e and hold him, he called
upon heaven and hell to avert this horror, and lastly, addressed to
Captain Blood an appeal for mercy that was at once fierce and piteous.
Considering him, Captain Blood thought with satisfaction that he
displayed the proper degree of filial piety.

He afterwards confessed that for a moment he was in danger of weakening,
that for a moment his mind rebelled against the pitiless thing it had
planned. But to correct the sentiment he evoked a memory of what these
Spaniards had performed in Bridgetown. Again he saw the white face of
that child Mary Traill as she fled in horror before the jeering ruffian
whom he had slain, and other things even more unspeakable seen on that
dreadful evening rose now before the eyes of his memory to stiffen his
faltering purpose. The Spaniards had shown themselves without mercy
or sentiment or decency of any kind; stuffed with religion, they were
without a spark of that Christianity, the Symbol of which was mounted on
the mainmast of the approaching ship. A moment ago this cruel, vicious
Don Diego had insulted the Almighty by his assumption that He kept a
specially benevolent watch over the destinies of Catholic Spain. Don
Diego should be taught his error.

Recovering the cynicism in which he had approached his task, the
cynicism essential to its proper performance, he commanded Ogle to
kindle a match and remove the leaden apron from the touch-hole of the
gun that bore Don Diego. Then, as the younger Espinosa broke into fresh
intercessions mingled with imprecations, he wheeled upon him sharply.

"Peace!" he snapped. "Peace, and listen! It is no part of my intention
to blow your father to hell as he deserves, or indeed to take his life
at all."

Having surprised the lad into silence by that promise--a promise
surprising enough in all the circumstances--he proceeded to explain his
aims in that faultless and elegant Castilian of which he was fortunately
master--as fortunately for Don Diego as for himself.

"It is your father's treachery that has brought us into this plight and
deliberately into risk of capture and death aboard that ship of Spain.
Just as your father recognized his brother's flagship, so will his
brother have recognized the Cinco Llagas. So far, then, all is well. But
presently the Encarnacion will be sufficiently close to perceive that
here all is not as it should be. Sooner or later, she must guess or
discover what is wrong, and then she will open