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prepared to think this great man a great idiot. “I will do what may be done, Señor. I will come back to you in four days.”

“In three!”

“But if I do not arrive, Señor?”

“If you do not arrive, I shall take the Red Saint away with me and sell her in the slave docks.”

“I shall strive, Señor.”

“Give him courtesy!” the captain commanded. “Do not mistreat him in any way. He is to bring us gold.”

As they were leaving, one man turned back and let his eyes lovingly caress the treasure.

“When is the division to be, sir?”

“In Chagres, fool! Do you think I would divide it now?”

“But, sir, we would like to be having a bit of it in our hands—for the feel of it, sir. We have fought hard, sir.”

“Get out! You'll have none of it in your hands until we come to the ships again. Do you think I want to have you throwing it to the women here? Let the Goaves women get it from you.”

The men went out of the Hall of Audience grumbling a little.

The buccaneers were rioting in Panama. Barrels of wine had been rolled to a large warehouse. The floor had been cleared of its clutter of merchandise, and now a wild dance was in progress. Numbers of women were there, women who had gone over