Evening star., 1924-11-07

| persons that are French. your own
countrymen; and now. faith. they're
no less than the children of the
| Governor of Tortuga, which is the
! one safe place Of shelter that we en-
| joy in these islands
Levasseur broke in angriIy:
Must | tell you again that it is a
matter personal to me? ] make my
self alone responsible to the Governor
| of Tortuga"
And the 2o.00o pieces of eight? Is
| that also "A matter personal to you?'
| 1t is"
Now | don't agree with you at
all" Capt. Blood sat down on the
| cask that Levasseur had lately occu-
| pied and looked up blandly. Il may
inform you, to save time, that ] heard
the entire proposal that you made to
this lady and this gentleman. and I'll
also remind you that we sail under
articles that admit no antiquities.
You have fixed their ransom at 90
900 pieces of eight. That sum. then,
belongs to your crews and mine in
the proportions by the articles estab-
lished. You'll hardly wish TO dispute
it. But what is far more grave is
that you have concealed from me
this part of the prizes taken on your
last cruise. and for such an offense
AS that the articles provide certain
nenalties that are something severe
in character.
"Ho, no." laughed Levasseur un-
pleasantly. Then added: IF you dis
| like my conduct we can dissolve the
association
That is my intention. But we'll
dissolve it when and in the manner
| that | choose and that will be as
| soon as you have satisfied the articles
| under which we sailed upon this
cruise"
What do you mean?"
Til be as short as I can said
Capt. Blood. iii waive for the mo-
ment the unseemliness of making war
upon the Dutch, of taking French
| prisoners and of provoking the anger
of the Governor of Tortuga. TIL ac-
cept the situation as 1 find it. Your
| self you've fixed the ransom of this
| couple at 10000 pieces, and, as
| gather, the lady is to be your per-
quisite. But why should she be your
| perQuisite more than anothers, see
| ing that she belongs by the articles
to all of US, as a prize OF war;"
Black as thunder grew the brow
! of Levasseur.
However" added Capt. Blood
'T'll not dispute her to you if you
are prepared to buy her"
Buy her."
"At the price you have set upon
her
LevaSseur contained his rage, that
| he might reason with the Irishman
That is the ransom of the man. 1t
| is to be paid for him by the Governor
| of Tortuga."
mo, no. Ye've parceled the twain
| together-very oddly. confess. Ye've
set their value at 10000 pieces. and
| for that sum you may have them
since you desire it; but you'll pay for
| them the 10000 pieces that are ulti-
, mately to come to you as the ram
! som of one and the dowry OF the
other; and that sum shall be divided
among our crews. So that you dc
that, it is conceivable that our fol-
| lowers may take a lenient view of
your breach of the articles we joint
! ly signed.
Levasseur laughed savagely "Ah
ca! Credieu! The good JEST
Il quite agree with you" said Capt
Blood.
To Levasseur the jest lay in that
Capt. Blood, with no more than a
dozen followers. should come there
attempting to hector him who had
100 men within easy call. But it
seemed that he had left out of his
reckoning something which his op-
! ponent had counted in. For as, laugh
! ing still, Levasseur swung to his Of
| fcers, he saw that which choked the
| laughter in his throat. Capt. Blood
had shrewdly played upon the Gu
| pidity that was the paramount in
| spiration of those adventurerS. And
| LevasSeur now read clearly on their
! faces how completely they adopted
Capt Bloods suggestion that all must
participate in the ransom which their
leader had thought to appropriate to
himself.
| 1t gave the gaudy ruffian pause, and
whilst in his heart he cursed those
followers of his, who could be faith
| full only to their greed, he perceived
and only just in time-that he had
] best tread warily.
| You misunderstood" he said
swallowing his rage. 1.-The ransom
\ is for division, when it comes. The
| girl, meanwhile, is mine on that un-
| derstanding.''
Good" grunted Vahusac. "On
that understanding all arranges it.
| self"
| You think so?" said Capt. Blood
But if NJ. d'Ogeron should refuse to
pay the ransom? What them" He
laughed, and got lazily to his feet
mo, no. If Capt Levasseur is mean
| while to keep the girl, as he pro-
poses, then let him pay this ransom
and be his the risk if 1t should after
| wards not be forthcoming"
CONTINUED in TornorroW's SfnrJ