t evening the wind freshened; it grew to a gale, and from
that to such a hurricane that Levasseur was thankful to find himself
ashore and his ships in safe shelter. He wondered a little how it might
be faring with Captain Blood out there at the mercy of that terrific
storm; but he did not permit concern to trouble him unduly.

CHAPTER XV. THE RANSOM

In the glory of the following morning, sparkling and clear after the
storm, with an invigorating, briny tang in the air from the salt-ponds
on the south of the island, a curious scene was played on the beach of
the Virgen Magra, at the foot of a ridge of bleached dunes, beside the
spread of sail from which Levasseur had improvised a tent.

Enthroned upon an empty cask sat the French filibuster to transact
important business: the business of making himself safe with the
Governor of Tortuga.

A guard of honour of a half-dozen officers hung about him; five of them
were rude boucan-hunters, in stained jerkins and leather breeches; the
sixth was Cahusac. Before him, guarded by two half-naked negroes, stood
young d'Ogeron, in frilled shirt and satin small-clothes and fine shoes
of Cordovan leather. He was stripped of doublet, and his hands were tied
behind him. The young gentleman's comely face was haggard. Near at
hand, and also under guard, but unpinioned, mademoiselle his sister sat
hunched upon a hillock of sand. She was very pale, and it was in vain
that she sought to veil in a mask of arrogance the fears by which she
was assailed.

Levasseur addressed himself to M. d'Ogeron. He spoke at long length. In
the end--

"I trust, monsieur," said he, with mock suavity, "that I have made
myself quite clear. So that there may be no misunderstandings, I will
recapitulate. Your ransom is fixed at twenty thousand pieces of eight,
and you shall have liberty on parole to go to Tortuga to collect it.
In fact, I shall provide the means to convey you thither, and you shall
have a month in which to come and go. Meanwhile, your sister remains
with me as a hostage. Your father should not consider such a sum
excessive as the price of his son's liberty and to provide a dowry for
his daughter. Indeed, if anything, I am too modest, pardi! M. d'Ogeron
is reputed a wealthy man."

M. d'Ogeron the younger raised his head and looked the Captain boldly in
the face.

"I refuse--utterly and absolutely, do you understand? So do your worst,
and be damned for a filthy pirate without decency an