It gave the gaudy ruffian pause, and whilst in his heart he cursed those followers of his, who could be faithful only to their greed, he perceived—and only just in time—that he had best tread warily.
“You misunderstand,” he said, swallowing his rage. “The ransom is for division, when it comes. The girl, meanwhile, is mine on that understanding.”
“Good!” grunted Cahusac. “On that understanding all arranges itself.”
“You think so?” said Captain Blood. “But if M. d'Ogeron should refuse to pay the ransom? What then?” He laughed, and got lazily to his feet. “No, no. If Captain Levasseur is meanwhile to keep the girl, as he proposes, then let him pay this ransom, and be his the risk if it should afterwards not be forthcoming.”
“That's it!” cried one of Levasseur's officers. And Cahusac added: “It's reasonable, that! Captain Blood is right. It is in the articles.”
“What is in the articles, you fools?” Levasseur was in danger of losing his head. “Sacre Dieu! Where do you suppose that I have twenty thousand pieces? My whole share of the prizes of this cruise does not come to half that sum. I'll be your debtor until I've earned it. Will that content you?”
All things considered, there is not a doubt that it would have done so had not Captain Blood intended otherwise.
“And if you should die before you have earned it? Ours is a calling fraught with risks, my Captain.”
“Damn you!” Levasseur flung upon him livid with fury. “Will nothing satisfy you?”
“Oh, but yes. Twenty thousand pieces of eight for immediate division.”