A PIRATE ON THE LAKE

The gray ship began to move, slowly at first then her momentum increased. She was backing out of the stream.

Marcus muscles rippled and sweat poured from his forehead as he fought with the ships wheel, “ She’s pulling to starboard!” he shouted.

Monroe yelled to Dutch, “Row to port with all you have Dutch!”

“You heard him!” Dutch yelled at his crew as the oars of the small boats dug deep into the rushing water, the towlines coming taut.

The gray ship moved steadily astern. She had come to a speed of three knots in the rushing current and was nearly beyond the control of a struggling Mr. Marcus. Monroe rushed to the helm as the gray ship cleared the mouth of the stream and began to enter the open water.

“ Boulder astern! Thirty feet off the starboard quarter!” Ellis shouted and pointed into the water.

Monroe turned his head to see where Ellis was pointing while at the same time grasping the ships wheel to help Marcus.

“She’s a dog astern.” Marcus said.

“Then lets turn her around!” Monroe winked at Marcus and Marcus nodded.

“Time to test your reinforcements Mr. Ellis! Starboard rudder Mr. Marcus! Clear the small boats! All hands brace for impact!” Monroe and Marcus slowly moved the wheel and the gray ships stern began to swing to starboard.

“We’ll hit the rock! Is he crazy?” Ellis grabbed the rail with white knuckles.

“That’s the plan.” Anthony responded as he watched the small boats cast off their line’s and row frantically to get clear of the ship as it turned.

“ Fifteen feet!” Anthony yelled to Monroe, “Ten! Five….impact!”

The gray ship hit the rock at the starboard quarter. Immediately the ship began to pivot, her bow coming around slowly, swinging to face the open lake.

“Not yet Mr. Marcus. Keep your rudder a bit longer.” Monroe said to Marcus as both men strained, “Let her come about a bit more.”

The bow of the gray ship swung. The current of the stream pressed against the starboard side  with the boulder holding the stern  as if she was springing away from a dock.

“Hard to port!” Monroe yelled, “ Stand by the sails!”

Monroe and Marcus flung the wheel of the gray ship over hard and she came to port rapidly, completing the swing and pointing her bow to the open water.

“Rudder amidships!” Monroe yelled just before the bow lined up to the lake, “Raise the mainsail! All hands to battle stations!”

“Madman!” Ellis commented.

“Genius, mad genius.” Anthony said then raced to the main deck to ready the ships guns.

Marcus handed the helm over to one of the pirate crew. Wiping sweat from his forehead he looked over the deck watching as Moses and Maggie directed the raising of the sails and Anthony readied the cannons

“Interesting day.” Marcus said to Monroe.

Monroe was focused on the north point of the bay where the bow of the unknown ship was becoming clearly visible.

“She’s a Schooner and flying no colors.” Monroe turned to Marcus, “ So the storm has come upon us already has it. Good enough. We’ll meet the tempest!”