EPISODE 27 - BREST
It was dawn when the war wagon slowly pulled into the courtyard of the Jesuit compound in Versailles. Word had already arrived that Paris was in flames and army of escaped convicts and local criminals had attacked and killed many in the King’s Navy. 100,000 ducats to the man that can point out a certain William Seaworthy of Boston, another 100,000 for the man that can show authorities to a 12 foot tall Indian Warrior that uses a cannon like most men use a pistol. Aphra was restless waiting for her grandfather to show up so she and Manny could get back to family in the colonies.
Manny ran over to Bear to check for holes that weren’t there the day before. Aphra ran to Bill, who was quiet and pulled back when she reached for him. Bill for the moment was sorry he had chased the bet money so hard. They would have had a lot easier time going home without the entire country of France trying to get rich fast by finding William Seaworthy or a giant colonial Indian with a cannon on his gun belt, how hard could they be to find? Once again it looked like Elizabeth would be safer away from Bill than with him, because of all the men that were after him. But he couldn’t send Klondike and Effa and John with her. Manny would be the main guarantee of Elizabeth reaching Philadelphia in good condition. He could just hear the Buerer family going on and on about Bill letting some Indian girl protect Aphra while the family pays the Mohawk tribe support at no small expense. Bill would just have to make this ocean crossing work for everyone, together.
By noon, the wagon was ready, whether all the men were was another question. The carpenter had added bracing for two hammocks to hang high inside the main wagon area, but still under the thick canvas that was stretched across the top of the wagon. Railings on top held everyone’s personal belongings and some of the food supplies. Additional guard posts were armored on top, where two more shooters could fire from. Inside the wagon was a small, portable oven, powder kegs, bullets, cannon balls, food containers, medicine box, whale oil lamps, and a small desk for Bill’s papers. Below the floorboards welded inside a deep dish container lay almost a million ducats. Only Bill and Bear knew how much money was inside the welded tank in the bottom of the wagon, a tank that had a release mechanism up away from view that would allow a man to pull the tank off the wagon.
Just before Bill climbed up on the wagon, one of the senor priests leaned over to Bill and said the Jesuits would put a good word in for him and Bear and remind Louis XV that William Seaworthy was reported to have had something to do with the death of the crime boss in Marseille who refused to pay the crown taxes that were due. Bill welcomed the idea of Jesuits talking to a Catholic King, but he suspected that killing an entire ship full of sailors would override any other argument for mercy. Bill figured he could never return to France.
Bill counted the people on board the wagon: Elizabeth, Manniakuni, Bear, Louis, Francis, Dogman, two priests and a cook. Ten people in a wagon best manned with six, which is all the sleeping places there were. Now with the hammocks for the women and the top where two to four could sleep comfortably he figured they were set for the trip to Brest. The top sagged from the extra water and food stored on top because they had run out of room inside the wagon. The final pistols were reloaded and three young priests jumped out of the back and said the guns are ready. One of the horses had been shot and was replaced with a fresh horse.
Bill and Bear spoke about Marseille, as their port of call for getting passage to the Americas. They talked about how the wagon would be somewhat lighter with water and food consumed getting to the mountain passes. Now that everyone was sure they were heading south, Bill turned a quarter mile down the road to the west and headed for le Mans, some 65 kilometers away. No one asked why the change in plans, Aphra never questioned Bill’s thinking when it came to strategy and saw this change a smart one in case someone wanted 100,000 more than they worried about Bill and Bear hunting them down later. Bill worried that when it came time to secure passage to New England there would be the risks of the crew knowing and telling the officials.
Timing was good for an Atlantic crossing, springtime, while there were some prevailing winds to help get off the European coast. Springtime is also a rainy season and the first day of travel was one of those rain storms. All ten people were crowded in the wagon and the roads were muddy. The horses, while trained for battle, were also incredibly strong and made good time while lesser animals would have bogged down in the mud.
Just outside Le Mans, Bill decided to approach a farm house and ask if some of his group could spend the night in their barn. The farmer was nice enough and his wife asked if any needed any extra blankets. The women were invited to sleep in the farm house where there would be more privacy. Manny couldn’t sleep and saw the farmer leering at Aphra while she slept. He reached his hand towards Aphra’s face when Manny said, “another inch and you won’t have use of that arm ever again.” He yanked his arm back and retired to the back of the house as quickly as he could. Louis was picked for guard duty till midnight to be followed by Dogman till three and Francis to go till dawn. The cook and the two priests were given the barn and the rest settled in the wagon. Louis chose the farmhouse for a station so he could keep an eye on the women with the women safely bolted inside the wagon. The night passed too quickly as the rooster started his work earlier than usual.
The farmer’s wife had started breakfast, and the Jesuit cook joined in the preparing of the food. The horses were rubbed down and watered, then fresh oats were put in the feed bags and all were eating soon after. The farmer was, as most farmers, a poor one. So the meat the cook fried up was a real treat for them and it was obvious, as they wolfed down their breakfast. Bill wanted to get going so he became impatient and short with people around him. Aphra stayed away knowing how he was when he gets irritable.
Back on the road, Bill felt better that they were making some good time and should get in to Rennes by nightfall. Lunch was fried potatoes and beef jerky with a nice red wine. Bill went on into town and found the wanted posters in the town square. Bear’s picture was nondescript but Bill’s looked like him when he was young, undoubtedly a picture from when he was Boston Billy and wanted for questions in several ports of call all over the world. This meant that Brest had the wanted notices also and that one of the men would have to do the negotiating with the captains for passage for 7 people to the colonies. By now it would be obvious that the party did not go south leaving the northern sea ports as the next most likely place for their escape.
Louis was chosen to negotiate the passage. He and Francis went ship to ship asking the destination of the vessel. Finally they found a run down ship named “Seawitch” that was headed for Boston harbor. The captain, Homer Bastug, was suspicious of setting a price on seven people when only two were standing there in front of him. Finally the total for seven people was set at 3500 ducats a good price for any season or ship. Louis told the captain that the whole party wouldn’t be able to board until the next day quite late. The captain was still uncomfortable but couldn’t think of a legitimate reason to back out of the deal and signed the paperwork without another word.
The next night, everyone but Bill and Bear boarded the Seawitch around midnight with Aphra in charge of the money tank. They were all stowed away in the hold close to the captain’s quarters and settling in for the night. Aphra went up on deck with Manny to wait for Bill and Bear to board. Aphra regretted not being able to bring the sea chests with their hidden compartments and water proof casings. The dock was being watched by untold number of men waiting for a glimpse of Bill or Bear, all anxious to collect the rewards that were posted at every corner.
TO BE CONTINUED