Zeelandia's longboats were sent away, one with Mister Jenkins in charge, and he had been ordered to land and seize whomever they found in or near the cabin. Charles had also instructed him to ensure the crew answered no questions from whomever they found. Nor were they to talk among themselves, other than that essential for guiding their actions and for the handling of the boat. Their sole goals were to seize and bring back to the ship all those found and to maintain an armed guard ashore in case there were others beyond the cabin.

Mister Matthews was in charge of the second longboat, and it also carried armed hands, but these with muskets as well as with pistols. He was instructed to stand off the strand, ready to fire if needed.

While the boats pulled shoreward, the smoke continued to rise from the cabin chimney, its volume now greater as it swirled about in the confused breezes at the edge of the forest, some hanging in the trees, some being wafted toward us. All the while, we searched with our glasses, seeing neither movement nor anything unusual.

Jenkins' boat landed, the men disembarked, and as they walked along the strand, Matthews' boat followed slowly, a short distance offshore from them. When the shore party stopped short of the first tree stumps of the small clearing, Charles said, "Likely Mister Jenkins is giving final instructions and having the men reload and re-prime their pistols."

"Reload? Why?"

"In case the powder had become wet. An unseen splash from a sweep. Perhaps when climbing from the boat and wading ashore. A wet charge is unlikely to fire, or if it does, it would be with ineffective force."

"Aha! I now see from whence comes Father's expression, only a flash in the pan."

"Indeed. All must be done to prevent misfires at times such as this."

"But, need they fire?"

"Only if fired upon or if they are otherwise endangered."

I nodded. "Be ready, in case."

"Indeed! If they are accosted, there is no time to load and prime."

Jenkins divided the men into two groups, and he led five men into the cabin while the other dozen and a half searched the area around it. Within a minute, men emerged from the cabin, and I counted six. "Oh, dear. They found none."

"Mister Jenkins' red shirt is not among them, so they found at least one."

"Yes, of course." I examined the six with my glass, but at the distance, I could not discern faces, nor could I see any pistols. "Why is he still inside?"

My answer came a moment later as two men emerged bearing a litter between them on their shoulders, and Jenkins followed. "So, four. One ill or injured."

"Aye, so it appears. And all clothed, so not escaped prisoners."

"Hmmm! No, they might still be. The pirates would likely have a lot of clothing in the cabin. Their own and those they took from the prisoners."

Charles nodded. "True."

"So, who might they be? Would the pirates leave three ashore to tend the one infirm?"

"From what I learnt through questioning Captain Stumpy, I think not."

We watched in silence while Jenkins conferred with some of the men. Then as the litter bearers and seven others headed along the strand toward the boat, I asked, "Why does Mister Jenkins remain ashore?"

"That is where most of the men are. He is not needed to oversee bringing the newfound out here to Zeelandia, but there will be decisions required ashore."

"Yes, of course."

Mister Jenkins gathered together the remaining men, and after what I surmised were instructions, they headed into the forest, one stopping at the first tree, another three or four yards farther in, and another the same distance beyond, and another until the group disappeared into the depths of the forest, hidden by the huge tree trunks.

They remained standing in their places, and I assumed this was for the remainder to spread out in a similar fashion up the slope. All the while, Matthews' boat had moved slowly along the strand, and it was now at the mouth of a stream which tumbled down the hillside in a series of small cascades.

I turned my attention to the other boat as the litter was loaded aboard. Then the men embarked, and all but two moved aft to cause the bow to rise while the two forward took up sweeps and pushed the boat back out into deeper water. Such wonderful coordination.

As the boat drew to where I could identify faces, I saw two of the new ones were gaunt, much as were Father and the other prisoners we had freed, and this eased my concern. Then after pondering, I said to Charles, "From the gauntness of those two, they appear to be escaped prisoners. Why then would Jenkins order such a methodical search?"

"I had wondered the same for a moment, but there is also a corpulent one, which puzzles. They could still be pirates. The large one might be the camp cook, the other two wasted by scurvy or some such disease."

"Yes, of course. And their ill-fitting clothing could be from that, not from having donned those of other men." Then as they drew closer, I asked, "If they are so ill as that, why were they not taken to Port Royal? To the infirmary there."

"A fine question, Camille. They might well be escaped captives."

"Then why has Mister Jenkins organised such a systematical search? And why in only one direction?"

He chuckled. "With your astute observation and your brilliant mind, we will soon know."

"And with yours."

Charles shrugged, then he turned to Mister Cogswell who had stood beside us since the boats had been sent away. "Rig the cargo strops from the main course yard."

"Aye, Sir. Which side, Sir?"

"On which side is the longboat?"

"The starboard, Sir."

"So, which side would suit our needs?"

"What are our needs, Sir?"

"To load the litter with the infirm man."

"Then, the starboard would suit, Sir."

"Fine. Make it so."

"Aye, Sir. Cargo strops from the starboard main course yard."

When Cogswell had departed to give instructions, Charles asked, "Do I assume too much understanding from him?"

"Apparently. Not all are as perceptive as are you."

"Would they were all like you." He wrapped an arm around my waist.

I turned and pressed myself against him. "Would you be able to handle more than one of me?"

Charles chuckled. "The mind and spirit, certainly, but not the body."