But it was one of Levasseur's own officers who hindered him.
"Nom de Dieu, my Captain! What will you do? It is settled;
honourably settled with satisfaction to all."
"To all?" blazed Levasseur. "Ah ca! To all of you, you animals!
But what of me?"
Cahusac, with the pearls clutched in his capacious hand, stepped up
to him on the other side. "Don't be a fool, Captain. Do you want
to provoke trouble between the crews? His men outnumber us by
nearly two to one. What's a girl more or less? In Heaven's name,
let her go. He's paid handsomely for her, and dealt fairly with us."
"Dealt fairly?" roared the infuriated Captain. "You...." In all
his foul vocabulary he could find no epithet to describe his
lieutenant. He caught him a blow that almost sent him sprawling.
The pearls were scattered in the sand.
Cahusac dived after them, his fellows with him. Vengeance must
wait. For some moments they groped there on hands and knees,
oblivious of all else. And yet in those moments vital things were
happening.
Levasseur, his hand on his sword, his face a white mask of rage,
was confronting Captain Blood to hinder his departure.
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