Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1938-04-30

boy but a lean 1.-the vigorous young
man Of 81.
They might have got out of the i'm
broglio if the Spaniard in his drunken
fury had not mistaken for more slavers
a squad of the city's provost guard
( that burst in on hearing the fracas. FL
Saltimbanco Snatched up a knife that
had fallen In front Of him and threw
1t with his juggler's accuracy. The next
! instant a pistol ball crashed through
/ his head.
Chariot had seen his patrons error,
and knew what it would mean. The war
! of 1872 had begun, and New Orleans
was under martial law. He would get
short Shrift as the partner of mounte-
bank who had just killed a corporal
of the provost guard, himself involved
with the affair.
There was an open window not far
to one side, and Chariot dived through
it into an alley Landing on his hands
and rolling lightly to his feet with
skilled acrobatS dexterity, he vaulted
high fence, ran through the base
ment of a brothel and out into q maze
of news that led down to the leVee.
There were a number Of ShallOpS
from which to choose and Chariot
showed a nice discrimination In select
ing the least in value, smallest and, in
cidentally, the swiftest; long lean
pirogue scarcely wider than himself,
shaped and followed from straight
slim log The river was high, swirling
down In flood, turbid with mud and
blacker looking than the murky night.
AS an outlaw his safest sanctuary
would be with other outlaws, preferably
those Of the sea. There was Just such
a sanctuary about 40 miles downstream
and across a neck Of marsh to Bara-
frrs T-ftN
Pirate Of the Gulf" had his maritime
base and rendezvous.
LAfitte was actually more privateer
than pirate, at this time more Of
distinction than a difference except I
that his operations were under a lettre |
de marQle so that he neither molested 1
nor was molested by the Americans. |
But Chariot had not much to fear for
extradition since If the Admiral La
fitte were to permit of a search of his |
and the arrest Of indicted
malefactors he would soon have had /
no crews left to man his ships on their !
lawful or unlawful occasions.
There were five deep-sea vessels an
chored In the shallow bay that was
some is miles in depth by half that
width, with narrow inlet TO the Gulf.
Chariot examined this flotilla with
~
his dugout pirogue between the ratoons
On the edge Of the cypress swamp. OPP
0oStte him as he rounded point there
appeared a low island that swRrmed
With multicolored throng. There were
many hutS and sheds, waited or rooted
with old sails, and some longer build
ngs that looked like slave barracoons
inside q stockade.
He padded across q narrow strait
% this island, pleased with its enliven-
ing aspect. There were boats on the
'tocks, building or repairing, and be-
'ide this yard at the head Of rope
walk he saw a man turning over
ackle-board with strands Of henequin
attached.
Here Chariot landed, hauling up his
,anoe. Men were moving up and down
lone appeared busy and none took any
lottce Of him. There were women and
iris in plenty, all shades of color up
o nearly white, but none really
Ichieving that purity. These seemed
lso disengaged.
For a sea wolves lair the island
eemed TO Chariot a pleasant, peaceful
aging up the rope and asked where
captain Lafitte was TO be found.
"Yonder's is gig longside the barge,
1atey. 'Er be putin out come a slant
ffshore. Paly VOC Anglay2"
AYE, sar," said Chariot, always po-
te, is 1t permeeted me speak 10
I'sieu' re Captaine2"
"Wot's to Under, so be ye got sum-
nat to say2 Best wait on i'm to come
shore. Yon barge Is bound across to
'ucatan for a cargo o. sizal hemp for
1eSe ere 'awsers I'm laying up. New
md, mate?"
II ave Just arrive, sar. come from
lew Orleans because my patron, Senior
Iirafuego, is kill by the preyot
ard at him. "rEl Saltimbanco'? wy
.rike me blind, e we're our best bower
v Black Jack knitted Inn playin' keno"
Chariot began to ten his story.
The captains gig. long. sleek whale
oat snnartly manned, showed off from
le barge and pulled straight in for
10 beach The sailor rose and hitched