The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-09-13
CHAUTER H-Contfnued

LL A FIGHT would be avertei if Dor
 A Diego de Espinosa were to go aboard his. brothers ship, and by his presence and assurances inform the Admiral that all is well with the Cino Llagas. But Don Diego cannot go in person, because he has 6 slight touch of fever-shall we say? But you, his son, may convey all this and some other matters together with his homage to your uncle. You shall go in boat manned by six of these Span. ish prisoners, and Ia distinguished Spaniard delivered from captivity in Barbados by your recent raid--will ac. company you to keep you in counten. ance. If I return alive, and without accident of any kind to h'1der our free sailing hence, Don Diego shall have his life, as shall every one of you. But if there is the least misadventure, be il from treachery or ill-fortune-I care not which-the battle, as I have had the honor to explain, will be opened on our side by this gun, and your father will be the first victim of the conflict
 Don Esteban gazed wildly a moment upon the shoulders of his father. But his father remained silent. 7 Something like a sob escaped the boy.
 T I accept" he answered at last, and swung to the Spaniards And you-you will accept too,' he insisted passionately.
 CHAPTER 12
 Don Pedro Sangre
 The Cino Llagas and the Encarna. cion, after proper exchange of sig. nals, lay hove to within a quarter of a mile of each other, and across the inter. vening space of gently heaving,. sunlight waters sped a boat from the former manned by six Spanish seamen and bearing in her stern sheets Don Este ben de Espinosa and Captain Peter Blood.
 She also bore two treasure-chests containing fifty thousand pieces of eight. Gold has at all times been con- sidered the best of all testimonies of good faith. Blood carried further a bulky package addressed to a grande of Spain, heavily sealed with the arms of Espinosa--another piece of evidence hastily manufactured in the cabin of the Cinco Llagas. Up the ladder went Don Esteben closely followed by Cap. tain Blood. In the waist stood the Admiral himself to receive them; g handsome, selfrsufficient man; very tall end .stiff,a little older and greyer than Don Diego, whom he closely resembled He was supported by four officers and a friar in the black and white habit of St. Dominic.
 Don Miguel opened his arms to his nephew, whose lingering panic he mis. took for pleasure excitement.
 "But where is my brother? Why has he not come, himself, to greet me?'
 My father is afflicted at denying himself that honor and pleasure. It is little fever, the result of a slight wound taken in the recent raid upon Barbados, which resulted in this gent leman's happy deliverance."
 s'Nay, nephew, nay" Don Miguel protested with ironic repudiatioh. "I can have no knowledge of these things. have the honor to represent upon the seas His Catholic Majesty, who is at peace with the King of England. Al. ready you have told me more than it is good for me to know. But he winked into the twinkling eyes of Cap tain Blood. But since Diego cannot come to me, why, I will go across to him."
 If you please, Don Miguel, but that is the very thing you must not do-the very thing Don Diego does not wish