The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-08-08
CHAPTER ~.
CONTINUED.

.The Pearl River Records, and it is
from these and from Dick Becket's
stories that he has obtained the main
facts in connection with Rev. Max
Burns's sojourn in the region OF
Honey Island. The information is
meager enough touching the old mans
motive; but this lack naturally came
of his reticence and caution IN COM
municating with the people who
treated him so kindly. Supplement-
ing the fddler's "reminiscences and
the "Records'-most OF which have
to do with the exploits of various out,
laws, from Rameau, La6tte, Murrell
and Copeland, down to Rube Burrow
and Eugene Bunch-the recollectlons
of Orlando Favre, q very old hall
breed Indian, who died some fifteen
wears ago, have been relied upon; but,
after all, the facts are meager and
scattering. Indeed, what has already
been told in the present chapter can
not be added to. The further adven-
lures of Max Burns, in so far as they
will be found of Importance IN this
story, will be looked for at another
stage of our progress. =,
We must now return to the bay OF
Saint Louis, where we left Vasseur
and Fairfax enduring as best they
could situation at once awkward and
irving in the extreme. To be bound
and gagged could be borne after a
fashion, so long as the evil was en-
forced by an irresistible enemy; more
over. since every moment added the
torture of cruelty tight-drawn cords
to wrists and ankles, the first part OF
the ordeal was much milder than the
latter part; but when it came to lying
prone, stiff and speechless while a
great fire ragged almost over them 1t
was the unbearable that had to be
borne; it was torture too exasperating
for even the temper of Fairfax. He
too gave way to violent "paroxysms
of silence" es he afterward expressed
it.
When Vasseur was at length re-
leased, he was too weak and benumbed
by the pressure of the bonds and
by the exhaustive wrath-passion that
he had INDUCED in for his cuffs to do
much harm; but he distributed both
with unstinted liberality as he limped
and hoped wildly about amongst the
negroes.
The house and nearly everything in
it were burned to ashes in nm in
credibly short time. Fairfax could
not repress smile when he found
that his traveling-bag containing his
clothes had been saved, while his
sketches and his weapons-his pistols
and his gun, rife of great value
had been overlooked and left to be
destroyed. As for Vasseur, his mind,
what little of it was presently avail
able, ragged with the memory OF his
lost treasure of jewels. he screamed
in French, he screeched in Italian,
and through it all RON something
about having been betrayed and
robbed by al individual who owed him
an eternal debt OF gratitude. All this,
considering that the man was still in
his night-clothes, of which red
nigat-cap was most conspicuous gar
ment, would have been highly anus
ing at any other time; and even now,
at its worst, it was weirdly, almost
Economically, comical.
Fairfax dressed himself forthwith,
and then stood, with his hands in his
pockets, staring at the scene, as one
does when one feels especially per-
picked and helpless in the midst Of
sudden disaster. He turned quickly,
however, when Vasseur came near.
The little fellow could scarcely speak
1ntelligibly, and the fsoth of excite
ment was clotted on his lips.
cit was Eat Pierre Rameau! he
cried, not forgetting to air his Eng
lish even in this extremity. "Zat
villaine. zat robbaire! He steal
evareting! He burn ny maison; he
care off my propriety"
Usually it was not hard for Fsirfa1
to find words; but now he could frame
no suitable comment on this occasion.
He stood looking at his swarthy little
host, and smiling half mechanically,
without moving his lips to make him
a response. There was pathos as we'll
as comedy in the situation.
The negroes, men, women and
children. gathered in awe-struck
groups to gaze on the fire, making
their remarks in undertones, the
women crying aud the little ones
clinging to the skirts of their mothers.
"Ah! Ze villaine! Ze scoun'rel!
Ze robbaire! Oh! All! All! All! My
jewels! My pretty jewels" still
walled Vasseur, after the house was
white ashes and tie sun had come up
from the sea like great round flower
of flame. "My precious stones! My
beautiful cross! My money! Zey
are all gone-gone! He took zem!
OH Ze perflc vagahone"
When Fairfax had pulled himself
together sufficiently to consider the
situation calmly, his first effort was
toward reducing Vasseur 10 rational
state Of mind, task by no means
easy to accomplish. He succeeded in
q measure at length, and when the
poor little man had found some
clothes and pipe, the whole matter
was talked over; and SO it happened
that Fairfax heard a strange story.
Eight years prior to the robbery at
Vasseur's, the two men, Vasseur and
Rameau, had been comrades and equal
sharers in the dangers and the profits
of a daring piece of piracy done in
60, Fact T,, Il; l;,il;rr, tbo o,oni1c