Captain Peanut Butter will continue the tale of his time onboard the French naval ship.
For the next few days, I was kept in the cell and only given scraps of food in the evening. Hunger gnawed at me constantly. One night a young sailor, barely more than a boy, came to my cell and handed me a piece of salt meat. I ate it eagerly.
“Is it true that you’re Captain Peanut Butter?” The sailor asked in a quiet voice.
“It is,” I replied.
“I heard tales of your raids. They say you never kill no one and just take a portion of the cargo.”
“That is the truth of it.”
“How did you end up here? Was one of the ships we chased The Jellyfish?”
“No. The Jellyfish was captured by the pirates you chased. I exchanged myself for the release of my ship and crew.”
“You don’t sound like no pirate to me.”
“Oh, I am very much a pirate. But my crew is my family. What father wouldn’t sacrifice himself for his family?”
The sailor stared at me for a moment.
“I got to go. I’ll bring you more food tomorrow.”
“Don’t. I am a dead man anyway. It is a foolish risk.”
“I hate the Navy. They treat us like prisoners, ‘cept the ship is our cage. I been flogged too many times and ain’t seen my family in more’n a year. I would gladly join your crew.”
“Bury that thought. Forget about me and live long enough to get out of the Navy. Then find a woman and make a life for yourself. Now go.”
“I’ll bring you food tomorrow,” he said as he left.
True to his word, the boy returned the following night.
“What is your name?” I asked.
“Leon Allard.”
“It suits you. You have the heart of a young lion. But you are foolish to be in my company.”
“I can help you escape.”
I laughed. “That is madness. Even a boy should be able to see that. The first mate has the key, and he is twice your size. Even if you got me out of this cell, where would I go? We are miles from shore. Too far to row. I will not forget your kindness, but it must stop. You are risking another flogging, or worse.”
“I don’t care.”
“But I do. Go. And do not come back.”
The boy looked like he wanted to say something, but instead, he turned and left. I couldn’t help but think back to the days after my father died. The foolishness of my decisions. I would not see the boy throw his life away.
As I was just about to drift off to sleep, the first mate shook the door of my cell and yelled, “Wake up.”
I rose to my feet.
“What did the boy want with you?”
“What boy?”
“Don’t insult me.”
“He wanted to see a real pirate.”
“What did you say to him?”
“I told him to leave me alone.”
“He is being flogged as we speak.”
“What do I care?”
There was a long silence while the first mate stared at me.
“If it was up to me, you would be at the bottom of the sea. Your bones being picked by fish. But the Captain wants to win favor with the King. If you are who you say you are, you will see The King soon enough. Then do the hempen jig for him.”
“Good thing I wore my dancing shoes.”
The first mate grunted and left.
I wasn’t sure which was worse. Daily lashings by pirates or near starvation by the French Navy. Either way, the end was a rope. I started preparing myself for the inevitable.