Part 13 (1/2)
”Why not? And I exceed you in gallantry in that I will make sacrifices to obtain her, and in honesty in that I am ready to pay for what I want”
Levasseur stared at hi also
Captain Blood sat down again on the cask, and drew frolad to be able to resolve a difficulty that at oneeyes of Levasseur and his officers, he untied theand rolled into his left pal There were twenty such in the bag, the very pick of those taken in that raid upon the pearl fleet ”You boast a knowledge of pearls, Cahusac At what do you value this?”
The Breton took between coarse finger and thumb the proffered lustrous, delicately iridescent sphere, his shrewd eyes appraising it
”A thousand pieces,” he answered shortly
”It will fetch rather a or Jamaica,” said Captain Blood, ”and twice as much in Europe But I'll accept your valuation They are al twelve thousand pieces of eight, which is La Foudre's share of three fifths of the prize, as provided by the articles For the eight thousand pieces that go to the Arabella, I make myself responsible to my own men And now, Wolverstone, if you please, will you take ain, indicating the prisoners
”Ah, no!” Levasseur threide the floodgates of his fury ”Ah, that, no, by exa upon Captain Blood, who stood aloof, alert, tight-lipped, and watchful
But it was one of Levasseur's own officers who hindered him
”Nom de Dieu, my Captain! What will you do? It is settled; honourably settled with satisfaction to all”
”To all?” blazed Levasseur ”Ah ca! To all of you, you animals! But what of me?”
Cahusac, with the pearls clutched in his capacious hand, stepped up to him on the other side ”Don't be a fool, Captain Do you want to provoke trouble between the crews? His irl o He's paid handsomely for her, and dealt fairly with us”
”Dealt fairly?” roared the infuriated Captain ”You” In all his foul vocabulary he could find no epithet to describe his lieutenant He caught hi The pearls were scattered in the sand
Cahusac dived after theeance roped there on hands and knees, oblivious of all else And yet in those
Levasseur, his hand on his sword, his face a whiteCaptain Blood to hinder his departure
”You do not take her while I live!” he cried
”Then I'll take her when you're dead,” said Captain Blood, and his own blade flashed in the sunlight ”The articles provide that anyany part of a prize, be it of the value of no ed at the yardarm It's what I intended for you in the end But since ye prefer it this way, yeyou”
He waved away the ether
M d'Ogeron looked on, a man bemused, unable to surmise what the issue either way could mean for him Meanwhile, two of Blood's uards, had removed the crown of whipcord from his brow As forforward, a hand pressed tightly to her heaving breast, her face deathly pale, a wild terror in her eyes
It was soon over The brute strength, upon which Levasseur so confidently counted, could avail nothing against the Irishs transfixed, he lay prone on the white sand, coughing out his rascally life, Captain Blood looked calmly at Cahusac across the body
”I think that cancels the articles between us,” he said With soulless, cynical eyes Cahusac considered the twitching body of his recent leader Had Levasseur been a ht have ended in a very different manner But, then, it is certain that Captain Blood would have adopted in dealing with him different tactics As it was, Levasseur commanded neither love nor loyalty The s of that vile trade, and cupidity was their only inspiration Upon that cupidity Captain Blood had deftly played, until he had brought theuilty of the one offence they dee to hiold and shared ato the theatre of that swift tragi-comedy were appeased by a dozen words of Cahusac's
Whilst still they hesitated, Blood added so to quicken their decision
”If you will coe, you shall receive at once your share of the booty of the Santiago, that you may dispose of it as you please”
They crossed the island, the two prisoners acco them, and later that day, the division made, they would have parted company but that Cahusac, at the instances of the men who had elected him Levasseur's successor, offered Captain Blood anew the services of that French contingent
”If you will sail with ain,” the Captain answered him, ”you may do so on the condition that youand her cargo”
The condition was accepted, and Captain Blood went off to find his guests, the children of the Governor of Tortuga
Madeeron and her brother - the latter now relieved of his bonds - sat in the great cabin of the Arabella, whither they had been conducted
Wine and food had been placed upon the table by Benjaro steward and cook, who had intimated to them that it was for their entertainment But it had reonized bewilder-pan to fire At length, overwrought by the suspense,herself upon her knees before her brother to iht upon theiving lad that at least you realize what you have done And now this other filibuster has bought you, and you belong to hiht have saidCaptain Blood, co matters with the followers of Levasseur, stood on the threshold M d'Ogeron had not troubled to restrain his high-pitched voice, and the Captain had overheard the Frenchman's last two sentences Therefore he perfectly understood why ht of him, and shrink back in fear
”Made you to dismiss your fears Aboard this shi+p you shall be treated with all honour So soon as we are in case to put to sea again, we steer a course for Tortuga to take you hoht you, as your brother has just said All that I have done has been to provide the ranso of scoundrels to depart from obedience to the arch-scoundrel who commanded them, and so deliver you from all peril Count it, if you please, a friendly loan to be repaid entirely at your convenience”
Madeeron rose to his feet
”Monsieur, is it possible that you are serious?”
”I am It may not happen often nowadays I may be a pirate But my ways are not the ways of Levasseur, who should have stayed in Europe, and practised purse-cutting I have a sort of honour - shall we say, so me from better days” Then on a brisker note he added: ”We dine in an hour, and I trust that you will honour my table with your company Meanwhile, Benjamin will see, monsieur, that you are more suitably provided in the matter of wardrobe”
He bowed to theain, but mademoiselle detained him
”Monsieur!” she cried sharply
He checked and turned, whilst slowly she approached hi him between dread and wonder
”Oh, you are noble!”
”I shouldn't put it as high as that ht that you should know all”
”Madelon!” her brother cried out, to restrain her
But she would not be restrained Her surcharged heart must overflow in confidence
”Monsieur, for what befell I areatly at fault This man - this Levasseur”
He stared, incredulous in his turn ”My God! Is it possible? That aniht his hand and kissed it before he could wrench it from her