Evening star., 1924-11-11
CAPTAIN BLOOD
By RAFAEL SABATINI
The Greatest Love Story Ever Told

est moments in his career. He was
compelled to digest the fact that
having conducted the engagement
with a skill OF which he might justly
be pround, having destroyed force SO
superior in ships and guns and men
that Don Miguel de Espinosa had
justifiably deemed it overwhelming
his victory was rendered barren by
three lucky shots from an unsus-
pected battery by which they had
been surprised. And barren must
their victory remain until they could
reduce the fort that still remained
to defend the passage.
AT first Capt Blood was for put
ting his ships in order and making
the attempt there and then. But the
others dissuaded him from betrayinG
an impetuosity usually foreign to him
and born entirely of chaGrin and
mortificati ton, emotions which will
render unreasonable the most rea-
sonable of men. With returning calm
he surveyed the situation. The Ara
bella was no longer in case to put
to sea: the 1nfanta was merely kept
afloat by artifice and the San Felipe
was almost as sorely damaged by
the fire she had sustained from the
buccaneers before surrendering.
Clearly, then. ne was compelled to
admit in the end that nothing re-
mained but to return to Maracaibo,
there to refit the ships before at
tempting to force the passage.
And so, back to Maracaibo came
those defeated victors Of that short,
terrible fight And II anything had
been wanting further to exasperate
their leader, he had II in the pes
simism Of which CAhusac did not
economize expressions. Transported
at first to heights Of dizzy satisfac-
ton by the swift and easy victory
of their inferior force that morning.
the Frenchman was now plunged
back and more deeply than ever into
the abyss Of hopelessness. And his
mood infected at least the main body
Of his own followers.
TT is the end" he told Capt Blood.
This time we are checkmated"
"rll take the liberty of reminding
you that you said the same before"
Capt. Blood answered him as patient
ly as he could. Yet you've seen
what you've seen, and you'll not deny
that in ships and guns we are re-
turning stronger than we went. Look
at our present feet. man
am looking at it," said Cahusac
"Ptsh. Ye're a white-livered cur
when all Is said"
You call me a coward?"
III take that liberty"
The Breton glared at him, breath
ing hard. But he had no mind to
ask satisfaction for tho insult. He
knew too well the kind of satisfac-
tion that Capt. Blood was likely to
afford him He remembered the fate
OF Levasseur. So he confined himself
to words.
1T is too much! You go too farr'
he complained bitterly.
Look you. CahusAc: it's sick and
tired l am OF your perpetual whining
ana complaining when things are not
as smooth as . convent dining table.
II ye wanted things smooth and easy,
ye shouldn't have taken to the sea,
and ye should never ha' sailed with
me- Tor with me things are never
smooth and easy. And that, think,
is an l have to say to you this
| morning."
Cahusac flung away cursing, and
Capt. BLOOD went off to give his
surgeons skill to the wounded. among
whom he remained engaged unti1
late afternoon, Then, at last, he
went ashore, his mind made up, and
returned to the house of the gov
eIno,, 20 indite truculent but very
schoisriy letter in purest Castilian
TO Don Miguel. =
nave SHOWN your excelIency this
morning OF what am capable" he
wrote. although outnumbered by
more than two to one in men, in ships
ana IN guns, l have sunk or captured
the vessels Of the great feet with
Hnich you were to come to Mara
cafoo to destroy us. So that vo,,
are no longer in case to carry out
your boast, even when your rein
lorcements on the Santo Nino feacb
you from La Guayra. From what
mas occurred, you may judge of what
must occur. 1 should not trouble
your eXcellency with this letter but
that l am a humane man, abhorring
oloodshed. Therefore. before pro-
ceeding to deal with your fort, which
you may deem invincible. as I have
dealt already with your fleet, which
you deemed invincible. make you,