Evening star., 1924-11-07
CAPTAIN BLOOD
By RAFAEL SABATINI
The Greatest Love Story Ever Told

ed her, and she sank down again,
| moaning.
| Il beg that you will spare yourself
| and your sister" said the captain, ''by
| being reasonable. What. after all,
| is the sum l have named? To your
wealthy father a bagatelle. l repeat,
l have been too modest. But since
have said 10000 pieces of eight, 90
| 600 pieces it shall be-"
| And for what. if you please. have
you said 10000 pieces of eight?''
In execrable French. but in voice
that was crisp and pleasant, seemed
to echo some of the mockery that had
| invested Levasseur's, that question
| hoated over their heads.
| Startled. Levasseur and his officers
| looked up and round
On the crest of the dunes behind
! them, in sharp silhouette against the
deep cobalt of the sky, they beheld d
| tall. lean figure scrupulously dressed
| in black with silver lace, a crimson
ostrich plume curled about the broad
| brim of his hat affording the only
touch of color. Under that hat was
the tawny face of Captain Blood
| Levasseur gathered himself up with
an oath of amazement. He had con-
ceived Captain Blood by now well be-
| low the horizon, on his way to Tor
| tuga assuming him to have been so
| fortunate as to have weathered last
nights storm.
| Launching himself upon the WELD
ing sand, into which he sank to the
level Of the calves of his fine boots of
| Spanish leather, Captain Blood came
sliding erect to the beach. He was
| followed by Wolverstone, and a dozen
others. As he came to a standstill
| he doffed his hat. with a flourish to
| the lady. Then he turned to Levas-
| Seur.
| Good morning, my Captain" said
| he. adm proceeded to explain his pres
ence. 1T was last nights hurricane
| compelled our return. We had no
choice but to ride before it. with
striped poles. and it drove US back
| the way We had gone. Moreover-as
the devil would have it.-the San
tiago sprang her mainmast; and so
l was glad to put into a cove on
! the West of the island a couple of
miles away. and we've walked across
to stretch our legs, and to give you
| Sood-day. But who are these And
| he designated the man and the wom-
an.
| Cahusac shrugged his shoulders
and tossed his long arms to heaven.
VOLTA" said he, pregnantly, to the
| armament.
|
changed color. But he controlled
I himself to answer civilly:
| "As you see, two prisoners"
! "Ah. Washed ashore in last night S
gale, Ell"
| Not So" Levasseur contained
himself with difficulty before that
irony. "They were in the Dutch
brig"
| II don't remember that you men
|
| Il did not. They are prisoners of
my own-a personal matter. They
are French"
'French." Capt. Blood's light eyes
stabbed at Levasseur. then at the
| prisoners.
M. d'Ogeron stood tense and braced
as before, but the grey horror had
| left his face. Hope had leapt within
him at this interruption, obviously as
| little expected by his tormentor as by
himself His sister, moved by SIM
| liar intuition, was leaning forward
| with parted lips and gaping eyes.
| Capt. Blood fingered his lip, and
| frowned thoughtfully upon LevaSseur.
| Yesterday you surprised me by
making war upon the friendly Dutch.
But now 1T seems that not even your
own countrymen are safe from you"
| Have l not said that these :.
| that this is a. matter personal to me -
| "Ah! And their names?"
| Capt Blood's crisp. authoritative,
| family disdainful manner stirred
Levasseur's quick anger. The blood
| crept slowly back into his bleached
face, and his glance grew in in
science, almost in menace. Mean
| while the prisoner answered for him.
| Il am Henri d'Ogeron, and this is
my sister,
! "D'Ogeron?" Capt. Blood stared.
Are you related by chance to my
good friend the Governor of Tortu-
ga?'
He is my father"
Levasseus swung aside with an i'm
precation. In Capt. Blood, amaze
| ment for the moment quenched every
| other emotion.
The saints preserve US now! Are
you quite mad, Levasseur? First you
modest the Dutch, who are our
! friends. next Jon take prisoners two