These articles contained, inter alia, the common provisions
that, should the two vessels separate, a strict account
must afterwards be rendered of all prizes severally
taken, whilst the vessel taking a prize should retain
three fifths of its value, surrendering two fifths
to its associate. These shares were subsequently
to be subdivided among the crew of each vessel, in
accordance with the articles already obtaining between
each captain and his own men. For the rest, the
articles contained all the clauses that were usual,
among which was the clause that any man found guilty
of abstracting or concealing any part of a prize,
be it of the value of no more than a peso, should
be summarily hanged from the yardarm.
All being now settled they made ready for sea, and
on the very eve of sailing, Levasseur narrowly escaped
being shot in a romantic attempt to scale the wall
of the Governor’s garden, with the object of
taking passionate leave of the infatuated Mademoiselle
d’Ogeron. He desisted after having been
twice fired upon from a fragrant ambush of pimento
trees where the Governor’s guards were posted,
and he departed vowing to take different and very definite
measures on his return.
That night he slept on board his ship, which with
characteristic flamboyance he had named La Foudre,
and there on the following day he received a visit
from Captain Blood, whom he greeted half-mockingly
as his admiral. The Irishman came to settle certain
final details of which all that need concern us is
an understanding that, in the event of the two vessels
becoming separated by accident or design, they should
rejoin each other as soon as might be at Tortuga.
Thereafter Levasseur entertained his admiral to dinner,
and jointly they drank success to the expedition,
so copiously on the part of Levasseur that when the
time came to separate he was as nearly drunk as it
seemed possible for him to be and yet retain his understanding.
Finally, towards evening, Captain Blood went over
the side and was rowed back to his great ship with
her red bulwarks and gilded ports, touched into a
lovely thing of flame by the setting sun.
He was a little heavy-hearted. I have said that
he was a judge of men, and his judgment of Levasseur
filled him with misgivings which were growing heavier
in a measure as the hour of departure approached.
He expressed it to Wolverstone, who met him as he
stepped aboard the Arabella:
“You over persuaded me into those articles,
you blackguard; and it’ll surprise me if any
good comes of this association.”
The giant rolled his single bloodthirsty eye, and
sneered, thrusting out his heavy jaw. “We’ll
wring the dog’s neck if there’s any treachery.”
“So we will — if we are there to wring
it by then.” And on that, dismissing the
matter: “We sail in the morning, on the
first of the ebb,” he announced, and went off
to his cabin.
