Double Crossbones

In all the bloody pages of history, no bloody chapter was more bloody

than the bloody era of the buccaneers.

Over the seven seas, the Brethren of the Coast,

as these bloodthirsty pirates called themselves, roamed at will.

Killing, plundering and looting.

Writing their names in blood across the bloody record of time.

They were a murderous, bloodthirsty crew, who feared neither man nor the devil.

But the bloodiest of all these bloodthirsty buccaneers was the bloody pirate.

Bloodthirsty Dave.

Who? Me?

In those days, when the sign of the skull and crossbones struck terror

into the hearts of the boldest,

no ship was safe from the Brethren of the Coast.

No vessel was fast enough nor stout enough to withstand the ferocity and cunning

of their attack.

Like vultures, they swooped down upon their prey,

sending some proud and noble ship to the bottom of the sea.

There were many harbors along the Atlantic coast

of the colonies that offered refuge

to these black-hearted cutthroats.

Not least among them was the city of Charleston in the Carolinas.

It was the perfect haven.

England was 3,000 miles away and the laws were lax.

Here, at the hands of unscrupulous merchants,

they found a ready market for their plunder.

Swaggering pirates, fresh from raids along the Spanish Main, wandered openly

through the streets of the city, unchallenged and unafraid.

Woe to the poor unfortunate whose shadow fell across the path

of these inhuman monsters.

Ah, yes, these were truly the days of wooden ships and iron men.

But some of the iron was getting a little rusty.

A thousand pardons, good sirs.

You clumsy lout!

Perhaps a bit of cold steel in your insides will teach you to have more care.

It was an accident, I assure you, sir.

Please, let me get my broom.

You scurvy young whelp! I'll cut the gizzard out of you!

Now, look, you don't know what you're doing, really.

Really, you don't know what you're doing, no.

Now, if you...

Come on. All right, you want to fight now? All right, come on.

Come on, you want to fight.

Come on, fight.

Why you...

The King's men.

You'll say nothing to the King's men?

No, sir.

If I whacked you in the jaw like this, would you tell the King's men?

No, sir.

If I punched you in the belly like this, would you tell the King's men?

No, sir.

It's fortunate for you, my lad, I'm not a man of violence.

Don't forget to tell the King's men.

Wait a minute.

If you carve that scrawny sparrow and the King's men take you,

you'll be a full day making a report to the Governor,

and it'll delay our sailing on the morrow.

Well, maybe so.

But if we ever meet again, I'll slit his gullet.

Well, Master Crandall, do you intend to sit there all day

and let life pass you by?

But, Mr... Have you nothing in life to hold on to?

Well, right now I have.

I've always told you, “Idle hands are the devil's workshop."

Yes, Mr. Nicholas. Have you finished your sweeping?

Yes, Mr. Nicholas.

Well, then, you can start washing the windows.

I did that at sunup, Mr. Nicholas. Dusting the showcases?

All finished, Mr. Nicholas. Polishing the glassware?

That, too, Mr. Nicholas. Cleaning the silver?

That's all done, Mr. Nicholas.

Well, I can't have you dawdling around. "He who wastes a minute..."

"Loses an hour." Yes, Mr. Nicholas.

Go to the storeroom and help Tom Botts with the polishing.

Yes, Mr. Nicholas.

Take that packing case with you. Yes, Mr. Nicholas.

Ah, good morning, Miss Prudence, I'm at your service.

I'd like to see the bolt of material I talked to you about, Mr. Nicholas.

Oh, yes, Miss Prudence, just this way, please.

Take that packing box to the storeroom.

This is the material, Miss Prudence.

What's that I see underneath?

A gown of this velvet will be the envy of every woman in Charleston.

It's lovely.

Could I see something else, please?

Yes.

Help me lower my cargo, Mr. Botts.

Aye, aye, Davey.

Right now I have to batten down my hatches.

I'm to give you a hand.

Welcome you are, Davey lad.

This sort of work isn't fit for an old seadog like Tom Botts.

Thank you.

You seem a mite nervous today, Davey. What's ailing you?

Well, you'd be nervous, too, if you'd almost had

your gullet run through by a drunken sailor.

A ship in the harbor!

A two-master.

A three-master! A three-master!

She's coming around the point.

Yeah, she's a three-master, all right.

'Tis the Liverpool Queen.

The Liverpool Queen?

We've work ahead of us, Davey, lad.

Mr. Nicholas has valuable cargo aboard.

He has? Mmm.

It's a good thing for him she didn't run afoul of pirates.

Governor Elden, Lady Sylvia, my humble shop is honored.

Friend Caleb, Lord and Lady Montrose have just arrived from England.

I've been telling them of your collection of rare treasures.

You will display your finest for them.

Most assuredly, Your Excellency.

Right this way, milords, miladies.

My, what a charming shop.

I'm glad you like it, milady.

My finest collection is in my private office.

Milords, miladies, this way please.

If you'll excuse me, Lady Montrose, I've seen the collection.

I'll browse around out here.

Very well, dear.

Good afternoon, Master Davey.

Oh, good afternoon, Lady Sylvia.

I trust you received the books I sent.

Yes, I did, and I'm very grateful.

You'll have need of much more book knowledge if you expect to become

a great merchant.

Yes, I know it, and some day when I'm rich and have my own ship

sailing the seven seas, I'll have you to thank.

You and Mr. Botts.

And when that time comes...

Yes, Master Davey?

Well, I mean...

Well, right now,

you the ward of the Governor and me a nobody...

You're not a nobody, Davey.

Well, I won't always be a shopkeeper's apprentice.

And when that time comes, the first thing I'm gonna do is... ls ask you to...

To...

Well, that's...

That's a very pretty miniature.

Thank you, I painted it myself.

On, you did?

You were going to ask me something?

Yes, I'm...

I'm gonna ask you to... To...

There's a lot of fine detail, too.

David Crandall, when you're rich and successful,

you're going to ask me something.

What is it?

Well, I'm gonna ask you to... To...

To paint a miniature like that for me.

Oh.

It's very pretty.

Well, I better get back to work if I'm gonna be all the things

I said I was gonna be.

I have to make an inventory.

Oh?

Mr. Nicholas just got in a lot of nice new things.

Oh, so I see.

Excuse me.

Ah, that's what I'd like to see on you.

Davey, a lady doesn't permit a gentleman to see such things.

I saw the ones the apothecary's wife wears.

Where was the apothecary when you were seeing this?

He was putting them on her.

Davey.

When I get rich, I'll get you a pair that are bigger than anyone else's.

And I'll hang one on each of your ears.

On my ears? Why...

And they'll be prettier than these.

Oh, you meant... Oh!

Hmm?

Cute, huh? Mmm-hmm.

And here's a sapphire, Your Ladyship, that well might have adorned a caliph.

Mark this ruby, the fire of a sunset on the China Sea.

Oh, isn't it beautiful? Uh-huh.

And here is a most unusual piece.

Let me see that.

Certainly, Your Lordship.

I know this pin.

It once belonged to Sir Rodney Davenport.

It was stolen by pirates off the Virginias less than six months ago.

Impossible, Your Lordship.

Silence!

Perhaps, Your Lordship, it is merely a similarity in the pieces.

I'd know this pin anywhere.

I saw it quite often at His Majesty's receptions.

Governor Elden, His Majesty sent me to the colonies

for the express purpose of investigating pirate activities.

I assure Your Lordship I've made every effort to stop the underground traffic

between unscrupulous merchants and pirates.

I felt this place was above reproach.

In His Majesty's opinion, those who deal with pirates are as guilty

as the pirates themselves.

Quite right, Your Lordship.

An example shall be made of these...

These culprits, as a warning to others.

I shall have everyone connected with this place put under immediate arrest.

Ah.

Have courage, lad, we're not hanged yet.