"Peter Blood!" It was an ejaculation of amazement. Satisfaction followed
swiftly. "Was it you, then...?"

"Myself it was--myself and these, my good friends and yours." Mr. Blood
tossed back the fine lace from his wrist, to wave a hand towards the
file of men standing to attention there.

The Colonel looked more closely. "Gad's my life!" he crowed on a note
of foolish jubilation. "And it was with these fellows that you took
the Spaniard and turned the tables on those dogs! Oddswounds! It was
heroic!"

"Heroic, is it? Bedad, it's epic! Ye begin to perceive the breadth and
depth of my genius."

Colonel Bishop sat himself down on the hatch-coaming, took off his broad
hat, and mopped his brow.

"Y'amaze me!" he gasped. "On my soul, y'amaze me! To have recovered the
treasure and to have seized this fine ship and all she'll hold! It will
be something to set against the other losses we have suffered. As Gad's
my life, you deserve well for this."

"I am entirely of your opinion."

"Damme! You all deserve well, and damme, you shall find me grateful."

"That's as it should be," said Mr. Blood. "The question is how well we
deserve, and how grateful shall we find you?"

Colonel Bishop considered him. There was a shadow of surprise in his
face.

"Why--his excellency shall write home an account of your exploit, and
maybe some portion of your sentences shall be remitted."

"The generosity of King James is well known," sneered Nathaniel
Hagthorpe, who was standing by, and amongst the ranged rebels-convict
some one ventured to laugh.

Colonel Bishop started up. He was pervaded by the first pang of
uneasiness. It occurred to him that all here might not be as friendly as
appeared.

"And there's another matter," Mr. Blood resumed. "There's a matter of
a flogging that's due to me. Ye're a man of your word in such matters,
Colonel--if not perhaps in others--and ye said, I think, that ye'd not
leave a square inch of skin on my back."

The planter waved the matter aside. Almost it seemed to offend him.

"Tush! Tush! After this splendid deed of yours, do you suppose I can be
thinking of such things?"

"I'm glad ye feel like that about it. But I'm thinking it's mighty lucky
for me the Spaniards didn't come to-day instead of yesterday, or it's
in the same plight as Jeremy Pitt I'd be this minute. And in that case
where was the genius that would have turned the tables on these rascally
Spaniards?"

"Why speak of it now?"