Evening star., 1924-12-01
CONTINUED from Yesterdays star,)

with regard to the future. Am !. to
submit at every turn to the. dictates
of this man Blood? Is the enter
prise upon which We are embarked
to be conducted as he DEGREES? Am
|, In short, the Kings representative
In America. to be at the mercy OF
these rascals2"
'Oh, by no means. I am enrolling
volunteers here in Hispaniola, and ]
am raising a corps of negroes !
compute that when this is done we
shall have a force of thousand
men. the buccaneers apart" -.~
!. But In that case why not dispense
with them?"
Because they will always remain
the sharp edge Of any weapon that
we forge. In the class OF warfare
that lies before us they arc so skill
ed that what Capt. Blood has just
said Is not an overstatement. A buc-
cancer is equal to three soldiers OF
the line. At the same time we shall
have sufficient force to keep them
in control. For the rest, monsieur
they have certain notions OF honor
They will stand by their articles. and
SO that we deal justly with them,
they will deal justly with US, and
give no trouble. I have experience
OF them. and l pledge you my word
for that"
NJ. de Rivarol condescended to be
Modified. 1t was necessary that he
should save his face, and In a degree
the governor afforded him the means
to do so, as we'll as certain guar
antee for the future In the further
force he was raising.
Very WELL" he said. "Be so good
as TO recall this Capt. Blood"
The captain came in,' assured and
very dignified. NJ. de Rivarol found
him detestable; but dissembled it.
M. lie Capitaine, l have taken coun-
sci with NJ. lie Gouverneur. From
what he tells me, 1t Is possible that
mistake has been committed
Justice, you may be sure, shall be
done. To ensure it, / shall myself
preside over council to be COM
po ed OF two of my senior officers,
yourself and an officer of yours. This
council shall hold at once an I'm
partial investigation into the affair,
and the offender, the man guilty of
having given provocation, shall be
punished"
Capt. Blood bowed. 1t was not his
wish to he extreme.
Perfectly, NJ. lie Baron. And now,
sir, you have had the night for re-
Election in this matter of the articles.
Am l to understand that you con-
firm or that you repudiate them?"
NJ de Rivarois eyes narrowed. His
mind was full of what NJ. de Cussy
had said-that these buccaneers must
prove the sharp edge of any weapon
he might forge. He could not dis
pense with them. He perceived that
he had blundered tactically in at
tempting to reduce the agreed share.
Withdrawal from position of that
kind Is ever fraught with loss of
dignity. But there were those volun-
teers that NJ de Cussy was enroll
ing to strengthen the hand Of the
Kings general. Their presence might
admit anon OF the reopening of this
question. Meanwhile he must retire
in the best order possible.
Il have considered that. too" he
announced. And whilst my opinion
remains unaltered. L must confess
that since NJ. de Cussy has pledged
US, it is for us TO fulfill the pledges
The articles are confirmed, SIR
Capt. Blood bowed again. In vain
NJ. de Rivarol looked searchingly for
tine least trace of q smile of triumph
On these. firm lips. The buccaneer L
face remained of the utmost gravity
Wolverstone was set at liberty that
afternoon. and his assailant sentenced
to two months detention. Thus har-
mony was restored. But 1t had been
an unpromising beginning, and there
was more to follow shortly of a SIM
liar discordant kind.
Blood and his officers were sum
moned week later to a council
which sat to determine their op.
erations against Spain. NJ. de
Rivarol laid before them a projec,
for raid upon the wealthy
Spanish town of Cartagena. Capt
Blood professed establishment. Sourly
invited by NJ. de Rivarol to state his
grounds for II, he did so with the ut
most frankness.
Were 1 general OF the Kings ar
mics in America" said he. 81 should
have no doubt or hesitation as to the
best way in which to serve my royal
master and the French nation. That
which 1 think will be obvious to NJ. de
Cussy, as it is to me, Is that we
should at once invade Spanish Hispan-
lola, and reduce the whole of this
fruitful and splendid island into the
possession of the King of France"
That may follow" said NJ. de Riva-
rol. 1T is my wish that We begin
with Cartagena."
you mean, sir, that we are to sail
across the Caribbean on an adven-
turous expedition, neglecting that
which lies here at our very door. In
our absence a Spanish invasion of
French Hispaniola is possible. II we
begin by reducing the Spaniards here
that possibility will be removed. We
shall have added to the crown of
France the most coveted possession
in the West Indies. The enterprise
offers no particular difficulty; 1T may
be speedily accomplished, and once ac-
complished, 1t would be time to look
farther afleld. That would seem the
logical order in which this campaign
should proceed"
He ceased and there was silence. NJ.
de Rivarol sat back in his chair, the
feathered end of a quill between his
teeth. Presently he cleared his throat
and asked question.
"Is there anybody else who shares
Capt. Blood's opinionT'
None answered him. His own ofi-
GERS were overawed by him: Blood's
followers naturally preferred Carta-
gena, because offering the greater
chance of loot. Loyalty to their leader
kept them silent. .-..
"You seem to be alone in your opin-
ion," said the Baron. with his vine
gary smile.
Capt. Blood laughed outright. He
had suddenly read the Baron's mind.
His airs and graces and haughtines ess
had SO imposed upon Blood that it
was only now that at last he saw
through them into the fellows ped
ding spirit. Therefore he laughed;
there was really nothing else to do.
But his, laughter was charged with
more anger even than contempt. He
had been deluding himself that he
had done with piracy. The convic-
ton that this French service was free
of any taint Of that was the only
consideration that had induced him to
accept it. Yet here was this naughty,
supercilious gentleman. who dubbed
himself general of the armies of
France, proposing a plundering;
thieying raid. which. when stripped