HMS Athena: A Charles Mullins novel (Sea Command Book 4) by Richard Testrake Page A

restraints.
    Accordingly, the ship put about and made her way south against the current. This leg of the journey took longer than expected and Jane’s condition was beginning to improve. Her physical injuries were beginning to mend, if not her mental ones. But she would still speak only to her aunt and to Mister Archer.
    Midshipman Archer was furnished with a collection of the sailing master’s charts and took them to her. She at first would not look at them, but by treating her as an injured child, Archer was able to slowly proceed with her until one day she could examine them. She tired easily and Archer feared to press her, but one day she recognized the image on one chart as the island where she had been initially held.
    By this time, HMS Athena was close by this island and Mister Cartwright had found the passageway to the inland waterway between the island and the mainland. As they neared the location Jane had indicated on the chart, hands in the tops sighted a longboat traveling ahead of the ship in the same direction.
    The boat, upon sighting them, immediately turned to shoal water near shore, but the ship was faster than the tiring oarsmen, and the boat was overhauled before reaching safety. There were six men in the boat, all dressed in backwoods garb. All armed with long rifles, of a type Mullins had not seen in years. As a young midshipman, a former captain had owned one similar to these and allowed him to fire it occasionally.
    Ordered aboard the ship, the oarsmen were indignant and assured Mullins they would report him to the sheriff. Athena was not flying her ensign or commission pennant and her name on the counter had been painted over. He was not overly concerned that his actions would be reported to the Admiralty, but still, it was time to be discreet.
    Assuring the men, he meant them no harm, he invited them into his chart room for a drink of rum, to which they agreed. Seeing Archer at his post by the women’s door, he quietly told the lad to fetch the women.
    The women came into the chart room together, but it was Mrs. Hancock who first recognized one of the backwoodsmen. Hearing her gasp, Jane looked at the strangers and uttered a muffled scream.
    The chart room was crowded with all these people, but one of the newcomers attempted to raise his long rifle. There was not really room enough for a weapon of that length in the confined space and Mullins produced his double-barreled Manton pistol from his sash, shouting for Lieutenant Sawyer as he did so.
    The Marine officer came at the double with a file of his men. The occupants of the room moved out on deck where Mullins asked the women where they had seen the men before. Jane stood mute and shaking, while Mrs. Hancock pointed to the individual who had tried to threaten them with his rifle.
    “This one was on the schooner when we were put aboard. He attacked both of us.”
    Mullins then asked if either woman had ever seen any of the other men previously.
    Mrs. Hancock again replied, “I do not think we have ever seen these other men before.”
     
    Mullins ordered the Marine officer to place the individual Mrs. Hancock had identified with the other pirates, while the other five men were to be kept under guard on the foredeck.
    Approaching this group, Mullins announced, “Men, this ship is here investigating instances of piracy. One of your party has been identified as having participated in such piracy. He will be transported to Halifax with the other pirates we have in custody to face his accusers. What I want from you men, is an accounting of why you are here in this place, armed and in company with a known pirate. You will now be held separately, to be interviewed by my officers. I may well release one or all of you, once I have received truthful information about any of your possible involvement with this piracy.
     
    Segregating the five men on deck so they could not conspire together, he went back in the chart room to reassure the women. After