The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1923-08-17
XIV
a Flower for a Ragged Fellow.

AOh6bOht hAaaC q 0ilO pass
between two curving reefs of dreary
sand, rising to wind-twisted mangrove
clumps at the higher points, and was
beached In a quiet lagoon. The red
sunrise found them there marooned /;
silent men wandering over the water
less spaces and then coming back near
to a shelter canvas which had been
roped to the bushes for Mademoiselle
Lsstron. Then the last lieutenants of
LATTE sat apart to discuss the matter.
The Seraphine lay plainly visible
west and north, her sails idle and a
nat, smooth coastal tide between.
she'll be beating off with the morn
Ing breeze" growled Bohon. "How
much water did Crackley leave to us?"
Two casks; bread and the salt
horse for three days-no more. We
count six muskets and twelve pistols.
When the Indians put off from the
woods to spy us out we can hold 'em
or a bit"
"Aye, for what? Where's a river
mouth to maker
"There is none the Spaniards do
not hold. There is no cove either
way where you would not find the
kings men. The rest is jungle. . :.
What does the captain say to lit"
Old Dominique pulled his long pipe
TRANQUILITY.
"What does Captain Jean make of
1T" repeated Bohon TO them.
There is nothing to make of It." re-
turned the alderman. "Eh, bien A
little while Of waiting-a day or two,
old robbers, in the sun and without
water. At that, something Will be
tried. Leave 1t to Jean that some
thing will be tried for We all. The
lady is at breakfast with the captain"
he muttered irrelevantly. "He has
toasted the bread-he has made the
coffee himself for the English lady.
Name o. G-dlII have Witnessed
that !"
Captain Sazarac Is calling to you,'
observed the count. "Now, go, all
there Is a message"
They went slowly, trudging through
the sands with dry muttered jests and
hopeless prophecies. Men, for the
most part, past the prime of life;
some heavy, indeed, with years, com-
ing before their captain with an en-
deavor to assume a sprightly seaman's
bearing. Faithful, rugged, implacable
faces-adventurers who had given
their wild youth to him.
ut is in my mind to put the Eng
fish lady and my friend. Monsieur de
Almonaster, in the way of safety" said
the chief quietly. 'There is a chance
for them. The rest-I, and you"
He stopped and smiled at them.
There was q shout. land you p
Jean with them? Nez Coupe came
closer, tying tight the bloody silken
head scarf about his seal-brown skull.
His wound-wrecked face took a ghast-
ly grin. They would her still be rid
Of the English woman by some mir
aclei Jean would shake free of his
burden of the English woman . -
and be with them nee again?
at can be established that Monsieur
do Almonaster II Of Spanish lineage;
and that Mademoiselle Lestron is of a
mission that was working in the pay
Of the Spanish king" went or Cap
tain sazarac evenly. IF, then-they
could reach a ship-it Is probable they
would find refuge. The rest
And again the shout Of grim humor
cut him off. The restl Why. the rest
could expect the reef, the tropic u
i. and their captainl Still their
sour. hopeless humor. Certainly there
was nothing for the rest Of theml
But now the English woman came
out Of the hot little shelter. Nov,
you will listen to me, also, men Of
the SeraphiHel" she cried suddenly.
ITO me as well as to your captainl
Surely there is a way for US after
these treacherous m%utineers put of
with the schooner Surely, 1 know
your f%aithfulness to him and to your
shipl What is there to fear for sea-
men who serve Loyalty their master
and their ship?'
They listened ~curiously. Monsieur
the captain pushed back the iron-gray
hair from his temple and listened. 1t
was as II he had heard 1t all and had
more answer than they.
"See, you'll" The girl went on holly.
Monsieur Sazarac, playing the part
Of a patriot to his adopted country
Ian English Tory-can testify to
that! The attack upon the Genaron-
surely 1 can swear to the admiralty Of
my country, that 1t was done for me
IN all honor. Monsieur S~azarac's
honor"
There was a stir among them-then
The silence again. Old Dominique
sighed. The honor of Sazarac
the word OF Captain Sazarac to the
udmiralties that his men were good
md truei
For me-in all honor. By you all
honorable men"
Again she was puzzled by their stir
murmur. The grim Baratarians
their heads In doubt them
Beluche walked away and be-
ran to cut at the grass with his saber,
Idly. Nez Coupe Joined him, feeling
If his wreck OF a nose.