Chapter 5: Escape from Star Island

Captain William Salt and his mate Spriggs put their sloop into the harbor at Star Island and set to shore in a small rowboat to talk with the locals. They had arrived with a hold full of West Indies rum and Rhode Island corn, and were hoping to make quick work of selling their cargo. There was a small waterfront market and a number of other ships docked in the port. Several were fishermen, but there was one dark craft named the Adventure whose crew seemed more than a little suspicious. The two avoided this ship and landed at the dock, then made their way to the marketplace.

As they approached the marketplace, a small man with spectacles approached them and identified himself. “Good morning! I am Elias Washburn, the harbormaster. Will you be offloading any cargo here?”

“Well, as a matter of fact, we are interested in selling some staples, if there is a merchant who is buying,” answered William.

“What kind of cargo?”

“Corn and rum.”

“Ahh, well I think you will find a market for both…” said the harbormaster, but before he could continue a gruff voice interrupted him.

“I’ll buy your rum without the harbormaster’s duties,” broke in the stranger, who gestured towards the Adventure. “Pull up alongside and we’ll unload her for you. Pay you in gold. Harbormaster can’t very well charge you for goods that don’t land on his dock…” The man’s voice trailed off, but his eyes were fixed on William’s, expecting an answer in return. The harbormaster said nothing, but was clearly uncomfortable.

“It’s a generous offer, but I’ve businessmen here whom I patronize and the cargo is for them.” William stretched the truth a bit, but the stranger made him nervous and he had no desire to pull alongside the other ship. He held the stranger’s gaze, which turned to a glare.

“New England’s full of fools,” spat out the stranger. “And friendless fools don’t last long on the sea.” It was all he said, but there was menace in his tone. He turned his back sharply and walked away.

William and Spriggs found the marketplace and negotiated their sale. For the rest of the morning they and Spriggs nephews unloaded the cargo onto the small dock. The boys finished unloading the last of the casks while William collected his pay. As he returned his attention, however, he noticed two men talking to Spriggs’ nephews. They moved off as he came closer.

“What did they want?” he inquired of the boys.

“Seems they need more crew” said George. “They wanted us to join, but we said no.”

“They didn’t seem to like that answer,” added Jacob.

“We’ll stay on the sloop tonight and leave quickly in the morning,” said William. “It’s not above men like that to force men into their service. You boys are safer with your uncle and I.”

That night there was carousing going on across the bay on the Adventure. Captain Salt and Spriggs stayed up and listened to the other crew drinking and singing. The songs were bawdy, the voices were drunk, and more than a few harsh oaths could be heard.

“I don’t like that ship or its crew, Will,” said Spriggs. “We’ll have to pass right by them to leave port, tomorrow. If they want to stop us I don’t think we have a chance. And God save me if I let my sister’s boys be taken.”

“You’re right, Spriggs,” said William. “I’d like nothing better than to be gone when they wake up. But they’ll here the capstain clanking if we hoist anchor, and it will look very suspicious if they find us sneaking away in the night. They might chase us down just to see why we ran.”

“If you’ll indulge me, Captain, I have a plan that might work…”

With those words, Spriggs laid down a plan which had been slowly forming in his mind. It was risky, but after some quiet thought William nodded in agreement and said “Wake the boys, let’s give it a try.”

In near silence the four worked together to rig a light sail. There was a faint breeze blowing to the North, just enough for the small sloop to glide out of port. Rather than raise anchor, Spriggs carefully took his knife and cut the cable. Freed from its bonds, the ship moved quietly under the wind. Anchors were expensive, and they would not recover this one, but this was the only safe way to leave unnoticed.

There was a sliver of a moon tonight, but clouds were obscuring it. With just enough light to avoid the Adventure, William piloted the sloop past the ominous craft and out into the Atlantic. North they turned, towards Nova Scotia and a host of little islands that decorated the coast. But there was one island in particular they sought, the one on the map which William’s dead pirate brother had left them, Isle Haute.