The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-11-17

BLOOD
By Rafael SabafiniI
Q Ri\rArL aARArIN
Arpct NEA SIpWeIrs,

that drove Peter Blood 20 seek an
anchorage at Tortuga. Ito inalsts
NJ considerable length. and with a
Vohemenoo which IN itself malSca Il
plain that an opposite opinion was
held In some quarters. that Il was
no part OF the design OF Blood or
or any OF his companions In misfor,
tune 20 Join hands with tho bueca.
ueers who. under u seml.officlal
French protection. mado OF Tortugu
lair whence tscy could sally out 20
drive their morcilcsa piratloal trade
chiefly at the expense % spain.
II was, Pitt tell US. Hoods orig,
lnal intention 20 mako his way TO
France or Holland. But In tho long
weeks OF waiting for ship 10 con.
vcy him 10 ono or tho other OF these
countries. his resources dwindlcd and
finally vanished. Also. HIS, chroni.
eler thinks tina, ho detected signs OF
semo secret trouble In hla friend. aud
he attributes to this tho abuses OF
the potent West Indian spirit Of
which Blood became guilty Ia those
days OF inae,ion. thereby sinking 10
tho level of tho Wild adventures with
whom ashore no associated.
! do not think that Pitt Ia guilty in
this merely OF special pleading. that
he l. putting forward excuses for hts
hero. think that in those days
there was Il good deal 20 Cypress
Peter Blood. There was the thought
OF Arabella Rishop-and that this
thought loomed largo In his mind We
are not permitted TO doubt. lie was
fnaddened b. tho tormenting luro Of
the unastainable. He deAirea Ara.
bella. yet knew her beyond his reach
irrcvocahly and for all time. Also.
whilst he may have desired TO so 10
France or Holland. he had no clear
purpose TO accomplish when he
reached ono or tho other OF these
countries. He waA when all Is said.
an escaped slave. an outlaw In bis
own land and a homeless outcasi in
any other, There remained the sea.
which Is free 20 all. and particularly
allurfnK 20 those who feel themselves
at war with humanity. And 50. con.
sidsFtnK the adventurous spirit that
once already had sent him a.roying
for the sheer love OF u. considering
that this spirit was heightened now
hy reekleAsncss begotten ~ hts out.
lnwry. that his training and skill In
militant ssamanship clamoroaaly Aup.
ported the temptations that were put
before him. can you wonder. or dare
you blame him. that In the end he
suecunhedf And remember that
these temptations proceeded not only
from adventurous buecanecring nc.
auaintanccs in the tavcrns OF that
eva haven OF Tortuga. bu, even from
NJ. d'Ogeron, tho governor OF tho
island. who levied as his hnrbor dues
q percentage OF one.tenth OF all spoila
brought into the has. and who profit.
cd further by commissions upon
money which no was desired 90 con.
vert into bills % exchange upon
France.
A trade that might have worn 4 ~.
pellent aspect when urged By greasy,
haifdrunken adyentnrorA boucan,
hunters. mmhcrmcn. bcAeh-combeFa,
English. French and Dutch. became
a dignifisd. almost official form Of
pFiyatccrtng when advocated by the
oouFtly. mlddleagcd gentleman who
In representing tho French Yves, In.
dia company. seemed TO represent
France herself.
Moreover. 20 n mau--not excluding
Jeremy Pitt himself. In whose blood
the call OF tho sea was lnslstcnt and
imperntive--thosa who had escaped
with Peter Blood from the Barbados
plantations. and who. consequently.
like himself. knew not whittier 20
turn. were all resolved upon Joining
tho great Brotherhood OF the Coast.
as those rovers called themselves. And
they united theirs 20 the other voices
that were persuading Blood. demand
ting that he should continue now in
tho leadership which no had enjoyed
since they had left Barbados. and
swearing 70 follow him loyalty width.
ersoeveP no should lead them
And so. 10 condcnse all that Jeremy
has recorded In tho matter. Blood
ended by yielding 10 external and in.
ternal pressure. abandoned himself to