Evening Star Newspaper, October 23, 1924, Page 40

CAPTAIN BLOOD By RAFAEL SABATINI The Greatest Love Story Ever Told (Continued from Yesterday's Star.) It was two days later when the ladfes of Bridgetown, the wives and daughters of her planters and mer- chants, paid their first visit of charity to the wharf, bringing thelr gifts to the wounded seamen. Again Peter Blood was there, min- istering to the sufferers in his care, moving among those unfortunate Spaniards whom no one heeded. All the charity, all the gifts were for the members of the crew of the Pride of Devon. And this Peter ‘Blood accounted natural enough. But, rising suddenly from the re- dressing of a wound, a task in which he had been absorbed for some moments, he saw to his surprise that one lady, detached from the gene throng, was placing some plantains and a bundle of succulent sugar cane oun the cloak that served one of his vatients for a coverlet. She was ele- gantly dressed in lavender silk and was followed by a half-naked negro carrying a basket. Peter Blood, stripped of his coat, the sleeves of his coarse shirt rolled to the elbow and holding a bloody rag In his hand, stood at gaze a moment. The turning now to confront him, he: ps parting in a smile of recognition, was Arabella Bishop. The ‘e « Spantard” suld he in the tone of one who corrects a misapprehension and also tinged never so faintly by something of the derlsion that was in his soul The smile with which she had been greeting him withered on her lips She frowned and stared at him moment, with increasing haughtines: “So 1 perceive. But he's a human being none the less,” said she. ‘The answer, and its implied rebuke, ~took him by surprise. “Your uncle, the colonel, is of a different opinfon,” said he. when he had recovered. “He regards them as vermin to bo left to languish and dle of their festering wounds.” She caught the irony now more plainly in his voice. She continued to stare at him. “Why do vou tell me this>” “To warn you that you may be in- curring the colonel's dispieasure. 1f he had had his way, I should never have been allowed to dress thelr wounds.” “And you thougit, of course, that I must be of my uncle’s mind?" There was a crispness about her voice, an ominous challenging sparkle in her hazel eves. “I'd not willingly be rude to a lady even In my thoughts,” ald he. “But that you should bestow gifts on them, consfdering that If your uncle came to hear of it . He paused, leaving the sentence unfinished. “Ah, well—there it is!" hie concluded But the lady was not satisfled at “First you impute to me inhuman- 1ty and then cowardice. Faith! For a man who would not willingly be rude to a lady, even in his thoughts, it's none so bad.” Her boyish laugh trilled out, but the note of it jarred 1t seemed to him, for the first time and saw how he had misjudged her. ‘Sure, now, how was I to guess that & Col. Bishop could h n angel for his nlece? sald he reck- lessly, for he was reckiess as men often are in sudden penitence. “Fou wouldn't, of course. I should- m't think you often guess aright.” Having withered him with that and her glance, she turned to her mnegro and the batket that he carried. ¥From this she lifted now the fruits and delfcaciep with which it was laden and piled them. igusuch heaps upon the beds of the. six Spanfards that by the time she had s served the lart of them her basket was empty and there was nothing left for her ewn fellow-cduntrymen. These, in- deed, stood in no need of her bounty —as she no doubt observed—since they were belng plentifully supplied by _others. Having thus emptied her basket, she called her negro and, without an- other word or so much as another glance at Peter Blood, swept out of the place with her head high and chin thrust forward. Peter watched her departure. Then he fetched a sigh. It startled him to discover that the thought that he had incurred her anger gave him concern. It could not have been so yesterday. It became =0 only since he had been vouchsafed this revelation of her true nature. “Bad cess to It now, it serves me right. It seems I know unothing at all of human naturs. But how the devil was I to guess that a famlly that can breed a devil like Col. Bishop should also breed a saint like this?" CHAPTER VI Plans of Eseape. > After that Arabella Bishop, went dally to the shed on the wharf with glfts of frult, and later of money and of wearing appare] for the Spanish prisoners. But she contrived so to time her visits that Peter Blood {never again met her Also his own visits were growir health under his e | one-third of the wour |ot Whacker and EBror o | other surgeons—dled of their wounds, served to increase the reputation in which this rebel-convict stood in Bridgetown. It may have been no {more than the f ne of war. But {the townfolk did not choose ®o to regard it. It led to a further dwin- dling of the practices of his free col- leagues and a further increase of his own labors and his owner's profit. ‘Whacker and Bronson laid their heads together to devise & scheme by which | this intolerable state of things should be brought to an end. But that is to anticipate. One day, whether by accident or design, Peter Blood came striding down the wharf a full half-hour earlier than usual, and so met Miss Bishop just isulng from the shed. He doffed his hat and stood aside to give passage. She took it. chin in the air, and eyes which disdained to look anywhere where the sight of him was possible. “Miss Arabella,” said he, on a coax- ing pleading note. She grew conscious of his presence, and looked him over with an air that was faintly, mockingly searching. “La!” said she. “It's the delicate minded gentleman Peter groaned. Am I 8o hopelessl beyond forgiveness? I ask it very humbl. “What condescension!” “It is cruel to mock me,” said he, and adopted mock-humility. “After all, T am but a slave. And you might be 11l one of these days.” “What, then?" “It would be humiliating to send for me if you treat me like an enemy.” “You are mnot the only doctor in Bridgetown.” “But T am the least dangerou: She grew suddenly susplclous of him, aware that he was permitting himself to rally her, and In & measure she had already vielded to it. She stiffened, and looked him over again. “You make too free, I think,” she rebuked him. “A doctor’s privilege. “I am not your patlent. Pleass to remember it fn future.” And on that, tionably angry, she departed. Now s she a vixen or am 1 a fool, or {s It both?” he asked the blue vault of heaven, and then went into the shed. It as to be a morning of excitements. As he was leaving an hour or so later Whacker, the younger of the other two physiclans jolned him—an unprecedented con- Qescension this, for hitherto neither of them had addressed him beyond an occasional and surly “good-da: “If you are for Col. Bishop's. Ill walk with you a Zlittle way, Doctor Blood,” sald he. He was & short, broad m of ive-and-forty with pendulous cheeks and hard blue eyes. Peter Blood was startled. But he dissembled “I am for he. Ah! To be sure! The Governor's lady.” And he laughed; or perhaps he sneered. Peter Blood was not quite certain. “She encroaches a deal upon your time, I hear. Youth and good looks, Doctor Blood! Youth and good looks! They are inestimable adv tages In our profession othi particularly where the ladies are con- cerned.” Peter stared at him. “If you mean what you seem to mean, you had better say it to G-vernor Steed. It may amuse him.® “You surely misapprehend me.” “I hepe so.” “You're s0 very hot, now!" The doctor linkad his arm through Peter's. “l protest I desire to be your friend —to serve you. Now, listen.” Instinc. tively his voice grew lower. “Thie slavery in which you find yourself must be singularly irksome to & man i of parts such as yourself.” | “What intuitions!” cried sardonic But the doctor took him verrment House,” said Mr. Blood. literally. “I am no fool, my dear doctor. I know a man when I see one, and [often I can tell his thoughts.” | “If vou can tell me mine, you'll | persuada me of it said Mr. Blood. | " Dr. Whacker drew still closer to «<tepped along the whart. | lowered hls voice to a still more nfidential tone. His hard blue eyes | 4 up into the swart, c s companion. who W ler than himsel. i often have I not seen vou| staring out over the sea, your soul in your e Don’t I know what you are thinking? If you could escape | from this hell of slavery you could exercire the profession of which you are an ornament as a free man With pleasure and profit to yourselt. The world is large. There &re many na- tions besides England where a man of your parts would be warmly wel- comed. There are many colonies be- sldes these English ones” Lower still came the volce until it was no more than -a whisper. Yet there was no ona within earshot. “It is mone so far now to the Dutch settlement of Curacao. At this time of the year the voyage may safely be undertaken in a light craft. 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