Rocky Ford enterprise., 1905-01-27

ro-Nhs IN connection with Count ue
cazeneau and other more or less
prominent men. engaged In various
speculative schemes. some Gf them he
Ing within the law. and others outside
OF II. The former IncludeI ventures
In trading. mining and timber cuttlne.
whilst among the later were snug
SLING and slavc'trading. These opera
tlonS involved the ownership OF many
vessels. together vita the employmcn,
OF many men. and. taken as a whole.
they Ner. very successful.
Smuggling and slave tr: ding had
always been within the line OF I.nro's
occupations. and they were matters
to which he gave his personal att"n'
iion. making many voyages To ana
from the French and African coasts.
Then iattcriy. in addition TO his
other ncfarlOus pursuits. and unGcr
cover Of letters OF marquc Issued by
one ar another OF tn. ncwly formed
south American republics. he preycd
iawlcssly upon whatever commerce
came within his reach.
His own briRnntinc. the BLACK
Petrol was OF remarkable spec,
heavily armed 1oStcnSlbly for It's own
rrotcctl1nI, and carried crew con
t,inlnE ouicasis from NIL raiions. bur
skilfil SnIiors and brave fighters II
they captured ship flying the ilag "f
n h0sIll" country. the prize was. nc
cordlng to circumstances. taken Into
Port for condemnation or DESTROYED nj
orcc But. whatever might he the
nationality Of n richly laden vessel IN.
oountcrcd by the Black Pctrc'." the
cc!ors II il.w had but little effect In
deciding Its fate. or that Of Its crew.
In all these various schemes i.afits
wns an Interested party: and. In ear
licr years. he had been nm actual par.
iicipnnt In prosecuting some of them.
his ability and skill being such that.
while F,ili urdcr twenty. he became
Iaro'S trusted licrt"nant. upon whom
dcvolycd nil duties to which thA for
mcr was unable or inadequate to give
his personal attention.
tt" tall. handsome lad Of Langun.
doc. Paris and Touion had developed
into u man possessing rare gifts OF per.
son and mind. together with n store
Of energy and resource which would
have won success In any avenue OF
life. iIlmHclf n stranger To personal
fear. he vns quick To recognize BRAY
cry In another. and his chivalrous m.
turc was never unrcsponRlvc To ap-
pcais from his less fortunate fellows.
ST. y vas Jean afitte AT thirty. and
such. In brief. had been his life during
this pcriod-onc so filled with events
and adventures ms to make his earlier
4 ,t l,,
or less dim. according ms they had
axch themselves upon the receptive
element OF his nature.
Even Lnro. the blur and picturesque
sailor who had cxcrtcd 80 strong an
influence upon the lad when they met
ai lie ChIcn HcurcuX. was hardly rec.
ognIZablc In the crafty and unscruru
lous advcnturcr with whom later
yc1rs had made him so familiar. and
with whom he was now forced TO be
In such close contact.
As for Bornpartc. he had become
Napoleon. the monarch TO whom
crowns were baublcs. and throncs
were playthings: who had rccast the
continent OF Europe. and opened a
now chapter In the history OF France
Jean had received no word from him
after the letter delivered by the
hands of Pere Huot: and gricvous
had been the boys disappointment as
the months passed without bringing
any sign OF remembrance from the
mnn who was the one greatest love
OF his life.
But his was n strong ard hcalthful
neture-buoyant and vibrant; md. "a
the time went by. the acute edge nf
his grief had been worn away. to be
smcccoded by a feelirg akin TO apnthy.
He had been forsafen by him whom
he loved: and. accepting this ms 4
fact. he had relinnuuishcd every hore
of n future reunion.
All this had its natural effect: and.
c~'~lcd rs It was with vague but
urchanging determination TO follow
the career Of adventure which had
been tis boyish purpose In life. tho
personality Of Bonaparte became less
and less real. urtil all that rcmaincl
was love which was in itself large.
~ an abstraction.
Margct was still reality to him bo. I,
cause CT her representing so much OF
TlblntllN 'iies anu w iSaSoh VI h'i
ever manifested love. of which he had
found much to remind him in the I'm.
ohtrusive loyalty and devotion OF
Pierre.
The latter was now TIE only tarr'
hlc tie conrcctirg Jean afitte with
lis boyhoCd-bls-heHrt brave Pierre
Sluggish In thought. but sound a.
Judgment and c'e1r of purpose strong
of arm and -i-Ntv in 'ctioI. who nov
as ever. sto~d at the side of his foster
brother. He had. come two years h"
fore. abandoned his se'.faring life
n~d, in rrr'-c-st'p with lean. cs'ah. |
iisrpd u ,nr~n s~-''hv ~ Now Nrln"NV
whore the frrl of LATTE Brothers had !
i-.a...,,o ,..nll fn..nrnll IL n.,-.. l