New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1915-10-13
BY EMERSON H0UG[N
Copyright. 1913. by Emerson HOugh

skipper, Peterson, when he saw me.
"Come here! Take this little devil
away! I'm afraid he'll knife mer'
I hurried to him. for he struggled in
the dark with Jean Laftte
ITO the rescue, Black Bart!' called
Jean LATTE. "Catch his other arm!
I've got this one, and if he moves, by
heavens, I'll run him through"
"Run me through, you yarmint-
what do you mean?" roared Peterson.
"Ain't it enough you pull a gun on me
and try to poke out my eye and twist
off my arm without sticking me with
that bread slicer you got? Mr.. Harry
for heavens sake"-
There now, Jean Laftte," I said
"enough. He has begged for quarter"
mo, I hain't," asserted Peterson
venomously. "I'll spank the life outen
him if I ever get the chance rails
ed hand.
Enough of all this noise," I said. Il
am in charge now, Peterson. Go to
the wheel. Break out the anchor and
get underway. At once, man! have
no time to argue"
Peterson had never in his life heard
me speak in this way before, but now,
for what reason I do not know-per
haps from force of habit, perhaps be-
cause he knew / was owner Of the
boat, perhaps in awe Of the naked
creese Of Jean Laftte, still presented
menacingly at his abdomen-the old
skipper obeyed.
I heard the faint jangle of bells in
the engine room below. Obviously
Williams, the engineer, was responsive
to his sense of duty and routine. The
power came pulsing through the veins
Of the Belle Helene, and I heard her
screws revolve. I myself threw in the
donkey winch as she forged ahead and
so broke out the anchor It still
swung, clogging her bows as she turn
ed in the current. The bells again jan
gled as she got more speed and as the
anchor came home. Our searchlight
swept a wide arc along the foot of
NatcheZ hill as our bows circled about
and headed down the great river, and
now we picked in full view, hardly
sixty fathoms distant, the dinghy, pull
ed furiously toward US. My friend,
the varlet Cal Davidson, half stood in
the stern of the stubby craft and wav-
ed at us an excited hand
"Ahoy there, Peterson" he cried.
'Stop! Hold on there! Wait! Where
are you going there?'
Peterson turned toward me an in
quiring gaze, but l only pointed a
hand downstream, and he obeyed me.
reached my hand to the cord and
gave Peterson, Davidson, Natchez and
all the world the salute of long and
vibrant whistle of defiance.
"Full speed ahead, Peterson" said
quietly.
"Where are we going, Mr.. Harry"
he demanded anxiously.
II don't know" said I. 1T all de-
pends-maybe around the world.
don't know and don't care"
I'm scared about this. 1t don't look
right. What's come into you, Mr.. Har-
ry?" asked the man solicitously.
Nothing, Peterson" said I, Except
that the bird of time is on the wing.
am pirate, Peterson"-
II never knew you so far gone in
drink before, MI. Harry" said he as
he threw over the wheel to pick up the
first starboard channel light.
eyes, I have been drinking, Peter
~
the wine Of life. It oozes drop by drop
and is all too soon gone If we delay.
Full speed ahead, Peterson. I am in
command"
"Jeanv called to my able lieuten-
ant. "Reach over into the longboat
and bring Partial on board. He is my
friend. And bring also our flag. Run
it aloft above our price,
AYE, aye, SIR" came the reply of
Jean Lafitte. And few moments lat
er our longboat was riding astern
more easily. Jean Laftte on his re-
turn busted himself with our burgee.
And at that moment Partial, overjoy-
ed at also having a hand in these af
fairs, parked joyously at his discovery
of the neglected end Of the cooks cue
projecting through the hinges at the
door. On this he laid hold cheerfully,
worrying it until poor John shrieked
anew in terror and until freed him
and ordered tea.
I next went over to the matches of
the engine room and, having opened
them, bent over to speak to Williams,
the engineer.
cts all right, Williams" said I. Il
am going to take her over now and
run her perhaps to the gulf. We
hadn't time to tell you at first There
has been legal difficulty. Peterson is
on deck, of course"
Cali right, Mr.. Harry" said Will
liams, who recognized me as he leaned
out from his levers to look up through
the open hatch. AT first l didn't
know what was up. 1t sounded like a
mutiny'-
1T was mutiny, Williams" said 1,