Part 12 (2/2)
”I don't remember that you mentioned them before”
”I did not They are prisoners of my own - a personal ht eyes stabbed at Levasseur, then at the prisoners
M d'Ogeron stood tense and braced as before, but the grey horror had left his face Hope had leapt within him at this interruption, obviously as little expected by his tormentor as by hi forith parted lips and gaping eyes
Captain Blood fingered his lip, and frowned thoughtfully upon Levasseur
”Yesterday you surprisedwar upon the friendly Dutch But now it seems that not even your own countrymen are safe from you”
”Have I not said that these that this is a matter personal to me?”
”Ah! And their names?”
Captain Blood's crisp, authoritative, faintly disdainful er The blood crept slowly back into his blenched face, and his glance grew in insolence, almost in menace Meanwhile the prisoner answered for hieron, and this is eron?” Captain Blood stared ”Are you related by chance to a?”
”He isaside with an imprecation In Captain Blood, amazement for the moment quenched every other emotion
”The saints preserve us now! Are you quite mad, Levasseur? First you molest the Dutch, who are our friends; next you take prisoners two persons that are French, your own countrymen; and now, faith, they're no less than the children of the Governor of Tortuga, which is the one safe place of shelter that we enjoy in these islands”
Levasseur broke in angrily: ”Must I tell you again that it is a matter personal to a”
”And the twenty thousand pieces of eight? Is that also a ree with you at all” Captain Blood sat down on the cask that Levasseur had lately occupied, and looked up blandly ”I may inform you, to save time, that I heard the entire proposal that you entleman, and I'll also reuities You have fixed their ransos to your crews and mine in the proportions by the articles established You'll hardly wish to dispute it But what is far rave is that you have concealed from me this part of the prizes taken on your last cruise, and for such an offence as that the articles provide certain penalties that are sohed Levasseur unpleasantly Then added: ”If you dislike my conduct we can dissolve the association”
”That is my intention But we'll dissolve it when and in the manner that I choose, and that will be as soon as you have satisfied the articles under which we sailed upon this cruise
”What do you mean?”
”I'll be as short as I can,” said Captain Blood ”I'll waive for thewar upon the Dutch, of taking French prisoners, and of provoking the anger of the Governor of Tortuga I'll accept the situation as I find it Yourself you've fixed the ransoather, the lady is to be your perquisite But why should she be your perquisite s by the articles to all of us, as a prize of war?”
Black as thunder grew the brow of Levasseur
”However,” added Captain Blood, ”I'll not dispute her to you if you are prepared to buy her”
”Buy her?”
”At the price you have set upon her”
Levasseur contained his rage, that he ht reason with the Irishman ”That is the ransom of the a”
”No, no Ye've parcelled the twain together - very oddly, I confess Ye've set their value at twenty thousand pieces, and for that sum you may have them, since you desire it; but you'll pay for them the twenty thousand pieces that are ultimately to come to you as the ransom of one and the dowry of the other; and that su our crews So that you do that, it is conceivable that our followers may take a lenient view of your breach of the articles we jointly signed”
Levasseur laughed savagely ”Ah ca! Credieu! The good jest!”
”I quite agree with you,” said Captain Blood
To Levasseur the jest lay in that Captain Blood, with noto hector him who had a hundred men within easy call But it see which his opponent had counted in For as, laughing still, Levasseur swung to his officers, he saw that which choked the laughter in his throat Captain Blood had shrewdly played upon the cupidity that was the paramount inspiration of those adventurers And Levasseur now read clearly on their faces how coestion that all ht to appropriate to hiaudy ruffian pause, and whilst in his heart he cursed those followers of his, who could be faithful only to their greed, he perceived - and only just in time - that he had best tread warily
”You e ”The ransoirl, runted Cahusac ”On that understanding all arranges itself”
”You think so?” said Captain Blood ”But if M d'Ogeron should refuse to pay the ransoot lazily to his feet ”No, no If Captain Levasseur is irl, as he proposes, then let him pay this ransom, and be his the risk if it should afterwards not be forthco”
”That's it!” cried one of Levasseur's officers And Cahusac added: ”It's reasonable, that! Captain Blood is right It is in the articles”
”What is in the articles, you fools?” Levasseur was in danger of losing his head ”Sacre Dieu! Where do you suppose that I have twenty thousand pieces? My whole share of the prizes of this cruise does not come to half that sum I'll be your debtor until I've earned it Will that content you?”
All things considered, there is not a doubt that it would have done so had not Captain Blood intended otherwise
”And if you should die before you have earned it? Ours is a calling fraught with risks,upon hi satisfy you?”
”Oh, but yes Twenty thousand pieces of eight for iot it”
”Then let some one buy the prisoners who has”
”And who do you suppose has it if I have not?”
”I have,” said Captain Blood
”You have!” Levasseur's irl?”