mask two vivid eyes looked out preternaturally
bright, and from those eyes two tears had ploughed each a furrow through
the filth of his cheeks.

CHAPTER XXXI. HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR

When the cost of that victory came to be counted, it was found that of
three hundred and twenty buccaneers who had left Cartagena with Captain
Blood, a bare hundred remained sound and whole. The Elizabeth had
suffered so seriously that it was doubtful if she could ever again be
rendered seaworthy, and Hagthorpe, who had so gallantly commanded her
in that last action, was dead. Against this, on the other side of the
account, stood the facts that, with a far inferior force and by sheer
skill and desperate valour, Blood's buccaneers had saved Jamaica from
bombardment and pillage, and they had captured the fleet of M. de
Rivarol, and seized for the benefit of King William the splendid
treasure which she carried.

It was not until the evening of the following day that van der Kuylen's
truant fleet of nine ships came to anchor in the harbour of Port Royal,
and its officers, Dutch and English, were made acquainted with their
Admiral's true opinion of their worth.

Six ships of that fleet were instantly refitted for sea. There were
other West Indian settlements demanding the visit of inspection of the
new Governor-General, and Lord Willoughby was in haste to sail for the
Antilles.

"And meanwhile," he complained to his Admiral, "I am detained here by
the absence of this fool of a Deputy-Governor."

"So?" said van der Kuylen. "But vhy should dad dedam you?"

"That I may break the dog as he deserves, and appoint his successor
in some man gifted with a sense of where his duty lies, and with the
ability to perform it."

"Aha! But id is not necessary you remain for dat. And he vill require no
insdrucshons, dis one. He vill know how to make Port Royal safe, bedder
nor you or me."

"You mean Blood?"

"Of gourse. Could any man be bedder? You haf seen vhad he can do."

"You think so, too, eh? Egad! I had thought of it; and, rip me, why not?
He's a better man than Morgan, and Morgan was made Governor."

Blood was sent for. He came, spruce and debonair once more, having
exploited the resources of Port Royal so to render himself. He was a
trifle dazzled by the honour proposed to him, when Lord Willoughby made
it known. It was so far beyond anything that he had dreamed, and he was
assailed by doubts of his capacity to undertake so on