The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-10-11


jumped overheard for me when fell
from aloft two years before.
''Well, says he, lone good turn de-
serves another, doesn't it? Now you
just keep to yourself whatever you
may happen to see tonight. Tn goin'
up to the lighthouse to settle an old
score"
"For Gods sake, Cap says I, ..don't
do any thing you'll be sorry forl"
That's all right" he says, .syou
needn't be afear'd. I'm goin' to give
that French puppy piece of my mind,
and perhaps q licking, that's all.n
And think he meant no more than
what he said. so / made no answer. I
was only a lad, and an Indian at that
he was white man and my Captain.
Besides, as he had reminded me, l
owed him my life.
1t was about eight o'clock of Sep
tember evening. / could see the Ian
tern lights being Lit in the lighthouse,
and knew that Hector was there and
probably alone-for although there was
a small cottage attached to the light
house it was never used as a dwelling.
Corlett jumped ashore and bade me
wait for him. In the stiffness I could
hear words that were said. Corlett
spoke first:
''You French sneak, want bit of
reckoning with your
''Those are hard names, Captain"
said Baptiste. land don't like them"
30, you don't ehP Well, you
shouldn't deserve them, then. / don't
like having a crawling Frenchman
coming up here and stealing away the
woman had intended to marry.
That's what you did!'
Captain Corlett, you lie!''
'.For calling me a liar, take that!
And for playing dirt on me take that
and that!'
In moment there was a scuffle up
| in that little room under the lantern,
and. the next thing I heard was a
splash in the water.
1 thought it time to interfere but as
ran the boat aground Corlett jumped
in and showed off. AsI opened my lips
to speak, he shouted in terribly ex-
cited manner,
T Don't you ask any questions and
don't you say a word on ship-board, or
Pll shoot you without warning!''
confess that during that evening I
was a coward and was afraid of the
Captain in.his mad rage. We pro-
ceeded on our trip to Montreal, whittier
we carried cargo, and started back
light. In week we were again near
ing the settlement. 1t was a squally
night, though not very rough, but
dark as pitch. The tide was running
out and the wind was from the west
The Captain had been drinking
whisky pretty freely all through the
trip, and he was in no shape to take
the schooner into the creek even in the
best of weather. The mate tried to
persuade him to keep outside until the
morning. ssNo!'' says he, "I'm running
this vessel. I'm Captain here, and you
fellows will do as I tell you, or I'll
know the reason why" With whisky
in his head and pistols in his pockets,
Corlett was a dangerous customer, and
we prepared to make the best of bad
job. We all knew that we were pretty
near the headland, but what puzzled
the boys was that no light was to be
seen. / had my own suspicious but
dared not mention them.
"Boys,n said the Captain, at last a
little sobered in his efforts to make the
creek-s'guess we won't try to make it
tonight. Keep her off a bit, and go
easy down the river"
At that instant / saw a light flashing
right ahead of us. Tt didn't look ex-
actly familiar, but we all took it for
the lighthouse.
That's lucky" says the Captain.
81 thought we were further off shore.
Hard a-portr he shouted. ssWe'n clear
the point in good shape now.''
Meantime the wind had been gather
ing strength and the water was much
rougher. We were now spanking along
with reefed sails at twelve or thirteen
knots an hour.
Suddenly there came a crash. We
mad run aground on the point, two
hundred yards the land side of the
| lighthouse! It was such shock that
in ten minutes the schooner was break.
| ing to pieces and sinking. Then it was
each man for himself. I was the first
to pick myself up on the low rocks and
the mate was with me- Soon afterwards
three of the boys, which completed the
crew, showed up. but the Captain was
missing.
| The mate told me to go up to the vii
lage for help, while he and the others
stayed by the vessel. In five minutes
| came up to the light which had de
ceived us all and caused the wreck. II
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