Chapter 4... (Drumroll! Big things happen!
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CHAPTER 4
The long days on the Hudson were tiring, as we sailed into the deep blue ocean. I learned that the Hudson was an 18 gun sloop that was to patrol the New Hampshire coast. I was old enough, 15, to be paid as a sailor, for the life of powder monkeys are far worse. I was an average sailor, so I was entitled to a hammock, full servings of grog. I got two four hour sleep shifts each day, which was very annoying. One May day when we were patrolling outside of Portsmouth, a shout rang out, and soon the ship?s bell was ringing. Since I was on duty, I looked over the starboard side of the ship and saw to rowboats trying to run away. Soon, the two other jolly boats were lowered, and I was one of the crewmen assigned to catch the runaways. We rowed our hearts out so we were not whipped by the officer in charge. We soon easily caught up to them and towed them back to the mother ship. There they each got 30 floggings. As to deter jumping ship, the captain made the whole crew watch them get whipped. I felt bad for them, many people jump ship and escape. Many people jumped ship because life in the Royal Navy was so bad. Many swam to shore, and found a job in a nearby port. I never thought of it though, because I was so afraid of being flogged if I was caught.
We soon arrived near land, but none of us were allowed ashore besides the best of the officers. They put a double watch for deserters, and all the jolly boats were taken ashore. Four men tried to swim to shore, two were caught, one drowned, and one escaped. Then, one early morning, a sail was seen on the port side. As we sailed closer, we hailed the ship and got no response. We were sent to our battle stations. I was up in the crow?s nest with a rifle. I was a good shot, and I could take an officer out from up to 400 yards away. As the ship got nearer, a Pirate flag was raised. It was a 17 gun schooner named the Catfish. They soon got a broadside off, and turned to escape. We were slower, but with a maneuver we got a broadside off within 150 yards of the enemy. That slowed the enemy, and allowed us to ring around their stern, avoid their broadside of cannons. We soon fired another broadside, straight into the Catfish?s stern. They soon tried to escape again, but we brought our ship around horizontally, and grappled with the pirate ship. We rallied a boarding party, and ran aboard, I was one of the first to jump over, and fired all four of my pistols, striking down two men. I then took my cutlass out and ran toward the bow. I struck down another man. We ran down to the gun deck, threw some grenades down the stern of the ships. We charged toward them, and out of nowhere, and was struck by a sword below the knee. I screamed in pain, and then shot the buccaneer. I was in too much pain to continue, so I limped back to the Hudson. I was brought down to the surgeon?s cockpit and was bandaged. The Jolly Roger was soon struck, or in other words brought down. We soon applied cables to the ship, and made tow to Portsmouth. There, the ship went in front of a prize judge, and was awarded ?15,000 pounds. I got a share of 155 pounds, which was a year?s salary. We soon set out again, but there was no activity besides patrolling. I turned 16 on the ship, and in November my enlistment was over and they dumped me in Portsmouth. I soon agreed to be an officer on a merchant ship that sailed to New Providence, Bahamas and the ship would return to Charleston, Mass., my hometown. We soon set sail, and the conditions were a little better. We soon arrived in New Providence. I went ashore and the tropical weather was wonderful. We stayed here for about a fortnight, and then sailed to Boston. We arrived there and I went ashore. I bought a small house, for I had become rich. I soon decided to change my name temporarily, and since it has been a year and I now look much different since I last lived at Mr. Withersby?s village. I arrived there, and met with him. He apparently did not notice, and I got a job with him at his glassworks studio making stain-glassed windows. I worked for months and kept my pay, and whenever I had a day off I visited my home in Charleston. I soon bought a home in Newburyport, and it became 1773.
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