eleventh hour to
wreak vengeance upon the Spaniards, and to preserve for the island the
extortionate ransom of a hundred thousand pieces of eight, remained yet
to be probed. That the Cinco Llagas was now in friendly hands could no
longer be doubted after the proofs it had given. But who, the people
of Bridgetown asked one another, were the men in possession of her, and
whence had they come? The only possible assumption ran the truth very
closely. A resolute party of islanders must have got aboard during
the night, and seized the ship. It remained to ascertain the precise
identity of these mysterious saviours, and do them fitting honour.

Upon this errand--Governor Steed's condition not permitting him to go
in person--went Colonel Bishop as the Governor's deputy, attended by two
officers.

As he stepped from the ladder into the vessel's waist, the Colonel
beheld there, beside the main hatch, the four treasure-chests, the
contents of one of which had been contributed almost entirely by
himself. It was a gladsome spectacle, and his eyes sparkled in beholding
it.

Ranged on either side, athwart the deck, stood a score of men in two
well-ordered files, with breasts and backs of steel, polished Spanish
morions on their heads, overshadowing their faces, and muskets ordered
at their sides.

Colonel Bishop could not be expected to recognize at a glance in these
upright, furbished, soldierly figures the ragged, unkempt scarecrows
that but yesterday had been toiling in his plantations. Still less could
he be expected to recognize at once the courtly gentleman who advanced
to greet him--a lean, graceful gentleman, dressed in the Spanish
fashion, all in black with silver lace, a gold-hilted sword dangling
beside him from a gold embroidered baldrick, a broad castor with a
sweeping plume set above carefully curled ringlets of deepest black.

"Be welcome aboard the Cinco Llagas, Colonel, darling," a voice vaguely
familiar addressed the planter. "We've made the best of the Spaniards'
wardrobe in honour of this visit, though it was scarcely yourself we had
dared hope to expect. You find yourself among friends--old friends of
yours, all." The Colonel stared in stupefaction. Mr. Blood tricked out
in all this splendour--indulging therein his natural taste--his face
carefully shaven, his hair as carefully dressed, seemed transformed into
a younger man. The fact is he looked no more than the thirty-three years
he counted to his age.