Pirates of the Storm (Stranded In Time Book 1) by Fletcher Best Page B

Ye have cursed us all!”
    Jeff wiggled the mop handle from the
hinge space and swam back out. “It’s OK Mr. Crabtree, I think
you’ll find that the wheel turns now!” he said with excitement.
Jeff did not wait for Crabtree to test the wheel and swam back to
the cargo net. As he climbed aboard, Crabtree was leaning over the
stern rail trying to spot him. Jeff ran across the main deck and up
the steps to the navigation deck.
    Crabtree turned to face him, “Thar ye
be! What did you do?”
    “I jammed the rudder with this!” Jeff
replied holding up the mop handle, “and I can do the same to the
Spanish ships!”
    Crabtree smiled, or at least made an
expression that Jeff figured was as close as Crabtree’s face came
to a smile. “Let’s inform the Captain,” Crabtree said as he headed
for the Captain’s cabin.
    The Captain met them on deck, having
overheard their exchange when Jeff was in the water. “So, Mr.
Greene, you know how to disable the Spanish ships?”
    “Yes, all it takes is some wood wedges
that can be jammed into the rudder hinges.”
    “Aye!” Coxen smiled, “That could work,
but how will you get the wedges into the rudders on 4 ships
hundreds of yards away in the dark? The sun will be down shortly
and the ships are just now anchoring, still a good ways
out.”
    “Last night it was nearly a full moon,
so there should be plenty of moonlight tonight. All I need is a
sack of wedges and perhaps a mallet to make them tight,” Jeff
answered.
    “Mr. Greene, you’d never make such a
swim at night. No man I know could make such a swim in the day and
at night you’d be taken by the sea beasts long before you reached
the ships.”
    “I’m an excellent swimmer, Captain.
I’ll admit, swimming at night in open water is not the safest
activity, but I know I can do this.”
    “Very well. Mr. Crabtree, have the men
get Mr. Greene what he needs.”
    “Aye, Captain!” Crabtree acknowledged.
Jeff and Crabtree gathered the crew and showed them the size of the
wedges needed. Several men set to work immediately carving out the
wedges from bits of scrap wood.
    “With 4 ships, 3 wedges per rudder
side… I need 24 wedges, so let’s call it 30 to have a few spares
just in case,” Jeff stated, as he started to carve a piece of
firewood. The crew worked quickly and soon had the required number
of wedges. Graves came forward with a small burlap sack to place
the wedges in and the other Stevens produced a large wooden
mallet.
    “Ye should have this as well,”
Crabtree said, handing him a large knife with a sheath and rope
belt.
    “Thank you, Mr. Crabtree,” Jeff said
as he tied the belt around his waist. Jeff looked at the sack and
mallet and realized that it was going to be difficult to hold onto
all of it while swimming and placing the wedges. He was going to
need an assistant.
    “I need a volunteer to go with me,” he
said to the gathered crew.
    “None of the crew can swim, Mr.
Greene,” Crabtree said dejectedly.
    The last thing Jeff wanted to do was
ask Jenny to place her life in danger, but she spoke up before he
could. “I can swim,” she said stepping forward.
    “Why did I not know this?” Crabtree
inquired with surprise. “There is much you do not know about me,
simply because you have never asked,” she replied, with a slight
wink toward Jeff.
    “Good, it’s settled then,” Crabtree
said to Jeff, “You have your assistant and your tools.”
    “But you are lacking your sanity!” the
Captain said walking across the deck toward the group. “Mr. Greene,
please reconsider. Your chances of success are small and your
chances of dying are great.”
    “Your concern for my safety is
appreciated Captain, but I truly think this will work and I believe
I - and Mr. Robinson – will return safely,” Jeff replied
confidently.
    “Your safety is not so much my concern
as the potential loss of my new ship’s surgeon and now my cook.
Actually, the loss of my cook would be the worst of it if you