Pirate

Blue moved back and forth along the river bank, squatting often to check something none of us could see. We were in the boats, poling close to the bank and as quietly as possible, our newly acquired rifles close at hand. Lucy was in my canoe with Rhames and one of the chests; her added weight had little effect on the boat, which was already riding low in the water. The other canoes each held one chest and two men. I thought the moss had done an adequate job of concealing the chests, but in case it hadn’t, I glanced over my shoulder every few minutes to make sure we were not followed.

Suddenly Blue stopped and held a hand up, signaling us to stop. Those poling the canoes moved closer to the bank, while the other men readied the rifles. He waved us over, and we beached the boats on a small beach. I looked around for any sign of life as we exited the canoes and pulled them into the brush to conceal them, but had to admit I had no idea what he sensed. The moss-covered chest caught my eye as I dropped some palmetto leaves on the canoe to conceal the bow, still visible from the beach.

Once the boats were hidden, we huddled around Blue, who spoke quietly.

“Each one knows his task,” he started. “Men are close and the village is less than a few minutes’ walk.”

We broke into two groups to execute our plan. Rhames stayed behind, leaning against a cypress trunk, rifle in hand. He looked slightly better than before, but it was hard to tell with his stoic countenance. I had Lucy, Blue, and one of the men with me. It would be our job to create a diversion, rescue Rory, and burn the village. We nodded to each other and split up. I looked back over my shoulder and watched Red, Swift, and Johnnie as they walked single file, with rifles extended, along the shore. They would get as close as possible and hide by the village dock, waiting for the first sign of fire before taking two canoes and scuttling the rest.

Our exposed limbs became red and bloody from the palmetto leaves as Blue led us along a small game trail more suitable for rabbits than men. Soon we could hear activity and see the flames of a fire high above the trees. I had heard about Indian ritual and suspected this was a pre-war celebration. He led us close enough to see the clearing through the brush, and we squatted down to wait for an opportunity to present itself. I watched the men ready themselves for battle and assumed that they had trackers, and knew of Osceola’s presence and aims.

Blue came beside me, whispered in my ear that he would return shortly, then silently moved away. I studied the clearing looking for any sign of Rory while he scouted the area. From where we hid, I could see most of the open area and started to worry, as there was no sign of her. My anxiety increased, thinking they may have moved her, or worse. I could do nothing but worry as I waited. As I reached my deepest feeling of despair and hopelessness, Blue startled me as he returned.

“The girl is held in that hut,” he said in a low voice, pointing.

I followed his extended finger and noticed two men guarding the entrance to one of the thatched huts. The buildings were all identical, spaced around the clearing, their structures constructed from tree limbs, and the walls and roofs covered with woven palm leaves. Swept dirt paths connected the buildings with each other and the clearing with the fire in the center.

I worked through several scenarios to achieve our goals. “We need to start a fire away from her hut and draw the guards away,” I whispered.

“Is true. I will do that while you take another man and rescue your woman. We will meet at the boats.” He tapped Lucy on the shoulder, and they moved silently away. In this phase of the operation, he was clearly in charge.

I watched him go and moved to Syd. “He is going to create a diversion. They are holding Rory in that hut.” I pointed to the guarded house. “Follow me,” I ordered, and started pushing aside the razor-sharp palm fronds. As we made our way through the brush, I could only hope that Blue wouldn’t start the fire before we reached the hut.

It took twice as long as I thought to arrive behind the structure, and I was again astounded at Blue’s instincts, as I saw a hut across the way start to smolder. Although it had rained hard the other night, the days this time of year were mostly dry, and the thatch caught in a whoosh. All eyes turned to the fire, and then everyone in the village ran to extinguish the flames before they spread to the adjacent huts. We were behind the building and had to act quickly. Not knowing if the guards remained in front or had gone to fight the fire, I ordered Syd to cover me with the rifle while I withdrew my cutlass and hacked at the back wall of the structure. The thatch resisted my efforts, and I was soon breathing hard, partly from the exertion, but also from the fear of failure.