Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-01-12
CAPTAIN
BLOOD
By Rafael Sabafmi
9PAEAEL
kpn6r NEA SERVICE xc

FL is my father
Levasseur swung aside with an i'm
p~recation. In Captain Blood, amaze
ment for the moment quenched
every other emotion.
The saints preserve us now! Are
you quite mad, Levasseur? First,
you modest the Dutch, who r our
friends; next you take prisoners two
persons that are French, your W
countrymen; and low bedad, they're
no less than the children of the
Governor of Tortuga, which is the
n safe place of shelter that we
enjoy in these islands . ="
Levasseur broke in angrily:
Must / tell you again that it is q
matter personal TO me?'
And the twenty thousand pieces
of eight? Is that also matter per-
sonal to you?"
1T is"
Nov 1 don't agree with you at
ALL" Captain Blood sat down on
the cask that Levasseur had lately
occupied, and looked up bIandly.
you have fixed their ransom at
twenty thousand pieces OF eight.
That sum then belongs to your
crews and mine in the proportion by
~ "a AASACS NDLaD D0L
is far more grave is that you have
concealed from me this part of the
prizes taken on your last cruise, and
for such an offense as that the
articles provide certain penalties
that r something severe in char
acter."
"Ho, ho!" laughed Levasseur I'M
pleasantly. Then added: "If you dis
like my conduct we can dissolve the
association"
That is my intention. But we'll
dissolve it when and in the manner
that l choose, and that will be as
soon as you have satisfied the arti-
cles under which we sailed upon this
cruise"
What do you mean"
"IIl be as short as / cam" said
Captain Blood. I'll accept the situa-
ton as l find it. Yourself you've
fixed the ransom of this couple at
twenty thousand pieces and, as 7
gather, the lady Is to be your per-
quisite. But why should she be your
perquislte more than another's, see
ing that she belongs by the articles
to all of us, as a prize of war;"
Black as thunder grew the brow
Of Levasseur.
However" added Captain Blood,
TIL not dispute her to you If you
are prepared to buy her."
buy herr"
"At the price you have set upon
her"
Levasseur contained his rage, that
he might reason with the Irishman.
THAT is the ransom of the man. It
is to be paid for him by the Cover
nor of Tortuga."
mo, no. we've parceled the twain
together-very oddly, I confess.
we've set their value at twenty thou
sand pieces, and for that sum you
may have them, and the sum shall
be divided among our crews. So
that you do that, it is conceivable
that our followers may take a leni-
ent view of your breach Of the
articles we Jointly signed"
Levasseur laughed savagely. "Ah,
sacre Dieu! The good jest!"
IT quite agree with you," said
Captain Blood.
AS, laughing still, Levasseur
swung to his officers, he saw that
which choked the laughter In his
throat. Captain Blood had shrewd-
ly played upon the cupidity that was
the paramount inspiration of those
adventures. And Levasseur now
read clearly in their faces how COM
pletely they adopted Captain Blood's
suggestion that all must participate
in the ransom which their leader
had thought to appropriate to him
self.
You misunderstood" he said,
swallowing his rage. THE ransom
Is for division, when 1t ONE The
girl, meanwhile, is mine on that
understanding"
you think SOP" said Captain
Blood. "But if M. d'Ogeron should
refuse to pay the ransom? What
then?" He laughed, and got lazily to
his feet. mo, no. If Captain Levas-
seur is meanwhile to keep the girl,
as he proposes, then let him pay
this ransom and be his the risk If It
should afterward not be forthcom-
ing"
Levasseur flung upon him livid
with fury. "Wlll nothing satisfy
you?"
"Oh. but yes. Twenty thousand
pieces OF eight for immediate d.
vision"
az haven't got it."
"Then let some one buy the