in
two hours be at the Creek of Caymans, not far from Devil's Cliff, where
there is a little harbor," said De Chemerant, consulting his notes once
more.

"Yes, sir; this brigantine is called the Chameleon; Blue Beard recently
placed it, very generously, at my service (through the mediation of
Monsieur Morris, her man of business), to give chase to a Spanish
pirate, and there is an old filibuster of a captain called Hurricane,
who commands the vessel----"

"We will speak of this filibuster later, sir, but this pirate----"

"Was sunk in the Riviere des Saints."

"To return to this filibuster, baron; he frequents the house of Blue
Beard?"

"Yes, sir."

"As much so as another bad fellow, a buccaneer by trade?"

"Yes, sir," said the baron in a dry tone, resolved to confine himself to
the secondary role which De Chemerant imposed upon him.

"A Caribbean also is often there?"

"Yes, sir."

"The presence of these men in the island is of how recent date?"

"That I do not know, sir; they were established here at my arrival in
Martinique. They say that the filibuster formerly pursued his calling on
the north of the Antilles and the seas of the south. Like many captains
who have made something by filibustering, he has bought here a little
dwelling at the point of the island, where he lives alone."

"And the buccaneer, baron?"

"This kind of person is here to-day, gone to-morrow, according to
whether the hunt is more or less abundant; sometimes he remains away a
month, and it is the same with the Caribbean."

"This information accords perfectly with that which was given me;
beside, I do not speak of men of this sort other than by hearsay. They
are far too unimportant, and too foreign to the mission which I am in
charge of, to merit their occupying my attention for any length of time.
They are, at most, passive instruments," continued De Chemerant to
himself, "and they are probably very indirectly connected with this
grave matter." Then, after a few minutes' reflection, he said aloud,
"Now, baron, one more question: have not your secret police notified you
that the English have tried to introduce themselves into this island
since the war?"

"Twice, lately, sir, our cruisers have given chase to a suspicious
vessel coming from the Barbadoes seeking to approach from the windward,
the only places where one can land in the island; elsewhere the coast is
too rugged to permit landing."

"Very good," said De Chemerant.