“Silver Adventures”- Captain Joshua Slane – 16AP19 – ‘Fire!, Fire!, Fire!’

⛵ ⛵ ⛵ ⛵. . . "Tour of the Gulf of Aden". . . (cont.)

[Last time...]

“What's 'at jobby-eatin' grin fur loon?!" She blurted out as she passed him.
“Och naethin' at aw ma’am!” He replied, but he couldn’t get rid of the smile.
“Odd loon!” Errislravenhill muttered under her breath as she walked passed and dropped her dish and spoon into the large wooden tub at the door.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[Main deck, two bells in the forenoon watch…]

Commander Galligan supervised the gun preparation on the portside while Cockpit Mate- Midshipman's Mate Fisky and Standing Officer- Carpenter Ickied oversaw the starboard gun row. An eight of a mile to the rears of the Silverton, three forlorn barrels bobbed and rolled with the waves of the sea…

“Git those guns loaded an' stoat! Aw ye yoong wee jimmies git beside a gun an' watch th' gunners!" Galligan yelled as the crowd of young boys gathered on the main deck for their first real experience of firepower.
“Min' yoorselves! Stain beside, nae behin' yer gun!" Fisky called out as he organized the starboard gun row with Ickied’s help.

Gunners Spinny, Errislravenhill and Filipino spread out about both sides of the ship as they instructed the younger crewman how to clean, load and wick their guns.

Up on the bridge, the Captain spun the ship’s wheel and pulled the big vessel hard to the portside…

“Ready those wee jimmies oan th' portside! Ahh want away th' guns oan th' main deck fired in order! Gunners, shaw them hoo tae sight their weapons! When we level aff, stain ready!" The Captain’s voice boomed.

The big ship came about and then leveled off as the port rail broadside faced the distant barrels…

“Fire!” The Captain yelled.

The boy standing behind the first fore cannon on the portside lit up the short wick and fired his gun!

In two long seconds, a fountain of water exploded fifty feet behind the first barrel!

”Fire!”

The next boy fired his gun and the concussion nearly knocked him to the ground! Water exploded twenty feet to the left of the second barrel!

”Fire!”

The third boy fired his gun and the recoil rolled the big sixteen pounder backwards violently, rolling over the foot of another boy, breaking his ankle instantly! Water exploded forty feet to the right of the third barrel.

“Auuugh!” The injured boy yelled out.
“Git th’ injured loon belaw!” The Captain ordered as he swung the big wheel a second time while yelling out commands to the rigging crew as the starboard broadside now faced the three barrels. As soon as the Silverton leveled-off, the Captain called for the firing to begin again…

”Fire!”
”Fire!”
”Fire!”

The shipped rocked and shuddered and many of the young boys found themselves on the deck boards as the sixteen pounders belched fire and black smoke! But, the result was the same, the three floating barrels remained untouched.

“Tilly-willy Scaggs!! Dancin’ diggeries and lame wimins!” The Captain cursed as he stood behind the wheel, “Ahh dornt think Ahh've ever seen such shoddy shootin' in aw mah days at brine!! Commander! Put those gunners on board an' shaw these wee jimmies hoo tae shoot a gin!"
“Aye Sairrr!” Galligan answered, “Spinny, Errislravenhill an’ Filipino, git oan those guns an' shaw them hoo tae fire oan a targit!"

The three true gunners scampered into position…

”Fire!”, ”Fire!”, ”Fire!” The Captain yelled out as one after another the big sixteens spilled out their menacing load!

The First barrel was struck to the left rim, tearing its bottom out and skipping it forty feet off to the right, where it promptly sank. The second barrel was struck square-on and exploded into a hundred pieces, some going so high into the air as to be lost to sight! The third barrel was struck in the top, splitting it in two pieces, each flying off into the ocean fifty to a hundred feet away!

“Braw shootin’ ‘att is!” The Captain yelled, “’Att’s hoo it’s done loons!”

Beside her gun, Errislravenhill grinned as she turned to face the Commander…

“Aye Sairrr, Ahh'll make shur me gin crew is a tip top an' ready t' fire again in under fity-nine seconds!” She boasted.
“Guid shootin’ Lass!” Ickied said with a smile.

Behind the group, Officer Ickied smiled as Seaman- Able Seamen Tokjockey and Ergino and Seaman- Ordinary Seaman Luesniper stood in awe of what they had just witnessed! Hoping he’d get his turn next, Tokjockey chimed in next to Ickied…

“Able Seaman Tokjockey, checking-in Sairrr!” He said excitedly.

“Ahh’ll see’s ‘att yoo’re in th’ next line-up sailur...” Ickied replied.

And so it was all morning long, barrel after empty wooden barrel was dumped into the sea and the gun crews labored over the hot guns, firing and firing and firing. Finally after two hours of fire and smoke the guns fell silent and the Captain was satisfied that it had been a good practice for the boys. By the end of it, fifty percent of the crew could hit their targets at a good run. One boy suffered a broken ankle, two, broken wrists and five suffered severe burns. Warrant Officer- Surgeon Hack busily mended them as quick as they were carried into sick bay. An offer to ‘remove’ the broken foot of the worst injured was declined in a heated passion by the terrified young lad!

⛵ ⛵ ⛵ ⛵

"Onie mair guesses oan uir Fun-Fact bonus question ay th' weeks? An' instant promoshun is th' prize!" 😉- Keptin

Question: "Sometimes durin' 1718, Ahh hud a guid fight wi' Pirate Keptin Callum. In 'att fight, Ahh sunk his ship (the first time) an' Ahh marooned heem oan an islain. Whit was th' nam ay 'att islain?!"

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"Confused? Ascared? Seasick? Need a private chat with the Captain?" - joshua.slane@aol.com

References: Pictures froms: www.freeimages.com, www.pexels.com, pixabay.com, steemit.com an’ www.google.com/maps. Data loosely interpretted froms: www.wikipedia.org an' sometimes reit from th' author's extensiff personal experience an' such.