The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-10-06
CHAPTER XXV-Continued

CHATTER AAV-COntlnueu
 Within an hour, the water casks at least replenished and slowed aboard, the Arabella and the Elizabeth put to sea upon that angry chase.
 "What now, Peter?" cried the young Jeremy Pitt. "Lord, man what is there here to fret you? Surely 'tisn't the thought of Rivarol!"
 "No," said Blood thickly. And for once he was communicative. It may well be that he must vent the thing that oppressed him or be driven mad by it. And Pitt, after all, was his friend and loved him, and, so, proper man for confidences. But if she knew If she knew Oh God! had thought to have done with piracy; thought to have done with it for ever. Yet here have l been committed by this scoundrel to the worst piracy that ever l was guilty of. Think of Cartagena Think of the hell those devils will be making of it now! And I must have that on my soul v
 Setting a course for HispaniOla, since they judged that thither must Rivarol go to refit before attempting to cross to France, the Arabella and the Eliza beth ploughed briskly northward with a moderately favourable wind for two days and nights without ever catching glimpse of their quarry. The third dawn brought with it haze which cir cumscribed their range of vision to something between two and three miles, and deepened their growing vexation and their apprehension that NJ. de Rivarol might escape them altogether. They had Jamaica on their lar board beam some thirty miles to west ward, and, indeed, away to the north west, faintly visible as bank of clouds, appeared the great ridge of the Blue Mountains whose peaks were thrust into the clear upper air above the low-lying haze. The wind was westerly, and it bore to their ears a booming sound which in less experienced ears might have passed for the breaking of surf l upon lee shore.
 "Guns !" said Pitt, who stood with Blood upon the quarter-deck. Blood l hooded, listening.
 "Ten miles away, perhaps fifteen somewhere off Port Royal, l should judge," Pitt added. Then he looked at his captain. Does it concern us?" he asked.
 Guns off Port Royal that should argue Colonel Bishop at work. think it may corcern us. Anyway, we'll stand in to investigate"
 Close-hanled they tackled aweather, guided by the sound of combat, for an hour, perhaps. Then, as, telescope to his eye, Blood raked the haze, the guns abruptly ceased. They held to their course, nevertheless, with all hands 'a deck, eagerly, anxiously scanning the sea ahead. And presently an object loomed into view, which soon defined itself for a great ship on fire. As the Arabella with the Elizabeth following closely raced nearer on their north westerly tack, the outlines of the blazing vessel grew clearer.
 An English shipn' he cried.
 He scanned the seas for the conqueror in the battle of which this grim evi- dence was added to that of the counds they had heard, and then at last, as they drew closer to the doomed vessel, they made out the shadowy outlines of three tall ships, some three or four miles away, standing in toward Port Royal. Pitt, who, through the telescope was examin- ing the receding squadron, observed things apparent only to the eye of the trained mariner, and made the incred. ible announcement that the largest of these three vessels was Rivarol's Vic torieuse. They took in sail and hove to as they came up with the drifting boats, laden to capacity with survivors