The Elbert County tribune., 1905-01-26

skiiiui saliOrs ana brave nghter6. II
they captured 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 a richly laden vessel en-
countered by the BLACK Petrei." the
colors 1t few had but little effect in
deciding its fate. or that of its crew.
In all these various schemes Lafitte
was an Interested party; and, In ear
Iier 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
Laro's trusted lieutenant, upon whom
mer was unable or inadequate to give
his personal attention.
The tall. handsome lad OF Langue-
doc. Paris and Toulon had developed
into 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 a stranger to personal
fear. he was quick to recognize BRAY
cry In another. and his chivalrous ma
ture was never unresponsive to ap-
peals from his less fortunate fellows.
Such was Jean Lafitte at thirty, and
such. In brief. had been his life during
this period-one SO filed with events
and adventures as to make his earlier
years. and the actors in them, more
or less dim. according as they had
axed 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 Heureux, 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 we're baubles. and thrones
were playthings; who had recast the
continent of Europe. and opened
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 the
man who was the one greatest love
of bis life.
But his was strong and healthful
nature-buoyant and vibrant; and, as
the time went by, the acute edge of
his grief had been worn away. to be
succeeded by a 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
unchanging determination to follow
the career of adventure which had
been his boyish purpose in life, the
personality of Bonaparte became less
and less real, until all that remained
was love which was in itsen large
ly an abstraction.
Margot was still a reality to 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-
obtrusive loyalty and devotion of
Pierre.
The latter was now the only tangi-
BILE tie connecting Jean Lafitte with
his boyhood-big-hearte 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
brother. He had. some two years be-
fore. abandoned his sea-faring life,
and, in partnership with Jean. estab-
lished large smithy at New Orleans,
where the firm of Lafitte Brothers had
become well and favorably known
through the work turned out by their
skilled slaves.
ITO be continued)