Show CAPTAIN by charles tenney jackson copyright by the company I 1 THE C caff JEAN I 1 under 1 tho the name e ot of 0 captain o 1 lazarao Saz arao and disguised jean t fatute t former freebooter of barataria Bar ataria proscribed I betl returns to ta the city of now new orleans ile he is recognized by two of hla his old companions ons alderman dominique and beluche elu che at tho the gaming tables badarac has haa won much money from colonel carr british of licer john jarvis the cites first bohemian bohe of the arts and letters an a old o time friend of IA lafitte n tells of a womans comans face and smile 41 Vi APTER I 1 continued 2 the strangers face was all but averted the profile gave tile the impression 1111 pres of utter obliviousness to tho the crowded room ills his were rather for the period tind and tile the powdered hair above n cont coat of blue broadcloth hla his buff breeches and silk stockings thrust into low silver buckled shoes gave a quaint distinction to tits toll figure tho the two young men watched tits his bronzed hand turning a card under the ruby light after a monica jarvia dawned yawned audibly and then a nudge camo ca mo between him ham and the count do monaster almonaster Al they looked down upon the short stout form of Doull tho the nl dennan behind him peered beluche Be lucho the restless seaman 0 of ca cartagena r tho the artist strolled rolled Bt again to the bar room not even the buzz of interest that tant followed a violent exclamation in the lured him from his cognac but dominique the alderman had started to his tiptoes tiptoed with a curious glance tit at his fellow bue buc cancer A voice lie he whispered and stared past the onlookers the british officer 0 flus blushed lied with drink and chagrin had leaned closer to ills his opponent do you question Orl my word sir as aa to tile the worth of the wench put tier her upon the block tit at the rotunda tomor tomorrow rowl I 1 she bile would fetch three thousand dollars at charleston find in this town sir if you will find a fairer one slave or free woman of color or even among its reputed beauties there was a stir f the creole gentlemen glanced at one another darkling langhorne tile tho consul raised ills his hand band but mazarac had answered slowly your pardon sir I 1 did not know the the she was a chattel I 1 own no slaves sir nor do I 1 care to wager for owe ole ll 11 you shall play on sir you have ruined my fortunes on thi voy vo y age aud and in last nights I 1 demand rn and my chance at retrieving you have just accepted my two horses in pledge now then this san domingo girl upon the card sir mazarac gathered the long rough about his shou shoulders iders as it if to arise the consul whispered to the red faced corr carr the dealer sat back with a glanco at the circle of faces you cannot le arell carr cried elfed hoarsely lie he turned to those behind him Gent gentlemen lement I 1 Is it customary in now new orleans for a loser to to bo be refused any legitimate wager that may re reinstate instate him there was u murmur it was the code at the stranger must know do de marleny whispered ile he has Sni mazarac there the stranger must play 1 the stranger glanced about aboul carr struck the table violently volt it ts Is my privilege 9 e gentlemen I 1 A card earl str I 1 the turn of one card instead of running tile tho deall no chance therl then for trickery it 1 became acute it was the stillness a bayword bad word lit at BIa Mn speros do mar marigny igny expected 1 the next instant to see tile unknown gamester fling his bis glove into carrs face fac e but the quiet profile did not change longhorne clucked in hla hits throat as if the situation were intel intolerable lis as it I 1 indeed more portentous things than a slave girl hung on tho the turn of the card tile the card then mazarac went or on slowly three thousand dollars on the red against tile bond girl taken carr bowed the black will turn gentlemen I 1 the denler dealer threw the cards in a semicircle across the cloth deliberately but with a lash flabb of his white fingers lie he picked one at random ond turned it t up it was the ace of hearts it curiously the groups n watched C captain arose threw ills his cloak higher about his face ni although though the day oldy was vas warm and turned to go the dealer at a gesture from him swept the notes and gold upon the cloth into a leather bag tho the groups arz broke up with n S comment here bere and there the alie gent gentlemen lemd n by tho tha door gave away to tile the stranger as he be advanced colonel carr ra r a had bad started sullenly at this abrupt dismissal by Us his victorious opponent whatever wild word was upon the ruined roans mans lips was checked by the consuls muttered warning but carr too trose fol lowing it ii pact to 0 o growl over tile iho crowd nt lit tile tho door the girl sir will te bo nt at your dis nt lit tile tho lintel hotel nt ni whatever butir you yon calalin your property I 1 tile ri stranger tranger bowed out in thi drinking room ho he seemed like ono one C conscious that the eyes of nil now new or leans niell men of affairs were upon just outride tile the door lie stop stopped pd fib in tile the of the courtway courtw ny of st louis street two squat short their heads together their arnis arms gesticulating wildly were vainly trying cacti to quiet tho the other you know it gasped tile the worthy alderman holding his side by the lie lorill I 1 nm am not fooled no ciol no I 1 shriven shaven us as a priest lily lilu hair whited as tin in english squires annulled by stock find no nothing deceives these old eyes of thou d d fool silencer wills pored tho the swarthy fil of carmit ecna na Is thero there not stilt still a price upon tits his licad nn kidded ridded price since lie renounced the PresIde presidents fits pardon and involved himself in that brair of galveston island 1 l spanish english tho the americans too they would hound hirn him to the gallows I 1 tho the tall cloaked figure wits twenty prices prices cnway the entrance to ln bourse do in was filled with watching burghers and from them nil all a young ann had advanced smilingly in tits ills full skirted green cont and shining white breeches held within tits his polished hessian boots the young count do almo naster anster bowed gracefully and extended n hand nil all but hidden by tits his cuff at the green room of AIn speros sir nono none piny save those to whom new orleans extends ats hospitality if perchance nt at any time tile tho name of a gentleman could servo serve in n pos PO 4 sible I 1 nm ani the grandson of don Almonn ster y roxas 11 1 I thank you monsieur the stranger extended his own 1 I am captain gaspar caspar mazarac Saz arac recently on service with the united states explorations in the west ile he stir shrugged smilingly 1 I thank you monsieur lie ile turned and met again two elderly men who stored stared unbelievingly then the gold laced admiral of car placed hand upon his shoulder behold us I 1 he whispered 1 I Beluch ennd and this old dogs of old days and green beasl and you the captain dennl the stranger gazed at them ques lionly it may be he mused loused that after the heat la Is done I 1 shall take the air upon the levee levea by the old fort st louis the geil gentry try do not promenade nde just there I 1 believe before the eyes of the watching burghers at the coffee house he down the cobbles of the rue chartres Chart tho the fat and honest alderman muttered and then tit at a augh from the young count b he 0 turned to stare fler fiercely cely at him 0 1 I shall take the air upon the levee myself sirs smiled raoul ijo Domini dominiquez quel do not fall your cap tain talal I 1 I 1 I 1 CHAPTER 11 A ship for a pirates eye eya it was dusk when raoul do de almo naster sauntered along the moldering brick parapet of the little pentagonal fort that maik marked edthe the upper river junction of the dismantled city wall with the green moat built billt to defend the landward side along the inner levee face he presently saw what he had come to see the honorable coun councilor ctibor of the city and tile the resplendent admiral of the rt republic of cartagena even now fighting for its life against the king 0 men across the caribbean ben sen the small which marked tile the hour of retreat eight barked at the city hall ball at once slaves aud children soldiers and sailors must be or ol 01 the streets of the vieux carre the lazy boom of a war ship down the crescent bend of the mississippi answered and following tile the sound round idly tile the count counts g eye noted before the plaza a long black rakish clipper with shining yellow masts now new sails glistening ns as they hung to d dry ry and untenanted decks sweet and clean as a n ballroom floor A beauty that he roused mused the latest yankee out from boston cannot match h her ho be luthel she must make old blood stir in you two adventurers adventure 1 aye turn your envious eyes aside I 1 he be started ed at a step on the cho leveo levee tile the gamester of the bourse do de la in maspero hunspe ro had come along the dismantled rampart of the fo fort rt mazarac bowed with a recognizing r smile the bronzed cheeks looked even eten darker below tile tho whited wig his eyes had tile the level thoughtful humor of the man who laughs behind unreadable res reserve erv you may well say monsieur de almo Al monaster er I 1 have no not t seen in years a 0 hull bull so cle cleanly anly lined 1 de be glanced at the hand upun upon the he silver sword hilt 1111 tho the two rotund lind had seen tile the tall man in buff und and in ind and were hastening 1 I ace monsieur retorted lie he despite lo spite your services with the Anier ienn explorations in tho the west you know it ship 1 I have seen the sen monsieur to bowed with n searching tit nt tile tho younger man and you nu 1111 fur for a 0 ship Is tin nn e eyo 0 for or a n woman I 1 did not expect to meet tho the count do dc so far from the pro nor I 1 to ind find captain latitta so benr again to tile blaco dAru iest studied him blin gravely your pardon sirl I 1 think sti tipped ills hla lingers laugh angly lit old pulling up tip tile tho levee admiral llo Ile luclie luelle lind liall drawn a in fervent salute to lla clip baill conw conic corne como gentlemen I 1 anza voice raised sharply thou jenn I 1 whispered doial bilque in tho of thel the const coast luntta lafitte of Bar barataria ataria conio you sir I 1 did you think you could trend these streets antl not bo be murmured do Almonn ster tile tho two old crowded around the st now I 1 nm am a man again and not it dork clerk drooling over city and suddenly with tin gesture lie ho lifted slightly taio whited car navon havon black tile lie linar tinged with groy gray thu beard sli sliu ven dronek droned on old daml alque the cutlass scar concealed which you got from tile tho Spa nt at trinidad I 1 and cheso ornia bought you ns as you felep and this cut tho the follow fellow down I 1 cried Hc Be lucho Incho jean cealo this alila fooling I 1 the captain was laughling laughl ng in turn ills old lieutenants seized ills hla hands stroked ills his sleeve crying out brokenly Sa mirtic glanced keenly at young Almonn ster no fear mumbled tile tho alderman 1 I have heard this young say bay but yesterday that lio would draw sword in any affair it if anntte was to command I 1 aye for tho the emperor emper orl I 1 prowled growled Be deluche luelle tile tho clipper jean I 1 did you over ever see n finer monsieur at alrod rod brought tier her from charleston now new front from the waysl the fenest ten tinb k lacquer tables tapestries smuggled from bilboat all for tho the fallen ern cm perhaps you have heard my I 1 we were ivere saying wh who 6 s so 6 worthy F to command ns as captain fumed old dominique eager as a boy idlof did we not young sir 3 smiled raoul interposed the plot I 1 all ah yes tho the plot I 1 they havo bulit built a mansion for him in the ruo rue Char chartier protested doat financed tho the ship not n first family in all Loul louisiana slana that will not have nt at least a midshipman abon aboard roll but old Bogs Boss lero to command bah I 1 I 1 would balk at it it if 1 I had a skin shin to risk I 1 you might well with tho the english ring of ships around st helena said mazarac gravely well I 1 am lafatte 1 I 1 am arn ai at your mercy monsieur 1 the restless eyes of beluche were upon a trio of bf officers from the american garrison who came slowly along the promenade too much talk I 1 he muttered slade since that old affair of yours jenn jean tho the seizure of galveston island despite the dents pardon you have lave long been proscribed serl bed As to this emperor the devil daill with himl him I 1 the look book at tier her bowl Is she a toy for the dandles of this town to play with A ship jean and a good ship ehl eh put in alderman DornI 0 robber in your mind the american officers J retorted the admiral let us bo be on the yankees murmured babit rac throwing his silken neck scarf higher as the meeting groups saluted courteously when will Loul louisiana slana be done wath with this idea that she la in a P principality ran ci aloba from the washington agton government the yankees yankee gen gentlemen he are here taking your little parts parla they might better have left their manners in the kentucky woods said de Al monaster and cerise cease meddling in the italis of spain across tile the sabine you yourself air sir what ta Is the feeling in tha west Are sf mazarac stopped d to took look over the darkening river it la a far road to washington in the koblos there la Is go gossip asip A new republic to be carved from the wilderness the spanish provinces to be seized and among t the he discontented spirits aro tho the exiled from the canadas Cann las and the agents of his british majesty ever watching with jea jealous louig eyes you saw sir the affair of yesterday at masseros Ma speros colonel carr who came with you down river ilver I 1 cannot make III his 0 mission miss out a as s I 1 might wish nor 1 L now and then on them the packet ile he boasted d of curious things I 1 recall ony one night a lady warned him Q silence I 1 the lady smiled tonight Ton loht 1 claim my wager from Colonel Colonal carr TO |