The Stolen Heart (33 page)

 

 

“You bastard. Betraying me first chance you got.” Delgado raised his
weapon, which had been concealed in his sleeve.

 

 

Cole shot first, winging the pirate captain, but not before his
bullet had grazed Adrian’s side. He winced and bent double, and
Delgado now tried to press his advantage with a cutlass, which he
pulled out from the sofa.

 

 

But Almira stayed calm and shook her head.

 

 

“Three pistols to one cutlass. Give it up, Delgado.”

 

 

“Why should I? You take me to the authorities, I hang.”

 

 

“We can make a deal.”

 

 

He grimaced and spat. “Why would you do that?”

 

 

“Because I don’t care about you, only about the
Trident
,
and getting home safely. And about the
Calypso
. You took my
father’s ship, oh, about eight months ago. You tell me what I need
to know, look at the charts, mark it on the map, and we'll set you
down in a boat to head for the coast.”

 

 

“But Al, he's a pirate!” George protested.

 

 

“It’s all right. The captain knows when he’s lost. Put the weapon
down now, show me the charts, and you can get into the boat. But
this is my one and only offer.”

 

 

He smiled and put the cutlass down. “All right, I’ll accept your
deal.”

 

 

She brought over the pile of charts which were on his desk. He
shuffled through them while they all stood warily watching him. At
last he kept one on top, perused it for a few moments, then pointed
with one stubby finger. “It was here.”

 

 

“You give me your word?” Al challenged.

 

 

“Of course.”

 

 

“Then men, get the captain ready to leave here, in chains.”

 

 

“What?” Delgado gasped, his eyes narrowing.

 

 

“You lied. I know the whole story and the coordinates from the
ship’s log you foolishly let me have. But that’s all right. I lied
too. I don’t know how many people you raped or murdered to get all
the treasure you've concealed there, but surely I can’t allow you to
go free.”

 

 

He snarled furiously, and began to fight like a wild animal. But Bob
and Wright now came in to lend a hand in the fray, and to tell her
that the ship was theirs and the fire out. The crew were drunk or
drugged, and contained belowdecks.

 

 

“We're setting course for Callao right now, to hand them into the
authorities,” Wright told her.

 

 

“And the
Trident
?”

 

 

“They’re fine, and right behind us. Your plan worked like a charm.”

 

 

“Thank God.”

 

 

Delgado continued to curse in every language he could think of, but
it was to no avail. He was dragged away and put in chains.

 

 

Almira tended to her brother’s wound, which had scraped a rib and
would be sore for some time.

 

 

“If infection doesn’t set in, you should be fine,” she said a short
time later, tying off the last of the cotton she had used for a
bandage.

 

 

“Thanks, Sis. I owe you. We all do.”

 

 

“Aye, wait until the Captain hears about this,” Perkins said with a
laugh as he entered the cabin and peered down into the transome sofa
to see for himself the treasure the whalers had been talking about
in hushed tones of awe.

 

 

“I can’t wait," Almira said sincerely. "The poor man must be worried
to death about all of us."

 

 

"Aye, especially you, Al," George said with a nod.

 

 

"If he's still speaking to me after I hurled him overboard, you
mean," she said with a slight smile.

 

 

"He'll know you did it to protect him," Perkins said. "I been askin'
around about your father Jed. All the pirates tell me he's alive.
That Delgado only let him live because his men were so loyal, he
thought he deserved a chance to survive."

 

 

"Well, there was no telling what Delgado would have done with
Captain Starbuck, so better safe than sorry. Thanks for telling me
about Father, though. It makes me all the more eager to get into
port and sort all of this out, and find Jeared so we can press on in
our search for my father and his men. Eight months is a long time to
be marooned."

 

 

"Aye, it is at that," Adrian said, nodding. "He's probably never
been on land that long since he was your age."

 

 

"So we get to port tomorrow, tell them our story, that we were
attacked and we overcame the pirates, and then we head back to pick
up our crew and Jared. These men from the
Dolphin
were
forced to join the pirates, but did us no harm, and are blameless.”

 

 

Perkins patted the two large men on the shoulders. “I will leave
Wright and Cole to settle things with them in Callao. We won’t need
too many boatsteerers where we’re going. I’ll have Steward trade
some oil some fresh fruit and vegetables, some livestock for fresh
meat, and get the rest of our men. Then we get Jared, and find your
Father and the rest of the
Calypso
castaways.”

 

 

"“Aye, Captain Perkins.” She saluted smartly.

 

 

He grinned. “Do I get to use the cabin?”

 

 

“So long as I get to use the sofa. I’m wrecked.”

 

 

"Aye, help yourself. Only tomorrow I'm assigning you new duties.
Drawing up an inventory of it all."

 

 

"With pleasure. I only hope with some of these really unique items,
that the owners might still be alive."

 

 

"Do you think that's possible?" Almira asked quietly.

 

 

Adrian piped up then. "Probably not. Delgado could be charming
enough when he wanted something, but judging from what I saw myself
in the space of only a few days, it's a pretty vain hope. He hated
the rich. Detested the Spanish goverments here in South America.

 

 

"I think you'll find the authorities will say finders keepers. They
might take a percentage for themselves, but otherwise, the treasure
will belong to the captain, to do with as he sees fit."

 

 

Perkins set watches throughout the ship in case any of the pirate
crew had any ideas, and then joined Almira as she took some of the
treasure.

 

 

Perkins'eye boggled. "And if I know the captain, he'll share it out
as part of our lays. My God, boys, we're rich!"

 

 

Almira shook her head. "Let's not get carried away just yet. As I
said, I want us to at least try to do the right thing with some of
the jewels. But those gold coins there now, Wright, I'd say they' be
just what we needed get a whole new re-fit and masts, without
Jared’s cousin Dare will not be any the wiser.”

 

 

“A good plan. And you? Are you going to take anything for yourself,
and the baby?” Perkins asked.

 

 

Almira stared at him in surprise. “How did you-”

 

 

“We’re not all totally blind, you know. Though when we figured it
out, me and Wright, we sort of wished
you
had been.” He
blushed.

 

 

style="She looked sheepish. “I’m sorry I didn't tell you--”
“No, it’s fine," Perkins said, patting her on the shoulder. "That
plan of yours for re-taking the
Trident
, and you helping
outwit the wily Delgado more than makes up for any fibs you might
have told. Not to mention your saving Jared. He is so stubborn, I
know he would have fought to the death to save you.”

 

 

“And might have ended up getting us all killed in the process.”

 

 

Perkins nodded. “In any event, it’s time to turn in. All sail for
Callao, and we’re off to find our friends.
All
of our
friends, I promise.”

 

 

 

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

 

 

Five o’clock the next evening saw the arrival of the pirate brig and
the
Trident
in the harbor at Callao. Almira was so glad to
be on dry land at last that she almost kissed the ground.

 

 

Wright and Cole summoned the authorities, who knew Delgado of old,
and were astounded at the news that an American whaler crew had
defeated the wily pirate who had been preying upon so many ships for
so long. They took him off the ship in chains secured around his
neck, wrist and ankles.

 

 

Then they emptied the brig of all the crew, having given the
Dolphin
men who had not helped a final chance to save themselves from a
charge of piracy.

 

 

All of them were eager to get home and forget they had ever heard
the names of Captains Smith and Delgado.

 

 

Almira anxiously awaited the outcome of the authorities’ inquiries,
and was shocked when she was told they had a huge bounty coming to
them and were to be feted by the town.

 

 

“Thank you, but we need to find our friends. We will come back soon,
but we must find the rest of the men, including the captain of the
Trident
.”

 

 

They were tempted to take the pirate brig out, since it was fast and
in good trim compared with their damaged whaler, but Almira insisted
that Jared and the six missing crewmen would never trust the sight
of the brig, only their faithful old ship.

 

 

Thus, three days later, they headed back out of the snug little
harbor with two new masts which a nice pile of gold coins had paid
for, with a bonus for the rapid re-fit

 

 

The
Trident
crew was now up to complement with Adrian and a
few of his colleagues from the
Dolphin
, while the rest
stayed behind to refit their old ship and the pirate brig, and to
track down the cargo of the
Calypso
if they could.

 

 

The authorities were going to investigate Arauco to see if it had
been stowed there waiting to be taken off from the harbor. Perkins
promised they would be back soon, and that they would all be sailing
back to the States together as soon as Jared was safe and gave the
word.

 

 

Two days' sail brought them to the location where the whaleboat had
been beached. The four disease-ridden men were not in great shape,
but were still alive thanks to the help they had received from their
more able-bodied colleagues. They had huddled under a tarpaulin,
made a good fire, and eaten seafood until they were sick of the
sight of crabs and fish.

 

 

The boats rowed back to the ship, and they reboarded. Then Almira
prayed to the wind gods to bring her to the man she loved as soon as
possible.

 

 

Another night and day brought them to the coordinates she had noted
down when she had thrown her lover overboard.

 

 

She had already bitten her nails down to the quick to the trip
south, and could hardly bear the worry as she scanned the barren
coastline for any sign of life.

 

 

Finally, she saw a fire on the beach off to the left of the prow as
it needled the horizon.

 

 

"There, there, I see him."

 

 

They waved a pennant to say they were on their way.

 

 

They sailed parallel to the beach where they had seen the fire, and
brought the ship in as close as they dared to the treacherous
Chilean coast. Then they dropped anchor.

 

 

Everyone volunteered to get into the whaleboat, but Perkins pointed
to Al and George and Cook.

 

 

“They get the honors. The rest of you, make sure this ship is
spotless. I see one scorch mark on the deck, there will be hell to
pay.”

 

 

He winked, and they dropped into the ocean with a splash.

 

 

Al pulled better than any Roman galley slave as she eagerly headed
toward the beach. She glanced around, and saw the sand nearing. She
shipped her oar and jumped out of the boat and into the surf, before
charging up the beach.

 

 

“Jared!”

 

 

“Almira! My Al!”

 

 

She threw herself into his arms, heedless of the giggles of the
crewmen. “Jared, Jared, are you all right?”

 

 

“I’m fine. You?” he whispered against her hair as he held her close
and vowed he would never let her go.

 

 

“I'm fine. We’re all well.”

 

 

“Thank God," he breathed, holding as though he would never let her
go. "No one injured?”

 

 

“No, nothing worth worrying about. My brother Adrian has a bruised
rib, a few others have a bump or two, but otherwise, we're fine."

 

 

He stroked her cheek tenderly. "Your brother? But how—"

 

 

"The
Dolphin
got taken. They killed Captain Smith and told
them to join or die. We re-took our ship, and captured the pirate
brig. When we got to Callao, they found the
Dolphin
there
none the worse for wear. The authorities have given it back to us."

 

 

"It's a miracle. I was sure you'd all be killed, or worse…"

 

 

"We're fine. I'll tell you all about it as soon as we get back to
the ship. But I have even better news, darling. We think we might
know where Father is.”

 

 

“How? Where?” He spun her around in delight.

 

 

“I’ll tell you everything that's happened once we get you back on
the
Trident
. Let’s get your things and go.”

 

 

He gathered his purse, compass and watch and took a last look
around. “It’s been a nice little home, and just about the longest
time I’ve spent on land since I was a boy. But I’ll be glad to be
back in my own cabin, with you, if you’ll have me, and forgive me
for being such a fool.”