Les Burdett's story of Roger

Author: Les Burdett

Nationality: British

Roger and Julian entered the inn.

"Good afternoon gentlemen," a serving wench welcomed them "table for two?"

"Aye."

"Spitting or non-spitting?"

"Non-spitting. Er, be that Cap'n Kirk over yonder?" Roger enquired.

"Yes sir, he's a miserable ol' git today."

"Well sit us wi' 'im, maybe we can cheer 'im up, I think there be more ta 'is last voyage than Drake knows."

"Yes, poor old Kirk, he does look a bit down," added Julian.

"Cap'n Kirk, I be Cap'n Roger."

"Cap'n 'Jolly' Roger?"

"Aye."

"The Cap'n 'Jolly' Roger, what's rich an' famous from catching Pink Beard an' Red Beard?"

"Aye."

"I saw ‘e at Admiralty, that there Admiral Drake don't seem ta want ta listen ta me these days. What can I do for ‘e, Jolly Roger?"

"Cap'n I's 'ere to 'elp you ta become rich an' famous too."

"An' why would 'e do that?"

"Cos I think 'e was 'ard done by when 'e saw Drake."

"'E do?"

"Aye, it be too cold for Scots ta run about 'alf naked. Besides 'e be a good sailor an' if 'e sailed west for five months wi’out falling off the edge of the world, then there aint no edge."

"Aye, that be what I thinks. My next trip I's gonna sail east, an' I aint gonna stop sailing east till I gets back to England."

"Ah har, can I calls 'e Jim, cap'n."

"Aye, a course 'e can."

"Jim, tells us all about 'es last voyage."

Kirk told Roger and Julian about the voyage west and how they had seen strange fish and many Islands along the way. He told them more about the natives who lived in pointed houses made from animal skins and had feathers in their hair. How they hunted large hairy bull like creatures for food and made a living by making jewellery to sell to tourists.

"On the way back, we sighted a strange lookin' Island, it 'ad a pointed mountain what 'ad smoke comin' from the top, so we decided ta land for fresh water an' food. I sent a party o' men ashore ta make sure it was safe in case the natives turned nasty. After an hour or so they returned, the island was deserted, but they did see marks in the sand coming out of the water. Footprints, aye, human footprints, wi’ boots on. While 'arf the crew goes looking for food an' water, me an' the first mate, John Silver, goes ta investigate the footprints, we follows 'em into the jungle for about fifteen minutes. Then we comes across these trees, the trunks 'ad grown across each other so's they looks like a big X, beneath them we could see that the ground had been dug quite recently. There be a spade leaning against one of them thar trees, so we starts ta dig and soon finds the first

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