Free The Buccaneers' Code by Caroline Carlson Page A

deck toward her. “Hello,matey,” she said, holding out her hands to greet him. “I’m glad to see you’re braver than your companions. Have you come to join our crew?”
    The pirate looked down at Hilary’s hands. Then he pulled out his cutlass and pointed it at each of Hilary’s fingers, one by one. “Ten fingers,” he said. “A good number, ten is. If ye’ve got ten fingers, then ye’ve got a few to spare. And if Blacktooth hadn’t ordered us not to hurt ye, I’d be takin’ ’em fer meself.” He grinned, showing every one of his shining teeth. “Ye might say I’ve got a collection.”
    Hilary snatched her hands back and reached for her own cutlass. Jasper, Charlie, and Alice had already drawn theirs, and Miss Greyson had pulled her golden crochet hook from her hair. “If you’re trying to frighten me,” Hilary snapped, “you’d better try harder. The Terror of the Southlands doesn’t get frightened.”
    â€œWell,” said the gargoyle, “not usually .”
    â€œExcuse me,” said Jasper to the pirate, “but hadn’t you better leave before someone spots you chatting with us? I’d truly hate to see you keelhauled. You have such admirable counting skills, and such expensive teeth.”
    â€œAye,” the pirate said, “I’ll leave. I just wanted yer friend to know that Blacktooth’s men will never answer to a little girl.” He turned and began to walk away, but halfway across the deck he stopped and looked straight back at Hilary. “If yer wise,” he said, “ye’ll take those ten good fingers back home with ye and leave piratin’ matters to pirates.”
----

    A HEARTY BLAST
    from Cannonball Jack
    Dear Terror,
    It’s been nearly two weeks since I saw ye on Gunpowder Island, an’ I hope the Northlands have treated ye kindly. Have ye found a few sturdy pirates to support yer mission against that shifty bilge rat? I dearly hope ye have. I’ve been searchin’ the southern coast fer friendly faces, but Captain Blacktooth’s grip on the Queensport pirates be tight as a noose.
    Me new mates an’ I paid a visit to the Salty Biscuit yesterday an’ asked if anyone in the groggery dared to support ye, but the fellows there ran after us with their cutlasses an’ chased us away. It were peculiar, Terror: all the pirates had their eyes closed, as if seein’ us would be a fate worse than death. Some o’ them even ran smack into the walls as they were givin’ chase. Miss Worthington an’ Mr. Flintlock thought ’twere all rather amusin’, but Mr. Partridge were awfully shaken by the whole affair. Now he’s gone an’ locked himself in his cabin on board the Blunderbuss. Miss Worthington an’ I have been tryin’ to lure him out with fresh-baked gingersnaps fer the past half hour.
    We set sail for Pemberton tomorrow, an’ perhaps we’ll have better luck there. I hope that when I meet ye backin Wimbly-on-the-Marsh, I’ll have more to show fer me efforts than a tin o’ gingersnaps.
    Yers till then,
    C. J.
----
----
    THE VERY NEARLY HONORABLE LEAGUE OF PIRATES
    Servin’ the High Seas for 154 Years
    E USTACE T WIGGET
    F IRST M ATE OF THE R ENEGADE
    Independent Piracy Professional

    Ahoy, Pirate Westfield,
    I’m writin’ to you from the town of Middleby, where my mates and I have met with more than a few troubles. We’ve passed many pirate ships, but none of them have been eager to drop anchor and talk with us. In fact, most of them have gone speedin’ off in the opposite direction as soon as we’ve announced ourselves. We were hopin’ to find some friendly buccaneers here in Middleby, but thefolks at the Scallywag’s Den were unwillin’ to talk, and even less willin’ to listen. They shooed us out the door and put up a sign that says NO FRIENDS OF