Voyage of the Caribbean Siren

"Oh!"

"The Captain had James put in irons. He was have him hanged the next morning under various provisions in the Articles of War. I couldn't let that stand and so I took the ship. We hailed a dispatch boat and put Seward, Jepson and their cronies into it and sent them to Gibraltar. There was no other choice for us, so we left the coast of France and crossed the Atlantic. I promised the men I would find them wives and a place to settle. I wanted somewhere in the Pacific, but now... now, I don't think that is possible."

"I'm sorry, master. Is there no place we can go?"

Hamilton smiled and put on his cocked hat and jacket. "I believe so."

##

On deck, Hamilton looked at the sky and then back to where the Intrepid was pacing them.

"Two points larboard, Mr. Wray, if you please, and haul in the stays'ls."

"Aye aye, sir." Wray hesitated before giving the orders. "If I may, sir, there are storm clouds on that horizon, I fear we would be heading into a squall."

Hamilton smiled slightly. "Carry out my orders, Mr. Wray."

Wray bellowed orders, the bosun's whistle shrieked and men went aloft and to the lines. The Siren changed direction moving towards the fast approaching storm, the Intrepid matching the change a few minutes later. The larger ship, now two miles distance, was slowly falling behind.

"Did you ever meet Davies?" Hamilton asked as he looked back at the Intrepid through the telescope.

"No, sir."

"He models himself after Nelson. Constantly taking risks." Hamilton smiled and handed the telescope to Wray. "But Captain Davies is no Nelson."

"She's laying on full sail, sir! She'll headreach us for sure."

"If you would, Mr. Wray, haul in the mains'ls and double reef the tops'ls."

"Aye aye, sir."

The Siren began to slow as the storm front closed in. The Intrepid, with all sails billowing began to rapidly close. The sea began to churn and the Siren rolled up and down in the heavy seas as the squall hit with a vast sudden torrent of water and wind.

"Send someone below to make sure the captives are secure!" Hamilton yelled to Wray, the shrieking of the wind and the pounding of the waves making it almost impossible to hear.

Wray nodded and slowly moved to one of the midshipmen who carefully made his way below on the heaving decks.

The squall soon engulfed the Intrepid, now visible only intermittently through the haze of the rain. The other ship shifted and rolled with the heavy seas, the pressure from the sails adding more stresses. Hamilton looked up at the masts and rigging of his own ship, the ropes vibrating rapidly, the topsails straining under the powerful wind.

The squall passed as quickly as it came.

"Set the main courses and t'gallants, Mr. Wray, and then loose the reefs from the tops'ls."

The men, soaked to the bone, worked hard and more sails quickly filled on the yards of the Siren.

Hamilton watched carefully through the telescope at the storm front as it passed over the Intrepid.

"You're no Nelson, Davies," Hamilton said. "He's lost his main heads'l, it's blown to tatters, and the fore topgallant yard has snapped. I was hoping for more, but it's enough to make him heave to."

"Our course, sir?"

"Same course. At sunset we'll turn west."

"Yes, sir."

"Have the one that was flogged sent to my cabin."

Wray acknowledged the order as Hamilton made his way downstairs.

"Let me help you, master!" Elizabeth said, taking his soaking wet cocked hat, jacket and waistcoat.

"Thank you, slave." He leaned in and kissed her.

There was a knock on the door. A midshipmen opened the door, touched his hat and then pushed inside an olive skinned beauty. The Spanish slave had a wide bandage around her torso and her hands were bound in front of her. Otherwise she was naked.

"Ah, I remember you," Hamilton said, in Spanish. "You were walking down the harbor street with some man."

"My husband!" she spit out.

"Well, he ran very fast as I recall. Now, what is your name?"

"Teresa Montes Vallejo de Arroyo."

"Teresa, I like that. Well, Teresa this is Elizabeth, she is also my slave."

"I am not your slave!" Teresa yelled.

Hamilton took hold of the ropes around Teresa's hands and pulled her forward. He looked closely in her eyes and then pushed her down to the deck on her hands and knees.

"Go to the sea chest and bring out my cane," he said to Elizabeth.

"Yes, master." She obeyed and then handed him a rattan cane.

Hamilton swung the cane and felt it smack hard against Teresa's ass. She cried and tried to crawl away, but he pulled her back by the hair and then swung the cane again and again.

"Please, please!" the Spanish woman cried.

"You are a slave."

"Yes, yes, I am a slave." She fell to her side, crying.

"Elizabeth, sit on the cot and keep your feet on the deck."

"Yes, master."

Hamilton crouched down and pulled Teresa up to her knees. "You will call me master."

"Yes, yes, master. Please don't punish me anymore."

"I won't if you obey." He pushed Teresa towards Elizabeth. "Put your tongue to her pussy."

"Oh!" cried Elizabeth in surprise.

"Please, no, why do you do this?" Teresa pleaded.

Hamilton smacked her ass with the cane. "I do it because I can. I do it because I have spent twenty years in the service of duty and it's brought me nothing but ruin! So now I am taking what I want! You are my slave! Obey me!"

"Yes, yes, master," she cried as she crawled forward and slowly moved her head towards Elizabeth's cunt. The English slave pressed her hips forward to meet her tongue, a cautious smile on her face.

Hamilton stepped over and looked down. "I want to see you working that cunt, slave, do it or you will be punished!"

Teresa nodded and pressed in more, her tongue sliding up and down Elizabeth's mound, moving over her clit back and forth. Hamilton crouched down next to her and slipped his left hand under her to cup her breasts as they moved back and forth underneath her with the ship's roll. Elizabeth had her hands out to the sides, holding the blanket on the cot as she began to breath faster.

"Keep going with that tongue, slave," Hamilton said.

He moved his right hand over Teresa's ass, causing her to jump from the tender spots left by the cane, until his fingers were sliding down the outside of her slit. Moving slowly back and forth around the outside of her labial folds and then down between them he created a physical response. Teresa, despite her humiliation and fear, was wet.

Hamilton moved behind her and dropped his pant. Taking hold of Teresa by the waist he pressed his cock against her pussy.

"Please, please!"

He slapped her ass. "Keep licking slave! And you will address me with respect."

"Yes, yes, master," Teresa said, placing her head back between the other slave's legs.

Elizabeth was leaning down so that her hips were nearly horizontal. She reached over and grabbed Teresa's head and kept her close, forcing her to press her tongue against the English slave's cunt.

"In, in, in," Elizabeth muttered.

Hamilton slapped Teresa's ass again. "Put that tongue in her cunt, now, slave."

Teresa complied, tasting a woman for the first time as Hamilton pressed his cock in slowly and began to fuck her. Soon the Spanish beauty, on her hands and knees with her wrists still bound, was caught between the two; Hamilton pressing her back and forth as he fucked her and Elizabeth holding her head tightly against her cunt. Elizabeth began to moan and her feet twisted about she closed in on orgasm.

"Good slave.... keep going."

Hamilton pressed in harder, his hips slamming into Teresa's ass as his fingers held tightly to her waist. Elizabeth moaned and shook as the pleasure peaked. She looked down at Teresa and smiled broadly and kept pushing the new slave's head into her cunt. Hamilton felt the tightness around his cock and the feeling of bliss shifted through his body and his cum was filling Teresa's cunt.

Hamilton pulled back and then stood up. "Both of you, on your knees. You will clean my cock."

"Yes, master," Elizabeth said right away, pushing Teresa back and climbing down to the deck. She was soon licking and sucking along his glistening cock.

"Save some for the new slave," Hamilton said with a laugh.

Slowly, Teresa moved into position and tentatively slipped the tip of his cock into her mouth. Then, copying Elizabeth, the pulled back and let her tongue run over the shaft.

"Enough." Hamilton pulled up his pants. "Elizabeth, sit on the cot. Teresa, you will go back to your hands and knees, put your face to the deck and keep your ass up."

"Yes, master," Elizabeth said.

"Yes, master," Teresa said weakly.

Hamilton picked up the cane and moved into position.

"You will always acknowledge orders and address me properly," he said, swinging the cane down hard on Teresa's already sore ass.

"Yes, master!"

"You will obey orders instantly, without complaint." Hamilton swung the cane down hard again and then a second time.

"Yes yes master I am sorry master please master!"

"Stand up."

Teresa complied quickly, her cheeks stained with tears. Hamilton untied the knot around her wrists and then dragged her into the corner with the shackles. He snapped them around her wrists and told her to sit down on the spare canvas.

Hamilton calmly sat down at his desk and inspected his logs and the charts. Neither slave dared to speak. Elizabeth sat back reading the novel "The Castle of Otranto" while Teresa had only downcast eyes, her hands above her head in chains. The only sound was the familiar groaning of the wooden ship as it rolled with the waves, punctuated by the occasional shout from the deck above them.

##

An hour later Hamilton was back on deck. It was nearly sunset.

"Mr. Caruthers," Hamilton said. "Send my compliments to Mr. Wray and ask if he might join me on deck."

"Aye aye, sir."

The midshipman disappeared below decks. A few minutes later both he and Lieutenant Wray were standing next to the Captain.

"I'm sorry, sir," Wray said. "At least half of the new slaves are seasick. Several of the slaves have not been obeying and I ordered a few smacks of the cane."

"Good."

"I thought the lessons we learned in Tunis would apply, sir, and it was a public punishment. That should help stamp out any problems, if not, we'll add more."

Hamilton nodded. "Any indication of the Intrepid?"

"None, since the squall, sir."

"Set course west by south, if you please, Mr. Wray."

"West by south. Aye aye, sir."

"West by south. Aye, sir." The sailing master repeated.

The sailors worked the braces and the yards shifted as the wheel turned and the Siren changed course. Hamilton then gave Caruthers a task that sent him forward and then stepped closer to Wray.

"There are a series of islands off the coast of British Honduras --" Hamilton said quietly.

"British, sir!"

"Don't worry the hand of King George is very light. I am making for Rose's Key. It is an inhospitable place, too small for permanent inhabitants, but the ship can be brought close and supplies taken by boat and hidden just off the beach. Once the danger of the Intrepid is past it will be possible to go to either an English speaking or Spanish colony. Each man can make up his own mind."

"I see, sir. If I may, the Intrepid will not give up lightly."

"I believe your watch is over, Mr. Wray. Thank you for coming back on deck, I wanted to keep you appraised of the course."

"Yes, sir." Wray waited a moment then touched his hat and returned below decks.

Hamilton stood back by the taffrail as the night took over. There were muffled sounds from below decks, but standing on the stern of his ship all he cared about was the twang of the lines as the shifted in the wind, and the rhythmic slapping of the waves against the wood as the ship moved across the water.

##

Three days of easy sailing brought the Siren to anchor off Rose's Key, a small island not more than a mile across at the widest. The crew began the task of bringing out supplies -- gun power and muskets were first -- and shifting them down to the quarter boats and from there taking them to the island.

"It is imperative that there be no clear traces on the beach," Hamilton said, watching the progress with his telescope.

"Yes, sir," Wray said, wiping his brow. "Hicks dropped a cask of nails and its causing one hell of damn problem."

"Get some of the women to pick them up from the beach. It might be useful to give them something to do."

"Aye aye, sir."

Wray walked back, taking charge of the loading of one of the boats with barrels of fresh water and food and seven women.

"Mr. Caruthers!" Hamilton called out.

"Yes, sir," the midshipman replied.

Hamilton handed him a key. "There is a Spanish slave in my cabin. You may have her."

"Oh! Aye, sir! Thank you sir!"

Caruthers ran down below, pausing briefly to ask permission to enter the Captain's cabin. He smiled broadly when it was given and a moment later he was bringing out Teresa wearing only a scrap of a shirt. The Spanish slave was rubbing her wrists but followed meekly. The midshipman didn't speak Spanish, but it was clear what he wanted and without hesitation Teresa climbed over the gunwale into the boat.

##

Wray stood on the quarterdeck with the Captain as he returned for the final trip. "The carpenter's mate has made some stocks for the troublesome slaves, and we've stalked out an area where we can keep them fenced in. I'm having gags made as well. I wouldn't want to Intrepid to hear them bellowing if she comes close."

"Excellent. Supplies?"

"We have enough food and water for two weeks, sire, and plenty of power and musket shot, spare canvas and wood and nails," he told Hamilton. "I think that should be good enough for us."

"I don't want to risk having the ship here longer. Two fishing vessels have already seen us and Davies can't be far from here."

"I understand, sir. The only one's on board now are yourself, your Elizabeth, Mr. Owen, two other hands and myself, sir."

"Very good. We'll all work together to square away the main courses. The men can take Elizabeth into the boat and then I want you and Owen to cut the anchor cable and go down yourself before she drifts too far."

"I see, sir. The Intrepid, though, she is bound to board her and find her empty."

"No, she won't. The wind and currents are pressing out to sea, the only task is to guide her through the sandbars into open water. Not a difficult task, but one that requires a man at the wheel. I will take that task."

Wray looked at the Captain for a moment. "I won't permit this, sir! I was the one who struck Mr. Jepson if anyone is to suffer for that it should be me!"

"James. I am a naval officer and not a farmer. My order is irrevocable." He put his hand on Wray's shoulder. "Take care of Elizabeth. She is yours."

Wray looked around and then nodded slowly.

It took ten minutes for them to sheet the main sails. The ship at once began to shift on the anchor cable, prompting Hamilton to insist that they hurry with the anchor cable. Owen and Wray cut through it quickly and then hurried over the side to the boat.

Hamilton stood along the quarterdeck and watched. Elizabeth had screamed as they had taken her. She cried out now. "Please, master, don't leave me!"

Hamilton remained impassive. He touched his hat and the salute was returned by Wray. The men then went to the oars and began to pull for the shore. Hamilton turned and looked back across the Caribbean. The blue water and blue sky merged seamlessly. It was a fine day.

There was a loud splash.

"You stupid woman!" Wray shouted.

Hamilton went to the side. Elizabeth had jumped from the boat and was swimming towards the Siren.

"You must go back!" He shouted to her.

"No, no master!"

Hamilton looked over at Wray, he was turning the boat around. Hamilton waved him off as Elizabeth crawled through a gun port that had been left open to ease the loading of the boats. Wray turned the boat back towards the key and then took off his hat and waved. Hamilton stood and watched.

Elizabeth came on deck a minute later with a blanket wrapped around her.

"You devotion is truly touching," he said to her. "But I don't think you understand --"

"I understand, master."

Hamilton nodded and moved to the wheel, keeping the ship between a pair of low keys as it slowly made its way back to deeper water. Elizabeth stayed with him as they walked back and forth on the quarterdeck. Once the ship had cleared the coast the wheel could be locked off, but, still, Hamilton wanted to remain on deck.

##

Three hours later the Intrepid began to bear down on them.

"I was hoping for more time," Hamilton said, watching the larger ship close rapidly.

"It's all right master."

Hamilton put the telescope down and smiled at her. He put his hat on her head.

"You're in command, Miss Tinsley."

"Aye aye, master," she giggled.

He went below decks and made everything ready.

"Will we fire a cannon?" she asked when he returned.

"No. I want them closer. Captain Davies will think the men are all skylarking and that the ship is ripe for a boarding."

The bow chasers on the Intrepid fired. Splashes landed a hundred yards away. The Intrepid closed to a few hundred yards and began to turn. Hamilton took Elizabeth's hand and walked her down to the cabin. They lay on the cot as the first broadside slammed into the ship. Sharp cracks and splinters filled the air, as an extended crash came from a heavy mast falling down on the deck, but the cabin itself was untouched.

"Master, I have been so happy. I just wanted someone to take care of me."

"I'll take care of you, my love. I will."

The slow match Hamilton had set earlier reached the Siren's powder magazine. In a single tremendous explosion the ship was destroyed down to the waterline. Bits of wood and rope and canvas filled the air and landed about the water as the remnant of the hull slipped under the water.

Captain Davies of H.M.S. Intrepid reported that his ship's "excellent gunnery" and the "incompetence and inattention" of a drunken, mutinous crew had caused an open flame to be knocked over and ignite the Siren's magazine. He was confident the mutinous officers and crew of the Siren had been dealt with.