"But Senor, it is a voyage of a thousand miles. The men would grumble at so great a delay in disposing of the loot we have taken with this ship, and having a fling with the money it fetches."
"That cannot be helped," Roger declared firmly. For over forty-eight hours circumstances had rendered him utterly helpless, but now that he was once more in a position to negotiate he was back on ground that gave such opponents no chance against him. Bloggs and Lucette joined their protests to Pedro's, but Roger produced arguments the logic of which there was no contesting.
First he put it to them that should they conduct their operations in the northern Caribbean they would sooner or later run into the Vicomte, which would at best mean a bloody battle to no profit and at worst the exacting of a terrible vengeance by their old master. Then, more telling still, he pointed out that his writing on a plain sheet of paper would be next to worthless. For the pardons and commission to be any real protection they must be properly drawn up with seals attached, and that could only be done after he had actually assumed his governorship of Martinique.
At that Bloggs and Pedro gave way, but Lucette called them a pair of numbskulls, and vowed that Roger was trying to lead them into a trap. It was certain, she said, that there would be one or more British warships lying in the harbour at Fort Royal; so what was to prevent him on their arriving there from having the Circe boarded and all of them hung.
Roger countered her accusation that he meant to go back on his word by a proposal which would put it out of his power to do so; namely, that instead of entering a port they should anchor in some secluded bay and that as a first move he alone should be put ashore. The womenfolk would remain on board as hostages until he had made his way to the capital and returned with the documents which were to be the price of their freedom.
To this Lucette could raise no objection; so he quickly passed to another matter, and asked: "Now, what of our clothes and personal possessions? I take it you consider those as part of your loot?"
"Certainly," Lucette replied promptly. "You will be allowed to take only the things you stand up in, and we shall assure ourselves that you have no articles of value concealed about you."
He smiled. "I thought as much. But tell me now, how do you propose to fight this ship as a privateer while she is armed with only a bow gun and a stern chaser?"
In the hurried conspiracy which had led to the take-over this point had not occurred to any of them. Now in some consternation they discussed the matter, and the only suggestion forthcoming was that to start with they must confine their operations to attacking ships with their own weight of metal until they could gradually accumulate cannon from such prizes.
Roger's smile broadened to a grin as he said: "I think I can do better for you than that. In the ports of Martinique there must be a number of spare cannon taken from captured ships that are no longer seaworthy. If I can provide you with two broadsides of eight guns will you agree to give up to us all our personal property?"
Lucette met the offer with a sullen frown. She protested that securing an adequate armament was the men's business, and she did not see why she should pay for it by surrendering the fine clothes of the captives and her share of their jewels. But Pedro and Bloggs overruled her; and, as a concession to lessen her hostility to the deal, Georgina diplomatically suggested that Amanda, Clarissa and herself should each make her a present of a good gown apiece, together with some silks and laces.
That being settled it was further agreed that the captives should again be allowed the liberty of the ship, so that they could take the an* on deck, and that a better service of meals should be organized at which they would feed with their captors.
By the time Lucette, Bloggs and Pedro left them Roger was again played out. He was also somewhat worried about one aspect of the deal he had made. Had the Circe's legitimate captain applied to him for a privateer's commission it would have been within his rights as a Governor to grant him one—but Pedro was not the Circe's legitimate captain. What would the Circe's owners have to say when they learned of this unorthodox transaction. Of course it could be argued that they had already lost their ship by piracy, and normally they would be able to claim the amount for which she was insured. But should the underwriters maintain that the ship had been recaptured by Roger's coming to an arrangement with her repentant mutineers, they might refuse to pay; then quite possibly the owners would bring an action against him for the value of the vessel and its cargo.
It was a most unpleasant possibility, and one which in the long run might cost him the whole of his small fortune. But being philosophical by nature he realized that he had been envisaging a far more terrible outcome to the voyage only a few hours back, and decided that it would be quite time enough to face this new anxiety when they arrived in Martinique. Meanwhile he had every reason to be overwhelmingly thankful that Bloggs's scruples had led to a new situation, and pleased with himself for the way in which he had handled it.
While Amanda attended to his head, she praised him for his cleverness in inveigling their captors into carrying them to their original destination, and they all agreed that he had performed the next thing to a miracle in securing for them their personal belongings. That night, for the first time since the Circe's capture, they felt a reasonable degree of safety, so decided to sleep in separate cabins. Their relief at the turn events had taken was so profound that all four women wept a little before going to sleep, and mingled their tears with thanksgiving to their Maker for His merciful preservation of them.
In the morning they once more took care with their toilets, and when they had gathered in the big cabin their faces showed fewer signs of strain. Breakfast was the usual casual spread by the hunchback and the first foods that came handy, and Lucette reminded Roger that he had suggested improving their cuisine. After a moment's thought he looked across at Georgina and said:
"That is simply arranged. Madame la Comtesse shall cook for us.'*
"I?" exclaimed Georgina, aghast
He nodded. "You have ever shown great interest in cooking, and are a very good cook yourself. The rest of us will help you with the meaner tasks, but I place the sceptre of the galley in your most capable hands."
They had known each other for so long, and so intimately, that they were at times able to read one another's thoughts; and now his unspoken intention flashed upon her. He knew that she was grieving desperately for Charles and had decided that to give her a task requiring considerable thought would be the best possible thing for her.
An investigation into Monsieur Pirouet's remaining stores occupied them for most of the forenoon, then they went up on to the poop. At a glance they saw that the state of the ship had seriously deteriorated since the ending of Captain Cummins's regime. Instead of the white decks being spotless they were now littered with every kind of filth; and, apart from the man at the wheel and one look-out, the crew were idling the day away, either dozing or playing games of chance in the shade of the awnings. However, the squalor of the once tidy ship was a matter of little moment compared to the fact that the coast of Santo Domingo lay on her starboard side; for, although she was tacking against the wind and making slow progress, every mile now carried her farther from the dreaded Vicomte de Senlac.
After a very welcome three-hour spell in the fresh air, they went below to prepare dinner, and under Georgina's directions the first really appetizing meal they had seen for four days was cooked. Jake had been appointed second mate so that Bloggs could enjoy the hot food with the others. He sat down to table with them almost apologetically, and ate his food in embarrassed silence. Pedro, as usual, wolfed his, and, disdaining the glass that had been set for him, took swigs of wine from the bottle. But Lucette did real justice to each dish and was loud in her praises of Georgina's efforts.