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The Treasure of Squeaky Toy Island, Chapter 5

The Treasure of Squeaky Toy Island

Chapter 5

There on deck, beside the previous day's plunder, was the ship's longbow. Beside it was a long, coiled heaving line. Ernie looked up, and said, “Bowman Easy!”

With his blue fur barley visible in the gloom, Easy crept up on deck, and said, “You called, Skipper?”

“Of course I'm called 'Skipper', I'm the Captain! See that heaving line?”

“Aye, sir.”

“Secure it to that arrow, and aim the longbow for the stern of the rawhide!”

“Aye, sir!”

By now, Captain Snoopy had been untied from the mainmast, and was keeping a steady hand on the wheel. Beside him, Captain Speedy was keeping an eye on his launch, and the towline. Just over the horizon, they could make out the faint loom of a light.

Captain Speedy pointed with his paw, and Captain Snoopy nodded, and said, “Aye, she be Squeaky Toy Light.” In a few more seconds, the faint sound of the diaphone fog horn confirmed it.

“Port your helm one point”, Speedy said.

“Port helm one point, aye”, answered Captain Snoopy. “What be that noise?”

“Sounds like a whistle.............”

Then came a dull thud. They looked aft, but saw nothing. With a shrug, they turned and looked back at the sea. The loom of the light grew ever stronger, and the diaphone ever louder.

Captain Snoopy scanned the sea, and said, “Smooth sailing from here on out!”

About a cable's length aft, Easy gave a tug on the line, and said, “We've hooked 'em, Skipper. Shall I pull us in!”

“Avast there, Matey! If we pull in now, they'll know we're coming and they'll be ready. Stand fast and enjoy the ride.”

“Aye aye, sir. This is just like water skiing.”

The lantern gallery of Squeaky Toy Light loomed up over the horizon. Speedy checked his paw watch, and said, “It's been more than a minute since we last heard the fog horn. Must be clearing.”

“Have your crew put the engines half ahead!”

“Aye, Captain!”

 He leaned over the bulwark, and yelled, “Engines ahead half!”

From the pilothouse, Coccolino yelled back, “Half ahead, aye!”

They heard the engines start to throb, and the water began to churn. Speedy watched the towline grow taut, ans said, “Port your helm, two points!”

“Port helm, two points, aye.”

Ernie and Easy felt the longship suddenly lurch forward. Ernie peered through the darkness, and said, “Oh my dog! Right fifteen degrees, now!”

Easy Grabbed the sweep oar, gave it a good push, and said, “I got her, Skipper. What's going on?”

“Now that the fog's lifting, he probably wants to bring them in faster. Keep an eye on that sweep oar! If we don't meet her with each swing, they'll swamp us!”

Easy held tightly on the sweep oar, and said, “I got her, Skipper.”

Back aboard the Rawhide, Frankie was walking the decks, when he thought he saw something dangling from the stern. He stuck his head over the bulwark, confirmed his suspicions, and ran back to the helm.

He drew in close to Captain Snoopy, and whispered his findings. Captain Snoopy grinned, and said, “Get below and get that wooden thingy that makes the noise.”

“Aye, Cap'n.”

“What's up?” asked Speedy.

Snoopy whispered his plan. Speedy smiled, and said, “You can count on me, Captain.”

Ernie was still in control of his craft, but it was taking all of Easy's strength to keep them on a safe course. He looked down at Ernie, and said, “How much longer, Skipper?”

“Not long. Look!”

Easy turned his head forward, and he saw it too. They watched and waited. Little did they know what Snoopy had in mind.

Wordless Wednesday

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.