The pair then travelled to London to report to Admiral Drake and collect their reward.
Bernard showed them into Drake’s office and the pair told him how they had killed Pink Beard and his crew.
“Well done, Roger and Julian. Pity you couldn't bring some pirates back to be tried, London has been looking forward to a hanging. Never mind, you had best be heading back to Portsmouth to plan the capture of Red Beard, he’s been raiding ships off the African coast.” Drake informed them.
“Then we be on our way, Admiral. Come on Julian lad, we needs ta be think’n of a way ta capture that there Red Beard, we needs somethin’ ta gives us an advantage, that be for sure.”
They returned to Portsmouth and, on board The Wood Pigeon, set about their plan to capture Red Beard.
From the original story published on the Internet as Burdett's, the Universe and everything. Copyright © Les Burdett 23 August 1997
This story version Copyright © Les Burdett 12 January 2023
Part two: Roger v Red Beard
"Ah har Julian lad, we needs ta spring a trap for young Red Beard, any bright ideas?" asked Roger as he started to draw a picture of The Wood Pigeon.
"Ooh captain, I don't like the sound of that Red Beard. We must get him into a cage or something, before he knows what's going on, or we might get our throats cut too," replied Julian.
"We could build a trap door in the deck, an put a cage underneath it, then when them there pirates steps on it, we pulls a leaver an' into the cage they drops. Ah har ha, ha, ha, ho, ho, ho, ho, they will get a surprise, eh Julian."
"Yes, but where will we be when the pirates come aboard? If we're on the ship, they will surely slit our throats. Makes me go all cold just thinking about it," added Julian.
"Aye," said Roger, "we needs ta be somewhere that them there pirates don't know about."
"Captain, do you think we could do something with the sinking ship. I mean make it sail underwater, with the crew inside."
"That be a novel idea Julian, a submerged ship. It would needs ta be watertight an' have an airbag that was partly inflated all the time so that the ship sails just below the surface."
"Hmm, why not put the crew inside the airbag, they'd be dry and have air to breathe. But wait, how could we get fresh air into the bag and how could we see what was going on at the surface?"
"Ah har, Julian lad, that be easy. We uses a hollow mast wi’ a hole at the top an' a bellows at the bottom ta lets in fresh air and ta pumps up the bag. Then we can fit mirrors inside another hollow mast, one at the top and one at the bottom, so's that we can see what's going on top side."
"Oooh, what a wonderful idea, I'm feeling really excited, let’s draw up some plans."
And so, Roger and Julian drew up their plans for the world’s first submerged sailing ship.
"Julian lad, this 'ere aint gonna work."
"What's wrong captain, I think it looks lovely."
"Aye lad, it do, it do. But ya see, we all be nice an' cosey inside, under fifteen feet of water, an' up above we 'as four masts and
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