Show mm ra lah ertain ml 8 A ZA sl nac by CHARLES TENNEY JACKSON Coy copyright right by the dobbs bobba merril co 1 I OFFER A SHIP SYNOPSIS Under the name of captain lazarao Saz arao nc and disguised jean IAtI lantto tte former freebooter of barataria Dara Bar tarla ataria proscribed returns to the city of now new orleans lie he Is fit recognized by two of his him old compan companions iono alderman dominique and delushe Delu Boiu ohe at tho the gamins gaming tables batarao has hab won much money from colonel carr arlt arit lah ifill officer john jarvis the city a prat bohemian boho rolan of the arts and letters an friend of lafitte tolls of a womans comans face and ana smile As hla his last wager carr puts up a woman presumably a slave elave custom compels bazaras to accept the stake ito he wins wine hla old associates and count chaoui do de Al Alino monaster accost him as aa lafitte A project of the youthful U 1 ahful adventurers of now new or C leania 0 Is in the rescue of napoleon bonaparte Dona parte from st helena elona 11 anti anil a ship the seraphine has boon been mado made ready from de almonas tor ter mazarac learns that the girl he won at the card table is white of agh hla h estate and that the matter has been made a byword in the cites resorts sax arau ands mademoiselle bostron Lc Lo atron stron a follow fellow pas pa saenger menger on a river steamer a few lays days before and with whom he had fallen in love Is the girl and in chivalry foregoes his him revenue revenge against carr jarvis admires mademoiselle lies atron airon ile he Is in a witness ot of the meet meeting itaw and picks up a camellia which the girl had thrown un noticed to mazarac Saz arao arac jarvis Is in dangerous he talks too much in his cups his old associates of the barataria Dara Bar tarla ataria days urge lafette to take command of the seraphine ostensibly to rescue napoleon but really to fly the black flag and cruise the seas ha hesitates jarvis jarels to Is a a witness of the ot of mademoiselle lespron Le stron but his story Is not given credence do Al monaster entertains Saz Sax arao ardo now ly jean lafatte at his country house lafitte accused ot of the abduction of mademoiselle los les tron Is fis warned of the approach of a military party seeking to arrest him ile he escapes to the swamps of Bara tarla lafitte learns that mademoiselle lespron has been placed on tho the ship gen ron for tho west indies la influenced fluen ced by his followers tol lowera of the froe booting days daya and by do da al monaster chief owner of the sor bor aphrine lafitte agrees to beize the ship and sail mail to the rescue of mademoiselle L eltron Le atron CHAPTER vt VII I 1 continued 10 no took hla his snuff debonairly and suddenly with a shout about of joy the hairy giant hohanness Joh anness seized the counts slender blender hand band there once morel I 1 told you jean that this young aristo arnt was the truest adventurer of us ua nil all I 1 now lie ho proposes a ship P I 1 A ship for I 1 the captain in turn grasped do Almonn hand well then dohon bolion got get word to the temple 1 choose your fellows well and have them come by the water trails sper secretly etly to monsieur plantation across from the upper city and not a flold field hand or house slave roust must so much as have sight eight of a shirt tall of you all no liquor there I 1 no brawl ing until wo we have descended by the old smugglers road and taken the napoleon ship I 1 the score of figures crowded on tho the buggers lug gers dock deck or wading aalst deep about lier her bow holding the flambeaus flambeaux flam beaus and striving to listen to the conference raised a hoarse cry brackley Cr ackley the leader of the deserters strove for dominance over the younger men ell eh bul bullies liest I 1 I 1 told you there would bo be bloodletting blood letting had the man to lead us I 1 A ship and then over the line at the kin kins ol 01 0 traffic lc says I 1 II 11 I 1 at a word from bohon there was a scattering of the islanders from the smugglers rail A whispered conference liere here and there secret orders given gesticulations e 3 of surprise and exultation as the Veu tenants explained what must bo be arranged at the buggers lug gers bow there now stood but two figures the gamester baza roc me had placed a hand on the younger roans mans shoulder ayou you peril your life anel ami your fortune monsieur there is but one stake for which hI ch I 1 would accept such a wati nind offer from a friend ono night u upon pon the staircase at the hotel I 1 said bluntly merely as n vagabond may speak his thought with nothing to lose or gain that I 1 loved the lady of my wager at masseros Ma speros I 1 went nay my way asking no answer the moonlight was on the palms and myrtle I 1 could not bellsee wellsee well see but I 1 thought something fell and vanished from my sight it might have been her er avery very likely it was eifle ladys answer smiled de Al monaster eh well I 1 out of the shadows it into uio the shadows it vanished it appears to be like my life it seeing to liao have the prophecy of uy iny love ali ah a curious thing ia flicker in the moonlight and ollen col 1 I offer monsieur a ship my friendship a my fortuno to compel tho the lady to answer I 1 tile the bronzed adventurer laughed slightly thank you monsieur I 1 but suddenly his companion started with an amazed gasp arac I 1 have forgotten something I 1 perdition 1 it just come came to my dullard mind I 1 the rhe plot Is to seize the seraphino tomorrow night as she che lies at her moorings before tho the place darmes I 1 certainly the venture cannot bo be delayed i moment beyond that well and good I 1 but it to la the night of the banquet to celebrate the plot napoleon 1 I myself im to make a modest speech of acceptance for my flunt aunt baroness Pon talba as I 1 take over her interests in outfitting outwitting out fitting the 1 I should say eay it to Is very well putting back to the city at once with your blacks and appearing at the affair you are shielded from all con vivanco with what the 0 infamous baza rne rac may do ali ah but I 1 exclaimed de da almonas ter there la is to bo be a ball at the I 1 theatre dorleans the youth and chivalry of the city are to danco dance there and then away to the seraphine herself to revel and drink to the plot upon her decks at what hour monsieur I 1 admit this Is disconcerting at twelve the ship will bo be ablaze with lanterns and hung with ribbons I 1 norn nom do dieu aleu I 1 it Is too late to change the affair 1 I 1 could bite my fingers that I 1 did not think of the banquet commander bossiere Boss lere will preside do marigny Marl gny barre pierre des young do da la vergne the officers of the garrison and the municipality nici the affair will be an uproar until sunrise 1 midnight 11 commented the other well aben thelby by bonaparte himself monsieur mazarac shall attend he will stand at the banquet table in the emperors suite and toast the absent guests ile ho will bo be tho the ghost out of the dark and fleeting on to the dark ness nes that awaits him iee he wilt will be brief in his role this badarac gros grasping ping at it flicker of moonlight and tor for ills bis answer st silence lence 11 CHAPTER VIII the thal revelers of the place placa dannes in the dusky radiance of the chain oil lamps suspended from corner to corner comer the vagrant candle seller peller held his handful of green wax myrtle tapers high peering up at the iron gallery to tho the possible customer belles chandel lesl petits belles c chandelles chan delles Madi badamo atno I 1 the magnificent lady ignored him with disdain and the shabby old figure shambled on with its cry belles than delles madame belles chandelles chan delles I 1 at tho the corner of tho the rue royale and orleans just behind the cathedral tho the peddler stopped and hitched hla his cloak higher over his basket the rue dorleans was a blaze of light showing forth the low facade of the famous ballroom from carriages dusky be jeweled women were alighting and across tho the cobbles grooms led horses from which gentlemen had bad just dismounted mo anted to wander by groups to the barroom or to the crowded vestibule of the quadroon ball laughing jesting gallants some of more youthful appearance glancing rather timorously up the street for this was a frolic not countenanced openly and yet the gentlemen of the town and the plantations would be there favorites and mi stresses tho famed beauties of the demi deml demimonde monde and perhaps a few better recognized were lured to the ball dorleans to wonder curiously how ho w brothers fathers and lovers might comport themselves at the he revel the old candle seller in the shadow of the trees in the cathedral rarden parden across the rue royale watched unceasingly cea singly behind him lay the narrow paved alley st antoine between the church und the gloomy high galleried buildings jutting over it the other end opened on the place dArr danica dAnn nes ca and beyond that tho the levee where there was waa a group ot 0 lanterns forming fin an arch over a carpeted gangway that led to the deck of the gayly lighted sera phane the candle peddler looked each way casually at length from the crowd before the ballroom vestibule amidst the flash of carriage wheels sleek coated animals turning among the bright coated gentlemen and shouting hostler hustlers host lers 4 there moro came one brown skinned fellow tugging to hold backa spirited unsteadily ail b Y chance lie w as jerked on by tho ho arse tile groom finally hold up a the ban buetto of broad stones on iw which stood the idle candle seller to him the groom muttered 0 monsieur Al monaster la Is hero here ile he n thought it best they albo him roland ly about the affair but lie protests he has gavvn balf ills plantation force to the military ond find the city K guard who are beating out the woods wood for tho the stolen lady no ile has baa ca bounced as deeply as any against the outrage and he thought thou glit it best to comen come join the gallants how goes it borgio gio with h the few of us ll 11 in town well and be assured across ucross the river the captain jean will have his fellows ready I 1 be on now I 1 you must not talk to me overlong only teton we idle here armed and and a word from your master P monsieur do de Al monaster Is rosend to send word by me mei I 1 om am to hane about drinking with the servants at our bide entrance watch watching ing admust word rd must come in time before the party leaves for tha we must know ibal hial an hour bour before my master will be assured the fun grows furious already at lt will be drawn ere they think of supper on the ilie L era phIne 11 4 be eton gone el I 1 hero here comes one of we the police guard 1 P the quarter blood groom led on do Almona stera stiers horse and again the candle seller raised his tawa monotonous cry down the rue royale and from the river end of antons An alley wan dered another figure at the deep entry to tho the padres Pa dros house midway in the tree shaded obscurity the old indal beggar sank on the stones with a sigh and adjusted the pair ot of pistols at his belt to more ease when gorito wandered this ilits way ay again the vagrant seemed asleep then come came his mutter perhaps on the rue do de la levee af by th the first market stall there might await a cull CUB tomer thou art too noisy at the best beat for the padres street ell eh frera deable Dl able custom to 18 bad at least retorted retort 0 d gorgio but you the police will harry you on as well not with padre antoine Ant olne my good friend above at his book 01 growled the other do as I 1 bid 1 I was sent and on idled the candle man with his fits owl cry to the galleried galler led homes under the thick arches of the ancient market lie ho bantered hoarsely about tie llo cabbage and fowl stalls at this hour the market was little visited and few kept open A few lazy indian women and mulattoes grumbled back at gor glos jests tin an early cart or two backed in to unload for the morrows business and it was to one of these on which n trio of truck smoked idly that the old man came they shot down dark inscrutable glances pierre Pl erre muttered gorgio you are arc in charge of these 9 in all sixteen of us sleeping about tho the stalls came in tile the patois tho police guards note nothing but of the fellows fell who must cross by tile the river there to Is delay what was the hour it cannot be set to a moment at midnight the ball must have taken every idler from the plaza to crowd about and gape gap at the gentry save for the cursed lights about the ship itself all would be clear it must be touch and board quickly quick lylo two of hohanness Joh anness men are nl ready already on enlisted lIsted in the crew they report all well save sa that old bossiere Boss lere loro busses fusses about the tables rn on the deck the lights and wine and cuisine cills lne keep the servants all astir s pe he will go to the ball later As commander co of the napoleon expedition and the affair jn in honor of the Sera phInes departure ou on a next w tide the young branoa will have him in the whirl monsieur Mons leur de Almon Almonn asters groom Is to fetch the first word to nie me 1 I to t 0 peter the beggar who plays the sot on an the steps of the padres Pa drets house lie he to you in the market then you to tho the lantern signal under the rue Toulou tou i loutie ae landing in then the six flix coats khoot with all speed from the other shore at the first commotion as they aboard your fellows rush openly from the market cast off the mooring unes and join it Is overboard 0 with any who oppose ah t to 0 o play pla y the part pall ot of sax a ax arac ono one bourl TO BS CONTINUED CONTINUE DJ |