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    The Black Swan
    The Black Swan
    The Black Swan
    Ebook91 pages1 hour

    The Black Swan

    By Ernest Douglas Hall

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    About this ebook

    Ben said. ‘Just a minute folks, but we have got to know who it took you away from the shops.’
    Betty looked at Ben and said. ‘Well, Ben I don’t know who he was but he was a black man and he treated me right, but I have no idea who he was, he came to me and said that one of you had been hurt in the harbor, well, I had to go with him then as he went through the town he stopped to pick up another black man but then again I did not know him. Then they put a bag over my head and that’s when I got very frightened because I did not know what they wanted,
    After about an hour someone else came and then he started to question me and said he would put me in a room full of snakes if I did not tell him what you found, well I told him nothing. Then a fourth man came and whispered something to the other man. But I could hear what he said and it was about you telling him to get me back to the hotel or you would do something about it.’
    Then the one that sounded in charge said to the first two take her out onto the coast road and let her go we can’t get anything from her anyway.
    So the two took me to the car and let me go. I still had the bag over my head and when I heard the car pull away. I pulled the bag of quick to try to see the number plate, but when the bag came from my head, I could see nothing it took me about five minutes to get used to the light. Then about an hour later a car came to a halt beside me and was I glad when I saw a policeman sitting in the car.’
    Bob said well that’s a good ending we had better get out of your way now Ben, John we don’t want to spoil your chances.’
    ‘Oh no you don’t Bob you are not in the way you earn your way when we dive and do you think I would let Mary go without getting something that is, if we ever find something no sir you are on board with the rest of us ok.’
    ‘Well, ok Ben if that’s how you feel, but what about the others.’
    ‘John said. ‘There’s no objection from me or Jane you do a fine job, if it was not for you I would not get to dive as much no Bob my old dear your welcome.’
    About ten minutes later, Jacob came into the bar and said. ‘Good morning is everything ok folks.’
    John said. ‘Yes, Jacob but can you do something for me.’
    ‘All you have to do Mr John is just ask.’
    ‘Well, Jacob if you would, could you stay in the hotel until all this blows over.’
    ‘That’s no problem, Mr John no problem at all.’

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherErnest Douglas Hall
    Release dateJan 16, 2014
    ISBN9781311354129
    The Black Swan
    Author

    Ernest Douglas Hall

    I am 77 years of age and I live in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne England. I was born on the 14 September in the year 1935. I am a married man and have five children and 35 grand children and great grand children. I have written 55 books and my one aim in life is to see my work published.

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      Book preview

      The Black Swan - Ernest Douglas Hall

      The Black Swan

      By

      Ernest Douglas Hall

      Smashwords Edition

      Copyright © 2012 Ernest Douglas Hall

      All Rights Reserved.

      CHAPTER 1

      JUST A LUMP OF OLD WOOD

      Ben and Mary Whitworth were on a diving holiday in Barbados they were staying in the Parish of St John; at the hotel it was called The Blue Marlin.

      They had hired a boat for two weeks to take them to some small islands to dive.

      The boat was called El Negro Cinie, to take them around the islands they would dive every day on a different island.

      They were staying in an English hotel called The Blue Marlin it had an English type pub it was run by an English couple they were from York and they were very friendly to Ben and Mary.

      One night Ben and Mary were sitting in the pub after their evening meal.

      They usually went out on the town to see some entertainment but this night they had decided to stay in and have a drink.

      ( EL NEGRO CINIE IN ENGLISH THE BLACK SWAN )

      John the landlord was behind the bar and they were having a drink with him when his wife Jane walked in from the kitchen.

      She said. ‘Thank god that’s the washing up done for another day; now give me a drink John.’

      Ben had been telling John about the silver spoon he had once found diving off the coast of Scotland.

      ‘John said. ‘Carry on where you left off Ben before we were interrupted.’

      His wife gave him a dirty look.

      Then Ben said. ‘Oh it was a beautiful spoon and it was engraved. I know it was silver at the time I found it. And Mary here came up with the idea that we should get it melted down into two rings for her and for me, but before I could get round to it my brother Alan told me that I should take it and get it valued. Well I took it to a well-known Gold Smith’s and when I said. ‘Could you make this spoon into two rings the man behind the counter said? My god you don’t want to do that by what I can see it could be worth a lot more in its present state, if I were you I would get it looked at by an expert, I mean looking through the glass here take a look for yourself.’

      He handed the magnifying glass to me and I could see what he was getting at. On the top end of the spoon there was engraved on it a Crest of a Swan. And then a name what looked like Baxter, but it was faded badly. The man said that he could send it off to get it valued. But he said it would be better if I did it myself because the firm that he was working for would want to charge me for doing it. And the charge would relate to the value what he meant was that if the spoon was worth a hundred pounds then his firm would want ten percent.

      Well needless to say I took it home meaning to get it valued but I never did,

      Then one day about ten years later I thought I would go take a look at it again, and when I went to the draw where I had put it, well it was gone, Mary and I searched the house upside down but could not find it.

      Jane said. ‘Oh what a shame I mean you would have been better off making it into rings than you would have got something out of it, John why don’t you tell them about Waya Island.’

      ‘Oh that’s an old maids tail.’

      ‘Well maybe John Hanson they would love to hear about the Black Swan.’

      Mary said. ‘Oh come on John it sounds a juicy tail.’

      ‘Well if you want to hear it very well as he said this, another couple from Newcastle drew up to the bar.

      They were Bob and Betty Brown.

      Bob said. ‘Do you mind if we hear the story too.’

      ‘No not at all.’

      John was starting to like the attention of his hotel guests.

      ‘Well the story goes that back in the days of the old Spanish sailing ships, you know the black beard and pirate type,

      Well a ship loaded with gold and jewels was on its homeward journey when a very bad storm blew up; it was the worst storm in living memory at the time.

      Well the ship, which was called The Black Swan. Was on its way home from the Americas. And it was blown off course and it sank just off Waya Island the reason that Waya Island is mentioned was because of one survivor he was picked up floating on a large bit of planking. Just of Barbados but just after telling his tail he died. And divers of all kinds have looked off the shores of Waya Island. But not one nut was ever found. But about a year ago I was talking to a professor that happened to be staying with us. And he said that because the ship has not been found. It does not mean that the ship is not there. You see if the storm was so bad the ship could have been covered with sand as soon as it hit the bottom. Well he told me that he had checked the local history of storms and at the time of the ship called The Black Swan. A storm that lasted three weeks had happened and he said that a storm as bad as that and going on as long as that well it would only take a couple of days to cover the ship.

      Then he said that another storm could come along a couple of days after the first storm and uncover the ship. Or a storm could come along two hundred years later and uncover the ship, who knows, and Ben do you know what happened last month, well we had the worst storm in years.’

      ‘Well John you know what you have just done, you have put the idea of Spanish gold laying just off Waya Island my god if only it was true.’

      ‘Well Ben that professor told me that he looked up the ship The Black Swan and its true the ship was lost with all hands and never found.’

      Ben sat back and Mary could see the look on his face and said. ‘Hold it Ben it’s only a story.’

      ‘Yes Mary but what’s better than to go looking for the ship it gives us a reason for diving now, and not just diving and picking up a shell here and there, no I think we should go take a look tomorrow.’

      Jane slapped John on the back and said. ‘Now look what you have done.’

      ‘Oh don’t be

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