Captured on the High Seas Read online

  Praise for The Imagination Station® books

  I really liked [Captured on the High Seas] because the adventure is a fun way to learn about history. It taught me to be brave and to put others first.

  —Melina, age 7, Elkhart, Indiana

  I love that the books are easy to read. I want to keep reading because the books are full of adventure!

  —Kanaan, age 8, Midlothian, Texas

  I love how the book showed people sharing and putting others before themselves. This book made learning about history fun.

  —Abbie, age 9, El Paso, Texas

  This [second book in the] exciting saga . . . [has] gold nuggets of God’s word essential for training and equipping [kids]. Nancy Sanders does a wonderful job crafting a world you’ll feel like you’re a part of.

  —Scott M., homeschool dad and radio talk-show host St. Johns, Michigan

  I can’t think of a better way for children to learn about United States history.

  —Sharon B., public school teacher, Munster, Indiana

  This is a great book because it has lots of action and adventure. I like that the characters never give up.

  —Sophia, age 9, Colorado Springs, Colorado

  Another powerful story that takes today’s reader back in time on a realistic hair-raising adventure. I couldn’t put it down.

  —Mona P., reading tutor, Appleton, Maine

  I was very thankful to have a book to read to our daughters that was exciting enough to hold their attention and still uphold and encourage the values that we are trying to teach them.

  —Tiffany K., mom, Eureka, Illinois

  Captured on the High Seas

  © 2014 Focus on the Family

  ISBN: 978-1-58997-775-4

  A Focus on the Family book published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.

  Focus on the Family and Adventures in Odyssey, and the accompanying logos and designs, are federally registered trademarks, and The Imagination Station is a federally registered trademark of Focus on the Family, 8605 Explorer Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80920.

  TYNDALE and Tyndale’s quill logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of Focus on the Family.

  With the exception of known historical figures, all characters are the product of the authors’ imaginations.

  Cover design by Michael Heath | Magnus Creative

  For Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data for this title, visit http://www.loc.gov/help/contact-general.html.

  ISBN 978-1-62405-220-0 (ePub); ISBN 978-1-62405-221-7 (Kindle); ISBN 978-1-62405-219-4 (Apple)

  Build: 2014-04-10 16:58:24

  To Amanda,

  Your example of godliness, your cheerful smile, and your life of sharing the Good News with kids are an inspiration to us all. (Plus, I can’t wait to see what you crochet next!)

  —NIS

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1: Captain’s Orders

  Chapter 2: Sail Ho!

  Chapter 3: Cannons Roar

  Chapter 4: Surrender

  Chapter 5: Troublemaker

  Chapter 6: Onion Jim

  Chapter 7: A Game of Marbles

  Chapter 8: Sword Fight

  Chapter 9: Unwelcome News

  Chapter 10: The Declaration

  Chapter 11: An Offer of Safety

  Chapter 12: Missing Coin

  Chapter 13: The Prison Ship

  Chapter 14: Escape

  Chapter 15: Good-Bye

  Chapter 16: Whit’s End

  Secret Word Puzzle

  Questions about this book

  About the Authors and Illustrator

  Prologue

  Mr. Whittaker is a friendly but mysterious inventor. He lives and works at Whit’s End. It’s an old house with lots of rooms. One of those rooms is his workshop.

  Mr. Whittaker’s favorite invention is the Imagination Station. It’s kind of like a time machine. Cousins Patrick and Beth like the invention too.

  Patrick and Beth have gone on many exciting adventures in it. They have visited a Viking village. They have stayed with the Pilgrims at Plymouth. And they have even met a cannibal king in Fiji.

  One day Patrick and Beth raced into the soda shop at Whit’s End. They told Whit they were leaving on a family trip. They were planning to visit places and museums from the American Revolution.

  Mr. Whittaker thought Patrick and Beth would like to meet Paul Revere. So the cousins went on an Imagination Station trip to Massachusetts.

  In Concord they saw the start of the Revolutionary War. Then Patrick and Beth climbed into the Imagination Station to leave. Moments later a musket ball hit the window of the time machine. The musket ball left a big crack.

  Patrick and Beth didn’t return to Whit’s End. Instead, they landed on a large ship.

  What happened?

  Had they landed on the ship because the Imagination Station was broken?

  Or had Whit sent them there on purpose?

  Most important, would they ever make it back to Whit’s End?

  Captain’s Orders

  Beth felt as if she were in a giant rocking chair. She couldn’t stop moving back and forth. A spray of icy water splashed on her face. She was confused.

  Beth looked around for Patrick. The Imagination Station hadn’t returned them to Whit’s End as usual.

  Patrick spoke from where he was sitting beside Beth. He pointed above them and said, “That’s an American flag from the Revolutionary War.”

  Beth blinked her eyes and tried to see in the darkness. The moon was shining. It cast a faint glow of silver light. Where are we? she wondered.

  She and Patrick had just been in Concord. They had warned the American colonists that the British were coming. Now she was on the deck of a sailing ship. Tall masts towered over her.

  She saw dark figures moving around above. Sailors were probably working the sails.

  Everything was quiet. It was creepy.

  Beth now studied the flag high above them. On the front was a snake against a yellow background. Across the bottom were the words “Don’t Tread on Me.”

  Beth realized she was holding Patrick’s hand. She let go and stood up. “Why didn’t we go back to Whit’s End?” she asked.

  She thought about the answer to her own question.

  The windshield cracked, Beth thought. Maybe the Imagination Station had been damaged.

  Patrick stood up beside her. “We must have landed somewhere in the middle of the war,” he said.

  “Then why is it so quiet?” Beth asked. She could see a little bit better in the darkness now. Her eyes were adjusting to the moonlight. She saw a tall shadow move in the darkness behind Patrick. The figure put something against Patrick’s back.

  “Who goes there?” a low voice asked.

  There was the dull sound of metal clicking. “Don’t shoot!” Patrick said. He raised both hands in the air.

  Beth stepped toward the shadow. It was a young man with a pistol.

  “We’re here to help,” Beth said in a kind voice.

  A look of surprise flashed across the young man’s face.

  “A girl?” he asked.

  Beth stepped closer. She could see the young man more clearly now. A black hat with a wide brim sat on his head. He wore a striped shirt and a handkerchief around his neck.

  Beth guessed that he was one of the sailors. He looked about fifteen years old.

  The
young man lowered the pistol. “What are you doing here?” he asked quietly.

  “I wish I knew the answer,” Patrick said, arms still high in the air.

  “This is no time to jest,” the teen said. “All hands are supposed to be below deck. Those standing watch are allowed on deck. And sailors hoisting the sails may climb aloft.” He glanced around as if making sure no one had seen them. “Get below. Now.”

  Patrick lowered his hands.

  Beth wasn’t sure which direction to go. She didn’t move.

  The sailor jerked his head toward the right. Beth hurried in that direction.

  Patrick followed her.

  The sailor came close behind.

  The ship rocked back and forth. Beth reached out to grab the mast to steady herself. She saw a square hole in the floor. A ladder led into the darkness below.

  Beth looked down at her clothes. She was still wearing the red dress from their last adventure.

  Beth gathered her long skirts and turned around. She climbed backward down the ladder to the deck below.

  Beth saw more sailors in the shadowy darkness. And cannons, too.

  The sailor led them down another ladder to the next deck. He pulled aside a curtain. Then he pointed to a cramped space with a small bunk. “Next time be sure to obey the captain,” he said.

  “We didn’t hear the captain give his orders,” Beth said.

  “The captain said no talking,” the sailor said. “No lanterns. And no moving around below decks.”

  “But why?” Beth asked.

  “What’s going on?” Patrick asked.

  The sailor’s eyebrows arched upward. “Why don’t you know?” he asked. “We’re sneaking past a British warship. We’ll be blasted to pieces if the enemy hears us.”

  The sailor turned to leave. He looked back over his shoulder. “Stay here,” he said. “I’ll be back when my watch is over.”

  And then he was gone.

  Sail Ho!

  Patrick sat down on the bunk. He scooted back until he pressed against the ship’s wall. That left room for Beth to sit down. Then he reached over and pulled the curtain closed. His head bumped the ceiling as he sat back again.

  Patrick kept his voice low. “Did the Imagination Station break? Or did Mr. Whittaker send us here on purpose?”

  “Our clothes are the same as before,” she whispered. “Usually we get new ones. Maybe we landed here by accident.”

  Patrick looked down at his clothes. He was still wearing a blue coat with a double row of buttons. His tan pants stopped just below his knees. He had tall stockings and leather shoes with brass buckles. He reached up and felt for his triangle hat. It was still there.

  Then he noticed something. “I don’t have my cane anymore,” he said quietly.

  Beth held up something in her hand. “I found this in my pocket,” she said.

  A tangy smell stung Patrick’s nose. It was an onion.

  “Check your pockets,” Beth said.

  Patrick reached into his pants pockets. Empty. Then he reached inside the large front pockets of his jacket. He touched something with his right hand. He pulled out a lumpy leather pouch.

  Patrick reached inside the bag. “It’s full of smooth, round stones,” he said. “They feel like marbles.”

  Now he felt excited. “Whit gave us new gifts to use,” Patrick said. “He must have planned for us to come here.”

  Beth smiled and nodded. Then she put a finger to her lips. “Shhh,” she whispered.

  Patrick settled back in the bunk. He wondered, What is this adventure going to be?

  Patrick listened to the creaking of the ship. He pressed against the wooden wall to keep from sliding around. The boat was really rocking now.

  Shouts erupted from up on deck. “Huzza! Huzza!” Then suddenly the curtain was pulled back with a whoosh.

  A dim light glowed. Behind the light was the sailor. He was holding a lantern.

  “It’s safe now,” the young man said. “We’ve sailed past the British warship.”

  The sailor lowered the lantern. “My name is James,” he said.

  Patrick saluted. “And I’m Patrick.”

  Beth smiled at James. “I’m Beth.”

  “Let’s go up on deck,” James said. “We’ll get some fresh air.”

  Patrick waited for Beth to climb out. Then he hopped off the bunk.

  The cousins followed James. He led them up two sets of ladders to the top deck. A pink glow filled the sky to the east. The sun was rising over the water. More sailors were busy with ropes and sails.

  James blew out the lantern and hung it on a hook.

  Patrick felt the strong wind tug at his hat. He held on to it with his hand. He grabbed the ship’s railing with his other hand. The ship heaved up and then down again. Patrick’s stomach moved with it.

  It was hard to keep his balance. He saw that Beth was having a hard time too.

  James grinned at them. “This is my second time at sea,” he said. “It takes a little while to get your sea legs.”

  James looked at Patrick and then at Beth. “This is our first day out,” he said, “and I don’t know the new crew yet. It’s a bit unusual to have a girl on board. They’re not allowed on the ship. Not even if they’re family. How did you get here?”

  “It’s hard to explain,” Beth said.

  Patrick had an idea. “I don’t think how we got here is important,” he said. “It’s more important why we’re here. We’ve come to help win the war against the British.”

  James studied them a minute. Then he nodded. “That’s why I enlisted on the Royal Louis. I help carry gunpowder to the cannons during the battles. I’m a powder monkey.”

  Just then a loud shout came from high above them. “Sail ho!” a man cried.

  James turned and stared out over the ship’s railing. He pointed toward the rising sun. “It’s another British warship!” he cried. “And she’s coming our way!”

  Cannons Roar

  Beth looked out over the crashing waves. She couldn’t see anything at first. Then the Royal Louis crested a tall wave.

  “There it is!” she shouted into the wind. She could see a ship in the far distance.

  A whistle sounded. “All hands ahoy!” came the cry.

  Sailors rushed up on deck from below. They climbed up ropes to reach the sails high above them.

  Beth watched as more sails were let down. They spread open like white wings.

  A wave washed over the front of the Royal Louis. Cold water swirled around Beth’s feet. The water got the hem of her dress wet.

  James called out to them. “The captain’s trying to outrun the warship,” he said. “I’ve got to get below.”

  “What can we do to help?” Beth asked.

  “Follow me!” James said.

  Beth turned to look at Patrick behind her. His face looked pale. He held on to the side of the ship.

  “Are you okay?” she asked.

  He nodded. “Let’s go,” he said.

  Beth and Patrick followed James down the first ladder. A row of cannons lined both sides of this deck. A group of teenage boys had gathered there.

  Beth saw that about half of the boys were white. Half were black like James. Most were about the same age as James. But one boy with red hair looked younger. Beth guessed he was about her age.

  James called out to the group. “Lash everything here and below,” he said. “It will be hard work sailing in this wind.”

  The boys tied down everything that could slip or slide.

  Patrick showed Beth how to tie knots in the ropes. His hands shook. He dropped the rope a few times.

  Beth knew he wasn’t feeling well. But he still managed to work hard.

  Each wave jerked them up and then down again. Icy water splashed through the ceiling and onto their faces. Beth tasted the salty drops. Her dress was completely soaked now. Her fingers were stiff and cold. She was shivering. And she was hungry.

  Another whistle sounded from above them
. “Prepare to fire!” came the cry.

  Sailors rushed down the ladder to get the cannons ready. One sailor called out, “Powder monkeys to the ready!”

  Beth and Patrick hurried after James and the other teens. They climbed down another ladder. And then another. They came to a deck that was almost totally dark.

  Beth covered her nose. What was that horrible smell down here? It smelled like a mix of dirty bathroom, rotten eggs, and moldy, wet leaves.

  Poor Patrick! He looked as if he might gag. “Maybe you should go back up to the cannons,” she said to him.

  Patrick shook his head.

  They both helped carry small loads of gunpowder to the upper deck. Then they headed down below again. Beth and Patrick tried to keep up with James and the others.

  “Fire!” a voice cried.

  Kaboom! Kaboom! Cannons roared. Smoke poured down through the ladder holes. It stung her eyes and nose.

  Just then Beth heard another blast from the other ship.

  KABOOM!

  Beth heard the sound of breaking wood. The Royal Louis jerked beneath her feet. She fell to the deck.

  They’d been hit!

  Surrender

  Patrick grabbed one of the gunpowder barrels to steady himself. He saw James reach out a hand to Beth. The teen pulled Beth to her feet.

  “That was just a warning shot,” James said.

  “It felt like more than a warning,” Beth said.

  “I don’t think we had too much damage,” James said. He stood still as if he was listening.

  Patrick heard the sound of the whistle coming from above.

  A low murmur ran through the group. The other boys hurried back up the ladder. Only Patrick and Beth stayed below deck with James.

  Patrick heard hurried footsteps and men shouting on the upper decks.

  “What’s going on?” Patrick asked.

  “The captain knows we’re no match for a British warship. He signaled our surrender,” James said. He clenched his fists. “The British will take us as prisoners of war. I’ll have to give over my pistol.”