Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-01-06
CAPTAIN
BLWD
By Rafael Sabafini
RAFAEL SABATINl
NEA SEpNcExs

him the best title to that office.
Mr.. Blood's absence was brief.
When he rejoined his comrades
there was no watch above the Span
iard's deck. When their quarters
were invaded and they found them
selves surrounded by a score of wild,
hairy, half-naked men, the Span
iards could not believe their eyes.
And then, from out of this up
couth pack of avages that beset
them, stepped a slim, tall fellow
with light-blue eyes in d taw-
ny face. He addressed them in the
purest Castilian.
You will save yourselves pain
and trouble by regarding yourselves
my prisoners, and suffering your
selves to be quietly bestowed cut of
harms way
Thereupon these gentlemen Of
Spain were induced without further
trouble beyond a musket prod or
two to drop through q scuttle 10 the
deck below.
1t was soon after sunrise that the
rebel-convict who paced the quar-
ter deck in Spanish corselet and head
piece, a Spanish musket on his
shoulder, announced the approached
q boat. 1t was Don Diego de Espl-
nosa y Valdez coming aboard with
four great treasure chests, contain
ing each twenty-five thousand pieces
of eight, the ransom delivered to
him at dawn by Governor Steed. He
was accompanied by his son, Don
Estaban, and by six men who took
the oars.
Don Diego mounted the ladder
and stepped upon the deck, alone,
and entirely unsuspicious.
Before he could even look around,
and survey this guard drawn up to
receive him a tap over the head
with a capstan bar efficiently han
died by Hagthorpe put him to sleep
without the least fuss.
He was carried away to his cabin.
whilst the treasure chests, handled
by the men he had left in the boat,
were being hauled to the deck. That
being satisfactorily accomplished,
Don Estaban and the fellows who
had manned the boat came up the
ladder, M by one, to be handled
with the same quiet efficiency.
With Colonel Bishop at their head,
and gout-ridden Governor Steed sit
ting on the ruins Of a wall beside
him, the survivors glumly watched
the departure Of the eight boats
containing the weary Spanish ruffians
who had glutted themselves with ra-
pine, murder, and violence un-
speakable.
The boats pulled away from the
shore, with their loads of laughing,
jeering Spaniards. They had come
midway between the wharf and the
ship, when suddenly the air was
shaken by the boom of a gun.
They paused at their oars, as.
founded into silence for a moment.
Then speech burst from them like
an explosion. They were still curs-
ing when a second shot came to
crumple n of the boats into splin-
ters, fiinging its crew, dead and liv-
ing into the water.
But if it silenced these, it gave
tongue, still more angry, vehement,
and bewildered to the crews of the
other V boats.
Plump into their middle came o
third shot, smashing a second boat
with fearful execution. Whilst they
discussed and fumed and cursed two
more shots anne owe the water to
account for yet athird of their boats.
After the fourth shot. with one dc-
cord they went about, Or attempted
~ W. SOs lOL OC1CL0 LiACy 1Ao0 AZ
complished it two more OF their
boats had been sunk.
The three boats that remained
headed back for the wharf at speed.
If the Spaniards understood moth
ing of this, the forlorn islanders
ashore understood still less. They
saw the flag of Spain come down
from the main mast of the Cinco
Llagas, and the flag of England soar
TO its empty place.
That the Cinco Llagas was now in
friendly hands could no longer be
doubted after the proofs it had CIV
en-. But who, the people of Bridge
town asked one another, yer the
men in possession of her, and
whence had they come? 1t remained
to ascertain the precise identity of
these mysterious saviors, and do
them fitting honor.
Upon this errand - Governor
Stead's condition not permitting him
to go in person - went Colonel
Bishop as the Governors deputy. at
tended by two officers.
Ranged on either side. athWart
the deck, stood a score of men in
two well-ordered files, with breasts
and backs of steel, polished Spanish