Evening star., 1924-11-27
CAPTAIN BLOOD
By RAFAEL SABATINI
The Greatest Love Story Ever Told

"Arabella herself has confessed 1t
to me-"
1.-The brazen baggage! By God, TIL
bring her to her senses" 1t was the
slave-driver speaking, the man who
governed with a whip.
Don't be a fool. Bishop His lord
ships contempt did more than any ar
gument to calm the colonel. That's
not the way with a girl of Arabella's
spirit. Unless you want to wreck my
| chances for all time, you'll hold your
| tongue, and not interfere at all"
Not interfere? My God, what.
them"
Listen man. She has a constant
mind. I don't think you know
your niece. AS long az Blood lives,
she will wait for him."
Then with Blood dead, perhaps
she will come to her silly senses"
Now you begin to show intelli-
gence." Lord Julian commended him.
That is the first essential step"
And here is our chance to take It,"
Bishop warmed to a sort OF enthusi-
asm. This war with France re-
moves all restrictions in tho matter
OF Tortuga. We are free to invest
it in the service Of the crown. A
victory there and we establish our
selves in the favor Of this new gov
ernment."
"Ah"" said Lord Julian. and he
pulled thoughtfully at his lip.
Il see that you understand
Bishop laughed coarsely. 1.-TWO birds
with one stone. eh? Wen hunt this
rascal in his lair. right under the
beard Of the King of France. and
We'll take him this time. If We re-
duce Tortuga to a heap Of ashes"
On that expedition they sailed two
days later-which would be some
three months after Blood's depar-
ture-taking every ship of the fleet.
and several lesser vessels as aux
iliaries. To Arabella and the world
in general it was given out that they
were going to raid French Hispani-
ola. which was really the only expe-
dition that could have afforded Col
Bishop any sort Of justification for
leaving Jamaica at all at such time.
His sense of duty, indeed, should
have kept him fast in Port Royal;
but his sense of duty was smothered
in hatred-that most fruitless and
corruptive Of all emotions. In the
great cabin Of Vice Admiral Crau-
furd's flagship. the Imperator. the
deputy governor got drunk that
night to celebrate his conviction
that the sands of Capt. Bloods ca
reer were running out.
CHAPTER XIV.
The Service OF King Louis.
Meanwhile, some three months
before Col. Bishop set out to reduce
Tortuga, Capt. Blood. bearing hell
In his soul, had blown into its rock
bound harbor ahead Of the Winter
gales, and two days ahead OF the
frigate. in which Wolverstone had
sailed from Port Royal a day before
him.
In that snug anchorage he found
his feet awaiting him-the four ships
gale off the Lesser Antilles, and some
700 men composing their crews. Be-
cause they had been beginning to
grow anxious on his behalf, they
gave him the greater welcome. Guns
were fired in his honor and the
ships made. themselves gay with
bunting. The town, aroused by all
| this noise in the harbor, emptied
itself upon the jetty, and vast
creeds and nationalities collected
there to be present at the coming
ashore Of the great buccaneer.
Ashore he went, probably for no
| other reason than to obey tho general
expectation. His mood was taciturn;
| his face grim and sneering. Let
Wolverstone arrive, as presently he
| "Outob oNo dlk tulS nero
| would turn to execration.
His captains, Hagthorpe, Christian,
and Yberville, were on the jetty to
receive him, and with them were
some hundreds Of his buccaneers. He
cut short their greetings, and when
| they plagued him with questions of
| where he had tarried, he bade them
await the coming OF Woiverstone.
who would satisfy their curiosity to
| a surfeit. On that he shook them
of, and shouldered his way through
| that heterogeneous throng that was
! composed of bustling traders OF sew
eral nations-English, French. and
Dutch-of planters and of seamen Of
| various degrees, of buccaneers who
were legitimate boucan-hunters from
Hispaniola and buccaneers who were
frankly pirates. of lumbermen and
Indians. of fruit-selling half-castes,
RsgEQ slaYsss some .aQ9l-tsaEshssts