Evening Star Newspaper, December 2, 1924, Page 48

CAPTAIN BLOOD By RAFAEL SABATINI The Greatest Love Story Ever Told (Continued from Yesterday's Star.) *Then you understood amiss, M. le Capitaine. You are here to receive my commands. I have already de- liberated and I have decided. I hope you understand.” “Oh, I understand,” laughed Blood *But, I ask myself, do you?’ And, without giving the baron time to set the angry question that was bub- bling to his lips, he swept on: “You bave ‘deliberated,’ you say, and you “have decided. But unless your de- eision rests upon a wish to destroy my buccaneers, you will alter it when 1 tell you something of which I have knowledge. This city of Cartagena looks very vulnerable on the northern side, all open to the mea 8s it apparently stands. Ask your- melf, M. le Baron, how came the Spaniards who built it where it is to have been at such trouble to fortify it to the South, if from the North it is 50 easily assailable. That gave M. de Rivarol pause. dniards,” Blood pursued ®are not quite the fools you are sup posing them. Let me tell you, me sieurs, that two vears ago 1 made a survey of Cartegena as a prellm- inary to raiding it. I came hither with some friendly trading Indians. myself disguised as an Indlan, and fn that guise I spent a week in the city and studied carefully all its ap- proaches. On the side of the sea where it 1ooks so temptingly open to assault, there is shoal water for over half a mile out—far enough, I assure you. to insure that no ship shall come within bombarding range of it. It i3 not safe to venture nearer land than three-quarters of a mile.” “But our landing will be effected in canoes and piraguas and open boats,” cried an officer impatiently. In’the calmest season of the year the surt will hinder any such opera- tion. And you will also bear in ming that if landing were possible as you are suggesting, that landing could not be covered by the ships’ guns. In fact, it is the landing parties would be in danger from their own artillery.” “If the attack is made by night, a§ T propose, covering will be unneces- sary. You should be ashore in force befora the Spaniards are aware of the intent.” “Yeu are assuming that Cartagena 15 a ety of the blind, that at this very moment they are not conning our sails and asking themselves who we are and what we inten. “But if they feel themselves secure from the North, as you suggest’ cried the baron impatiently, “that very security will lull them. Perha But, then, they are cure. Any attempt to land on this side is doomed to failure at the hands of Nature.” Nevertheless. we make the at- tempt,” said the obstinate barof whose haughtiness would not allow him to vield before his ofticers. “If you still choose to do so after what I have said, you are, of course. the person to deci But I do not lead my men into fruitless danger.” “If I command you the baron was beginning. But Blood un- ceremoniously interrupted him. “M. le Baron, when M. de Cussy engaged us on vour behalf it was as much on account of our knowledge and experience in this class of war- fare as on account of our strength I have placed my own knowledge and cxperience in this particular matter at your disposal. 1 will add that I abandoned my own project of ralding Cartagena, not being in suf- ficient strength at the time to force the entra of the harbor which the only way into the city. The strength which you now command is ample for that purpose.” “But whilst we are doing that the Spaniards will have time o remove great part of the wealth this ecity | holds. "We must taken them by sur- prige.” Capt. Blood shrugged. “If this is a mere pirating raid, that, of course, is a prime consideration. It was with me. But if vou are concerned to| abate the pride of Spain and plant the lilies of France on the forts of | this settlement, the loss of some treasure ‘should not really weigh for much.” se- His gloomy eve dered as it sidered the ntained buccaneer “But if I command you to zo—to make the atte upt?” he asked. “Answer me, monsieu let us know once for all where we stand, and | who commands this expedition.” “Positively, T find you tiresome.” | said Capt. Blood, and he swung to M. | de Cussy, who sat there gnawing his | 1ip, intensely uncomfortable. “I ap I peal to vou, monsieur, to justify n\LI | i M. de Rivarol bit his lip in chagrin. | con- | to the general.” M. de Cus sloomy abstraction. throat. “In_view submitted— started out of his He cleared his He was extremely nervous. of what Capt. Blood has “Oh, to the devil with that!{ snap- ped Rivarol. “It seems that I am fqllowed by poltroons. Look you, M. le Capitaine, since you are afraid to undertake this thing, I will myself undertake it. The weather is calm, and I count upon making good my landing. If I do so, I shall have proved you wrong, and I shal have a word to say to you tomorrow which you may not like. I am being very generous with you, sir.” He waved his hand regally. “You have leave to_gi . It was sheer obgtinacy and empty pride that drove him, and he re- celved the lesson he deserved. The feet stood in during the afternoon to within & mile of the coast, and under cover of darkness 300 men, of whom 200 were negroes—the whote of the negro contingent having-been pressed into the undertaking—were pulled away for the shore in the canoes, piraguas, and ships' boats. Rivarol's pride compelled him, however much he may have disliked the venture, to lead them in person, The first six boats were caught in the surf, and pounded into fragments before their occupants could extri- cate themselves. The thunder of the breakers and the cries of th» ship- wrecked warned those who followed, and thereby saved them from shar- ing the same fate. the baron's urgent orders they pulled away again out of danger, and stood aboul to pick up such furvivors as contrived to battle toward them. Close upon 50 lives were lost in the adventure, together with half-a-dozen boats uouble tra THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON. stored with ammunition and light guns. The baron went back to his flag- ship an infuriated, but by no means a wiser 'man. Wisdom—not even the pungent wisdom experience thrusts upon usr—is not for such as M. de Rivarol. 'His anger embraced all things, but focussed chiefly upon Capt. Biood. In some warped process of reasoning he held the buccaneer chiefly responsible for this misad- venture. He went to bed congidering furiously what he should say to Capt. Blood upon tlfe mOrTow, He was awakened at dawn by the rolling thunder of guns. Emerging upon the poop in nightcap and slip- pers, he beheld a sight that increased his unreasonable and unreasoning fury. The four buccaneer ships un- der canvas were going through ex- traordinary maneuvers half a mile oft the Boca Chica and little more than half a mile away from the remainder of the fleet, and from their flanks flame and smoke were belching each time they swung broadside to the great round fort that guarded that narrow entrance. The fort was re- turning the fire vigorously and vi- clously. But the buccaneers timed their broadsides with extraosdinary Jjudgment to catch the defending ord- nance reloading; then &s they drew the Spaniards’ fire, they swung away again, not only taking care to be ever moving targets, but, further, to present no more than bow or stern to the, fort, their masts in line, when the' heaviest cannodades were to be expected. Gibbering and cursing, M. de Ri- varol stood there and watched this action, so presumptuously unde taken by Blood on his own respon bility. The officers of the Victorieuse crowded rownd him, but it was not until M. de Cussy came to join the group that he opened the sluices of his rage. And M. de Cussy himself invited the deluge that now caught him. He had come up rubbing his hands and taking a proper satisfac- tion in the energy of the men whom he had enlisted. “Aha, M. de Rivarol!” he laughed. 1 locomotives. best T ” Samal.‘xeed Harveyalltheway —on your way—earth’s scenic (-] wonder—Grand Canyon Na- tional Park, without change of R. aea C. Smith, Gen. Agent 601-602 l’hln:: “He understands his business, eh, this Capt. Blood. He'll' plant the lilles of France on that fort before breakfast.” The baren swung upon him snarl- ing. “He ‘understands his busines, oh? His buainess, let me tell you, M. de Cussy, is to obey my orders, ané. 1 have not ordered thi Perla Mordiean! When this is over I'll deal with him for his damned insubordination - “Surely, M. le Baron, he will have Justified it if he succeeds.” “Justified it! Ah, parbleu! Can a soldier ever justify acting without orders?” He raved om furiously, his officers. supporting him out of their detestation of Capt. Blood. Meanwhile the fight went merrily on. The fort was suffering -badly. Yot for all their maneuvering the buccaneers were mot escaping pun- {shment. The starboard gunwale of the Atropos had been hammered into splinters and a shot had caught her astern in the coach. The Eilzabeth ‘was badly battered about the fore. castle, and the Arabella’s maintop had been shot away, whilst toward the end of that engagement Lhe Lachesis came reeling out of the fight with a shattered rudder, steering her- self by sweeps. The absurd baron’s fierce eyes posi- tively gleamed with satisfaction. “I pray Heaven they may sink all his infernal ships" he cried in his frenzy. But Heaven didn’'t hear him. Scarcely had he spoken than there was a terrific explosion, and half the fort went up in fragments. A lucky shot from the buccaneers had found the powder magazine. It may have heen & couple of hours later, when Capt. Blood, as spruce and cool ‘as if he had just come from & levee, stepped upon the quarterd: of the Victorieuse, to confront M. de Rivarol, still in bedgown' and night- AP, “I have to report, M. le Baron, that we are in possession of the fort on Boca Chica. The standard of France is flying from what remalns of its tower,. and. the way Into the outer harbour. Is_open. to your fleet.” M. de Rivirol was compelled. to swallow his-fury, though it choked him. The jubllation among his offi- cers had been such that he could not continue as he had begun. Yet his eyes were malevolent, his face pale with anger. . “You are fortumate, M. Blood; that you suéceeded,” he said. “It would have gone very ill with you had you failed. Another time be o good as to await- my orders, lest you should afterward lack the justification which your good fortune has procured you this morning.” Blood smiled with a flash of white teeth, and bowed. “I shall be glad of your orders now, general, for pursuing our advantage. You realize that speed in striking is the first essential.” Rivitrol was Jeft gaping a moment. Absgrbed in his ridiculous anger, he had considered nothing. -But he made a quick recov “To my cabin, if you please,” he commanded per- emptorily, and was turning to lcads| the way, when Blood arrested him. “With submission, my general, we shall be better here. You behold there the scene of our coming action. It is spread before you like a map.” The Clicquot Kid is a good mixer He waved his hand towards the lagoon, the country flanking it and the considerable city standing. back from the beach. “If it is not a pre- sumption in'me to offer a suggestion . . M He paused. M. de Rivarol looked at him sharply, suspecting irony. . But the swarthy foce was bland, the keen eyes steady. “Let us hear your suggestion,” he consented. (Continued in. Tomorrow’s Star.) COMEDY WRITER DIES. Thomas Gray Long Associated With Film Work. EW YORK, December 2.—Thomas J. Gray, 36, humorist, playwright, song writer and for the last few years associated witli Charlie Chap- 1in, “Buster” Keaton and Harold Lloyd in the production of moving plcture -~ comedies, 'dled Sunday in his home here. He had been 1ll since June. Gray wrote several popular songs and was the author of Ned Way- burn’s “Town Toples Revue.” During the war he served as an entertainer ovel and later wrote the Albert de- Courville revue ‘Joybells,” the first post-war review presented at the London Hippodrome.: On his return he went to Los Angeles, where he Joined the staff of Roscoe Arbuckle as “gag man.” Later he went with “Buster” Keaton with Charlie Chapiin. 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