The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-10-02
CHAPTER xxII--Continu

Blood would ha' slipped out O. Pori
Royal again that same night. But
that hound Bishop had passed the word
and the fort kept a sharp lookout. In
the end, though it took fortnight
| Blood bubbled him. He sent me and
! most O. the men off in, q efrigate that
! bought for the voyage. His game--as
| he'd secretly told me-was TO follow
/ and give chase. Whether that's the
| game he played or not can't tell We
but hefe he is afore- me as I'd expected
he would be-
Having delivered himself Of his de
cotton of fact and falsehood, and there.
by added one more to the exploits OF
Peter Blood, he enquired where the Cap.
tain might be found. Being informed
that he kept his ship, Wolverstone
stepped into boat and went aboard, to
report himself, as he put 1t.
In the great cabin Of the Arabella
he found Peter Blood alone and very
far gone In drink condition in which
no man ever before remembered to have
seen him. As Wolverstone came IN,
the captain raised bloodshot eyes to
consider him. A moment they sharp
1->ened in their gaze as he brought his
visitor into focus. Then he laughed
O loose, idiotic. laugh, that yet somehow
was half & sneer.
my God, Peter, what's this?
Rum said Peter. Rum, from
Jamaica"
..Pm asking you what ails your" he
bawled.
Rum said Captain Blood again. and
smiled. "Jus' rum. l answer all your
questions. Why donjerr answer mine
Whatever gonerdo Wi me
I've done it," said Wolverstonc
THANK God, We had the sense to hold
your tongueItill / came. Are ye sober
enough to understand me"
drunk or sober, allus 'derstand
you."
.sThen listen" And out game the tale
that Wolyerstone had told The Cap
tain steadied himself to grasp it.
''It'l do as well asertrnth," said he,
J when Wolverstohe had finished.
r. "Ye're maudlin, sWolyerstont
growled. wen talk again tomorrow
They did but to little purpose, eithei
that day or on any day thereafter while
the rains-which set in that night
endured. Soon the shrewd Wolverstone
discovered that rum was not what allied
Blood. There was a eanker eating al
his heart, and the Old Wolf knew
enough to- make a--shrewd guess of its
nature. He cursed all things that dag
gled petticoats, and, knowing his world
waited for the sickness to pass.
But it did not pass. When Blood
was not dicing or drinking in the tav'
ems of Tortuga, keeping company that
in his saner days he had lOathed, h
was shut up in his cabin aboard the
Arabella, alone and uncommunicative
His friends at government house, be
wildered. at this change in him, sought
to reclaim him.. Mademoiselle dog
eron, particularly distressed, sent hin
almost daily invitations, to few of which
he responded.
Sometimes Blood asked himself why
he had come back, to Torfuga at all
He was degenerating visibly, under the
eyes of all. He allowed black beart
to grow on cheeks that had ever beer
so carefully shaver and ~hstlong, thicl
black hair, once SO sedurously curled
hung now in lank. .untidy smane. VOL
verstone, the only one who held the clut
to this degeneration, ventgred once t.
beard him frankly about Il.
Lord, Peter! Is there never to b.
no end TO this?" the giant had growled
..Will you spend your days moping anG
swilIink cause q whitefaced ninny in