Silver Adventures of Captain Joshua Slane – #108 - “Wimins an' grogg an' gamblin an’ such!”

Galligan held a firm rudder as the longboat cut through the first row of breakers off the eastern beach of Santa Cruz. The winds had calmed to a gentle easterly breeze that eased them in with almost no effort from the six oarsman.

“Oars up an it!” Galligan yelled as he brought the boat to a calm rest, thirty feet from shore.

ErticalOne and Azzuar were out of the boat in a moment with their boots off, pulling them in to shore. In a moment they all stood on dry land and no one said a thing as they took in the beauty of one of the Canary’s most precious Isles.

“Let's pull 'er up beyond th' high tide line mens an' block 'er aff!” Galligan commanded as he gazed up and down the coastal beech which was well populated by the native folk.
“Whhheeeehoooo!” Azzuar whistled as he spotted a small group of island women that were busy washing their feet in the waves, “Oh how’s Ahh loves th' Canarys!”

“Stow 'att fer now sailur, wee's got lodgin' tae finds first aff!” Galligan said as seaman Ytal rolled her eyes at Azzuar.

Galligan carried the small chest of coppers while the rest of the crew carried their bags and provisions. The town of Santa Cruz was hustling in the main throughway as they left the beach behind and walked up through the urban area. Suddenly a seafaring man approached them in the street.

“Salute strangers! Ahh saw ye comin' in frae 'at frigate tae th' eest! Whaur ur ye frae?!” Dax said with a slanted smile.
“Commander Galligan ay th' guid ship Silverton, Royal Scottish Navy. Ahh dornt hink Ah got yer nam?” Galligan said as he extended his free hand.
“Royal Scottish Navy is it?! Weel tooddle-doo! Whit ur ye daein' aw th' ways doon haur?!” Dax replied with a grin.
“An' yer nam sailur?” Galligan repeated.
“Och, aye, weel peoples caa me Dax!” he answered nervously.
“Dax?”
“Reit.”
“Yoo're nae natiff haur, what's yer ship?” Galligan said as he eyed the man’s tunic which bore no ledgeble ship insignia.
“Och, reit! Weel ye see, we los’ uir ship in a hurricane aff th' coest ay Funchal lest summers! It was a miracle 'at we mades it doon haur!”
“Ahh woods say 'att is...Do ye hae crew haur?” Galligan asked as he felt a rising discomfort with the man.
“Och aye, och aye! They's nine ay us 'at mades it, includin' uir Keptin!” Dax replied.
“What's yer Keptin's nam?”
“His nam is Callum, Keptin Callum 'att is! Hee's a fine sailur too!” Dax said while turning slightly and looking over his shoulder.
“Ahh suppose e'en a fine Keptin can lose a ship in a hurricane. Callum eh? Sounds familars…“ Galligan replied.
“Sae, ye aw must be hungry? An’ how’s woods a wee gam ay cards soond fer tonights? Ahh knows a braw ale hoose an' they has rooms?" Dax said with a wink.

“Ale an’ cards! Ahh’m all in fer ‘att!” Axewell said with glee.
“Naethin' Ah likes better than a guid gam ay cards!” Azzuar agreed.
“Weel… nae harms in lookin. Leid th' way.” Galligan said as he glanced down the street. A small group of Anglos stood in front of an old two story building.

Meanwhile, back on the Silverton…

“Kep'n, whys cannae Ahh go ashores in Tenerife?" Tipper said as he pulled a quarter plain out of his knicker pocket.
“Tenerife is nae place fur a wee Jimmy likes yoo lad! Is foo ay wimins an' grogg an' gamblin an' such!” the Captain answered as he followed the coast with his eye.
“But… Ahh’ve got some coppers...ain Ahh've hud grog befores!” Tipper protested as he looked at the Captain.
“Aye, yoo've hud grogg befores...but yer's nae hud wimins ur gamblin!" the Captain said with a smile.
“What's th' danger ay wimins an' gamblin Sairrr?”
“Och Laddie, some days ye will knows! An' when ye dae, ye willnae hae tae ask tae goes ashores! Haw! Haw!” the Captain said as he ruffled Tipper’s hair.

Tipper smiled as he took another bite out of his plain.

"An' whaur in Haiti's heel did yer's gie 'att plain?! Hae ye bin raidin' th' pantry again?!" the Captain said as chased him off the bridge.

Tipper was off, running and laughing like the wind.

Vocabulary fur lain lovers:

aff (off), an’ (and), anither (another), att’s (that’s), auld (old), ay (of)
baith (both), bide (wait), blaw (blow),
cannae (cannot), cheil (man), cuik (cook)
diz (does), dorn't (don't)
enaw (enough)
fest (fast), fin’ (find), fur (for)
gae (get), guid (good)
hasnae (hasn’t), hauld (hold), heed (head), hoo (how)
it (out)
lain (land), lit (let),
mair (more), morn (morning),
noo (now),
puir (poor)
Sairrr (Sir), scragg (infection), sooth (south), strang (strong), swin (fool)
tae (to), tak (take), tatties (potatoes), th’ (the), thaur (there), thes (this)
ur (or)
win' (wind), wi’ (with),