The Argosy, Vol. 75, No. 4 — page 172: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

874 She looked at me in surprise and wonderment and I went on: “JT told the priest last night on board ship thaticome what may I will do what I can to aid you and to insure your safety. I would like you to be able to say, when you have returned home in safety, that all Englishmen whom you have met are not thieves and murderers. Will you trust me?” “T cannot help it,’ she whispered in reply. ‘I cannot help it. I must trust you, sefor. What yould you have me do?” “Go inside the church and get as far from the door as may be, and do not come out if you can help it till you -hear from me. I will do what I can and if there is a chance to save you [ will move heaven and earth to do it.” I opened the door and passed her in, and as it clanged into place behind her Hetherington turned to me with an evil look. “This is the third time, youngster, that you have interrupted me. What do you mean by it?” “That that lady is my prize of war,’ I said hotly, “and that I will permit no interference with my rights by you or any other man, even Cap- tain Morgan himself. [I am a gentle- man adventurer and I claim my right as one of the Brethren of the Coast to take my own prize in my own way—” “ And add it to the common stock,” he said quickly. ‘‘ But you shall pay. Oh, yes, you shall pay to the uttermost farthing, and sooner or later you shall give me satisfaction.” “No time like the present,’ I re- torted, lugging out my sword. “ Stand in guard, sir!” A pistol shot in the plaza interrupted us. ‘Come on,” said Oakes, shortly; “the men are gathering for the collec- tion of the ransoms. ‘The matter is not in your hands now if there is any question of your having actually taken the prize.” The men were gathered in the great open square of the town and in front of the groups were placed the great THE ARGOSY., piles of loot, money, silks, and plate, and behind the stolen wealth of the town were ranged the long lines of the prisoners to whom were now added the unhappy inmates of the church. I sought for Sefora de Montijo, but at. first I could not find her, and for a while I consoled myself with the thought that in the darkness she might have escaped in the crowd. One by one the piles of wealth were apportioned to the ships’ crews, by whom the allotment to each man was to be made, and when the loot had been divided the cry went up from a red- shirted buccaneer : “Now for the prisoners and their ransoms!” And one by one they were brought forward. Standing before the gathered crews, they were told collectively that the ran- som for each man would be a thousand pesos and for each woman, two thou- sand. This was general, but where a man was known to be wealthy or where a particularly beautiful woman was in the case the ransom was raised. Many found the sums after haggling over the payment. Many could not pay and were passed over in slavery to their masters who had captured them, the amount of their ransoms be- ing deducted from the share that their owners were to receive. It was not until nearly all had been disposed of that I saw the girl step forward as her name was read from a slip of paper. Both Hetherington and I also stepped forward, with Oakes close beside me. “T claim this woman,” said Hether- ington sharply. “She is my prize. Taken by me and held aboard my ship.”’ “To be sansomed,” read the man who held the paper, in a singsong voice, “‘at five thousand pesos.’ -“T cannot pay it,’ she said in a tone that would have melted the hearts of any but those men. “In default of payment, she is ad- judged as prize of war to—” He hes- itated. . COPNICLOOOKS (©)