Evening star., 1924-12-01
CHAPTER XVII.
CartREenA.

Having crossed the Caribbean in
f-tffe- teeth of contrary winds. It was
not until the early days OF April that
the French feet hove in sight of Car
tagena, and NJ. de RivaroI sum
moned council aboard his flagship
to determine the method Of assault.
1t Is of import tance, messieurs,"
he told them. that we take the city
by surprise, not only before it can
put itself into a state of defense, but
before 1t can remove its treasures
inland. / propose to land a force
SUFFICIENT TO achieve this to the north
of the city tonight after dark" And
he explained in detail the scheme
upon which his wits had labored.
He was heard respectfully and ap-
provingly by his officers scornfully
by Capt. Blood. and indifferently by.
the other buceaneer captains pres
ent. For it must be understood that
Blood's refusal to attend councils
had related only to those concerned
| with determining the nature of the
enterprise TO be undertaken.
Capt. Blood was the only one
among them who knew exactly what
lay ahead. Two years ago he had
himself considered a raid upon the
place, and he had actually made
| survey of 1t in circumstances which
he was presently to disclose.
The baron's proposal was one to
be expected from a commander
whose knowledge of Cartagena was
only such as might be derived from
maps.
Geographically and strategicaIly
considered, it is a curious plac-. -
stands almost four-square. screened
east and north by hills, and it may
be said to face south upon the inner
of two harbors by which it is normal
ly approached. The entrance to the
outer harbor which is in reality
lagoon some three miles across, lies
through a neck known as the Boca
Chica-or Little Mouth-and defend
ed by a fort. A long strip of dense
ly wooded land 60 westward acts here
as a natural breakwater, and as the
inner harbor is approached, another
strip Of land thrusts across at right
angles from the first, toward the
mainland on the east. Just short of
this 1t ceases, leaving deep but
very narrow channel, a veritable
gateway, into the secure and shell.
tered inner harbor. Another fort de-
tends this second passage. East an&
north OF Cartagena lies the main
land. which may be left out of ac-
count. But to the west and north
west this city. so well guarded on
every other side. lies directly. open
W Tic Sod IL pdSh pcyoHu d
half-mile of beach, and besides this
and the stout walls which fortify II,
, would appear to have other de-
lenses. But those appearances are
deceptive, and they had utterly de-
ceived NJ. de Rivarol, when he de-
vised his plan.
1t remained for Capt. Blood to ex-
plain the difficulties when NJ. do Ri
varol informed him that the honor
of opening the assault I'm the man
ner which he prescribed was to be
accorded to the buccaneers.
Capt. Blood smiled sardonic appre-
citation of the honor reserved for his
men. It was precisely what he would
have expected. For the buccaneers
the dangers: for NJ de Rivarol the
honor. glory and profit of the enter
prise. s
1T Is an honor which / must de-
cline" said he quite co1dly. .:
| Wolverstbne grunted approval and
Hagthorpe nodded. Yberyille, who
as much as any of them resented the
superciliousness of his noble COM
patriot, never wavered in loyalty to
Capt. Blood. The French officers
there were six of them present
stared their naughty surprise at the
buccaneer leader while the baron
challengingly fired question at him.
"How? You decline II, sir? You
decline to obey orders, do you say?"
II understood, NJ lie Baron, that
you summoned US to deliberate upon
The means to be adopted"
Continued in Tomorrou,r 9t,r,