Evening star., 1924-10-31
CAPTAIN BLOOD
By RAFAEL SABATINI
The Greatest Love Story Ever Told

before gentle breeze, without in.
reference from the fort
AS they were running close TO tn,
headline east Of the bay, Peter Bloc.
| returned to the colonel, who. undei
guard and panic-stricken, had de,
| 1ectedly resumed his seat on thu
1 coamings Of the main hatch.
Can ye swim. colonel?"
Col. Bishop looked up. His grea,
\ face was yellow and seemed in thai
| moment of a preternatural Aabbiness.
his beady eyes were beadier thar
| ever
| AS your doctor, now, ] prescribe
| a swim to cool the excessive heal
of your humors." Blood delivered
| the explanation pleasantly. and, TT
| ceiving still no answer from the col.
| oneL continued: ITS a mercy foI
You I'm not by nature as blood.
thirsty as some of my friends here
| And it's the devils own labor Tvs
| had to prevail upon them not 10 l..
vindictive. j doubt if ye'ce worth the
pains I've taken for YOU"
He was lying. He had no doubt al
all. Had he followed his own wishe,
and instincts, he would certainly hay.
strung the colonel up. and accounted
! II a meritorious deed. 1t was the
thought of Arabella Bishop that had
urged him to mercy, and had led him
| to oppose the natural vindictiveness
OF his fellow slaves until he had been
| in danger of precipitating mutiny. II
was entirely to the fact that tins
colonel was her uncle, although he
did not even begin to suspect such
cause, that he owed such mercy as
was now being shown him.
You shall have a chance to swim
for it," Peter Blood continued ats
not above quarter of a mile to the
headland yonder, and with ordinary
| luck ye should manage it. Faith.
you're fat enough to float. Come or
Now, don't be hesitating or It's q
long voyage yell be going with US.
and the devil knows what may hap
pen to you. You're not loved any
| more than you deserve" -:
Col. Bishop mastered himself, and
rose. merciless despot. who had
| never known the need for restraint in
all these years, he was doomed by
the very moment when his feelings
had reached their most violent in
tensity.
Peter Blood gave an order. A plank
| was run out over the gunwafe. and
! lashed down.
IF you please. Colonel" said he.
! with a graceful flourish Of invitation.
The Colonel looked at him, and
there was hell in his glance. Then.
| taking his resolve and putting the
| best face upon it, since no other could
help him here, he kicke OFF his shoes,
peeled off his fine coat of biscuit-co;-
| ored taffetas and climbed upon the
plank.
A moment he paused. steadied by II
hand that clutched the ratlines, look
| ing down in terror at the green water
| rushing past some five
| feet below.
Just take little walk, Colonel
| darling. said smooth, mocking
voice behind him.
Still clinging, Col. Bishop looked
round in hesitation, and saw the bul-
warks lined with swarthy faces
| the faces OF men that as lately as
yesterday would have turned pale
under his frown, faces that were now
all wickedly agrin.
For a moment rage stamped out
| his fear. He cursed them aloud ven
| omously and incoh erently, then Ioose,k
his hold and stepped out. upoA
| the plank. Three. steps he took
| fore he lost his balance and we
| tumbling into the green depths beioa
When he came to the surface agai
gasping for air, the Cinco Llagas wa
already some furlongs to leeward
But the roaring cheer of mockinl
| valediction from the rebels-convfct'
reached him across the water. 10
| drive the iron of impotent rage deep
er into his soul.