Королі та капуста

           ’Come!—tonto—baboonofaboy—admiral,whateveryoucallyourself,turnyourboat.PutusonboardtheSalvador,andhereisyourpay—fivehundredpesosinmoneyoftheEstadosUnidos—morethanyourlyinggovernmentwillpayyouintwentyyears."

           DonSabaspressedaplumppurseagainsttheyouth’shand.Theadmiralgavenoheedtothewordsorthemovement.Bracedagainstthehelm,hewasholdingthesloopdeadonhershorewardcourse.Hisdullfacewaslitalmosttointelligencebysomeinwardconceitthatseemedtoaffordhimjoy,andfoundutteranceinanotherparrot-likecackle.

           "Thatiswhytheydoit,"hesaid—"sothatyouwillnotseetheguns.Theyfire—oom!—andyoufalldead.Withyourfacetothewall.Yes."

           Theadmiralcalledasuddenordertohiscrew.Thelithe,silentCaribsmadefastthesheetstheyheld,andslippeddownthehatchwayintotheholdofthesloop.Whenthelastonehaddisappeared,DonSabas,likeabig,brownleopard,leapedforward,closedandfastenedthehatchandstood,smiling.

           "Norifles,ifyouplease,dearadmiral,"hesaid."ItwasawhimseyofmineoncetocompileadictionaryoftheCariblengua.So,Iunderstoodyourorder.Perhapsnowyouwill—"

           Hecutshorthiswords,forheheardthedull"swish"ofironscrapingalongtin.TheadmiralhaddrawnthecutlassofPedroLafitte,andwasdartinguponhim.Thebladedescended,anditwasonlybyadisplayofsurprisingagilitythatthelargemanescaped,withonlyabruisedshoulder,theglancingweapon.