«Terms?»
Captain Blood explained himself. His men did not risk their lives for the honour and glory of it, and there were in his following a number who were French, and who therefore lacked all patriotic feeling where a British colony was concerned. They would expect a trifle for the valuable services they were about to render.
«Also, Colonel,» Blood concluded, «there's a point of honour for you. Whilst it may be difficult for you to enter into alliance with us, there's no difficulty about hiring us, and you may pursue us again without scruple once this job is done.»
The Governor looked at him with gloomy eyes. «If I did my duty I would have you in irons and send you home to England
to be hanged.»
Captain Blood was unperturbed. «Your immediate duty is to preserve the colony of which ye're governor. Ye'll perceive its danger. And the danger is so imminent that even moments may count. Ye'ld do well, faith, not to be wasting them.»
The Governor looked at Macartney. Macartney's face was as blank as his mind. Then the lady, who had sat a scared and silent witness, suddenly stood up. Like her husband she was tall and angular, and a tropical climate had prematurely aged her and consumed her beauty. Apparently, thought Blood, it had not consumed her reason.
«James, how can you hesitate? Think of what will happen to the women the women and the children if these Spaniards land. Remember what they did at Bridgetown.»
The Governor stood with his chin upon his breast, frowning gloomily. «Yet I cannot enter into alliance with I cannot make terms with outlaws. My duty here is clear. Quite clear.» There was finality in his tone.
«Fiat officium, ruat coelum,» said the classicalminded Blood. He sighed, and rose. «If that's your last word, I'll be wishing you a very good day. I've no mind to be caught unawares by the Caribbean squadron.»
«You don't leave,» said the Colonel sharply. «There, too, my duty is clear. The guard, Macartney.»
«Och, don't be a fool now, Colonel.» Blood's gesture arrested Macartney.
«I'm not a fool, sir, and I know what becomes me. I must do my duty.»
«And is your duty demanding so scurvy a return for the valuable service I've already rendered you by my warning? Give it thought now, Colonel.»
Again the Colonel's lady acted as Blood's advocate, and acted passionately in her clear apprehension of the only really material issue.
Exasperated, the Colonel flung himself down into his chair again. «But I cannot. I will not make terms with a rebel, an outlaw, a pirate. The dignity of my office I I cannot.»
In his heart Captain Blood cursed the stupidity of governments that sent such men as this to represent them overseas.
«Will the dignity of your office restrain the Spanish Admiral, d'ye suppose?»
«And the women, James!» his lady again reminded him. «Surely, James, in this extreme need a whole squadron coming to attack you his Majesty must approve your enlisting any aid.»
Thus she began and thus continued, and now Macartney was moved to alliance with her against his Excellency's narrow stubbornness, until in the end the CaptainGeneral was brought to sacrifice dignity to expediency. Still reluctant he demanded illhumouredly to know the terms of the buccaneers.
«For myself,» said Blood, «I ask nothing. I will organize your defences for the sake of the blood in my veins. But when the Spaniards have been driven off, I shall require a hundred pieces of eight for each of my men. I have two hundred of them.»
His Excellency was scandalized. «Twenty thousand pieces!» He choked, and so far forgot his dignity as to haggle. But Blood was coldly firm, and in the end the price was agreed.
That afternoon he set to work upon the defences of Saint John's.
Fort Bay is an inlet some two miles in depth and a mile across its widest part. It narrows a little at the mouth, forming a slight bottleneck. In the middle of this neck ran a long, narrow spit of sand, partly uncovered at extreme low water, with a channel on either side. The southern channel was safe only for vessels of shallow draught; in the narrow, northern channel, however, at the entrance to which the Arabella now rode at anchor, there was never less than eight fathoms, at times slightly increased by the small tides of this sea, so that this was the only gateway to the bay. The fort guarded this channel, occupying a shallow eminence on the northern promontory. It was a square, squat, machicolated structure of grey stone, and its armament consisted of a dozen ancient sakers and a halfdozen faucons with an extreme range of two thousand yards, guns these which provoked Captain Blood's contempt. He supplemented them by twelve sakers of more modern fashion, which he brought ashore from the Atrevida.
Twelve more guns he landed from the Spanish ship, including two twelvepounders. These, however, he reserved for another purpose. Fifty yards west of the fort on the extreme edge of the promontory he set about the construction of earthworks, and set about it at a rate which allowed Colonel Courtney some insight into buccaneer methods and the secret of their success.