Evening star., 1924-11-28
Continued from Yesterdays starr
BRIDGE.

The captain was ever = modest
man., he explained to Hagthorpe
and those others who came crowding g
round him. ITS not his way to be
sounding his own praises. Why. it
was like this. We fell in with old
Don Miguel. and when we'd scuttIed
him We took aboard London pimp
@ent out by the secretary OF state to
offer the captain the kings commits
sion if so be hind quit piracy and
be o. good behavior. The captain
damned his soul to hell fer answer.
And then We fell in Wi the Jamaica
fleet and that gray old devil Bishop
in command. and there was a. sure end
10 Capt. Blood and to every mother s
son of ns all. So | goes to him, and
accept this poXy commission says L:
turn kings man and save your neck
and ours He took me at my word.
and the London pimp gave him the
kings commission on the spot, and
Fishop all but choked hissclf with
rage when he was told of it. But
happened il had. and he was forced
TO swallow it. We were kings men
all. and so into Port Royal We sailed
along O. Bishop. But Bishop didn't
trust us. He knew too much. But
for his lordship. the fellow from
London. he'd ha' hanged the cap
tain, kings commission and ALL
Blood would ha' slipped out o Port
Royal again that same night. But
that hound Bishop had passed the
word, and the fort kept sharp look
ont. In the end though 1t took a
fortnight, Blood bubbled him.. He
sent me and most o the men off in
4 frigate that l bought for the voy
age His game-as he'd secretly told
,ne-was to follow and give chase.
Whether that's the game he played
or not I can't tell ye; but here he is
afore me as Id expected he would
be"
There was great historian lost
in Wolverstone. He had the right
agtnation that knows just how far
il is safe to stray from the truth and
just how far to color it so as to
change its shape for his own pur-
poses.
Having delivered himself of his
decoction Of fact and falsehood. and
thereby added one more to the eX-
poits of Peter Blood, he inquired
where the captain might be found.
Being informed that he kept his ship,
wolverstone stepped into a boat and
went aboard, to report himself. as
he put it.
In the great cabin of the Arabella
far gone in drink-a condition in
which no man ever before remem-
bered to have seen him. AS Wolver-
stone came in, the captain raised
bloodshot eyes to consider him. A
moment they sharpened in their gaze
as he brought his visitor into focus
Then he laughed, a loose, idiot laugh,
that yet somehow was half a sneer.
All! The old wolff" said he. Got
Ah y, f,1,n
erdo wi me. eh?" He hiccoughed
resoundingly, and sagged back loose
ly in his chair.
Old Wolverstone stared at him in
somber silence. He had looked with
untroubled eye upon many a hell of
,levilment in his time, but the sight
of Capt. Blood in this condition filled
him with sudden grief. To express
il he loosed an oath. 1t was his only
expression for emotion of all kinds.
Then he rolled forward. and dropped
into a chair the table, facing the
captain. --,, = - -, .---.....- Il.
my God, Peter, what's this?"
Rum" said Peter. Rum. from
Jamaica: He pushed bottle and glass
toward Wolverstone. s..---~-..t--
wolverstone disregarded- them.
I'm asking You what ails your"
he bawled. - g : -.---- r.
Rum" said Capt. Blood again, and
smiled. "Jrs' rum. / answer all
your queshsns Why donjerr, an
swer mine? . Whatcher gonerdo. wi
mes - -. =. - - S.
"I'ye done IT," said Wolvsrstone.
THANK God ye had the sense to
hold your tongue till / came Are
ye sober enough to understand me?''
Drunk or sober, iallus 'derstand
YOU" -'r-''.'''- - - =
Then listen" And out came the
tale that wolyerstone had told. The
captain steadied himself to grasp II.
'.It'll do as we'll asertruth." said he
when Wolverstone had f1nished.e"And
OH no marrer. Much obliged to ye.
Old Wolf-faithful Old Wolf! But
was it worthertrouble? I'm norrer
pirate now; nsver- pirate again. s