terms."

Presently the four vessels lay to off the northern coast of La Virgen
Magra, a narrow little island arid and treeless, some twelve miles
by three, uninhabited save by birds and turtles and unproductive of
anything but salt, of which there were considerable ponds to the south.

Levasseur put off in a boat accompanied by Cahusac and two other
officers, and went to visit Captain Blood aboard the Arabella.

"Our brief separation has been mighty profitable," was Captain
Blood's greeting. "It's a busy morning we've both had." He was in high
good-humour as he led the way to the great cabin for a rendering of
accounts.

The tall ship that accompanied the Arabella was a Spanish vessel of
twenty-six guns, the Santiago from Puerto Rico with a hundred and twenty
thousand weight of cacao, forty thousand pieces of eight, and the value
of ten thousand more in jewels. A rich capture of which two fifths under
the articles went to Levasseur and his crew. Of the money and jewels a
division was made on the spot. The cacao it was agreed should be taken
to Tortuga to be sold.

Then it was the turn of Levasseur, and black grew the brow of Captain
Blood as the Frenchman's tale was unfolded. At the end he roundly
expressed his disapproval. The Dutch were a friendly people whom it was
a folly to alienate, particularly for so paltry a matter as these hides
and tobacco, which at most would fetch a bare twenty thousand pieces.

But Levasseur answered him, as he had answered Cahusac, that a ship was
a ship, and it was ships they needed against their projected enterprise.
Perhaps because things had gone well with him that day, Blood ended
by shrugging the matter aside. Thereupon Levasseur proposed that the
Arabella and her prize should return to Tortuga there to unload the
cacao and enlist the further adventurers that could now be shipped.
Levasseur meanwhile would effect certain necessary repairs, and
then proceeding south, await his admiral at Saltatudos, an island
conveniently situated--in the latitude of 11 deg. 11' N.--for their
enterprise against Maracaybo.

To Levasseur's relief, Captain Blood not only agreed, but pronounced
himself ready to set sail at once.

No sooner had the Arabella departed than Levasseur brought his ships
into the lagoon, and set his crew to work upon the erection of temporary
quarters ashore for himself, his men, and his enforced guests during the
careening and repairing of La Foudre.

At sunset tha