The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-08-30

that part of my success lay in our all remaining somewhat piratical of char acteEs hastily slipped it aboYe my eyes and pulled down my hat brina. She will not know me now said to myself
 Partial without invitation, climbed into fhe slif with us. Cast off r l ordered .tOars..' And my young men,. whom by tIlts time I had trained in
 many ways nautical. obeyed in good seaman fashion. A moment later we lay almost under the rail of the Belle Helene. No one hailed us. We seem ed taken only for some passing skiff.
 ssListen!s I whispered. There is risk in what we are going to do.s'
 I looked at my blue eyed pirate. L'Olonnois. who sat closer to me On his face was simple and complete hap piness. At last his adventure had come to him, and hee was meeting it like q man.
 What is it, Black Bart?', I heard Jean Laf1tte whisper hoarsely.
 I've are to board and take wonder ship I replied softly .If we are to succeed you must do precisely as tell you. Leave the main risk to me- that Of the law. I'll take possession on the ground that she is my boat, that her charter money is not paid and that yonder var1et is making away with her out of the country. She holds much treasure. let me assure you of that, my men-the greatest treasure that ever came down this river.
 Now, listen. You I.afitte. as soon as we get aboard, are to run and close the hatch of the engine room. That will pen Williams, the engineer, below. where he can make no resistance. As. soon as that is done run to those doors forward which lead down to the dining. room companionway and shut those doors and latch them. That will take care of John, the cook The deck hand is away with the varlet That leaves he sl iI,Iaa ster aad thez women eaptivas- s.ss
 Yhile you are busy in fhis N ay, Iahtte will hunt for Peterson, the master, who very likely is sitting quiet oI1 the forward deck solnewhere.4 < The main danger lies with him. " lf1e I attend to him, you, LOlonnois, rungaft. Tou will find there two ladies, one very old and ugly, the other very young and very beautiful See that they do not escape and hold them there until I come aft to meet you
 .'sAI1 this must go through as we have planned. Once the maiden is in. our power and the ship our own we will head downstream for the open sea 7
 Swiftly but silently. we swept in under the lee of the Belle Helene. The landing ladder had not been drawn up after Davidson s departure, so that the boarding party had easy work ahead fl I sprang upon the deck, my footballs deadened by the rubber mating which lay along all the decks. turned. Above tie rail behind me rose the face of Lafitte, masked. The long blade Of i9 Malay cceese was in his teeth. In one hand he held q pistol, using the other as he climbed He scraped out of his belt as he came aboard I know not how many pistols, which feil into the water, 3ut sti1l. God wot, had album dant renaining. Nor. diid L'O1onnois, close behind him. his saHaurai sword between his teeth. present a spectacle less awesonae. breatlled sudden prayer that these might meet with no sesistanee. else could only fear the 3dfrest csnsecuences-
 Z l made q Issick motion with my hand even as sDrang forward in search of Paterson The duIi thud of the engine room hatch an Instsnt later assured me that Lafitte had performed the most important part o.e the work as signed to him. Forsooth. ere long he had done all his work as laid out for him. It chanced that as he sprang 10 the doors of the forward saloon he naf John, the Chinaman. Reaching fA& him with one hand, he closed the doors with the other with such prom pt- ness and precision that the cue of John was caught in the door, and he was imprisoned below. where he hoxFI- ed in much grief and pe1turbatioIl, un- able to escape without the sacrifice of his cue.
 Meantime I found Peterson, my old skipper, much as l had expected. He was a middle aged, placid, we'll poised man. pessinist in speech, but a bold man in soul He was fond of an even ing pipe, and he sat now smoking and looking down the illuminated lane made by our searchlisht. He turned toward me, q sudden curiosity upon his face, as he saw that I was stranger on the boat, though not stranger to. himself.
 s.sir-sfr. Harry he began. half rfsing
 I reacheI out ny left hand end caught him sJy the shoulder. In my Ttght hand hdld q pistol, and this. somewhat gagiy. waved before Peter som. faca Halt said I, ssor I will oieW yosl cut of the wateri" q phrase which. 1 had found sufficient in earlier circumstances.
 The old man smiled pleasantly and sa mock fashion put up both his hands Had it been any one else lie probably would have knocked him down. s.A1I right, MT. Harry sseid he; you will have your joke. But