Show w i Ji J Le BY MARY SARY WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY DON C. C WILSON 1902 by r e Snow Byrn rom a rf V Coin Compan CY Y R p pI I CHAPTER ix k It was late in a sultry almost breezeless breezeless breeze- breeze less Jess evening in September 1811 that the ship Condor belonging to Laro and his associates dropped anchor in inthe the harbor of Fort Royal Martinique She h had but a a single passenger if such he could be termed for it was Jean Lafitte returned recently from froma a mission which will be referred to more particularly later on and who had come from New Orleans for the purpose of meeting Laro whom he expected expected ex ex- to find waiting at Fort Royal His search proved unavailing although although al al- though he ascertained that Laro has had been seen in the town and after visiting visiting vis vis- several of the places where he hei i was liable to be found Lafitte went to an Inn not f far r from the wharves and ordered supper supper Here he sat the coolness while he sipped and smoked when there came to his ears th the sound of ofa ofa 1 a voice whose mellow resonance r thrilled him strangely sending his bis thoughts whirling into the past The air was yet vibrating with the hearty tones as the speaker came through the door and a lamp hanging from the ceiling of the balcony flashed its rays into the face of Gre Gre- loire t 4 The recognition was not mutual for after a careless glance at the younger man crossed the balcony bal bal- balcony cony and seated himself near the rail Lafitte was for the moment undecided undecided unde unde- as to what to do whether dO-whether whether to reveal his identity and risk hearing whatever e comments might make upon a name and career which already had become known in two continents or to remain silent and thus forego this for unlooked for opportunity opportunity opportunity for knowing something definite I in regard to the man who was still dear to him him him-he he who was now Emperor Emper Emper- or of France But all his indecision was soon routed routed routed rout rout- ed by the realization of what was represented represented represented rep rep- resented by the face and form so close to him and come to life as it were were from the dead The living present present present pres pres- ent seemed to animate the dead past the reality of gave actual life to the ideal Napoleon Pardon monsieur he said bowing slightly as looked up but I think I had the pleasure of meeting monsieur many years ago in France Ah Ali said as he turned to f the speaker May I t ask when Long ago in Languedoc and Tour Tou Tau r len Jen replied Lafitte fixing his black blackeyes blackeyes eyes upon face We met at atLe atLe atLe Le Chien Heureux in Toulon and the thelast thelast thelast last time I saw you was at the Convent Convent Convent Con Con- vent of St. St Sulpice SuI pice where you were recovering from wounds in the final assault upon the city M Mon n Dieu exclaimed What means all this monsieur Can it be possible that you are Jean Lafitte Las La La- s fitte Lafitte fitte-Lafitte Lafitte the pi pi- pi The word was cut short by a flash from the young mans man's eyes as a sabe- sabe sabe sabe- stroke might lop off oft the hand raised for a blow The first is the name by bf which I Iwas I Iwas was known in Toulon and my friends still use it The second is a title given to me by my enemies and which I do not recognize as appropriate He spoke with stern composure and with a. a well becoming his tall straight figure and refined face while stared at him in silent astonishment aston aston- Which of the two monsieur ur do you grefer to use Lafitte added now taking a step backward but not removing removing removing re re- moving his eyes from To call you yu Jean as I did years ago exclaimed impetuously 1 ey both oth hands which were WEt wet- j i corned coined by tIle the firm grip of the younger mans man's sinewy fingers Bien the latter said Let it be beso so And you you what you what shall I call you you you- marquis duke or marshal of France Tell me of yourself and of of-Napo- of Napo leon The first will take but a short time replied laughingly for I am not a nobleman nor yet an officer officer- Indeed I left the army six years ago on account of sundry attentions attentions attentions at at- paid to my body and limbs by the enemies of France who thus rendered me unfit for hard service against them and I am now Monsieur Felix of the emperors emperor's emperors emperor's emperors emperor's emper emper- ors or's household As such I go upon various missions and my business here relates to the settlement of some matters connected with certain property property property prop prop- erty belonging to her Majesty the empress who as you know is a native of of this fair island A fine place it Is both as to climate and people but Louisiana Is far more to my taste Lafitte appeared to observe the irrelevancy irrelevancy irrelevancy ir ir- relevancy of this last remark for with a keen leen look at he said Louisiana What do you know of Louisiana Much that Much that is of New Orleans L r hm 7 T tj l' l v Jt falling ol of the young breast beast as ashe ashe he folded his arms across It Presently Jean without lifting his eyes asked In a stubborn dogged tone as though expecting an answer he did not wish to hear Do you mean mean to have me understand that heGen he heGen heGen Gen Bonaparte sent Bonaparte sent you to Toulon after me Most assuredly He as I have already already already al al- ready told you sent me in the autumn of 95 He supposed you were still under the charge harge of Pere Huot being fitted for the career he our he-our our general general- had panned planned for you you one one that would Keep you close to him and Insure j your our future Lafitte had now recovered recovered apparently at least least from from the effect wrought upon him by Gre surprising intelligence in in- You will deliver him a message from me With pleasure Give Ghe him my homage for his own greatness and for the splendor he has brought upon France Convey t thim to him all my ny hearts heart's gratitude for his kindness and protection when I was wasa a boy and for what he would have tried to make me as a man Tell him that I love him and will ever everlove everlove everlove love him and that no sacrifice he may wish or accept will be too great for forme forme forme me to make in his behalf Can you remember remember this this' 0 Every word and I will repeat it faithfully Adieu then old comrade said Jean grasping hand This may be our last meeting but It will not end our regard for each other Indeed no nor our thoughts ot of otone otone one another was the hearty response accompanied by a tighter clasp of I u h I You will deliver him a message from me for I was there several months in the autumn of 1803 I was then absent from Louisiana Louisiana Louisiana Louis Louis- iana said the young manSo manSo manSo man So I learned when hen I made inquiries inquiries inqui inqui- ries for you jou But I heard something of pf you jou ou and still more In regard to that Spanish rascal who took you aWay from Toulon not long before I went there to get you ou myself What mean you by that Lafitte demanded almost as i if resenting an affront This mon man ami amt w was s the slowly and distinctly uttered reply That when Gen Bonaparte late in October of 1795 sent me to Toulon in order to bring you to him at Paris I found that you and Pierre had already gone with Laro bound for Louisiana Who told you this this' inquired Lafitte La La- fi fitte tte 1 v vA I 1 IA A dozen people people Thiel amongst them I went first to Pere Huot's house and there ascertained that the good priest was dead I then Le Chien Heureux and learned what I have told you you Lafitte turned again from and settled down into his chair and tl H e ja t r saw the quick rising ar arl apI l Lafitte's slender fingers and I trust it may not be the last by many of our meetings Adieu old comrade Adieu mon man am amt ami amiOne One final hand hand clasp clasp and Lafitte turned away But after taking a few steps he faced about and went back to who stood as he had left him One thing more said Lafitte hesitatingly hesitatingly hes hes- one more question which you may answer or not as you choose I J will answer whatever question you may ask declared and andI I will answer It upon my honor Lafitte appeared irresolute as If the question were of such grave import im port that he dreaded an unfavorable reply Then laying a hand on Gre Gre- loire's shoulder he asked What Whit said he Bonaparte he-Bonaparte Bonaparte when you jou ou told him himmat that mat l 1 nau departed from Toulon 1 Nothing You have told me all I wished to and I thank you l said Lafitte again holding out a hand which Gre Gre- 1 loire clasped firmly Adieu and bon voyage voyage I Adieu and aud b binne une fortune t f t S. Lafitt Lafitt- V P i 14 t I turning returning directly to the wharf or or- boat boats crew to row him nUD me we s back to the Condor I s s r s s s Jean had up to this moment considered considered con con- y himself deeply aggrieved by I Bonaparte's apparent neglect and f looking at the matter from the standpoint standpoint stand stand- point of at youth his ardent impulsive nature and arid his unstinted d love for the f young officer his feelings were not I without warrant But in the light of ir s 's s explanation nation the man of thirty could well wellsee J I Isee see how unreasonable and hasty had a I been the boy of fifteen how unthinking unthinking ing and rash how ow utterly lacking In Ina n i a proper appreciation of Bonapa Bonaparte's tes i J regard and of how the manifestations DS of this was subject to conditions and 1 influences influence beyond the latter's pOY power er erto r J to always control 0 He thought of Margot and Q her ler r it words returned to him when him when upon that last evening of her life she h had had had- L I said that Bonaparte was his good angel angel an an- 1 gel and Laro Lara his evil one t Truly had her words been proven F for now he knew the former as he was and would have been while the t passing years had bad either increased or r r i. made more apparent Laros Laro's coarseness r r rand and cruelty It was only to the boy Jean that l he J had ever been otherwise but la latterly something of a change had taken L rr place in m this respect toward the man fr r especially after he had refused to acquiesce ao- ao l in the adventurers adventurer's cherished scheme that he Jean Lafitte should should l tf i take taIe as his wife Lazalle the forme formers former's r niece f i But the young man had all through f his wild life held within the innermost innermost inner inner- h most depths of his soul a sacred acred I shrine Kept closed and pure where here 1 never the love for woman had e en en- en Over Its altar faded and Indistinct indistinct indistinct in In- distinct yet his life lingered th the teachings of his foster foster mother and the remembrance of a sunny sunny faced faced blue who had the eyed blue eyed girl promised boy to pray that he might be that which he had so woefully failed to be le i i f or had even sought to attain The past rolled In upon him like liJe a smothering flood until in a wild tumult of despair he left his cabin f and went on deck There he heard I I 7 one of the he watch whistling to himself himself him him- r self and presently the man broke J softly into the words of the air r c- c l' l f 1 amour 1 amour amour I amour Qui fait la monde a la The song brought Drought to mind again the blue eyed blue eyed girls girl's face and also also that of I her daughter the little Island Island Rose whom late the previous May he had piloted through the woods and down I. I the rivers from her dead mothers mother's home among the Choctaws The long rough journey had gi given ven him rare opportunities for sounding the depths of the childish soul so close to nature that it seemed to worship wor ship the he mothers mother's God through nature and nature through God He was Known as Captain Jean a friend of her grandfather grandfather-as as Ca Cap tain tarn Jean whom she found such a charming companion and whom his es escort ort of white men and Indians Indians- respected re reo and loved She trusted him I r f fully lIy and their intercourse was free tree n. n from restraint int Recalling her now while he paced the deck with the troubled water ot of of his soul casting ashore such woeful z i wreckage for his contemplation the 71 thought of her white t purity her silvery sil sit very voice her childish confidence r. brought to him a blessed peace l To be continued continued- |