hundred men were not to be conveyed in the two bottoms they now
commanded. Preliminary cruises must take place, having for one of their
objects the capture of further ships.

Because he disliked the man, Captain Blood would not commit himself at
once. But because he liked the proposal he consented to consider it.
Being afterwards pressed by both Hagthorpe and Wolverstone, who did not
share his own personal dislike of the Frenchman, the end of the matter
was that within a week articles were drawn up between Levasseur
and Blood, and signed by them and--as was usual--by the chosen
representatives of their followers.

These articles contained, inter alia, the common provisions that, should
the two vessels separate, a strict account must afterwards be rendered
of all prizes severally taken, whilst the vessel taking a prize should
retain three fifths of its value, surrendering two fifths to its
associate. These shares were subsequently to be subdivided among the
crew of each vessel, in accordance with the articles already obtaining
between each captain and his own men. For the rest, the articles
contained all the clauses that were usual, among which was the clause
that any man found guilty of abstracting or concealing any part of a
prize, be it of the value of no more than a peso, should be summarily
hanged from the yardarm.

All being now settled they made ready for sea, and on the very eve of
sailing, Levasseur narrowly escaped being shot in a romantic attempt
to scale the wall of the Governor's garden, with the object of taking
passionate leave of the infatuated Mademoiselle d'Ogeron. He desisted
after having been twice fired upon from a fragrant ambush of pimento
trees where the Governor's guards were posted, and he departed vowing to
take different and very definite measures on his return.

That night he slept on board his ship, which with characteristic
flamboyance he had named La Foudre, and there on the following day he
received a visit from Captain Blood, whom he greeted half-mockingly as
his admiral. The Irishman came to settle certain final details of which
all that need concern us is an understanding that, in the event of the
two vessels becoming separated by accident or design, they should rejoin
each other as soon as might be at Tortuga.

Thereafter Levasseur entertained his admiral to dinner, and jointly they
drank success to the expedition, so copiously on the part of Levasseur
that when the time came to