The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-04-02

Copyright by the Author.)
CHAPTER VIII.
THE LILY PLUCKEp FROM RoCHoN.

Olu nOClOu > CdICSI DuG W. 10y
describe it here, more than to say that a
motley crowd of rough people came to-
oether to do the last solemn honorS TO
! their king. The history OF Rochon's ex-
Dloits would read like some buccaneer
romance. indeed it would be little less.
Publicly his story is not so well known as
La Elites, but in its details there is far
more of the picturesque, the daring and
the desperate than can be found Ill the
Barbarian pirates adventures. He was
one of the few born leaders Of men and
he was born to lead the wild reckless
-ufians of the Southern coast at a time
when that coast was a hive Of outlaws
whose swarm was composed OF every
grade of criminals from runaway slaves to
the most desperate murderers and rob-
bers. His personality gave hlm easy
command, and the wealth at his disposal
set him as if on a throne in a part OF our
country where at that time law was an
unknown factor in life. Tradition has
preserved in the Bay ST. Louis region a
quite legible trace of the Rochon regime,
and the descendants of the Garclns still
dwell in the remote and even lawlesS
Businesses of Honey Island. AS a matter
of course there were many consplracles
against Rochon's power, and Garcin'S was,
perhaps, the strongest Of these IN both
numbers and character; but like all the
rest it failed as we have seen. Forum
ately for Orion his visit to the Bay st.
Louis region was just at the elimination
of Garcin's mutiny and owing to the
lively imagination of Captain Victor he
had been taken for a government official
in disguise whose mission was to capture
old Rochon. Under almost any other
circumstances the young man would have
come to grief soon after his arrival at
Bayou Gallere. AS it was, we have seen
how apparently the mereSt turn Of chance
bore him through alive. 1t is from a part
of his journal and from a few letters writ
ten by him to his father that | nave been
able to write the outline of this story.
No stretch of the imagination is re-
quired to realize the situation in which
Rochon's death left Orion and Mile.
Felicie. On one hand there was a certain
sort of relief in knowing that the huge,
fery-tempered, rough and roaring old
lord of the place was no more; but on
the other hand with Rochon dead there
was no protection against the lawless men
of the region.
Orion had contracted with Captain Vic
tor to return for him, but as we know,
Victor could never return, for, along with
the Zozo, he lay at the bottom of the
lake.
Through trusted servants Of the house
hold it soon became known that danger to
Rochon place was brewing in the neigh
borhood. Orion was quite powerless to
reach the people who could nave con-
trolled the movement and he was prac-
tically without means of defence. having
but a few men, mostly negro slaves, to
depend upon for assistance in any emer-
gency.
A thing happened (soon after Rochon's
DEATH which almost drove Orion mad
with a sense of the dreadful danger it
BODIED to Felicie. He and Felicle were
standing at the window, a place which
since their betro Chal had become very
dear to them, and for the moment had
quite forgotten the threatening aspect of
their surroundings. They had been quietly
planning to set sail for New Orleans with
the first favorable breeze; but Just now
they were exchanging those light sweet
phrases known to lovers since the begin
ming. By the merest chance Orton's eye
discovered a lurking form and a leveled
gun just in time to thrust Felicie rudely
aside. The bullet sang through the win
dow, cutting the space filled a second be-
fore by the warm breast of the girl. It
was a narrow escape from certain death,
for the aim of Lalie Garcin had been
steady and true.
Up to this time it had been thought
that Bobo was the murderer of old Ro-
chon the slaves sudden disappearance at
the same time lending strength to the sus-
picion; but it now flashed into Orton's
mind with the force of certainty that
Lalie had sworn vengeance against the
family. The expression of her face he
could never forget as she glared at Felicie
through the sight of that deadly gun. 1t
was a look of such intense and flaming
passion, of such dark and merciless hatred
that it impressed him with the suddenness
and power of a b~lood-curdling revelation.
From that momen there was not a
: point of time, waking or sleeping, that
: Orion could rid himself of the dreadful
vision of that face with its burning eyes
and set, ashen features. He kept Felicie
within doors and away from the windows;
every noise frightened him as though he
had been the veriest coward in the world.
he ordered a watch to be kept on the
! woods; but he felt the insecurity of de-
\ pending upon negroes in such an emer-
; gency. Dreadful indeed became the iso-
lauon and remoteness of Bay St. Louis
/ now. The romance was all gone and in
i It's stead the horrible reality Of an utterly
;, laWless region was asserting itself. Even
} the songs of the mockingbirds, ringing
u gahY from the perfumed shadows
OF The magnolia foliage, had lost their
charm and the ceaseless roar of the bay
hsd a areagy, lonely strain in it suggestive
!; OF Inc ond distance between the solitary
= m noms human anD soc 3 centre of safe, whole
Orion been made to reaSnoeh oelore mac
e great cities and dense popuIInuG Value OF
!, tainly he never before hadfeltho@ = GER GER
and vain is that romance which clo1O'
e with a mist of purple and gold the life 8
| thnSa mho nrafar Snlitllda and laMloss-A.