Captain Kismias Journey to Skeleton Island

By Wilma Sheltman

Living his life on a Texas plantation off the Gulf of Mexico in 1840; Captain Roderick Kismias finds the pleasure of being summoned by King Felipe of Spain. There to travel and finding a hidden treasure. Captain Kismias is a handsome young man with many attributes to offer in the journey set ahead of him. Being handsome with dark piercing eyes, a muscular cow boyish physique; besides his ability to steer wrestle cattle, while managing a thousand acre ranch outside of Houston, Texas. Capable of managing the overall functioning of a massive ship named the Spanish mermaid, Spains finest ship sent to find a remedy to Spains financial spoil should this journey fail.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: May 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781496906076

Wilma Sheltman

Wilma loves writing for the Savior. Wilma has published three other works before this one. Being retired, she remembers being a worker in America all her life. Therefore, spending her life in the workforce of America, she feels she has earned her retirement. Wilma shares the fact that she has always been a taxpaying American. Wilma has two beautiful daughters and five loving grandchildren. Being a Christian and serving the Lord diligently, Wilma cherishes her daily walk with Jesus. Living in a small community called Athens, Texas, Wilma loves the seclusion offered by living in the country setting of her home nestled behind eighty large oak and some hickory trees. Wilma is living a quiet comfortable life, finding inspiration while swinging in her old wooden yard swing. Living in this beautifully secluded area, a country-type place, Wilma writes at her home in East Texas. Wilma delves deep inside herself, pulling from life experiences. Writing this book while separating the mystical from reality, Wilma lays out her unusually personal experience.

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© 2014 Wilma Sheltman. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 04/21/2014

ISBN: 978-1-4969-0608-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-0607-6 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHARACTERS

OVERVIEW

1. BOARDING THE SHIP

2. MEETING KING FELIPE

3. FIRST ISLAND STOP

4. LICE AND SECRETS

5. BATTLE AT SEA

6. THE OCTAPUS

7. GOLIADS STOAWAY

8. STOPPING IN JAMAICA

9. FINDING A WOMAN

10. THE STORM

11. SCOUTING THE ISLAND

12. TRAVELING TO THE MOUNTAIN

13. FINDING THE TREASURE

14. MOVING THE TREASURE

15. CAMPING ON THE BEACH

16. CHARTERING A COURSE TO GO HOME

17. TREATUROUS WATERS

18. MEETING THE KING AGAIN

19. THE KINGS BANQUET

20. HISTORICAL CONTENT

CHARACTERS

Captain Kismias—Named Roderick Kismias, Handsome adventurous young man in his thirties, standing about six feet tall, dark hair with piercing dark eyes. With an exceptional charismatic personality; being an honest young man with an enormous sense of pride and Professionalism in manning a ship. He is a stunningly handsome a man you’d ever see!! He has a brilliant mind and a sweet tender temperament. He is strong willed and he has sometimes let that will cloud his judgment.

But he has grown into an amazing young man; a wonderful person and blessed to have been called to Captain the Spanish mermaid ship.

King Felipe of Spain—Sire of Spain world Spain and her kings and their mighty force of ships carried their Catholic forces with them. Most 17 Th. century fighting ships were dominated by Catholics and believers in Jesus Christ traveling the Oceans. Many ships were taking Gold and valuables, such as spices fine silks and linens or Spain’s pottery, across the South Atlantic through a route that would place a lot of Spain’s ships in the South Atlantic as ship wrecks. King Felipe reign has the country in shambles financially. Knowing all well he will have to come up with a solution to save his mighty Spain. Indeed he does need a Kings Ransom should war with another Country break out.

Felincia—Princess to the throne in Spain who visits her cousin in Jamaica. Beauty beyond compare. Felincia comes from a legacy of royalty in Spain. Her skin, hair and figure are only a few of her many assets. Princess Felincia was educated in private schools in Spain and Jamaica. Princess Felincia will take over the crown of Spains’ King Felipe should he ever step from royalty.

Crewmen and their parts in the journey;

Goliad—First mate to Captain Kismias.

Benny—Scout on board ship and any island they make port in

Marichael-Voyage communication expert makes all the announcements there getting everyone into place when orders are given.

Jekeleye—lookout man on board ship and any pace the crew venture into. This amazing man can handle anything command handed to him aboard ship. First hand man to Goliad and Captain Kismias. Running the catchy parts of the commands by the upper class officers he finds the ones who can perform those duties he has no time for. the ship is first and being a body guard to the upper class officers comes into play.

Cabin Boy—Attends to all the personal needs of the upper class aboard ship-First being Captain Kismias

Scruffy—Has a keen sense of smell, that he should his nose is excessively large for his face . . . Scruffy comes from an area where fish and game are in abundance and he was raised to smell out the nests of alligators. Growing up from a child in southern Louisiana by the marsh lands of the everglades he has lived many ways in his lifetime. His family always told him that big nose will make you a living someday and sure enough the Spanish Mermaid Ship has become his livelihood.

Bobory—Crewman . . . Bobory—begins to climbs the masts and keeps a watch out with the other crewmembers. Those that have the sails in mind because they can fly across the mast like trapeze artists. Besides he keeps the rest of the crew that is up-top the ship masts in line.

Eaglesore-Worker aboard ship, an old Comanche Indian from Texas dresses in leather chaps that flop when he walks and carrying a tomahawk for his weapon of choice. He wears a scalbert brown leather handle, wrapped bowie knife with eagle feathers dangling beside his leg. He has long braided hair with feathers strewn through the braids. Living in Oklahoma and that area draws him to be speaking the language of the Comanche Indians. Half the time not many aboard ship can understand him, but his hand gestures come in handy.

Rico—murderer.

Old Flying Dutchman-Roustabout aboard ship, coming from abroad some say he is from Sweden and that is where he got his name. black hair and dark eyes and very light skin. I wonder if he could be from Ireland. Old Flying Dutchman professes that he is German and Black Dutch that the name is from.

Wimpy—Shy crewman who is hardly ever seen, this man hides from everyone, seems he has a disorder that causes his face to be red when people speak to him. This in turn causes him to hide from anyone who looks straight at him.

Tumbleweed—Travels from seaport to seaport to help in manning ships. He is a skinny man with a singing and picking a guitar talent. This man can think up a song before you know it. Placed in a situation he carrying his guitar everywhere he goes aboard ship and otherwise.

Ballard—Marksman, Seems Ballard can shoot the eyes out of a nat. Carrying a great legacy as a marksman has placed him aboard the Spanish mermaid. Ballard carrys his weaponry upon his body at all times. He holsters a derringer pistol in his boot and carrying a holstered bowie knife in the other boot. Upon his hip he is carrying a double mounted black powder pistols, with hammerhead knockers on them. Across his back is a long sword with sketching of his lifetime engraved upon the sides of the blade. In his hat of brown he hides a spinet in the hatband. Then he has a loaded gun mounted in a holster inside his vest. Wearing leather clothing he finds it east to carry such armory upon himself.

OVERVIEW

An American cowboy trained to Captain a ship in the mid 18Th. Century. Crippled at sea while aboard a ship. Traveling for King Felipe of Spain Through the years, he finds the life of the American Indian’s, the Hispanic’s, the life of colored slaves and finally he finds the love of his life. His name is Captain Kismias of the Weatherberry plantation on the outskirts of recently named Houston, Texas. Finding himself, personally while surrounded by some of his best friends upon a ships voyage traveling within the spice route of the Atlantic Ocean. Crewmen named Woodwind and Thunderbolt are some who travel with Captain Kismias across the high seas. Awakened by his own snoring, Sinior! You need to wake up, you too loud. opening his eyes and hearing horses snorting, looking toward the ocean seeing the most beautiful princess, that he claimed, riding her black stallion. A few other women accompany her on horseback, smiling she turns toward Captain. My! Thought is, I might get lucky. With that in mind blushingly standing to his feet while stumbling, watching her looking back at him. Oh! Can this be happening?’ Walking out toward the beach, removing his shirt, acting like he is going swimming, trying to deceive her. Stumbling in the sand, with his bummed up wooden foot attached to his leg. Thinking she might get offended by such a strap on his leg. Hell she is still looking and smiling too. Removing his musket and sword wading non—shilantly into the waters edge. Turning looking down the beach she appears to be riding back toward him. Daring not to look up to soon, looking down at the waving motion, Captain steps out a little farther to lure her to him. Water covers his lower leg and she has her horse pass him by, splashing water upon him. Thinking she was coming to see him. Notwithstanding she went past him toward the end of the beach cove, peering back from afar. Peeping up yet flabbergasted he hears the horse coming back.Whew! Proudly, lowering, his head down never looking up at her coming toward him, yet snickering beneath his breath. Suddenly a horse’s leg appears beside him. Pretending he suspiciously raise’s up his brow, staring into the face of a beautiful creature as God ever created. Reminiscent of younger days while opening gape mouthed, Hello, Sinyorita, he clamors.Dumbfounded he starts saying, Hello! Smilingly she pulls the horse reigns up turning counterclockwise. The stallions head swishes past his face, throwing the white foamy froth from his mouth onto Captain shirt front. Who are you she asked? Captain Kismias he jests. As the black stallion stammers out a snort while stepping backwards, while she pulls the horses head back, tightening the reigns. Slapping the leather strap onto the horses butt, her beauty stuck inside his head. She rides in a fury down the beach as fast as her horse can run. She is evaluating me, Swearing . . . , Captain said, aloud to himself. Watching from the corner of his eye, I’ll not let her see me wanting her, he thought. Suddenly she disappeared in the distance as if the sand swallowed her up, like a mirage. Pulling hard as he can his wooden foot is hung in the deep sand. He is almost falling down, dam the water is covering him, pulling and pulling the sand finally, with some suction, releases the strapped foot. Walking gimp legged back from the waters edge. Walking slowly down the beach thinking about the rest of the journey and drying his wooden foot. Even though, memorizing the treasure map on the bottom of his bright green inscribed carved wooden foot, yet weary of it fading in the salt water. Walking back to the red tavern finding him self, lying in the loft soft hay. Resting again seems the night here was spent uselessly can not remember, if I performed well or not. Suppose it don’t matter anyway she probably won’t be coming back here, yet do vaguely remember yelling out, yippie y yaw! last night. Then falling to the floor slowly kind of like fainting, whew we!" Oh

Chapter One

BOARDING THE SHIP

Dusting off the last of the dust from his ejection from the hay wagon, Kismias walks up the gangplank that leads onboard the Spanish Mermaid ship, his movement filled with purpose. After all, a call to the service of the King builds a man’s self-esteem; but there is also a taunt nervousness in his shoulders as he gazes across the massive wooden ship’s decking. There is an air of excitement, and Kismias marvels at such an outpouring of acknowledgement from the King’s crewmen who are covering the boardwalk. Excellent seamen, they are loading the ship at portside, many of them sending curious looks in the direction of the vessel’s captain. All this recognition coming from the King’s crewmen places Kismias self esteem even higher, if possible.

Captain Kismias slowly steps onto the narrow walkway, placing his hand upon the post of the heavily roped guard railing turning he stares cross the docking port of this massively beautiful sailing vessel. This should be quite a voyage, he thought with a twinkle in his eye. Astounded he mumbles quietly, This ship is magnificent!!! His hand falls upon the decorated metal hilt of the sword dangling from his waist as he smiles.

In all reality, Captain Kismias realizes the peculiarity of his last voyage and knows that he should have been ashamed of himself. Raising his left brow Captain Kismias realizes that he has been blessed by being selected the captain of this magnificent vessel.

His Majesty King Felipe will never know how impoverished I have lived during my lifetime, he said quietly again to no one in particular. Nothing to do with my upbringing on the plantation, he clarified, but impoverished upon my last voyage. Should this ever be known he would jail me right here in Spain, then surely I’d be torn apart, quicker than you can say scat.

Troubling memories return of the last voyage when he and his crew had almost starved to death before finding landfall. During that time, Kismias learned to read a compass properly. The crew ate grains called shorts, made up of left over wheat, barley and rye, which are usually fed to hogs.

The journey seemed to last forever. Most of the meat they had taken in stores had been eaten after about three months at sea. Then the crew started complaining about worms in the shorts. Weevils filled all the shorts, so many the crew members boiled them to kill the pests, then made a pancake from the clean shorts. The worm hulls remained within the skillet-fried pancakes, and the crew called the hollow worm skin meat and gobbled them down.

Hunger will make a man do strange things. Fortunately, Kismias had never been on a voyage where the crew ate their fellow sailors. Shaking his head to clear it, he realized that those memories should be farthermost from his mind right now. He had jumped ship to come to the service of King Felipe and even now was holding the King’s orders within his grasp. An anonymous courier had delivered the orders aboard his last ship.

As he stands there, surveying the ship and all of the preparation for its departure, reality strikes. Being asked to enter into the service of His Majesty King Felipe, the Sire of Spain is a magnificent honor for any captain.

His Majesty King Felipe of Spain requested I treasure hunt for him, Kismias said, again to himself. He was delighted and honored to be asked to travel the seas for Spain’s King Felipe. He knew that he could never hope to fill the shoes of Captain Christopher Columbus, who had sailed for the former Kings of Spain around later part 1400’s, before King Felipe’s reign.

Peering across the Port of Spain he could easily see a Hispanic-looking crew of about one hundred and seventy five men lined up to man this massive ship, most summoned by the crown.

Signing the men aboard should take up most of today, he reasons since the possible crewmen stand lined farther across the bay area than expected. Some of King Felipe’s crewmen from His Majesty’s Royal Navy are signing the ones needed on the roustabout sheet, in sight of the Spanish Mermaid ship. Several men sign an (x) written in their own style on the bounty sheet.

Gazing upon the signees, Kismias sees a parrot perched upon the shoulder of one. There are another few with a cloth sack dangling from their backs. Bags filled with their only belongings razors and the like, many with a leather carrying case strapped onto a belt and carried from the waist, usually containing a sharpened dagger.

Being loaded onto the ship are bars of lye soap in crates filled and distributed for every ones use, among other things that they will need aboard ship. While at sea most men swim overboard to bathe and then climb into a shared barrel of fresh water to remove the salt residue from their skin.

Some anticipated crewmen—Kismias considered that they would need about one hundred to alternate rowing this massive vessel—stink so badly that the stench is almost nauseating. The smell is fills everyone’s nostrils.

Many have used the toilet in the woods or beside an abandoned roadway, and this, over a period of time, caused a very unpleasant odor! Some have a streak of feces lining the back of their only trousers, mostly stained from incorrectly washing them in a slow moving stream in the woods. Knowing the dangers of having so many aboard the Spanish mermaid, Captain places’ his hand upon the butt of his hammerhead knocker pistol he has scalbert at his hip. Just a kind gesture of power . . . !!! Looking upon the ones signing to board the ship, he stands with authority.

Captain Kismias took pleasure in thinking that once aboard they will bathe, therefore killing that stench! I’ll see to that personally, Captain promised, and nicer clothing. Reality is, they are mine until the journeys end, Kismias thought.

Everyone must understand the law of the sea, Captain said.

Some come on foot some in wagons while many live within this picturesque seaport community. Some peasants filter from the woods edge. Many came from other ships docking in the sea Port of Spain. Standing in a massively long line upon the boardwalk, each person must sign up before claiming their bunking place. Unless they are first in line and signed first, many will end up bunking on the wooden floor of the Spanish Mermaid wrapped in a wool blanket.

These men will have agreed to a job only a poacher would do, yet many are peasants and know little of life at sea.

God help them, Kismias whispered.

Poachers, scarred from years of piracy, called to perform odd jobs aboard this massive ship. Some sign in line hungry and thirsty, knowing their food and board will be furnished. Many sign on because they know that they will hunger no more once at sea.

They sign without thought of the chance they may never return. Kismias silently prays that nothing contagious like the influenza affects anyone on this journey, for it could end everything; yet the possibility lingers around the countryside.

Standing taller than most, Captain Kismias is carrying at his waist a beautifully decorated leather scabbard, which holds a thirty-one inch sharp, shining, hammered layered iron, loop handled sword. Leather scribed, a raspy scabbard holster hangs from his hip, which is then strap-tied to his thigh. Leather straps from a black and white powder horn dangle from his back. He also wears a wide brown leather waist belt with several buttoned compartments inside to hold small amounts of necessary things a man might need in almost any destitute area one might venture into.

Just a little coffee beans, some beef jerky, a little bar of soap, a wash rag, he had been heard to explain, you know, the necessary things. There is even a hook for a coffee cup, a short handled spoon, a loop from a chain, as well as some grainy dried orange pekoe and pekoe black tea mixed together.

Self sufficient, standing readied for this ocean voyage, he flexes his shoulders, drawing attention to the tight fitting leather strap that holds his powder horn and crisscrosses his muscular chest. It is there to use should battle breakout. His wooden foot straps upon his leg to fill his black boot. Placed inside the black boot there is a sharp polished throwing blade knife.

A youthful man, with a black beard and shining white teeth, Kismias is eager for this voyage, and smiles in adventurous anticipation of getting out on the high seas.

While awaiting the crew to finish signing for this trip, Captain Kismias decides to take an unexpected tour of the ship. Stepping down onto the rounded foyer steps that lead into the bowels of this mighty Spanish Mermaid vessel, a pristine reflection comes from the polished wooden floors. Kismias waves to summon one of the men who are standing nearby to approach.

An older man moves to come to a stop before him to announce, I am Goliad, your first Mate, Captain. Come, let me show you around.

Good to meet you. I’m not very good with names, so forgive me if I forget.

I assure you, you’ll remember my name before we return from this journey.

Possibly so captain replied softly.

Following Goliad closely, Captain Kismias stares at the beautiful workmanship of the interior of this massive charter of a ship, astonished. The carvings are made from the finest woods, polished and buffed, throwing a reflection onto the Gallia floor. Sensuous looking mermaids adorn the wood carved walls leading to the Captain’s quarters, even though nonstandard of what the ship represents.

Stepping through the portal door, he is stunned that there are