Show rl CAPTAIN 7 by CHARLES TENNEY JACKSON by the bobbe merrill 1 I OFFER A SHIP ryN synopsis under the name of captain mazarac Saz arac and d disguised agul sed jean iA lafette fitte former freebooter of barataria Bar ataria proscribed returns to the city of new orleans he Is in recognized by two of 0 his old companions alderman dominique and beluche at the gaming table mazarac has won much money from colonel carr british officer john jarvis the cites first bohemian bohe of the arts and Itt utters an friend of lafitte tells of a womans comans face and smile As his last wager carr puts up a woman presumably a slave custom compels mazarac to accept the stake he wins his old associates and count roul raoul de Al monaster accost him as A project of the youthful adventurers of new orleans Is the rescue of napoleon bonaparte from st helena and a ship the seraphine has been made ready from de almonas ter mazarac learns that the girl he be won at the card table Is white of high estate and that the matter has been made a byword in the cites resorts saz arac finds mademoiselle lespron Lc Le stron a fellow passenger on a river steamer a few days before and with whom he had fallen in love Is the girl and in chivalry foregoes his revenue revenge against again t carr jarvis admires mademoiselle le les lee tron he Is a witness of the meeting and picks pick up a camellia which the girl had thrown unnoticed to mazarac Saz arac jarvis jarels Is dangerous he talks too much in his cups his old associates of the barataria Bar ataria days urge lafitte to take command of th the seraphine ostensibly to rescue resau napoleon but really to fly the black flag and cruise the othe seas he hesitates hesitate a jarvis Is a witness of the of mademoiselle 1 lespron Le estron stron but his story Is not given credence de almonaster Al monaster enter entertains A mazarac Saz arac now admittedly jean Lat lahitte itte at his country house e lahitte Lat itte accused of the abduction of mademoiselle les tron to Is warned of the approach of a military party seeking to arrest him lie he escapes to the swamps or of barataria lafitte learns that mademoiselle lespron has been placed on the ship benaron Ge naron for the west indies influenced fluen ced by his followers of the days and by de A al monaster chief owner of the seraphine lafitte agrees to seize the ship and sail to tile the rescue of mademoiselle lespron Le stron CHAPTER VII continued 10 ile he took his snuff debonairly and sud suddenly lenly with a shout of joy the be hairy balry giant hohanness Joh anness seized the counts slender hand there once more 1 I told you jean that this young aristocrat was the truest adventurer of us nil all I 1 now he be proposes a ship A ship for mazarac Saz arac nc the captain mazarac in turn grasped de Almon asters hand well then polion hohon get word to the temple choose your follows fellous well and have them come by the water trails secretly to monsieur Ber thouds plantation across from the upper tipper city and not a field hand band or house slave must so much as have sight of a tall ot of you all no liquor there no brawling until we ne have descended by the old smugglers road and taken the napoleon ship the score of figures crowded on the buggers lug gers deck or wading waist aalst deep deel about her bow holding lie flambeaus flambeaux flam beaus and striving to listen to the conference a baarse cry brackley Cr ackley the leader of the deserters e for dominance over the younger men nil eli bul bullies liesl 1 I 1 told you there would be bloodletting blood letting once we had the man to lead us A ship and then over the line at the kin kill 0 truffle says I 1 at a word from bolion bohon there fiere was it scattering of the islanders from the smug smugglers alers rail A whimpered conference liere here and there secret orders given gesticulations of surprise and exultation as the lieutenants explained what must be arranged at the buggers lug gers how there now stood but two figures the ga gamester baza rac had placed a hand band on the younger mans shoulder you peril your life und your fortune Mon montleur bleur there Is but one stake for which I 1 would accept such a mud mad offer front from a friend one night upon the staircase at the hotel I 1 said bluntly merely as a 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 ment my way asking no answer the moonlight was on the palms and myrtle I 1 could not well see hut but I 1 thought something fell and vanished from froin my sight it might have been her answer very likely it wits was ladys anwer answer awer smiled de Al Almonn monaster ster eli eh well I 1 out of the tha shadows it came into the shadows it vanished it appears to be like my life it seems to have the prophecy of my iny love ali ah 1 curious thing abing a flicker in the moonlight and silence 1 I offer monsieur a ship my friendship my fortune to compel the lady to answer the bronzed adventurer laughed slightly thank you monsieur lilt but suddenly his companion started with an amazed gasp mazarac Saz arac I 1 have forgotten some thing I 1 perdition I 1 it just clime to my dullard mind I 1 the plot Is to seize the Ge raphur tomorrow night as she fab ile lies at her moorings before the place dAr barnies d annes nies 1 certainly the venture cannot be delayed a moment beyond that well and good I 1 but it Is IR the night or of the banquet to celebrate the plot napoleon apoleon 1 I myself rm ni to make a modest speech of acceptance for my aunt baroness Pon talba as I 1 take over her interests in outfitting outwitting out fitting the 1 I should say it Is very well putting back to the city ut tit once with your blacks and appearing at the affair you are shielded from all connivance with what hat the infamous baza rac may do ali ah but exclaimed de almonas ter there Is to be a bull at the theatre theartre dorleans dOr ieans the youth and chivalry of the city are to dance there and then away to the seraphine Seraph lne 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 be ablaze with lanterns and hung with ribbons I 1 norn nom de dieu I 1 it Is too late to change the affair I 1 I 1 could bite my fingers that I 1 did not think of the banquet commander bossiere Boss lere fere will preside de marigny Marl gny barre pierre des Tr elian young de la Is vergne the officers of the garrison ind the municipality nici niel the affair will be an uproar until sun sunrise 1 midnight commented the other well then by bonaparte himself monsieur mazarac shall attend he will stand at the banquet table in the emp emperors eroes suite and toast the absent guests ile he will be the ghost out of the dark and fleeting on to the dark 1 belles chandelles Chan delles Ma darnel belles chandelles Chandel Chan delles lesl ness that att awaits aits nits him ile he will be brief in his role this grasping at a flicker of moonlight and for his ansi a er sli silence ence CHAPTER vill VIII the revelers of the place darmes in the dusky radiance of the cha chain in oil lamps suspended from corner to corner the vagrant candle seller feller held hi his linn handful drui of green wax ax m mm artle tle tapers high peering up at the iron gallery to the possible customer belles chandel lest petits belles chandelles Chan dell delles es bla Ma cadaine dame daine the magnificent lady ignored him alt disdain ain and the shabby old figure shambled on with its cry belles belies chan chandelles delles madame 1 cues belles chandelles chan delles at the corner of the rue royale and orleans just behind the cathedral the peddler stopped and hitched his cloak higher over his basket the rue dorleans dOr dO ieans ricans was a blaze of light showing forth the low facade of the famous ballroom from carriages dusky he be jew aled women were alighting anti anil across the cobbles grooms led horses from which gentlemen had just dismounted 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 end and mistresses distresses mi stresses the famed beauties of the demimonde demi monde and perhaps a few better recognized were lured to tile the ball dorleans dOr ieans to wonder curiously how brockers brot kers fathers end and lovers might comport themselves at the he revel the old candle seller in the shadow of the trees in the cathedral garden across the rue royale watched unceasingly cea singly behind him lay the narrow paved alley st antoine between the church and the gloomy high buildings jutting over it the other end opened on the place darmes dAnn cs and beyond that the levee where there was a group of lanterns forming tin an arch over a carpeted gangway that led to the deck of the gayly lighted seraphine the candle peddler looked each ay way calu casually ally JU at length from the crowd before the ballroom vestibule amidst the flash of 0 carriage wheels sleek coated animals turning among the bright coated gentlemen and shouting hostlers hustlers host lers there came one brown skinned fellow tugging to hold back a spirited steed unsteadily as by chance he be m was as jerked on by the horse the groom finally held up at the banquette of broad stones on which stood the idle candle seller to him the groom muttered monsieur Al monaster Is here he ha thought it best they gibe him roundly about the affair Lat lahitte itte but lie he protests lie he has given halt half his plantation force to the military and the city guard who are beating out the woods for the stolen lady he has denounced as deeply as any against the outrage and he thought it best to come join the gallants how goes it gorilo Gor glo with the few of us its in town well and be assured across the river tho the captain jean will have his fellows ready be on bowl you tou must not talk to me overlong only teton we idle here armed and match w watchful ful and a word from your mater master Blons monsieur leur de almonaster Al monaster Is to send word by me I 1 am to hang about drinking with the servants at our side entrance watching word must come in time before the party leaves for the ship we must know that nn an hour before my master will be assured the fun grows furious already it will be drawn ere they think of supper on the seraphine be gone I 1 here cornea comes one of the police guard I 1 the quarter blood groom led on de da Almona Almon asters horse and again the candle seller raised his monotonous cry down the rue royale and from the river end of antoinet An alley wandered another figure at the deep entry to the padres house midway in the tree shaded obscurity the old da beggar sank on the stones with a sigh and adjusted the pair of pistols at his belt to more ease when gorgio wandered this way again the vagrant seemed asleep then came his mutter perhaps on the rue de la a levee by the first market stall there might await a customer thou art too noisy at the best for the padres street eh frere deabler Dl Di able abler custom Is bad at least retorted gorgio but you the police will harry you on as well not with padre antoine Ant olne my good friend above at his book growled the other do as I 1 bid I 1 was sent and on idled the candle man with his owl cry to the galleried galler led homos homes under the thick arches of the ancient market lie he bantered hoarsely about tle i 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 an early cart or two backed in to unload for the morrows business and it was aas to one of these on which a trio of truck smoked idly that the old man came they shot down dark inscrutable glances pierre Pl erre muttered gorgio you are in charge of these in all sixteen of us sleeping about the stalls came in the patois tho the police guards note nothing but of the fellows who must cross by the river there Is delay what was the tha hour it cannot be set to a moment at midnight the ball must have taken every idler from froin the plaza to crowd about and gape at the gentry save sav for the cursed lights about the ship itself all would be clear it must be ba touch and board quickly two of Jo Joli banness anness men are already enlisted in the crew they report all well save that old bossiere Boss lere fusses busses about the tables on the deck tha lights and wine and cuisine culs llie keep the ati servants all astir lie will go to the ball later As A commander of the alie napoleon expedition and the affair in honor of the tha departure on a next leeka tide the young bravos will have him in the whirl monsieur de Almona Almon asters groom I 1 if I 1 to fetch the first word to me I 1 to peter the beggar who plays the sot got on the steps of the padres house ha ale to iou on in the market then you to the tha lantern signal under the rue toulouse rou loume landing then the six biz boats shoot w with lilt all speed from the other shore at the firby commotion as they swing aboard your fellows rush openly from the market cast off the mooring lines alln and join it I 1 Is overboard with uny who oppose ah to play the part of sax arac one bourl TO BE CONTINUED |