Show IITB 11 it I1J IJ0UESDC4NA BY IMJARY J 1 BEVERFITV Pi WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY DON C WILSON Cpfig + ir 002 gv i1Yk aayCorAny ajl PlBfb PtJtnR1 I 1 CHAPTER XV the death of Laro a now and fter ewhat better order of things pro t fed among tho so called Pirates of gulf tow under the direct leadership of s JBtlo alone and with better oppor fltlcs for knowing his chivalrous na t the larger body of them followed lei uestlonnsy his more merciful and ti lawless practices and not a few I the men actually relished the nged conditions In which they r nd themselves d aronne who had been given n vcs T of his own had gathered to him a If the most unregenerate of Laros I lowerd and entered upon a career which lie observed the samo moth as his former commander with result that ho was finally brought t execution together with most of I i crew In a South American port Life at the Ursullne convent was b many months a burden to Lazalle I her whims and caprices made it little less so to tho mother su or and nuns But they with a o elY remembrance of many generous I tors from Lafitte felt that they bt bear patiently with tho charge I I as j had left In their keeping l dim U Roche as her banker and man business camo often to see his r client and ended by falling In e with hera fact he was wise tc ugh to keep to himself And later s d be obtained Lafittos consent to 1 u r removal from the convent and lug a house of her own where fth Maam Brigida and a retinue of acq yes the high strung beauty seemed and bre contented c when tho summer of 1812 had ught the Cazeneau household to elr Baratarla home there befell nettling which struck Lafltto with a new despair and took from him all Ike p of ever being asked to render tIc nosello tho smallest service en should the occasion or necessity Ise me Her childish trust in him became de tlon royed ho saw her shrink from him of terror and abhorrence And this and akened In him the knowledge that fie eas he supposed paternal love had ha-d been cherishing for tho child of J who had always been his Ideal was the > t the affection of a father for his ceo ughter but tho lovo of a man for and woman an The bitterest potion he had over Irly allowed was now working In his tins Yet no one would havo sus cted this as ho went his way and on ir a time with greater recklessness the an before although the rumor men 11m aced by Pierre had now become act be > a-ct as the governor of Lou by lana had Issued a proclamation offers r offer-s a reward for Laflttos apprehen OB onThis iThls had come about by reason of a ey plee In tho bayou Lafourcho and to hleb proved to bo tho chip which out idled to a blaze tho longsmoulder set K fire of wrath against tho Uara Iry tans to When tho Information was brought Lafltte accompanied by a copy of ne f e Proclamation ho had without de m Ji taken a plnnnco and sot out for ted f 0 extreme southerly sldo of Grando ut erre upon which was tho Count do In J neaus abode Cd jit the sound of Lafittos feet upon I nO e steps a womans weazened face tinkled and scowling Its coffeohuo I fasting with wisps of gray wiry cx aol Bowing from beneath a bright es lured bandanna was projected from cd o of tho numerous doors opening pe 0111 the hallway Into various rooms Jut the Uo wings of tho building It nd he fc a Was apparent that she recognized TUltor for she camo out into the Irirti tl anti Uoinlto her ago advanced Iy rWy toward as him IS sAh Zone there you are looking p YOung M ever was his smilingly rS kea B erecting tie AlWays you say words Captain 1D III sr that int please even when ono o 1 they 1a are not true K eafltte laughed lightly ups er ql your young mistress w1T lie urad If 1a oyes t Bno is wcjjtM Zenoy answered JI I lilj OIIe implying that moro might bo JIHi Hi to Is sho qulto happy Zeney Happy How could a wild bird bo nappy In a cage oven If Its bars wero mado of gold She was about to continue but La flue as if not caring to pursue the subject asked Is your master here Zeney nodded and pointed to a closed door near them Ho is ID there and alone Lafltte turning from her knocked at the door and De Cazeneaus voice answered Entrez This tho former did leaving the door ajar I Nato now a tall wiry lad ofsix I teen and devoted body And soul to his master was the only to ono accompany ac-company him to Grando Terre lIe had seated himself upon tho steps but too far awa to away catch tho conversation con-versation between Lafltto and Zeney even had they spoken In a language ho understood But ho watched them with curious eyes having often heard of Zeney and her reputed powers served to make her an object of awe and aversion aver-sion to him as to most of his class It was therefore with a sigh of re lief that ho saw her disappear after his master had gone Inside Ho remained sitting on tho steps his chin supported by two yellow palms while a group of young negroes who had drawn near to gape curiously at him after the manner of their kind proceeded to converse in a way evi dently Intended to attract his attention atten-tion Instinct rather than any sound mado Nato realize that a presence was near him and glancing over his shoulder shoul-der ho saw a girlish whiteclad form standing In the doorway through which Lafitto had passed a few minutes min-utes before Presently ho saw ono of her little hands go to her side as If she had been startled or wasexperi encing somo strong emotion and sho Dn 1 ll j n its l loam i I I off I pleb rtei n rot 9 of I 1 1I b tp I I 1 sued 1 r sat Hem I s 1 1 isar and 1 the r re a Is Her Captain Jean was none other than Lafitte the terrible pirate stood with bended head as if listen I ing ingNato I Nato was still staring at tho girl when sho started Impetuously and went hurriedly down tho hallway Led by curiosity the boy jumped to his feet and saw her descend the steps of tho back gallery and go swiftly Into tho woods which seemed I to swallow up the snowy form and glittering hairswallow them so suddenly II sud-denly as to leave In tho boys superstitious supersti-tious mind an uncomfortable suggestion sugges-tion that she was not real flesh and blood but a sperlt or perhaps a second voudoo priestess Within tho room near whoso open door tho girl had stood Lafltto and Do Cazeneau wero having a serious conversation Following the custom of tho time Do Cazeneau had reached out to ring a bell for refreshments when Lafitte with an expressive gesture stayed his hand No Mslour lo Comte I can tarry I but a very short time only long I enough to Impart the very important intelligence I came to bring you And ho held out a paper ho had drawn from his pocket Tho count having put on his glasses took the document and his wavering hands mado the blue paper quiver as If his own startled pulse beats had stolen Into It while ho read tho contents aloud Whereas tho nefarious practice of running In contraband goods which has hitherto prevailed In different parts of tho state to tho great Injury of tlio fair trader and tho diminution of the United States of the revenue o and Increased much has of Into whereas It has been ofllclally known to mo that on the 14th of last month seized quantity of smuggled goods a officer of the bv Walter Gilbert an were Svonuo of tho United States revenue In day taken from him open forcibly o from the city of distance at no great that armed or NoW Orleans by a party certain under the orders of a men grim who fired upon and ously Jean ljfitte wounded ono ot the assistants of Walter Gilbert the said to issue this thought proper I have solemnly and I do my proclamation citizens of aU and singular caution kind of any this stato against giving to the countenanco succor sllpport or noun said Jean Lafltto and associates but do call upon them to bo aiding and i I abetting In arresting him and said as I soclntcs and all others In like manner offending and I do furthermore in the name of the state offer a reword I of five hundred dollars which will be I paid out of tho treasury to any person delivering tho said Jean Lnfltte to the herlff of tho parish of Orleans or tony to-ny other sheriff In the state so that ho said Jean Iafitto may bo brought to justice The Island Rose had heard tho greater part of tho document read In her grandfathers voice low to bo sure but with a clear enunciation which mado each syllable as distinct as though she had been the reader instead In-stead of II listener i And when ho ended she heard the voice of him heretofore known to her as Captain Jean and Its tone was one of banter Well Msleur lo Count will you be the one to claim this five hundred dollars dol-lars and do your governor and state a brilliant service by delivering to them this body of mine Then came her grandfathers sternly stern-ly I cold reply What have I over done Captain Jean Lalltte that should lead you tc suppose I would stoop to traffic In the blood of my associates It was this that made tho small hand go fluttering toward tho girls frightened heart It was tho revelation revela-tion that her Captain Jean was none other than Lafitto the torrlblo pirate of whom she had heard such dreadful tales He was the freebooter smuggler smug-gler and outlaw tho leader of that fearful band of men sho had shuddered shud-dered to hear the slaves mention I And not only was her grandfather cognizant cog-nizant of this but ho was this mans abettor his associate and friend Her brain In a whirl her heart terrified terri-fied by dread of an undcflnablo terror sho lied from the house and Into the woods wandering on scarcely knowIng know-Ing or caring where until her steps wero arrested by the matted thicket Into which sho had penetrated with unseeing eyes Now all was revealed to her Tho man whom of all others sho trusted In this now strange and fettered world Into which she had been brought from tho peaceful Island home where life had been happy and free from fear he was the notorious Laflttc tho Pirate of tho Gulf who scuttled ships who murdered men and women and whoso hands were red with bloodshed blood-shed that ho might plunder his victims vic-tims To bo continued |