Black as thunder grew the brow of Levasseur.

“However,” added Captain Blood, “I’ll not dispute her to you if you are prepared to buy her.”

“Buy her?”

“At the price you have set upon her.”

Levasseur contained his rage, that he might reason with the Irishman.  “That is the ransom of the man.  It is to be paid for him by the Governor of Tortuga.”

“No, no.  Ye’ve parcelled the twain together — very oddly, I confess.  Ye’ve set their value at twenty thousand pieces, and for that sum you may have them, since you desire it; but you’ll pay for them the twenty thousand pieces that are ultimately to come to you as the ransom of one and the dowry of the other; and that sum shall be divided among our crews.  So that you do that, it is conceivable that our followers may take a lenient view of your breach of the articles we jointly signed.”

Levasseur laughed savagely.  “Ah ca!  Credieu!  The good jest!”

“I quite agree with you,” said Captain Blood.

To Levasseur the jest lay in that Captain Blood, with no more than a dozen followers, should come there attempting to hector him who had a hundred men within easy call.  But it seemed that he had left out of his reckoning something which his opponent had counted in.  For as, laughing still, Levasseur swung to his officers, he saw that which choked the laughter in his throat.  Captain Blood had shrewdly played upon the cupidity that was the paramount inspiration of those adventurers.  And Levasseur now read clearly on their faces how completely they adopted Captain Blood’s suggestion that all must participate in the ransom which their leader had thought to appropriate to himself.

It gave the gaudy ruffian pause, and whilst in his heart he cursed those followers of his, who could be faithful only to their greed, he perceived — and only just in time — that he had best tread warily.

“You misunderstand,” he said, swallowing his rage.  “The ransom is for division, when it comes.  The girl, meanwhile, is mine on that understanding.”

“Good!” grunted Cahusac.  “On that understanding all arranges itself.”

“You think so?” said Captain Blood.  “But if M. d’Ogeron should refuse to pay the ransom?  What then?” He laughed, and got lazily to his feet.  “No, no.  If Captain Levasseur is meanwhile to keep the girl, as he proposes, then let him pay this ransom, and be his the risk if it should afterwards not be forthcoming.”

“That’s it!” cried one of Levasseur’s officers.  And Cahusac added:  “It’s reasonable, that!  Captain Blood is right.  It is in the articles.”

“What is in the articles, you fools?” Levasseur was in danger of losing his head.  “Sacre Dieu!  Where do you suppose that I have twenty thousand pieces?  My whole share of the prizes of this cruise does not come to half that sum.  I’ll be your debtor until I’ve earned it.  Will that content you?”