The Barony: Book No. 6 of the Wolde Family Saga

By Bill Conner

Excerpts from the Story

It was the morning of their fourth day at sea, and Nathan, awakened suddenly, sat up; something was different. He threw on a few clothes, and ran out on deck. It didnt take long to figure out what was different. The Catherine Ross was running with full sail aloft, filled by a strong gale, and Captain Stuart was making good use of the wind while it lasted. Thus far, the passengers had been spared the usual scourge of new seafarers; seasickness. However, on the fifth day, it caught up with Reverend Wolde. The cook took charge, fed him special food, and said it would run its course in a day or so. However, Nathan was not reassured, and felt certain he would be buried at sea.
Two days later, hed made it out on deck with his wife and was enjoying the fresh air, when a call came from the Crows Nest, Ship Ahoy. Well now, this was something new, and they quickly scanned the horizon. But there was nothing there to see. A crew member, who saw them looking, walked over and said nothing would be visible from deck level until late the next day. That evening, Ian said it might be the MacTavish clipper, Anne Ross, bound for Newfoundland, but they would have to wait until the two ships got closer to be sure.
Nathan and Mary Catherine were sitting underneath their hammocks discussing the events of the day. Nathan, dont you think its a bit odd for two ships to meet in the middle of the ocean like this? I doubt the Captains just want to say howdy to each other; I believe theres more to it. Well, my dear, Nathan replied, I know you pretty well. Youre not thinking its some sort of conspiracy, so it must be one of your premonitions. All right, Mary Catherine, lets hear it. Its the weather, Nathan. The other Captain is going to warn us were sailing into a storm.
The carriages stopped on top of a hill overlooking the Firth of Tay, and the family got out to look. Directly opposite them, atop a high bluff, was The Barony. Mary Catherine gasped. Oh my God, Nathan, surely that cant be where were going, can it. I believe thats got to be your fathers place, my dear. Youre almost home now. She grabbed the front of his coat with both hands and shook him. Reverend Wolde, that is not my home! My home is across that ocean in the mountains of Virginia, where I live happily with my family. Look at me, Nathan; help me. I cant do this alone.
She believed him to be sleeping in his chair, but the Baron, heard the door close and stood on trembling leg. Father, was all she got out before the tears came, and she was folded into his arms. My beautiful daughter, how lovely you are. If only your mother could see you now, he sobbed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 28, 2013
• ISBN: 9781479798070

Bill Conner

I retired on the last day of the year 2008. I was seventy-eight years old, and it was a sad day; I found it very hard to let go. After several weeks of listening to my growling and complaining about having nothing to do, my wife gave me a challenge I could not refuse. I had talked for years about writing a book but claimed I never had time to do it. My wife said I now had plenty of time so I should get to it, and that’s what I did. I had no idea how to begin, but somehow I managed, and The Last Good Year is my eighth book to be published. I am halfway through writing the ninth and promised myself I would write a total of ten before I quit and retire again. It’s a pretty lofty goal for a man now eighty-four years old.

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Copyright © 2013 by Bill Conner.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2013903143

ISBN:

   Hardcover   978-1-4797-9806-3

   Softcover    978-1-4797-9805-6

   Ebook         978-1-4797-9807-0

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without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the

product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance

to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Rev. date: 02/26/2013

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CONTENTS

Author’s Note

Cast of Characters

PART 1

All Aboard

The Catherine Ross

PART 2

Welcome Home

The Barony

I dedicate this book to a dear friend and classmate, Doctor Kurtz Alderman, in honor of his unselfish and exemplary service to the citizens of Dickenson County, in Southwest Virginia, for more than half a century. Doc, you’ll do.

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THE BARONS OF SCOTLAND

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Reigning baron from 1853-1861—Ian Augustus MacTavish

AUTHOR’S NOTE

This story begins with my first book, "The Baroness and the Preacher, and continues through each of the following books; Roy Wolde and Sean O’Connor, A Home for David Sullivan, John Wilson Junior, and The Preacher. I trust you read them in the order they were written, for this book will briefly document the lives of my characters through the years prior to the Civil War. It will be the final one in this series, The Wolde Family Saga. I hope you have enjoyed my stories thus far, but I assure you, they are purely a work of fiction. The few people who are real, have been treated with the utmost respect, and greatly contributed to the formation of the new state of West Virginia. The one who later fought for the Confederacy, in my personal opinion, did so with great reluctance, always hoping matters could be resolved peacefully.

I have taken some liberties with the dates of certain happenings in order for them to fit the flow of a completely fictitious story; but no changes were made to the event or occurrence itself. Names of the characters were made up by the author, and any resemblance to that of any actual person is purely coincidental and unintentional. I have treated these people with the same love, kindness, respect, and honor, as I do my own family; which, in a sense, they are, and have taken special care not to write anything I feel might embarrass the reader. I hope you enjoy my book

BILLIE C CONNER

CAST OF CHARACTERS

NATHANIEL (NATHAN) WOLDE—Adopted son of Ethan and Sarah Wolde. Farmer/Preacher/Senator’s Aide. Husband of Mary Catherine Collingsworth. Parents killed in Indian Wars. Adopted by Ethan and Sarah when 6 years old.

MARY CATHERINE Collingsworth—Born out of wedlock, daughter of Baron Robert MacTavish, Dundee, Scotland, and Judith Conaway. Raised by Maddie (Judith’s sister) and Clarence Collingsworth, as their own child. Married Nathan Wolde. Mother of five children. Step-sister of Ian MacTavish.

ROY, CHARLES RALEIGH (Riley), MARTHA JANE, SARAH, LUCY.—Children of Nathan and Mary Catherine Wolde.

BARON ROBERT MACTAVISH—Son of Augustus MacTavish, Dundee, Scotland. Sent to America to oversee family’s investment in trapping beaver. Opens office in New York City but declines to visit the Pacific northwest. Remains in city. Introduced to Judith by a notorious madam. Enjoyed a long relationship with Miss Julie, until his father found out and demanded he return home.

DONA ANNE LEIGH RIBEIRO MACTAVISH—Daughter of a wealthy Portuguese Dom. Married Robert MacTavish, mother of Ian. Dies soon after giving birth to her son.

LAWRENCE ROTHCHILD—Grandson of Sylvester. Husband of lovely Anna.

MARTHA SAWYER—Widow of Albert who drowned in flood. School teacher, god-mother of Martha Jane Wolde, Mary Catherine’s dearest friend.

PATRICK O’CONNOR—Irish immigrant. Lost his wife to influenza. Meets Nathan, who allows him and family to live at his old home place in return for help on the farm. Father of Sean, Michael, and Megan.

LUCY O’CONNOR—Widow of Joseph Winters. Lives with Nathan, Mary Catherine and children. Marries Patrick O’Connor. Mary Catherine’s closest friend.

SEAN, MICHAEL, AND MEGAN O’CONNOR—Children of Patrick O’Connor.

IAN MACTAVISH—Son of Baron Robert MacTavish, step-brother of Mary Catherine. Born in Jamaica, raised in Scotland. Mother was a Portuguese Dona who died shortly after his birth. Actually a Baronet, he oversees the family enterprises world-wide. Mentor of nephew, Charles Raleigh Wolde.

HANS AND ILGA WILHELM—Long time members of MacTavish household staff in Scotland. Tutor of young Ian.

CAPTAIN THOMAS STUART—Captain of MacTavish flagship, The Catherine Ross, a China Clipper.

DAVID SULLIVAN—Nephew of Lawrence Rothchild. Came to the territory seeking his fortune. Lives for a while with the Wolde family. A uniquely talented young man, well liked by all.

JOHN WILSON JR.—Son of John and Elizabeth. West Point graduate with degree in engineering. Served active duty time with Army. Becomes partner with David Sullivan in developing property along the West Fork River. Marries Lyllith Smythe.

SAM JENSEN—Attorney at law, Fairmont. Classmate of Lawrence Rothchild.

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ROBERT MACTAVISH (1685-1710) PATRIARCH. Sailing master, privateer, pirate?

EDWARD MACTAVISH Son of Robert, marries Gabriela Munoz daughter of Tomas.

DAVID MACTAVISH Son of Robert, marries Elizabeth Bolling

CHARLES MACTAVISH Son of David, marries Gretchen McKinelly

MARION MACTAVISH Daughter of David Spinster

GERALDINE MACTAVISH Daughter of David, marries Konrad Olsson

STEPHEN MACTAVISH Son of David, marries Sabela Benardes

RICHARD MACTAVISH Son of Stephen, marries Genevive Cameron

AUGUSTUS MACTAVISH Son of Richard, marries Catherine MacGregor

ROBERT MACTAVISH Son of Augustus, marries Anne Leigh Ribeiro

IAN MACTAVISH Son of Robert and Anne Leigh Unmarried

MARY CATHERINE WOLDE Daughter of Robert and Judith Conoroy

PENNY MACTAVISH Adopted daughter of Robert MacTavish and Esther Rabinawitz

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TOMAS MUNOZ (1663-1707) PATRIARCH. Powerful Portuguese Dom. Silent partner of Robert MacTavish. Wife Dona Beatrix

DOM BONIFACIO RIBEIRO Head of MacTavish/Munoz holdings in Jamaica. Wife Beneditia Daughter Anne Leigh, who marries Robert MacTavish

GABRIELA MUNOZ Daughter of Tomas, marries Edward MacTavish

SERGIO MUNOZ Son of Tomas, marries Misha Soares

RICARDO MUNOZ Son of Sergio, marries Lidia Ribeiro, sister of Bonifacio

DONATO CARDOSA Marries Leticia Munoz, daughter of Ricardo and Lidia

MIGUEL CARDOSA Son of Donato and Leticia

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OLIVER OLSEN Great, great, great grandson of Geraldine Olsson nee MacTavish. First Mate Catherine Ross, Owner of Horse Country farm Manchester England

KRISTINA OLSEN Wife of Oliver. Born and reared in Iceland

DAVID OLSEN Son of Oliver and Kristina Marries Penny MacTavish

STEPHEN OLSEN Son of Oliver and Kristina Marries Alicia Fleming. studying to be a veterinarian

RODDY SPENSER Overseer of Horse Country farm, Manchester, England

LYDIA GREESHON Retired teacher, Manchester, England. Marries Roddy.

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DUNDEE SCOTLAND

AMOS RABINAWITZ Keeper of accounts MacTavish LTD came from NYC

JOSEPH RABINAWITZ Son of Amos. He and wife drowned in boating accident.

ESTHER RABINAWITZ Keeper of accounts following death of father

RUTH RABINAWITZ Secretary to Baron and Ian MacTavish

RACHEL RABINAWITZ Assistant to Esther. Erstwhile artist Marries Miguel

TYNE MCLAREN Retired sailing master Operates ferry on Firth of Tay

CALVIN (Cal) MCLAREN Helps father. Picks up mail. Acts as courier for Baron.

SEAN CULBERTSON Irishman. Runs shipyard at Newport on the Tay

NILS GUFTASON Captain of clipper ship, Anne Ross

ALICIA FLEMING Barony household staff. Marries Stephen Olsen

PENNY MACTAVISH Barony household staff. Marries David Olsen

CELIA FITZGERALD Barony household staff. Adopted daughter of Grant and Bridget Fitzgerald. Born in Netherlands. Marries Riley.

GEOFFREY GORDON Overseer, MacTavish Estates, Dundee, Scotland

MARY GORDON Wife of Geoffrey. Head Housekeeper, the Barony

REGINALD MACCALLEN Chief Veterinarian, Angus Farms, MacTavish estate

NATHAN FLEMING Assistant to Reginald, father of Alicia

KERRY FLEMING Son of Nathan. Riding companion of Martha Jane

CHARLES CAMERON Special friend of Sarah Wolde

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SPECIAL FRIENDS ALONG THE WAY

ALFRED and RUFUS REDFERN Appleby, England. Operate stage line Edinburg to Liverpool, via Glasgow and Manchester

CECIL SWARTHMORE Owner of Inn, the Hereford House, Newcastle, England

CEDRIC MORGAN Owner of pub, Morgans, Newcastle, England

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In the latter part of June, 1853, the Catherine Ross crossed the Atlantic Ocean, bound for the ports of New York City, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. In addition to her cargo, she carried two passengers, Baronet Ian MacTavish, and Sergeant Charles Raleigh Wolde, of the Scottish Highland Guards. They were coming to America for a month long visit; the Baronet, to visit his sister, Baroness Mary Catherine Wolde, and the young lad, to see his parents, his brother, and three sisters.

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The days passed quickly, in a whirlwind of activities. There was a big cattle auction held July 3rd and 4th, in conjunction with a celebration sponsored by Marion county, and bank-rolled by several of its well-heeled constituents. There was an open invitation to all citizens of the county, as well as to several prominent people within the confines of northwestern Virginia. These events took place on the old Morgan Family Estate, near Grant Town, which had recently been purchased from F. H. Pierpont by Nathan and Mary Catherine Wolde.

Horse back riding was looked upon by the grown-ups as a means of transportation, but as a lot of fun by the younger set, many of whom had their own horse and saddle. In fact, many a romantic Sunday afternoon was spent by groups riding throughout the country lanes together, sometimes pairing up, to hunt their own secluded spot. Roy and Megan, Michael and Martha Jane, Paul and Anne, Riley and Rebecca, David and Esther, John Junior and Lyllith, Roger and Susan, Liam and Twyla, Sean and Felicity.

David and Esther had married on the 10th of June, that year. John Junior and Lyllith would be married by the end of July. Paul and Anne, Roger and Susan, would marry a few months later. Roy and Megan, Michael and Martha Jane would also marry as soon as the girls finished college, as would Sean and Felicity. Twyla moved to South Carolina and was studying at a hospital in Charleston, S. C., to be a nurse. Liam was now giving his attention to Anne’s sister, Rachel.

The Woldes moved into their newly acquired estate; Patrick and Lucy would live in the house they left behind and Patrick’s cousin, Rory O’Shaunessy and his family moved into Nathan’s old home place. Now, Mary Catherine was taking her family, along with Roy’s finance, Megan O’Connor, and the newlyweds, John Junior and Lyllith, and return with Ian and Riley to Scotland where she would meet her father for the first time.

In a hurried ceremony, two days prior to boarding the ship, Nathaniel Wolde became an ordained minister of the Presbyterian faith and a new church would be built for him in Grant Town, and finished by the time he returned. On the next day, Sunday, July 26th, John Wilson Junior and Lyllith Smythe said their vows in a lavish ceremony held at the Episcopal Church. Their first night was spent at Roy and Michael’s house in Baltimore as guests of the two wealthy young entrepreneurs. On Monday, they said their good-byes, and hurried to the pier. They would honeymoon in Scotland, courtesy of the MacTavish family, and visit her native country, Wales.

In the early dawn hours of Tuesday, July 28th, an anchor slowly climbed from the depths of Baltimore harbor, and the ship’s crew began to put up sail. The clipper, Catherine Ross, slowly turned to follow the tide, and her passengers lined the rail to watch as the sun rose over the Chesapeake Bay. Nathan, Mary Catherine, Roy, Riley, Martha Jane, Sarah, and Lucy Wolde, Megan O’Connor, and the newlyweds, John and Lyllith. Baronet Ian MacTavish, looked at them standing there, and smiled. Life is good, he murmured to himself. Another episode in the lives of the Wolde family had begun.

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PART 1

All Aboard

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THE CATHERINE ROSS

The Catherine Ross is one of three Clipper Ships owned by MacTavish

Ltd., of Dundee, Scotland. The other two being The Anne Ross, and the Mary Ross. The clippers were normally used on the long voyages to places like China, Australia, San Francisco, California, Argentina, Jamaica, and Portugal. However, because of their speed, they were best used to transport perishable cargo. Another feature was two compartments, added by the builder, that could be used for carrying passengers. Catherine Ross, the flagship, is commanded by Captain Thomas Stuart, Glasgow, Scotland.

MacTavish also owned three wooden, four-masted, square-rigged, barques, which were used to transport heavier loads or; when sailing shorter distances. There were four smaller schooners that sailed regularly from Scotland to Portugal, and from Portugal to Jamaica; and occasionally, to America.

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It was the morning of their fourth day at sea, and Nathan, having awakened suddenly, sat up. Something was different; so he shook Mary Catherine until she too, was awake. What is it, Nathan, is something wrong? No dear, at least I don’t think so, he replied. It just seems to me that we’re moving along much faster now than when we went to bed. Also, they could hear cheerfulness in the noise the crew made as they called out to each other, some of them high up in the rigging. They quickly threw on a few clothes and ran out on deck, finding more of the family looking up at the sails. The cause of all the excitement was obvious. The Catherine Ross was now running with full sail aloft, filled by a strong gale, and Captain Stuart meant to make good use of the wind while it lasted. The Clipper was moving along smartly; easily cleaving through the four-foot crests, caused by the nor’easter.

Thus far, with but one exception, the passengers had been spared the usual malady, scourge of all new seafarers; seasickness. Mary Catherine admitted to a queasy feeling for their first two days at sea, as did Lyllith, Megan, and Martha Jane, but if Roy, Riley, or John Junior, experienced similar pains, she knew they would never mention them. It’s a man’s thing, she thought. The two little girls, Sarah and Lucy, were not affected either. However, a much embarrassed, and very sick, Reverend Nathaniel Wolde, remained in his hammock, only getting up for obvious reasons. He was being ministered to by the ship’s cook, who fed him special food, including lots of bread and crackers, while assuring him the illness would run its course in a couple more days. Nathan was not reassured and felt certain he would be buried at sea. The cook, however, knew his business, and smiled a few days later, when he saw the good Reverend walking slowly on deck.

By their sixth day at sea, the passengers had developed a sort of routine, and though they might not readily admit it, were deriving a bit of pleasure from their new adventure. Quite naturally, Roy and John Junior, led by Riley, spent most of the days exploring the ship. The crew, of course, knew Riley from his two previous voyages aboard the Catherine Ross. The young man was well liked and had earned their respect. The fact that Riley was a giant of a youngster, and grandson of the owner, certainly didn’t hurt their relationship either. Now, the young baron in training was accompanied by two more giants, whom the sailors found equally as likable. Needless to say, the young men were having the time of their lives, and learning a lot about life at sea.

Nathan was much recovered and slowly regaining his strength. He was anxious to join the boys in their explorations and trying hard to put this terrible experience behind him. Ian spent most of the time in his office, up on the forecastle, looking through assorted bills of lading and invoices. Business as usual, he had told Nathan. This morning, however, he had mentioned to Nathan and Mary Catherine, that he would like to spend time after the evening meal, when they were all together, talking about Scotland, and their father’s estate. Nathan thought this was a splendid idea and said he looked forward to hearing what Ian had to say.

Mary Catherine could not help but notice that Megan and Mary Jane sought the companionship of Lyllith each day, and clung to her every word. She smiled to herself, and thought, If I’m not terribly mistaken, and I don’t think I am, those girls are trying to find out every little detail from Lyllith about her new married life. Hmm, I wonder if Megan’s got around to asking her yet if they sleep naked in each other’s arms like Esther and David. Hmm, wonder if they’d object if an old married lady joined their little group? She laughed. Whoa, I’m not sure that’s a good idea, they’d probably begin questioning me. Now wouldn’t that be strange, she thought. Shucks, I’m going to do it anyway. Megan’s read all those books Elizabeth gave her about love and romance and I might just learn something new.

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It was just after the noon mess and most of the family were on deck, when a call came from the lookout in the crow’s nest; Ship ahoy. Well now! This was definitely something new. Everybody quickly scanned the horizon, but of course, there was nothing to be seen. This created a lot of excited talking and many speculations until a deck hand walked over to the group and said it would be late afternoon of the next day before they could expect to see the sails from the forecastle. That evening, Ian said the ship could possibly be the Anne Ross, a MacTavish clipper bound for Newfoundland with a cargo consisting mainly of potatoes, Scotch whiskey, Jamaican rum, and textiles. We’ll just have to wait until the distance closes enough for them to signal us, Ian said. They’ll use mirrors if there’s sunlight, and semaphores if it’s after dark. Junior, I suppose they taught you to read these at the Point, didn’t they? Ian asked.

Yes they did, Ian, but that’s been some time ago. Do you use the standard Morse code? If so, Lyllith can probably read the flashes better than me. Roy’s good on the key and I understand Riley is too. It will be a good test for us to see how well we can do.

That’s good to know, Junior, but rest assured, Captain Stuart has some really good signalmen on board the Catherine Ross, and he’s not bad at it himself. Neither am I, I might add. Alright folks, there’s nothing more we can do about this until some time tomorrow, so let’s talk a bit about dear old Scotland, shall we? Riley, suppose you tell your family some of the things you found so different from home.

Alright, Uncle Ian, Riley answered. "First of all, it was the weather. Oh, we have plenty of cold days and nights in the mountains at home, but nothing that compares with the weather in Scotland. I didn’t understand this until I looked at Uncle Ian’s big map on the wall of his office. Scotland is much, much further north than where we live. If you drew a line straight across the ocean, you’d wind up mid-ways of Canada. You soon learn to wear warmer clothes both inside and especially, outside. I’m telling you all this so that you’ll appreciate the fact you’re arriving during summer time when the weather is equally as nice as it is bad during the winter months.

"The next thing I found difficult, was trying to carry on a conversation with a lot of the people. Oh, it’s no problem if you’re around grandpa’s estate, but if you venture about the country, you will meet those who feel Gaelic is the proper language you should speak. Well, I don’t hold that against them, it’s their country and their right as far as I’m concerned. I’ve been working on this a lot, and I’ve found that if you listen carefully, you can figure out what they are saying. Uncle Ian says that if you go up into the Highlands, you’ll find Gaelic to be about the only language they speak.

In the beginning, I formed the wrong opinion of both the people and the country. I did this because I kept trying to compare everything here to the way they were in our country. The people were strange, dressed poorly, ate some awful food, talked funny, lived in run-down shacks, and not very friendly. Then one day it came to me what I was doing, and how unfair it was. They were not different; I was the one who was different. This was their country, their roots were here, and they were living according to the customs that had been handed down from one generation to the next. But what really changed my mind was when I recalled the trip we took from the mountains of Virginia to New York City, and how amazed we were by the new things we saw. I decided then and there that I had change my attitude and try to accept their ways. I believe Uncle Ian will agree that I have done this at least moderately well. I’m not going to tell you anything about grandpa, other than say that he is everything I dreamed he would be. I’ll leave it up to all of you to make your own decisions. Momma, he is very ill but I honestly believe he has willed himself to live long enough to see you.

Riley was absolutely stunned when every one of them stood and clapped their hands together. Then his father said, Son, you did good, ain’t that right, Roy?

Yeah, Pa. I believe he’ll do, Roy replied.

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"Mary Catherine, I’m going to talk about our ancestors for perhaps half an hour this evening and then I think we’d all better turn in. Let’s discuss Portugal a bit, shall we. It plays an important role in the lives of our ancestors, going all the way back to great, great, great, grandfather Robert and how our father happens to own an estate there.

"Lets agree that our grandfather Robert was indeed a pirate, even though we know he had papers signed by an English king. Apparently, he was a very successful one too. Oh, he turned over a number of captured ships, filled with jewels and other assorted plunder, to the King, but what about the gold. It seems old Robert was enamored by it’s color and sought to keep every piece of it he could get his hands on, so we’ll just say that one day he found himself with a shipload of gold in various forms and dimensions. This was not good, but what to do about it? I’d like to think that he went into his cabin and looked at his map. Lo and behold, his eyes fell upon a tiny country called Portugal.

I’m certain he knew much about this small country because his fleet of three raiders were based in the Azores where no one had dared say ‘nay’ to him. He knew Portugal had no Army or Navy and I think he figured Spain left it alone because they believed there to be nothing of importance or value there that was worth fighting over. Oh but there was; it was the people. The Portuguese are fiercely loyal, family oriented, and live by a strict code of conduct, with honor and loyalty placed above all else. So it was to there that he sailed with his shipload of gold, to a little seaport named Porto, where the Douro River empties into the Atlantic Ocean.

Ian suddenly stood up. Whew! I’ve talked myself dry. Please excuse me for a moment while I see if I can find a steward to bring us some beverages. Gentlemen, let’s have a spot of rum, ladies, we have some fine Port you’re sure to enjoy, and I believe I can find some lemonade for the youngsters. Now, I’m off. Feel free to stir about a bit, maybe have a turn at the rail to revive yourselves.

A few minutes passed while everybody stretched, grunted, groaned, and loosened up a bit after having sat for about an hour, then walked out on deck to be refreshed by the cool ocean breeze. Two stewards, wearing white cotton uniforms, came out carrying trays with drinks for the adults, followed by Ian, carrying two tall glasses of lemonade for Sarah and Lucy. Mary Catherine, out of curiosity, asked her brother how they happened to have lemons on board a ship out in the middle of an ocean. This led to a discussion about how all citrus fruits helped prevent outbreaks of scurvy on ships that stay at sea for long periods of time.

What’s scurvy, Uncle Ian, Roy asked. Is it like being seasick?

Well Roy, Ian smiled, I’ll try to put this as nice as I can, since the ladies are present. Do you remember the first sign of seasickness your father had a few days ago?

Yeah, Uncle Ian, I think we all do. He threw up all over the place.

Alright, then here’s your answer. If you come down with scurvy, it goes out in the other direction.

Roy, you and Ian stop that talk right now, Mary Catherine exclaimed, unless you’d like a demonstration right here in front of everybody, about seasickness, I mean.

Ian, I’d like to say something about this rum, if I may, before we go back inside. Of course, I’d never tasted rum in my whole life, so I started out with just a little sip. Aside from being very strong, it was rather pleasant, but the puzzling thing was, it had a sort of familiar taste. All of a sudden, it came to me. It was in the fruitcake I liked so well in New York. I recall you saying that. Patrick told me rum was made from molasses. Is that true?

I suppose you could say that. Rum and molasses are both made from the juice squeezed out of cane, and cooked. That is all you have to do to make molasses, but for rum, you have to take the process a few steps further. Shall we go back inside and continue, or am I boring you all too much with my tale?

Oh no, Ian, Mary Catherine responded, I find your story to be very intriguing. Are you sure you’re not just making this up for my benefit?

No, dear sister, I am confident this is a true story, and I am telling it to you the same way it was told to me by our father and my grandfather, when I was a wee bairn. I don’t believe you know this, but my mother was a Portuguese Dona. For some reason, father always called her Julianne, though her name was really Anne Leigh. For years, I never knew why until I read the letters written by Sylvester Rothchild. He really loved your mother, Mary Catherine.

Oh Ian, I didn’t know. This must be painful for you. Maybe it’s best we just forget about grandfather Robert and all his gold, Mary Catherine said.

I’m alright with this, Mary Catherine, but I tell you what I’ll do. I’ll skip all the lurid details, and give you a general idea of how things moved through the generations till I get up to our own. How about that, Nathan? Is that alright with you and you too, Mary Catherine?

I think that’s a good idea, Ian, Nathan said.

"Now, I think we can all figure out that grandfather Robert needed to get all this gold, shall we say, ‘melted’, and made into bars of a specific size and weight. He knew some type of a forge would be needed to do this, and thought a local blacksmith might be the first person he should seek out. He did not get to leave his ship, for a giant of a man had just come on board, demanding to see the Captain.

Tomas Munoz was a huge man of middle age, fierce in appearance, and loud of voice. In fact, it would be a kindness to say the man was ugly. However, Munoz controlled everything that went on north of Lisbon, and was not accustomed to being ordered about by a mere human. He was shocked beyond words when grandfather Robert told him, get the hell off my ship’. The fight that ensued was talked about for years, but the friendship that grew from it lasted until their deaths. First, Dom Tomas Munoz, and later, grandfather Robert.

"We know they made a deal for grandfather to off-load his gold at Porto onto river barges belonging to Munoz because that’s what took place. The barges then disappeared up the river, which curved around behind the mountains. When they came back a month or so later, they were loaded with gold ingots. Now, pay attention to this. There was no record made of the amount of gold that was loaded on the barges, and no one counted the number of bars off-loaded from the barges onto our grandfather’s ship.

"Grandfather had a wife and two sons who lived in grand style, somewhere in London. I believe he felt it necessary to maintain some sense of presence at court, and he could swap tales with his Navy cronies over a pint in the alehouses. Sadly, I do not know the name of our grandmother, but the two boys were named David and Edward. Again, I do not know if grandfather planned their futures, but Edward, who later became known as Eduardo, sailed aboard his father’s ship. When his father died, Edward was ready to quit the sea. He married the youngest Munoz daughter, Gabriela, and her dowry was a beautiful home on an estate thirty miles east of Lisbon, overlooking the Tagus River. That estate still belongs to the MacTavish family.

"David MacTavish was in his late teens when grandfather realized the young lad was a whiz about money matters, much like, I suspect, our Michael O’Connor. We don’t know now just exactly where the old codger was storing all that gold, but we do know that it eventually made its way to Scotland. On one of his father’s visits home, David persuaded his father to go with him to the Firth of Tay and the North Sea village of Dundee, Scotland. Once again, Mary Catherine, there are no written records of how all this came about, so the story that has been passed down through the generations is one of many speculations, but grandfather wound up with a lot of good land having many tenants, a prosperous ship-building business, a moderately good house, and a title.

"The MacTavish empire, as we know it today, began with a meeting between David, Edward, or Eduardo, as he was more commonly known, and Dom Tomas Munoz’s oldest son, Sergio. When grandmother passed away, grandfather Robert slowly and carefully disappeared from London, and stayed with David at Dundee if his business brought him to Scotland. So you see, it was David’s brilliance that really brought the family name into a prominence that has been carefully nurtured by each new generation of financial experts, while Eduardo and Sergio built a substantial business in shipping and trading.

Sister, now do you see how Portugal figures so prominently in the history of our family?

Yes, of course I do, she said, but it still seems to me as if all this we have now came about because grandfather Robert stole a lot of gold.

Excuse me, came from John Junior. Mary Catherine, let me tell you what happened to Lyllith’s father, Lew, when he and the two boys were tearing down buildings in Philadelphia. One of the boys, I don’t remember which; found a leather pouch hidden between the walls of a building he was tearing down. The pouch contained a substantial sum of money in gold coin, in fact, the King’s Sovereigns. There was absolutely no way to determine who owned the pouch, and it was a godsend to Lew, so he used the money to buy a home for his family. Did he do wrong? No, I don’t think so. The first person he approached to ask about it, would have claimed it as his own, don’t you think? So you see, I don’t think any one of us should pass judgment on your grandfather after all these years. Besides, who would you give the money back to, Mary Catherine?

I agree, Junior, Nathan said. Your partner, Mister David Sullivan, has a good way of explaining this type of thing. He says, ‘it falls into the gray area’ but he never says just exactly what the ‘gray area’ is.

Alright folks, I believe that’s enough for tonight. I hope it’s not been too boring, but I felt it was important for you to know how it all began. Now that you do, we can move along a bit faster. I’ll see you all at breakfast in the morning, first light.

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One of the things that had caught Nathan’s interest was the amount of space set aside by the builder to provide quarters for passengers, and in particular, how every foot of it had been utilized in a practical way. He mentioned this to Ian, who said that good paying passengers often made the difference between profit and loss on a voyage, a fact he was sure David had pointed out to Sergio and Eduardo. Nathan said he could understand that, and further commented that although someone had done a good job of planning, there two things he did not understand. First of all, why are the sleeping quarters below the main deck where it gets pretty hot in spite of the overhead grill openings, and why aren’t there walls separating the sleeping compartments, with doors on their entrances?"

Ian chuckled at his brother in law’s concerns. "Nathan, you are truly a ‘landlubber’, which, of course, is no discredit to you, so let me explain. You realize the Catherine Ross was built many years ago, and there were concerns back then that no longer exist. For reasons of safety, all sleeping quarters are below deck, except for those of the Captain, First Mate, the Super Cargo, and on-duty watch members. When a watch finishes its tour, they simply swap quarters with the new watch coming on duty.

"Among other things, a shipbuilder is concerned with two very important ones; weight and balance, so the absence of all the framing and doors saved considerably on the weight of the ship, while its absence made her less top-heavy. As for the heat, well Nathan, I owe all of you an apology. We have a sort of a scoop that mounts on top of the grills, pointing toward the bow. Simply put, they catch the cool air as the ship moves forward, and literally shoots if right down into your quarters. I promise you, I’ll have this taken care immediately.

Nathan, we seldom have a reason to pay much attention to the privacy of our passengers. Women and children on board, are rare, and I confess I didn’t give your family’s much of a thought, other than that you all would lower the canvas if you felt the need to do so. Something else is bothering you, brother, now why don’t you tell me what it is?

Well Ian, I got a whole bunch of things bothering me, but none of them is any fault of yours. The first night, when we’d hardly got out of that, uh, Chesapeake Bay into the ocean, I embarrassed my whole family and myself by throwing up all over my poor wife and everything around us. Ian, I just couldn’t stop it coming up. What if Mary Catherine had been sleeping with her head in the same direction as mine? It would all have landed right in her face, and Ian, I don’t even want to think about that. She told me from now on, she was sleeping in the top hammock and she didn’t care how hard I said it was to get up there. It’s sorta’ funny in a way, don’t you think? How in the world do you think she happened to be sleeping with her head the opposite of mine? Somehow I don’t recall her getting in the hammock that way.

Ian almost choked, and began coughing.

What’s the matter with you Ian? I don’t think I said anything wrong or funny, Nathan asked."

I’m alright, Nathan. I just half-way choked myself trying to keep from laughing. I was sure that if I did, you’d punch me right on the nose. Still fighting for control, facing a very puzzled Nathan Wolde, Ian continued. "What I’m going to tell you is not going to make you feel better about what happened, but it might help you understand why it did.

"To my knowledge, doctors have not been able to come up with a specific reason why some people get seasick, and others don’t. Oh, some doctors have sent written opinions to the medical societies, only to have others claim they’re untrue, and submit some of their own. My father has one based on his experiences, and I rather believe he might be right. He gets sick just thinking about getting on board a ship.

"Father says a man with strong convictions about controlling his life, perhaps a leader of men, but certainly a man accustomed to being in charge, more or less orders himself not to become seasick, not realizing that he is setting himself up to be a prime candidate to get sick. He claims the person has convinced himself that seasickness would make him appear a weaker person than someone not affected. He also says people who simply ignore it, or those with a devil-may-care attitude, are less likely to become sick.

"Now hold on a minute, Nathan, I’ve not quite finished. Bays are notorious for the roughness of their waters, and the Chesapeake is no exception. Simply think of it as the rush of a strong tide incoming from the ocean, and the bay throwing it right back out where it belongs. You wouldn’t have noticed the difference, having just come aboard, but we bounced around a lot more than, if we had been further out in the Atlantic. Do you understand what I’m getting at?

I have another confession to make, Reverend. I suspected what happened to you, might happen, so I’m the one told my sister if she wound up sleeping in the lower hammock, to be sure to sleep with her head at the opposite end from yours. I did not make any explanation for this, but I believe now she’s figured it out for herself.

I think there is a lot of truth in what the Baron says, Ian. As a matter of fact, Senator Willey and I were talking about this trip a few weeks ago, and I mentioned to him that I got sick crossing the Monongahela in a longboat. I kept telling myself that I must not get sick and look like a weakling before my family, and just look what happened. I promise you one thing, Ian, if I don’t get sick coming home, the sea will not get another crack at me. I’m going to be a confirmed, what did you call me? Ah, a landlubber, that’s me. Oh, and another thing that bothers me is being closed up down there with nary a window to look out of. I suppose that’s another weakness on my part.

Nathan, let me assure you, these are not weaknesses you’re talking about. It’s just the way some of us are. There are many, many other people who share these same feelings with you. What say I get us a spot of that rum? That’ll clear your head.

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Mary Catherine poked her head over the edge of the hammock, and looked down at her husband. Psst! Nathan, are you awake? Nathan didn’t respond at once, so she tried again. Nathan, you’re not feeling sick again are you?

No Mary Catherine, I’m not sick. I’ve just been laying here kind of taking stock of things and feeling sorry for myself, I reckon. Apparently, you can’t go to sleep either, so why don’t you climb back down here and we’ll sit and talk a bit, though I’m not sure we can sit on this hammock. These things seem to have a mind of their own.

Well, you’re certainly right about me not being able to go to sleep, and probably about sitting on a hammock too. I’ve been pondering all that stuff Ian told us while ago. Give me a minute to get turned around and find the ladder with my foot. I’ll have to come down backwards Nathan, so you better stand down there at the bottom of it and be ready to catch me.

She had backed down two steps when Nathan gave out a low whistle, causing her to pause. Nathan, what’s wrong with you? You’ll wake the others. What are you whistling about anyway down there in the dark?

It’s not that dark down here, my dear wife, and I whistled because of the view I got of your behind coming down them steps backwards.

Mary Catherine started giggling. Just for that, my big, handsome, husband, I’m fixing to let go of this hand rail and you better catch me, cause I might just pull that canvas across the entrance and give you a better look. But no more whistling.

Nathan feigned outrage, and was trying to think of some outlandish reply, when she landed in his arms with a thump. He was still trying when Mary Catherine put her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly on the lips. After he recovered a little, he managed to impart this bit of wisdom. You’re a wonderful, crazy woman, who never ceases to amaze me, and I’m sure glad someone had the foresight to hang tarpaulins between the sleeping quarters. This brought on more giggling and Mary Catherine pushed her face against Nathan’s chest to muffle the sound of it.

On the first attempt at sitting, they tried it standing side by side, and both sat down at the same time, but wound up with their rumps on the deck, making a loud noise. Arising, they gave each other a quick glance, desperate to keep from laughing out loud. Nathan, whispering now, You hold this dang thing still and let me see if I can get seated on it. My legs are long enough so I can keep my feet on the deck and hold it so you can sit down.

Well, it worked, and finally they were both sitting side by side, though a bit precariously. Dear, I don’t suppose I have to remind you not to lean backwards, cause if you do, this fool contraption is going to dump us right back down there on the deck again. And for heavens sake, please don’t get me started laughing, or the same thing’s liable to happen.

Oh hush, Nathan. This is the most excitement me and you’ve had so far. Let’s just pretend we’re sitting in the swing on our front porch, talking about things. I promise I won’t lean backwards.

You’re right, as usual, dear. I admit it was all good fun, but I’d like another promise from you. Don’t mention this to Lucy and Martha, cause they’ll tell Patrick, who’ll inform the rest of the world.

Oh I’ve no problem giving you my word on that, but you’d better speak to ‘little miss big ears’ I hear snickering next door. Now, tell me what was keeping you awake before this all started.

Well dear, the past few days, I’ve been paying more attention to the sailors, and trying to get a handle on all the things I see them doing. Do you know, I don’t believe I’ve seen a one of them walk. They run, Mary Catherine, scurrying around all about the ship. And the ones, way up there high, in the rigging, they call it, I’ve seen them climb a rope, and a couple of times, swing from one cross-bar to another on a rope. I wonder if I could do any of that?

It makes me happy to hear you talk like that, Nathan, but maybe you’d better not set your sights so high. I get dizzy just thinking about climbing a rope. How those poor men way up there in the ‘crow’s nest’ stand it, I don’t know, especially with the ship swaying the way it does.

"It’s odd, Mary Catherine, heights don’t bother me at all, but I’m not sure about the swaying motion, so I guess you’re right. I’m going up to the forecastle with the boys tomorrow and look for that other ship. I’m learning, Mary Catherine, and I find it all very interesting. I discovered the Captain can turn his sails to better catch the force of the wind without changing the direction the ship’s going. I’ve heard people, who roam around a lot say, when somebody asks where they’re going next, ‘whichever way the wind’s blowing’. Maybe it was a sailor who came up with that answer.

Nathan, I’m truly glad you’ve taking such an interest in everything. Why, we’re making history for our family. Who would ever thought something like this would happen to us? Now, let me share something with you that bothers me. I believe some sort of trouble is brewing, and I think we’re going to find out about it tomorrow. Don’t you think it’s a bit odd for two ships to meet each other in the middle of the ocean? And I don’t think the two captains just want to say ‘howdy’ to each other. No, I believe there’s more to it than that, don’t you?

Mary Catherine, I know you very well. You’re not claiming it’s some sort of a conspiracy, so it must be like a premonition that you have on your mind set on, so let’s hear it, dear.

It’s the weather. The other Captain is going to warn us we’re heading into a storm.

Nathan was stunned, almost beyond words. "Mary Catherine, listen to me. Before you leaned over and asked me if I was awake, I had been lying in that blasted hammock thinking that something different was going on with our ship. It seemed to me that every so often, we surged forward, and then slacked off. I immediately thought of the wind, as if maybe we were getting stronger gusts after nightfall, but that didn’t make a lot of sense. I even thought about getting out of that contraption and finding my watch, to see how much time there was between the gusts. Then I thought, what’s that going to tell me, so I just laid there.

Suddenly, it occurred to me that something else was also different; it was the ship’s motion. See, I told you I’d been paying more attention to what goes on. Earlier, it seemed to me, the ship would rise and fall as it crossed the swells, but now there was a kind of a rolling motion too. This made me think that maybe the Captain had changed his course a bit in order to get closer to the other ship. Does this make sense to you, Mary Catherine?

Of course it does, Nathan, and the other Captain is probably doing the same thing, if they intend to signal each other somehow. You surprise me dear, and I’m proud of you. And a bit worried too. I admit it’s all frightening me a little, and Nathan, I don’t want to climb back up there and be by myself. Do you think we could both fit on this contraption, as you call it? I want to stay down here with you.

Mary Catherine, if we can’t fit on here somehow, we’ll just pull off the blankets and pillows and sleep on the deck. I know this won’t ease your worries, but Captain Stuart has sailed the Catherine Ross to the four corners of the world, and in all kinds of weather too. I’m sure he knows a lot more about our situation than we do, and is already making plans to cope with it, that is, if you’re right in what you’re thinking. At the worst, I fear we will get bounced around a lot till we fight our way through it. Oh Lord, Mary Catherine, do you think I’ll get seasick again?

Nathan, promise me you won’t say anything about this to the family. They’ll only start worrying too, and what about poor John Junior. You know his grandparents were lost at sea. He needs to stay strong for Lyllith. Dear, before we close our eyes, I want you to pray real hard for all of us.

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It was a sleepy, tousle-headed bunch of yawning passengers who showed up for breakfast. Ian, who slept in the officer’s quarters, was up much earlier, had washed up and dressed in a white uniform as befitting his position on board ship. Nathan rushed out on deck, looked skyward, then breathed a sigh of relief when he saw nothing but millions of tiny stars, shining brightly.

Momma, Martha Jane and Megan told me and Roy you and Papa slept on the deck last night. What happened, Momma? Did you fall out of your hammock? Riley asked.

This caused a lot of snickering and giggling from the girls, and some strange looks from the boys.

.That’s none of your business, Mister Smarty-Pants, Mary Catherine retorted sharply, but not quick enough to hide the smile that blossomed on her red face. She was remembering what had transpired between she and her husband soon after his prayer for their safety. Nathan had said later, Well my dear, I believe we now have another experience worthy of inclusion in our family history book. Or maybe this was a dream she’d had?

You’d best pay attention to your food, Riley; it might be a while before you eat again, Look how everything’s sliding all over the table already. Ian, why are we bouncing around so much this morning? Nathan said all he could see was stars when he ran up on deck. Mary Catherine was not surprised to see her oldest daughter and Megan sort of smirking, but when she looked toward Lyllith, she saw nothing but pure admiration on her face.

Sister, Captain Stuart altered our course ten degrees north-northwest to bring us closer to the track of the other sail. Instead of hitting the swells head on and going over them, we are now crossing them at an angle, causing the Catherine Ross to roll a bit.

Nathan poked his wife in the ribs with his elbow, bringing forth a nod and a smile. Looking down the table at Ian, he asked, Ian, the other afternoon when you and I were talking about the passenger’s quarters, you mentioned a Super-Cargo. I’d never heard the name before, and wondered at the time if it was a person, a thing, or maybe a place, but failed to question you about it. Is this something you can tell us about? I don’t mean to pry, in case it’s a company matter and really none of my business.

Nathan, I should have explained it at the time, but I’ll be happy to do so now. The ship’s Captain is responsible for its over-all welfare, and I believe you can all see this is a full time job. There are many, many, things he has to do, so most ship owners do not want to further burden him with looking after the cargo, or the documents that are needed in order to deal with brokers and customs agents. Thus, another person, called the Super-Cargo rides along with whatever is being transported. I’m not sure when this practice began, but someone made a good decision. The person aboard our ship is Miguel Cardosa, whose great, great, great, grandfather was none other than the Tomas Munoz I told you about last night. Miguel has two cousins who ship aboard the Anne Ross and the Mary Ross.

Uncle Ian, this from Roy, It sort of sounds like these Portuguese fellers are on our ships to keep us from stealing their goods, and make sure we keep a proper account of the money we get when it’s delivered. Is that true?

Good point, Roy. Apparently, John Wilson’s taught you well. No, that’s not the true purpose of it, but you’re not entirely wrong either. First of all, Super Cargos are a tremendous help to both the Captain of the ship, and its owner, and there’s one other person involved here too; he’s the owner of the goods. Most times, that’s MacTavish, but we also transport goods for various traders and brokers too. The Super-Cargo must be a man of good repute, and definitely very smart. It’s a godsend if he can speak several languages. All three of our Super-Cargos are bonded by a maritime insurer in London, who also covers our ships and cargo. Are you beginning to get a glimpse of just how huge and complicated MacTavish is, Mary Catherine?

Ian, you should have asked that question of Roy, she replied. My husband gave me some good advice when we were all trying to decide what to do for the victims of that terrible flood. He said a good leader surrounds him or herself with good, honest and capable people, tells them what’s to be done, then gets out of their way and lets them do their job. So tell Roy; he’s one of my people. And sitting there next to him is Mister Wilson Junior. I personally heard you say these two young men would move mountains, if necessary; to do what needed to be done. Furthermore, my brother, Nathan told me one time that I was a Baroness, and all I needed to do was lie in bed, eat grapes, and tell other people what to do. So there. Suppose you tell me what’s really going on between these two ships.

Mary Catherine, what you are asking me falls under the realm of the Captain’s responsibility. In a sense, you might say that I am his boss, and wonder why don’t I just tell him to come down here and answer your question. That would be a breach of discipline on my part and seriously affect our relationship. In my opinion, Captain Thomas is one of the finest skippers out here sailing the oceans. He’s probably waiting until he has more information before speaking to us. Don’t worry overmuch sister, you’re in good hands.

Momma, what are you talking about? Riley asked. Me, Roy, and Junior roamed all over this ship yesterday and the only thing that we noticed different was the wind seemed stronger; and Momma, I can assure you that’s a whole lot better than having none at all. I bet you’re worrying that the other ship is going to give us some bad news. Well, so be it. Isn’t it better to be forewarned than to go blindly into a bad situation. That’s why they’re training me to be scout in the Guards.

Riley, have you grown up so much in the past several months that you’re now giving advice to your mother? Yes, I suppose you have, and I believe what you told me, so thank you, son. Now, I think we’d all better go clean up and get dressed. You men do something with yourselves while us ladies go make ourselves look worthy of your attention.

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Riley, what have you three got in mind to do this morning? Ian asked.

Nothing really, Uncle Ian. We’ll most likely wander around a bit, and try to stay out of everybody’s way.

Riley, his father said, I’d like to go with you all if you don’t mind.

Sure Papa that would be fine. It’ll give us something to do. We’ll show you around the ship and explain things to you that we’ve learned about.

I have a suggestion for you, Riley, Ian said. I happen to know Miguel plans to go down to the hold today and make sure all the cargo is tied down in case we do run into rough weather. I believe he’d be happy to have some company down there. Would you like for me to speak to him for you all? I’m going up to see Captain Stuart right now while everyone’s getting dressed, so hang around close until I get back.

Papa, lets go up on deck. I want to see if the wind can blow the cobwebs outta’ my head, Roy said. Why’s Momma so scared, Papa? She’s got me thinking she’s afraid we’re heading toward a bad storm, or something. What do you reckon makes her feel that way?

You ought to know by now, son, that your mother occasionally gets these ‘feelings’ that something’s going to happen. Premonitions, Roy, that’s what Albert told her was what they’re called. Anyhow, she thinks the Captain of that other ship is going to tell us we’re sailing into one of them hurricanes.

Riley and John Junior were standing close enough to hear what Nathan had told Roy. Riley said, "Papa, if what you just told Roy comes true, we all better be careful what we do or say around Momma. Why, she’d be like one of them fortune tellers Patrick’s always talking about. What do you think, Junior?

Well, he said, looking all around, and then up at the sky, there’s nothing I see that makes me think we’re close to a storm, but I gotta’ tell you, there’s something about your mother that makes you believe anything she says is the truth. On the other hand, I don’t see any of the ship’s crew acting like they’re excited about anything.

Boys, Nathan said, I feel sure Ian knows more than he’s letting on. I can understand him not wanting to get on the wrong side of Captain Stuart, but didn’t it strike you all as a bit unusual that this feller, Miguel, all of a sudden wants to make sure his cargo is all tied down good and tight? I believe I’m going to stay up here in the air and you all can go down, wherever it is he’s going, if you still want to. I’m not taking any chances of getting sick again.

That’s probably a good decision, Papa, Riley said. That must be Miguel now, and shucks, we all know who he is. I mean, we didn’t know he was a Super Cargo feller, but we’ve been all over the ship with him, and talked a lot. He’s funny, Papa. A lot of the crew are Portuguese, did you know that?

No I didn’t, son, but it makes sense, don’t it? Ian showed me where Portugal was on his map, and it just sort of sticks right out there in the ocean. Stands to reason, people living there would know a lot more about sailing than us folks raised way over there in the middle of the mountains.

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The two men approached where he and the lads were standing, and Nathan knew right away that he was going to like Miguel; even before a word had been spoken. He looked to be about five feet, eight or nine inches tall, stocky build, very muscular, but what sold Nathan was when the biggest, friendliest, and warmest smile he’d ever seen, spread all across the young man’s face.

He put his hand on Ian’s arm, stopping him, then chuckled. I know thees gints, Ian, dey foller me all over, he said, waving his arms. "Dey talk, talk, talk. Why, why, why. What, what, what. I don