'The Baracudda' sails to the rescue of Calico Jack

1. San Serif 2013
The Third ‘Bayko Baron’ adventure

2. • The Governor’s Mansion – The Escorial
of New Spain

3. • The San Ityclaus and her escort the San
Gabrielle newly arrived from Cadiz

4. • Governor Don Lardo y Graspo prepares for his new
bride – the lucky girl!

5. • The coaches are sent to fetch Donna Quibab ashore – while the band
plays fiesta tunes and the Old Cordoba trot along to keep her safe

6. • At a street stall next to the palace they have paid for the
citizenry arm themselves for a show of ‘loyalty’

7. • The San Ityclaus unloads a coffle of slaves to the San Serif barracoon –
destined for the big up-country haciendas

8. • At Ms Sadie’s the crew of the San Gabrielle are already
making the most of the unexpectedly free grog

9. • While above them their Captain is getting nowhere with Ms Sadie herself,
who stares fixedly into the harbour

10. • Mistaking herself for the object of attention – she always is – Donna Quibab
raises a goblet in salute to a kindred spirit – their both in the same game

11. • Don Lardo checks with Bishop Gigantos that the wedding
arrangements are all in order – while the town-crier calls the bans.
The boy’s real keen!

12. • Meanwhile the Marine Artillery prepare for the 18 gun salute
Donna Quibab has demanded

13. • In the jungle beyond the town a pack of ragged, sweat-soaked
desperadoes moves purposefully in the shadow of the trees

14. • While in Donna Messwivme’s Blue Barnacle a pack of strangely
sober men play Mr Bun The Baker to pass the time

15. • A sudden crash of musketry and two Greencoats go down
– Major Ximenes leads the rest in hot pursuit as the
attackers flee towards the forest

16. • The Redcoats of the Irlanda Regiment are called
out – rotten fruit is one thing, bullets another

17. • A security cordon is formed in front of
Santiago Di Compost

18. • It seems the guests at the Blue Barnacle have lost interest in Mr Bun

19. • More shots and two of the Irlanda go down

20. • The redcoats head off in pursuit through the Mercado Depistado

21. • While a crowd gathers round the injured men

22. With his infantry occupied Don Lardo calls in the
Marine Artillery to protect the coaches

23. • At that moment the fishing fleet arrive – bringing
folks from the villages for the celebrations

24. • The flotilla sweeps round Pirate Island where the dangling
bodies give notice of Don Lardo’s attitude to the profession

25. • A landing party led by Gaspard LePhew (something to do with
the garlic I understand?) seizes the deserted West Quay

26. • While the East falls to RobRoy McNuggets, the
‘Celtic Corsair’

27. • While Calico Jack Chinless himself takes
the San Gabrielle

28. • All of which brings on a foot-stamping tantrum from Don
Lardo, which brings on his gout. The only good news is
that the wind has faded and the San Gabrielle won’t be
going anywhere before his troops get back

29. • But Major Ximenes has run into Violent Vinny Arbuthnot
and has troubles of his own

30. • While the Irlanda have caught up with Happy Dan Pugh

31. • Nor is Calico Jack the man to be
thwarted by a little weather

32. • Frothing with impotent rage Don Lardo now finds Donna Quibab in front of him
demanding her 18 gun salute and complaining that she’s been kept waiting. In the
silence that follows only Dribble the Doberman can be heard.

33. • The San Gabrielle is gone – soon to become ‘The Saucy Gladys
Trusspot’ scourge of the Spanish Main.
• A lone skiff pauses at Pirate Island to cut down the corpses – her
captain turning to wave. To Ms Sadie it is a fond farewell from her
sister, Ethel Puttle, to Don Lardo it is a final insolent gesture from
‘The Barracuda’!