Chapter Fourteen Part Two

The Barbary Pirates were a terrifying, fearsome lot. They were best known for preying upon human souls. Christian souls. They stole entire ships, taking the cargo and the living victims as well. They raided, looted, and pillaged coastal towns and villages to acquire more souls, who were then sold into slavery.

Women were forced into sexual and domestic slavery, and children were sold to become trained soldiers or house slaves. A soul could be ransomed, provided their family had the money to do so, and providing the slave could afford the postage to notify said family. For too many, this was just not possible.

The Barbary Pirates usually stayed south of the North Atlantic, stealing humans and valuables, yet they were known to sometimes raid as far north as Iceland.

Men were often pressed into galley service, chained to benches and made to oar, never allowed to leave the same spot, their every moment spent in these chains. Sleeping, eating and bodily functions were all carried out in the space they were shackled to. Some galley slaves were held for close to a score of years, never to see the light of day ever again, death being their only way out of bondage.

A Barbary ship, making it's way north, had the Wench in it's sights.

Bart manned the crow's nest this afternoon, he sighted the other ship and saw her change course to follow them. "Ship sighted starboard o' us, Capt'n. They've altered course to run us down." Bart called down to Violet at the helm.

Pete ran up to man the rudder, as Violet took the spyglass Pete handed him.

Violet knew those sails. Square and stained a darkened color, they only meant one thing. Slave traders had come upon them.

These ships were always heavily armed, manned by ruthless, violent men, that cared not for human lives, other than the profits to be made from selling them.

Violet knew that his own small crew did not stand a chance against these foreign men that were quickly approaching them. The Wench could not hope to outrun them, and the Barbary ship had them outsized, outgunned and out manned.

Violet feared for his wife and the children, he feared for his entire crew. The cold feeling of dread that washed over him caused him to shake internally from a chill that rushed through his body. From the moment he recognized what was approaching, his heart had fallen to his feet.

There was no defense against these aggressors, they did not wait to engage, there was no bargaining with them. They did not even speak the same language ofttimes. They flew in for the kill, swiftly and efficiently, such as a bird of prey that snatches it's quarry mid flight.

Violet handed the glass back to Pete and asked him to check the sails, to enable them to catch as much of the force of wind as possible. Sam and Pete both hastened to comply.

Violet was racing into the storm as fast as his ship could fly. He could feel the tiny stinging raindrops on his face, the sea began heaving below them. Violet prayed to God as he watched the other ship gaining on them, he saw the boys huddled below on the main deck in a tight knot, Timothy and Johnny had turned white as sheets.

"Davey! Get all of ye below and get your mistress from my cabin!" Vi yelled over the wind that had come upon them, just as the Wench approached the cloud darkened sky. "Gather the children, all of you are to go to the galley, and remain there until I tell you otherwise!" He watched the boys scramble below decks, knowing the galley was center ship and they would feel the effects from the tossing sea less. They would all be safer there if cannon fire came from the slave trader's ship.

Vi kept looking to his right, as the large ship kept creeping closer. "Bart come down from there, we shall have lightning soon. Be ready to man the guns when she comes within range."

Bart climbed down quickly, and went below, to gather his men and man the cannons.

Violet continued to glance to the side, watching the other ship get larger, as it got closer. There was only one place to go, God, I know I have my limits, but You have none, I ask Your help in this moment, to keep these ones that I love safe from harm.

Violet continued to run into the storm to the best of the Wenches abilities, as Brutus jumped up to the helm with Violet's jerkin in hand, holding the rudder as Vi shrugged it on. "Thank ye, Brutus."

He looked into Brutus' eyes and saw a calm there that belied their situation.

"Yer little Miss Elizabeth has the whole mass of them down there saying Psalms, Paulie is doing his best to reassure the children that God will keep us safe through the storm." Brutus spoke in a strange mono toned voice. He shook his head, "I have never seen the like, Miss Elizabeth reading from the Psalms and every one of them repeating after her. I cannot doubt she has the ear of the Lord at this very moment. I felt Him, Violet, right there in that galley, as I never have afore." His voice grew quieter as he finished his summation, his eyes were holding tears and his face had a strange glow about it that Violet recognized. It was the face he had seen on his bride when she spoke about her God and let His majesty come over her.

He put a hand on Brutus' shoulder, giving it a quick squeeze, before needing to hold the helm tightly again. "I know what you mean, I have been there myself." Violet remembered the calm he had felt after Betsy had taken his hands in her own and prayed that day. He had felt it then. He wished he were with her now, so she could pray with him again.

Violet took a deep breath, releasing any doubt, and looked starboard again.

The other ship was gone.

Just gone. Nowhere could he find the solid mass that had just been there only a moment ago. Not coming, not going, just gone.

His eyes flew to his friend, "Is it only me, or did that massive ship just disappear?"

"What ship?" Brutus asked him.

"The Barbary ship that was out there just a moment ago!" Violet searched the starboard side, "Take this thing, I need to look."

Violet took Brutus' glass as Brutus took the helm. Vi searched around them, scanning the entire sea, as far as his lengthened vision allowed.

There was nothing. No trace of the threat that had stolen his heart from his chest.

"You are sure there was a ship, Violet? I never saw it."

"Yes there was a damn ship! Ask Bart, he sighted it, Davey and the boys saw it too! T'was a slave trader and it had been gaining on us for a while here. But now, 'tis just gone!" Violet felt that chill come over him again, but this time it was not fear, it came from awe and disbelief. He had never experienced the like before. He had felt the peace back there on the beach that day, he had felt the gladness and thankfulness that had come from his prayers being answered. But he had never experienced sheer awe in the face of his Creator before. "'Tis the work of God before my very eyes, Brutus! It was there I tell you! Pete! Sam! Tell Brutus you saw the ship!"

They both turned and looked for it, but it was gone. They looked up at their Captain, and nodded, struck dumb with disbelief themselves.

Violet suddenly laughed, in the face of the oncoming storm, he laughed, right until he cried. The relief was so great, he could do nothing else.

Brutus nodded, he had just felt a bit of the same thing below in the galley. Something was at work here, something greater than himself. Brutus had attended the same church Violet did, but never had he felt the Spirit move as he had below deck. He watched as Violet sank to his knees, looking up to the sky with tears pouring down his face, mingling in with the rain.

"I shall never doubt you." Violet whispered, as he suddenly felt thoroughly drained. The adrenaline the other ship had created was gone, replaced with an emptiness, that even now he felt himself refilling with some strange new feeling he had never fully felt before.

"I need to see my wife, Brutus." The feeling in his eyes was mirrored in Brutus' own, for they both had felt the glory of God in two very different ways, yet it filled them the same.

Brutus reached a hand toward his friend and Captain. Violet allowed Brutus to help pull him to his feet.

"Go, Vi, I will be fine. Tell them what you saw." Brutus looked out into the dark clouds that were lighting up with electricity, and felt no fear. What was a storm, when you had the One who created it on your side.

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Violet did not even feel the tossing ship beneath him. His feet grew wings and he ran below, sliding his way into the galley.

Every eye turned to look at him and the room went silent.

"What is it, Violet?" Betsy asked him, as she stood from the table to make her way towards him.

Her voice drew his eyes immediately through all the others, to pinpoint where she sat. As she rose and came towards him he stalked to meet her halfway. He threw his arms around her and held her tighter than she had ever been held in her life.

Violet's eyes found Davey and the boys, "They are gone,.... t'was there one moment, and gone the next."

Davey nodded, even as he questioned Violet's sanity, "Gone?"

All the boys stared at him. Timothy spoke, "We did not want to say anything to frighten the babes or Miss Elizabeth, but you are sure?"

"I am sure, Timothy." Violet's voice was quiet and calm. Timothy let out a big breath and hid his face in Jonah's hair as he held him in his lap. "Davey, go tell Bart to quit readying a defense, 'tis not necessary any longer. Then come back and ride out the storm here."

Davey scrambled to follow his orders as Violet looked down into Betsy's eyes, "I need to speak to you, alone." He smiled at her, then at everyone else in the room, "Carry on, we will be back in a few moments."

Paulie slid the bible that Betsy had been reading from, to sit in front of himself.

"Psalm forty seven, Paulie." Betsy told him, as she allowed Violet to lead her to their cabin.

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Betsy could not see his face, as he walked ahead of her, pulling her along with him. She had to step quickly to keep up with his long strides. He opened the door and pulled her in, then let go of her hand to latch it behind them.

She stood in the middle of the room as he went to the big chair in the corner and sat down. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped together as he stared at them for a moment. She could see there was something profound in his thoughts. His face was wreathed with a look she had never seen upon it before.

He lifted his head to look at her, yet he was not really seeing her. After a moment, he blinked his eyes, and focused on her face. "What is Psalm forty six?" He asked of her.

Betsy went to him and knelt down on the floor at his feet, she set her hands on his, and he took them into his own, holding them tightly, as he searched her face.

She smiled and began, " God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High."

Betsy began to whisper the rest, as tears had started falling from Violet's eyes, and he held her hands tighter. She knew she was witnessing something wonderful, she just did not fully comprehend what. Softly, she continued, "God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God shall help her, and that right early. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Come, behold the works of the Lord,"

Violet closed his eyes as she continued, the tears still running down his face, though he was peaceful.

"What desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge."

She ended the psalm and sat quietly, her own tears falling slowly while looking at her husband as he let his head fall back against the back of his chair and he gazed at the ceiling above them.

"Yes," He spoke clearly, yet softly, "I thought as much." Violet then lowered his gaze to look into her eyes, "I have seen the glory of God. I, myself, saw a miracle happen right before my very eyes." His eyes looked wondrously into hers as she gazed at him with bewilderment.

"Tell me." She pleaded.

He did, he told her all, he finished by telling her about the feeling that had filled him when he was on his knees.

"You felt the Spirit move into you, Violet." She explained.

"Was that what it was? I have never in my life felt the like before. 'Tis still here," He released her hand to put his own on his chest. "It has filled my chest and has not left yet." He looked at her with a face full of wonder. "That ship just disappeared, t'was just gone. There one moment, and poof, gone the next." Violet shook his head, "Never has anything like this ever happened to me before,...................What do I do now?"

"You accept it, the miracle, the Spirit, the works of His mighty hand, His Son who died upon the cross at Calvary. You just accept it. You said you had prayed? That you had seeked His help?"

"I told Him I had limits to what I could do, but that I knew He had none." Violet began laughing from sheer joy, "I just never imagined He wanted to show me to what extent He had none, it was the most incredible thing I have ever witnessed." His face was aglow with the wonder he felt. "I almost feel as if I were dreaming, as if I should go back up there to make sure, but I know what I saw."

"He wanted you to know t'was Him, only Him, and nothing less. He wanted to fill you with His Spirit, Violet. 'Tis what He wants from us all." She smiled at him, as he stood and drew her up unto him.

"I do not care what happens from here, I shall never, ever, doubt again." He held her tightly, as she kissed his cheek then rested her own against his shoulder.

"I am so happy for you, my love." She whispered against his neck. She was sure she would not stop smiling for a very long time. "You need to hear Psalm forty seven now." She laughed.

He set her down and dragged her back to the galley, where he made Paulie read it again, as he praised and exalted.

Then he shared his testimony with all.

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His blessings to you all!