ght
not. And even if he succeeded, the effort would be so costly to him in
men that he might not thereafter find himself in sufficient strength to
maintain his hold of what he had seized.

The end of it all was that he gave a promise at once to make the
necessary preparations, and if Captain Blood and his officers would wait
upon him on board the Victorieuse to-morrow morning, the treasure
should be produced, weighed in their presence, and their fifth share
surrendered there and then into their own keeping.

Among the buccaneers that night there was hilarity over the sudden
abatement of M. de Rivarol's monstrous pride. But when the next dawn
broke over Cartagena, they had the explanation of it. The only ships
to be seen in the harbour were the Arabella and the Elizabeth riding
at anchor, and the Atropos and the Lachesis careened on the beach for
repair of the damage sustained in the bombardment. The French ships were
gone. They had been quietly and secretly warped out of the harbour under
cover of night, and three sails, faint and small, on the horizon to
westward was all that remained to be seen of them. The absconding M. de
Rivarol had gone off with the treasure, taking with him the troops and
mariners he had brought from France. He had left behind him at Cartagena
not only the empty-handed buccaneers, whom he had swindled, but also
M. de Cussy and the volunteers and negroes from Hispaniola, whom he had
swindled no less.

The two parties were fused into one by their common fury, and before the
exhibition of it the inhabitants of that ill-fated town were stricken
with deeper terror than they had yet known since the coming of this
expedition.

Captain Blood alone kept his head, setting a curb upon his deep chagrin.
He had promised himself that before parting from M. de Rivarol he would
present a reckoning for all the petty affronts and insults to which that
unspeakable fellow--now proved a scoundrel--had subjected him.

"We must follow," he declared. "Follow and punish."

At first that was the general cry. Then came the consideration that
only two of the buccaneer ships were seaworthy--and these could
not accommodate the whole force, particularly being at the moment
indifferently victualled for a long voyage. The crews of the Lachesis
and Atropos and with them their captains, Wolverstone and Yberville,
renounced the intention. After all, there would be a deal of treasure
still hidden in Cartagena. They would rema