“Head towards the Glades, men,” he shouts.
They head towards the Florida Everglades, hoping to lose their assailants in the swamps. By this time, cannonballs are punctuating the air ever closer to their ship. They throw all unnecessary cargo overboard to gain speed. Their salvation comes from a thunderstorm: twenty-foot waves lashed their ship, and winds toss the boat about like an old boot.
In the morning, the crew awakens to a calm sea, and the flotilla is a speck on the horizon. Saved by the Gods! Eventually, they arrived at their destination. They drop the small boats into the water, scuttle the ship and head deep into the Glades.
After days of travel, they come upon a native reserve. They dock their boats and walk cautiously into the settlement.
“Keep your guns by your side, men. We come in peace,” urges the captain.
Within minutes, the entire community surrounds their guests with spears held high. The first thing the captain does is to offer them gold coins. At the sight of the gold, their eyes light up, and together with the fact that they are heavily armed, the enemies become instant friends. To their amazement, they understand a fair amount of English, so they are off to a good start.
“We want to get to New Orleans,” the captain tells them.
The native leaders look at one another. “We have English traders that come through once a month to collect our pelts and handicraft. They could help you,” says the leader.
“Can we stay here until they come? We’ll pay you well,” says the captain, offering them more gold coins.
At this proposition, the native leaders draw to one side to counsel among themselves. After some deliberations, they return. “Yeah, you can stay until they come.”
After all the commotion is settled and the natives disperse to their respective jobs, the captain turns to his men. “You six,” he says, pointing. “go see what you can kill in the way of deer, and you four go down to the river and see what you can catch. The rest of us are going to see what we can build in the way of accommodations. We’re here for at least a month.”
It is an enjoyable stay. During the day, they hunt and fish. The young men take the young native girls for long walks, and at night they sit around a campfire and drink their witch's brew, which has a kick that would floor a horse. After five weeks, our English traders come through, surprised but so happy to see their French counterparts. Everyone sits down around a table replete with jugs of native brew. Our Frenchmen explain how they want to get to New Orleans to board a ship for France. The traders say that is no problem, but they would like to be compensated for their efforts. A price is set and they plan to leave in a few days. It is a bittersweet departure; the crew has made true friends. They leave behind guns and ammunition, and some of the young native girls are expectant mothers.
After a week, they land in New Orleans. The captain marches into the governor’s office and explains their predicament. Within a week, they are bound for France. Before they leave, everyone attends Sunday Mass to give thanks for their providential protection, for not a soul has been lost in the mayhem.
So concludes our tale of greed and unearned gain, romance at its most splendiferous. All that remains is for me to pray that in the confluence of time and circumstances, we meet in more happy adventures. Until then, may life in its benevolence reward you with a kindly jest.
