Part 18 (1/2)
”Ye're not by any means the first to do that,” the other scoffed ”But they've mainly been Spaniards, and they hadn't your luck”
”You misapprehend me completely,” said Lord Julian And on that he proceeded to explain himself and his mission
When he had done, Captain Blood, who until that moment had stood still under the spell of his astonished his arm from his lordshi+p's, and stood squarely before hiuest aboard this shi+p,” said he, ”and I still have some notion of decent behaviour left h Iyou what I think of you for daring to bring me this offer, or ofthe impudence to send it But it does not surprise me at all that one who is a minister of James Stuart's should conceive that everythose who trust hi out an arm in the direction of the waist, whence ca buccaneers
”Again you nation ”That is not intended Your folloill be included in your coo with me to hunt their brethren - the Brethren of the Coast? OnAre there not even notions of honour left in England? Oh, and there's more to it than that, even D'ye think I could take a co h they be Thief and pirate is what you heard Miss Bishop callof scorn, an outcast And who made me that? Who made me thief and pirate?”
”If you were a rebel?” his lordshi+p was beginning
”Ye- no rebel at all It wasn't even pretended If it were, I could forgive them But not even that cloak could they cast upon their foulness Oh, no; there was no mistake I was convicted for what I did, neither more nor less That bloody vampire Jeffreys - bad cess to him! - sentenced me to death, and his worthy master James Stuart afterwards sent me into slavery, because I had performed an act of ht for creed or politics I had sought to relieve the sufferings of a fellow-creature; because I had dressed the wounds of a man as convicted of treason That was all my offence You'll find it in the records And for that I was sold into slavery: because by the law of England, as administered by James Stuart in violation of the laws of God, who harbours or couilty of rebellion D'ye dream man, what it is to be a slave?”
He checked suddenly at the very height of his passion A moment he paused, then cast it froain He uttered a little laugh of weariness and conte at all I explain rateful to you, Lord Julian, for your kindly intentions I aht”
Lord Julian stood still He was deeply stricken by the other's words, the passionate, eloquent outburst that in a few sharp, clear-cut strokes had so convincingly presented the ia and justification for all that could be laid to his charge His lordshi+p looked at that keen, intrepid face gleareat poop lantern, and his own eyes were troubled He was abashed
He fetched a heavy sigh ”A pity,” he said slowly ”Oh, blister me - a cursed pity!” He held out his hand, enerous impulse ”But no offence between us, Captain Blood!”
”Oh, no offence But I'arding the proffered hand, swung on his heel
Lord Julian stood a ure as ithis arms fall helplessly to his sides in dejection, he departed
Just within the doorway of the alley leading to the cabin, he ran into Miss Bishop Yet she had not been co in the same direction He followed her, his mind too full of Captain Blood to be concerned just then with herinto a chair, and exploded, with a violence altogether foreign to his nature
”Damme if ever I met a man I liked better, or even ato be done with him”
”So I heard,” she admitted in a small voice She was very white, and she kept her eyes upon her folded hands
He looked up in surprise, and then sat conning her with brooding glance ”I wonder, now,” he said presently, ”if theYour words have rankled with hiain He wouldn't take the King's commission; he wouldn't take my hand even What's to be done with a fellow like that? He'll end on a yardarer at the present moment on our behalf”
”How?” she asked hiotten that he's sailing to Jalish fleet? True, your uncle commands it”
She leaned across the table to interrupt hirown labored, that her eyes were dilating in alarm
”But there is no hope for hiine it! He has no bitterer eneand hanging Captain Blood that made overnorshi+p of Jamaica Captain Blood doesn't know that, of course” She paused with a little gesture of helplessness
”I can't think that it would ravely ”A uel and take up this uncoed by ordinary rules He's chivalrous to the point of idiocy”
”And yet he has been what he has been and done what he has done in these last three years,” said she, but she said it sorrowfully noithout any of her earlier scorn
Lord Julian was sententious, as I gather that he often was ”Life can be infernally cohed
CHAPTER XXI
THE SERVICE OF KING JAMES
Miss Arabella Bishop was aroused very early on the following ing of a bell in the shi+p's belfry As she lay awake, idly watching the rippled green water that appeared to be strearadually aware of the sounds of swift, laboured bustle - the clatter of many feet, the shouts of hoarse voices, and the persistent trundlings of heavy bodies in the ward-roo these sounds to portend a ue alar woman
In his cabin on the starboard side Lord Julian, disturbed by the sa When presently he eed under the break of the poop, he found hi up into a mountain of canvas Every foot of sail that she could carry had been crowded to the Arabella's yards, to catch thebreeze Ahead and on either side stretched the liolden in the sun, as yet no ht ahead
About hiht had been so peaceful, there was a frenziedly active bustle of some threescore men By the rail, immediately above and behind Lord Julian, stood Captain Blood in altercation with a one-eyed giant, whose head athed in a red cotton kerchief, whose blue shi+rt hung open at the waist As his lordshi+p,forward, revealed hireet hi to you,” he said, and added ”I've blundered badly, so I have I should have known better than to coht But I was in haste to land you Co, Lord Julianbeside Captain Blood, he looked astern, following the indication of the Captain's hand, and cried out in his amazement There, not more than three reen that filled the western horizon And a couple ofthree great white shi+ps
”They fly no colours, but they're part of the Jamaica fleet” Blood spoke without excitement, almost with a certain listlessness ”When dawn broke we found ourselves running to meet them We went about, and it's been a race ever since But the Arabella 's been at sea these four ”
Wolverstone hooked his thuht looked down sardonically upon Lord Julian, tall h his lordshi+p was ”So that you're like to be in yet another sea-fight afore ye've done wi' shi+ps, ,” said Blood ”For I hold that we're in no case to fight against such odds”
”The odds be damned!” Wolverstone thrust out his heavy jowl ”We're used to odds The odds was heavier at Maracaybo; yet on out, and took three shi+ps They was heavier yesterday e engaged Don Miguel”
”Aye - but those were Spaniards”
”And what better are these? - Are ye afeard of a lubberly Barbados planter? Whatever ails you, Peter? I've never known ye scared afore”
A gun boonal to lie to,” said Blood, in the sah
Wolverstone squared himself defiantly before his captain ”I'll see Colonel Bishop in hell or ever I lies to for him” And he spat, presumably for purposes of emphasis
His lordshi+p intervened
”Oh, but - by your leave - surely there is nothing to be apprehended fro the service you have rendered to his niece and to h interrupted hientleman!” he mocked ”Ye don't know Colonel Bishop, that's clear Not for his niece, not for his daughter, not for his own o the blood what he thinks due to him A drinker of blood, he is A nasty beast We knows, the Cap'n and me We been his slaves”
”But there is nity
Wolverstone laughed again, whereat his lordshi+p flushed He was uid level
”I assure you that land”
”Oh, aye - in England But this ain't England, daun, and a round shot splashed the water less than half a cable's-length astern Blood leaned over the rail to speak to the fair young man immediately below him by the helmsman at the whipstaff