Zealand

16. Pilferers

The three men below me slithered in the slick mud the ebbing tide had uncovered along the creek bed. They headed away from Bessy toward Deptford, not toward the village like the other man, so I moved back from the edge of the embankment enough to just keep sight of them through the tall grass, and I followed them along. Their pace was slowed by both the mud and their loads, and they were too busy watching their footsteps to look back and see if anyone was after them.

Far behind me now, Captain had caught the other man, and some of the workers from the burnt house were running to assist him. Then I wondered whether they were rushing to assist Captain or his captive.

What if the pilferers were some of the workers?

I glanced back from time to time as I followed the others, and finally, I saw Captain running toward me. Relieved, I turned my full attention to the pilferers below me, following them at a slow run. Then around the first bend, I saw a small boat trailing in the deeper water from a long mooring line. And they headed toward it.

Captain was too far behind me to arrive in time, so recalling what he had said to those gathered on the wharf, I called, "Pistols are loaded and primed, and we all have clear shots at you from here."

The men stopped and looked at each other, appearing confused, and I stepped back from the edge, that they not see me as I signalled Captain.

Then I called down the embankment, "If you don't want holes in your heads, carry your booty back to the barge."

I crept forward enough to see through the tall grass. The three were still standing there, searching up the embankment and looking back and forth between their boat and Bessy.

Oh, good God! What now? I called again, this time sharp and loud, "Now!"

They turned and started back upstream, and I breathed a long, quiet sigh as I followed above them, watching their heads through the grass.

Captain continued running along the embankment toward me, and I made a big show of pretending my hands were pistols.

He stopped, clasped his hands above his head and shook them. Then he continued at a fast walk, and when he reached Bessy, he descended to her, and I lost sight of him below the embankment.

I moved closer to the edge again, so I could see the pilferers, and worried that they had now stopped, I called loud down to them, "Continue along; we have you well outnumbered."

Then looking along the creek to Bessy, I realised why they had stopped. Captain stood tall and proud in her stern, a pistol in each hand. As relief washed over me, I heard him call, "Watch them close, lads, but hold your fire unless they attempt to flee."

As I watched the three move again toward Bessy, bits from Captain's tales became clear in my mind – and the lessons from them. I thrilled to see how well these had worked here.

Four men approached Bessy along the top of the embankment, one of them being led by a rope around his neck. I assumed this was the one who had run, and the others were the workers from the burnt house – those who had assisted Captain.

As they drew closer, I recognised Mister Harcourt among them, and when near enough, I heard what he was saying to Captain, "... is Constable for both Deptford and Lewisham, and he owns the Globe Inn along by the dockyard."

Captain replied, "Need he come here to see?"

"Nay, no need." Harcourt tilted his head toward the two men. "Martin and Wallace here are frequent guardsmen, and he trusts their word."

"Aye, sir," one of the two replied, Martin or Wallace, I knew not which he was. Then he stepped to the edge to speak to Captain, "For thruppence, we can march these lads to him, sir."[1]

"A fine solution. I shall gladly pay that." After Captain had shown the pilferers where to set their booty, he herded them up the slope. Then at the top, he opened his purse and picked some coins. "Thruppence, plus another sixpence for each of you for your assistance here."

When the pilferers had been led away toward Deptford, and there was only Captain, Mister Harcourt and me left, Captain said, "I erred in not posting a guard."

"But it's peaceful here, sir," Harcourt replied. "Not like in London."

"Aye, as I have seen these past years. But now with thousands displaced, I should have thought of the consequences; the evil among them will seek their victims farther afield. Were it not for the bold inventiveness of young Charles, I would have suffered another loss."

Mister Harcourt tilted his head and looked from Captain to me, then back. "How did he manage to stop them?" He examined me again. "So slight a lad – and with no weapon."

Captain chuckled. "I suspect a clever ruse, such as those he learnt from listening to my tales of fighting pirates. But he can tell you better than I – and I wish to know, as well."

I began by saying, "When I saw they might escape in their boat, I thought about what you had said, sir. Deception is a powerful weapon, and an unknown force is stronger than a known one." I delighted in the expressions on the two men's faces, so I told them how I had used these ideas.

When I had finished, Captain said, "Superbly applied, lad. Superbly! Would that all crewmen were as dedicated and inventive as you. A right fine pirate hunter ye'll be."

"Thank you, sir. But I didn't at all feel sure it would work, and I trembled a lot, worrying that they would discover my ruse. What then?"

"Ah, but it is natural to fear and tremble with such a daring venture. And even more so that it was your first time." Raising his two pistols, he continued, "These were neither loaded nor primed, but simply the sight of them by the thieves was sufficient."

I nodded. "Specially that they were already thinking loaded and primed from me."

"Exactly, lad."

"I ain't never seen pistols up close afore yours, sir. Could you teach me how to load and shoot them?"

"I was about to suggest that, lad." He pointed down at Bessy. "And when you have it all mastered, you can remain aboard and practice while I go to market. Your shooting will keep the nefarious ones well away."

Note:
[1] Before there was a paid police force, all property owners were required to take turns serving as guardsmen. The wealthier among them paid others to take their duty, and they also rewarded assistance rendered.