Evening journal., 1923-01-24
tContinued From our Last Issuc)

tContinued From Our last Issue)
rs there anybody else who share
Captain Blood's opinion?"
None answered him. His own Of
fcers were overawed by him: Blood
followers naturally preferred Carta
gena. because offering the create
Chance of loot. Loyalty TO thei
leader kept them silent.
you seem to be alone in you
opinion said the Baron with hi
vinegary smile
Captain Blood laughed outright
lie had suddenly read the Baron''
mind.
NJ. de Rivarol, intrigued by hii
mirth, scowled upon him disapprov-
ingly.
why do you laugh monsieur p
Because discover here an irony
that IS supremely droll. You. NJ le
Baron, General OF the Kings Armies
by Land and Sea In America. pro-
pose an enterprise OF a purely buc-
caneering character; whilst, 1, the
buccaneer, am urging one that is
more concerned with upholding the
honor OF France"
M le fiibustier." cried Rivarol In
a thick voice 1T seems that l must
$emind you that am your superior
officer"
Ny superior officer! You! Lord
~ the World! Why. you are just a
common pirate."
He stalked out. and his .iree cap
tains-although they thought him
mad-rolled after him in loyal
silence.
Inwsrdly NJ. de Rivarol burned
with shame and rage. The mask
had been plucked from him. and he
had been held up to scorn-he, the
General Of the Kings Armies by Sea
and Land In America.
Nevertheless It was to Cartsgepa
that they sailed in the middle Of
March Volunteers and negroes had
brought up the forces directly under
II de Rivarol 10 twelve hundred
men. With these he thought he
could keep the buccaneer contingent
in order and submissive.
Narrowly they missed the Jamaica
feet with Colonsl Bishop which
sailed north for Tortuga two days
after the Baron de Rivarol's south
wari passage.
CHAPTER XVII
Cartagena
Having crossed the Caribbean in
the teeth OF contrary winds. 1t was
not unu, the early days OF April
that the French fleet hove in sight
rf Cartagena. and NJ de Rivaro
summoned n council aboard his flag
chip TO deter mine the method Of as
.sault.
1T IS OF Importance. messieurs."
he told them. that we take the city
by surprise. not only before II can
Sut itself into a STATE OF defense. hut ,
before II can remove its treasures in D
land. propose to land force
sufficient 20 achieve fhis 70 the north I
OF the city tonight after dark"
II was sheer obstinacy and empty /.
sride that drove him. and he received /
the lesson he deserved The feet /
stood in during the afternoon to
-r.thin a mile OF the coast, and under .
cover of darkness three hundred .
men were pulled away for the shore
in the canoes, piraguas. and ships
boats Rivarors pride compelled
him. however much he may have
disliked the venture. TO lead them in
person.
The first six boats were caught
in the surf and pounded into frag-
-ments before their occupants could
ex,rlcate themselves. The thunder
OF the breakers and the cries Of the
'shipwrecked warned those who fol-
lowed, and thereby saved them from
sharing the same fate.
q. The Baron went back TO his flag
ship an infuriated. but by no means
a wiser man.
He was awakened at dawn by the
rolling thunder OF guns. Emerging
upon the poop in nightcap and slip
pers. he beheld a sight that increased
siis unreasonable and unreasoning
fury. The four buccaneer ships
under ca nvas were going through eX-
traordinary maneuvers half a mile
off the Boca Chica and little more
than half a mile away from the re-
malnder OF the feet, and from their
tanks flame and smoke we've beich- .
ing each time they swung broadside {
10 the great round fort thar guarded
that narrow entrance. The fort was
returning the fire vigorously and vi
ciously. But the buccaneers timed
their broadsides with extraordinary
Judgment TO catch the defending ord /,
nance reloading; then as they drew ,
the Spaniard's fire. they swung 4
away again. not only taking care TO r
be ever-moving targets but further, g
10 present no more than bow or d
Stern TO the fort, their masts in line.
when the heaviest cannonades were p
10 be expected.
{. Gfbbering and curslng, NJ. de Riva- I
rol stood there and watched this ac-
ton so presumptuously undertaken :
BY Blood on his own responsibility. '
Meanwhile the fight went mert!y
on. The fort was suffering badly. b
Yet for all their maneuve.ng the n
-iccansers were not escaping pun G.
ishment. The starboard gunwale of ~
,he Atropos had been hammered into fc
.Ylinters, and a shot had caugh; her s.
s=tern in the coach. The Elizabeth r.
was badly battered about the fore 81
castle. and the Arabellas maintop e,
had been shot away, whilst toward al
the end sof. that engagement the d,
I.achesis s,cane reeling out OF the "