The Treasure of Squeaky Toy Island, Chapter 4

The Treasure of Squeaky Toy Island

Chapter 4

“A hurricane?” Frankie asked.

“No”, Muffin said.

“Thunder?”

“No. Sounds like a fog horn.”

“Not Squeaky Toy Light?”

“Wrong sound. Four short blasts.”

“Where away?”

“Two points off starboard beam, and closing.”

Frankie looked down to the rolling deck far below, and said, “Pilot launch approachin' Cap'n.”

“Where away?”

The fog horn sounded again, and Frankie said, “Two points off starboard bow, range half mile and closing.”

Captain Snoopy looked towards the prow, and said, “On the forecastle, ready up a heavin' line, and stand by to starboard.” He then looked up and said, “Start haulin' in the mainsails.”

A set of lights emerged from the gloom. Above the red and green running lights, Captain Snoopy could see a red light, and directly above it a white light. “All paws, get a ladder rigged, but don't set it down before the pilot boat's alongside, or Ernie the Red will board us for sure!”

The steam launch slackened speed. By now, they could see a large white rabbit standing on the forecastle. Frankie looked down from the rigging, and said, “Cap'n! It's Speedy!”

“That's Captain Speedy to you, Matey!”, shouted the rabbit. “Drop that ladder, or yer on ye own!”

“You heard him, lads”, Captain Snoopy shouted. “Lower away!”

As the ladder came down, Captain Speedy turned to Coccolino at the helm, and said, “Where's me bloody gaff! I can't get a grip on that ladder without it!”

“On the way, skipper!”

Within seconds, a trio of crabby girls slithered out onto the deck of the launch, holding the boat hook in their delicate but strong claws. 

Captain Speedy frowned, grabbed the boathook, and said, “Took ye lassies long enough! Ship ahoy!”

Frankie descended from the mast, popped his snoot over the bulwark, and said, “We''ll send down the heavin' line for'd, and ye can tie off the hawser.”

Captain Speedy caught the ladder with his boathook, reached out with one paw, grabbed hold and stepped off the deck. The crabby girls took back his boathook, and headed forward to grab the towline. Coccolino throttled up the launch, just as Speedy climbed up onto the Rawhide. When his paws were on deck, he looked around, and said, “Where be ye Captain?”

Frankie pointed up to the mainmast, and said, “It's his only defense against the furmaids.”

“That being the case, you'll need that hawser.”

Frankie climbed up to the bow, fed the heaving line through the bow chock, and threw it down to the steam launch. The crabby girls worked together to secure it to the eye of the towline. Once it was taught, Frankie called out, “All paws on deck!”

By now, Blue Platinum Island was behind the Rawhide, but Ernie the Red was approaching the rocky shore. Not only was he fighting his urge to head for the beautiful music, he also had to contend with his plunder being taken in tow. No matter how fast his crew rowed, they'd never be able to outrun the steam launch.

The Rawhide had just enough distance on Ernie and his longship to rule out the possibility of boarding, or fouling the towline. He heard the launch's whistle, and he knew the Rawhide had been taken in tow. 

Suddenly, he had an idea.