“I’ll be after telling you. Rivarol
is a fool to take this chance, considering what he’s
got aboard. He carried in his hold the treasure
plundered from Cartagena, amounting to forty million
livres.” They jumped at the mention of
that colossal sum. “He has gone into Port
Royal with it. Whether he defeats me or not,
he doesn’t come out of Port Royal with it again,
and sooner or later that treasure shall find its way
into King William’s coffers, after, say, one
fifth share shall have been paid to my buccaneers.
Is that agreed, Lord Willoughby?”
His lordship stood up, and shaking back the cloud
of lace from his wrist, held out a delicate white
hand.
“Captain Blood, I discover greatness in you,”
said he.
“Sure it’s your lordship has the fine
sight to perceive it,” laughed the Captain.
“Yes, yes! Bud how vill you do id?”
growled van der Kuylen.
“Come on deck, and it’s a demonstration
I’ll be giving you before the day’s much
older.”
THE LAST FIGHT OF THE ARABELLA
“VHY do you vait, my friend?” growled
van der Kuylen.
“Aye — in God’s name!” snapped
Willoughby.
It was the afternoon of that same day, and the two
buccaneer ships rocked gently with idly flapping sails
under the lee of the long spit of land forming the
great natural harbour of Port Royal, and less than
a mile from the straits leading into it, which the
fort commanded. It was two hours and more since
they had brought up thereabouts, having crept thither
unobserved by the city and by M. de Rivarol’s
ships, and all the time the air had been aquiver with
the roar of guns from sea and land, announcing that
battle was joined between the French and the defenders
of Port Royal. That long, inactive waiting was
straining the nerves of both Lord Willoughby and van
der Kuylen.
“You said you vould show us zome vine dings.
Vhere are dese vine dings?”
Blood faced them, smiling confidently. He was
arrayed for battle, in back-and-breast of black steel.
“I’ll not be trying your patience much
longer. Indeed, I notice already a slackening
in the fire. But it’s this way, now:
there’s nothing at all to be gained by precipitancy,
and a deal to be gained by delaying, as I shall show
you, I hope.”
Lord Willoughby eyed him suspiciously. “Ye
think that in the meantime Bishop may come back or
Admiral van der Kuylen’s fleet appear?”
“Sure, now, I’m thinking nothing of the
kind. What I’m thinking is that in this
engagement with the fort M. de Rivarol, who’s
a lubberly fellow, as I’ve reason to know, will
be taking some damage that may make the odds a trifle
more even. Sure, it’ll be time enough
to go forward when the fort has shot its bolt.”
“Aye, aye!” The sharp approval came like
a cough from the little Governor-General. “I
perceive your object, and I believe ye’re entirely
right. Ye have the qualities of a great commander,
Captain Blood. I beg your pardon for having
misunderstood you.”
