked at each other. Captain Red nodded and laughed.

“Come, English boy,” he said.

Before Tom knew how it had happened, he was outside, walking with Captain Red.

“I must go back,” he said.

“You will do as I say, English boy,” said Captain Red. “You will come with me.”

He and the other man took Tom by the arms.

Tom walked between them. He saw the lights of town ahead. He saw the lights of Captain Red's ship in the harbor.

He tried to think of a way to escape. Once he was aboard the ship, he might
never
escape.

Captain Red seemed to know what he was thinking. He held Tom's arm more tightly. Near the edge of town, he looked back. Tom looked back, too.

Like a shadow, someone had come up behind them. It was Benjy.

He threw himself at Captain Red. He swung his fist like a hammer. The captain fell.

The other man had drawn his pistol. Tom caught his arm. The man fired into the sand. As he fought to throw Tom off, Benjy struck him down.

“Run!” said Benjy.

Tom ran. Benjy was beside him. They ran through the bright moonlight, across the beach and into the jungle.

It was dark among the trees. Tom and Benjy felt their way. They stayed close together so they would not be lost from each other.

They walked until Tom was tired. He could not keep up with Benjy's long steps.