The Caribbean Read Online Free PDF Page B

confer with Barbossa.
    Billy sighed.
    Diego emerged from the hold, blinking in the bright sunlight. He shaded his eyes and climbed up to where Jack was standing.
    “Take a look through here,” Jack said, handing him the spyglass. “Tell me if you think that red sail off in the distance might be the one we’re looking for.”
    “Rojo!” Diego exclaimed. “Yes, red! It must be!” He peered eagerly through the lens.
    “Then never fear!” Jack declared. “We will be upon those Spaniards before the sun sets!”
    T he sky was dark and starless, full of clouds that hid the full moon.
    “I’ve always said that night attacks are best, really. You know, mate, that ship is going awfully quickly for being laden with as much gold as you say,” Jack observed.
    “They are rushing home so the wedding will not be delayed,” Diego said bitterly. “They cannot wait to be rid of her.”
    “How shall we do this?” Barbossa said, his eyes glittering with excitement. “Rush in with guns a-blazing, eh? Load the cannons, fire at will? A hand-to-hand-combat free-for-all?”
    Jack looked down at his ragtag crew dubiously. Most of them looked sleepy. Their hats were askew and their holsters sagged, and they shuffled in place as if they were wondering when the next barrel of ale would be coming out. Catastrophe Shane was the only one who looked awake, and that was because he’d already been sick with terror twice since he found out they were attacking a ship. His knees shook so hard it seemed they were causing the whole boat to quake. He kept asking for a weapon, but no one wanted to give him one.
    Jack shook his head. “Typical Barbossa. Always trying to use blunt force when a little cunning and stealth would do the trick.” He turned to Billy. “Tell the crew to douse all the candles and all the lanterns. Not a flicker of light is to be seen. And not a whisper of a sound.
    Total silence and total darkness.”
    Billy nodded and hurried off to instruct the crew.
    Soon the Pearl was plunged into darkness. With her black sails and black hull, she faded into the night like a shadow. She skimmed lightly across the ocean, sneaking closer and closer to the bright Spanish galleon. Soon they could hear carousing and singing, the sound of tankards clanking and voices raised in what sounded, to Jack, rather like gibberish.
    “What are they saying?” he whispered to Diego. The boy listened for a moment and then shook his head angrily.
    “They are talking about the grand feasting and gorgeous women there will be at the wedding.” He listened again. “And now one of them is shouting about how every day will be a grand feast when the Spanish plan succeeds and they control the whole Caribbean.”
    “Come again?” Jack said sharply.
    “And now one of them is shouting about…”
    “Yes, yes,” Jack said, “I’ve got that part, thank you. But what about this ‘plan’?”
    Diego shrugged. “I don’t know.”
    “I don’t like the sound of that,” Jack muttered.
    “We’re almost upon them, Jack,” Billy whispered from below.
    “All right,” Jack whispered back. “We’ll pull alongside and swarm over the rails before they even know we’re here. Make sure everyone is armed and ready to go.”
    “Aye-aye,” Billy said.
    A moment passed. The Spanish galleon slid closer and closer. Diego could almost smell the ale on the kidnappers’ breath. Jack drew his sword and studied its gleaming point. Suddenly a thought struck him.
    “Billy!” he called in a loud whisper. “Wait!
    When I said ‘make sure everyone is armed’ I didn’t mean—”
    BLAM!
    All the crew members on both ships threw themselves to the deck and covered their heads with their arms.
    BLAM! BLAM!
    “Get that pistol away from Catastrophe Shane!” Jack shouted. Billy bravely ran over and tackled the hapless pirate, whose hat—which he had placed back on his head hours after Jack had asked him to remove it—had fallen over his eyes so he was firing wildly