Evening star., 1924-11-13
CONTINUED from Yesterdays Starr

said he.
Since for the last "a hours all
had been in readiness for departure.
there was nothing now to delay them.
and 1t was decided to move next
morning.
Such was Capt Bloods assurance
of success that he imm dia tely freed
the prisoners held hostages, and
even the negro slaves who were
regarded by the others as Legitimate
plunder. His only precaut!on against
those released prisoners was to
order them into the church and there
lock them up, to await deliverance
at the hands of those who should
presently be coming into the city.
Then, all being aboard the three
ships. with the treasure safely slowed
In their holds and the slaves under
matches, the buccaneers weighed
anchor and stood out for the bar,
each vessel towing three piraguas
astern.
The admiral. beholding their stately
advance in the full light Of noon,
their sails cleaning white in the
glare of the sunlight, rubbed his
long. lean hands in satisfaction. and
laughed through his teeth.
AT last" he cried. God delivers
him into my hands" He turned to
the group of staring officers behind
him. Sooner or later it had to be-"
he said. Say now, gentlemen.
whether l am justified Of my patience
Here end today the troubles caused
to the stE jccts OF the Catholic king
by this infamous Don Pedro Sangre,
as he once called himself to me-"
He turned to issue orders, and the
fort became lively as Z hive The
guns were manned, the gunners al
ready kindling fuses, when the
buccaneer fleet, whilst still heading
Tor Palomas. was observed to bear
away to the West. The Spaniards
watched them. intrigued.
Within mile and a half to west
ward OF the fort, and within a half
mile of the shore-that is to say,
on the very edge OF the shoal water
that makes Palomas unapproachable
on either side by any but vessels
OF the shallowest draught-the four
Spaniards' view, but just out Of
range OF their heaviest cannon.
Sneeringly the admiral laughed
Aha They hesitate, these English
dogs. Por Dios, and we'll they may"
They will be waiting for night"
suggested his nephew, who stoco at
his elbow quivering with excitement
Don Miguel looked at him, smiling.
And what shall the night avail
them in this narrow passage, under
the very mNzzles Of my guns? Be
sure, ESteban, that tonight your
father viii be paid for
He raised his telescope to continue
his observation Of the buccaneers. He
saw that the piraguas towed by each
vessel were being warped alongside.
and he wondered little what this
maneuver might portend. Awhile
those piraguas were hidden from
view behind the hulls. Then one by
one they reappeared, rowing round
and away from the ships. and each
boat. he observed, was crowded with
armed men. Thus laden. they were
headed for the shore, at a poil
where it was densely wooded to the
waters edge. The eyes OF the Won
dering admiral followed them until
the foliage screened them from his
View.
Then he lowered his telescope and
looked at his officers.
What the devil does 1t mean" ne
asked.
None answered him, all being as
puzzled as he was himself.
After little while, Esteban, who
kept his eyes on the water, tucked
At his uncle's sleeve. There they
60 he cried, and pointed.
And there. indeed. went the pira-
Euas on their way back to the ships.
But now it was observed that they
were empty, save for the men who
rowed them. Their armed cargo had
been left ash ore.
Back to the ships they pulled, to
return again presently with a fresh
load OF armed men, which similarly
they conveyed to Palomas. And at
last one of the Spanish officers ven-
tured an explanations:
They are going to attack us by
land-to attempt to storm the fort"
"Of course The admiral smiled.
would destroy they first made mad"
Shall we make a sally?" urged
Esteban, in his excitement.
"A sally? Through that scrub?
That would be to play into their
hands. No. no, we will wait here to
receive this attack. Whenever it
comes. it is themselves will be de-
stroyed, and utterly. Have no doubt
of that"
But by evening the admirars
equanimity was not quite SO perfect.
BY then tho piraguas had made a
half dozen Journeys with their loads
OF men. and they had landed also
as Don Miguel had clearly observed
through his telescope-at least a
dozen guns.
His countenance no longer smiled:
1t was a little wrathful and little
troubled now 8 he turned again to
his officers.
Who was the fool who told me
that they number but 500 men in all?
They have put at least twice that
number ashore already"
Amazed as he was, his amaZement
would have been deeper had he been
told the truth: That there was not
a single buccaneer or a single gun
ashore on Palomas. The deception
had been complete. Don Miguel
could not guess that the men he
had beheld in those piraguas were
always the same; that on the jour-
neys to the shore they sat and stood
upright in full view: and that on
the journeys back to the ships, they
lay invisible at the bottom of tho
boats, which were thus made to ap-
pear empty.
The growing fears of the Spanish
soldiery at the prospect of night
attack from the landward side by
the entire buccaneer force-and
force twice as strong as they had
suspected the pestilent Blood to COM
mand-began to be communicated TO
the admiral.
In the last hours of fading day.
light the Spaniards did precisely
what Capt. Blood SO confidently
counted that they would do-precise-
ly what they must do to meet the
attack, preparations for which had
been so thoroughly simulated. They
set themselves to labor like the
damned at those ponderous guns en-
sage out to sea.
Groaning and sweating, urged on
by the curses and even the whips Of
their officers, they toiled in frenzy