New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1915-10-06
CHAPTER VII.

Il
Of carelessness which did not
like to note-hardly inside the
~ edge of the regular shipping
channel, but swung securely and grace
fully at her cable. held by an anchor
which I had devised myself. heavy
enough for twice her tonnage. A man
leaned against the rail idly smoking.
but this made out to be the engineer.
Williams, come up to get the evening
air. Billy, the deck hand; John. my
Chinese cook. and Peterson, the boat
master, We're at the time out of sight.
as we'll as Cal Davidson. who had her
| under charter.
We lay thus. separated by some dis
lance of the rivers flood, each craft
at anchor, only one observed by the
other. But to my impatient gaze mat
tiers seemed strangely slow on board
the Belle Helene. I was relieved when
at last the rather portly but we'll
groomed figure Of my friend Davidson
appeared on deck. He made his way
aft along the rail, and could see him
bend over and call down the compan-
ionway of the after staterooms. Then.
an instant later, he was joined on the
afterdeck by two ladies. The sight
of one Of these caused my heart to
bound.
They stood for moment, no more
than dimly outlined. but could see
them we'll enough. The older lady,
with the scarf about her head. was
| Aunt Lucinda. The slighter figure in
| white and wearing no head covering
| was she-Helena Emory. 1t was Hele-
ma! 1t was Helena!
She turned toward Davidson.
could hear across the water the sound
of laughter. A sudden feeling of an
! ser came into my soul.
The three figures passed forward
| along the deck slowly and disappeared
down the front companion stair which
led to the cozy dining room. l could
see them all sitting there, about my
own table, using the very silver and
linen which had made for the Belle
Helene, attended by John, my Chinese
L
pecially imported. selected from among
thousand other Chinese by myself at
Hankow. knew that Davidson would
have champagne and a dozen other
wines in abundance. everything the
market offered. A pleasant party, this
of three. which was seating itself at
my table over yonder, while I. in a
grimy, dingy little tub. lay looking at
them helpless in the gloom!
scarce know how the time pass
ed until saw them, in the illumi-
nation Of the deck lights. at length
come on deck again. They stood look
ing out over the river or toward the
lights of Natchez- Under-the-H Hill. and
at length idly walked aft once more.
The two ladies seated themselves on
deck chairs under the awning of the
rear deck. I could not see them now,
but heard the tinkle and throb of a
guitar come across the water, touched
lightly with long pauses. as under
some suspended melody not yet offer
ed in fullness. Now and again could
hear word or so, the rather deep
of Davidson. but strain my ears as
might I could not bear the sound of
that other voice, low and sweet, an ex-
cellent thing in woman.
at length the little party seemed to
be breaking up. l saw Davidson. half
in shadow. outlined by the deck lights
as he rose and passed forward. Then
1 heard the falls run and soft splash
as the dinghy was launched oversize.
Cal Davidson was going ashore. He
could no longer resist his anxiety over
the baseball score!
Clear away the longboat for the
boarding party" I now whispered
hoarsely. 1 spoke to companions now
in full character. Belted and armed.
Lafitte and L'Olonnois rose, ready for
any bold emprise, each with red ker-
chief pulled about his brow. And now
to my interest l observed that each
had resumed the black mask which
he had worn earlier in our long voy-
age, sign of the desperate character of
each wearer.
WHITTIER away, Black Bart?' de-
manded L'Olonnois fercely. Lead.
and we follow"
"You had better put on mask, Black
Bart" added Jean Lafitte. and handed
me spare one of his own manufac-
ture. l hesitated; but, then, seeing
that part of my success lay in our all
remaining somewhat piratical Of char
acter, hastily slipped it above my
eyes and pulled down my hat brim.
"she will not know me now" said to
myself.
Partial, without invitation, climbed
into the skiff with us. "Cast off, l
ordered. "Oarsv And my young men,
whom by this time l 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.
"Listen!' I whispered. There is
risk in what we are going to do"