"
"And here is our chance to take it." Bishop warmed to a sort of
enthusiasm. "This war with France removes all restrictions in the
matter of Tortuga. We are free to invest it in the service of the
Crown. A victory there and we establish ourselves in the favour
of this new government."
"Ah!" said Lord Julian, and he pulled thoughtfully at his lip.
"I see that you understand," Bishop laughed coarsely. "Two birds
with one stone, eh? We'll hunt this rascal in his lair, right under
the beard of the King of France, and we'll take him this time, if
we reduce Tortuga to a heap of ashes."
On that expedition they sailed two days later - which would be some
three months after Blood's departure - taking every ship of the
fleet, and several lesser vessels as auxiliaries. To Arabella and
the world in general it was given out that they were going to raid
French Hispaniola, which was really the only expedition that could
have afforded Colonel Bishop any sort of justification for leaving
Jamaica at all at such a time. His sense of duty, indeed, should
have kept him fast in Port Royal; but his sense of duty was smothered
in hatred - that most fruitless and corruptive of all the emotions.
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