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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1927-2-9, Page 7i 13:1 tN OD By 'RAFAEL sABArnsti e efealestigve Sox rEver 1d "Will I say a prayer for your dirty soul now, whilst I am in this position?" Captain Blood was fur- iously mocking him. "Who, will pray for your soul, I wonder, when that galleon comes 'to lie board and -board with yon" Do you know what ship it le? It is the Encarnacion, they flagship of Den Mighel the Lspinosa, the Lorl Ad- miral of Castile, and Don Miguel is my brother. It is a very :fortunate encounter. The Almighty, you see, watches over the destinies of Cath- olic Spain," There was no trace of humor o:•. urbanity now in Captain Blood, His light eyes blazed: his face was set. He rose, relinquishing the Span- iard to his men. ('Make hint foot," he bade them. (`Truss him, wl•i-I and heel, but don't hurt him—not so much as a hair of his precious head." Captain Blood regarded hint stead• ily out of a face which, if impas- sive, had paled under its deep tan. .About the prisoner, clamant, infur- iated, ferocious, the rebel -convicts surged; almost literally "athct'st dot his blood." - "Wait," Captain Blood imperious- lycommanded and turnip on his g heel, he went aside to the ra 1. As he stood there deep in thought, he was joined by Hagthorpe, Wolves - stone, and Ogle the gunner. In silence they stared- with him across tlhc waiter at that other ship. "In less than half -an -hour," said Blood presently, "we 0111111 have her athwart our hawse, sweeping our decks with her guns." "We can fight," said the one -eyed giant, with ea oath. "Eight!" sneered Blood. "Under• manned as we are, mustering a bare twenty men, in (shat case aro we to fight? No, there would be only one way. To persuade her that all is well aboard, so that she may leave us to continue on our c:oarse." - Ogle, with a bent for sarcasm, in- terposc(1 a suggestion bitterly. "We might send Don Diego de Es- pinosa in a boat manned by his Spaniards to assure his brother, the Admiral, that we are all loyal sub- jects of his Catholic Majesty." "Bedad! ye've said it. '.He. doesn't fear death, this damned pirate; but his son may take a different view. Filial piety's mighty strop..• in Spain." He swung on his heel ab- ruptly, and strode back to the Knot of sten about his prisoner. "Here!" he shouted to them. "Bring him be- low," In the ward -room the three stern chasers were in position, loaded, their muzzles thrusting' through the open ports, precisely as the Spanish gunners had left them. "Here, Ogle, is work for you," said Blood, • and as the burly • gun- ner carte thrusting forward through the throng of gaping men, Blood pointed to the middle- chaser: "IIaave that guts hauled back," he ordered. When this was done, Blood beck- oned those who held Don Diego, "Lash hien across. the mouth of it," he bade them, and whilst, as- e silted by another two, they made haste to obey, hie turned to the oth- ers. And you, Dyke, go up and bid them set the flag of Spain aloft." Don Diego, with his body stretch- ed in an arc across the cannon's- mouth, annon';mouths, legs and arms lashed to the carriage on either side of. it, eye- balls rolling in his head, glared man- iacally at Captain Blood. A niers may not fear to retie, and yet be rip - paled by ,the' form in which death comes to him. Captain Blood. vouchsafed him a malignant smile, before lit turned to meet the fifteen manacle,' Span- ish prisoners, From - amongst theist a comely, olive -skinned stripling, distinguished in bearing and apparel from his conipations, starts for- ward with an anguished cry of Letterheads Envelopes Billheads And all kinds of Business Stationery punted at The Post Publishing House. We will do a job that will do credit to your business,. Look over your stock of Office Stationery and.if it -requires replenishingcall us by telephone 81. Thi Post roblish100 House "Father!" Writhing its the anis that ntnde haste to seize and' hold loin, he call-: ed up heaven and lull to ever; this horror, and lastly, addressed to Cap- tain 131ooc1 an appeal for mercy that was att. once fierce and piteous, Recovering the -cynicism in which he hal approached his task, the cyn- icism essential to its prefer prefer. mance, Blood commanded Ogle to kindle at match and remove the lead- en apron from the toioobole of the gut that bore Don Diego. Then, as the younger Espinosa broke into in- tercessions mingled with impreca- tions, he wheeled upon him sharply. "Peace!" he snapped. "It is your father's treachery that has brought us into this plight and deliberately into risk of capture and death gboard that ship of Spain. Just as your father recognized his brother':: flagship, so will his brother have re- pognifed the Cinco Magas. So far, then, all is well. But presently the Encarnacion will be sufficiently close to perceive that here al is not as it should be. Sooner or later, she must guess or discover what is wrong, and then she will open fire or lay us board and board, Under - Up the ladder went Don Esteban, closely followed by Captain Blood -stand this clearly: to the first shot from the Encarnacion this gun will fire the answer. I make myself clear, I hope?" "Bat, name of God, how should it be clear," young Espinosa cried. "Can you avert the fight, If yen know a way, and if I, or these, can -help you to it, in Heaven's name let me hear it." "A fight would bo averted if. Don Diego de Espinosa were to go aboard his brother's ship, and be his pres- ence and assurances inform the Ad- 9ni1•a] tat all is well with the Cisco Llagas. But Don Diego Cannot go in person, because he has a slight touch of fever—shall we say? 13tt you, his son, may convey all this and. some other matters togethr with his homage to your uncle. Yon shall go in a boat manned by sik of these Spanish prisoners, and I—a distin- uished Spaniarcl delivered from cap- tivity in Barbados by your recent raid—will -accompany you to keep, you in countenance. If I return alive, and without accident of anv kind to hinder our free sailing hence, Don Diego, shall have his life, as shall everyone of you. But if there is the least ntisadventnre, be it from treachery or ill -for :tate—I care not which—rho battle its 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 mom- ent upon the• shoulders of his father. But his father remained silent. Something like a sob escaped the boy. "I . . . I swept," he answered at lost, and swung to the Spaniards.' "And you—you will accept too," he insisted passionately. CHAPTER XII. DON PEDRO SANGRP The Cinco Llagas and the En- carnacion, after a proper %xchani t of signals, lay hove to within a quar- ter of a mile of each other, and across the intervening specie of gen- tly heaving sunlit waters, sped a boat from the former, manned by .sit Spanish seamen and bearing . in her stern sheets Doh Esteban de Bs- pinosat and Captnin Peter Blood. She also bote two treasure -cheats containing' 'fifty thousand pieces o' eight. Gold has at all time., beer'• considered the -best of testimonies of g'oodl faith. Blood carried .further a bulky package addressed to a granrlcl Of Spain, heavily seabed with the arms of bstiinosa—nnothea tikes, of isle pi:>oners. Considering that Cur- 1 Evidence hastily manufacture 1 in 1..11term now lay beyond their reach. it • *"111111 of the Claoo Lieges. lip the haul hecto d`e!d ell that, eroing east of ' ladder went Don Esteban eln:ysiv' fol- i Ilispauoln, end then sailing alone, its• owed by Captain ; Blood. Tn the "ol'flu`rn t•"-,: tli, y ,slloul;i make for waist stood the Admiral himself to i Tortu„a, fled haven of ;,ho Imam - revolve them, a handsome ,,elf••sufll- ceps. It was now 0 question Whether THE BRUSSELS POST tient man, very tall and stiff, a 110,1• they should convey the. Spaniards. iiilther with tiv'n, or turn three elf tie a boat to make the bestof tLelr way to the coast of Hs pinch, ' hi;•h was but ten miles off, Thi, course, urged by Blood was determined. older and greyer than lion 1)le, , whom he closely resembled. He was supported by four alters :md :t frier in the black an swhite habit of St, itom�nic. Don Miguel opened his ..int., to his nephew, whose lingering ptotic he mistook for pleasurable exc l:en-1 nt, "But where is my brother? • Why has he not'come, himself, to greet 111re?" "My father is afflicted at denying himself that honor and pleasure. It is a little fever, the result of a slight wound taken In the recent raid upon larbados,whicdt resulted in this g` n- ileman's happy deliverance." "Nay, nephew, nay" Don Miguel protested with ironic repudiation. "I can have no knowledge of these things. I have the honor to repre- sent upon the seas His Catholic Maj- esty, who is at peace with the King of England. Already you have told me more than it is good for me to know." But hco winked into the trivittkling eyes of Captain Blood. "But since Diego cannot come to me, why I will go across to hint:" ',If you please, Don -Miguel, but that is the very thing you must not do -;-the very thing Don Diego does not wish you to do. For the truth, is that his wounds are not so grave as to have prevented his coming. It was his consideration of himself and the false position in which you would be placed if you had direct word from him of what had happened.. ," you a moment. "What . y n hear from us is nd more than a nlero rumor. Your excellency under- stands." His excellency frowned ,thought- fully. "I understand . . in part,” said he. Captain Blood had a moment's un- easiness. "A'nd we have in the boat below two chests containing fifty thousand pieces of eight, which we are to de- liver to your excellency." "Not another word in the name of Heaven!" cried the Admiral in alarm. "My brother wishes me to assume charge of this money, to car- ry it to Spain for him? Well, that it a family matter between my bro- ther and myself." Be broke off. "Hum! A glass of Malaga in my cabin, if you please," he invited thein, "whilst the chests are being hauled aboard." And whilst sailors carried on board tile two chests, the Admiral and Captain Blood exchanged toasts that dammed eternally the besotted James who occupied the throne of England. At the end Don Esteban timidly urged: "My father is in haste to reagh San Domi)igo. He desired me to stay no longer than necessary to em- brace you. If you will give us leave, sir uncle." "In the circumstances "sir uncle" did not insist. As they stepped into the waist of the Cinco Lieges, Hagthorpe atdyanc- ed to receive them. Blood observed the set, almost scared expression on his face. "Don Diego . ." he was beginning and then stopped, and looked cur- iously at Blood. Noting the pause and the look, Esteban bounded forward, his fate livid. "Have you 'broken faith, you curs? 1-Ias lie cone to harm?" he cried -- end the six Spaniards heein l him grew clamorous with furious quos- ti onngp. "We clo not break faith," said Hagthorpe firmly, so firmly that he quieted then.-" "And its this case there was not the need. Dot Ding- died in his bonds before ever you reached the Encarnacion." Peter Blood said nothing. "Died?" screamed Esteban, "You killed him, you mean. Of what did he die " • Hagthorpe looked at the boy. "If I am a judge," he said, "Don Diego died of fear." Don Esteban struck Hagthorpe acrossi the face at that, ant Hag- thorpo would have strode ham, but that Blood got between, whilst his followers teizetd the 'lad. "He died before I left the Cinco Magas," saicl Blood. "IIe, was hang- ing. dead in his bonds when I spoke to, hint befo'e Leaving."' "If I had known that," the lad said at last in a thick voice, "you would he hanging from the yard -arra of the Encarnacion at this moment. But you'll 'hang there yet." Captain Blood shrugged and three ed on itis ]reel. But 11e diel not on that account disregard the words, nor did Ilagthorpe, as they showed fat e eotncil hold that night in the cabin.' 'leltis council nut to ic"c•'rmine what' should be clone with the Spun- CI-IAPTER XIII. TORTUG A At daybreak Don Esteban and bit followers were put off in a boat. Two days later, the eine() I.laha (;ailed into the roc,'k-bound bay of Coyena, which nature seemed to have deigned for the stronghold of -those who had appropriated it. It was Blood's original intention to make his way to France or Hol- land, But in the long' weeks of waiting at Tortuga for a ship to con- vey him to one or the other of 'hese countries, his resources dwindled, and finally vanished. Alio there was a good deal to oppress i0etTO Blood. There was the thought of Arabella Bishop. He was madden+ 1 by the tormenting lure of the urtttainable. He desired Arabella, • yet lcnew •her beyond his reach irrevocably and for all tint+. He was, when all is said, an escaped slave, an outlaw its his own land and a homeless outcast in any other. There remained the sea, which• is free to all, and particularly alluring to those who feel themselves at war with humanity. And tempta- tions proceeded not only from the ad- venturous buccaneering acqu_tintan- tances in the taverns of that evil ha- ven of Tortuga, but even from M. d'Ogeron, the goyernor of the island w110 levied -as his harbor clues a per- centage of one-tenth of all spoils brought into the bay, and who profit- ed further by commissions upon mon- ey which he was desired to convert into bills of'exchange upon France Moreot tr, to a roan, those who had escaped with Peter Blood from the Barbados plantations, and who, consequently, like lnehself, knew not whither to turn, were all • resolved upon joining the great Brotherhood of the Coast, as 'those rovers called themselves. And they united theirs to the other voices that were per- suading Blood, demanding that he should continue now in the leadership which he had enjoyed since they had left Barbados, and swearing to fol- low him loyally whithersoeves he shnad lead them. I1' he resisted so )tent, it (sits the thntght of Arabella B, hca tint re- strained him. And so, although he might entertain no delusive hope of ever winning her for his own, of ev- er seeing her again, yet the memory of 11r was to abide in his soul as a bitter-sweet, purifying influence. The resolve being taken he went actively to work. Ogeron, most ae- comodating of governors, advanced, hint money for the proper equipment of his ship, the Cinco Lieges svhich he renamed the Arabella. To the score of followers he already pos- sessed he added three -score more, picking his men with caution and dis- crimination (and he was an excep- "My name is Levasseur." tional judge of men) front amongst the adventurers of Tortuga. With them all he entered into the articles usual among the Brethren of the Coast, under which each man was to be paid by a share in the prizes cap- tured. Towards the end of December, when the hurricane 50at8011 had blown itself out, Ile put to sea in his well - found, well -manned ship, and before he returned in the following May from a prottaeted and adventurous cruise the, :fame of Captain Peter Blood had run like ripples befog, tiles breeze across the face of th Carib - ban Sea. One day as /in sat with 1-i.agthorpe and Wolvorstone over a pipe and a bottle of rum in the stifling reek of to and .tale tobacco of a waterside tavern, ]te was accosted by a .plc ncdld (ruttish in to gold -laced coat ref stark Mut satin with a crimson .,arid, a _foot wide about the waist, "(Test sous cp1'att :(motto L;+, Sang?" the fellow hailed itim. "MY name," he said is Peter Blood. The Spaniards know me by Don Pedro Sangre, and a irrenehnlan may c•a11 me Le Sant if lee pleases." "(food! "My !lade.," he: infortited then throe then, two of wenn were e v-tnr. hie' askance, "it is I a;t: eir. You may have heard of m .. - They had, indeed, Ile "unimatnd• d a privateer of twenty gene that had dropped anchor its the bay ;t wrote a:;o, manned by a crew main(; 0001- pos.•d o1 Friends bone:.. -hunters from Northern Haspatimla, to a who had good causes to hate the Spanish with an intensity oxceedin,• that of the English.. Levasseur had brought them back to Tettgua from an indif- ferently successful cruise. A roar• ing, quarrelsome, hard -drinking, hard -gaming scoundrel, Isis repute. tion as a buccaneer stood 'sigh among the .wild Brethren of the Coast. It was current gossip that even Mademoiselle d'Ogeron, th , goyer- nor's daughter, had been aught in the snare of his wild attractiveness and that Levasseur had gone the length of audacity of a,t M.' her hand in marriage of her fa hor. M. d'Ogeron had shown hint the door. This was the man who now thrust himself upon Captain Blood with a proposal of association, ol1°ering Prim not- only his sword, but his ship and the men who sailed in her. Because he disliked the man, Cap- tain Blood would not tannish himself at once. But, because he liked the proposal he consented to consider it. Being afterwards pressed by both Ilagthorpe and Walverstone, who did not share his own personal dislike of the Frenchman, the end of the mat- ter was that within a week articles were drawn up between Levasseur and Blood, and signed by then(, and, as was usual, by the chose 1 repre- sentatives of their followers. These articles contained- the common pro- visions that, should the two vessels separate, a strict account must aft •t' - wards be rendered of all prizes sev- erally taken, whilst a vessel taking a prize should retain three-fifths of its value, surrendering two-fifths to its associate. That night Levasseur slept on board his ship, which, with charac- teristic flamboyance, he has named La Foudre, and there on the follow- ing day he received a visit from Captain Blood, whom he had greeted half mockingly as his Admiral. Le- vasseur entertained his •ndneral to dinner, and jointly they drank suc-' .cess to the expedition, so copiously on the part of Levasseur that when the time carne to separate be was as nearly drunk as it seemed possible for him to be and yet retain his un- dderstanding. Captain Blood was a little heavy hearted. I have said that he was a judge of .ten, and his 9 judgment of Levasseur tilled him with misgivings, which were growing heavier, In a ]Measure, 'n tin, hour of departure approached. CHAPTER XIV. LI VASSEltR'S HEROICS It would be somewhere about ten +'(•leek on thea fulluwing 'naming, a full hour before the time stppointed for sailing, where( a canoe hrotoidat up alongside La Feudist and holf-cat..to luditln stepperd out of her Led (vent up the ladder. He was the bearer of a folded scrap of paper foe Cap- tain Levasseur. 1! contents may be roughly translated thus: "My well -beloved: I amt in the hutch brig Jongvrouw, which is about to sail. Resolved to o enarate us forever, my cruel father .s send- ing me to Europe in my brother's charge. I implore you, come to my rescue. Deliver me, my well -beloved hero! Your desolated Mad •ton, who loves you." t. „: The well -beloved hero was moved to the soul of him by that passion- ate appeal. His scowling glance swept the bay for the Dutch brig, which he knew had been due to sail for Amersterdam with a - cargo of hides and tobacco. He roared out the question in his mind. In answer the half-caste pointer -out beyond the frothing surf that f1 The Arabella and La Foudre out to sea. marked the position of the reef con- Wb1DNT:SDAY, PETI, it, 1027. There was a restraining hand upon his shoulder, ani the vroad face of his lieutenant (ahusat, a burly, cal- lous Breton scoundrel, ass etolidly confronting hits. - "A Diesel brig!" said he. "Impossible! ,'1 should never be allowed." (To Be Continued). It wass,stated recently tint the peanut is the basis of 19; n•ednetse-- ink, soup, fuel, shampoo, .fain, va- nish, dyes, etc. We. prefer ours salt- ed. BUSINESS CARPS *yeHE industrial Mortgage and 8 Savings Company, of Sarnia Ontario, Are prepared to advance, money er Mortgagee an good land.. Yardie, ,i,,earit,g money on farm mortgage" will t t'''' ,.only to ,lames oawan, Seaforth, tat., Rho will fur Melt rattle and other particular.. The Ind untried MorttOs,00 tend cavings Company • C. C. RAMAGE, D.D.S., L.D.S. BRUSSELS, ONT. Graduate Royal College of Dental Surgeons and Honor Graduate Uni- versity of Toronto. Dentistry in all its branches. Office Over Standard Bank, Phone 200 AGENT FOR tire, Automobile and Wind Ins, IOOMPANIES For Brussels and vieinity Phone 647 JAMES M'FADZEARI Agent Howick Mntual fire Insurance Company Also Hartford Windstorm and Tornado Insurance Phone 43 Box 1 Turuberry Street. Bruaasl fl O. SUTHERLAND it SON INSL7J IIMITEDN/ yr D. M. SCOTT kd'W dp aSda averzeavos PRICES MODERATE For references oonentt any person whose sales I have officiated at. Phone 2829 T. T. M' RAE M. S.. M. O. P.. elf) S. O. M. O. H., Village of Brussels, stituting one of the strongnuld's mainPhystatan, surgeon, Acoanolieur Offioeatreaidenae opposite Mely ills Chnrah, defenses. Away beyond it, a mile or William street, so distant, a sail was standing out to sea. "There she go," he said. The Frenchman gazed and stared. The half-caste shrank terrified before his fury. "Then up anchor, and let us after the Dutchman," he cried. "Steady Captain. What's that?" W.. X. St'lvflI;d8fit BARRISTER. SOLICITOR. CONVEYANCER, NOTARY PUBLIC LECKIE BLOCK - BRUSSELS OR. WAROLAW Honor graduate o1 the Ontario Veterinary College. Day and night calls. Office opposite Flour M111, Ethel._ orth Selling is Worth Telling Advertise what you are doing. Advertise what you expect to do. Advertise your old goods and move them, Advertise your newlgoods and sell them before they get old. Advertise to hold old' trade. Advertise to get new trade, Advertise when business is goods to:make it better, Advertise when business is poor to keep it from g,etting worse. Advertising is not a "cure-all," Advertising is a prevelttative. Advertising dols not push, it pulls. Advertising to pay Must be consistent and persistent, -