The Buccaneer Chief: A Romance of the Spanish MainAimard, Gustave
General
The Buccaneer Chief: A Romance of the Spanish Main
Aimard, Gustave
Buccaneers -- Fiction
"You shall have them tomorrow, my lord," and after bowing very low the
governor walked backwards out of the room.
"Come," the Count muttered gaily, when the heavy door had closed on
the Major; "I was not deceived, I judged that man correctly, and his
is really perfect, but his most thoroughly developed vice is decidedly
avarice; I can make something of it, I fancy, when I like, but I must
not go ahead too fast, but act with the greatest prudence."
Certain of not being disturbed, at least for some hours, the Count
opened the trunk brought in by the two soldiers, in order to convince
himself whether the governor had told him the truth, and the contents
were really intact.
The trunk had not been examined.
In the foresight of a probable arrest, the Count when he started in
pursuit of the Duc de Peñaflor, had purchased several objects which he
found again with the most lively satisfaction.
In addition to a certain quantity of clothes and linen, the trunk
contained a very fine and strong silk cord, nearly one hundred fathoms
in length, two pairs of pistols, a dagger, a sword, powder and bullets,
objects which the governor would have confiscated without any scruple,
had he seen them, and which the Count had laid in at all risks,
trusting to chance.
There were also several iron and steel tools, and concealed in a double
bottom, a very heavy purse containing the sum of 25,000 livres in
gold, in addition to another almost equally large amount in Spanish
quadruples sewn into a wide leathern belt.
So soon as the Count was certain that the Major had told him the truth,
he carefully locked the trunk again, hung the key round his neck by a
steel chain, and sat down quietly in the chimney corner.
His meditations were interrupted by the gaoler. This time the man not
only brought him bed furniture, far superior to what he had given him
before, but he had added a carpet, a mirror, and even toilet utensils.
A cloth was spread on a table, upon which he placed in a moment a very
appetising dinner.
"The Major begs me to apologize, sir," he said; "tomorrow he will send
you what you asked for. In the meanwhile he has forwarded you some
books."
"Very good, my friend," the Count replied.
"What is your name?"
"La Grenade, sir."
"Has the Governor selected you to wait on me?"
"Yes, sir."
"My friend, you appear to me a good fellow, here are three louis for
you. I will give you the same amount every month if I am satisfied with
your attention."
"Had you given me nothing, sir," La Grenade replied, as he took the
money, "it would not have prevented me from serving you with all the
zeal of which I am capable, and if I receive these three louis, it is
only because a poor devil like me has no right to refuse a present from
so generous a gentleman as you. But, I repeat, sir, I am quite at your
service, and you can employ me in whatever way you please."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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