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Show JJ' IjSCESIANA. J 1 b v Sary Bevereux W- 1 WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY DOM C. WILSON CHAPTER XXII. Continued. "If they'll not come out, then we can kill them through the door!" somo ono shouted, when there came the rush of a tall, sinewy form, whose Impetus knocked tho rioters right and left. There was a llash of glittering steel, as Lafitto struck the hand or a man applying tho match, and a spout of blood extinguished the tlamo ns tho match fell to tho ground. I "Tako thnt, for a warning, you mil- tlnous scoundrels, who seek to mur- der unarmed men!" shouted a volco trembling with rago such ns was rare- ly manifested. "Disperse, you cow- ards, bc-roro I count five, or you shall I be riddled of legs as well ns hands." I Tho would-be murderers slunk away I and In ten minutes nil was quiet ns I though nothing untoward had hap-I hap-I pencd. I After sending Pierre, who was somo- I thing of n surgeon, to nttend tho man I ho hnd wounded, Lafitto demanded I from his sub-cnptnlns nn explanation of tho mutiny. I Domlnlquo-You stood silent and sul- len. leaving Boluche to tell tho story. This was to tho ofTect that there had been nn unexpected rush from outside; that tho men In tho stockado . had, nt tho ouUct, tried tho power of "V persuasion, accompanied by that of flsts, but were preparing, as bidden, by both IMorro nnd nelucho, to (lro upon their comrades, when Lnfltto np- poarcd and put an end to tho cmouto. Lafitto received the explanation In cold silence, but with a look which warned Domlnlquo-You as to what measures would bo taken In tho event of another outbreak; for a few of tho flj latter's followers had been nmongst flj tho other mutineers, who wcro mostly BJ Catalon's men. HJ Lnfltto, after dismissing Boluche, BJ with orders to kcop a sharp look-out, HJ and summon him Instnntly, should H those outsldo show themselves at tho HJ gate, unlocked tho door of his house, HJ nnd soon stood In tho presenco of his HJ wondering visitors. HJ When I.nfltto entered, both officers BJ wero seated, fnclng tho door. But BJ they rose and stood for a moment, B whllo their faces nssumcd n common flfl look of nusterity. Then, rosumlng B their seats, thoy waited for him to BB speak. flfl Ho bowed, nnd, without seating him- B Bolf, said with his usual calm courtesy B of manner, "I regret most sincerely, B gentlemen, to havo subjected you to a B conllnomont which must havo proved B scarcely pleasant, to Bay nothing of f tho disturbance outside, tho nolso of " which you doubtless heard. Somo of B my men mndo nn nttompt to molest B you; but. happily for myself, ns well B ns for you, I havo mndo thorn nbnndon B tho Idea. You will now, I trust, nc- fl knowledge tho propriety of my having restricted your liberty whllo you wero B on tho islnud." BB Ho paused, as If expecting n reply B from thorn. Hut thoy only bowed, nnd B resuming tho nlr and tono ho had ns- B sumed during their former Intervlow, ho continued; BB "It is not necossary, noltlior is It B proper, thnt I give any rensons for B my present decision. Hut. If you still B requlro n final nnd doflnlto nnswer B from mo. it will bo given you on tho B eighteenth day of this month, at noon, B upon an Islnnd called 'Tho Turtle,' BB1 lyhiK off tho mouth of tho Knst Pass. I havo selected this placo becnuso B and you will doubtless ngreo with mo B I fear It will not bo well for olthor B of you to como again upon Grnndo Tcrrc." , , flfl lloth ofllcors bognn to romonstrnto B nnd oxpostulato at tho length ot tlmo B Lnfltto hod named; but bo checked B them by saying firmly, "Knowing host flj what I havo to do. gontlomen, I ven- B In to nssumo that I nm tho proper B 'w JlK'RO Ot "l0 tlm0 "ePllful t0 ecldo B 8,,ch nn Important mnttcr." B This tho Englishmen woro com- B polled, although with very bad graco, IB to nccopt ns n finality. DH Thoy were, not long nftorwnrds, B fnken to tho beach, escorted by Ln- B f.tto and n body of his trusted men, B whllo tho unruly ones hung nbout B lowering looks and threatening B eyes, but offored no further vlolenco, B UoluchP and n crow or plcturesquo- B looking outlnwB rowed tho olTicers out B to meet their own boat; and Lafitto and Piorro watched them from tho shore until they wero well away from !hc Island. Then Lnfltto sntd, speaking In n low lone, "Wo must, for tho present, sunrd night nnd day against surprise, nnd that will bo nil to occupy the men until I can hear from tho governor gov-ernor In regard to tho proposition wo will lay before him." "Who will tako It to Now Orleans?" inquired Pierre, nddlng quickly, ns ho saw his foster-brother hcsltato, "Surely "Sure-ly not yourself, Jean; nover think you or such a thing. Do not risk trusting Clnlborno so far; but let mo tako tho message." "You! No n thousand times no! To repeat your own words, I would rot trust Clalhorno so far. No, wo will send Ucluche, nnd Lopez shall go with him." "Would It not bo well to glvo don. La Uocho somo hint of our proposal?" "That I Intend to do. Nato can bo trusted to tako a mcssngo to him." "I think tho boy would bo flnycd allvo for your Interests sooner thnn betray them," Plerro romnrked, as he raised tho spyglass nnd met tho oyes ot Bolucho looking up at him; for tho Uaratnrlan boat, now freed of its tin-welcomo tin-welcomo passengers, wns noarlng tho slioro below. "Yes, ho enn bo trusted," Jcnn ns-sontcd, ns-sontcd, "nnd, owing to his size nnd nppcarancc, ho will bo loss likely to meet with Interference." Uelncho nnd Lopez, with a smnll crow, departed that snmo night upon their mission to Now Orleans, taking with them Nato, who was to bo landed land-ed In tho woods, about two hours fast walk from La Teto des Enux, Gen. La Itocho's plantation on Bayou Blen-venuo. Blen-venuo. Upon tho day following Belucho's depnrturo, tho Barntarlans wero surprised sur-prised and puzzled, to seo tho "Sophia" "So-phia" and her consort sail away to tho eastward, and their departure caused Lafitto to dccldo upon a visit to Bayou Blenvenue, ns soon as ho should hoar from Gov. Claiborne. Nnto returned several days later, and brought n mcssago from Gen. La riochc, urging Lafitto to como at once. B Hut ho waited until tho seventh dny after Belucho's departure, passing meanwhllo from wonder to Impatience nt tho lattor's delay, and at having received re-ceived no mcssngo from ills emissaries emis-saries In Now Orlenns. It wns Nato who told Lnfltto that Count do Cnzcncau had removed to Knnnuhnnn, a small plantation adjoining ad-joining La Teto des Kaux. Tho boy said that tho count had purchased It, and wns removing nil his slaves ami othor proporty from Now Orloans. Lnfltto was, for reasons of his own, surprised nt this pleco of Information, nnd now summoned Bnptlstlno, tho captain of tho polncca upon which Nnto had returned. Much of what Haptlstlno had to tell was nlrendy known to Lnfltto, but tho former nddcil to this by saying thut tho ferment among tho citizens of Now Orleans appeared to bo growing moro violent each day. Thoro was talk that when Gen. Jackson arrived ho would And hut sennty support, nnd tho llttlo mnu ended with: "ir, my captain, cap-tain, tho fools begin to light among thomsolves, what will hinder tho English Eng-lish from stealing in upon thorn, whllo thoy nro busy calling ono nnothor nnmcs." Ho spoko In French, nnd Lnfltto replied re-plied In tho snmo tongue, "Truly thoy nro fools, to qunrrol among themselves them-selves nt such n tlmo ns this. Of course," ho added, dropping generalities, generali-ties, "you saw our men before you left tho city." "I did, my captain. They nrrlvcd tho second dny before I left, nnd told mo I wns to pick up Nato on tho Owl's Point. Cnptnln Holucho went nshoro with Lopoz as soon ns 'Tho Lndy Inez' dropped nnchor, and neither of thorn hnd been henrd from when I left." "Now, let mo hear If you know of what Nato has been trying to toll mo. It scorns that Shnplra has sold his placo to Count Cnzcncau." "Shaptra hns not sold only rontod It, to M'sleur lo Comto, for tho winter, as tho count Is fnr from well and does not wish to return to tho city until mnttors thoro promise less of excitement." "And his granddaughter Is with hlmT" Inquired Lafitto, In a ton g' Ing Bnptlstlno no hint of how Ui questioner's pulses wero thrilling. "Yes, my captain; she, nnd nil n! houRchold-overy ono. Ho has brought all his slaves from Now Orleans nnd como to llvo nt Knnnuhnna. It was Shnplra himself who told mo this when I saw him at tho Owl's Point. Ho said ho was tired of playing planter, plant-er, nnd would sooner bo back hero at Baratarla. He told mo that he Intends In-tends offering his services to Gen. Jnckson; ,nnd, being so flno a shot, ho can surely render a good account of himself." Lafitto nodded and ngaln nsked, "But whero Is ho living, now that Count do Cnzcncau occupies his placo?" "I nsked him that question, my captain, cap-tain, but ho laid a linger along that hooked noso of his, nnd winked at me as ho said that If evor I sought him, ho would not bo found Intruding upon tho hospitality of M'slour lo Comto. Of course, tho men hnd to hear us talk, with mo on tho boat, nnd Shnplra standing upon the Owl's Point; so I tnko It that ho Intended me to understand under-stand ho was living below, In tho rtnvon's Cave. You know, my captain" cap-tain" "Never mind speaking or tho Colon-noh," Colon-noh," Lnfltto broko In, with n wnmlng gesture. "Bo careful," ho continued In a low volco, "how that placo Is mentioned; wo may boforo long, havo need of It for lmportnnt purposes." Bnptlstlno said nothing, but nodded wisely. Tho so-called Colonnoh, moaning Tin-veil, Tin-veil, was tho Chcrokco namo fora hid-ing-placo known to but row or Lnfltto's men; nnd Chcrokco nlso wns tho nnmt Knnnuhnnn or tho plantation, 'nken rrom tho hominy , produced there, "Kn-nnul.n-nn" being tho Indian In-dian term for tho crushed corn, cooked to tho consistency of paste. Tho night It was of tho sovonth day after Belucho's departure Uat Lnfltto loft Grando Tcrro for Gen. La rtocho'e plnntntlon. with sundry bags of silver hidden In tho cabin of tho polacca that was to convoy him up tho nnrrow water-way to Lako Bargno, whence his courso lay westerly, up Bayou Blenvenuo, nn obscure stream, nt whoso head was the plantation. Now nnd again a panther's scream, or tho whining cry of n wild-cat, mado tho darkness seem still moro dismal; and tho booming nolo of tho nlllgator wns heard along tho sluggish wnter. But llttlo enred Lnfltto as to tho nnturo of his surroundings, for, from out tho dnrkness, ho secm6d to seo tho pure faco nnd violet eyes ho was about to look upon nfter nil thdso oventful months. (To bo. continued.) |