The Holly chieftain., 1905-01-27


ing within the law. and others outside
Of it. The former included ventures
in trading, mining and timber-cutting.
whilst among the latter were snug
Cling and s,aye-tradirg. These opera
tions involved the ownership of many
vessels. together vita the employment
OF many men, and. taken as a whole.
they were very successful.
Smuggling and slave trading had
always been within tie line of Laro's
occupations. and they were matters
to which he gave his personal atten-
ton. making many voyages to and
from the French and African coasts.
Then latterly, in addition to his
other nefarious pursuits, and under
cover of letters of marque issued by
one or another of the newly formed
South American republics, he preyed
lawlessly upon whatever commerce
came within his reach.
His own brigantine, the Black
Petrel." was of remarkable spee.,
heavily armed (ostensibly for its own
frotection), and carried crew CON
tanning outcasts from al! nations. but
skilful sailors and brave fighters. II
they captured a ship flying the flag of
hostile country, the prize was, ac-
cording to circumstances. taken into
port for condemnation or destroyed at
once But. whatever might be TIE
nationality of richly laden vessel en-
countered by the Black Petre!." the
colors it flew had but little effect in
deciding its fate. or that of its crew.
In all these various schemes LATTE
was an interested party: and, in ear
lier years, he had been an actual par
ticipant in prosecuting some of them.
his ability and skill being such that.
| while still under twenty. he became
| Iaro's trusted lieutenant. upon whom
devolved all duties to which the for
his personal attention.
The tall, handsome lad of Langue.
doc. Paris and Toulon had developed
into a man possessing rare gifts of per
| son and mind, together with a store
| of energy and resource which would
have won success in any avenue of
| life. Himself stranger to personal
fear, he was quick to recognize brav-
cry in another and his chivalrous ma
ture was never unresponsive to up.
peals from his less fortunate fellows.
Such vas Jean Lafitte at thirty. and
| such, in brief. had been his life during
| this period-one SO filled with events
and adventures as to make his earlier
years. and the actors in them, more
or less dim, according as they had
| .ixed themselves upon the receptive
element of his nature.
Even Laro, the bluff and picturesque
sailor who had exerted so strong an
influence upon the lad when they met
at lie Chen HeureuE, was hardly rec.
ognizable in the crafty and unscrupu
lous adventurer with whom later
years had made him so familiar, and
with whom he was now forced to be
in such close contact.
AS for Bonaparte, he had become
Napoleon, the monarch to whom
| crowns were baubles. and thrones
were playthings: who had recast the
continent OF Europe. and opened a
new chapter in the history of France
Jean had received no word from him
after the letter delivered by the
hands of Pere Huot; and grievous
had been the boys disappointment as
the months passed without bringing
any sign of remembrance from thn
man who was the one greatest love
Of his life.
But his was strong and heaithful
nature-buoyant and vibrant; and. as
the time went by, the acute edge of
his grief had been worn away, to be
succeeded by feeling akin to apathy.
He had been forsaken by him whom
he loved; and, accepting this as a
fact, he had relinquuished every hope
of future reunion.
All this had its natural effect; and.
coupled as it was with a vague but
urchanging determination to follow
the career of adventure which had
been his boyish purpose in life. tho
personality CT Bonaparte became less
and less real, until all that remained
was love which was in itself large
| ly an abstraction.
Margot was still a reality 10 him be-
cause Of her representing so much OF
motherly care, and by reason of her
ever manifested love. of which he had
found much to remind him in the un
obtrnsive loyalty and devotion of
Pierre.
The latter was now the only tangi-
BILE tie connecting Jean Lafitte with
his acknowledgements brave Pierre.
sluggish in thought. but sound of
Judgment and clear of purpose; strong
of arm and mighty in action, who now,
as ever. stood at the side of his foster