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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1927-2-16, Page 7THE BRUSSELS POST W:el iNESDAY, h"k1L' ;1'AR5 16 10227 By RITSEL SABATINI r � ...Ory e Corea&esilo t,�. Si &EverTold "And who the devil will deny 1'u•?" Levasseur was between amaze- ment and fury. "For one thing, there's your own crew will be none too willl lg. leo" another, thereat Captain 131oud." "I care nothing for Captain Blood." "But it is necessary *that you should. •He has the power, the weight of metal and of men, and, if I know him at all, he'll elnk us be- fore he'll suffer interference with the Dutch. Ile has his own views of privateering, this Captain Blood, as I warned you." Cursing In his soul, and even be- fore the anchor was weighed, the assoeia'ion into which he hard -enter- ed, he was already studying ways of evasion, What Cahusac implied was true: Blooel would never -offer vio- lenee +n he done in his presence to n 1.h,tehmiin. But it might o1' clone In his absence; and, beim" lone, ]decd must perforce condone. it, ping with ease beneath that border., 'ince it would then be to) late to bore her in a sort of triumph, lust - ped across the hotly and cause on, his countenance joyously alight. But mademoiselle was' shrinking now, in horror. Iin a hound her weil•beloverl was beside 'her. Ilut she still shrank even within his embrace, which would not he denied; a look of dread had come to temper Uw nprmal ar- rogance of her almost pert yet- face. "Why, why did you kill him"" He laughed as a hero should; and Unswayed her heroically, with the tolerance of a god for the mortal to whom he condescends: "He stood be- tween us. Let bis death be a sym- bol, a warning, Let all who would stand between us inarlt it an•1 be- ware." It was so splendidly terrifie, the gesture of it was so broad and find and his magnetism so compelling, that she cast her silly tremors and yielded hrself freely, intoyicated, to his fond embrace. Thereafter he swung her to his shoulder, and step - protest, Within lee hour rho Arabella and La Founrc t; ere beating .out to sea together. Without understanding •antic scene but for the watchful Ca- ttle ebang•e rf plan involved, Cap- husac, who quietly tripped him up taro Blood, nevertheless accepted it, and then trussed him like a fowl. Thereafter, what thne the Captain languished in his lady's smile within the cabin, Cahusac was dealing with the spoil: of war. The Dutch crew was ordered into the longboat, and ily cheered by his men, to the deck of his own ship. Her inconsiderate brother might have ruined that rom- and weighed anchor befeee the ap- pointed time upon perceiving his as- sociate to do so. All day the Dutch brig was In sight, though by evening she bad dwindled to the merest ape^_k on the bidden ego to the devil. Foraana`:ely, northern horizon. The Course Ate- as they rumbered fewer than thirty, scribed for Blood and Levaeteur lay the longboat, though perilously over - eastward along the north:tee shores crowded, could yet contn'n. them of Hispaniola. To that course the Next, Cahusac hiving inspected the Arabella continued to hold steadily cargo, put the quartermaster and a throughout the night. When day i•score of men aboard the :tongvrouw, broke again she wasealone. La Fou- and left her to follow La Foudre. care under cover of the darkness had which he now headed south for the struck away to the northeast with Leeward Islands, every rag of canvas on her yard.,. 1 The lactys 'mower was presently Cahusac `bed attempted yet again conducted to the cabin. The Cap - to protest against this. stain rose to receive him, bending his "The devil. take you!" Leva,eseur stalwart height to avoid strikin1 the had answered him, "A shio'e a ship,,' cabin roof with his heart. Mademof- be site Dutch or Spanish; and ships . sane rose, too. are our present need. That will "Why this?" she asked Levasseur, suffice for the men."pointing to her brother's pinioned Dawn found La Foudre close on. wrists. x the Dutchman's heels, not a mile "d deplore it," said he. "1 desire astern, and the sight of her very it to end. Let M. d'Ogeron give me evidently flustered the Jongvrouw• his parole " They sent a warning shot across her i "e give you nothing." bow, The Jongvrouw veered, show- 1 "Henri, this is foolish! You are ori them her rudder, and opined fire not behaving as my brother, You with ,her etern chasers. The small' ': shot went whistling through Ln ( "Little fool, Don't you perceive Foudre's shrouds with some blight your wicked folly in the harm it has damage to her canvas. I brought already? Lives have been Five minutes after that they were 1 lost—men have. died—that this mon- -board and board, the Jongvrou' I star might overtake you. And don't held tight in the clutches of La Fou- you ,yet ©realize where you stand --in ire's grapnels, and the buccaneers the Power of this beast, of this cur pouring noisily into her waist. —1 born in' a kennel and breed inthieving The Dutchman's plaster, purple in and murder?" the face, stood forward to beard the ` He might have said more but that pirate, followed closely ,by an ele-Levasseur struck him across the gant, pule -faced young gel -demo: in 1 mouth, Mademoiselle suppressed a whom Levasseur recognized his . scream, as the youth staggered back brother in-law elect. -, under the blew. "Captain Levasseur, this is an out- rage for which you shall be made to answer. What do you seee aboard my ship?" The simple words, and more then "At first le sought only that which the words, their tone of ineffable belongs to Ale, something of which I disdain aroused the passion that nev- am being robbed. But since you er slumbered deeply in Levasseur. chose war and opened fire on inc with fee opened the door, and thing her some damage to my ship and loss of brother through ia life to five of my. men, war it is, and "Put that rubbish under hatter's your slip a prize of war." i until I call for it again," he roared, From the quarter rail Madcmni- find shut the door. • sell' d'Oregan looked down with ! Composing himself, he turned to glowing eyes in breathless wonder the girl•agein with a deprecatory upon her well -beloved hero, Cloii-' smile. But no smile answered him •ously heroic he seemed ns he stood from her set face, She had seen towering there, ,masterful, nudaci- her beloved hero's nature in cure- ous, beautiful. He saw her, mud with tt glad shout ,sprang towards her. The Dutch master got in hire way i with hands .upheld to arrest his pro- gress. Levasseur did not std{" to ar- gue with hint: he vacs too iinpatient to 'reach hie mistress. He swung the poleaxe • that he carried, and the Dutchman went down in blood with a cloven skull. The eager lover stop - "You seeee he sale simply. `'He strikes a man whose hands are - bound." Letterheads Envelopes Billheads And all kinds of Business Stationery printed at The Poet Publishing I'Tousee Wo will do a job that will do credit to your business. Look over your stock of Of n r. Stntionery and if it nem bete replenishing call ce by telephone 111. be Utast PliPIp111q hose P 14e caught her --seized her in his Tong arms and pulled her to brim, enPie's. Fear g r-ivinr to t/:tpie u cc Ylriiten en her face, .t•1 ,,h' 'tee l tee, leenini, leer :emend matinee tree tr 1c'o 11,• tier bee, NOIT. 1 he :' n hi long Arms and pulled bur to him. "NO, not"-altec,pactteci, • "Yes, yes," he meekest her, hurl his mockery wast the tier t terrible thing of all, He embed her to hnn brutally, deliberately hurtful because she resisted, and kissed her whilst die writhed in his enminraete Someone knocked, 1 ur;l,ig the interruption, Levae-cur etrade olT to open, C'iluisae chief before hhn. 'Inc Breton`; PIC(' '•a: grieve. I -Ie came to report that they had sprung :e leek bet veal: wind aim water, the e eesegnenee of damage snr'tai r eel from one of the Dutchmao'r ehnt:. In alarm Levasseur went off with him, Ahead of them a !ow elm: l showed un the horizon, which Cahu- sac pronounced one of the norther - meet of the Virgin Islands, "We meet run for shei:er there, rod careen her," said Levasseur. "1 do not trust this oppressive heat. A. storm may catch us before we make land," "A storm or something ,'Lc ," said C:ebnear. grimly. "Have you noticed that?" IIe pointed away to star- board. Levasseur looked and caught his breath. Two ships that at the dis- tance seemed of considerable burden week heading towards them some fve miles away. For the remainder of that day Le- vasseur's thoughts were of anything but love. He remained on deck, his eyes now upon the land, now upon those two slowly gaining ships, To, run for the open could avail him' nothing, and in his leaky condition would provide an additional clanger. He must • stand at bay and fight. And then, towards evening, when within three nodes of shore and when he was about to give the order to strip for battle, he almost fainted from relief to hear a voice from the crow's-nest above announce that the larger of the two ships was the Ara- ' hells. Her companion was presum- ably a prize. Levasseur put o'ft' in a noat a..- companied by Cahusac and two offi- cers, and went to visit Captain Blood aboard the Arabella. "Our brief separation has been mighty profitable," was Captain Blood's greeting. . "It's a busy morning we've both had." The tall ship that accompanied the Arabella was a Spanish vessel of twenty-six guns, the Santiago from Puerto Rico, with a hundred and twenty thousand weight of cacao, forty thousand pieces of night, and the value of ten thousand more in jewels? A rich capture, of which two-fifths under the articles went to Levasseur and his crew. Of the money and jewels a division was made on the spot. The cacao it was agreed should be taken to Tortuga to be sold. Then it was the turn of Levasseur end black grew the brow of Captain Blood as the Frenchman's tale was teifoldecl. A' the end he roundly expressed his disaproval. But Levasseur answered hien as he had answered Cahusac, that a ship was at ship, and it was ships they needed against their projected enter- prise. Perhaps because things ]tad gone well with him that day, Blood ended by shrugging the master aside. Thereupon Levasseur proposal that the Arabella end her prize should re- turn to Tortuga there to unload the cacao and enlist the further adven- turers that could now be shipped. Levasseur meanwhile would effect certain repairs, and then proceed south, await his admiral at Saltatn- dos for their enterprise against I11tir- acaybo. To Levasseur's relief, Captain Blood not only agcecd, but pronounc- ed himself ready to set sail et once. No sooner had the Arabella de- parted than Levasseur brought his shins into the lagoon, rind set itis crew to work upon the crectiou of temporary quarters ashore for hfnt- self, this • melt, and his enforced '•nests during the careening and ee- peeing of La Foudre. At sunset that evening the wind firehenedl it grew to u, gale, and "lane that to such at burrirane that T.eveeeten' was thankful to -fled hi•m- r'e1f ashore and his shins in safe alteitcr, CHAPTER XV '11111 RANSOM In the glory of the following horning, spas'iclieg anal ele.'tr after the • corm, th an invigorating, -menu tn'lg iii the ah, from the salt - ponds on he south• of the island,' a carious :seem was played on the beach of the Virgin Marra, at the foot of st ridge of bletuiued dunes, beside the spread of gall from which Levasri'ur hurl improvised a cant. t t thrr;ng,cd n•ton an empty rack sett the ' t:mile fiilhtt for to temisavt im- noti'utt hamlet the husincss of melt into wince!' safe' with ill r -Coverlet, r. 'sort n>••n. elle f(l' ' hist, ;1'rtnwli''1 `tee-i':!f-nakrcd nearoe:, e1nnd i"re ,ren, Neer .,` heed end oat', . t:ftee?•s t, it:inedetnn ':.11•. hie •ti '!1 }!7t!:'tt^fl wenn 11 f ':n'd. t ,•c a :,-rr to t t .:cd ',• ,.,.-U' to 5:1. cl'Opceron. "I trust, monsieur," sail he, with nock suavity, "tinct I have made my- self quite clear. Your ran <om is fixed at twenty thousand plate: of eight, and you elmil have lib -ley nil parole to go to Tort aec to. collort It, Meanwhile, your :deter ,'cn'aine with me us a hostage." • "1 refu.,,•— utterly and absolutely, iio you turd, retard So do year worst, and be daninesl for a filthy pirate," -cried d'Ogerort. "Ilemembea' your sister'; honor is in pawn to ole. Should you forget to return with the dowry, you will not consider it unreason:tile that I forget to miuy her." M, d'Ogeron observed the grey despair that had ahnost stamped the beauty from her face, "No, you dog! A thousand times, not, "I beg that you will iipare your- self and your sister," said the Cap- tain, "by being reasonable. I have been too modest. liut sine: I have said twenty thousand pieces of eight, twenty thousand pieces it s11a11 be." "And for what, if you please, have• you said twenty thouated piec- es of eight " - Startled, Levasseur and hips officers looked up and around. On the ereat of the dunes behind them, in sharp silhouette against the deep cobalt of the sky, they beheld a tall, lean fig- ure, scrupulously dressed in black with silver lace, a crimson ostrich plume curled ayout the broai brim of his bat affording the only touch of color. Under that hat was ,the tawny face of Captain Blood, "Good morning, my Captain," said he, "it was last night's hurri- cane compelled our return.. But who are these," • Levasseur gnawed his lip, and changed color. But he controlled himself to answer civilly: "As you see, two prisoners." "Ah! Washed ashore in last night's gale; eh?" "Not so." Levasseur contained himself with diflcalty befora that irony. "They were ,.in the Dutch brig." "I did not. They are prisoners of my own—a Personal matte.. They are French." "You do not take her while I live," he cried.. "French!" Captain Blood's light eyes stabbed at Levasseur, then at the prisoners. He frowned thought- fully upon Levasseur. "Yesterday you surprised me by snaking war upon the friendly Dutch: But now it seems that not even your own countrymen are safe from you." ".Have I not said this a matter personal to me?" "Ah! And their names?" The prisoner answered for him. ""T, am Henri d'Ogeron, and this is my sister." "D'Ogeron?" Captain Blood star- ed. "Are you related by chance to my good friend, the Governor of Tbrtuga?" "He is my :father." "The saints preserve as now! Are yon quite toad, Levasseur?". Captain Blood sat down on the cask that Levasseur had ,lately oc- cupied, and looked -up blandly. "I may inform you, to save time, tint. 1 heard UR: entlre propos. i that you made to this lady and thlc prn- lemunt and 1'11 also remind you that wee rail under articles that stdtnit no ambiguities. You have need their risnsom at twenty thousand pieces of eight. That sum then belong., to your erews and thine in the propor- tions by the articles established. But what is far more grave is that y o1' have concealed -from me this part of the prizes taken on your last cruise, and for ;such au offense its that the articles provide certain penalties that are something severe in charnc- i redo, hof" laughed 1 i:. escur un- 'lltilsl'nt.ly, Then added:''13' you de: - like my yen:Met we tan dissolve the neer:i'ia tion." "That t ntv _ intenVon, nut. n 1'11 di nh e it when and in the lir r end dint Fill h sr• 80111 es yea aava• setiefied-the t t:ol e!: ten l-•' t lleh we nailed upon this cruise," "What do you mean?" "I'11 accept the situation n., I find it. Yourir'lt' you've- fixed tete ran- som of this couple at twent,f thous- and pieces,. and, as 1 gather, the isrly es to he. your perquisite. But why -ehould elm• be your perrlctdvt 5 10011' thne another's, seeing that aha be- have by the arficle.e to all af` lee e a prize of war? However, I'll not dispute her to you if you are pre- pared to buy her." "Buy her?" "At. the -price, you have tet upon her," "That is the rineom of the •eau. It 1n to le, paid for hint by the Gov- ernor of Tortuga." "No, no, Yc'vr vet their value at twenty thousand pie' es, aril for that sum you may have them, since you desire it; but you'll pay for them the twenty thousand pieces that are ul- timately to come to you as the rim- eom of one and the dowry of the other-; and that tun shall be divided among our ,'I' W ." That Captain B!ood shmcld dare oppose him with but a dozen follow- ers whilst he -had tt hundetal at his beck and call, never, entered the .raffian's mind. But he did not reck- on on the cupidity of his own men. •They saw twenty thousand pieces within their reach. Le` a,,eu' de- manded time until he had captur•'d sufficient booty. But Blood would have none of that. Death lurked al- wa 'e in this deeperate bueiw .s, and he added: "Then let some one buy the pris- oners rixoners who has." "And who do you suppose has it if I have not?" "I have," said Captain Blood. "You have!" Levasseur'.; mouth fell open. "You . , . you want the girl?" Captain Blood drew forth a mall bag, twenty pearls poured into ]tie hand, and Cahu,ac apureisc,d the,sc a: worth the ransom. Levasee:ur :n his anger sprang at Calmeac, and a blow scattered the pearls in the sand. The men dived for • them. Levasseur, his hand on his sword, Ins face a white mask of rage, con- fronted Captain Blood. "You do not take her while l live!" ha crien. "Then I'll take her when you're dead," said Capjtain Blood, and his own blade flashed in the sunlight, It was soon over. When, with both lungs transfixed, he lay prone on the white sand, coughing out his rascally life, Captain Blood looked calmly at Cahusac across the body. "I think that cancels the articles between us," he said. With soulless, cynical eyes Calm - sac and his mates considered the twitching body of their recent lead- er. Captain Blood had brought then to find Levasseur guilty of the one offense they deemed uninnrlanalde, the crime of appropriating to hiineelt something which might be rwest"d ino ;'old an,1 shared anweeet :.hens "all. .etill they heata`arl, Rood added something to qui-ke'r,t heir de- ci; }on. • 'If you will corn' to m"' .,ni•dmu'- 0Me, you will receive at onee your share of the booty of the Santiago, that you may dispose of It as you please." They crowed the inland, cite two prisoners aecompauye:v'_ 1 ,,,1 • anti later that day, the diti;n10 they would have parted -antpany but that Cahusac:, at the leetemea the men who bid eler't-,l hien Levcs- seur's successor, offered C,apta:n Blood anew the services of that French contingent. "If you will sail with me neetee. the Captain answered heti+, you may do ;-o on the condition that Yet, malt;' your peeve with the Dutra, and 1"- sto1e the brig and her targe." The condition was accepted, and Captain Flood went off la find his eemces':n, the children of the Governor of Tortuga. Mademoiselle d'Ogeron and her brother --the latter now relieved of hie honed.;—sat in the great cabin of the Arabella, whither they had been conducted. He doffed hie feather- ed hat, and came forwas'l to the table.. "Mademoiselle," said he in his vile but fluent French, "I beg you to cies- miss your fears. Aboard this ship you shall be treated with all honor, So soon as we are in caaa to put to sea again, we steer a course for Tor- tuga to take you, home to your fath- er. And pray do not consider that I have bought you. Count it, if you please, a friendly loan to be paid en- tirely at your convenience." Mademoiselle .stareel at hips in un- belief. "Oh, You are noble!" Captain Blood sighed. For the whole truth, which he withheld from Mademoiselle d'Ogeron, was that in venturing his life to save her, be had been driven by the thought that the deed must be pleasing in :he eyes of Miss Bishop could she but witness it. That affair of Mademoiselle d'Og- eron bore as its natural fruit an im- provement in the already cordial re- lations between Captain Blood and the Governor of Tortuga. It was not difficult then for Captain. Blood to re- cruit able crews, and he might have increased the number of hi, ships as well, but he decided to beta to the three vessels which were his—•the Arabella, the La Foudre and the Santiago, which he had rechristened the Elizabeth. It was with this fleet he carried opt the enterprise against Maracay- bo, an enterprise in which Peter Illood's daring was only sup i by stupidity which almost turnei the tide against him and dela:etea h101 uteri hie men ever to the Fender mere cies of itis implaeable enemy, Dion Miguel de I. spiiwiu y Valdez, the Admiral of Span. Capt.;t!:1 BLaor] had lanrt,:ri at Marsruyeo and had fmrrel the town empty., Too soon he learned of the -trap. 1'1 pinose had- put into the eari.ow neck of the bay with bid. ,;hips and had bottled the teuccaneer in the bay. A sloop, oap- tu•c.d by Captain Blood, wile loaded with colnhuetl'bles and poor ler and (To Be Oontinue0). BUSINESS DARDS— nrHE industrial Mortgage and 2 Savings Company, of Sarnia Ontario, are prepared to advance money or Mortgage. on gaud lsudr. t'nrtlrt: desiring ,nonev un glen mortgages will ptoa'., apply to Jain. ,W:",, tte,tlorth, <ntt., wire tvill fur 01,11 rate' awl other t artim lnrs. The Industrial Mortgage and Savings 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 rs kziroe . Lre'iT.I(QX`•F'r AGENT FOR fire, Automobile and Wind Ins. .COMPANIES For Brussels and vicinity Phone 64 JAMES M'PADZEAN Agent Newick Mutual fire insurance Campo Also Hartford Windstorm and Tornado insurance Phone 42 Box 1 Tnrnberry Street Brussel ,iNLt. SUTHERLAND & SON LIMITED JNS UICINCE Gelif`&PJB &YTS 1 ei D. M. SCOTT p PRICES MODERATE I'or references consult any person whose sales 1 have officiated at, Phone 2820 T. T. M' RAE M. B.. M. O. P.. @ S. O. M. O. H., Village of Bruesela, Phyelolen, Surgeon, Accoucheur Office at residence, opposite Melville Ohuroh. William Street. E. X. &Aware BARRISTER, SOLICITOR, CONVEYANCER, NOTARY PUBLIC LECKIE BLOCK - BRUSSELS OR, WAROLAW Honor graduate of the Ontario Veterinary College. 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