I had no choice, not after the horrible crime I had done. It was either run - or be caught like a rat 'an dragged screaming and a kicking to the gallows. I'd seen too many a good man strung up, victims of the King's justice, eyes poppin out of their 'ead's, black tongues lolling from slack jaws as they swung for the crowd. Not for me that fate, oh no – my neck may be scrawny, but I value it too much for it to be stretched by no bastard 'angman!
So I ran, I did. Ran as hard 'an as fast as a fox with the hounds of Hell upon his tail! Hid here and there I did until at last I found myself at the coast - with nowhere further to run. Just eighteen I was, already a thief and condemned man for want of bread to eat. Aye, I stole bread to eat, and for that - the King's men would hang me if they could catch me. We all gotta eat, ain't we? Starvin I was. Some crime!
So I headed for the coast where I hoped to find a ship to carry me away from here; I didn't care where, just anywhere, away! It were nightfall when I got to the port and here I skulked and hid within the sea fog that cloaked the harbour in a cold and damp embrace. Then I saw her. The ship was just an outline, ghostlike and dark against the grey mist swirling around its slack rigging, but I could hear her call...
The gangplank lay open, unguarded, it tantalised and invited me aboard with no one around, but me senses warned against taking its easy seductive offer. Instead, I found a mooring rope and slowly did I climb aboard, silent as a snake, quickly I found a deep rigging box and climbed inside where I fell asleep, safe... or so I thought.
I awoke to rocking, of dreams sweet. With a crash, the riggin box was opened and rough hands disabused me of any such dreams I might be havin! From the sleep of the saved I was thrown into the terror able hands of savage men! Now I did hear the cries that sent me knees weak with fear!
"There be a b*****d stowaway!"
"He not be takin' my rations!"
"Kill 'im!"
"Throw the runt overboard!"
Faces snarled at me, fists pummelled and punched me as from man to man I was tossed and thrown, until at last I was pushed against one huge man with a dreadful scar down the length of his face. He grabbed my shoulders and shook me until I looked up and stared into his face.
"Hold fast mates!" he snarled, and the men stopped their blood baying as if shot. Then he turned to look at me with a glare that made me shake and then he slowly smiled. Arrr, that smile be worse, far worse than ever a snarl.
He looked back to the men and grinned an evil grin. "Tie and drag the varlet avast!" Immediately thick rope was wrapped about me.
"Mercy!" I begged only to hear raucous laughter answer my desperate plea.
"You be fish bait, boy!" the scarred face whispered to me gleefully, and I heard the men laugh as they picked me up and threw me overboard!
I fell for what seemed an eternity before the cold hard sea knocked the wind from my lungs as I plunged into the arms of the briny. Down I sank, white water turned blue then black and dark as deeper I went. A sudden harsh tug, and I was pulled up from my watery grave and just as suddenly dropped back into the sea's waitin grasp. Again I felt the tug from the rope. They were dragging me behind the ship as she sailed! Gasping desperately for air but breathing salt water, I fought to live, to survive. I did not last long, I had swallowed too much sea, I began to feel what only drowning men do feel, the pull of Davy Jones to his dark and cold locker! I saw Davy then - saw his face calling me and I went to him.