The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-03-12
Copyright by the Author.)
P III.
PIRATES AND THEIR DAUGHTERS.

lOuu IdpUluS I'll IIlC O0NOA~N 49,
house awoke him in the small hours and
he heard Garcin's voice presently IN con-
versation with some n who seemed to
be in a great hurry.
"She's aground close ashore" the
strange voice said:
whats her cargo?" Garcin in
quired in an undertone.
Orion was not quite sure, but he thought
that Coffee" was the answer.
"Don't speak so loudly" he thought he
heard Garcin say, " there's a strange gen
tlemen sleeping in that house. How near
is she to Rochon's placer"
GA mile below, off the cedars."
eve can't do anything, then"
"Why?"
"The old man will have the best claim
and besides, Lazare, there's going to be
danger"
"How?"
"The stranger in there is a government
man.. he's here to look after old Rochon."
."Diable! but what will you do? He'll
want you too, Mo'sieu Garcin, don't you
think?" -
"DieuI I cannot say, but Captain
Victor, of the Zozo, brought him here,
and he told we that / am not suspected"
"Victor did?"
"Yes, and admonished me that I must
treat this stranger like a prince"
At this point in the hasty conversation
Garcin thrust his visitor out of the door
and thereafter Orion could hear only a
murmur coming in from the verandah
where they continued the interview for
a long while.
To IN imaginative young man in search
of romance and adventure, this interlude
between dreams was well cast to add a
singular and strange emphasis to the i'm
preston already made in his mind by his
new and almost fantastic surroundings. 1t
was evident that this nocturnal visitor of
Garcin's, as well as Garcin himself, was
an outlaw of some sort, a smuggler or
wrecker, probably both in one. Orion
could not sleep after that, save in the most
fragmentary maps, so interested did he
become in building romantic fabrics of
imagination out of the suggestions that
had come to him within the space of
a few hours. He was a genuine Ameri-
can, brave, self-reliant and inquisitive,
full of enterprise, and daring to boldness
in whatever he undertook. Moreover he
was rich and without ties to bind him to
my spot. Therefore it can be we'll IN
derstood how keenly he enjoyed the
situation in which he now found himself.
Nothing indeed, was further from his
mind than any thought of interfering with
fthe lawful or unlawful practices of this
orange-scented and Observation-Disclosures
little wilderness; but it was rather salts
flying than otherwise to feel that he was
both respected and feared by men, fear
less as a rule and desperate at need, who
had neither law of their w nor law of
others to trouble them much. Then how
the ~desolutory night-songs of the mock
ingbirds fed his mood and added richness
to his imaginings! The scugh of the
Gulf-breeze as it washed through the
giant live-oak was full of witness, and
the tender and continuous swash of the
bayou filled his ears and gave him a e
OF being immensely remote and isolated
from ordinary life. Early in the morning
he heard Lalie get out Of bed and soon
she was going lightly over the house, ap-
parently putting the rooms to rights.
Garcin was not at breakfast and Orion was
told that he had gone down the bayou to
look after ONE domestic matter. When
UNIV ~" 40 ~ Ii JOuuS 1udu LOOK
his gun and went into the neighboring
woods, intending but a short ramble, for
exercise and observation, rather than with
a view to shooting. AS he passed through
the little garden behind the house he met
Lalie in the walk; she held a great bouquet
of roses, pink, white and yellow, in one
hand, while in the other and lying along
her forearm rested a tawny cat whose
fur was like silk and whose greenish ewes
glared savagely. The girl was dressed in
a red petticoat of rich, large-fowered
stuff and a blue jacket with loose sleeves
and richly embroidered front. On her
head was the hat he had seen on the
spinet. Bizarre she was, almost barbaric,
dark, flashing, warm, with just a suspicion
Of the savageness of her cat in her amber
brown eyes. Orion felt her singular
beauty and panther-like grace thrill him;
he lifted his hat as she approached him
smiling radiantly and holding forth her
roses.
Everything is so lovely this morning.
she said, with a half childish lisp in her
voice, and an u%nderglow showing in her
dusky cheeks.
Il thought that as soon as I saw you,"
responded Orton, with the gallantry of
the time, and bowling again.
Il wish I were lovely" she said, with
perfect sincerity of voice, though her
cheeks grew still warmer. at must be
delicious to be beautiful, like these or
this" she added indicating the flowers
and the cat.
Something compelled Orion to forbear
at this point; it was as if unpleasant an
tlclpatlon or a vague warning had fitted
across his mind.
Your cat certainly is a fine one," he
remarked, "and the roses are the most
beautiful that | ever have seem" But
when ne put out his hand to stroke the
cats head the animal spit ~viciously and
struck at him with its uusheathed claws.
That IS a bad sign" exclaimed Lalie
instantly, ner face growing grave. at
tween you and me-"
"Trouble p he responded 1orob;ro