The Virgin Smuggler: Swift Series: Book 4

By Alec Merrill

EXCITING NAUTICAL FICTION WITH ENOUGH TWISTS AND TURNS TO KEEP YOU GUESSING.

Assume you are the new owner of a cargo vessel with access to secret information. You need money to pay for the ship and crew. Your competition is well-entrenched with contracts covering most potential customers. There is little business. You could lose everything. Would you chance doing something risky?

That is exactly the position of Captain Jon Swift of the schooner Providence. In desperation, Swift buys cargo and heads south to the Caribbean seeking contraband. He soon finds out that cash is king, and the lack of cash can have dire consequences. That lack of cash hinders the acquisition of new loads and the sale of cargo.

Accepting cargo in payment in lieu of cash leads to further problems, some of which are life threatening. Swift faces opposition from all directions, and cash seems to be his only means of salvation.

Will Swift’s cash problems be his downfall?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Apr 26, 2016
• ISBN: 9781483449586

Alec Merrill

Alec Merrill served thirteen years in the Canadian Forces as an officer. Using this experience in the private sector, he established the training program for the North Warning System which provides NORAD with surveillance and early warning capabilities across the Canadian arctic. Alec completed three years as the Chief of Emergency Services for Fisheries and Oceans Canada which includes the Canadian Coast Guard during events such as Hurricane Juan, and Katrina. He has been a management consultant for over twenty years.

Book preview

Harvest

THE

VIRGIN SMUGGLER

SWIFT SERIES: BOOK 4

ALEC MERRILL

Copyright © 2016 Alec Lindsay Merrill.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means---whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic---without written permission of both publisher and author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

This novel is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author's imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-4959-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-4958-6 (e)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Reaper's Harvest cover © 2015 Ashley Luanne Merrill

Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 04/13/2016

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Author's Notes

About the Author

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For a free copy of REAPER'S HARVEST go to www.alecmerrill.com

CHAPTER 1

S ailing south into the Caribbean in the middle of summer is not for the faint hearted. Summer is hurricane season and few sailing vessels can outrun a hurricane. While you might evade a hurricane or tropical storm, you can't avoid the heat and humidity that saps the strength from your body. Hence, in the summer, sailors tend to avoid the Caribbean, and prudent merchants rarely schedule deliveries.

The sky was overcast and menacing as the schooner Providence knifed through the water. Just two days out of Charles Towne, she raced south with a load of trade goods. The barometer slowly dropped all morning indicating possible trouble ahead. To the south of her present course, a small patch of sky opened and sunlight beamed down. The Providence entered the sunlight like an actor walking into the spotlight on stage. For hours she maintained the same course, the patch of sunlight continuing to track her progress. If the sunlight was an omen, and the superstitious sailors on the Providence assumed it was, it foretold good fortune for the ship and her new captain despite the menacing sea and skies.

The weather was not the only hazard the Providence might encounter. The war with France still raged, so French men-o'-war and privateers prowled these waters, always searching for easy pickings. To some, the Providence might seem like easy pickings, for she didn't carry so much as a swivel gun with which to defend her honour. With one hundred tons of cargo, she would provide a nice profit if any Frenchman scooped her up. Unarmed didn't mean easy to capture; first the Frenchman had to catch her, and the Providence was fast. She was a gaff-rigged schooner that could run closer to the wind than most square-rigged vessels. When other brigs and square-rigged vessels sometimes struggled to make six knots an hour in light winds, the Providence could easily do ten. In strong winds, with a clean bottom, she had even hit twelve knots. Unfortunately, her bottom was no longer clean, so early warning was important.

The Providence had a crew of eight, in addition to the captain. Two watches of four men evenly split the sailing duties. At all times during daylight hours at least one man remained at the masthead as a lookout. Caution was a priority on the Providence.

In the Providence's line of business, even so called 'friends' might be considered enemies. The Royal Navy patrolled these waters, and had the legal right to stop any British flagged vessels for inspection. If a navy vessel stopped the Providence, at the very least, a check of the manifest and cargo would occur. The current cargo posed no worries for the captain and crew of the Providence. That wasn't always the case, as His Majesty's revenue service took a dim view of some of the cargos the Providence carried. Navy boarding parties also had a nasty habit of lining up a merchantman's crew to check for deserters. The Providence's crew roster carried men fitting that description. Even if those specific men were not recognized, the Royal Navy often pressed crew members. For these reasons, the Providence's captain and crew preferred to sail in a lonely sea.

The larboard watch was currently standing duty with Harry Short, the first mate, in charge. Sam Kneap was at the helm. Abraham, a Negro with no sea experience, stood deck duty and Charles Richmond was at the masthead as lookout.

Deck there, strange sail on the larboard quarter, shouted Richmond from the masthead.

What do you make of her? shouted the captain, Jon Swift.

Looks square-rigged. Only the topsails are visible. No royals on her. Looks like two masts, replied Richmond.

Harry, take the wheel. Kneap, run that glass up to Richmond.

Kneap grabbed the glass and raced up the larboard ratlines of the mainmast. Richmond reached down and carefully took the glass once Kneap was within reaching distance. Balancing and focusing a glass on a swaying mast is an art even in calm waters, and the seas were lively at the moment. It took a bit of time to get another report. While Richmond checked on the distant vessel, Kneap returned to the deck and resumed station at the wheel.

Deck there, definitely a brig, sail configuration looks British, shouted Richmond.

There was always concern when sighting a strange sail. Was the strange ship an enemy? Was it a Royal Navy vessel? These were important questions, but of secondary consideration to Jon. The circumstances now were considerably different than on any previous occasion. As the captain of the Providence, it was his responsibility to make all decisions related to the safety of the ship and crew. In addition to the weight of that responsibility was the additional pressure as the owner of both ship and cargo. All previous experience had been as a member of the crew, waiting for the officers to make decisions. Now the shoe was on the other foot. Everyone waited on him. Jon's previous experience as a crewman had been split between a man-o'-war and merchantmen. A man-o'-war was a hunter. Merchantmen were always the prey. Being the prey was a totally different feeling, now that he was a captain. Hopefully, over time, he'd get accustomed to it. In the meantime, the men waited for orders.

Harry, go fetch the charts.

Harry retrieved the charts and they spread them out on the deck. All the time the Providence closed with the strange sail. The charts confirmed that the options for running were limited. If the Providence turned slightly to larboard, she would close with the strange vessel even faster. If she went wide to larboard, the strange vessel could cut the corner and continue to close. If the Providence retreated north, she would lose a day or two in transit. If she continued south, the strange ship could intercept her. In reality, that only left starboard. To head west posed other challenges. The Bahamas were to the west. If the Providence headed west, she would head directly toward a series of poorly charted reefs and shallows. That was not a course to take lightly. There was no clear indication that this strange ship was a threat. Was she a threat or just another merchantman?

Kneap, ease the helm to larboard and head directly at that strange sail. I want to see if she turns or not.

Richmond, we are going to turn toward that strange sail. Watch her closely, and let me know what she does once she sees we're closing, shouted Jon.

A faint Aye, aye, sir, drifted down from the masthead.

The Providence eased to larboard and steered directly at the strange sail. Harry and Abraham adjusted the trim of the sails without the need to issue any orders.

On a converging course, shouted Richmond. Because the strange ship was over the horizon, the sails were only visible from the masthead. Kneap had eased the Providence over slowly until that shout from Richmond alerted everyone that the Providence was on an intersecting course. This was something that you never heard on a King's ship. If the lookout at the masthead had shouted those words in a King's ship, the man could expect at least a tongue lashing, if not an actual flogging.

The entire crew waited apprehensively for Richmond's response. It took some time in coming; all the while, the tension in the ship increased.

Deck there, the strange sail is turning, heading east, heading further out into the ocean. She's decided to give us a wide berth, shouted Richmond.

The effect of that announcement, heard by every member of the crew on deck, was immediate. A collective sigh of relief issued forth.

Keep an eye on her Richmond, and when you get a chance bring the glass back down, shouted Jon.

Harry stow those charts. Kneap, resume our previous course.

Resume previous course, course due south, aye, sir, replied Kneap automatically.

The new captain had successfully passed the first test. He hoped they would all be this easily resolved, but instinctively knew it was wishful thinking. One of the things he already noticed about being a captain was the loneliness of command. Everyone on board had waited for his decision, as this little incident had thoroughly demonstrated. No one else on board could make those decisions. This was what he wanted, why he'd expended so much effort and risk. Now that he had command, it wasn't quite the prize he had imagined. It was different, but the experience of finally being in control of one's destiny was a powerful magnet. Since that fateful day when he'd been pressed on a trip to Rye to sell produce from his father's farm, someone else had controlled virtually every aspect of his life. That would happen no longer; from now on, the only decisions that would shape his life were his alone.

As the Providence surged southwards, Jon stood on the quarterdeck with the wind blowing through wavy dark hair. The overcast, menacing sky wasn't a concern. Instead, all he saw were opportunities -- enormous opportunities-- and enormous risks. They went hand in hand. A month previously, he'd been a pauper attempting to reach New York and praying his investments were safe. He'd gambled when opportunity came knocking. Now he owned a ship loaded with cargo. Opportunity still knocked, only in a different fashion. He would follow the path to that opportunity and expand his wealth, even if it meant bending or breaking the rules.

Plenty of times in the past, rich men had bent the rules to their advantage. He had suffered because of it. If it required bending or breaking the rules to attain the same advantages achieved by these rich men, then so be it. There would undoubtedly be tests along the way. Some tests would come with plenty of warning; others would not.

As it was, the next test already stared him in the face.

CHAPTER 2

H arry Short was an unknown quality. It was true that Harry could handle the technical job of a first mate without any difficulty. Harry completed every assigned task competently and in a timely manner. In every respect, except one, Harry was a good first mate.

Lingering doubts existed about Harry's reaction to carrying contraband cargo. Several times since their first meeting, Harry had expressed reservations about assigned tasks or questions that were outside the norm. During the hiring interview, when asked who his people were, Harry's enthusiasm for the position had waned noticeably. When asked to represent the Hudson Trading Company, the owners of the Providence, at a slave auction he had pleaded ignorance of the process and begged to be excused. Jon was still unsure if reservations or prejudices against either of the two Negro crew members would appear.

Of the seven other crew members aboard the Providence five of them knew, or strongly suspected, that the Providence would carry contraband loads from time to time. The other two, both Negroes, were purchased and freed on the condition that they pay back the amount spent on acquiring them. When purchased they had no idea what the word cargo meant, let alone contraband cargo. Their current circumstances were far superior to those they had left so it was felt they would support the captain and the ship no matter what.

The only member of the crew unaware of the dual nature of the Providence was Harry, and his reaction was unknown. That reaction needed to be determined soon, before the rendezvous happened. That rendezvous was with the Frenchmen on St. Domingue with whom they traded for rum. That was Jon's next challenge and how it was handled might change the dynamics of the crew and of the voyage.

Jon considered the best approach. Contraband cargo was only contraband if the revenue tax wasn't paid on it. Anyone could purchase the same cargo in Jamaica, Cuba or on St. Domingue and deliver it to a port in the colonies. There was no tax on the Jamaica cargo, because it was British in origin. They could legally land cargo originating in Cuba once they paid the appropriate tax. They couldn't land the French cargo at all, because Britain was at war with France. If they weren't at war, they could legally land the French cargo after paying the appropriate tax.

As the Providence headed south, Jon had to decide whether to acquire a cargo on St. Domingue or in Jamaica. Acquiring the cargo from the Frenchmen would provide double the profit. Unfortunately, there was no known buyer in the colonies. Without a buyer prepared to meet the ship in the middle of the night and fork over the required coin, purchasing contraband cargo was too risky.

The larboard watch stood the afternoon watch, which meant Harry was free for discussion. As the matter was a delicate subject, a summons brought Harry to the captain's cabin.

Harry Short lived up to his name, being only five and a half feet tall wearing shoes with thick soles. Stout shaped, he appeared somewhat like a barrel with short legs. Prior to the Providence's departure, a trip to the barber had reduced a mop of light brown hair to something more manageable. Upon entry into the cabin, Harry removed the tricorn hat characteristically worn, and nervously shifted it from hand to hand. A complexion pale from being 'on the beach' was currently sunburned. Brown eyes and an oversized mouth completed the picture.

Once Harry was comfortably seated, Jon started to nibble at the problem.

Harry, since coming aboard, you've acquitted yourself well with every assigned task. Even strange tasks like purchasing slaves, working with William to ensure the acquisition of correct spices, and provisioning, were completed above my expectations. I want to express my admiration for your work.

Thank you, sir, replied Harry. A small smile of satisfaction appeared.

How do you feel about working here, and about the crew?

It's a good ship and a good crew. Although the amount of time I've spent on board has been limited, I feel like part of the crew. The Providence is a happy ship.

I'm glad you feel that way Harry. You have an important role to play. Jon paused, thinking of how to get into the meat of the conversation. In all confidence, I had concerns when you were interviewed. Most of those concerns have been put to rest, but not all. That's why we're having this little chat.

The smile on Harry's face disappeared.

Harry, where do you believe we're headed?

Why, Kingston.

That's the official destination. Unofficially, we're heading to St. Domingue to trade with the Frenchmen. We are going to trade the current cargo for rum. Then we're going to carry that rum back to customers in the colonies without the revenue men inspecting the cargo.

We're running contraband? exclaimed Harry.

Harry, I realize that running contraband has caught you unprepared. Perhaps I should have spoken to you about this much earlier, but I didn't dare. If you had declined the opportunity to sail with us after knowing about our business, it was too high a risk. So, although most of the crew knew, you didn't. For that, I am sorry. At this point you are trapped in it. If, after this trip, you feel that you do not wish to continue with us, I will understand, and we will part with no hard feelings. You are a good first mate Harry, and I have come to rely on you. I don't want to lose you. So I need to know whether I can count on you Harry.

It was best to remain silent, so that Harry could digest the information presented and come to a decision. The silence continued for some time. Finally, enough time had passed.

How about it, Harry? Are you loyal enough to swallow your disappointment and continue on?

I need to take some time and consider how I feel about it, said Harry reasonably.

What are your concerns?

Running contraband is a hanging offence. I've never done anything illegal in my life. Although Harry wasn't whimpering, Jon found the comments somewhat repugnant. It was necessary to stifle any personal feelings, as he needed Harry.

Harry, they might put you in gaol for some time, but they won't hang you. Me, they'll hang. I'll also lose the ship and the cargo, so it'll be financial ruin as well. The men will be pressed in all likelihood, but that wouldn't be anything new for them; they take that risk every time they sail. That's what'll happen for sure if they catch us. There's no sense lying about it.

It's a risk that every man aboard this ship is prepared to take, including me, and I'll tell you why. I've been hard done by a number of times. Each time a rich man was the cause. Rich men control all the power. Poor men either toe the line or are beaten down. Even the courts work for the rich men. If you want real freedom, then you need to be rich enough to cause others to shy away. I intend to be rich because it beats the alternative. As for the men, they earn double what they normally earn, and take no more risk than they would in any merchant ship.

"So I ask again Harry, are you with me?

I'd still like time to think it over, sir.

Now Harry. I need to know that you are totally with me. In your gut, you know you are either for, or against becoming a contraband runner. In other terms, you are either for me or against me, and my actions. Which is it?

Harry looked furtively around the cabin and then with eyes levelled directly at Jon said, For you.

Good, Harry. I have plans. I'm thinking of expanding once we get a few runs under our belts. I was considering you for a captain of a new ship. It's nice to know that I can continue planning on the same lines.

Harry looked surprised, possibly even shocked. Just seconds before, it was conceivable that a short trip over the stern of the ship might be taken if the answer had been no. Now the captain offered the possibility of a ship in the future, if things worked out. It might take some time, but it was a ship to command. What a distance he had travelled in the short time since applying for this first mate position.

Captain, I have to say you are different from any captain I ever served under, but don't take that as bad. Most captains don't care about their men, other than to ensure they have the right number of crew and the crew does its job. You started training the men, especially Abraham and William, almost as soon as we left harbour. You pay fair wages and provide the best meals I have ever eaten on a ship. This is a very happy ship. You have even gone out of your way to make sure the ship isn't boarded and men pressed. These men are loyal to you. Even the new men, William and Abraham, are fiercely loyal.

I hope that someday I will be able to earn the same loyalty from you, Harry.

Will that be all, sir?

I think it's enough for one afternoon. Thanks, Harry.

Thank you, Captain, mumbled Harry before stumbling out of the cabin.

Jon stood and flexed each arm and shoulders. The relief felt from Harry's acceptance was physical as well as mental. With the entire crew backing him, much of the anxiety melted away. It was time for a breath of fresh air.

Paul Scoffield was the first man encountered, upon popping up to the deck. A man of medium height and build with brown hair braided in a long queue, Scoffield had assisted when it counted most. Of all the men aboard the Providence, Scoffield was the most trusted.

Their first encounter had been in Charles Towne. Three armed men intent on robbery followed Jon. While Scoffield wasn't a 'good Samaritan' by nature, the odds were distinctly one-sided in favour of the robbers. Scoffield assumed that by assisting Jon and reducing the odds, a reward might be achieved. Such a reward was needed, as Scoffield was somewhat short of funds at the time. Jon had turned a corner out-of-sight, two men in pursuit. The third man, followed by Scoffield, raced ahead to cut Jon off. When Scoffield had turned a corner, there were two men on the ground, one dead and the other dying, without a sound heard. The third man stood submissively with a loaded, cocked pistol aimed at him from a distance of feet. At least the robber was a stationary target when Scoffield hammered a piece of wood into the back of his head.

The captain had not even blinked an eye. Instead, he suggested that Scoffield should search the robbers for coin and should keep anything found. You didn't trifle with a man who could silently kill two men and take care of a third man. The respect generated from that knowledge only increased when the captain bought him dinner. Later, when the authorities approached, Jon had provided a sound alibi, which in turn generated even more respect.

If that wasn't enough, Scoffield had also seen the captain fend off an armed attacker when they had re-possessed the Providence. After staving off a wicked blow to the head, the captain had gutted the attacker with a tomahawk. With calmness rarely seen in battle, the captain had then subdued a pistol-wielding man without assistance from anyone.

As a captain, Swift was the best officer Scoffield had ever served under. He treated every one of the crew with respect, even treating the Negroes as men, not slaves, although they had been purchased. The pay was good, although that was expected given the nature of the cargo they would ultimately carry.

The captain was a sailor, knowing more about rope work than any man that Scoffield had so far come across. In addition, there was a willingness to impart that knowledge to everyone on board. Money was spent on the crew. William was a great cook. The food was better than any food that Scoffield had previously eaten on any vessel. There was a rumour the big Indiamen had very good food, but that food was for the passengers, not the crew.

The captain never put on airs like most officers that Scoffield had run across. Casually dressed most of the time on board, he even offered a hand to pull on a rope or head to the masthead. It was even possible to joke or josh without any repercussions. You'd never find that in most ships. Scoffield didn't know how far he would go for the captain, but there was no question about his loyalty.

It was familiarity, or mutual respect, that allowed information to pass both ways. Scoffield's raised eyebrow silently posed the question that most of the crew wanted answered.

Mr. Short has decided to join our merry band. Pass the word quietly to the rest of the crew, will you Paul.

Aye, aye, sir.

Jon strolled around the quarterdeck for a few minutes before retreating to the captain's cabin. There was another problem waiting there. In comments to Harry about heading for St. Domingue to obtain a load of rum, there was an intentional omission. There was no customer for that rum. Lacking a customer for the rum elevated the risk to an unacceptable level, rather like being in a locked room with the locked door the only means of escape.

There was a way out of it. Jon just required a key.

CHAPTER 3

F or any contraband landing to be successful three pieces of information are necessary: the buyer's needs, which are reflected in the cargo load, a location for the landing, and a time to land the load.

The highest priority, involved assessing a buyer's needs because there were but four more days before using this information. On the fourth night, the Providence would anchor off St. Domingue. The Frenchmen would ask for a list of wanted cargo. Such a list indicated exactly how much rum, sugar, or molasses the Providence would purchase and load. That quantity was all the buyer could handle or had the coin to acquire. Carrying excessive amounts of any product risked leaving contraband cargo in the hold, after landing the buyer's cargo. It was possible to load a cargo in speculation of the buyer's needs, but if the amounts were incorrect, the Providence might be roaming around with evidence in her hold. The risk of an inspection in such circumstances was unacceptable.

The second piece of information was the location for the cargo landing. Obviously, landing the cargo at a normal port was impossible, for revenue agents would slap duties on the cargo undercutting most of the profit. Since the product was French, it couldn't be off-loaded at any port. A landing location far away from any revenue man's prying eyes was desirable. The location had to be remote enough that no one was likely to pass during the four to six hours it would take to off-load. Cargo was generally off-loaded at night, because darkness aided in masking the presence of the ship, and the nature of the activities conducted.

The third and final piece of the puzzle was the timing for the off-loading. The buyer had to arrange for men to meet the ship, and move the cargo to a safe place. Given that the Providence could carry nearly one hundred tons of cargo that meant a number of men and carts.

A final consideration dealt with the price a buyer was willing to pay for the cargo. The price was not essential information for arranging a landing. Price was negotiated at the landing prior to unloading. At the landing, time worked against each party. There was sufficient motivation for a rapid negotiation to determine a mutually agreeable price.

Jon currently had none of these critical pieces of information.

Although a new captain attempting a contraband landing for the first time, Jon possessed some priceless information. Ledgers secreted in hidden compartments in the desk in the captain's cabin contained this valuable information. These ledgers came into his possession during the re-possession of the Providence. The only problem was that the ledger information was in some form of code, the key to which was unknown.

The captain's desk was a large two-pedestal desk with a solid wood slab top. Screws anchored each pedestal to the deck to prevent movement in heavy seas. There were additional screws that kept the wood slab secured to the two pedestals. Each pedestal had two hidden compartments. To access the hidden compartments, you removed the bottom drawer and searched with fingers until triggering a hidden latch. Once triggered, the inside panel of the desk sprang open revealing a slim compartment at the very top, above the drawers, and a somewhat larger compartment on the bottom, underneath all drawers. A similar arrangement existed on each side of the double pedestal desk.

From the left pedestal, Jon removed two slim ledgers. The top ledger was a list of accounts in various banks in Baltimore, Boston, New York and Charles Towne. The information about the Charles Towne account was no longer relevant because that account was empty. With no need for banking information at present, that ledger went back in the compartment.

The second ledger was more important. It contained only seventeen pages with entries. Fifteen of those pages each contained a buyer's name, a community where he lived, or the landed product consumed. Various pieces of information were in code below the entry name listed on the page. The code for this information had to be broken, as no living person had the key.

The first page comprised a series of numbers and letters in some form of code. This code possibly was the key to other entries in the book and for that reason was written on the first page.

On the second page was a short list.

In a previous effort to break this code, Jon had conducted a search for Phillip Jeremy Lawton while in Charles Towne. Madame Roberts, who knew everyone with money in the Charles Towne area, had never heard of the man. Steering Jon to the Royal Mail had resulted in a dead end. There was an envelope addressed to the man, but there was no telling how long it had sat there. The Royal Mail clerk had handed over the envelope without any questions. Not knowing what to do with it, Jon had stuck it in a pocket, as more pressing duties beckoned at the time. With all the duties since, the envelope had been totally forgotten.

The envelope was around somewhere. It was a sure bet Phillip Jeremy Lawton wouldn't be encountered on this voyage. A look at the letter's contents might shed light on finding Lawton once the Providence returned to Charles Towne. A quick search around the desk resulted in the retrieval of the Lawton letter.

The opened letter disclosed startling information. The letter was in code, composed of all numbers. It was a short list.

150-1

10-2

196197

8

Staring at the letter for over ninety minutes provided no insight or revelations regarding the coded contents. One thing was certain. If the letter were ever intercepted, there was no way for anyone to determine who originated it.

Further staring at the letter wasn't going to accomplish anything. Taking a break to get some fresh air, Jon headed to the deck. Pacing back and forth near the stern was relaxing. It was apparent that the starboard watch was still on duty, as James Bell was on the wheel. Bell was a black haired, slim and muscular five foot eight topman in his early twenties. A ready smile and disposition attracted people. As a deserter from His Majesty's navy, he exhibited a healthy concern of being caught and taken back to the Royal Navy. As Bell was a new helmsman, a word was in order.

Course?

South-south-east, sir, responded Bell, as any good helmsman would.

Jon turned to observe the wake. It was straight. Bell maintained a steady course.

Bell, turn and take a quick look at the wake from time to time. It's an easy way to determine if you're maintaining a steady course. So far you seem to be doing fine.

That trick was already explained to me, sir, said Bell, who turned to check the wake.

So how goes it?

Fine, sir. I'm eating better and learning more than ever. It's a good ship, a happy ship.

How are you getting along with William and Abraham?

No problem with William. Abraham's a little touchy. I kind of tread lightly around him.

I suspect this is all pretty different for him. For years, white men have beaten him. Now he's working with them. All his work was done on land; now he's at sea. Just think of your own first few days after being pressed. I suspect he'll take a while to come around, but it'll happen.

I reckon, Captain.

Scoffield was at the masthead as lookout. Foreward, McCleary worked with William teaching rope work. Watching McCleary's techniques, Jon passed some tips to improve the technique before heading back to the code problems below.

With the letter and coded ledgers in hand, another attempt to unravel the riddle commenced. The four names listed on the second page of the ledger were phoney names. These were the contact points or means of contacting the Providence. It was logical to assume that the buyers would post their letters to the closest Royal Mail office. Since the letter was to Lawton in Charles Towne, the same logic would imply the buyer was somewhere in the south, closer to Charles Towne than the next closest Royal Mail address in Baltimore. It was unlikely that a buyer in Massachusetts would send a letter to Lawton in Charles Towne. Probably a Massachusetts buyer would only know the name for Boston -- Robert Ezekiel Parker.

As there were only thirteen names in the ledger, logic also implied that one of those individuals was the buyer. How else would the buyer know about the Royal Mail drop in the name of Lawton? A buyer in Charles Towne recently received a contraband cargo, so the likelihood of that individual needing additional product was remote. Removing his name from the list left just twelve possible buyers.

To reduce the possibilities further, Jon examined each of the