Evening star., 1924-11-07
CONTINUED from Yesterdays Star
CHAPTER XY.
The Ransom.


In the glory of the following morn
ing. sparkling and clear after the
storm. with an invigorating. briny
tang in the air from the salt-ponds
on the south of the island, a curious
scene was played on the beach of the
Nirgen Magra, at the foot of ridge
of bleached dunes. beside the spread
of sail wrom which Levasseur had
improvised a tent.
Enthroned upon an empty caSk sat
the French filibuster to transact i'm
portant business: the business of
making himself safe with the COVER
nor of Tortuga.
4 guard of honor of a half-doZen Off
GERS hung bout him; five of them were
rude boucan- hunters. in stained Jer-
kins and leather breeches; the sixth
was Cahusac. Before him, guarded
by two half-naked negroes. stood
young d'Ogeron, in frilled shirt and
satin small-clothes and fine shoes Of
Cordovan leather. He was stripped
of doublet and his hands were tied
behind him. The young gentleman's
comely face was haggard. Near at
hand, and also under guard, but un-
pinioned, mademoiselle his sister sat
hunched upon hillock of sand. She
was very pale and ii was in vain
that she sought to veil in mask of
arrogance the fears by which she
was aSSailed.
Levasseur addressed himself to NJ.
d'Ogeron He spoke at long length.
In the end
81 trust, monsieur" said he, with
mock suavity. that have made my
sell quite clear. SO that there may be
no misunderstanding j will repacitu-
late Your ransom is fixed at 10000
pieces of eight. and you shall have
liberty on parole to go to Tortuga to
collect il. In fact, | shall provide
the means to convey you thither, and
you shall have "A month in which to
come and go. Meanwhile, your sister
remains with me as a hostage.
Your father should not consider
such a sum excessive as the price OF
his sons liberty and to provide
dowry for his daughter. Indeed. if
anything. l am too modest pardi. NJ.
.d'Ogeron is reputed wealthy man
VI. d'Ogeron the younger raised his
head and looked the captain bodily in
the face.
II refuse-utterly and absolutely,
do you understand? So do your worst,
and be damned for filthy pirate
without decency and without honor"
But what words" laughed Levas-
seur. What heat and what foolish
ness, You have not considered the
alternative. When you do, you will
not persist in your refusal You will
not do that in any case. We nave
spurs for the reluctant And / warn
you against giving me your parole
under stress, and afterwards playing
me false. / shall know how to find
and punish you. Meanwhile, remem-
ber your sisters honor is in pawn to
me. Should you forget to return with
the dowry, you will not consider 1T
unreasonable thatI forget to marry
her"
Levasseur's smiling eyes, intent
upon the young mans face, saw the
horror that crept into his glance. M.
d Ogeron cast wild glance at made
moiselle, and observed the gray de-
spair that had almost stamped the
beauty from her face.
Disgust and fury swept across his
Then he braced himself and answer
! ed reSolutely:
mo, you dog. A thousand times.
nor
You are foolish to persist" Le-
vasseur spoke without anger, with a
coldly mocking regret His fingers
had been busy tying knots in a length
of whipcord- He held it up. You
know this? 1t is a rosary Of pain that
has wrought the conversion of many
a stubborn hereto. 1t is capable of
screwing the eyes out of a mans
! head by way of helping him to see
| reason. AS you please"
He flung the length of knotted
cord to one of the negroes, who in
an instant made it fast about the
prisoners brows. Then, between cord
and Uranium, the black insterted a
short length of metal, round and
slender as pipe-stem. That done
he rolled his eyes towards Levasseur,
awaiting the captains signal.
Levasseur considered his victim, and
beheld him tense and braced, his hag-
gard face of a leaden hue. beads of
perspiration glinted on his pallid
brow just beneath the whipcord.
Mademoiselle cried out, and would
! have risen: but her guards restrain