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    Davey's Siege (A Siege of Derry story)
    Davey's Siege (A Siege of Derry story)
    Davey's Siege (A Siege of Derry story)
    Ebook135 pages59 minutes

    Davey's Siege (A Siege of Derry story)

    By Jack Scoltock

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    About this ebook

    The year is 1689 and young Davey Alexander and his family, with thirty thousand other Protestants, are trapped inside the City of Derry by the Catholic Jacobite army. Hunger, constant bombing by cannon fire, disease and surrounded by King James and his Jacobite army, will Davey and his family survive? A moving story from Derry born fantasy author, Jack Scoltock.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherJack Scoltock
    Release dateMar 10, 2016
    ISBN9781310541568
    Davey's Siege (A Siege of Derry story)
    Author

    Jack Scoltock

    Jack Scoltock is one of Irelands best fantasy writers for children of all ages.He was born in Derry, Northern Ireland in 1942. He is married with two grown-up children.Jack has many books on the Amazon, Smashwords and Draft2digital.A scuba diver for over forty years, Jack was one of the divers who found a Spanish Armada wreck in Donegal in 1971. Inspired by a small leather boot found on the wreck, Jack wrote one of his best historical stories about a boy who stows away on an Armada galleon. The Sand Clocker (Spanish Armada Stowaway), is one of Scoltock’s most popular history books.Now retired, Jack Scoltock spends his free time writing.Challenge of the Red Unicorn, Davey's siege (a siege of Derry story), Perry's Adventure, Justine's Secret Challenge, Seek the Enchanted Antlers, Back To Neverland, are among some of the best of Jacks stories.

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      Book preview

      Davey's Siege (A Siege of Derry story) - Jack Scoltock

      85

      Davey's Siege

      A Siege of Derry story

      Jack Scoltock

      Copyright Jack Scoltock 2014

      Please don't copy this story in an unauthorised way

      Some other books by Jack Scoltock:

      Quest of the Royal Twins

      Jeremy’s Adventure

      Perry’s Adventure (One Magical Christmas)

      Justine’s Secret Challenge

      Badger, Beano and the Magic Mushroom

      The Magic Harp

      The Magic Sword

      Seek the Enchanted Antlers

      In the Shadow of the Oak

      Patrick’s Gift

      Patrick’s Gift (Another Adventure)

      Challenge of the Red Unicorn

      Angels, Devils, Demons in Derry

      Demon Destroyer in Derry

      Brothers

      Back to Neverland (Peter Pan story)

      First Communion (Modern Irish short stories)

      History non-fiction:

      We Own laurentic

      The Meltin’ Pot

      We’ve found a Cannon

      A Description of Derry in 1688

      The buildings of Derry covered the summit and slope of a hill, which over-looked the River Foyle. On the higher ground, stood the Cathedral, and near it, rose the Bishop’s Palace whose See was the most valuable in Ireland. There were four entrances into Derry through, Butcher Gate, New Gate, Shipquay Gate and Bishop’s Gate. The city was in the form of a semi-circle and the main Streets, Gracious Street, Silver Street, Butcher Street and Queen Street, formed a cross and where these main streets met was a broad square called, The Diamond. The ancient houses within the walls were so much repaired and rebuilt, that no one knew how old they were. These were generally two storeys high and some had stone staircases on the outside. A wall, of which the whole circumference surrounded Derry, and was slightly less than a mile, surrounded the dwellings. On the bastions, were some small culverins and other cannon presented by the wealthy guilds of London to the Colony. On some of these ancient cannon guns the devices of the Fishmongers Company of the Vintners’ Company and the Merchant Tailor’s Company are still discernible. The most famous of these cannons was called, Roaring Meg.

      There was no bridge across the fast-flowing River Foyle, but there was a ferry, which kept up a constant communication between the two riverbanks.

      Since the restoration, the city had prospered. The River Foyle, when the tide was high, brought up great ships to the quay and the fisheries thrived. It was said the nets were sometimes so full, that it was necessary to throw back hundreds of fish into the water. Salmon, caught annually, was estimated at 1,100,000 pounds in weight.

      During, and before the siege, there were flocks of swans nesting in the river.

      Derry, in 1688, was a mainly Protestant city, though Catholics controlled the council.

      August 1688

      Chapter One

      James Spike and Visitors

      Davey Alexander’s long sinewy arms pulled him slowly but steadily across the fast-flowing River Foyle. The brackish water, dragging at the naked boy was so powerful he was actually swimming at an angle, but determinedly he struck out for the far river bank that was at just over a quarter of a mile away.

      Three boys, all around Davey’s age, watched from the riverbank, occasionally shouting encouragement to him. Davey was the best swimmer among them and for weeks that summer he had been planning his marathon swim. The week before, he had made it halfway across.

      A tall, thin young man, wearing a long coat, standing in the shelter of an oak tree on the far bank, was also watching Davey’s progress.

      Already, the strong current had dragged Davey a good one hundred metres downriver and he was quickly having doubts he would make it to the far side. His arms ached, both from the effort and the cold, but Davey knew if he stopped to turn back now, he would be carried further down the river. Glancing to the far side he saw that he was almost halfway across, almost at the point of no return. Maybe I should turn back, he thought, but it was then he remembered Lady Jane Browning’s words when she had given a talk to a group of children in the market square in the city that spring, There’s nothin’ ye can’t do if ye put yer mind to it. Nothin’ I can’t do, thought Davey, taking a deep breath, and pulling harder he swam on.

      He was almost three quarters of the way across and growing quickly tired, when suddenly something dark and huge leapt from the water. The frightened salmon’s long glistening tail slapped hard against Davey’s back as it disappeared below, but the fish was not half as frightened as Davey, for he panicked. Visions of a great river monster carrying him beneath the water flashed though his mind. Davey knew, that out in the river he was helpless against any creature that was water born. With his head down he began to flail at the water, his arms plunging like pistons and his heart pounding like a lam-beg drum against his hairless chest. He kept his head beneath the water for well over a minute then, believing he was near the riverbank, he risked a look. But as he took the deep breath, he realised to his horror that he was not near the bank at all and that he had drifted another thirty metres downriver. With his heart still pounding, he pulled harder, and once more struck out for the far side.

      As he swam closer, the young man in the trees began to slip along the bank towards the place where Davey was heading.

      Five minutes later, shivering with both excitement and cold, Davey reached the shallows and lay exhausted in the slightly warmer water, feeling full of elation. He had done it. He had swum across the River Foyle. He was the first. No one, man or boy could claim they had done it before him.

      Pulling closer to the bank, he stood up and as he did, he heard the faint cheers of his pals. He saw them jumping up and down and waving to him. Closing his fists tight Davey smiled then gave an excited, Yahoooo! as he punched the air.

      Well done, boy, said a pleasant voice behind him.

      Startled Davey turned.

      I don’t believe there would be many in Derry who would attempt such a foolhardy swim, said the freckled faced, red-haired young man. Yer a good swimmer, boy. His piercing eyes studied Davey, who was trembling with cold. Are ye alright?

      Aye, Davey replied through chattering teeth.

      The stranger looked across at Davey’s pals then said, How are ye goin’ to get back?

      Davey’s brown eyes widened, B…back? he stammered. He hadn’t thought about how he would get back. His shivering increased as he turned to look across the wide river. Somehow from this side, the far bank looked even further away.

      Here, boy, said the young man. Ye’d better get out of the water until yer warmed up. Smiling, he stretched a hand towards Davey.

      Seconds later, Davey was standing beside him. The young man pulled off his coat and said, Here, wrap this around ye until ye warm up. Ye look like a drooked rat.

      With his teeth chattering, Davey gratefully wrapped the long warm coat over his shoulders and pulled it tight around his slim naked body.

      What do they call ye? asked the stranger.

      D…Davey…Alexander.

      I’m James Spike, said the young man smiling as he reached out to shake Davey’s hand. He studied the shivering boy. What on earth possessed ye to take such a chance? The Foyle’s a dangerous river. Several have drowned in it ye know. Two years ago, Apprentice Lyttle drowned, when he fell from a boat, not twenty metres from Ship Quay. He was carried away before anyone could get a rope to him. They found his body on the Strand the followin’ day.

      Davey frowned. Are…are ye an apprentice, James?

      James smiled again. He had two crooked teeth and one missing, but his smile lit up his whole face. Aye, I’m apprenticed to the best Carpenter in the city.

      Carpenter, Davey

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