Beadle's Half Dime Library (no. 550) (1888 02 07)
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Dl a Said SE A » F R a aS | ~~ Ae (tata! NS CA * Entered at the Post Office at New York, N. Y., at Second Class Mail Rates. Copyright, 1888, by BEADLE AND ADAMS, : February 7, 133% 0 nen Ss TS ay Tener wae 1g REE PEAR EE SE SAD ETT RET EI EN TS) ERE (CORI ETS EEE TS TRE RTT TTL XXII $2.50 PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY BEADLE AND ADAMS, Price, N Vol. a Year. No. 9 WILLIAM STREET, NEW YORE. 5 Cents. O. 550. \ , : me ' A y SS &S THE AVENGING A ROMANOR OF THE GULP, —_—_——— BY COLONEL PRENTISS INGRAHAM, AUTHOR OF “THE OUTLAWED MIDDY,” “ gig HUNTED MIDSHIPMAN,” “‘ MERLE, THE MIDDY,” “ LIEUTENANT LEO,” ETC., ETO,, ETC, CHAPTER I, SUS RSS aN 7 aerirnstsenanenat tlt Ww THE TWO SCROONERS. EB | Two vessels were sailing swiftly over the = Sz Z ‘waters of the Gulf of Mexico, SSS = = Fe 4 a ———— ~ = ——<—<< INSTANTLY HE MADE UP HIS MIND, AND SEIZING JUAQUITA IN HIS STRONG LAFITTE RAN TO THE BULWARKS AND SPRUNG WITH HEA INTO THE baa ; | | Phe one was pursued, the other pursuing, and {ot and fast, from the stern guns of one acd the oy
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bow guns of the other, thundered forth a heavy ; fire, each suffering under the cruel blows. The vessels were about the same size, schooner rigged, armed heavily for craft of their tonnage, aud their decks were crowded with men. They were beautiful models of marine archi- tecture, and carried a vast spread of canvas. Along the shores of the Gulf they sped, and ‘oy ey pursuer was slowly gaining upon the pur- Fe suea, I: ; The decks of each had been stained with life- ’ blood, and the sails were torn here and _ there, and ratlines and stays severed by the hot fire kept up on board of each. Upon the deck of the leader stood a man with : a cruel, angry-looking face—a man whose nature 4 was stamped upon every feature of his counte- nance, He was dressed in a uniform that was gaudy in the extremie, and wore a brace of pistols and sword for arms. “Choteau, the chief is gaining on us, so we will soon have to fight it out,” he said, in a hoarse voice, as he lowered his glass from his eye, after a long look at the schooner in his wake, ‘Yes, Captain Ricardo, the Destiny is gain- ' ing, and it will be a desperate struggle, when it ae comes to a hand-to-hand fight—that is, if our men will fight, when they know that Commo- A core Lafitte commands the schooner, and not, \ as you led them to believe, captors of the craft,” answered Choteau, a young sailor who was evi- mer an officer, ‘Well, they must fight, for I will tell them soon that Lafitte sold himself to the Americans, and got his pardon on condition that he would hunt down Ricardo and his crew and hang them.” ‘That will make them fight, surely, Captain Ricardo, ‘*But can you understand any reason why Lafitte should be pursuing us as he is?” ** Well, yes, Choteau,” ‘‘T wish you could give us a reason, captain.” ‘‘ Lafitte received, from that British brig-of- war that was off our island, and which Lieuten- ant Leo boarded, an offer to join the English in their attack on New Orleans. ‘¢One of the guards heard what was said by Lafitte and Lord Lennox, whom you remember Leo took to the chief’s headquarters?” ‘*-Yes, I remember, sir.” “Lord Lennox, the English officer, made Lafitte an offer of a captain’s berthin the king’s navy, 80 much money, and pardon for himself and men, if they would join the British, ‘* Lafitte made a larger claim, to gain time, it seems, and sent his son, Lieutenant Leo, to New Orleans, with an offer to serve the Ameri+ cans, ‘““ His offer was, accepted, and he sailed, as you know, in his"Schooner with a picked crew, and left me in command of the stronghold. “‘T got on a spree, as you know, the men fol- lowed my example, and the ‘American fleet. * came and surprised us, we alone escaping in this ae schooner. : . ‘* Now the battle of New Orleans was fought and won, as you know the skipper of the mer- ‘ chant brig we captured, told us, and Lafitte and his crew was there. ie “Now we find him at sea in his vessel, and Witte’ be is evidently gaining his pardon by bunting me down, and it is a spice of revenge, as my a drunken orgie lost the stronghold and fleet to “1 think you are right, sir,” replied Choteau. ye “Tam sure that I am, and if the crew do not ; beat off Lafitte’s vessel, we will all be taken and tS hanged by our old chief.” ; ; + And if we beat him off the sea is before us pee A eo Bic black flag and enrich ourselves.” : by “Yes, Choteau.”, eel pinh \ It would be a good idea to tell the men, sir, == and let them know just what they are to ex- TT will, and let them unde that our old chief has proven a traitor to , and told own | | s, and that now it will be no longer Lafitte, the Pirate of | ; Such was her name, | craft. . — =| ; moe “3 = (eae <— J Stone . : IES elon ”" CP Spd SNCS a ere ae lla ee TERS BOS yA CURR or REDE PLE ey IPR ae UBL irl ws Lafitte’s Legacy. CHAPTER II, THE CAPTAIN’S THREAT. Harpy had Ricardo, who claimed that his chief, and not himself, was the traitor, gotten the sanction of his crew to figbt Lafitte to the death, when suddenly, out from behind a high headland, sbot a large brig-of-war. She carried the British colors, was, in appear- ance, a match for both of the schooners, and seemed to decide that one of them at least should be her prey. The appearance of the stranger caused con- siderable excitement upon the deck of Ricardo’s vessel, the Firebug. Should the latter be made the object of the brig’s attention, her career must end very quick- Should the Englishman, on the other hand, turn his attention to the schooner Destiny, then the Firebug stood every chance to escape from both the brig and the schooner, and this was what the pirate captain and his crew longed for, as, outside of the British vessel-of-war alto- gether, they had no desire to fight Lafitte. They knew that he had proven himself invin- cible in many a desperate engagement, and had begun as the master spirit of the buccaneers of Barrataria, who had been strong enough for the British to offer most generous terms for an alli- ance with them against the Americans. After a few moments of suspense, in which they received a broadside from the British brig, acheer rung out from the Firebug’s crew, as they beheld the Englishman square away to- ward the Destiny. ‘* We have been saved, Choteau, for had the brig attacked us the end would quickly have come, and I had I must now confess, little hope of a victory over Lafitte,” said Ricardo. ‘‘Nor had I hope, sir, to defeat the chief; but see, he intends to boldly fight the brig and not run from it.” ot. So it seems; but if he does, he seals his ‘Tt would be a gallant thing, Captain Ri- i atoa to put back and aid Lafitte in his ght. “I am not taking such chances, Choteau.” “‘T believe the two schooners could capture the brig, sir.” ** And then?” “We would have saved the chief and his vessel,” { ae ** And he would, had he the power, bang us for our pains.” “i do not believe Lafitte would do that, sir. ‘¢ Well, to whom would the prize belong, did we capture her?” ‘“*T had not thought of that, sir.” “Then Lafitte having turned honest, and we being still pirates, how would we get along, for oil and water won’t mix, Senor Choteau.” ‘True, Captain Ricardo.” : ‘“No, we have been lucky enough to escape, so we will sail on our way and leave Lafitte to his fate, and that we can guess, for see, he is boldly fighting a foe double his size,” and Ri- cardo turned his glass upon the plucky schooner, while his own vessel sailed away in the gather- ing gloom of night, leaving the Destiny con- tending against her powerful foe. } Further and further away sailed the Firebug, until at last the flashes of ue guns ceased, and the battle at sea was ended, “* We are in luck,” commented Ricardo. ‘* Lafitte’s doom has come, his fleet was wi out, his last fight is ended, and now it is Ricardo, the Rover of the Gulf, Senor Choteau.” ‘Yes, senor,” replied the pirate lieutenant, and his voice was sad, for the magnificent battle made by his former chief, against a foe that of victory, caused him to of the man who had so long ne upon the high seas even though it had been gave him no ho sorrow for the fai | led the Buccaneers of Barrataria to under the black flag. The British brig-of-war had been lying at Vulture that she carried at her peak a large flag, the field jet-black and in the center a pair of golden wings. ; This stamped her as one of Lafitfe’s fleet, known as the Buccaneer Fleet of Burrataria. But the schooner in chase carried no colors, and was replying to the fire of the fugitive with equal effect. That the brig, from her position, had her picks of either schooner, was evident. Naturally it would have been supposed that the commander of the Vulture would have taken the one flying the black flag, under the supposition that the vessel in her wake, showing no colors, was a cruiser, But the-captain of the Vulture prepared to let the leading schooner go with a broadside, and turned his attention to the one in chase. “. The reason of this was made known by Cap- tain Grayson, of the brig, in his own words, ‘* Yonder craft flies no colors, Harbinger, but she is the schooner of Lafitte, the flagship of his pirate squadron,” he said to his first officer. ‘- Yes, sir, she does certainly appear so.” ‘* T know it, for T can never be fooled ina ves- sel I have several times chased, and such a craft as that one is, for there is not another like her in these waters.” iz: ‘‘Can Lafitte be on board, sir?” asked Lieu- tenant Harbinger. ‘* He must be, though why he carries no flag I cannot tell—oh! a thought occurs to me, “© Well, sir?” ‘‘ He refused the offers Lord Lennox made to him to join us and, as you know, joined the _ Americans, and, as Packenham’s men told us, fought them desperately. ‘“'He has doubtless been promised a pardon by General Jackson, if he will hunt from the seas his former companions in crime.” Ag ‘‘ Tt does seem so, sir, and be can carry no flag until he is pardoned by the Americans?” “Yes; but an American pardon is not an English one, as he shall know. ‘© Had he accepted General Packenham’s most _ generous offers and aided us, we would have taken New Orleans beyond a shadow of a doubt. f “As he refused, and fought against us, he is still Lafitte the Pirate, and I feel revengeful toward him, for I still smart under our defeat at New Orleans, Harbinger.” ‘* We cannot help feeling it, sir.” , “No, and I shall let the man go for the master, and, capturing tte, as We may say we have him in our power, [ shall hang him to the yard-arm of the Vulture, and thus punish him for his crimes and rub out the snub he gave = in refusing the magnanimous offers made im. “Give the fugitive schooner a broadside, or two, Harbinger, and then we will devote our at- tention to Lafitte, and woe be unto him, for I ‘ami revengeful, I‘assure you. The order of Captain Grayson was obeyed, and the Vulture, British brig-of-war, made the schooner Destiny the object of her attack, . CHAPTER IV. LAFITTE’S LEGACY, Ler us now take a look on board the schooner Destiny, which was in pursuit of the Firebug, when she became the object of attack by the Vulture. . Her decks showed the deadpeng of neatness, even though the craft had been under fire. "Her crew were at their posts, and no men-of- war’s men were under better discipline. They were mostly clad ina regular uniform, and stood at, their posts ready to die, if their — commander so ordered, pers Amidships, seated upon a starboard A Soe erie watching the shore, seeming wholly indif- ferent to the fire of the schooner they weré chasing, Sata negro, | ee, - He was of African birth, uncouth in appe@! ance, with bis long arms and body, and short anchor, close in under the headland, wnen the | } ; fees, firing of the two schooners was heard. He was dressed very gorgeously, and-appear- -A lookout was sent to a cliff and reported ed verv fond of his costume whic was of velvet two armed schooners coming down the coast, | and silk. eu i 1, firing hotly ateach other, | He wore a sash to which hung 6 ob and The men were ashore getting 2 | and in whic itoe rin a pair of | Is and recalled t , for | a long, ugly-looking knife. ) | Upon his head was a scarlet silk turban, j strange contrast to his black skin, Hi) Te Upon bis breast was a pair of ellow bird’s. Spring, and were soon 5 ipped for acti wings, apnea and rin lets and other water from & in, in ing in between the pursued and pur <-- e Vul soon she ran out from alee the or action a pursuing | orname® she te ASIN eae dha és (a : . of a. unique kind made up his strik- jo felt | that her fire was Vv severe | At his feet almost a or was cut down bya dare fight | upon her pursuer. eke By a Firebug, iat ths. change | ef, . ryt It was, alsovseen by one f . Pom th nd sen fi. anced at the ered
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body as it was quickly removed by four sea- men. Upon the quarter-deck, besides the heluisman, ‘were three persons, evidently the commander and his officers. ; One of these was a young Spaniard, with a reckless, dissipated face, and dressed like a Sailor dandy. He. was coolly watching the chase, for the brig had not then shot out into view from be- yond the headland, for the vessels were running along the coast at an average distance of a mile from it, The other two are those whom no one would pass and not take a second glance. One was a man who had passed the mile-stone of two-score years, Tall, straight as an arrow, with broad shoul- ders and a perfection of form that was rare, he was an ideal of manhood. » He wore a uniform that was handsome in the ert extreme, and yet could not be found laid down a in the + Regulations” of any navy in the world. 4 His sword, one of long blade, was a superb j big: | hy hilt being studded with rare gems. val is face denoted indomitable pluck, stern re- 4 solve, and was that of a man who had, from | some cause, suffered deeply, and had become the football of fate. His eyes were dark, piercing, and at times sad, as he glanced toward the third person of the group of officers, and who was strangely like the elder, who was Lafitte, a m:n who has gone down to history as the Pirate of the Gulf, a man who had good and bad strangely mixed in his nature. The one upon whom he looked with saddened if gaze, was his son, a youth of nineteén, in both ‘face and form strangely like bis father. His form had not yet become as elegant, as was Lafitte’s, nor was his face haunted with the look of commingled sternness and sadness; but the form withal was very graceful, the face strikingly handsome, ; Like Lafitte, he was superbly uniformed, and his pistols and sword were gold-mounted and gzemmed. ; 7. es — t . When the brig shot into view the face of a) Lafitte did not change. “i He saw that it was a question as to whether & the Vulture would select his vessel or Ricardo’s Se for her victim. au‘, To escape he knew was impossible for both of the schooners, TAB. it was soon decided which one Captain Gray- aoe son meant to make the Vulture’s prey, and then Lafitte gave a few orders to Senor Rafael, his lieutenant, and calling to his son, Lieutenant Leo, entered his cabin. The face of the chief was pale and haggard, as though from recent illness, and before reach- ing his cabin he dropped into achair in a tired. kind of way. _ “Leo, my son, I have a few words to say to you, and what I would make known must be told quickly, for the end is near,” he said, } ‘“* You think there is no chance with us, then, against the brig, father?” coolly returned Leo, _ “Not the slightest, but we can die game. ‘If [ fall, you are at liberty to surrender the schooner, if you wish, - “But, as long as I live, I shall not do so, not even were the brig-of-wara frigate. _ “I recognize the brig as the Vulture, who brought Lord Lennox to me with the offers of pardon and rank to serve the English. -“T chose, as an American, to serye my coun- ed. ¥ we? Vs ies rN s, tell him ty in- running the Vulture. _ ad ‘and the facesof one and all were stamped with crime that was never to be effaced from their i ; pu can cruiser, was evid Lafitte’s Legacy. ‘Here, in this package, you will find my legacy. . ** It tells you who you are, who your mother was and all about you. “Tt tells you of my early life, and why it was that I became Lafitte the Pirate, ** Upon reading it, do as you deem best as re- gards your own career. “Tf you die with me, so perishes Lafitte, his son, and his secret. “You will find in this leather pouch a num- ber of rare gems, ‘“*T selected them myself, and you will find that.each gem is worth a thousand dollars, many considerably more, and there are over a hundred of them, so you will not be a pauper. ** You will also find in this bag a small pack- age of gems, addressed to ‘ Sister Mercedes, the nun, , “Give them to her, to be presented to the church as an offering for prayers for the repose of Lafitte’s soul, a slight recompense for. the crimes he has committed, the evil he has done others, “Tf you perish, of course all perishes with you, my legacy and my resolves. ‘* Now, Leo, bid me farewell, and now let us go on deck, for the Vulture.has opened fire.” The youth could utter no word; but placing the package in an inner pocket, he grasped his father’s hand in silence, and then, without an- other word uttered by either, went on deck. Leo, at an order from his father, and chief, aoe the helm, and the battle to the death was un. o quarter was asked, none would be shown, and thus the fight waged, until at last, in the darkness of night, with her guns still firing as the sea washed into their muzzles, her crew fighting them to the bitter end, Senor Rafael ome on deck amid a heap of dead and wound- , and Lafitte calm, defiant and unconquered, Leo coolly accepting his fate, the beautiful schooner went down to her grave in the depths of the Gulf. ; The Vulture had won the victory, but dearl earned indeed it was, and the moans of anguish drowned the faint cheers of the victors, CHAPTER V. UNDER FALSE COLORS. A FEW scenes in the life of Lafitte, and which he had written out to make known to his son, Leo, in case he should survive the battle with the British brig-of-war, may not be out of place here, that the reader may the better understand the young hero of this story when he comes to see him again, for the pirate lieutenant met not bis death in the schooner on that fateful night. A score of years before the chase of Ricardo, and the unequal battle between the brig Vul- ture and little schooner Destiny, a vessel was cruising along the shores of Jamaica one after- noon, when suddenly out of a little harbor shot a small sail-boat, containing three persons, The vessel was an armed craft, and while ecruis- ing close inshore had evidently tried to put on the garb of honesty, for the American flag float- ed at the k, and the crew had been rigged out in @ makeshift for a’ uniform, while the of- ficers actually wore the costume of the United States Navy. But, to a close eye the cheat would have been observable, for a more villainous-looking set, from commander to cabin-boy, could not have mone found on any craft afloat. There was not an American in the lot, unless he came from elsewhere in America than the United States. _ Spaniards, Portuguese, French, negroes and a few English were the nationalities represented, countenances, : pete The officers, four in number, were Spaniards beyond all doubt, cunning, cruel-faced and Bis, : _ their commander, a young man of nearly twenty-five had some pretensions to good looks and an tractive form, if you did not analyze rpose, and masqueradin coho Ameri- the , of a skilled glance of a skill 4 It was a tiny craft, but very stanch, and wag skimming along briskly upon the waters. As has been stated, it held three occupants. One of these was a negro man, who sat at the tiller and acted as skipper. : Another was a bright-faced. quadroon, who was engaged in knitting some fancy article of apparel, while the third, and by no means least, was a maiden of scarcely more than seven- teen, very lovely with her dark, Spanish beauty, very fascinating in the gleams of her radiant black eyes, That she was the daughter of some one upon whom fortune had smiled most kindly could be seen, for she was richly attired, even for an afternoon's sail, and the comb in her dark hair the lace about her neck, and her fingers all sparkled with jewels. ; She was haif-reclining upon an easy seat in the boat, an open book in her lap, but her eyes fastened not upon the open page, as she seemed to be enjoying the beautiful scenery along the shores of the little bay. A half-league astern the shores sloped down to a sandy beach, and above this was grand villa home, surrounded with vast flower-gardens, lawns, and a park of magnificent trees in the background. It was here that the maiden lived, and she was the daughter of a Spanish officer who had been exiled by his king, having been suspected of a conspiracy against thecrowp. He had brought vast riches with him in his exile, and had married a lady who could match his wealth dollar for dollar. His wife bad died a few years after her mar- riage, and Don Marco Mateo bad been left alone with only his young daughter, Juaquita, to cheer-him in his exile. ‘ He lived a life of luxurious indolence, giving his daughter the best education that could be obtained from skilled > es wd ahh and thus the years rolled by until Juaquita reached her seventeeth year, when she became a great belle and was — after by wealthy planters, and the army and navy officers who were stationed - a a or who visited the ports of the island. But Juaquita’s heart remained untainted, and so it was, when that pleasant afternoon she went to sail upon the blue waters of the bay. She was fond of the sea, and her father bad perfect confidence in the seamanship of bis negro boatman, to whose care Juaquita was intrusted, when, with her faithful quadroon maid, Chita, she was wont to enjoy a sail on a pleasant afternoon. Of late Jaco, the negro boatman, had not appeared himself, having become morose and sullen, Juaquita thought; but then her father had had him punished severely for some act he had been guilty of, and, as he was polite to her, and obedient, the maiden had not reported his changed manner to the Don, *“ You are standing out too far, Jaco, for my father has forbidden you to run beyond the point yonder, and see, we are in the pass that ~ takes us out into the sea,” said Juaquita, as the negro sailor was holding on out through the entrance to the httle bay, around the shores of which the estate of Don Marco Mateo was situated. ? “All right, senorita, Jaco put back soon,” was the reply, and as the negro spoke a strange , light sud enly came into his eyes, as e schooner shot into view. ~* 3 Juaquita saw the vessel also, as did Chita the maid, and the latter ago acry of alarm. “Put back at once, Jaco! I command you,” cried Juaquita, , ee ‘Schooner no bad ship—see flag, good Ameri- can,” answered the negro, F on. ¥ The pass, or entrance to the little bay, was oy. more than a hundred yards in width, so a than half a mile of the little sail-boat. eer ‘Put back, Jaco!” cried the maiden, anx- iously, “No, senorita, Jaco go on to the schooner,” Was the exultant reply of the negro skipper, and, to her horror, Juaquita saw him signal the craft, which was now standing directly down — upon the little yacht. By y4 REVENGE AND RETRIBUTION, =~ ‘we words of the negro startl Juaquita ta pie for his face shidwed.@ look of revenge he still held when the schooner came into view from _ the left arm, or headland, she was within less _ Pe,
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4 a Chita was also alarmed, and glanced anx- iously from the negro boatman to her mistress. Juaquita, however, possessed both courage and presence of mind, s6 she said, calmly: “Do you know what the vessel is, Jaco?” ‘* Yes senorita.” ‘© What is it?” ** Jaco know.” Well?” “ Him pirate,” Juaquita turned pale, and Chita uttered a cry ef terror. “Do you mean it, Jaco?’ and Juaquita still remained perfectly calm. ‘* Yes, soon see, senorita,” ** She looks like a vessel-of-war.” ** Yes, fighting vessel; but fight for gold. ‘¢ Him pirate.” *¢ And yet she flies tile flag of the Americans?” said the maiden, who well knew the flags of dif- ferent nations. ‘*Pretty face don’t make good heart; flag don’t make honest craft,” returned the negro. ** How do you know she is a pirate?” ‘¢ Senor whip Jaco very bard. *« Jaco have feeling; go to see pirate captain; tell him want revenge. ** fe come here with vessel; Jaco give seno- rita up to pirate; get gold and revenge, too. ** Jaco have feeling; have revenge in heart, The face of the negro showed that he meant all that his cruel words implied, Juaquita did not move, and yet her brain was ay 6 while her heart seemed to stand still. hita was in an agony of dread, The negro watched them both, and held on his way toward the schooner. Suddenly Juaquita resolved to act. She had in her sash a pretty toy, in the shape of a gun-hilted dirk, which had taken her fancy one day, and she used it for a paper-cutter, never expecting to have to make a deadly wea- pon of it. : Chita had in her lapa pair of scissors, and npon these the eyes of the beautiful Spanish maiden fell with a look which the quadroon seemed to heed,for she grasped them eagerly. Instantly Juaquita sprung from her seat, her hand uplifted, and in it the sharp dirk, while confronting the negro the beautiful girl cried: ‘‘Put back, Jaco, or I will drive this dirk to your black heart!” The negro had a coward’s heart, and as he was unarmed, the bold act of the maiden fairly unmanned him, Chita had also risen and now, understandiv the look of her mistress, seized her scissors, an vegh Ges forward as though to spring upon Jaco, if he attempted to still stand on toward the vessel. Jaco was now cowed, and instantly obeyed the command of his young mistress and put the craft about. As he did so, his hand fairly trembling, as it rested upon the tiller, Juaquita glanced toward the schooner and saw that there was some ex- citement on board. She instantly changed her course, in chase of the little yacht, and a moment after from her bows came a puff of smoke, There was a deep roar, a rushing sound, as of many wings in air, and then a terrific shock as the solid shot severed the head of the treacher- ous ay, from his body,.and cut the little mast in twain, It was no wonder that a wild cry broke from the lips of the maiden, for the revengeful negro had quickly met with restitution; but the little craft was a wreck and Juaquita Mateo knew that she was now in the power of the vessel which Jaco had said was a pirate. She tried to retain her consciousness; but, all before ber grew dark, and she sunk in the bot- tom of the boat, while Chita in great alarm bent over her. : Half an hour afterward, when Juaquita re- gained her consciousness, she found herself in a vessel’s cabin, and Ghita was by her side. The eyes of the hegress werered from weep- ing, and she cried/eagerly, as she saw that her mistress had recovered from her swoon: “Oh, senorita! Jaco was right, for this is a pirate vessel.” Juaquita shuddered, but with a mighty effort arose and looked about her, The appearance of the cabin was not uninvit- ing, and yet there was that about it that proved “she was indeed upon no honest craft. As ske looked about her a shadow darkened the companionway, and her captor entered. It was the young commander of the vessel, and he had tried to look his to make an h . impression upon his bowutifal cuptive, Lafitte’s Legacy. But Juaquita simply read his cruel face, and It was true that his men were in ugly humor her heart sunk within her as she felt that she | about their lack of success of late. must look to such a man for mercy. CHAPTER VII. THE PIRATE. ‘*SenoRITA Martro, I am ay very humble servant,” said Captain Ravello, the pirate cap- tain, as he bent in a low bow before the maiden. ‘May I ask, senor, how it is I find myself upon your vessel?” said Juaquita, firmly. ) “You were out sailing, senorita, and your lit- tle yacht started to run from me; I fired upon her, your helmsman was slain, the mast was cut down, and you fainted. ‘‘ While in that condition [ brought you here.” “* And why have you brought me here?” ‘‘T had arranged, senorita, with one of your father’s slaves; to get you into my power; but he has met his punishment for his treachery to rou,” “ And why am I held by you, Senor Cap- tain?” ‘‘— need money, senorita, and your father is rich, ‘* Your ransom will help me out, for my men are in ugly humor of late, having had more iron and steel than gold,” was the unflinching re- sponse. ‘* You are a pirate, then?” a“ I am.” ‘Yet you have an honest flag at your peak.” “Tt was to attract no attention while sailing close inshore.” ‘* And the ransom you demand?” “Twenty thousand pesos for you, senorita, and your maid’s value as a slave in gold.” “It is infamous, and my father will not pay it,” indignantly said Juaquita, ‘‘He must, if he expects to again see his daughter.” ‘Should he be unable to do so?” “(He is wealthy, and can pay far more; but I will te generous,” ‘* Will you send my maid ashore with a state- ment of your terms, senor?” ‘* No, I will cruise out to sea for a day or so to let your father fully appreciate your love, an then return myself and make terms with him,” ** Should he refuse, senor?” ‘‘ You will then have to become a pirate’s bride, Senorita Mateo, for I already love you, and would really L saad your affection to the sum named in gold. ** Infamous, insulter, leave me! ‘* Your price wi'l be paid, and your punish- ment will soon follow.” The pirate laughed lightly and replied: ‘*T will leave you, senorita; but you must not look upon me with hatred. ‘* This cabin is at your di 1, and no one shall intrude, so make yourself contented. ‘* In that chest. is feminine apparel, and you can make use of all you may need, while my slave shall look te your comfort “ Adios, Senorita Mateo, and remember that Captain Ravello, though a pirate, is at least a gentleman.” With this the man left the cabin, and poor, Juaquita was alone with her quadroon mai “ Oh, Chita! did you hear his fearful words?” she cried, “ Yes, senorita, and yet your father will gladly pay the sum he demands, so do not 7 Oise Be will pay tho gold, if thiawwidked es, he w gold, if this man witkiie take a back to him. ‘* But to think of Jaco’s treachery.” ** ‘Yes, senorita, and of bis quick punishment,” Tt was awful, Chita!” ‘© And deserv senorita,” ** Ah, yes! but let us at least make ourselves comfortable here—is land in sight?” Nei glanced out of the sterm ports and re- plied: “Yes, senorita, but far off.” A sigh escaped the lips of the brave girl, and then she threw herself into an easy-chair began to think, for hers was a brave nature, av pow did not despair, desperate as was her * on. Two days thus passed away, and each morn- ing and evening the pirate captain made a short visit to his captive. He seemed anxious tc get into her good graces, and dressed himself with the greatest care, : en Captain Ravello had begun to feel that he would prefer to make Juaquita « pirate’s — than to get the ransom he for . But Ravello had plenty of gold and precious stones stored away in his own private lockers, and, though he bad always pleaded poverty with his men, he yet felt that he could put them in good humor did they show a disposition to mutiny, in case he did not get ransom for his py noe oward the afternoon of the third day of Juaquita’s captivity, a vessel was sighted. It was a small schooner, not so large, well manned or heavily armed as was the craft of Ravello, and so the latter had little fear of ber, As the two drew nearer the stranger ran up to the peak a black flag, in the center of which was a pair of golden wings. “Hal it is the flag of Lafitte, my old com- mander in the slave trade, and whose heart was too tender for that work. j ‘Tt was a red flag then with gold wings, and now he has a black field, so he must have turned pirate. ‘Tn fact, I believe I heard he had become @& irate. “T will signal him who I am, and have him come on board.” So mused Captain Ravello, and heving run up his black flag, with the white skull and crossbones in the center, he had his vessel brought to and signaled to the other vessel who be was. The strange craft soon’ after ran down near the pirate, and lying to a boat was lowered and put off from her side, In that boat was Lafitte, just then entering upon the piratical career which in later years made his name so dreaded upon sea and shore. CHAPTER VIII. A BOLD RESCUE, WHEN Lafitte stepped upon the deck of the vessel of Ravello, the pirate chief met him at the gangway and greeted him warmly. — A year before, Lafitte bad been captain of a slaver, and Ravello was his first-officer. Giving up the life when he knew its horrors, Lafitte had left Ravello in command of the ves- sel, and that worthy hadstolen the craft from her owners and turned her into a pirate. Recognizing the vessel, Lafitte, who bad also hoisted the sable flag of the sea outlaw, had borne down upon her, as has been seen, He had looked upon Ravello as a conceited coxcomb, and yet had found him a good officer. Now, as the two outlaw captains talked to- gether on deck, for Ravello could not ask his visitor into his cabin, suddenly before them ap- peared Juaquita Mateo, Ravello, though amazed at her coming, for she had not before appeared upon deck, was more so when he saw her rush up to Lafitte and throw herself upon her knees before him, “Oh, senor! ti pray you, Save me! “This vessel is not an honest cruiser, as you ras te. but a pirate, and this crue] man means me harm, : “Senor, I claim your aid! She had spoken jeg and earnestly, and her hands ny 7 Lafitte’s, while ber beau- tiful face was turned upon him appealingly. A cruel destiny had driven Lafitte to become an outlaw, 5 He had become a fugitive fora crime com- mitted in a moment of ungovernable fury. He had turned to the life of a slaver, and given it up with abhorrence for its cruelty, Then, drifting with the tide of circumstance, he had fitted out a vessel and armed it, intend- ing to offer his services'to some nation strug- gling against a powerful aomry. But no opportunity came in his way, and with a crew threatening mutiny, he had raised the black flag. But Lafitte was courtly as a cavalier of France, brave as a lion, and a champion of woman, and he at once espoused the cause of the beautiful captive. Ravello, there is some deep act of villainy’ here,” he said, sternly. “T conduct my affairs, Senor Captain, to suit myself,” was the sharp reply of Ravello, ‘ This lady demands my protection.” ‘‘She is under my care,” “Oh, senor, he is a pirate and bas already threatened to make me wed him. I am a cap- tive, stolen from tf father’s home in Jamaica, If you refuse to aid me, I will die by my own Lafitte turned again toward Rovello, “Senor, I give this lady my protection,” he ot _“ Ha! this to me on my own deck, Lafitte?”
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—— SS Lafitte’s Legacy. 5 and drawing his sword, Ravello sprung for- ward; but Lafitte was as quick as lightning in his movements, and caught the weapon of Ra- vello upon his own blade, then disarmed him in an instant, ** Ho, lads! Rush on this bold fellow, and cut him down!” shouted the disarmed man, Lafitte saw his danger. He wasalone on the deck of his enemy, His boat was riding the waves a few oar’s-lenghts from the schooner, so as not to be’dashed against her sides. But he also saw that his own men had per- ceived the quarrel from his vessel, and were rushing to their guns. j Instantly he made up his mind, and seizing Juaquita in his strong arms Lafitte ran to the bulwarks and sprung with her into the sea. *“‘Poor Chita!” broke from the lips of Juaquita, as Lafitte went over the side with her; but, as she uttered the name the quadroon, who had been crouching in the companionway, gave a shriek of terror and rushed to the side and also Bisel overboard, ere she could be pre- vented by the surprised pirates. It was a most critical moment; but the boat's erew had seen the daring of their chief, and were soon alongside of him. Juaquita was drawn into the boat, and Lafitte, a moment after, had seized the drown- ing quadroon and also handed her over the gun- wale. Then, as ho was dragged into the boat his woice was heard in loud command: ‘Ho the Destiny! Open fire!” “t Ay, ay, sir!” came the response, and La- fitte’s swift schooner, which was already under way, stood down so as to pass between the small boat and her enemy. So sudden and unexpected had been the ac- ‘tion of Lafitte that he had taken Ravello and ‘his entire crew by surprise; but, as he beheld Lafitte reach the small boat, saw that his schooner was already under way and her men ‘were at the guns, with the boat pulling hard for ‘her, and every prospect of her escape, the pirate ‘was alarmed. ‘‘ Fire upon them! Sink the boat! Kill them!” the yelled in a frenzy of rage. But the men had only their cutlasses and pis- tols. The latter they discharged, but with no effect, as the boat was now out of range, Then they ran for their muskets and sent a rattling fire upon the little launch. As they did so a broadside from Lafitte’s schooner came crashing into them. ‘ This told Ravello that he was being out- feperoled by his foe, and he called loudly for is men to go to quarters. Ere they could return the fire of Lafitte’s schooner another broadside hit them hard, and Ravello saw the boat shoot out of sight beyond the hull of his enemy. The schooner luffed sharp, and soon after the boat hung at the davits, and Lafitte was upon bis own deck, CHAPTER IX. UNDER BORROWED PLUMAGE. To the great sorrow of Lafitte, when the vol- ley of musketry was fired upon the boat, he had ‘seen Juaquita sink forward and lie motionless. He knew that she was wounded, and he feared that she was dead. Reaching the vessel, he seized her in his strong arms and carried her to the cabin, while he -ealled out to his first, officer; ‘“Manfred, fight yonder craft to the bitter -end, and keep bim off, for he has too many men to let bim board us. T will soon be on deck.” He bore the maiden into the cabin, while ‘Chita followed close to bis heels, wringing her hands and weeping, for she deemed her mistress dead, so calm and silent did she lie in the arms of Lafitte. At the cabin door a negro, deformed and eae faced, met Lafitte, and the chief gaid, ‘quickly: “Coola, this lady has been wounded, and you must try your skill upon her. Ah! the wound is here in her shoulder, and I believe is not se- ous. “Come, my girl, cease your weeping and care for your mistress, for I must go on deck in a oie ine h kk 2p. d Juaquita upon a sofa as he Spoke, and bared her aupeliiae awliens he saw that her dress Was stained. ; The bullet had cut its way through, making a . painful, but not serious wound, as Lafitte soon discovered, for he examined it with the air of one who understood wounds well, | The negro at once got some bandages, and, with the aid of Chita, who was now calm, the wound was quickly dressed, Juaquita opened | her eyes and Lafitte hasteried on deck, for the battle was now being desperately fought be- | tween the two schooners for mastery. ) Ravello was deservedly angry at the loss of | bis fair captive at the hands of his visitor, and was anxious to recapture her. He had been completely surprised by Lafitte, and his men had seen it, and so was anxious as was their captain to punish the bold rescuer and retake the fair maiden, whose ransom they felt would be very large. With his men in full sympathy with him, Ravello urged them on to still greater exertion by telling them that Lafitte’s schooner was fair- ly weighted down with treasure. Then, too, they knew that they were superior in the size of vessels, the number and weight of guns, and that their force was fully one third larger. So they fought with a determination to win. On the other hand, the crew of Lafitte felt their inferiority. They wondered that their captain shouid take such desperate chances in seizing, as they sup- d he had, the maiden, and they were as- sured that hard knocks alone would be their portion. When, therefore, Lafitte reached bis deck, he found the enemy bearing down upon him, and oe, every chance in favor of a defeat for im. Manfred, his first officer, was doing his best: but the pirate lieutenant lacked the power of his chief, and, had all depended upon him, would very soon have struck his colors, with no thought that he could do more than he was doing. Lafitte’s keen eye took in thesituation at once, and he saw that if he won, victory must be snatched from the very jaws of defeat. ‘* Men, do you dare me? ‘“‘ Make those guns rattle, or there will be hemp stretched on board this schooner! ‘Beat him off, you dogs, or I'll blow the schooner to atoms!” The words, uttered in a voice of thunder, and My presence of their chief, had an electrifying effect. The men had been fighting well, but now they fought like demons. Lafitte passed along the deck, from stern to stem and back again. He paused an instant at each gun, and several he sighted himself, The men threw off their woolen shirts, kicked off their shoes, and went to work with a ven- geance. The result showed that the enemy was sur- prised, and, unable to withstand the fierce fire, sheered off. Then the vessel of Lafitte began to fight upon the offensive. Manfred, a skilled helmsman, took the helm, and, under the eye of his chief, managed the schooner with wondrous dexterity. The guns kept up a continuous roar, more sail was set even under the hot fire, and those not at the broadsides were ordered to open’a fire of musketry. Not a shot was thrown away, and Ravello felt that he was being beaten. His weaker foe was proving the more power- | ful, and, as Lafitte seemed threatening to board, he gave the order to stand away in flight. This was greeted with a cheer by Lafitte’s men, and not daring to board, a hot pursuit was pretended, when in fact the speed of the pursuer was checked purposely, Manning his bow guns Lafitte opened a hot fire, and the running fight was kept up, Ravello gradually drawing abead and out of range, and then disappearing from sight in the darkness that settled upon the sea. The master-spirit bad conquered, and the crew, from Manfred down, knew that their chief had held Ravello in his power. With a stern, triumphant. face, Lafitte gave orders about the burial of his dead, and care of the wounded, and then sought the cabin. He had won, and his conscience repaid him for the good work he had done, Coola, the deformed negro, had come to him, cool as an icicle in the very midst of the com- bat, and told bim that the senurita had recover- ed from her swoon and was seemingly quite ‘well, only alarmed at the desperate battle. Lafitte entered the cabin with a face from which every trace of emotion had passed. _ His manner was courtly in the extreme, and he bent low before the beautiful girl as she tose ) to receive him. Re Lady, I am your surgeon, and you must obey. ** Recline please, and do not attempt to move, for you have just escaped a fatal weund,” he said in a voice that was strangely soft and win- ning. Ah, senor, and I bave caused you so much | of danger, and, I fear me, the sacrifice of many lives, for the battle has been a fearful one?” and Juaquita beld forth her hand and grasped that of Lafitte. ‘‘ Senorita,” he replied, and his Spanish was perfect: ‘*You have caused me to confront no danger that I would not gladly have faced for your sake, and the loss of life is but the end a brave sailor must expect, ““The man we fought was a pirate, and I boarded his vessel with little thought that I could punish him as I have been enabled to do. ‘** You claimed my protection, and, nerved to rescue you, my men fought more bravely than they would otherwise have done, and we beat off the foe and caused him to suffer bitterly. *“You are safe, and you have but to tell me where lies your home, and. thither I will at once turn the prow of my vessel.” Juaquita gazed upon the man before her with alook of admiration which she had never be- fore bent upon another. A superh form, a face that commanded respect, and won by its manly beauty, she saw, and she was enraptured. He had taken up the gantlet for ber at her re- quest, he had saved her by the boldest act man could be capable of, and, a smaller vessel and force, as she had seen plainly, be yet had beaten off his foe and rescued her. Who was he, she wondered! She had asked Coola, but though the African bad understood all else she had said to him, he had seemed strangely ignorant upon this sub- ject and she had gained no information. Strange enough she had not seen the sable flag over the deck of the Destiny, and now, in answer to Lafitte sbe said: ‘Senor, I am the Senorita Juaquita Mateo, and my father is a Spanish exile dwelling upon the coast of Jamaica. ig May I ask the name of my gallant pre- server? The face of Lafitte flushed under the query, and the earnest gaze of the maiden. He was young in -piracy, his name of Lafitte was but little known, then, and feeling that she did not suspect him as being who he was, he de- termined to deceive her. Why should he tell her that she had escaped from one pirate’s power by the act of another? So he thought, ands: he decided to wear hon- ored plumage for the occasion ‘* Senorita,” he said in his low, rich voice: ‘Tam but an humble commander in the ser- vice of Mexico; an American by birth my name is Achille Latour, and I assure you I am as glad to have served you, as [am that I was enabled to punish your kidnapper. ** My vessel shall be at once headed for your home if you will give me particuiars as toe where you reside.” : And under his honored plumage, as an hon- orable officer in an honorable service, Lafitte the Pirate knew not the barm he was guilty of, for at last bad Juaquita Mateo met her beau ideal of manhood in the one who had so bravely rescued her. Had she then known that he was an outlaw, branded as a buccaneer upon land and sea, she would have shut her heart against loving him; but, not_ knowing it, she allowed her love to have full sway and she was happy in believing that she could-win him, as she had others, CHAPTER X, THE RETURN. Don Marco MATEO was pacing to and fro, upon the broad piazza of his elegant home, whem his face brightened as he beheld a sail standing into the bay. It was just sunset, a week after the capture of his gong btes by Ravello the Rover, and the face of the Don was baggard and full of sorrow, He wasa handsome man of fifty, with a sol- dierly bearing, avd a stern, intelligent face. The hair on his temples was white, and his mustache was iron-gray; but still he was well- preserved for bis years. A courtier and a gentleman, possessed of great wealth, in spite of his being @n exile, he was sought after by the prominent: residents of the island, and the officers of the army and nav were only too happy in being invited to Cast d’Espagna, as his villa was called. ‘When word had come to him that a vessel,,
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eneieee cue me < acy!” ck ae es i" re lies 0 Lafitte’s Legacy. . fear me his splendid appearance and gallant rescue have won from me the love of Juaquita. ‘* But it must not be, for I lost Mercedes, and now, when that wound is healed by meeting with Juaquita, I must not giver her up. flying the American flag had fired upon his | her own room, her father sat by her side and yacht, in which were his daughter, her maid | heard the story of Jaco’s treachery and all that oe and Jaco, he could hardly believe his senses, had followed. ie Then the truth came out, froma negro who| ‘The bold rescue of her from Ravello annoyed saw all, and had been told by Jaco just what he | the Don, with its daring, while he asked: 7 ae meant to do for revenge. ‘But what was the Mexican captain doing on ‘*No, no, [ cannot give her up, and were this rat Knowing that the vessel was a pirate and not | board the pirate?” s ; Mexican proven to be the man whom I almost. ‘ere an Americap cruiser, Don Marco was nearly ‘‘ He recognized in the pirate captain, one who | suspect him of being, I would strike him to the x erazed with grief. had served with him as an officer, father, and | heart ere he should rob me of Juaquita. He dispatched couriers to the forts with the | knowing how superior the outlaw’s vessel and i ‘*T will go to Mexico and solve the riddle to , ia news, and sent word to the ports where vessels- | crew were to his own, he was willing to palliate : ; my own satisfaction.” : So said the young American commander, ion Phy. of-war were lying. him, and hence made the visit.” man Sg More he could not do, and so he waited, know-| ‘And yet, in the face of this, he boldly se- | he stood upon the quarter-deck of his brig, and . ‘ag ing that half a dozen fleet craft had been dis- | cured you and beat off the pirate. headed out of the little bay. tched in search of the buccaneer kidnapper of ‘“Captain Latour is a wonderful man, my Once in the open sea and he gave the order to os is idol, for Juaquita was all in all to the exile. | child, and my lifelong gratitude is his,” said the Thus the days had passed, and no news had | Don earnestly. % come to the sorrowing man, *‘ And mine, father,” and Juaquita meant all ok Not one of the vessels had returned, and the | that she said, for she had already felt that young officers who happened to be in command, | Lafitte was the one man in the world to ber. were only too anxiouS to rescue Jaaquita from lay the course for Vera Cruz. , The story of Juaquita’s rescue by a ‘‘ Captain { Latour” had brought up bitter memories in his ' past life, and he was determined to solve the secret if the Mexican captain was one who had wronged him in the past beyond all forgiveness, _ the power of a cruel pirate, or visit upon hima CHAPTER XI. fearful revenge, aud thus they spread sail upon A RIVAL. CHAPTER XIL their vessels and sought Ravello the seas over. THE schooner of Lafitte remained several DENOUNCED, THe schooner Destiny, strangely named by her outlaw commander, not been a stranger’ ‘ Now as Don Marco paced the piazza, hollow- | days in the little harbor, under the shadow of i eyed, sorrowing, sleepless for days and nights, | the Don’s villa. his face brightened as he beheld the vessel In that time she was put in perfect trim by étanding into the bay. her crew, and though Lafitte was kept busy, he | in the little bay near_the exile’s villa, since the His voice soon aroused the servants, and a | yet had time to dine each day - at the villa. time she had borne Juaquita back to ber home oe glass was turned upon the incoming craft. The more the Don saw of him, the more he | out of the clutches of Ravello the Rover. j The stern faced commander had become deep- ly interested in the beautiful maiden, ' Though a pirate—though it is a paradox to x Ae No vessel ever came into the obscure little | respected and admired the handsome, stern- , harbor unless it happened to be a coast guard, | faced young man. ’ or a cruiser whose commander was wont to| Though an American, Lafitte spoke Spanish stop for a visit to the exile, perfect Mf and he had traveled and seen much of | say so—he was yet a man of honor, and he Ma Ay, “The craft is armed, and she flies the Mex- | the world. sought not to win the love of Juaguita to blast b ican flag. He gave the Don to understand that he was | it. . | He felt that she was becoming very déar to | him, and yet, within his heart, was one love, : forever locked there, and the key of that love i sae been thrown away by his own mad act in e past, No other woman could hold the place in his heart. which that one had held, and stil held ; ‘‘ But that accursed pirate floated the Ameri- | an exile from his country, and that a grief went can colors,” and he gritted the last words be-| with that exiling, and thus the two felt a deep tween his teeth, sympathy for each other. “She is a pretty vessel,” he continued, “ sails Lafitte was a brilliant conversationalist, and well, and has the appearance of having been | had seen much of the world, and so the Don was roughly handled—ah! now I get a view of ber | charmed with him, while Juaquita became more quarter-deck—God in Heaven! my child! my | and more in love with her daring rescuer. child!” In those days it was no easy task to find out | but she, being lost to him forever, he allowe { The eyes of Don Marvo had fallen upon a fair | what vessels were in a nation’s navy, and not | the affection of Juaquita to twine about bim as ot ( form upon the deck of the schooner, just led | for an instant was there any doubt as to Lafitte | a vine about a bare and wortbless thing. ; from the cabin by a, tall officer in uniform, being other than he represented himself. That she loved him be knew, and her father i: Ata glance he had recognized her through his| The different cruisers that had gone in search | had told him that she was pledged to another. ; glass, and yet, as she seemed to lean heavily | of Ravello returned one by one, with the same The name of that other he did not even know, ; upon the arm of |the officer, she appeared to be | story to tell, and their commanders were deeply | nor did be care. i, weak and suffering, _ | chagrined to learn of the success of a Mexican |. He had made up his mind to go again to the {y| Behind her came Chita, and Don Marco | captain in rescuing Juaquita, villa. i thought there was no mistake, his child had re- ut there was one thorn in the side of Jua- He would seek a ae interview ~ with hy turned. quita, and that was the fact that she had been | Juaquita, and he would tell her how he had de- , RY ~ But the vessel? She was not the pirate craft, | pledged to a young American officer. *_ ceived her.. ; "i that was certain, for so said a dozen servants She had hked and admired him, in fact had He would tell ber that in the far past his name Hy who had seen Ravello’s schooner. believed herself in love with him until sbe had | had’ been Achille Latour, but that he had \ _ _ She was not one of the English cruisers either, | met Lafitte. changed it to another—was, in fact, none other ay for Don Marco knew them all, and this one car-| He was known to be a man of wealth, was a | than Lafitte, the Pirate of the Gulf. F ried the Mexican flag. handsome, dashing fellow, and had one day reés- Then he would tell her to keep bis secret from ' Down the walk to the shore he hastened, fol- | cued the Don and Juaquita from a wreck, for a | all others, and bid her farewell forever. : Hie lowed by his servants, and reaching the little | vessel in which they had sailed from New York Such was the determination of Lafitte, as his 1 pier, he saw that Juaquita was directing the | to their home, had been caught in a'’storm and | pretty vessel stood in toward the villa anchor- thie age, The sun was still above the horizon, and he beheld a fair form standing upon the hillside, : waving her kerchief to him.’ He landed, and upon his way up to the villa was met by Juaquita. She greeted bim in @ manner that showed plainly she could not concea) her love for him. He saw that she loved him more and more, and a pang of regret entered his heart that he should bave to give her up, that he would have to shat~ i her idol, and prove to her that he was but asest clay. vy is " Juaquite,” he said, as they walked together er toward the ‘villa, following the winding path eee through the bowers of foliage. _ “ Juaquita, I have come to tell you a g WN secret.” Toles ; Was not that secret what she already knew— Bos that he loved her? So she thought, and she trembled as he con~ ‘2 is ‘ course of the vessel, as she stood under shorten- | dismasted, ; ed sail toward an anchorage. Had not the American brig-of-war appeared, The anchor was now let fall, then a boat left | all would have gone down with the wreck the side, and a few moments after there sprung | which was leaking badly, whileevery boat bad 3 out upon the pier the tall form of Lafitte, and | been lost. eed tk he almost lifted from the boat Juaquita. The ten days that Juaquita was a guest, with ‘ With a glad cry the Spaniard clasped her in | her father, upon the brig, had caused the young his arms, and for a moment no word was said: | American captain to lose his heart completely Then Juaquita turned to Lafitte and said: to her, and some months after, as his visits at ‘Captain Latour, I wish to present you to my | the villa became as frequent as his cruising “i a father, that you may make known to him ho orders would, admit, the maiden had been nt oe you saved me from a cruel pirate, ledged to him, though the engagement was Page ‘Father, Captain Latour is a commander of i t a secret. the Mexican Navy, and to him I owe more thau veral days after the departure of Lafitte’s life.” Jape vessel] from the bay the American brig-of-war “* _Don Marco grasped the hand of the supposed | arrived, and her commander, Captain De La- 4 _ Mexican, and poured out his thanks in a torrent | Tour heard of J uaquita’s capture and rescue, SS _ of words; but Lafitte would only say that he Though thankful in his heart for her safety, / had met Ravello and had thus been enabled to | he was envious because another had been her 5 aa serve the Senorita Juaquita. rescuer, and as both the Don and the maiden ee “You must be my guest, Senor Captain, so come with me at onca to the villa,” urged Don tinued: ‘ . Marco, j _“T have come to eer a secret, and yet, to But Lafitte was firm in his refusal of the rove to you how bitter it will be to make sown to you all that Ihave to, I will just tel) you that Tlove you.” <- ’s hospitality. |” With a glad cry she turned toward bim,amd, Do i" “His vessel had to be repaired, he said, and at ance, and he would pay his respects upon the MOTOW ee The truth was Lafitte knew well the danger -acreature of impulse, threw her arms about his neck, preaiing ae lips to bis, (ots What need she know more than that he loved er? ‘ ates ve met his vessel, and he was anxious to get » schooner in perfect trim at once, for, after es He had halte . and was bending over her ugh, his fight with Ravello, they had been when he uttered the words, and so she read his love in his eyes. 7 Figs Rava He loved her, and that was all that she then need know. ‘What more he would havé said was inter- = = recognized by any officer who might ss caught in a fearful storm, which had, blown RE a, their course and further damaged the ry 4D Fe y, cr se ka) R Cea ‘ i Me $0 Don Marco went on to his villa with Jua- ; , _ quita who was quite weak from Joss of blood, rupted by the sound of voices, and he sai ’ oat : ering from the shock she bad re- rp ale i: ers | now but to-night I will tell you all.” ed upon a Jounge in ! all T can about apes mel Aen ny sibs on 9: pascenly come, pet recl + F: - « eS: sates as 4 nih, 7 M ss uth fs Va Mert Vath ’ Ue te rr)
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shee Coe Nae ett Hearing the hoofs, as he retreated slowly, his sword drawn, and with Juaquita clinging to him, the voice of the pirate captain reng out in the still night like a bugle: _ Don Marco and several young officers from the fort. The Don. greeted Lafitte most kindly, pre- he sented him to his other’ guests, and, as they all #, went toward the.yilla said: ‘“* Ho, the Destiny! Help here, lads!” “J heard just now of the arrival of your A cheer came from the schooner’s decks, and schooner, Captain Latour, and was delighted | this made the American and English officers to know that we should name you for a guest to- | but the more anxious to capture Lafitte before nicht.” help arrived from the vessel. et to the villa they went, and, as the So together they rushed upon the daring out- twilight darkened into night dinner was an- law, { . nounced and all adjourned from the piazza to | oe eee With Juaquita clinging about him, they the dining-room. dared not fire; but they could use their swords. There Lafitte wes the life of the party. But there was a flash, and one of the British He had never appeared so fascinating to | officers sunk in his tracks, Juaquita, and the Don saw at last that he was Then there was the clash of steel, as Lafitte’s certainly a dangerous rival of the young Ameri- | blade met that of an Englishman, and next, t can captain. with a groan of anguish a man dropped to his _ Somehow the story of Juaquita’s engagement | knees, his right hand severed from his wrist, to Captain De La Tour had leaked out, but the | while there was heard the words of the pirate ; oung officers did not cease going to tbe villa on | chief: ; that account, ‘Don’t press me, if you value life!” Ree While she was unmarried they had hope, and Even the daring young American officer ; then besides, the Don’s dinners were something | shrunk back before the deadly blade of Lafitte, j to remember, and hope to enjoy again. and the latter hastened on down the path to- Thus it was that the villa often had guests, ward the bay. ‘ js In the presence of the fascinating Mexican Then the troopers dashed up and were order- f the three English officers wisely kept quiet and | ed to dismount and press forward. listened, charmed in spite of themselves. This they did, and, hampered by Juaquita, Then the dinner ended, and all went once} who still clung to him, Lafitte’s retreat was more to the broad piazza. slow, and they were almost upon him, when his Soon there was heard the approach of wheels | voice thundered forth: upon the gravel drive. — ** Where are you, lads? I need you!” A - They came at a rapid pace. and drawing up ‘“‘ Here, chief!’ came the reply, and a score of before the broad steps of the villa, a man sprung | men dashed up the hill. » from a volante. Instantly the fight began between the sailors e was in full uniform, and, as he ascended | and the troopers, Lafitte calling out to his men the steps, Juaquita said, faintly: to use only their cutlasses when pressed and to i Aide te, ey De La Tour.” fall bagk pails f ' The light from the hallway fell full upon him, They obeyed; the troopers became cautious and a word, as of surprise, broke from Lafitte’s | after once greeted with the weight of pirate lips as he Leheld him. cutlasses, and the two boats were reached and An instant the young American appeared in | pushed off for the schooner. the light, and then he strode forward to the Shots were fired at the boat, which Lafitte group on the piazza, seated in the darkness, ex- | and Juaquita were known not to be in, and -cepting the starlight. several lives were lost; but the boats reached _ The Don arose to greet him, slightly embar- | the schooners sids, and were soon swung at the rassed by the fact that Lafitte, whom he now | davits, | _ knew that his daughter loved, was present. Then the anchor was gotten up, sail set, and ‘Don Marco Mateo, you have as pine bere | the Destiny went swiftly on her way out of the one who is under false colors, for I denounce | little bay. that man as Lafitte, the Pirate of the Gulf,” | And Juaquita? ; said the young American officer, in a voice that With her love for Lafitte conquering all other fairly quivered with emotion. affection, she stood on the deck by his side, “No! no! no! it is false!” cried Juaquita, | ready to bid farewell forever to her father and springing to the side of Lafitte. her home! aft STt ia true. =) 7 ; She bad seen the man she loved in deadly a, _ “TJ have deceived you, Juaquita, for I am the | danger, and her admiration had been increased ci) pirate, Lafitte,” was the stern response of the | for him as be soared grandly above his enemies, outlaw, He had said that be was Lafitte the Pirate; if. ; pas she loved’ him, and she would not leave im. or fe CHAPTER XIII, Bes: e ; So the schooner’s course was laid for a small ns SCLD OF THR OS | port, where Lafitte knew a priest could be i _ WHEN Lafitte had expected to see’ Juaquita | found, and Juaquita Mateo was made willingly shrink from him in horror, she did not do so § phates bride. : | but drew closer, while she said in a low, earnest n her heart there was a hope that she would tone, that showed her intense love for the | win Lafitte from his wicked life, and she deter- ; mined to do all in her power to accomplish that ; man: §, ert have said that you loved me,” But weeks made months, and a year had gone iat | do, Juaquita, and, even after your. con- | by, and still her stern husband sailed the seas fession, will prove that love by leaving you for- | under his black flag with its golden rings. n a He had said to her that some day, when he ver. “Hold! I arrest you, Lafitte, the Pirate!” : and as Lafitte "turned, Captain De La Tour é sprung forward with drawn sword, “The weapon of Lafitte fairly leap had made a fortune, he would give up his life of piracy and settle down in some land to make her happy. F se eho from its But alas! poor Juaquita never lived to scabbard, and, as it crossed that of the Ameri- | his promise kept, for, one night of fearful storm can officer, it_ sent the blade flying twenty feet | she gave birth to a baby boy, and her own life away. Rare : ee tl srifice. cs With a bitter ra ee De La Tour drew a ye ut hae : uaquita threw herself into. to the care of the little boy, aud the poor wife ‘ "pistol to fire, but sabe be ‘Fly! fly for your life,and do not remain | “here o let them capture and hang you!” 5 ~~ “f will go, Juaquita, and God bless you, ‘was the low response, ee You go not alone, for I go with you,” came Mahe ] So Sa d wit ‘th id th any’ determined response, and, e maiden e + g to him a 2 sea? . _ perate geuger to drown memories of the past sea up hoofs, he fort | ik ‘) afitte’s Legacy. | the Aspen Lafitte thussbielding*him, while she _ and mother were buried by night in the blue is pirate | Ls ¢ dr a affection, and Lafitte had never petted the boy; CHAPTER XIV. A SWIM FOR. LIFE. WHEN the schooner xy, who’ had gone down with her sable colors flying, her guns fighting to the last, under her stern commander Lafitte, had disappeared benea h the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, there was a hush upon the sea. The British brig-of-war Vulture, was but a few cables’ length away. and when her plucky foe disappeared from sight, her guns ceased their roar, When the word was heard that the pirate was sunk, even the groans of the many wounded men upon the brig were hushed. The cheer of victory was subdued in sound, ee and the gallant tars looked at each other in ad- miration of a gallant foe, pirate though he was, After the red glare of the guns had ceased, the sea looked as though a black mantle had been thrown over it, so black was it. But out of that gulf of waters arose strugeling forms, men who had been swept from the d as the vessel sunk, Here, there and elsewhere there was a man struggling for life in the mad waters, struggling for life, and yet knowing that there seemed but , a one succor near, the brig, and rescue by her % meant death upon the yard-arm. Sao As some thought of this they strove no more we ks. for life, but sunk calmly beneath the waves, oe ‘* Master Leo, no see chief.” The one who spoke the words was Coola, the African slave of Lafitte, be who had been true as steel to the outlaw. The one he addressed was Leo Lafitte, the pirate’s son, and the two had risen from the vor- tex of waters and met there together buffeting the waves. : ‘No, I have looked everywhere about and called, but he is gone,” was Leo’s reply. 4 ‘* Chief nun want to die; but tell me don’t let L: Master Leo die,” said Coola. oat) ‘“ Chances are very slim for life here, Coola.” ‘No, chance good. ‘*See, yonder land, not,.mile ’way. “ Come. ” ‘ y * And the chief?” ‘* Dead.” ** Let us be sure.” They looked about among the few struggling : men, and then Coola said: ( ‘Chief dead! Die game. ; “We live. Come!” He started off with a bold stroke as he spoke oe! Leo followed bim, buth running strong and ast. ‘ A short distance off they beheld the brig-of- war lowering her boats, to pick up those who might not have gone down with the schooner, and those wbo clung to life swam toward the chance of rescue offered, though dreading that it would be to meet their fate at the yard-arm. : The brig was crippled by the fierce fire of the schooner, and either humanity or a desire to ’ hang the pirates whosurvived the going down of: a the Destiny, urged the English commander to send rescue, ; ' But Leo and the African swam not toward the’ rig. a4 The negro had struck the key-note of safety to . by the youth when be had pointed toward the land a and said that it was not a mile away. So the two struck out holdly for the shore. . 3 Hampered by their clothing, it would have ne been a struggle with death all the way to two less expert Swimmers than were the youth and the African, sf inthe © water as upon land, it seemed, and Leo had phen patie orate the a ir & father,” came aloud from the lips of Leo, as he swam steadily or Bes oor } on, _ Peewee He had dearly loved tke stern Man whom he knew to be his father, and had never remem- bered an unkind word from him. Benes? ‘Never having known a mother, Leo had found hi ene his only kindred, and he had been thus wn to him the more. It is true he had never been taught to show
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ae nae TP End 9p se Perrys Ligits ine oRMpe ae 8 but Leo knew how dearly he loved him, as had been evidenced in many ways. Alone with Lafitte, the youth called him father, but in the presence of others, and when on duty, he always addressed him by his title, and was as ceremonious with him as any of the chief’s officers were, The schooner had been Leo’s sea home, the island stronghold the only haven ashore he had known. Born upon the sea, reared upon the blue waters, and with his father and the crew his only comrades, it was a bitter, cruel grief to the lad to feel that all were gone. It is true that many a time Leo had landed in foreign ports with his father, and weeks had been passed amid the gayeties of Havana and other seaports about the world; but nothing had ever won the young pirate from his love of the vessel and her men. With no one to prove to him the enormity of this crime of piracy, Leo had not felt that he was such a sinner, and it had been only during his stay in New Orleans, when bis father lay wounded in the convent, after the battle, that he had come to know how the name of Lafitte was regarded on sea and land, feared and hated. The wound which his father had received, Leo thad seen given. It was not from a British rifle or pistol, but from an officer in American naval dress, who had landed, sought Lafitte out and fired upon im. The bold officer could have been shot down ere he sprung again into his boat and rowed away, but Leo remembered his father’s words, to let him go, not to fire upon him or pursue, for he had cause for his act. Whether the papers he had with bim would clear up this mystery, Leo did not know; but he hoped that they would,for be wondered who was the stranger 1n uniform, whom his father allowed to escape after giving him, as was then believed by all, his death-wound. Then there was another thing that puzzled That was what the tié could be between his father and the beautiful nun, Sister Mercedes, at the convent where the chief had been taken when wounded. Strange it seemed to Leo, as he swam shore- ward that night, that all these thoughts trooped up before him like phantoms at such a mo- ment, But he kept up his steady stroke, and Coola swam close by his side until at last the land was reached—a strange Destiny had saved the son of Lafitte from death on that fateful night, when the schooner went down into the depths of the Gulf. CHAPTER XV. A SABLE SATAN, WTuE first act of both Leo and Coola, upon reaching the shore, was to throw themselves down to rest. The tax upon them had been a severe one, for Leo had clung to his sword and weapons throughout, and Coola, with his native cun- ning, had prepared for their escape, when the schoouer should go down, by gathering together some food, bear. and other oe and mak- ing a compact bundle of them, which he wrapped in waterproof cloth to protect them from wet- ting. This bundle he bad prepared, hoping that the chief would also escape, and he had clung to it “throughout the swim to the shore. After a. short rest ef arose and walked in- land, reaching a headland from whence the bre could be seen, slowly standing inshore, evi- déntly with the intention of repairing damages and awaiting to view the scene by daylight. ‘We must not be found in this, neighbor- hood, Coola, so we will have to walk for it,” eaid Leo. “Walk quick,” replied Coola, and shouldering his bundle he started off along the shore. “Which way, Coola?” Yonder,” *¢ You know where you are?” “Schooner land here once for water, see, spring yonder. *“ Down coast little tit of city.” “A village?” ‘Yes, master.” ‘Tt would hardly be safe to go there.” * No stay there, not be seen. ‘“‘ Find boat there and go to sea.” ‘‘You are right, Coola, for we will be safe upon the sea at least.” So saying Leo trudged on after the*black and thus several miles were passed over, when, as Lafitte’s Legacy. Coola had stated, several glimmering lights came in view, which betokened a hamlet near, They soon came to a small bay, or inlet, and upon the further shore were a number of hum- ble homes, for the place was but a poor sea- ort. r There were on the shore of the inlet a number of boats, and at anchor some half dozen small craft, from schooners to cat-rigs. The negro placed his bundle upon the ground, and said: ‘Master wait; Coola get vessel.” “Don’t use that ugly knife of yours, Coola, unless you have to, as a little gold will get a craft for us,” said , as the negro waded into the water. ““Coola no kill ‘less.have to kill,” was the quiet response, and soon the negro was swim- ming out into the inlet. From craft to craft he swam, taking a close observation of each, and making not the slight- est sound in the water. In that secluded haven no watch was kept on board the little vessels, and Leo doubted if even there was a man sleeping on any of the craft, At last Coola seemed to have selected a craft that suited him best, for he clambered up over the bows, and squatted upon the bowsprit while the water dripped from him, and he took a view of the deck. A minute’s halt and he moved slowly aft. The craft was a little sloop of twenty tons, trimly ‘built, and even in the darkness appear- ed to possess indications of speed and sea- worthiness, The forward hatch was open, and down this Coola peered and listened. No sound reached his ears and he passed on to the cabin, the companionway of whith was open. "There he halted and the sound of breathing within was distinctly heard. For a moment he paused and then boldly en- tered, after having made some changes in his appearance. A moment later a greenish light pervaded the cabin, and two men sleeping there awoke with a start, What they beheld was enough to strike terror to the stoutest heart. Coola was dressed in red velvet, which was now however wet, and clinging to his form. Upon his head he had fastened two horns, which gave hima most Satanic look, and he bad otherwise made up his hideous frame and face to strike horror to the one who had beheld him. The men on the schooner had always regarded the negro as the ally of Satan, and when, as he now and then had taken a notion to rig out as a counterpart of his Satanic Majesty, they had really been terrified, and had begged Lafitte to load him with chains and throw him into the sea; but, the chief had allowed Coola to do pretty much as he pleased, and had yp he he pro- tected him, threatening that if harm befell bis slave through treachery, he would. hang every man upon whom suspicion fell. Coola had now dressed himself up as best he could, in his Satanic attire, and dripping wet as he was, it was not to. be wondered at that the two occupants of the little cabin, suddenly awakened from their sleep, felt that they beheld the devil before them. The weird light which Coola burned, and had carefully preserved from getting wet, showed him in all his appalling ugliness. The men, humble, ignorant sailors, looked at each other to see if they were awake, or were rage frotn hideous nightmare, But Coola did not allow them an instant to consider, for he said, in his deep tones, like muf- fled thunder: ‘Obey, and you live and get gold. Disobey, and you suffer! Stay where you are until [ call ou There was no need of telling them to do this, for they were devoid of motion almost, and lay sic ge ee for their trembling, and chattering teet Then the greenish light went out and Coola disappeared from the cabin, closing the compap- ionway after bim, | It did not take him long then to haul up the little anchor, and, with a large sweep found on deck, to force the craft in toward the shore where Leo stood, anxiously awaiting, The youth waded out, carrying Coola’s bundle and his own things, and sprung upon the deck. “Tide run out, drift to sea,” said Coola ina whisper. é Slowly the little sloop then went out with the tide, just turning on its ebb, and gatherin speed as it went along, was soon borne out o the inlet into the open water. ‘ ee CHAPTER XVI. THE PLOTTERS. Wirxovrt a word, other than the splash of the sweep, with which Coola held the sloop on her way out of the inlet, the craft swept out by the rest of the little fleet and reached the open water half a league away. There Coola laid aside his huge oar and told Leo how he had captured the sloop. ‘* And there are men now on board?” asked the youth with amazement. ** Yes, master.” ‘* In the bold, or in the cabin?” ** In cabin,” ‘* Bound, of course?” ** No, master.” ‘* Strange they do not resist.” ‘* Too much scare,” ‘* Ah! 1 don’t wonder, when you play the devil, Coola. “You are enough to frighten a priest; but, we will get them out and let them set sail, while I will pay them well to run us to New Orleans.” ‘No pay gold, if don’t want, master.” ‘‘ You mean we could toss the men overboard and seize their craft?” “ Yes, master.” ‘* No, Coola, we will do them no harm, for they have done us no wrong. You are too cruel, and I wish you not to beso. Strike when we must, but spare when we can, must govern us. “ Do as master says,” was the reply of the ne- gro, who fairly idolized Leo. ‘All right, throw open’ ‘the companionway and tell the men to come on deck.” Coola obeyed, and after some delay a form appeared. - The man dropped upon his knees and with clasped hands began to mutter prayers for his life in Spanish. ‘* Good Senor Satan, spare a poor wretch who has never harmed his fellow-man, and—” “Come, my man, quit that nonsense, for I wish to speak with you.” The man’s eyes bad been upon Coola. Now the voice of Leo caused him to bend his gaze upon him, He seemed to gain confidence at once, and said: ‘¢ Oh, senor, you will protect me?” ‘¢ T will protect you, yes, and pay you too for your services. ‘* How many comrades are here with you?” ‘* My brother, who is too much frightened to come on deck,” “ He shall not be harmed, for my slave here only masqueraded to seize your craft and cause no alarm. * “It was but to keep you silent from fear, rather than to silence you with cold steel, ‘“‘T need: your craft to run to New Orleans, and I will pay you two hundred pesos for the trip. Pie you serve me well, good; if you attempt treachery, you go into the sea. ‘Call your brother on deck and set sail, for I am anxious to be well away from here by dawn.” ; The man listened attentively to all that Leo said, ; He realized that they had been terrified into submission, and bis delight that the devil him- self had not paid him a visit knew no bounds. “ Oh, senor, I will serve you, and gladly. ‘“‘f will seek my brother, and him your words,” But the brother had heard all: He had his head in the companionway listen- ing, while he muttered prayers for their safety, But with confidence in Leo, and the hope of two hundred pesos, they were Very happy, and set to work with a will, hoisting sail and getting the little sloop on her course: nus They told Leo that Coola had been wise in his selection, for their craft was the fleetest of the little port, and had been Victualed the evening before for a short cruise after a cargo, they in- tending to start in the Morning early. “Then your absence, will attract po attention, and that js well,” said Leo, as he saw the little sti bounding along under an eight-knot reeze. Worn out with the severe strain upon them both, Leo and Coola lay down to sleep; but the latter slept like ie With one eye open, and the two men felt it was upon them, so re- frained from any act to get back their craft, if they hadformed any such intention, When Leo awoke the sun was rising, and the sloop was on & northerly course, heading for the delta of the Mississippi, The craft sailed well, and threw the knots in
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her wake in a manner that told Coola how good a selection he had made, The two brothers seemed content at the pros- pect of making two hundred pesos, but Leo saw t iat their faces were stam with evil, and felt & sured that if they could they would seize the v.ssel, for they could not but feel that he had considerable gold with him, when he was willing to pay them so handsomely for tueir services and the use of their craft. The suspicion that they would try and kill him and Coola did they get the shadow of o chance, caused Leo to tell the negro to watch them closely, as he would do, Under other circumstances the two seamen might have proven honest. ut the scare which Coola had given them made them revengeful. Then too they thought if Leo had two hun- dred pesos to give them he must have far more. They saw jewels that he wore, and they were at heart great villains, for they were coasters, smugglers or pirates as the occasion offered. y they should not have all they could not understand. They had not seen a specimen of Coola’s great strength, nor knew the courage of Leo, or they might have been more cautious. But they did not believe that they were sus- pected, and therefore felt that they haditin their power to enrich themselves. So, as the negro and the youth slept, they talked together in low tones and plotted. They arranged then the plano to carry out their plot that night, and it was well arranged, for they were first to throw Coola overboard and then rush upon Leo and put an end to him in the same way, leaving them to drown, while the slope held on her way. , CHAPTER XVII, MASTER OF THE SITUATION, Tue more the two men on the sloap thought over their plot, to get rid of the youth and the Afriean, the more they felt conxinced that it would come out all right, They had seen Leo and Coola deposit their weapons and the bundle in the cabin, and felt sure that what treasures they had was among those things. For upon Coola they did not expect to find any gold or jewels, and he would go overboard at once, they decided, But Leo could be seized, held and robbed, after which he too should go into the sea, They were both powerful men, and had no rear of not being able to handle the deformed African and tall slender youth, So they abided their time until nightfall, when Coola going aft just before sunset, caused them to at once decide to act. Calling him to them, under some pretext, they suddenly seized him in their strong grasp, Coola was taken by surprise, for he had not expected treachery fhen, looking for it, if they intended it, wken ‘he and his young master were asleep. > But he gr also the two men, and feeling that his best chance was the water, for a strug- gle, not only aided them in throwing him over- board, but carried them with him. The loud plunge aroused Leo, who was seated forward, and at the same instant the sloop left wise, no hand upon the tiller, swept up into the wind, Gide etd SS ae ie mass of humanity struggling in the s en it disappeared. He gay lashed the tiller, and aes sprung upon the bulwark to JUMP into the sea and go to the aid of Coola, wheu he saw a form appear from beneath the waters. It was one of the treacherous brothers and his face was white with fear. _ wae Coola and the other Were nowhere visi- ea, “Ho, my man, swim to the sloop! cried oe he saw that the mal appeared bewil- e ; You will kill me,” he assured. ‘No, though you deserve it,” was the reply, The man felt that it wag certain death inthe Sea, and a chance if he went to the sloop. He must trust to Leo’s word, or die in the wa Having replied to the man Leo began to search for Coola and the other brother. 6 knew wej] how long Coola could remain under water, and aware of the great strength of the negro, he ] that he was holding bis enemy beneath the surface to kill him. But then he “feared that a knife might have been us:d upon Coola, and he called out: Lafitte’s Legacy. “Did you knife my slave?” The man paused in his swimming and replied: ‘¢ No, we were unarmed, and he seized us and sprung overboard. **Oaramba! but he is the devil! ** Did you not attack him first?’ ** Ob no, never.” Leo felt that the man was lying; but ere he could respond, suddenly he heard a shriek, and beheld the black form of Coola rise from the sea directly in front of the appalled seaman. One breath of air seemed enough for Coola, who seized the treacherous sailor in his arms and dragged him out of sight below the surface of the waters, which rushing into his mouth choked off his wild cries, Leo had shouted to thenegro; but Coola either , did not hear, or hearing, did not heed, and the two disappeared from sight. It was a great relief however to Leo to feel that the African was not dead as he had feared, and anxiously he stood upon the bul warks watch- ing for his reappearance, for he felt that the doom of the Mexican sailor was sealed. The sloop rocked upon the waves, the sails fluttering wildly, and the sea breaking upon her deck, but Leo heeded not this, and scanned the waters for the reappearance of the slave. It seemed an age to the watching, ewe | outh, It seemed that no human being coul live so long beneath the waters. But at last, just as he had given up all hope of ever beholding Coola again, he saw him rise far out upon the waves, The sloop had no boat, and Leo plainly per- ceived that the African’s strength was alinost gone; so he plunged at once into the water and swam rapidly toward his faithful servitor. He reached the negro just in time, for even his giant strength and endurance had given out. ** Come, Coola, I can bear you up,” he said, cheerily. Coola could make no reply, and hardly had strength to cling to the youth. The African was like one dead, and, as Leo beheld the sloop some distance away, he felt that it would be a struggle for life and death to reach | it. But he exerted his strength to the utmost and swam slowly on. 3% Nearer and nearer he drew to the craft, but weaker and weaker he became. A few more yards and he would reach the sloop. Had he the strength? Coola now seemed wholly unconscious, and so could give no aid; but Leo was not the one to succumb while an atom of strength lasted. So be made another desperate struggle and reached the sloop’s side. He had taken the precaution to throw several rope-ends over the lee of the little craft, and when he grasped one of these his strength was one. But he clung to it for a moment until be could recuperate, and then he made it fast around the African. Again he rested, and then seizing another rope, by a.master effort drew himself on board the sloap, ; For a few moments he lay there panting and prostrated; but nerving himself again he drew the negro upon the deck. Then a shout of triumph burst from the lips of the brave‘youth—he had mastered death after a desperate struggle, It was a lon darkness had fallen upon the sea. Then he arose and looked to Coola, who was slowly recovering, for he had had a very close call with his two desperate struggles with the treacherous sailors of the sloop, ‘© Coola feel good now, “He die, if master not save him,” said the negro, in a low tone, and Leo gras his hand warmly, for he had feared that the African had received some bodily injury. ** Did they attack you, Coola?” he asked, after a while, “Yes, take me by throat. and arms, to throw Coola into sea. ‘““Qoola go, but take them with him, and drown both, though they swim like shark. “Coola’s knife got lost, or not take so long time for men to die. i ** Master no come to Coola, he die. ** Coola die for master some time.” **'No, live for me, Coola, and it will suit me rand then lay on our course once more,” and half an hour gain bounding over t; but now we will eat some sup after the little sloop was a time before ne was rested, and CHAPTER XVIII. WHAT WAS OVERHEARD. Wirnovt further adventure, the little sloop ! reached the Delta, and ran into the Mississippi River just at dawn. lt was the intention of Leo to dispose of the sloop upon his arrival in New Orleans, and then to seek Governor Claiborne and make known to him the sad death of his father, at the same time discovering if a pardon had been obtained for Lafitte and those who had fought with him in the battle. If so, Leo was ahxious to get a commission _to | arm and equipa vessel to goin search of Ri- cardo, He looked upon Ricardo as a traitor to Lafitte and the direct cause of his death, and the loss of his schooner with those on board, He was revengeful, and hoped to be able to | run down Ricardo end carry him and his vessel as a prize to the governor, after which he hoped to lead an honorable life. The papers of his father, Lafitte’s Legacy, in fact, he had not looked at, though he had care- fully preserved them from getting wet, What they would reveal to him he could only conjecture, and be sought not to know until he had a gvod opportunity to read what was | written unmolested and in safety. When darkness fell upon the river the sloo was yet several miles away from the city, an slowly sailing along under a light breeze. Suddenly, upon rounding a bend, a small | craft came in sight, anchored close inshore. As the sloop passed near, it was evidently not yet seen by those on board the little schooner, for a voice said, so that every word reached the ears of Leo and Coola: **The boat ought to be here soon, mates, and if Cap'n Dick has got the gal, then we’ve made a rich haul on this run.” “Tf they has her, Mate Norton, then her folks has got ter pay big ter git her back or I does not know Cap'n Dick, said another speaker. The flap of a sail then, on the sloop, attracted attention on board the schooner, a8} Leo heard an angry oath and the words in a low tone: ‘* We was a-talkin’ too loud, mates.” The next moment the same voice hailed: “Ho the sloop! What craft is that?” Leo wished to avoid all trouble, so responded in broken English: ‘** No speak English, senor. ** Speak Spanish.” “*Tt’s all’ right, mates, for it’s a Diego craft and they could not understand what we said, if wa! heard us.” hen, in wretched Spanish he asked the name of the sloop and where from. ‘“The Volante, senor, from Corpus Christi,” replied Leo in Spanish. ** All right; we are a guard-boat, so pass on,” replied the man with a chuckle. And the sloop did pass on, while Leo said: * Coola” : ** Yes, master.” ** Did you bear what those men said?” ** About girl?” “ Yes.” “* Coola hear.” ‘* They expect a boat?” “Yes, master.” : ‘‘ We must be on the alert, get ready fer them and head the boat off.” ‘* Master knows,” ‘They must not carry off some poor girl, and if we put on a bold front, we can rescue her.” **Oh, yes,” was Coola’s reply, and Leo well eee that he could be depended on to the bitter end. Coola had already loaded Leo’s pistols, durin: the day, with powder found on the sloop, an | now brought them on deck ready for use, along with an old musket be had found in the cabin. Then he went forward, while Leo kept the helm, to watch for the coming boat. Leo had already decided upon his plan of ret and calling Coola aft he made it known : im. The negro gave a grunt of assent, and again |. went forward to his post, Slowly up the stream the little sloop made her way, and half an hour passed, bearing her some two miles away from the schooner. oS Conting-” The word came from Coola, whose eyes seem= ed like an owl’s, for he could see in the dark with remarkable distinctness. The swash of the flowing stream, the rustle of the foliage ashore and chirp of insects, alone a the waves, her young skipper and the African | broke the solenm silence of the scene, while the masters of the situation, / moss hung in great funereal festoons from the
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<2 Be oe ae ‘ Laitte's 3 ; Legacy. trees upon either bank, vasting a most dismal | and gloomy look over all. But the keen ear of Leo detected the stroke of oars, and soon a black object appeared ahead upon the river, As the sloop was sighted by those in the boat, Leo saw that they swerved from taeir course and headed in-shore to seek the gloom of the shadows along the bank. Instantly, in a voice as closely imitating the one he had heard on the schooner, he called out zi Ho, Cap’n Dick!” ¥ Ahoy! who hails?’ came in response. It was a critical moment, for Leo was con- vinced that there was no mistake, and that it was the boat he sought. In fact, he could not understand why any other boat but one bound on an errand of deviltry should be abroad on the river at that time of night. He had heard the man who had just spoken called ‘‘ Mate Nort n,” and upon this knowledge he determined to reply. The boat had at once stopped when hailed, and Coola had whispered back “* Four.” Leo understood this to mean that Coola saw four persons in the hoat. So, when the question came, ** Who hails?” Leo at once replied, in the same disguised voice: “Norton; come on board, for we had to give the schooner up and take this craft.” ‘* The deuce!” said the man who had answered to the name of Captain Dick, and he said some- thing in a lower tone to those with him in the at. ** Coming,” said Coola, and the negro glided aft to where Leo was at the helm. Then the boat neared the sloop, and a stern voice called out: ** Luff, until I'run alongside.” Leo obeyed, and the next moment the boat ran alongside of the sloop. Leo saw that there were two oarsmen in it, and a man sat in the stern with a muffled form by his side, Instantly there came the command: ** Surrender, men, or die! ye CHAPTER XIX. THE RESCUE. wirn the startling words of Leo Lafitte ring- ing in their ears, the men in the buat were com- pletely taken aback. Coola had grasped the boat’s painter and held it fast with one hand, while with the other be pointed the musket at ‘the oarsmen. It was done in an imstant of time, and those in the boat could not but feel that they were entrapped, for that but two persons were on the sloop and had attempted a rescue of their vic- tim, they could not believe. Acting upon the idea that self-preservation was Nature’s first law, the man wno had an- swered to the name of Captain Dick, had uttered an oath and thrown a somerset backward into the river, leaving the muffled form by his side silent and motionless. His two comrades were not so fortunate, for ena themselves entrapped, they cried for ua sare Help that lady to the sloop’s deck,” sternly said Leo, The man furthest astern arose in the boat and aided the muffiéd form to the deck of the sloop, and it was evident that the captive was both bound and gagged, for she was helpless. **T have a mind to kill you both,” said Leo, enraged at the manner in which the prisoner had been treated. Then he added: *€ Coola, bind them and put them in the hold.” * Yas, master, ” was the ready response, and it took the ‘African but a few seconds to secure them and place them below decks. Then the boat was taken in tow, the sloop, which was drifting rapidly down with the cur- rent, was put pon her course up t e river once more, and Leo gave the helm to the negro, while he turned to the captive, whom he had placed in the cockpit. ‘* Now, lady, let me relieve you, from your uncomfortable situation, and pardon my not doing so before; but we are but tw o, the leader of those villains escaped, and his vessel is below and might have caught us had we delayed.” As he spoke, Leo unwrapped the large shawl from the slender form, then he unbound the ropes that beld both wrists’ and feet, and took from her mouth the gag. The youth beheld the one he had rescued to te a mere girl, hardly more than in her teens, and the sigh ee ais eae a Gs dakar relief she gave showed how happy she was at her rescue. Giving her a cup of water, Leo then awaited for her to speak; but she burstinto tears, and it was some time before she was calm again. ““T do not know who you are, sir; but I owe you my life, for those men meant to, kill me, if | they did not get a large sum of ransom, w hich I fear no one would have paid for me, as my father is not here,” she said in a. low, earnest tone, grasping Leo’s hands in both her own. Oh, no, they would not have been so cruel, and when they found they could not get their price, they would have taken what they were offered; but I am glad that I got you out of their clutches, senorita, and it was mere chance that we did 80,” and Leo told the story of his having overheard what had been said on the deck of the kidnapper’s vessel. ‘And there are only you and this brave negro, sir?” asked the young girl. ta Yes,” “You are a sailor then, sir?’ ‘* Yes, senorita.” ‘*T like sailors, for my father is one. “He is captain of an American vessel-of- war, and is now cruising in search of Lafitte, that terrible irate, who, after fighting bravely for the Americans, in the battle of New Orleans went to sea again to once more turn buccaneer.” Leo started, and it pained him to know how his father’s flight was regarded. But he dared not utter one word in defense of Lafitte’s actin going to sea, and so asked: Se is your father’s name, senorita, may I as ‘“‘ Henri De La Tour, sir, and mine is Helen.” Leo bowed, but did not give his name in re- turn, ands9 she asked: ‘‘ Will you tell me your name, sir, for I wish to remember you in my prayers? ‘* My name is Leo.” ‘It isa pretty name, and I never will forget es Meer ‘And how was it that you were captured by those men, senorita?” ‘*T am: attending school at the convent, and once a month | am allowed to visit the home of one of my schoolmates, and it was while : eturn- ing from a call upon her a carr iage drove up to the banquet and a man sprung out, telling me that my father was at the convent and had sent for me, ‘*T Suspected no harm, so got in, and in an in- stant I was rudely seized, bound and gagged, and the carriage drove down to the river where I was placed in a boat. ‘From what the men said. I think the one they called Captain Dick had sailed with my father, and hating him from some reason, sought to revenge by kidnapping me.” It was too dark for Leo to see distinctly, but he felt taxt. the young girl was very beautiful, and her vwice was low and musical, Soon after the sloop glided up to an anchor- ace off the city, and taking the captured boat Leo went ashore with the fair young girl whom he had secured, taking her at once “to the con- vent, There was considerable excitement there, when they arrived, for search had been made every where for the missing girl, who had been sent for at the place she was yisiting, when she did not return at nightfall. The loud ring of Leo was answered quickly by the opening of the heavy door, and Sister Mercedes appeared before them, She started as her eyes fell upon Leo, and caught the young girl in her arms, while a chorus of dehght went up from all who saw the return of Helen De La Tour. The greeting over Sister Mercedes turned to Leo, but he was gone, and calling to him in the darkness brought no response. Re. had disappeared, and in silence Sister Mercedes heard the story of the young girl’s kidnapping and rescue, and the words: “And he has gone, and excepting that Lis name is Leo, and he is 1 sailor—” and it seemed a cause of real grief to pretty little Helen that she knew nothing more about her gallant pre- serv ‘And. Sister Mercedes, who bad recognized the youth, and could tell all about him, said noth- ing, and thus Helen’s preserver remained, as it were, unknown. CHAPTER XX. THE YOUNG PIRATE AND THE GOVERNOR, WHEN Leo had seen Helen De La Tour safely witain the convent doors, he hastily turned and ed away, ile wished ae avoid being thanked, and he cared not to be Tecogipined by Sister Mercedes, who would, he believed, let it be known just who he was. For some reason he cared not to be known as Lafitte’s son, to the little maiden, and he hoped he had gotten away before Sister Mercedes had recognized him. It was getting late and be hastened to the executive mansion to see the governor, He asked an audience, and was told that the office hours were over, but to call in the morn- ing. most important communication to make,” ** Your name, please?” ‘That is my card and name,” and Leo put a goldea eagle in the palmof the attendant, who bowed low, seemed to read the card ata glance and disappeared, A moment after he returned and ushered the youth into the presence of the governor, who was in dressing-gown and slippers, and enjoying a glass of sherry before retiring. e recognized Leo at a glance, as the youth who had come to General Jackson and bimself, with Lafitte’s offer to aid in the defense of New Orleans, and the proof that the British had made him most generous proposals for his ser- vices in their behalf. ‘« Ah! you are the son of Captain Lafitte?” ** Yes, your Excellency, ” and Leo bowed. ““ Be seated, young sir. Leo obeyed, and the governor d with ad- miration upon his handsome, fearless face, “You and your father served us well, sir, in the fight with the British, and I was sorry that Captain Lafitte left the city as he did, ere par- don reached him, as I bad promised.” ‘“You received my father’s letter, sir, stating that it bad come to his knowledge that, pending the coming of the pardon, he was to be ‘arrested as he lay wounded in the conv ent, and placed in the city carcel, while his vessel and crew were to be seized?” ‘* Yes, I knew of that, and could not prevent it; but no barm should have come to Captain Lafitte.” ‘*He did not know what might have hap- pened, your Excellency, and so we set sail the night before the day set for the seizure.’ “And now I have the pardon for himself, officers and crew, for their gallant services in the battle of New Orleans, and I was guing to communicate with Captain Lafitte, at the ad- dress given in his note, telling him of the'clem- ency of the President. ‘“ Alas, your Excellency, it comes too late,” sadly said Leo, “Too late! what do you mean?” said the gov- ernor. ‘*T mean, sir, that when my father sailed from here, "and’ wrote you that letter, he in- tended never again to hoist the black flag. ” “And do ‘you mean that he has done so?” re- proachfully asked the governor. “But once, sir, and the last time, for the schooner went down with the flag floating at the peak.” “You amaze me, young ™ an!” ** My father, sir, govent to run down Ricardo, the senior captain of bis fleet, whose treachery allowed the American flotilla to attack and take the stronghold of Barrataria, which Captain Lafitte intended surrendering, your Excellency, on certain conditions to you, ‘Ricardo escaped from the, island his treachery lost, and in his vessel and with a good crew, he began. career of piracy. ‘¢We went in search of him, intending to cap- ture bis vessel, or destroy it, and thus prove to you that Captain Lafitte was in earnest in his new career. ‘*] believed that he was.” “ We sighted Ricardo’s vessel, gave chase, and while flying along the Mexican coast, fight. ing aS we sailed, a British brig-of-war, the Vulture, ran out from inshore and opened on us. ‘Captain Lafitte at once gave battle to the Englishman, while Ricardo escaped. “The Vulture’s captain knew the schooner, and at once opened a heavy fire; but my tather determined not to surrender, and only when ge- . cused of heing afraid to figb t pe 5 his sable flag by the Englishman, did he hoist “He kept the it horba at bay, rt fight last- ing for several hours, and after nightfall the schooner sunk, her decks covered with dead and wounded, bh oo guns fighting to the last.” “And La te?” “ Sunk w ith her, sir, as I know that he wished to do, from what he said to me. “J, with our faithful negro servant, Coola, managed to swim ashore, and a few of the men were picked up by the brig’s boats; but my “Say to the governor, please, that I have a :
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‘chaos of waters.” ; “It was just like Lafitte thus to die; but I congratulate you upon your escape, Monsieur.” The future is to prove, your Excellency, whether itis to be a case of congratulation to me; but I have a report, to make to you, sir,” and Leo told of his escape, the cutting out of the little sloop; the attempted murder of himself and Coola by the men, and then of his rescue of Helen De La Tour. 3 He told all as it occurred, and the governor listened with the deepest interest, and his admi- ration for the youth increased. “Now, your Excellency, § do not care to be known in this matter, and the two prisoners I have on board I will bring ashore and surrender to your guard. — ; A “Then, sir, it is my intention to go in search of Ricardo, and I beg your permission to pur- chase, arm, and equip a vesse] at my own ex- pense to hunt down this man and hang him.” The governor was amazed, and frankly said: _“ My dear young friend, I would be only too lad to give you such authority, did I possess it; but I cannot, I assure you, do so. “* You will have to leave to the American cruisers the capture of this Ricardo, who I know is becoming a terror upon the seas, and, I think, is trying to palm himself off as Lafitte.” _ ‘And wherein, your Excellency, is my re- ‘venge, for the man to be taken by cruisers, for I consider him as the destroyer of my father?” The governor was surprised at this view of it, and replied; : _“* Your revenge will have to be in knowing that the man is taken, young sir; but I regret I = do nothing about sending you in search of im. Leo arose and said: “Then ) wiil bid your Excellency good-night, and within the hour those two prisoners shall be given up to your guard.” “Thank you, monsieur, and come to see me again, for I wish to give you the pardon papers received from the President.” ee teres and replied: : _ “When I come for them, your Excellency, I you will consider that I have a better claim upon them than now,” _ With this sia Ba which Governor Claiborne had cause to remember well afterward, Leo left the presence of the executive and walked rapid- ly back to the spot where he had left his boat. CHAPTER XXI. \ ON BOARD THE SLOOP, _Wuen Leo reached his boat, he sprung in and hastily rowed out to the little sloop, Coola was on the alert, and at the command of his young master he soon got the two prison- ers from the hold. They were in great fear, and gazed about them with an anxiety which showed they ex- pected severe punishment. “Who is the man you call Captain Dick? asked Leo, as he confronted the men. . “ Tl tell of one of the men, Z And je sir?” and Leo turned to the other, } a} ” * in alo ‘¢ Yes, master,” ‘« Put these two men back in the hold, set the sloop on fire and let her drift down the river.” There was & Calmness about the manner of Leo, which seemed to convince the men that he meant just what he said, and quickly they called _ “© We'll tell, sir. . © Well, what have you to telly” i | * Captain Dick is one of Lafitte’s men, sir.” erate | Abt and where is his rotren , ’ At the island stronghol reat? » Sir, which was de- , you know.” ee, as ets a danger craft, for the gu Se d wi : oe 4 , and a pre ood place it is; but you ites men?” ae nd vw y id he kidnap that : g ransom, sir, an uptain Dick b if I get terms,” was the sullen reply | Men, and we are new hands who shipped with. oung lady?” ri uess, from | Lafitte’s Legacy. do so, if you are willing to serve me.” The men seemed only too glad of the chances, and Leo asked: “Do you know where I can get some good men?” ‘*'Yes, sir.” “Where?” ‘* At Palita’s Inn, sir.” ‘*T- will trust you, so go there at once and get me adozen good men, and I'll pay you well for your services,” ‘* You have paid us, sir, in not giving us over to the guards,” said one of the men. ‘Well, I believe I can trust you, and so do so, ‘To-morrow night I wish you to meet me at the battle-field below the city, just at the line of works that touch the river, and have with you the men I need. : ‘*T will run down in the sloop and land for you. j ‘Tf you serve me well, I will give you good pay and berths under me. “*Tf you deceive me, beware, for I am not une to forget one who wrongs me. Now come ashore with me, as soon as I re- So saying Leo went into the cabiu, and there wrote a few lines, It was a note to the governor, telling him that he had changed his nfind about giving up the two prisoners just then, and that when next aoe him he would explain his reason for so oing. : Then he said something to Coola in a low tone, and going on deck, got into the boat with the two men, and rowed ashore. After again giving them instructions as to the men they were to get for him, he bade them go, and then started off toward the Executive Man- sion. : Saluting the guard, he handed him the note, with instructions to place it in the hands of the governor when he came in the morning. Returning to his boat Leo was soon on board the sloop. But Coola was not) there, and, apparently not in the least anxious about the negro, the youth took a seat in the little cabin and placed the legacy of Lafitte upon the table before him, ‘Why do I shrink from reading what my fa- ther has written?” he murmured, as he held the sealed package in his hand. “Tt tells me of his past, and of myself, of my brother, and yet I care not now to know the secret, ner will I discover it. { ** No, I will place it away, this legacy of my father, to fathom at another time, ““These jewels I will bear to sister Mercedes to-morrow, and then I will be ready to start upon my mission, which is to bring Ricardo to the rope’s end, for I will not be deterred because isa governor cannot commission me to run him own. * Ah! here is Coola,” and, as Leo spoke the negro entered the cabin, dripping wet. ** You followed them, Coola?” “Yes, master, Coola swim ashore and follow the men, as you tell him.” “Where went they?” “They go to Palita’s Inn, knock at side door and were let in.” : “ Well ’ os : Pa putear to door crack and hear them What said they?” Tell Palita Captain Dick got ‘em caught, but you let them go and wish men, and ask bim to get sailors for them,” ‘Good! then they are to be trusted?” ‘Yes, master, for if they do different, Coola was ready, as you tell him, to capture them ain. ; iar You have done well, Coola, and now we will seek rest, for no one will ,board the sloop; but. | in the morning early I wish you to go ashore and get me a different suit of clothes, and you had better wear one of those found- in the sloop,” . ? ‘* Coola will, master,” was the reply, and soon after perfect quiet rested on board the little craft. | / , CHAPTER XXII. Be ‘THE NUN’S REQUESS. THE next morning, dressed as a sailor lad, and with his tarp ie time, and he had been P . ' _ father I never saw after we went down into the | the truth, and I need some good men, I will not | The words of L presided | and th 11 over by Sister Mercedes, he knocked for admit~ tance, To his delight Sister Mercedes herself opened the little wicket and peered through. In spite of his garb of a sailor, and his face shaded by his tarpaulin, she recognized him at a glance and bade him enter, while she said: ‘*T am glad to meet you again, Monsieur Leo, and hope that you bring tidings to prove that your father is no longer a terror upon the seas.” ‘*Sister Mercedes, it is of my father that L would speak, and I have much to say to you, if. you will tell me when I can do so.” ‘Now, for there is no one about the wing or garden, : ‘* Come to the arbor yonder.” She led the way, avd when ke was screened from the view of any curious eyes, he said: ‘‘Sister Mercedes, it was through your kind- ness in telling me what you bad overheard, that: my father was to be arrested and his vessel! seized, that we were able to make our escape as we did.” ‘*] did but my duty, Monsieur Leo,” ‘*T trust you were not suspected in the matter, senorita?” : ‘*No, though Lafitte’s escaping with his vessek that night created a great excitement, and cruisers were ordered to capture and hang him wherever found. “But, had he remained, I fear public opiniom was so bitter that he would have been made to suffer, and so I cleared my conscience, feeling tbat Ehad only done right.” ‘“* And I thank you, Sister Mercedes.” ‘* And why are you bere again?” ‘*T came for two reasons—to seethe governor, and to sce you.” “To see me, monsieur?” “Yes, Sister Mercedes.” A troubled look crossed the face of the nun, and she bit her lips, as though to suppress some deep emotion, while she said, after a moment: ‘“ When I saw you last night, Monsieur Leo, a dread came upon me that you had returned to. see me.” ‘You recognized me, then?” “Yes, atia glance.” ‘* And all knew then that. the rescuer of the- Senorita De La Tour is Lafitte’s son?” ‘* No; for I spoke to no one of what I knew.” ‘“*T thank you for that, Sister Mercedes,” **And I thank you, Monsieur Leo. for your> noble act in the rescue of that sweet girl. ‘*She will never forget, you for it.” ‘*She must not know who | am.” ‘““No; I will keep your secret; but you had: ought to tell me, you said?” and again the beau- tiful, sad face of the nun became clouded. ‘** Yes, I would tell you of my father.” “T feared it. Why sent he you to me?” . ‘‘He sent me to ycu to place in your hand these gems, that you might give them to the church as an atonement for bis sins, hoping they would bring repose to his soul through prayer. ‘For his repentance I bave prayed, and will ray, and whcn he is dead there shall prayers: sent up to the Virgin for the repose of his. soul,” ‘‘ Sister Mercedes, my father is dead.” The words were uttered in a low tone; but: they fell like a thunderclap upon the ears of the nun, for a cry broke from her lips, a cry of. anguish, and tottering backward she sunk upon. the rustic seat behind her, i Leo was startled, and amazed at her deep emotion. . bk os He gazed upon her with alarm, for her face | was as pallid as though life had fled, and ber eyes were upraised with a Stare. , ‘‘ Sister Mercedes, I meant not to shock you. so; but my father died cn tke deck of bis ship, fighting a British brig far his superior in guns and crew, 5 Petes ‘He would not surrender, and determined to. die on bis deck, so bade me come to the cabin, and there he gave what he called his ge od we ae ‘There were a number of papers, the sto’ y his early life, which he had written out for me —see I have it here. : 4 ; “He gave me a fortune in jewels, and these- or you. ' ae ae “Then he bade me farewell, and going on; deck fought bis vessel until she sunk with all om board. eh’ ‘It was night, and we were near the shore, ° so Lescaped, along with the slave. Coola, — you remember was here nursing my father, and: T was on ey way to the gt last right when I was enabled to rescue the Mademoiselle De La, Tour. 4 ~ 3 F r Mercedes Temained motion- ig & ; a 3% , cf were spoken in a low tone,. reed
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12 Jess, as she had sunk down upon the settee, she | dhad heard all that he had said. When he had finished, with an effort she spoke; but her voice had lost its sweetness and “was hoarse and quivering: ‘Yes, lady.” . em died like a brave man upon his deck?” ‘ Tes ” ‘* Died while pardon awaited him here, for I have heard that that the President pardoned dim.” ‘*- Yes, Sister Mercedes,” * Pardoned by man; Heaven will be merciful ‘too, and his sins will be blotted out. ‘*Dead! ab that I could have known the fate ‘that awaited him, when we parted.” She spoke rather to herself than to Leo, and the latter asked: ‘You knew my father in the past, lady?” She started at his words, and said quickly: ‘* Yes, I knew him; but you say that he left "you his confession?” “ Yes, it is here.” ‘Ah! the seal tnbroken?” * Yes, lady, I have not read it yet, governed ‘oy some strange impulse to wait.” ‘*Tieo, will you give me that sealed package just as it is?” She arose and held forth her hand, while her eeyes pleaded earnestly to him, He was surprised at her request and _hesi- tated. Seeing it, she asked again, and the face assumed a look of pitiful pleading. ** Will you give it to me, Leo, just as it is?” . A moment he hesitated, and then handed it to her without a word, She grasped it eagerly and said, while the ttears dimmed her eyes, and her lips quivered: ‘*God bless you, Leo, ‘* Now leave me, but come again some day for I wish to know of your welfare; but now I cannot talk to you. ‘* Here is the gate key, leave it in the lock~— good-by !” He grasped her hand, bowed low over it, and departed, while she, with a moan of bitter an- guisb, pressed the package to her heart and sunk down upon the settee, her lips pressed hard against the lines written by Lafitte. CHAPTER XXIII. THE SLOOP SETS SAIL. ArFrteR leaving the convent, Leo wended his way down into the town, where be made certain purchases that he needed, and sent them down ‘to his boat, carrying them himself on board the sloop. He had been deeply moved by his visit to Sister Mercedes, and wondered at her great grief; but yet he had yielded up to her the papers given him by his father without a word. he death of his father had pained him in- ‘ttensely; but then his had been a strange bring- ing up, and he took it as a matter ofcourse. e had seen men die in battle, and death had always impressed him as being connected with violence, and he had expected some day the same fate would be his, So when his father met death as he did, Leo, though grieving for him, looked upon his afflic- tion in a philosophical light. é Having boarded the sloop, Leo and Coola set about getting things shipshape for the run to Barrataria. He left his anchorage soon after dark, and <lropped down the river with the current until he came to the battlefield. There he landed, and was at once greeted by the two men whose freedom he had given them. “ We are bere, sir,” said one of the men, po- litely. ‘* And the others?” “ Are yonder behind the works, sir.” “Let them come on board, for I wish to be under way.’’ The man gave a signal and a crowd of men approached fron? the breastworks, where they had veen waiting. ‘Captain, there are the men,” said the one who had before pt ee to Leo. “Tads, lam glad to meet you, and I have work for you. “What itis I care not now to tell you; but serve me well and you get generous pay: but if there is one among you who cares not to ven- ture on a cruise of which he knows nothing, let him fall out now, for once you have ship will stand no trifling. ‘*Come, who wishes to back out?” “He is dead?” she asserted rather than asked. schooner went flying down the river. Lafitte’s Legacy. were to be commanded by one who at once had given them confidence in him, So they went on board with their little bundles of baggage, and the sloop was at once swung clear of the bank. Sail was set, and with a fair breeze the little Once under way Leo left Coola at the helm, and then, calling to the man who had been spokesman, ensered the little cabin. Q ‘‘ Your name, my man?” he said, eying him in the light of the cabin lamp. ‘* Lomax, sir.” ‘‘What were you on schooner of Captain Dick?” ‘* Mate, sir.” ‘*-You will take the same berth here, and I wish you to send the men into the cabin here, one by one, for I wish to see what 1am to com- mand.” ** Ay, ay, sir; but may I ask how I am to ad- dress you?” ‘*My name is Lafitte.” “ Lafitte?” and the man started, and benta most searching gaze upon the bandsome, fear- less-faced youth. Yes.” ‘There is a pirate by that name, sir, and—” ‘*T am his son.” ** Lafitte’s son?” ‘**'Yes, and I shall be known as Lafitte, for my father isdead.” ° ‘*Dead?' Latitte, the Pirate, dead?” ‘** Yes, he died on his deck, in a battle with the British brig-of-war Vulture. ‘*He would not surrender, so fought his ves- sél until she sunk, and so 1 am now Lafitte.” ‘** Ah! I see, sir, and you will be as your father was?” ‘* No, for Iam the avenger of my father, not a pirate, ‘* Now, Mr. Lomax, send the crew to me, and let me tell you that our destination is Barra- taria,” ‘* You will find Captain Dick there, sir, for I am certain he went there in the schooner, if he was not drowned in the river.” ‘Tt is he whom 1 go there toseek, Mr. Lomax,” was the epacent reply. Lomax bowed in silence and went on deck, sending the men one by one into the cabin, where each remained for a short while under the searching questions and piercing eyes of the young sailor and were glad tu get away again. A fair wind wafted the little sloop to the mouth of the river in good time, and then she was squared away for the ruined stronghold of Lafitte. Among the purchases of Leo had been some pistols, cutlasses and ammunition, so that he could arm his men, The weapons were given out during the day, and the young commander drilled the crew to his satisfaction. _It was midnight when Lafitte’s island came in sight, but Leo took the helm and boldly ran up the channel into the little harbor, where the an- chor was noiselessly let fall. Lying close inshore, the keen eyes of the youth detected a vessel, and, turning to Coola, he said: ‘*Go and find out just what she is, Coola.” “Yes, master,” was the quiet answer, and throwing aside his clothing, the African slipped into the water and swam noiselessly away in the direction of the strange craft, the watch on which had certainly not observed the running in of the sloop. CHAPTER XXIV. THE FIRST STROKE TO AVENGE, ‘WELL, Coola? said Leo, as he stopped in his- pace to and fro on the little sloop and con- fronted the African, as he clambered all drip- ping from the sea, ‘Schooner lie close inshore—same schooner we saw in river going up. ‘* One man watch on deck, but don’t see much,” said the negro. “Did you see others?” “Camp on shore, master,” ‘“ Ah! how many men?” “Too dark to see, but think a dozen,” “Was Captain Dick expecting reinforcements, Mr. Lomax?’ and Leo turned to his mate, who answered: y “ The truth is, Captain Lafitte, I think he was expecting one of your father’s fleet to return here, a new vessel, not supposing her cen- biol id had heard of the capture of the strong- old, ‘‘Ha! the.new schooner, Golden Wings, which Not a voice replied, and themen felt that they ' my father was having built for himself, and had Ss see a er SSRI SR SSE SSS SS eS SE a en a Ey eS f=, sent an officer and a score of men to bring from Boston as soon as she was finished, ‘* He seemed to have forgotten about the Gol- den Wings, as I had, and Lieutenant Lester will doubtless come right here with her; and that is what Dick Chartro wants; but, Mr. Lomax, he will have to fight for what he gets,” and the remark of Leo led Lomax to feel there would be war upon the morrow. Nor was he mistaken, for when dawn began to break the anchor was gotten up, sail set, and the little Sloop headed over toward the schooner, every man now thoroughly armed and Cvola at the helm, The flapping of a sail, as the sloop went about aroused the sleepy watch of the schooner, and he gave @ loud cry of alarm, But the sloop was now but a cable’s length away, and bearing down upon the schooner, which was anchored close inshore, and had her sails furled. ** Ho the schooner!” cried Leo, and his voice, trained from childhood upon the sea, rung out like a trumpet. A dozen men were now seen upon the deck of the schooner, and as many more had been aroused in the camp on shore, Leo counted them at a glance, and said coolly: ‘‘ Nearly double our numbers, Lomax.” ‘* Yes, sir.” Then came the answer to the hail: ** Ahoy the sloop! lay to, or I will fire upon ou!” mn Ho, Dick Chartro, would you fire upon Lafitte?” asked Leo, “Who calls himself Lafitte?” “T do,” and Leo sprung upon the low bul- warks of the little craft, ‘Hal you are Leo, Lafitte’s son!” cried a large man with rough, bearded face, as he sprung upon the schooner’s bulwarks., ‘“*T am, and Ihave orders for you to obey.” “The rab pt is broken up, Lafitte’s power is gone, and I obey only my own dictates now, Master Leo,” *‘ Chartro, I came here to find you, for I know you as you are, and I have come strong enough to enforce my demands, so hear what I have to say.” af Ay, ay, say what you will; but I am my own master now.” *T will say that IT have a quarrel with you, which I am willing to settle personally with you, and Jet the victor rule ‘here.” ‘*T have no quarrel with you, boy!” * But I have with you, and unless you meet me, as man to man in a duel on shore, £ will at- tack your schooner and carry it by hoarding, ene you in mid-air the moment I win the at. ar This isa bold threat, boy; but what have you against me?” ‘“ As you ask it, believing I do not know, I will tell you that I know you to have been the traitor pilot who ran the American fleet in here and destroyed this stronghold. ** Tt is false!” “Tt is true, and I also know that, on the day of battle at New Orleans, you brought an officer by boat to the works held by my father, and thus enabled him to fire a shot which nearly cost him his life. “Tam saling in the wake of revenge now, Dick Chartro, and you have to face me for life and death. y “‘ Which shall it be, a personal, combat, or a match of my force against yours?” The burly pirate glanced at his crew, aud then at the men on shore, ° : He was not sure that he could trust his men for two-thirds of them were new hands, an be could not see what force Leo had and su posed, therefore, from his boldness, that he had more thau double what be bad in reality. He had not supposed it known that he had been the pilot to run the American fleet in tothe attack, or to guide Captain De La Tour to a point where he could fire at Lafitte, as he had one. He did not know that Lafitte was dead, and half supposed he was on the sloop with Leo, Knowing, as he did, that Lafitte had run his vessel out to sea from New Orleans, he coulda not understand the little sloop’s presence there at the island, and feared that he might be in a closer trap than he supposed, as the whole of his old commander’s force might be near in the schooner. So he said, as these thoughts flashed rapidly through bis mind: «Tf wa met in a duel, Master Leo, and I killed you, I would then have your father to fight.” «My father is dead, Dick Chartro, and I alome am Lafitte now.
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et, _— kil . Service to him, and intendiv ae much attached to his ou meet me, or shall I board Come, will ng you up?” your vessel and “Tf I kill you?” ‘** Then you command here, as I will do if you fall by my hand.” Sy thi meet you; but when?” ia) Now.”? ‘© Where?” “‘Go alone in your boat to yonder point of land, and I will do the same. ‘* Take your sword only, as Iwill do, and the end will soon come to one of us.” *T agree,” and five minutes after a small boat lett the side of the schooner and pulled toward the point of land indicated by Leo, who also de- arted from the sloop at the same moment, and or the same destination, CHAPTER XXvV. NUMBER ONE. Tue point of land which Leo had selected as the place of meeting between himself and the traitor pirate, was a sandy bar which put out into the little harbor. The sand was hard and the point about ten paces wide, Beyond, a couple of hundréd yards, was the camp where Dick Chartro’s shore force was, and from the point to the schooner was about two cables’ length, The sloop lay to one side of the point, and about equal distance as the schooner. The place was therefore in the full view of all, and all eyes were turned upon the two boats, with their solitary occupants, as they rowed to the place of meeting, Leo approaching from one side, Captain Dick from the other, Dick Chartro had always been a hard man to manage, and twice had Lafitte deprived him of his command, and it was revenge against hia chief which had caused the man to act as pilot for the American flotilla and also, when he found Captain De La Tour seeking some one to row him to Lafitte’s position in the battle, be had volunteered, and thus had been recognized, and the fact of his two acts of treachery report- ay ae h he sand, b the youth sprung, ashore upon the sand, he drew his sword and awaited the landing of Chartro, **Come, lad Leo, there is no need of a quarrel between us, so let us be friends,” said Dick Chartro, as he landed, : ** No, Dick Chartro, I have come here to kill you, or be killed by you.” ** You know, lad, that though you area good swordsman, Dick Chartro took second = ke gel to Lafitte in wielding a blade, and ste ou.” ‘0 so, if you can.” ‘* Better be friends.” “Be friends with a man who sought my father’s life and ruin, who betrayed his com- stag and kidnapped a young girl a few nights ago “You see that I know you, Dick Chartro.” The pirate’s dark, cruel face flushed as Leo spoke of the kidnapping of Helen De La Tour, for he Supposed at least that was unknown. ‘“Why, you are lying in wait now at this island to entrap the new schooner, Golden Wings, when she comes and hoist your pirate flag over her decks; but I need that craft, Dick Chartro, for my own use.” : ‘You shall never have her,” cried the pirate, now infuriated at all Leo had said and knew of him, and the fact that his plan to entrap the Golden Wings was known, , ‘As he spoke he sprung toward the youth, his sword ready for an attack, As he had said, Dick Chartro was a good swordsman, while his strength was enormous. He knew that Leo wielded a blade well, but that the youth had any chance with him he did not believe for an instant. He had at first been anxious to be friendly with the lad, feeling that he would be of great to offer him the berth of first. officer on the Golden Wings, the new schvoner, while he determined to hojst the b over her and put to sea as q pirate, unchecked by the humane orders which Lafitte, okat an outlaw, forced his men to be govern- Ye “ But now he meant to kill Leo, should he haye’ to fight the sloop’s crew afterward, and th who saw the two advancing to the combat felt tha victory could nthe with Dick Char- “Tt is madness for him to fight that big brute,” said Lomax anxiously, ior he had Rison oung commander, Coola that he spoke to, and the African Lafitte’s Legacy. ‘* Master all right, sir—Coola know.” And it seemed that Coola did know, for the first attack of the angry pirate was met by Leo with a skill that thwarted him. He became more enraged and attacked vici- ay trying to beat down the guard of the outh. 4 But Leo proved to have an iron wrist, and bis skill was something wonderful, while his move- ments were executed with a rapidity that was marvelous, Dick Chartro was mad indeed, and his one thought seemed to be to kill the calm youth, whose grim smile never changed under his fiercest attacks. At times the man would become so maddened that he would force Leo to give ground and the men on the sloop would hold their breath in dread. But only for a moment would the youth give back, and then his lightning-like movements would force the pirate to act upon the defensive and he in turn would be driven backward. “‘ Carses on you, boy! you wield a sword as did your father; but I will kill you yet,” panted the pirate. The smile left Leo’s face, and he fairly hissed the words: “« And to avenge my father I now kill you, Dick Chartro.” The man uttered a cry and tried to strike up the blade that was pointing toward his heart, But he was not quick enough and the sharp sword was driven into the body of Dick Chartro, who with a pty yell, like a wounded beast, tried to still cut down his adversary. But Leo was too quick for him, and with- drawing his blade sprung back and the pirate fell vee his face 4 dead man, “Number one! now for blow number two for vengeance,” said Leo, as he turned and walked toward his boat, CHAPTER XXVI. A SAIL IN SIGHT. WHEN Leo rowed back to the sloop, he gave an order to Lomax in a low tone, and calling to Coola to accompany him, gave the oars over to the negro, Then he pulled boldly toward the little schooner, whose crew seemed ata loss what to do, after having seen their leader fall. Dick Chartro was a most cruel commander, and hence unpopular: but the men had cast their lot with him to become pirates and if he gained gold for them they were content. Just what Leo meant to do they could not tell, and the entire crew of the schooner felt un- een to what would be the result of Chartro’s death, Reaching the schooner Leo boldly sprung on deck and glanced about him, while he asked in his stern, commanding way: ** Who is the officer in charge here?” “T am, sir,” and a young man pat for- ward, whom Leo remembered to have been one of the buccaneers under his father. ** Senor Bronco, is it not?’ he asked. “ es, sir,” “Were you on the island when it was attacked by the treachery of the man I just killed?” “Yes, sir, and was captured by the Ameri- cans, and made my escape, by pretending to be badly wounded.” “Well, Senor Bronco, retain command of the schooner, but remember you are under my orders now.” “I certainly am glad of it, Senor Leo, and I congratulate you upon your victory over Dick Chartro, whose skill we all know but too well.” “Thank you, Senor Bronzo; but now to the men on the shore. **They are men who came down from the city in small boats, by way of the bayous, senor, and oe were sent to Captain Chartro by his agent -there. ‘“‘There areascore more to arrive within a day or so.” . ‘Indeed! Iam glad of this, for it will give me @ good crew, with those on your schooner, and my men on the sloop, while Lester, who is about due on the Golden Wings, will have a Bory more.” ie ; f “Yes, senor: but you will need a la orce for the Golden Win a sini “And will have fully ninety men, all told. “ { will make you second officer, Senor Bron- co, after Lester, and Lomax, on the sloop will be third luff, so I will be well officered at I and I certainly think my crew will be a One; but if not, we must make them so, as my father did,” “Commodore Lafitte was a wonderful Benor Leo; but I have perfect confidence r Aye 1 ¥% 13 senor, and will be happy im serving you,” was: the complimentary remark of the young Span- iard. Leo now bade Senor Bronco go ashore with him, and the men there were very glad of a change of masters, and already regarded Leo with awe, from the fact tbat he had slain the terrible. Captain Chartro, and also was the som of Lafitte, whom they had looked upon as a superior being, for the men shipped by Palita. had most generally been outlaws, and this last shipment were not exceptions to the rule. aving got hismen all in hand, Leo ordered the body of the pirate captain buried and all of his effects divided among the men, which was a pleasant surprise to them, as Dick Chartro was always well supplied with gold, or its equiv- alent in gems. Then the men were set to drilling, at the oars, and setting and taking in sail on both the sloop and schooner, until Leo discovered just how ex- pert they were. Some of the guns of the old fortress had been ut in order by Captain Chartro, and others had. n fished up from where they had been thrown into the sea, and these were mounted on shore: and the men set to drilling with them. Cutlass exercise, firing with pistols and mus- kets, and the using of boarding pikes the men. were then disciplined in, until the young com- mander began to feel that he would have a most superior crew, especially as nearly every one of them had been under fire often before. The crews were divided and sent on board the: sloop and schooner, which got under way and maneuvered in the harbor, when they would be. laid alongside and bearding and repulsing board- ers was gone through with, “Thus a week passed away, and one morning @& sail was reported in sight. Leo at once went to the foothill, accompanied by Senor Bronco and Lomax, and beheld a. schooner coming in toward the harbor, lt was a large schooner, very long and nar- row, and the clouds of canvas over her decks: seemed to be sail enough for a vessel more than twice her size, But sheastood well up under the enormous pressure, though a ten-knot breeze was blowing, and skipped through the waters so quickly that. she seemed hardly to be moving, for her bows were so sharp they carried no “ bone in her ”n th. ** [t is the Golden Wings, and she is fairly fly- ing,” said Leo with more enthusiasm than he was wont to show, The others also remarked upon her marvelous speed and then Leo said: * Can re see her flag, Lomax?” They all had their glasses, but the course ox the schooner, head on to them, had prevented their seeing the flag flying at the peak. A moment after the question was asked the schooner veered in following the channel and then there was revealed a huge black flag in the center of which were a pair of golden wings, At the same moment there was run up to the fore a small blue flag also bearing the golden wings in its center. “Tt is, as I mappoest, the new schooner, for she shows the old Barratarian flag and my father’s private colors at the fore. ‘“ We will signal her and then go down to the shore,” said Leo, —_—— CHAPTER XXVIII. THE GOLDEN WINGS, AT the command of Leo, Bronco, who knew the pirate signals thoroughly, signaled the new schooner a welcome, and they were Promptly responded to,while the three officers gazed at the beautiful craft with the greatest admira- on. ‘““Why, she is fully armed,” cried Leo, as he got a view of her decks. “ She is indeed, mga Lafitte, seven guns to a side, and a pivot fore and aft—a heavy bat- tery for her, and they appear like pieces of large caliber, all of them,” assured Lomax. “She's tremendously narrow in the stern, but a beautiful model, Captain Lafitte,” Bronco remarked. “And look at the immense hight of her masts and length of her spars,” “ Her bowsprit is half as long as ber hull,” “See the beautiful rake of her masts,” *« There, she was not five seconds in stays and works like a charm.” ‘« Lester knows what she can do and is trying to show her off,” Thus they talked of the merits of the new while walked down to the shore. There they took a boat and rowed out upon
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all that we could ask for. rae gs ee TRS 2 dd ADT RUS a i a aan 14 EEE ‘the bay, just as the schooner came driving in, | victory, after which chase could be made after | not beat him off,” said Captain Grayson in a shortening sail as she did so. Ricardo and he too taken. low tone to his first luff, who muttered in As she swept around and dropped anchor, the Why the schooner of Lafitte, and that of | reply: boat ran alongside and Leo boarded. Ricardo, were fighting, the Englishmen could ** You are right, sir; but there we get it!” He was met by a young man of twenty-five, | not understand for both were known to belong And toward the brig came a torrent of iron, with a suy-bronzed resolute face, and large, ex- | to the fleet of the Barratarian Buccaneers. pressive eyes; hardly a face one would expect And so it was that Captain Grayson singled out Lafitte as his prey. to wear the brand of pirate upon it. as the schooner squared away and gave her broadside in full. y It was well aimed and hit hard. He was a good form and saluted Leo politely, But, with Leo at the helm to handle the Almost instantly the schooner came back while his looks were expressive of amazement schooner, and Lafitte in command, the Destiny | upon her former course, and then suddenly pull- ashe glanced about bim and beheld no fleet in | very soon proved herself a very dangerous foe. ing off gave her starboard broadside to the the little haven, the forts in ruins, the cabins ot a shot was thrcwn away, and the speed | Vulture. ‘turned down and but two small vessels and as | and s Jendid handling of the schooner prevented The iron shot tore throngh the bull and rig- many score of men visible, the ulture from boarding. ging, doing much damage, and the Vulture was “T give you welcome, Lester, and in answer And so the battle had waged until the pirate not yet able to reply. to your surprised looks will tell you that Com- | craft, fighting her guns to the last had gone She had to get her decks cleared, her anchor modore Lafitte was offered pardon, rank and | down into the Gulf. gold by the British to serve them; but refused Admiring his gallant foe Captain Grayson and fought with his vessel’s crew for the Ameri- | bad launched his boats, hoping to pick up cans, Lafitte, and give him his life, for the flashes of “Doubting the honest purpose of Lafitte, an his guns had shown him standing on his deck as American flotilla came here and, through the the treachery of Ricardo to his duty, left it as you But half a dozen pirates only were picked up, see, and none of these proved to be Lafitte. “Lafitte went to sea in his schooner Destiny, They had reported that Lafitte and his son dntending to run down Ricardo; but the British | had gone down with the schooner, and so the | boarders were grouped amidships, ready for “a brig-of-war Vulture saved him, and sunk us, | Vulture headed quickly inshore, for she was re- ported to be lookin: badly. the shore, while several of the men were picked Into a little landlocked basin she was run and anchored in shallow water. Then the many dead were buried, the wound- “'Yos, and Iam now the only Lafitte, and | ed were rowed inshore, under the shelter of the shall command the Golden Wings, unless you trees, and tenderly cared for, and the repairs of and Coola and myself escaped, by swimming to up by the cruiser’s boats.” ‘‘ Phe chief dead?” said Lester, sorrowfully. desire to dispute my right.’ the “No indeed, Senor Leo, I will always follow But, as [ have said, the brig had been most ‘the lead of a Lafitte,” was the frank response. severely handled by the schooner, and so the re- “T thank you, Lester, and you are to be a pairs took time. 1 New spars had to be cut in the wvods and made to replace those which had been almost torn to pieces, while the bull had to be repaired in numberless places and the bulwarks patched, As the wounded were doing better ashore, than they would on shipboard, Captain Grayson took things quietly and made no haste to get to sea. And so the time went by until the Vulture had been three weeks in hiding in the little cove before she was again ready for sea. One afternoon, when all hands were busy get- ting the wounded on board, and all in readiness go out with the tide at sunset, a young middy startled all with his shrill cry: ‘Sail ho! sail ho!” There was no need to ask where she was, for not a mile away was seen a large schooner moving boldly in toward the little harborage where the brig lay at anchor. first officer, and we sail soon and then you wi iknow my purpose. ‘Now tell me of the Golden Wings, whose existence, amid other matters, my father seemed to forget, as I did also.” wy Well, Captain Lafitte, I found the schooner ready when I got there, and that she is a beauty you can see for yourself, while she is as fleet as the wind and stanch as a rock. “The fourth day out we got caught ina fear- ‘ful storm, and drove before it towards the north- -ward for a whole week, and it seemed luck that «ve did so, for, when at last a calm came we sighted a wreck lying inshore on the Massa- chusetts coast, for we had been driven that far to the north/ ‘T rowed ashore and found the wreck deserted, and lying upon a ledge, in a sheltered nook, with plenty of water right alongside, and I at once determined to arm the schooner with the splendid battery found on board. “The craft was a new vessel, a brig of three ‘hundred tons, and evidently built as a privateer. ‘She had this splendid battery that you see, any quantity of small-arms, stores and in fact to ‘Her crew had evidently been swept over- board when she struck, for her bottom was stove in, her masts gone and the shock must have ‘been terrible. “{ towed the schooner in, made her. fast alongside the ledge, and fortunately we had two days of dead calm weather, so I transferred all ‘to the Golden Wings. With her battery.on board she sailed even ‘better than before, and in this craft, Captain a you certainly have a most remarkable “She shall have every opportunity to prove her worth, Lieutenant Lester; but how many men have you?” ‘ Just twenty-seven of us all told, sir.” «“ And the boats with the extra men from the city are in sight, sir, coming from the main- land,” said a seaman who had just boarded to bring Leo the news. ‘Good! now we will be all ready to sail with- in the week, and the Golden Wings will have a chance to prove what she can do, for there is work abead of ker,” was Leo’s si ificant re- mark; but what that work was only the young commander knew. CHAPTER XXVIII. NUMBER TWO. ‘than was at first sup . son. Her commander had been angry with Lafitte} “But his field was black, sir, with the golden for refusing the offers made him, and had sought | wings,” said a lieutenant, bis revenge in the capture of the pirate and| ‘rue, but the red is even more Ominous, y more suggestive. That it was possible for the little schooner to “J only hope Lafitte really went down in withstand the brig was not thongit of, and the | his schooner, for with such a commander as he hanging bim. “Vulture’s captain and crew anticipated an easy | on A was : She was armed, had her working sails set and her men at the guns, The brig was caught in a bad plight. Her boats were going to and from the land, bringing the wounded, water-casks and traps that were asbore, while her deck was hampered with many things. No one had expected a foe in there, and not a soul was prepared for a fight. Fortunately, they saw that the schooner did not look like a mateh for the brig, but there were many that in the same thought remembered how Lafitte had crippled them, small as had been his vessel. The Vultures were clearly caught on their roost, and for a moment there was something like a panic; but Captain Grayson was a thor- ough commander and bis discipiine soon held supreme sway. vessel, for she carried no colors to distinguish her by. Then it was said that she was an American cruiser, and last all decided that she must be an American privateer. In the mean time decks were being cleared, the boats called in, anchor gotten up and sail set. * But a few minutes after having the schooner fired a gun over the deck of the Vulture and ran a flag up to her peak, and a smal] one up to the fore, The first was a large red field with a bu air of age Mb a joe center, while the a2 : tter was a blue with wings of gold. Tue British brig-of-war Vulture had been ‘One of Lafitée'e” pirates, at ie, for there more crippled in her fight with Lafitte’s schooner, | is his golden-winged flag,” cried Captain Gray- up, sail set and men at the guns, and in the condition in which she was caught, that could not be done in a minute of time. A third broadside, and a fourth, came from the Golden Wings, also doing much damage, while the fleet craft was running rapidly in, as though anxious to come to close quarters. Upon her decks her men s at their guns, working them splendidly, while a party of schooner went down. use. Her crew must have numbered ninety men, or more, and men clad in white duck trowsers, blue shirts and red skull-caps, with gold wings upon the latter. : ; The craft was in perfect trim, every rope 1D vee and her decks were unscarred, and snowy white. Upon the quarter-deck stood Leo Lafitte, dressed in a neat blue uniform, with golden wings upon either shoulder and upon his cap, while his officers were similarly attired. Leo was perfectly calm, and upon his face rested the same grim smile which bad been there when he had fought Captain DickChartro. He had often commanded in battle, for bis father had yielded to him as chief, and his nerve, skill and coolness under fire all had re- marked among the league. 5 He had determined, when he set sail in the Golden Wings, to hunt down the Vulture, and knowing that she bad suffered severely in her fight with the schooner, he hoped to find her somewhere near the scene of combat on the coast. ‘A coaster he had bailed tol@ him the brig was anchored in” the basin, repairing, and be had landed Coola to go and reconnoiter. Coola had done his work well, and so the at- tack on the Vulture had been well timed, Leo hoping, with her decimated crew, from her last battle, and catching her in disorder, to make up for her greater strength. : ‘And well had. he calculated, for his hot fire upon the brig, before she was able to strike back, almost demoralized the crew. * The Golden Wings was now near the little harbor, and held on directly for the entrance, as though to boldly run 1, and still the br? had not fired a damaging shot, though severa had been brought to bear upon the schooner. Another broadside dismounted the guns upom the Vulture and brought down a dozen men. «There is a panic on board, Captain Lafitte,” said Lester. y “Head ber into the basin,” ordered Leo, and the bow guns began to play sharply upon the Englisbman. Fist as the schooner entered the basin the brig got under way, and swung around for a broadside. d It was fired, but the helmsman was evidently nervéus and the shots flew ahead of the schooner. A wild cheer at this broke from the Golden Wings, and a broadside was returned which hit the brig fairly. “PH board him,” said Leo calmly, and he ave the necessary orders. |. The brig was also at ® disadvantage in the little basin, being differently rigged and not 80 brig looked to. food breeze was blowing, and the schooner ating in rapidl he schooner was at first pronounced a British been sighted " could not swing about as did the schooner. As she had either to go about, or ee ashore, , ing, and after another broadside, followed by @ volley of musketry from all hands, the schooner was run up under the stern of the Vulture. Grapnels were thrown, pistols rattled, and then like a drove of wolves the Golden Wings were led by Leo upon the deck of the brig. Captain Grayson was there to meet them, and his men fought bravely; but fortune was against them, they bad been surprised, unnerved, and suffering greatly under the fire of the schooner, were almost unmanned. And so the Golden W. ward; 30me were tumbled drove them for- that craft, and caught as we are, we could the sea, others easily handled, while, drawing more water she ~
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shot and cut down, and the victorious advance continued. The Golden Wings suffered too, and many , went down; but their advance could not be ehecked and ere long cries of quarter were heard. Then, with a white face and voice trembling / with emotion, Captain Grayson asked for quar- ter for his crew, while he reluctantly fonnlefen his sword, ‘* Keep it, sir, for in hauling down the colors grom this brig, I avenge my father, Lafitte,” said Leo quietly. ‘* Ha! you are the youth who carried Lord Lennox ashore, with his offer to the pirate chief from the British commanders?” cried Captain Grayson. ‘* Yes, sir, I am Lafitte’s son, and when you sunk his schooner, some weeks ago, my father went down in her, “T escaped death death at your bands, “* And you are a pirate?” said Captain Gray- son reproachfully. ‘ “No, I am an outcast, trying to win an honorable name, and your vessel I shall sur- render to the United States Government,” was the reply of Leo, and there was a bitterness in { his tone, commin ling with triumph at his suc- cess, which the British commander ‘could not but observe. 1,and I have avenged his CHAPTER XXIX, ’ CONCLUSION, _ Tum Golden Wings had not escaped wholly unscathed in the combat with the Vulture, and her crew had suffered considerably, so Leo de- termined to send her, under Lieutenant Lester, er _ to ‘the island stronghold for repairs, while he, with a prize crew, ran the brig to New Or- Jeans, Repairs that were n were rapidly made upon the Vulture, her crew placed in irons, her officers given the freedom of the ship under parole, and the véssel was headed for the delta of the Mississippi. | f It was night when she dropped anchor off the a) city, and Leo went at once ashore to communi- rien cate with Governor Claiborne. ate He was received at once, and Leo told the simple story of his capture in his modest way. The governor was delighted, and said: : ‘My brave young friend, this should certain- ly gain for you a commission in the United tes Navy, and in the morning I will put the whole affair before those ia authority here.” But alas for Leo! those in authority took the capture of the Vulture in a different light from ‘what the governor did, and who had resigned from his official capacity, and they could only _ see Lafitte; the Pirate of the Gulf, in his son. The captured brig was at once taken charge of, and Leo and his men told to accept their pardons and go their way in peace. Leo’s heart was full at this treatment, and he knew not what to do. ; : Then he remembered that, in their joy at get- ting possession of the brig, they had asked noth- ing about the means of her capture, and his olden Wings was yet left to him, his men secret orders, and then ters where be was stopping. _ ne paced the floor in silence, » Aloud: : such is the way I am treated for acting , with honor? So be it, I will yet force them to regret that Wie fee! “mana me as Leo, the son of Lafitte oy gor a e F wa’ . I ; __ Several days after the good governor called |” s$bom him, accompanied Pye distinguished of- Those in authority had been convinced that _ they had acted harshly, had not treated the oy See, edo just right, and, under the influence brought to bear, they were willing to make ally were they willing to do so, as they T ca mate the he had might oung sailor, f him for hig | i Sancho Pedro, the Boy Banait, —— Lafitte’s Legacy. “We shall hear from Leo Lafitte again,” said the governor, significantly. And he was right, for Leo kept his word and the name of Lafitte did not end when the Des- tiny went down into the depths of the Guif of Mexico, THE END, Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. BY CAPTAIN FRED, WHITTAKER, 15 The Sea-Cat; or, The Witch of Darien. 29 The Dumb Page; or, The Doge’s Daughier. 48 Dick Darling, the Pony Express Rider. 150 Lance and Lasso; or, The Children of the Chaco. 154 The Sword Hunters ; or, The Land of the Elephant Riders, 159 The Lost Captain; or, Skipper Jabez Coffin’s Cruise to the Open Polar Sea. 200 The Boy Bedoutna; or, The Brot!ers of the Plumed Lance, 214 Wolfgang, the Robbér of the Rhine. fy & 249 Milo Romer, the Animal King; or, The Round the World Wanderer. 265 The Tiger Tamer; or, The League of the Jungle. 881 Black Nick, the Demon Rider. 895 California Joe’s War Trail. BY EDWARD WILLETT, 167 Asa Scott, the Steamboat Boy. 199 Featherweight, the Boy Champion of the Muskingum, 228 Ozark Alf; or, Featherweight Among the Outlaws. 282 The Typo Detective; or, Weasel, the Boy Tramp, 295 Fearless Phil; or, The King of Quartzville. 811 The Roving Sport; or, The Pride of Chuckaluck Camp, 822 Nemo, the Detective; or, Kit Kenyon's Vendetta. 840 Clip, the Contortionist; or, The Montana Vigilantes, BY JO PIERCE, 897 Bob o’ the Bowery; or, The Prince of Mulberry Street. 415 The Vagabond Detective; or, Bowery Bob’s Boom. 452 Hotapur Bob, the Street-Boy Detective, 460 The Lawyer’s Shadow; or, Luke’s Legacy. 472 Jaunty Joe, the Young Horse-King. 494 Surly Sim, the Young Ferryman Detective. 504 Five Points Phil. 509 Jack Jaggers, the Butcher Boy Detective. 516 Tartar Tim; or, Five Points Phil’s Menagerie, 526 North River Nat, the Pier Detective. , BY CAPT. MARK WILTON, 256 Young Kentuck; or, The Red Lasso, 270 Blizzard Ben; or, The Riot at Keno Camp, 286 Josh, the Boy Tenderfoot. BY CAPTAIN MAYNE REID. 78 Blue Dick; or, The Yellow Chiefs Vengeance. 87 The Land Pirates; or, The League of Devil’s Island, 187 The Helpless Hand; or, Backwoods Retribution. 289 The Gold-seeker Guide ; or, The Lost Mountain. BY BRACEBRIDGE NHEMYNG. 89 Island Jim; or, The Pet ofthe Family. | 91 The Captain of the Club; or, The Rival Athletes. 101 Jack Harkaway in New York. BY GEORGE WALPO BROWNE. 86 Dandy Rock, the Man from Texas, 90 The Dread Rider ; or, The Texan Duelist. 99 The Tiger of Taos; or, Dandy Rock’s Angel. 115 The Mad Miner; or, Dandy Rock’s Doom. 181 The Golden Hand; or, Dandy Rock to the Rescue, ‘| 164 Dandy Rock’s Pledge ; or, Hunted to Death. 178 Dandy Rock’s Rival; or, The liaunted Maid of Taos BY HARRY ST, GEORGE. 80 Roaring Ralph Rockwood, the Ranger. A4 Rattling Rube} or, The Nighthawka of Kentucky, 59 Old Wickory ; or, Pandy Ellis’s Scalp. 108 Daring Davy} or, The Trail of the Border Wolf, 166 Wickory Harry ¢ °r; The Trapper-Brignde’s Spy. ‘1%2 Thunderbolt Tom; or, the Wolf-Herder, BY J, C, COWDRICK, 860 Silver-Mask, the Man of Mystery. \ 869 Shasta, the Gold King or, For Seven Yoars Dead. 420 he, Detective’s Apprentice; or, A Boy Withont # 424 Cibuta John; or, Red-Hot T.mes at Ante Bar. 489 Sandy Sam, the Street Scout, \ \ 467 Disco Dan, the Daisy Dude, . 490 Broadway Billy, the Bootblack Bravo. 506 Redlight Ralph, the Prince of the Road. 514 Broadway Billy's Boodle. 524 The Engineer Detective, BY OR FE. 1. 7 ¥ ST. VRAIN. ‘Lendville Nick, thy Boy Sport, ‘i cahisece Nenanne doe ee AMS, Publishers, = = en. rae ip Bia } Will ie ) Street, New Yo, BY CAP1. J. F. C, ADAMS. 84 Oregon Sol; or, Nick Whiffles’s Boy Spy. 46 Glass-Eye, the Great Shot of tle West, 54 Ned Hazel, the Boy Trapper. 56 Nick Whiiiles’a Pets; or, Ir The Valley of Death. 60 The White Indian; or, The Scout of the Yellowstone, 70 Old Zip’s Cabinys or, The Greenhorn in the Woods. $1 Lightning Jo, the Terror of the Prairie. °85 Buck Bueckrams er, Bess, the Female Trapper, 247 Old Grizzly and His Pets; or, The Wild Huntress, 251 Light-house Lige 3; or, Osceola, the Firebrand. 257 The Lost Hunters; or, The Underground Camp, 288 The Scalp King}; or, The Human Thunderbolt. BY ROGER STARBUOK. 25 The Boy Captain; or, The Pirate’s Daughter. 114 The Black Schooner; or, Jib Junk, the Old Tar. 259 The Golden Harpoon; or, Lost Among the Floes. 848 Fire-Heela; or, Old Skinflint, the Death-Shadow, 854 Big Horn Ike, the Hill Tramp; or, The Odd Pardy 861 The Phantom Liht-house, 870 Breaker Ben, the Reef-Runner. ase er BY COLONEL DELLE SARA, 108 The Lion of the Sea; or, The Vailed Lady. 186 Cool Desmond; or, The Gambier’s Big Game. BY PHILIP S&S. WARNE, 67 Patent-Leather Joe; or, Old Rattlesnake, the Charmer 175 Wapratn Arizona; or, Patent-Leather Joe's Big Game, 198 Captain Mask; or, Patent-Leather Joe’s Defeat. 219 Despard, the Duelist; or, The Mountain Vompires, 888 A Tough Boy ; or, The Dwarfs Revenge. 868 Little Tornado; or, The Outcasts of the Glen. 878 Little Jingo; or, the Queer Pard. 888 Little Oh-my 3 or, Caught in His Own Trap. 401 Little Shoo-Fly; or, A Race for a Ranch. 408 Little Leather-Breeches}; or, Old Jumbo’s Curse. : 481 Little Ah Sin; or, The Curse of Blood, y 451 Colorado Kate. A Tale of the olines, 480 Three Jolly Pards. § 517 Jim Gladden’s Deputy. BY CHARLES E. LASALLE, { 50 Burt Bunker, the Trapper. ; 52 The White Buffalo. A Tale of the Northwest, BY JOHN J. MARSHALL. 40 Roving Ben. A Story ofa Young American. 97 The Outlaw Brothers; or, The Captive of the Harpe, * MISCELLANEOUS AUTHORS, | 4 The Wild-Horse Hunters. By Capt. Mayne Reid and Frederick Whittaker, 9 Adventures of Baron Munchausen, 12 Gulliver’s Travels. By Dean Swift. 14 Aladdin; or, The Wonderful Lamp. 16 Robinson Crusoe. (27 Illustrations.) 18 Sindbad the Sallor. His Seven Voyages, 22 bet Sea Serpent; or, The Boy Robinson Crusoe, By Juan pws. 88 The Ocean Bloodhound Carribees. By S, W. Pierce. 86 th Boy Clown; or, The Queen ofthe Arena, By Frank ° le nn. 3 or, The Red Pirates of the 88 Ned Wylde, the Boy Scout. By Texas Jack. 51 The Boy Rifles; or, The Underground Camp. By Archie © . Irons. : 95 The Rival Revers; or, By Lieut.-Col. Hazeltine, 98 Robin Hood, the Outlawed Earl; or, The Merry Men of Green- wood. By Prof. Gildersleeve. 105 Old Rube, the Hunter; or, The Crow Captive. By Captain The Freebooters of the Mississippi. Hamilton Holmes. 112 The Mad Hunter; or, The Cave of Death, By Burton Saxe. 124 Tippy, the Texan; or, The Young Champion. By George Gleason. 128 The Young Privateer; or, Harry Cavendish, 48 Sharp Sam; or, The Adventures of a Friend) ; Alexander Fetien.” ee nn By: a 227 Dusky Darrell, Trapper: or, lowstone. By Edward Emerson. 261 Fopgue Fearnaught, the New York Boy, By George L. The Pirate’s Stronghold. By The Green Ranger of the Yel- 266 KIMb’ar, the Guide; or, Davy Crockett’s Crooked Trail. By Ensign C, D. Warren. : 298 Red Claw, the One-Eyed Trapper; _ By Captain Comstock. / 817 Peacock Pete, the Lively Lad from Leadville, By Liens tenant Alfred Thorne. * ‘828 The Sky me‘ective; or, A Boy’s Fight for Life and Honote — By Maior Mickey Free. oh or, The Maid of the Clim — 850 Red Ralph, the River Rover; or, The Brother's venge, By Ned Buntline. 865 Baltimore Ben, the Bootblack Detective. By A. P. Morrie. 874 Gold-Dust Tom; or, Ben’s Double Match, By George H, orse. 876 California Joe's First Trail, By Colone) ‘Thomas Hoyer Monastery. ; J ‘ me 415 Billy Bombshell, the Clif Climber. By F, S- Winthrop. 440 Little Foxfoot, the Gold Bowie Kid. By Arthur C. Grissom, 475 The Black Ship. By John S, Warner, 7 ant 484 rence a and His hie - segiemmae By 528 Wizard-Arm, the Dandy Sport. By Arthur F. Holt, A New Issue Every Tuesday, he PO The Half-Dime Library is for sale by all newsdealers, fing cents per Copy; or sent by mail on receipt of six cents each. — “ . — La
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aps 2 V8 7 oenrgeties Pe es Oy READLE'S« H ALF- DIME* LIBRARY. in RRR a ‘ents, by all Newsdealers.. Published Every Tuesday. Each Isswe Complete and Sold at the Uniform Price of Five C BY COLONEL PRENTISS INGRAHAM. 914 New York Nat’s Three of a Kind. 908 New York Nat’s Double. 902 New York Nat’s in Colorado, New York Nat in Gold Nugget Camp. Other Novels by E. L. Wheeler. 80 Rosebud Rob; or, Nugget Ned, the Knight. 84 Rosebud Rob on Hand; or, Idy!l, the Girl 88 Rosebud Rob's Rea pearance} or, Photo 121 Rosebud Rob’s Challenge; or, Cinnam 277 Denver Doll, the Detective Queen; or, The Yanke 281 Denver Doll’s Victory; or, Skul) and Crossbones. 255 Denver Doll's Decoy ; or. Little Bill’s Bonansa. rift; or. The Road Queen. Gold-Gatherers or, The Life Lottery, Wolves of Wake-Up. RD L. WHEELER. Deadwood Dick Novela. Dick, the Prince of the Road. Dick’s Deflance; or, Double Daggers. Dick in Disguise; or, Buffalo Ben Dick in His Castle. Dick’s Bonanza; or, The Phantom Miner. Dick in Danger; or, Omana Ol. Dick’s Eagles; or, The Pards of Flood Bar. Dick on Deck: or, Calamity ¢ ine, the Heroine Acts or, Corduroy Charlie. BY EDWA 1 Deadwood : York Nat’s Trump Card, t New York Nat and the Grave Ghouls. ' York Nat’« Masked Mascot. New York Nat, the Gamin Detective, Doom’s Kidnapper Knock-Out, Doom’s Ten Strike. Doom’s Flush Hand. Doom’s Death-Grip; or, The Detective by Destiny. Doom’s Destiny; or, The River Blackleg’a Terror, Doom; or, The Sharps and Sharks o! New York, Doom in Boston; or, A Man of Many Maske, Doom tn Chicago. Dick Doom in the Wild West. Dick Doom’s Clean Sweep; ¢,; Five Links in 4 Clue, Dick Doon’s Death Clue. Dick Doom’s Diamond Deal. Dick Doom’s Girl Mascot. Dick Doom’s Shadow Hunt. Dick Doom’s Big Maul. Dashing Charlie; or Dashing Charlte’s Destiny: or, The Renegade’s Captive. Dashing Charlie’s Pawnee Pard, Dashing Charlie, the Rescuer, Ruck Taylor, King of the Cowboys. Buck Taylor, the Comanche’s Captive. Ruck Taylor’s Boys or, The Red Riders ot the Rio Grande, 296 Denver Doll’s D 86% Yreka Jim, the 872 Yreka Jim’s Prize; or, The B85 Yreka Jim’s Joker BS9 ¥ reka Jim’s New 894 Yreka Jim of Yuba Dam. 209 Fritz, the! 218 Fritz to the 244 Sierra Sam, th 248 Sierra Sams Secret; 258 Sierra Sum’s Pard; or, The Angel of Big Vista. Seven? or, The Stolen Bride. The Mysterious Mirfer. The Pride of Played-Out, Dick’s Laat Dick in Leadville, d Dick’s Device; or, The Double Cross Sign. Dick as Detective. Dick’« Double; or, The Gorgon’s Gulch Ghost. 1 Dick’s Home Base}; or, Blonde Bill. Dick’a Big Strikes or, A Game of Gold. d Diek of Deadwood: or, The Picked Party. Dick’s Dream or, The Rivals of the Road. Dick’s Wards or, The Black Hill's Jezebel. Dick’a Doom: or, Calamity Jane’s Adventure. Dick’s Dead Beal. Dick’s Death-Plant. A Romance of Roughs and Toughs, ides or, The Spirit of Swamp Lake. d Dick’a Death Trail. Dick’ Deal; or, The Gold Brick of Oregon. Dick’s Dozens or, The Fakir of Phantom Flats d Dick’s Ducats; or, Days in the D od Dick Sentenced; or, The Terrible Dieck’s Claim, Dick In Dead City. Dick’s« Diamonde. Dick in New Yorks or, A “Cute Case.” d Dick’s Dust; or, The Chained Hand. The Crimeon Crescent Sign. Role; or, Bicycle Ben. i-Boy Detective; or, Dot Leetle Front? or, The Ventriloquist Hunter Frontier Ferret; ov, A Sister’s Devotion. or, The Bloody Footprints, 255 Sierra Sam’s 884 Kangaroo Kit; or, 889 Kangaroo Kit’« Racket; or, 89 Death-Face, Detective; or, Life in 69 The Roy Detective; or, Gold Rifle, the Detective; or,*Arabse and the Sharpehooter, 96 Watch-Eye 117 Gilt-Edged 145 Captain Ferret, the 161 New York Nell, the Boy-Girl Detective. 226 The Arab Detective; or, Snoozer, the 291 Turk the Boy Ferret. 825 Kelley, Mickey 848 Manhattan Mi 400 Wrinkles, 416 High Hat 426 Sam Slabsaides, the Be: 484 Jim Beak and 26 Cloven Hoof, t 82 Bob Woolf; or, The Girl De 45 Old Avalanche; or, Wild E 58 Jim Bladsoe, JIr., the Boy Phenix, 61 Buckhorn Bill; or, The Red Riff 92 Canada Chet 3 or, Old Anaconda 118 Jack Hoyle the Young Specn 125 Bonanza Bill, Miner; or 188 Bossa Bob the King of Booth 141 Solid Sam, the Boy Rond-Ag ick of Nevada} or, nk the Buckskin Bravo; or, Lady Lily he Trail Tornado; or, R the Young Gladiator; or, The Locked Valley. bo Joe, the Boy Patrol: or, 299 A No. 1, the Dashing Toll 808 ’Lizea Jane, B58 Firat-C 878 Nabob Ned} or, BS2 Cool Kit, 488 Santa Fe Sal, 456 Sealakin Sam, the 918 Kit Keith, t ¢ Revenue Spotter. coW DRIOK. the Bootblack Bravo. a Boodle; or, Clearing a Strange Case *pitikilty.” ew York Detective. & Co., the Detectives of Philadelphia, ke, the Bowery Detective. the Night-Watch Detective. Harry, the Base Ball Detective, gar-Boy Detective. rivate Detectives. he Buffalo Demon; or, The Borde’ e Bill; or, Carl, the Mad Cowboy. Pawnee Biba Pledge; or, The Cowboy *s Doom, Pawnee Bill: or, Darivg Dick. Redfern’s Curtous Case: 1, The Rival Sharps. Kedtern at Devil's Ranch; or, The Sharp from Texas. Redfern’s High Hand; or, Blue Jacket. Redfern’« Last Trail; or, The Red Sombrero Rangers. Red Ralph’s Ruse; or, The Buccaneer Midebipman. 674 Red Ralph’s Bold Game} or, The Wizard Sailor, 5T9 Red Ralph, the Shadower, or, ‘The Freebooter’s Legacy, wae uvieray A utterfly ly, the Pony Express Rider. Butterfly Billy’ Vy Dick, Jr.j or Dick, dr.’ % Full Hand. Big Round-Up. ket at Clalm 10, 4 Dick, Jr's dna, the Girl Brigand. Dick, Jr.’s. Rac Dick, dr.’s, Corral; or, Dick, Jr.’s, Dog Detective, d Diek, Jr., In Deadwood. Dick, Jr.’s, Compact. ad Dick, Jr.'s. Inheritance, Dick, dra DI Dick, Jr.’s, De Dick, Jr.'« Protegee. Dick, Jr«, Three. Dick, Jr.’s, Danger Ducks. Dick, Jr.'s, I t. in Sitting Bull’s Camp. Madam Mystery, the Forget. ent; or, The Branded Brows. The Sierras Scamps. 286 Apollo Bill,t Kent Kingdon} or, The Owls of the Overland. Kent Kingdon’s Bhadower} or, the Card Queen, & Kent Kingdon’s Duel§ er, The Surgeon Scout. BSG Kent Kingdon’« Doom; or, The Buckskin Avenger. 545 Lafitte Run Downy; or, The Bucsaneers of Barrataria, 550 Lafitte’ Legacy: or. The Avenging Son, 5655 Lafitte’s Confers ont or, The Creole Corsair. The Rival Heirs. or, the Iron-Nerved Sport. the Girl Miner; The Dead Face of Daggersville, ulck-Shot¢ or, asa Fred, the Gent from Gopher. The Secret of Slab City. A Villain’s Vengeance. the Slasher; or, A Son’s Vengeance. Sparkler; or The Tribunal of Ten. Jr., on ila Mettle. Dick, Jr., in Gotham, Dick, Jr., in Boston. d Dick, Jr., In Philadelphia, Dick, Jr., in Chicago. d Dick. Jr., Afloat. Dick. Jr..:in Denver. d Dick, Jr.’s, Deeree, Dick Jr., in Beelzebub’s Basin. Dick, Jr., at Cone Dick, Jr.’ Leadyille Lay. Dick, Jr., In Detrott. Dick, Jr., in Cincinnattl. Dick. Jr., in N Dick, Jr., in [N 554 Deadwood the King of Kids; or, 897 Rob o’ the Bowery 3 0t, The Prince of Mulberry Street. 415 The Vagabond Detective; or, Bowery Bob’s Boom, ur Bob, the Street-Boy Detective. Lawyer's Shadows or Luke’s Legacy 472 Jaunty Joe, the Youlg Horse-King. 494 Surly Sim, the Young F ointsa Phil, the Pavement Prince. 509 Jack Jagger, the Butcher Boy Detective. 516 Tartar B26 North River Nat, the Pier Detective. 588 Wrestlin 541 Jeff Flicker, the Stable Boy Detective. BS1 Nick Nettle, the Boy Shadow; or, The Ola Well Mystery- 559 Harlem Jack, the Office Boy Detective. 669 Brooklyn Ben, the On His-Own-Hook Detective. B77 Pavement Pete the Secret Sifter, 588 Jack-o’-Lantern, the Under-Sea Prospector. GOR Wide-Awnke Bert, the Street-Steerer- 614 Whistling Jacob, the Detective’s Aid. 628 Buck Bumblebee, the Harlem Hummer. 689 Sunrise Saul, the Express-Train Ferret. 649 Gamin Bob, the F 658 Sky-Rocket Rob, the Lite-Saver 688 Raltpéter Sol, the New York Navigator 694 &ptey Jim, the Only One of Hie Kind, 206 Tom Thistle, the Road-House Detectives , 717 Mosquito Jack, the Hustler Gamin. 726 Dennis Duff the Brown yo « Kid. T44 Dick of the Docks, the 765 Flipper Flynn, the Street Patrol. ‘4 504 Five P o Man’s Land, Jr., After the Queer. k. Jr.. tn Buffalo. Dick, Jr.’«, C hase Across the Continent Dick, Jr... A . mong the Smugglers. Inaurance Case, or, * Gathered In.” Found a Fortune. 48 Deadwood 654 Deadwood 660 Deadwood 708 Brondway 711 Broadway 720 Broadway 735 Broadway 788 Broadway 758 Broadway 762 Broadway 769 Broadway TTS Broadway 738 Broadway 736 Broadway 790 Broadway 796 Broadway 800 Broadway 805 Broadway 810 Broadway 815 Broadway 821 Broadway 826 Brondway I 888 Broadway 889 Broadway 844 Broadway 849 Broadway 856 Brondway 862 Broadway 868 Broadway 874 Broadway 880 Broadway 918 The Trump Dock- 912 Train Boy 906 Satety Sam, 900 Jumping Jac SST Battery Bob, 860 stiver-Mas 455 Rea e Detective’s Appren 24 Cibuta Jonny; or, y 489 Sandy Sam, the Street Scout. 467 Disco Dan, the Dais 506 Redll ste arsed t engineer Detectives or, 48 Mart, the Night Express Detective. Luke the Young Engineer; or, Pinkerton; or, Ron et or, The Clever Deal. or, The Gamin Detective. 704 Deadwood 764 Deadwood FRI Cast-Off Cale, the Scapegoat Detective, Street Arab. 4 Wek, Jr. 850 The Grand Dick, Jr’.4, Dick, Jr.’s, Diamon d Dick, Jr’, Royal F 1 Dick, Jr.’a, Hend-off, Dick, Jr.’s, Rival. d Dick, Jr.’#, Scoop. Dick, Jr.’#, Proxy. Jrv’sa, Clutch, Jr.’s, High Horse. at Devils Gulch. Neath-Hole Hustle.) z 792 Dead woo 797 Deadwood 802 Deadwood 80T Deadwoo 812 Deadwoor 816 Deadwood 822 Deadwood 828 Deadwoo 884 Dendwood 840 Deadwood 845 Deadwood 852 Deadwood 858 Deadwood 868 Deadwood fF 87% The Street Arab’s Blin ‘eo Five Points Lodging Wouse Janitor.’ Wigh, the Trump Card Detective. y: Hot Hustle, the Cyele Sport. k’s Jubilee. 899 Basement Bert, the Boy Cobbler Detwctive. Blue-Blazes, the Dodger of the Docks. 907 Reddy 915 Flip Fl LATEST AND NEW ISSUES. 20 New York Na a3 or, The Texan Tenderfoot 999 Crook-Tracker. tine “ the Man of Mystery; or, old King} 0° The Golden K For Seven: ¥aies eas A Boy Without a Name. t Times at Ante Bar, Dude. e Prince of the Road. 922 Sol Sharpe, Detective? > Hayseed Ramsey’s Double 1, By Edward Le Wheeler. 928 Gold-Dust Dan’« Saep-Shots or, The Deadwood Specu- lator’s Blind, By Joho W.. Osbon. Roots Rebs the Fire-Laddte; or, The Dandy De- tective’s Double-up. By J C. Cowarick. 925 The Young Cowboy Captain; or, Rounding-up the Greasers. By de Flanagna. 926 New York Nat, and the Traitor Ferrets 07, The dre, Trade-! .Top- The Double Case Bie-Decker. ‘ 671 Air-Line 59 615 Fighting 640 Bareback B 647 Typewrite 894 Arizona Dick's BY WILLIAM R, EYSTER,. f Chained Cyclone, the Centaur of the the Merchant’s Ward. BY UIEUT. A. K. SIMS. *¢ Pizenest ’? Man of Ante Bar. or, The Dead Set at Silver City. The Affair at Tombstone. ak; or, The Cow ral Cock; or, Josh’s Ten Strike Ruatling for Millions. Josh Peppermint’ he Man With s Shadow the Dutch Vidoeg; or, Hot Timesat Barnacle, the Detective Hercules. the Cattle-Range Detective. Ilfam_ the Mountain Mounteban! the Plains Detective. 688 Tom-Oat’s Triu 546 Captain Cactu 568 The Dandy of 576 The Silver Sp 927 Kid Bandy’* Brigade tn Arizona; oT, Black Vulean’s: Redwood Terrors. B 588 Saffron Sol, t 657 Warbling BY MAR@LD PAYNE. 848 Dan, the River Sport; or, Foiling the Frisco Sharp. R892 Bowery Ben 911 Bowery Bob, the East-side BY BUFFALO BILL (lion, Wm F- Cody). » Hand, t of the Prairie. ¢ Banded Brotherhood dot or, The Trapper’s Trust, ncho Buster; or, in Chinatown _ BEADLE AND ADAMS, Publishers, eteetive in Tex wmen Detectives in k Nat’« Deadly Deal, k Nat’s Crook-Chase, The Kentucky Tenderfoot’s First Trali. Zi], the Prairie Shadower. ily’s Disgulee. « Man ifunt. Billy’s Bonanza, nd Fifty Others, BY JO PIEROE. erryman Detective, fim; or. Five Points Phil’s Menagerie, Rex, the Pride ofthe Sixth Ward. Zowery Badger; or, Scooping ® Slippery Set. ight-Watch, » Odd Pard; or, The Keener’s Hugo Hustle. Billy, the Banco Bouncer, + Broadway Gamin. at-Club Maxcot; or, Dan Decker’s Double Dea} fon Square Baggage Boy. enue Fred, the Valet Detective: Rusher, Bell-Boy 4-11 . asher, Ferret, of East Broadway, m from Denvers % Fighting the Tonghs of Dead~ C. Harbaugh. a Best Score. By Col, Prentiss Ingraham. d Sport in Velvets er, Billy Bird’s Big Boom. By 98 William Street, New York,