Black Sails

Cossack Gritsko, who went on a campaign to the Turkish shores, managed to endure many trials: captivity, being sold at a slave auction, exhausting work on a Venetian galley… What new blows of fate or turns of luck await the brave Cossack ahead?

On the holds, sailors dragged dark sailcloth rolled into heavy, tight bundles. Arguzhin shouted, driving those who hesitated. On the stays, people climbed up one by one, scrambling to the yards. The sails were hauled down: the sailors leaned their chests on the yards, bent over, folded almost in half, and with the last of their strength in the wind pulled the canvas toward the yard. The lower, sheet ends whipped through the air like restless tongues of flame, and from above, the rope ends flew down — they were hastily tied down to the black tarps.

Gritsko, mouth open, watched this bustle. Deck officers called to one another from below; the boatswain hurried around the ship — sometimes to the captain, then back, sprinting onto the deck. Soon, instead of white, billowing sails, black ones appeared; they swelled tightly between the yards.

The wind noise died down, and the ship moved forward again.

Chapter 1. Yawls
Chapter 2. Felucca
Chapter 3. Karamosal
Chapter 4. Port
Chapter 5. Neph
Chapter 6. Stays
Chapter 7. On a port tack
Chapter 8. Running before the wind (starboard tack)
Chapter 9. Red sails
Chapter 10. Calm
Chapter 11. Squall
Chapter 12. Reefs
Chapter 13. In tow
Chapter 14. Bountiful (bucentaur)
Chapter 15. Galley
Chapter 16. Stern flag
Chapter 17. Shyurma
Chapter 18. On a starboard tack
Chapter 19. Boatswains
Chapter 20. Campaign
Chapter 21. Fresh wind
Chapter 22. On the sterncastle
Chapter 23. Saetta
Chapter 24. “Savnetra”
Chapter 25. Overtacking (jibe)
Chapter 26. Drifting
Chapter 27. With the Saracens
Chapter 28. Bay
Chapter 29. Slavic neph
Chapter 30. To the hut