“My God!” groaned the Deputy-Governor. “Ye... ye never mean that ye’ll carry me to Tortuga!”
Blood laughed outright. “Oh, I’d never serve ye such a bad turn as that. No, no. All I want is that ye ensure my safe departure from Port Royal. And, if ye’re reasonable, I’ll not even trouble you to swim for it this time. Ye’ve given certain orders to your Harbour-Master, and others to the Commandant of your plaguey fort. Ye’ll be so good as to send for them both aboard here, and inform them in my presence that the Arabella is leaving this afternoon on the King’s service and is to pass out unmolested. And so as to make quite sure of their obedience, they shall go a little voyage with us, themselves. Here’s what you require. Now write—unless you prefer the yardarm.”
Colonel Bishop heaved himself up in a pet. “You constrain me with violence...” he was beginning.
Blood smoothly interrupted him.
“Sure, now, I am not constraining you at all. I’m giving you a perfectly free choice between the pen and the rope. It’s a matter for yourself entirely.”
Bishop glared at him; then shrugging heavily, he took up the pen and sat down at the table. In an unsteady hand he wrote that summons to his officers. Blood despatched it ashore; and then bade his unwilling guest to table.
“I trust, Colonel, your appetite is as stout as usual.”
The wretched Bishop took the seat to which he was commanded. As for eating, however, that was not easy to a man in his position; nor did Blood press him. The Captain, himself, fell to with a good appetite. But before he was midway through the meal came Hayton to inform him that Lord Julian Wade had just come aboard, and was asking to see him instantly.
“I was expecting him,” said Blood. “Fetch him in.”
Lord Julian came. He was very stern and dignified. His eyes took in the situation at a glance, as Captain Blood rose to greet him.
“It’s mighty friendly of you to have joined us, my lord.”
“Captain Blood,” said his lordship with asperity, “I find your humour a little forced. I don’t know what may be your intentions; but I wonder do you realize the risks you are running.”
“And I wonder does your lordship realize the risk to yourself in following us aboard as I had counted that you would.”
“What shall that mean, sir?”
Blood signalled to Benjamin, who was standing behind Bishop.
“Set a chair for his lordship. Hayton, send his lordship’s boat ashore. Tell them he’ll not be returning yet awhile.”
“What’s that?” cried his lordship. “Blister me! D’ye mean to detain me? Are ye mad?”
“Better wait, Hayton, in case his lordship should turn violent,” said Blood. “You, Benjamin, you heard the message. Deliver it.”
“Will you tell me what you intend, sir?” demanded his lordship, quivering with anger.
“Just to make myself and my lads here safe from Colonel Bishop’s gallows. I’ve said that I trusted to your gallantry not to leave him in the lurch, but to follow him hither, and there’s a note from his hand gone ashore to summon the Harbour-Master and the Commandant of the fort. Once they are aboard, I shall have all the hostages I need for our safety.”
“You scoundrel!” said his lordship through his teeth.
“Sure, now, that’s entirely a matter of the point of view,” said Blood. “Ordinarily it isn’t the kind of name I could suffer any man to apply to me. Still, considering that ye willingly did me a service once, and that ye’re likely unwillingly to do me another now, I’ll overlook your discourtesy, so I will.”
His lordship laughed. “You fool,” he said. “Do you dream that I came aboard your pirate ship without taking my measures? I informed the Commandant of exactly how you had compelled Colonel Bishop to accompany you. Judge now whether he or the Harbour-Master will obey the summons, or whether you will be allowed to depart as you imagine.”
Blood’s face became grave. “I’m sorry for that,” said he.
I thought you would be, answered his lordship.
“Oh, but not on my own account. It’s the Deputy-Governor there I’m sorry for. D’ye know what Ye’ve done? Sure, now, ye’ve very likely hanged him.”
“My God!” cried Bishop in a sudden increase of panic.
“If they so much as put a shot across my bows, up goes their Deputy-Governor to the yardarm. Your only hope, Colonel, lies in the fact that I shall send them word of that intention. And so that you may mend as far as you can the harm you have done, it’s yourself shall bear them the message, my lord.”
“I’ll see you damned before I do,” fumed his lordship.
“Why, that’s unreasonable and unreasoning. But if ye insist, why, another messenger will do as well, and another hostage aboard—as I had originally intended—will make my hand the stronger.”
Lord Julian stared at him, realizing exactly what he had refused.
“You’ll think better of it now that ye understand?” quoth Blood.
“Aye, in God’s name, go, my lord,” spluttered Bishop, “and make yourself obeyed. This damned pirate has me by the throat.”
His lordship surveyed him with an eye that was not by any means admiring. “Why, if that is your wish...” he began. Then he shrugged, and turned again to Blood.
“I suppose I can trust you that no harm will come to Colonel Bishop if you are allowed to sail?”
“You have my word for it,” said Blood. “And also that I shall put him safely ashore again without delay.”
Lord Julian bowed stiffly to the cowering Deputy-Governor. “You understand, sir, that I do as you desire,” he said coldly.
“Aye, man, aye!” Bishop assented hastily.
“Very well.” Lord Julian bowed again and took his departure. Blood escorted him to the entrance ladder at the foot of which still swung the Arabella’s own cock-boat.
“It’s good-bye, my lord,” said Blood. “And there’s another thing.” He proffered a parchment that he had drawn from his pocket. “It’s the commission. Bishop was right when he said it was a mistake.”
Lord Julian considered him, and considering him his expression softened.
“I am sorry,” he said sincerely.
“In other circumstances...” began Blood. “Oh, but there! Ye’ll understand. The boat’s waiting.”
Yet with his foot on the first rung of the ladder, Lord Julian hesitated.
“I still do not perceive—blister me if I do!—why you should not have found some one else to carry your message to the Commandant, and kept me aboard as an added hostage for his obedience to your wishes.”
Blood’s vivid eyes looked into the other’s that were clear and honest, and he smiled, a little wistfully. A moment he seemed to hesitate. Then he explained himself quite fully.
“Why shouldn’t I tell you? It’s the same reason that’s been urging me to pick a quarrel with you so that I might have the satisfaction of slipping a couple of feet of steel into your vitals. When I accepted your commission, I was moved to think it might redeem me in the eyes of Miss Bishop—for whose sake, as you may have guessed, I took it. But I have discovered that such a thing is beyond accomplishment. I should have known it for a sick man’s dream. I have discovered also that