The CaptainGeneral came in followed by Macartney. His face looked longer and narrower than ever.
Captain Blood, telescope under his arm and plumed hat in his hand, bowed low.
«I come to take my leave, your Excellency.»
«I was about to send for you.» The Colonel's pale eyes sought to meet the Captain's steady gaze, but failed. «I hear of considerable treasure taken from the Spanish wreck. I am told you men have carried this aboard your ship. You are aware, sir or are you not? that these spoils are the property of the King.»
«I am not aware of it,» said Captain Blood.
«You are not? Then I inform you of it now.»
Captain Blood shook his head, smiling tolerantly. «It is a prize of war.»
«Exactly. And the war was being waged on behalf of his Majesty and in defence of this his Majesty's colony.»
«Save that I did not hold the King's commission.»
«Tacitly, and temporarily, I granted it you when I consented to enlist you and your men in the defence of the island.»
Blood stared at him in amused astonishment. «What were you, sir, before they made you CaptainGeneral of the Leeward Islands? A lawyer?»
«Captain Blood, I think you mean to be insolent.»
«You may be sure I do, and more. You consented to enlist me, did you? Here's condescension! Where should you be now if I hadn't brought you the assistance you consented to receive?»
«We will take one thing at a time, if you please.» The Colonel was coldly prim. «When you entered the service of King James, you became subject to the laws that govern his forces. Your appropriation of treasure from the Spanish flagship is an act of brigandage contrary to all those laws and severely punishable under them.»
Captain Blood found the situation increasingly humorous. He laughed.
«My clear duty,» added Colonel Courtney, «is to place you under arrest.»
«But I hope you're not thinking of performing it?»
«Not if you choose to take advantage of my leniency, and depart at once.»
«I'll depart as soon as I receive the twenty thousand pieces of eight for which I hired you my services.»
«You have chosen, sir, to take payment in another fashion. You have committed a breach of the law. I have nothing more to say to you, Captain Blood.»
Blood considered him with narrowing eyes. Was the man so utterly a fool, or was he merely dishonest?
«Oh, sharper than the serpent's tooth!» he laughed. «Sure now I must spend the remainder of my days in succouring British colonies in distress. Meanwhile, here I am and here I stay until I have my twenty thousand pieces.» He flung his hat on the table, drew up a chair, sat down, and crossed his legs. «It's a warm day, Colonel, so it is.»
The Colonel's eyes flashed. «Captain Macartney, the guard is waiting in the gallery. Be good enough to call it.»
«Will ye be intending to arrest me?»
The Colonel's eyes gloomed at him. «Naturally, sir. It is my clear duty. It has been my duty from the moment that you landed here. You show me that I should have considered nothing else whatever my own needs.» He waved a hand to the soldier who had paused by the door. «If you please, Captain Macartney.»
«Oh, a moment yet, Captain Macartney. A moment yet, Colonel.» Blood raised his hand. «This amounts to a declaration of war.»
The Colonel shrugged contemptuously. «You may so regard it if you choose. It is not material.»
Captain Blood's doubts about the man's honesty were completely dissipated. He was just a fool with a mental vision that could perceive one object only at a time.
«Indeed, and it's most material. Since you declare war on me, war you shall
have; and I warn you that you'll find me as ruthless an opponent as the Spaniards found me yesterday when I was your ally.»
«By God!» swore Macartney. «Here's fine talk from a man whose person we hold!»
«Others have held me before, Captain Macartney. Don't be attaching too much importance to that.» He paused to smile, and then resumed. «It's fortunate now for Antigua that the war you have declared on me may be fought without bloodshed. Indeed, you may perceive at a glance that it has been fought already, that the strategic advantages lie with me, and, therefore, that nothing remains for you but capitulation.»
«I perceive nothing of the kind, sir.»
«That is because you are slow to perceive the obvious. I am coming to think that at home they regard this as a necessary qualification in a Colonial Governor. A moment's patience, Colonel, while I point out to you that my ship is off the harbour. She carries two hundred of the toughest fightingmen, who would devour your spineless militia at a gulp. She carries forty guns, the half of which could be landed on the bluff within an hour, and within another hour Saint John's would be a dustheap. If you think they would hesitate because this colony is English, I'll remind you that a third of my following is French and the other two thirds are outlaws like myself. They would sack this town with pleasure, firstly because it is held in the name of King James, a name detestable to all of them, and secondly because the gold you have been finding in Antigua should make it well worth the sacking.»