Chapter 4 - Who Says Ferrets Can't Fly?
 
It was approaching the shortest day of the year that the unspeakable
happened.  A great storm swept in towards the ships from the open sea.
Christofert had been traveling onboard the Pinta when the storm began to
brew.  Men, rats, and a lone ferret were tossed mercilessly around the
ship.  Christofert climbed into his nook above the wheelhouse to watch.
He was terrified as rain and waves pummeled him.  He held on for dear
life, but wouldn't go below decks for fear of getting sick.
 
Although Christofert was unable to see the other two ships, he could
sometimes hear the men from above in the crow's nest calling out the
condition of the other ships.  When things didn't seem like they could
get any worse, he heard a yell from above.  "Land dead ahead!"
 
Panic erupted among the men.  The pilot started screaming orders to the
men to change the sails and prepare to bring the ship around.  Just as
the ship began to turn, a large thundering boom was heard.  A yardarm
had snapped and had fallen into the rigging below.  With the Pinta's
sails tangled, the ship slowly started to turn broadside to the waves.
The wind began to push the vessel over dangerously.  Christofert heard
the pilot yell to cut loose the rigging.  Only one man was able to get
to the mast.  Christofert watched as he climbed and began cutting loose
the ropes and sails.  When he had all but finished, a mighty burst from
the sea knocked to man loose and he quickly disappeared into the ocean.
Christofert watched in terror as more men attempted to get to the
rigging, but it was now impossible for any of them to get near.
 
Looking up, Christofert saw that the mast that he was next to was still
climbable, and near the top was a light weight rope that stretched over
to the damaged mast.  He knew what needed to be done, but was too
terrified to move.  He was too terrified to move until he heard from
above.  "The Santa Maria is aground!  We'll all die if we follow!"
 
Not knowing when he actually started, Christofert began to climb the mast.
The ship was rocking so hard now that he found himself barely able to hold
on.  He alternated from being pressed into the mast so hard that he could
barely breath to whistling through the air, able to hold on with only a
single paw.  When he reached the top of the mast, Christofert looked at
the slender rope between the two masts.  Just before he was about to climb
out onto the rope, the ship flexed and the rope was pulled so taunt that
it snapped with a loud twang.  Christofert's stomach sank even further.
He saw another man washed into the sea as he tried in vain to get to the
tangled rigging.  Looking over at the other mast, he knew he couldn't jump
that far.  He also knew that certain doom was only a few moments away, so
he closed his eyes and prepared to jump anyway.
 
Just as Christofert tensed his muscles for the leap, the ship lurched.
The entire mast acted like a catapult to throw him directly into the other
mast.  Somehow, Christofert clutched tightly to the new ropes.  When he
opened his eyes, he quickly realized that he was only a few inches from the
final rope holding the entangled rigging.  Not only that, but the rope was
almost cut through.  Quickly he inched over to the rope and began chewing.
In a matter of only a few moments the rope snapped.  The rigging fell into
the sea, and the ship began to right itself and turn away from the rapidly
approaching rocks.  Christofert heard cheers from below, but was too tired
to hold on.  He too fell into the churning water below.
 
(to be continued)
 
            Bryan P. Coffey - Boston, MA
      Weasel Warriors - Albi, Esef, Merri, and Mint
        http://www.gis.net/~bpcoffey/furball.html
[Posted in FML issue 2820]