longer speaking in a hushed tone, the boy sat up straight. "I'm not a cabin boy. I am David Palmer, son of Captain Harold Palmer, commander of this ship."
"P-pleased t-to meet…." Annie's world went black.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
The moment Mr. Montgomery burst into the cabin, Annie's eyes fluttered open. Immediately he put himself between her and the boy. He raised his pistol, the boy in his sights. "Put your weapon down!" he shouted.
Palmer crossed his hands over his face. "Don't shoot!" But the pistol remained in his hand.
Mr. Montgomery shoved aside a chair with his foot before snatching the empty weapon from the boy. He tossed it in the corner while shoving his own pistol into his waistband.
With the boy disarmed, Mr. Montgomery turned his full attention to Annie. He dropped to one knee. "That's a nasty wound, lad."
Nestled in the crook of Mr. Montgomery's arm, Annie squinted up into his face. Like a drunken sailor who had imbibed too long at the Black Anchor Pub, she asked in all seriousness, "Why is there t-two of you?"
"Maybe, because one of me is not enough to take care of you," Mr. Montgomery said.
Annie attempted to laugh, but the pain turned it into a groan.
Hoping to stop the bleeding, Mr. Montgomery quickly ripped off a strip of material from his sleeve and wrapped the makeshift bandage around Annie's arm. She pursed her lips together while the red circle grew larger on the cloth. As she drifted in and out of consciousness, she told Mr. Montgomery what had occurred.
Mr. Montgomery steadied himself on the slanting deck. He bent down, picked up Annie, and tossed her over his shoulder. To Palmer, he commanded, "On your feet, boy, to the hatch!"
* * *
Annie woke cradled in Mr. Montgomery's arms as the first mate slid to the railing. She expected to see the Crimson Revenge looming over the side, but Captain Hawke was right. The pirate ship was nowhere to be seen.
Palmer climbed down the rope ladder. With no time left to climb down himself, Mr. Montgomery dropped Annie over the side. Christopher leaped across Carter's lap, catching her as she fell through the air. "You're bleeding," he said before he leaned her up against Palmer.
Ainsworth and Rodrigues dove out of the way, as Mr. Montgomery came crashing near the bow of the longboat. Under Ainsworth's skillful guidance,the oarsmen kept the boat from capsizing.
"Shove off!" Ainsworth shouted.
"Together! Pull smartly!"
"Steady!"
The boat crew briskly rowed until Ainsworth yelled, "That is well!"
Safely away from the sinking ship, the sailors watched the Margaret Louise in her final death throes. Shrouded in a grey mist, she groaned one last time before rolling all the way onto her starboard side. The sound of cracking timber filled the air as the ocean boiled over the Margaret Louise. While the ship descended to her watery grave, Palmer clutched Annie's hand, his nails digging into her flesh.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
"Boat your oars!"
The men passed the oars overhead, stacking them down the center, blades toward the bow. Barrette and Perry hauled Annie up to the deck in an improvised sling. Once she was safely on the deck, Barrette held her limp body, supporting her head with his hand.
"Make way!" commanded Captain Hawke.
"Careful!" Doc cautioned.
The men craned their necks as Barrette laid her on the deck. Doc came prepared for all emergencies with his small cabinet full of medicine and equipment. He quickly removed the strip of fabric wound tightly around Annie's arm to examine the wound.
"Is the little maggot goin' to live?" Symington asked.
Thinking she had heard genuine concern in the carpenter's voice, Annie assumed she must surely be delirious.
"Andrés will live. The ball went clear through the arm," Doc said. He took out a bottle of an astringent and rubbed it into the wound to slow the bleeding.
Mr. Allan piped orders, dispersing the men to their stations.
Doc prepared to sew Annie's arm, first giving her
"P-pleased t-to meet…." Annie's world went black.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
The moment Mr. Montgomery burst into the cabin, Annie's eyes fluttered open. Immediately he put himself between her and the boy. He raised his pistol, the boy in his sights. "Put your weapon down!" he shouted.
Palmer crossed his hands over his face. "Don't shoot!" But the pistol remained in his hand.
Mr. Montgomery shoved aside a chair with his foot before snatching the empty weapon from the boy. He tossed it in the corner while shoving his own pistol into his waistband.
With the boy disarmed, Mr. Montgomery turned his full attention to Annie. He dropped to one knee. "That's a nasty wound, lad."
Nestled in the crook of Mr. Montgomery's arm, Annie squinted up into his face. Like a drunken sailor who had imbibed too long at the Black Anchor Pub, she asked in all seriousness, "Why is there t-two of you?"
"Maybe, because one of me is not enough to take care of you," Mr. Montgomery said.
Annie attempted to laugh, but the pain turned it into a groan.
Hoping to stop the bleeding, Mr. Montgomery quickly ripped off a strip of material from his sleeve and wrapped the makeshift bandage around Annie's arm. She pursed her lips together while the red circle grew larger on the cloth. As she drifted in and out of consciousness, she told Mr. Montgomery what had occurred.
Mr. Montgomery steadied himself on the slanting deck. He bent down, picked up Annie, and tossed her over his shoulder. To Palmer, he commanded, "On your feet, boy, to the hatch!"
* * *
Annie woke cradled in Mr. Montgomery's arms as the first mate slid to the railing. She expected to see the Crimson Revenge looming over the side, but Captain Hawke was right. The pirate ship was nowhere to be seen.
Palmer climbed down the rope ladder. With no time left to climb down himself, Mr. Montgomery dropped Annie over the side. Christopher leaped across Carter's lap, catching her as she fell through the air. "You're bleeding," he said before he leaned her up against Palmer.
Ainsworth and Rodrigues dove out of the way, as Mr. Montgomery came crashing near the bow of the longboat. Under Ainsworth's skillful guidance,the oarsmen kept the boat from capsizing.
"Shove off!" Ainsworth shouted.
"Together! Pull smartly!"
"Steady!"
The boat crew briskly rowed until Ainsworth yelled, "That is well!"
Safely away from the sinking ship, the sailors watched the Margaret Louise in her final death throes. Shrouded in a grey mist, she groaned one last time before rolling all the way onto her starboard side. The sound of cracking timber filled the air as the ocean boiled over the Margaret Louise. While the ship descended to her watery grave, Palmer clutched Annie's hand, his nails digging into her flesh.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
"Boat your oars!"
The men passed the oars overhead, stacking them down the center, blades toward the bow. Barrette and Perry hauled Annie up to the deck in an improvised sling. Once she was safely on the deck, Barrette held her limp body, supporting her head with his hand.
"Make way!" commanded Captain Hawke.
"Careful!" Doc cautioned.
The men craned their necks as Barrette laid her on the deck. Doc came prepared for all emergencies with his small cabinet full of medicine and equipment. He quickly removed the strip of fabric wound tightly around Annie's arm to examine the wound.
"Is the little maggot goin' to live?" Symington asked.
Thinking she had heard genuine concern in the carpenter's voice, Annie assumed she must surely be delirious.
"Andrés will live. The ball went clear through the arm," Doc said. He took out a bottle of an astringent and rubbed it into the wound to slow the bleeding.
Mr. Allan piped orders, dispersing the men to their stations.
Doc prepared to sew Annie's arm, first giving her
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