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At the fine stone house, with its
green-jalousied windows, which M. d'Ogeron had built himself in a
spacious and luxuriant garden to the east of Cayona, the Captain
became a very welcome guest. M. d'Ogeron was in the Captain's debt
for more than the twenty thousand pieces of eight which he had
provided for mademoiselle's ransom; and shrewd, hard bargain-driver
though he might be, the Frenchman could be generous and understood
the sentiment of gratitude. This he now proved in every possible
way, and under his powerful protection the credit of Captain Blood
among the buccaneers very rapidly reached its zenith.
So when it came to fitting out his fleet for that enterprise against
Maracaybo, which had originally been Levasseur's project, he did not
want for either ships or men to follow him. He recruited five
hundred adventurers in all, and he might have had as many thousands
if he could have offered them accommodation. Similarly without
difficulty he might have increased his fleet to twice its strength of
ships but that he preferred to keep it what it was.


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