Pirate

I regained my balance and looked around the dark water, not sure if I had been asleep. There was a small moon hanging in the east, but it provided little light. My first thought had been that we were under attack, but I soon saw that we had just hit a cypress stump. Its gnarly head stuck from the water, and I realized how the features of the river had changed. It was narrow and shallow here, not like the wide and deep river we had entered. Moss hung from the trees just above our heads, dropping the occasional insect as we brushed it.

The other longboat in front of us was also having trouble moving through the cluttered river, but the canoe manned by the other men was having no trouble navigating. The pole was able to pick its way around the obstructions, while the oars extending from the longboats were unable to gain purchase on the water.

“Pull to the side,” I called to the boats, surprised by how easily my voice carried in the night. It was past time to abandon the worthless oars, and I slid over the side. As we neared the bank, the bottom sucked at my feet, but as I pulled the boat to the beach the footing became more secure. Behind me, Red was also in the water, pulling the other longboat ashore. The brush came within a few feet of us, and we had to fight to beach the boats. “We’ll never get through with these. It’s time to abandon them,” I said, and looked at the river.

“The boats?” Red asked.

“We’ve got the canoes. That’s what they’re made for.” I peered inland, knowing we would have to drag the longboats out of sight to ditch them. Several sets of eyes glowed from the darkness, and I wondered what lived in these woods. We had seen deer and gators along the bank and had heard larger animals. There were rumors of big cats, called panthers, as well as bears. “Pull everything out of the longboats and hide those canoes out of sight,” I said.

The darkness was broken as the sun climbed above the horizon. I grabbed my cutlass from the boat and checked that the dagger was still secure in my belt. As I entered the woods, I extended the blade of the sword in front of me to move the hanging moss aside and to cut away the tangles of berry bushes.

The sun began to light the area in front of me as I moved through the dense brush lining the river. Ten feet in, the bank rose a few feet to its high-water mark, and the brush thinned as I climbed from the river bed. Cypress trees were scattered about, but the thorny berry bushes were gone, and the palmettos grew in clumps, making the walking easier. Slashing several tree trunks as I went to mark the path for my return, I searched for any sign that men traveled along these shores. The flora thinned further as I walked, making it easier to see the landscape. The sky was light, and I scanned the ground for any tracks—left by either man or animal—and found none. A small depression covered in palmettos lay ahead. It was the only break in the land, and I hoped it was deep enough to hide the boats. I would have preferred to burn them and bury the metal fittings, but the smoke would signal our presence.

I reached the depression and hacked away the closest leaves. It was several feet deep, the bottom lined with standing water and covered with berry bushes. I snatched at the fruit and paused to enjoy the berries and catch my breath. The area was large and deep enough to hold the boats, and I expected the berry bushes would quickly envelope them, making them all but invisible. I grabbed another handful of berries and started back to camp.

The chests had been unloaded and stacked on the shore, along with our meager supplies, when I returned. Rory was beside Rhames, who lay next to one of the boats. She was tending his wound. The other men were all side by side, some asleep.

“Get up. We’ve got to get rid of the longboats.” The sooner we got off the river, the better. Although we were far from safe, I felt the miles we had paddled overnight may have given us enough time to hide the boats and erase our presence on the river. We all needed rest, and I planned on moving inland to camp.

“Right then,” I said when I had their attention. “Let’s move the chests into the brush and drag the canoes clear of the shore. There’s a spot a few hundred yards inland where we can hide the longboats. Then we can rest.” The men muttered in discontent, but I knew they understood the urgency. Minutes later the beach was cleared, and I watched as Rory took two palmetto leaves and raked the thin slice of dirt. The Indians had reputations as trackers, but if they somehow had followed us by water I was sure they would see no sign of us here. I planned on camping further inland than any likely land route would take them as an extra precaution.

“Rory, stay with Rhames and watch the chests. You men, we need to drag the longboats over there.” I went to the first boat and started to pull, but it refused to move. The weight of the heavy oak boats was going to make it impossible to move them.