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Show by Mary evereux BJ I i 1 WTH ILLUSTPATION3 GY DOM C. WILSON BBS ? iftftt fitumrtJ H CHAPTER XXIX. BBS Less than a week later, one early BBB afternoon, the momberB or tlio houso- BBm hold nt La Teto den Enux were start- BBs led by tlio booming of cannon In the BBJj direction of Lako Dorgno. BBJ What hail happened was thin: An BBJj English flout, with twclva hundred BBS men, had, with tho Intention of throw- BBb lnp nn attacking force across Lakes BBb Dorgno und Pontchnrtaln, sailed Into BBa Lake Dorgno and opened an nttack up- BBB on tho Americans, whoso presence BBB was a surprlso to tho rnomy, as Capt. BBB 1ickycr, commanding tho latter, had BBB understood that this point was de- BBB fensolcss. BBB A florco hattlo followed, rcs'iltlng In BBB a partial victory for tho English, who BBB were now masters of Lako Uorgno. BBB It was tho Shaplrn who, lata In tho BBB aftornoon, brought this news to 1a BBB Tetc dog ICaux. BBB Tho hoiiBO was soon In a bustlo of BBB preparation, tho Inmatos packing hns- BBB Uly tlio few things they wcro to tuko BBB with them In their flight, and conceal- BBB Ing such property ns would bo likely BBB to nttract thieving bands nmong tho BBB enemy, who would, with Uttlo doubt, BBB visit the plantation, as Shaplrn report BBB cd tho woods about Lako Dorgno to bo BBB Oiled with Urltlsh soldiers. BBB Madame Itlcfot, when not absorbed BBB by other matters, did not hcsltato to BBB express her roluctnnco toward accept- BBB Ing tho asslstanco of this swarthy, BBB brlgandlsh-looklng man, whom slio BBB had never beforo seen, and whoso BBB very exlstenco had been unknown to BBB BBB "I know something of him," spoko BBB up Mademoiselle Itoso. "Ho Is tho BBB man of whom grandporo rented Ka- BBB nuahana. Didn't you know UT" BBB "Yes," Lazallo added, beforo Mad- BBB amo Itlcfot had tlmo to framo a fitting BBB icply, "and wo havo seen him many BBB times about tho woods hero. Itoso BBB and I once saw Captain Jean talking BBB with him; and I think ho Is very obllg- BBB "Dut all this ho tolls us of a cave, One of his owr craft, cummnnded by Ilaptlstlno, was .ying off tho Owl's l'olnt, awnltlng the Blgnal which would announco tho coming of Iantte, who, bent upon a private mission In tho neighborhood, had not reckoned upon tho present denouement. Hut now, In view of nil tho circumstances, circum-stances, ho considered this, tho boat, a moro desirable means for conveying tho ladles directly to Shell Island, whoro now wero only old Hclplo, Juniper Ju-niper and tho boy, Nato. I Waiting therefore until he saw Sha- plra stnrt for tho Colonnch, fallowed by tho now quiet slaves, I-nflttc, who had mcantlmo explained hi" plan to his own charges, told thorn to follow him, and sot out hurriedly In nn op-poslto op-poslto direction from that taken by Shaplrn nnd his dusky retinue. Tho forest was darkening with Into afternoon chadows as tho Hoping party par-ty followed, In comparatlvo silence, tho tall form that led them. At length tho party emerged from the deeper shadows-of their wooded wny, nnd camo Into n elenred space, whoro tho knoll known as "Tho Owl's l'olnt" projected Into tho bayou; nnd taking hero, I.nfltto looked about him, whllo tho others stood grouped a llttlo dlstanco away, nwnltlng quietly his movements. But beforo ho could glvo tho signal to Dnpttstlno, whoso' craft was concealed con-cealed around tho bend of tho bvou, two men burst from tho cover of a thicket opposlto Lafltto, a gun was leveled at his breast, and a hoarso voice shouted, "Surrender, you cursed plratol" Itoso do Cazcncau, with a wild cry, rushed between tho weapon nnd La-fltto, La-fltto, while Darbo, who hnd been staring star-ing as though ho wcro n ghost at tho holder of tho gun, echoed tho shriek of her mistress. "Do not do not shoot your child 1" sho screamed; and, nt her words, old Zcncy, who stood nearest tho Btrang-cr, Btrang-cr, gavo him ono searching look, and rushed In turn between her mistress H "Surrender, you cursed pirate!" BBBJ whoro wo can hide, right hero on tho BBBJ plantation, yet which no ono has over BBBj heard of before, and no ono, except- H ing Captain Jean and himself, scorns BBBJ to know anything about, sounds very BBBJ strango and Incredible. Did your H grundpero know of this cave, Mlg-BBBJ Mlg-BBBJ H "1 do not know, but I think not. I BBBJ never heard of such a thing. Yet, BBBJ jnadamo, It surely Is safer to trust this BBBJ man, who tolls us that Captain Jean BBBJ sent him, than to stay horo and risk BBBJ n visit from thoso dreadful soldiers." BBBJ "Wo daro not stay, nnd so wo must BBBJ trust him," said Madamo, with a weak BBBJ attempt at resolution, as she slid a BBB jowcl-box Into tho bundlo Violet was BBBJ preparing to fasten. H Old Zoney had co mo over from PBBJ Kanauhann, having Insisted upon bo- BBBJ Ing taken nwny with hor beloved BBJ young mlstross; and now sho entered H the room to announco that Captain BBBJ Jean wm bolow stairs. H Never had his arrival at tho plnnta- BBBJ lion been so n oleoma ns now. Mad- H amo rtlefot, catching up her out-of- BBBJ door wrnps from tlio bed, ordered that BBBJ the various bundles bo brought down BBBJ stairs; for tho phlegmatic Darbo had HH finished tying up the last ono as Cbloa LVJ h&ndod Sonorlta I.niallo tho laco BBBJ heart for her bond, whllo Ma'am Drlg- BBBJ Ida was fastening tho long cloak sho BBBJ had Insisted that hur nursling should H "You may feel yourself fortunate, BBBJ Madamo IMofet, that you nro ablo to BBBJ Icavo here by daylight, and not, llko BBBJ eomo people 1 know, bo roused from BBBJ rleep to find yourself a prlsonor In BBBJ English hands," said Lnfltto, ns thoy BBBJ Joined him on tho statrway. BBBJ As thoy wero descending tho stairs, BBBJ ho called to Shapiro, who was stand- BBBJ ing on tho veranda, and thon hurry- BBBJ Ing down, gave tho latter somo In- BBBJ structlnns which tho others did not BBBJ hear ns they passed out of tho houso BJBB and faced tho slaves, now huddled In- Bfl to n terrified mats, with their faces BBBJ full of despairing expectancy, BBBl Somo of the women began lament- BBBl Ing wildly when they found thnt thoy BBBH were not to go away. Hut LnfUto, In BBBb Ms usual authoritative fashion, quiet- BBh cd the hubbub, nnd ordorod Shaptra BBBM to take them to tho Colonneh, which BBBfl as ho now decided was not to bo BBBfl used is a hldlng-plncQ for thoso whom BBB lie himself had, to unexpectedly, been BBBfl ;ible to asu and tho gun, Just as It shot out a Jet of ftamo., A second report mingled so closely with tho first as to mako them seem but ono; nnd Zoney. with tho man who had shot her, fell to tho ground. All hnd happened so quickly that LaQtto, who wns, for an Instant, uu-nerved uu-nerved by Itoso do Cazonoou's effort to savo him, had scarcoly tlmo to draw a pistol beforo his unknown assailant as-sailant foil, as If from tho dlschargo of his 'own weapon, which had killed Zcnoy. In their surprlso nnd fright, nnd by reason of tho confusion, no ono except Lnfltto had comprehended nny moaning moan-ing In tho words which followed tho wild cry Qf Darbc, who now stood sobbing sob-bing hysterically, with her arms around her half-swooning mistress, whllo Lnzalle, with dilating nostrils nnd blazing oyos, sought to relcaso herself from Madamo Itlcfot. Ilaptlstlno, who had heard tho shots, reached tho shoro In n smnll boat pulled by some of his crow, toon after Shnplra appearod at tho edgo of tho thick woods from whenco had como tho bullet that had killed Zoney's slay-or. slay-or. Tho Kngllsh sailor, nt Lnfltto's command, com-mand, now surrendered his arras to Shapiro, nnd wnB promised freedom, in oxchango for a truthful stntomont of tho motlvo which brought his companion com-panion nnd himself to tho spot. Ho said that tho other man had been unknown to him until that same morning; morn-ing; nnd nil ho now know of him was that ho wns n scout, picked up from among tho Indians, nnd bought to servo tho Kngllsh. Cnpt. Lockyor, who was In command of tho English flcot upon Lako norgno, having learned thnt I.afU was In that vicinity, vicin-ity, had solectod jcout to find and capture 1!io man u.on whom ho longod to oxecuto porsonnl vengeance Ills orders had been to bring Ijifltto i him, allvo, It possible nnd dead, lather than not nt all; and tho sailor, bavlng beon ono of tho crow who rowed tho Drltlsh oftlcors to thulr mortifying conferenco nt Grundo Torre, had been sent with tho scout In order to Identify Lnfltto. 8ucta wns tho end of tho man In ' whom Darbc had recognized tho brilliant bril-liant officer of former years recognized, recog-nized, dosplto tho shock of grluled hair, nnd the change wrought by tlmo nnd n luwlosg life In tho taco nnd form that had tempted the new year's elopement. Meantime, naptlstlno had landed; and leaving his men In tho boat, ho camo leisurely to where Lnfltto was questioning tho English sailor. Tha Ilarntarlnn's rhrowd eyes had glanced over the scono; nnd tho fallen bodies, tho group of excited women all that ho saw, told his alert perceptions whnt had presumably taken place, whllo the sight of his commander, itnmllng unharmed, and Shapiro's nt tltut'e, as ho leaned upon his gun, as-mired as-mired him that tlio danger, such as It might have beon, wns past. Hence his nonchalant, strolling gait to where Lafltto stood. Tho latter saw him nt once, nnd interrupted in-terrupted himself to bid Shoplra soo that tho sailor nwnlted his further or dors. Then drawing Ilaptlstlno aside, 'no gavo him Instructions In regard to placing tho ladles and their maids aboard his boat. "Hut It seems very dreadful to leave poor Zcney lying there," said Iloie, with n tearful backward look, as Lafltto La-fltto wns assisting her Into tho small boat. "It Is not possible to do otherwise, child," ho nnswured gently, tightening Ills pressure upon tho small hand ho was holding. "All that can bo done for her now, I will rco Is done before I Join you. Will you not trust mo to do that?" Tho expression of tho tear-stnlned eyes raised to meet his look nnswered him without tho need of speech. "You nro not coming with us?" bIio began, when Madamo Dlcfot Interrupted Inter-rupted her with a shrill "Not coming with usl Oh. Cnpt. Lafltto, wo can not go without you. And these strnngo men I Indeed" now angrily "wo will not I" Ho had put Hose aboard tho boat, and turned to assist Lnzallo. whllo ho nnswered Madamo Hlofot's outburst calmly, although there was evidence of Impntlenco held In check. "I Intend to escort you personally to Sholl Island, madamo; but It Is host that you nil go aboard tho boat my captain hero has waiting around tho point. Ho will tnko you to It, and then return for mo, ns I havo a duty horo which I cannot very well perform until you nnd tho other ladles havo gone. There may bo other English men prowling In tho vicinity; nnd tho sound of tho firing may bring them this way. If this should happen, I enn manago matters to far better nd-vnntngo nd-vnntngo by knowlug thnt you nro out of harm's way" Madamo mado no roply, but permit ted him to placo her In tho boat. Ma'mara Hrlgldn followed her, Violet coming last; nnd tho sailors pushed off as Ilaptlstlno sprang aboard. "Why docs not Darbo como with us?" Madamo Hlcfet demauded abruptly, ab-ruptly, as Bho saw tlio French womnn walk to whoro Shaplrn wns bending over tho body of Zeney, Intending as ordered by Ijifltte to carry It Into tho woods for burial. Lnfltto onsworcd from the 'horo, "Barbe will como with mo; there Is something I wish her to do, Madamo Itlerct, If you will kindly permit" Ho hnd, unnoticed by tho others, laid n detaining hand on Darbo's arm, nnd whispered, "I wish to spenk with you; wait hero until tho boat returns." Sho' gavo no sign of having heard him, but stood silently, until, na Vlolot was following Drlgida into tho boat, sho turned nnd walked over to where lay tho dead. (To bo continued.) |
