The older man spoke to her in German saying "I couldn't help but hear that you are looking for a ship to leave town? Well you are in luck, an old ship that docked last night near the end of the pier, they are taking on supplies and passengers at this very moment. You can purchase a ticket at the booth just north of here. They are to set sail for America in a mere thirty minutes." She bolted upright and finished listening to this old sailors tale, he also told her that although the vessel had since converted to steam like the other ships, this one had maintained its twin masts from the glory days of sailing. Looking up at the sky he said in an old raspy voice, "'Scuse me, Miss, but I have taken up far too much time that passenger-freighter will be leaving in less than twenty minutes if you must make haste. It's docked near the end of the pier, you'd best run along now."
As she was preparing to leave she asked the old man about the Bahamas, and whether or not the ship would take her there. He assured her that it would, with a glint of a wicked smile.
Alannah thanked the elderly gentleman profusely, she pressed but a single coin in his hand - she could afford to give this old man a small token of her thanks. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek, and thinking nothing of the consequences she bolted down the pier towards the end as fast as her legs would carry her. Finally a break, she had to make it to that freighter, she just had to.
At that same time the two men that she had seen earlier near the fish market were now closer to the bar, they had stopped to talk to some men and were showing them something when out of the corner of their eyes they spotted the quick movement and turned in that direction. When they saw that a young woman was running, they looked at each other and knew immediately that it was Alannah and they began to give chase. A great reward was being offered to the men who brought the wayward girl home, as well as they got to live. Failure was not an option for Alannah father.
As she ran towards the ship at the end of the pier, Alannah thought that she heard the sound of pounding feet behind her. She dared a look behind her and when she saw the same two men that were spotted at the fish market earlier that day she panicked. She tried to speed up but the pier was slippery and there were several times when Alannah had stumbled and almost fell. The weather had been foggy, and birds don't care where they let loose, sailors spit where ever they feel like it, and there was garbage everywhere. Alannah finally spotted the ship that the old man had talked about, the only problem was his estimate for when the ship would set sail was dead wrong! The crew had already cast off the first mooring lines and they were preparing to haul in the gangplank!