.

THE SERVICE OF KING LOUIS.
Meanwhile, some three months before Colonel Bishop set out to reduce Tortuga, Captain Blood, bearing hell in his soul, had blown into its rockbound harbour ahead of the winter gales, and two days ahead of the frigate in which Wolverstone had sailed from Port Royal a day before him.
In that snug anchorage he found his fleet awaiting him--the four ships which had been separated in that gale off the Lesser Antilles, and some seven hundred men composing their crews.

Because they had been beginning to grow anxious on his behalf, they gave him the greater welcome.

Guns were fired in his honour and the ships made themselves gay with bunting.
The town, aroused by all this noise in the harbour, emptied itself upon the jetty, and a vast crowd of men and women of all creeds and nationalities collected there to be present at the coming ashore of the great buccaneer.
Ashore he went, probably for no other reason than to obey the general expectation.

His mood was taciturn; his face grim and sneering.