"Nay, fear not," said I. "I do but seek to prove my fitness to join

the jolly brotherhood, good mates."

"Aw, honest!" rejoined Jimmy; "you got to tell us how you knew."

"Well, then, let me go on. In your book, here, I saw your father's

name, Jimmy. I know your father. He is Judge Willard Henderson of the

Appellate Court in the city. I was admitted to the bar under him. He

has a summer place at the lake above here, as I know, although I have

never visited him there. I know your mother, too, Jimmy,--so well I

should not like to cause her even a moment's uneasiness about you."

"Do you know my auntie, Helena Emory?" demanded Jimmy suddenly. I felt

the blood surge into my face.

"Don't misunderstand me," I rejoined, "I only have some gift of the

second sight, as I shall now prove to you. For instance, Jean Lafitte,

I know your earlier name was John Saunders, although I never saw or

heard of you before."

"Well, now, how'd you know that?" demanded the elder boy.

"I did not promise to tell the secrets of my art," I smiled. I did not

tell him that I had seen the name of Saunders on the tag of a shirt

somewhat soiled.

"Your father's name was John before you," I added at a venture. He

assented, half-frightened, although I had only guessed at this,

supposing John Saunders to be a somewhat continuous family name in a

family of auburn Highlanders.

"He sells farm stuff at the hotel above," I ventured. And again my

guess was truth.

"You take the wagon there, sometimes, with vegetables and milk and

eggs; and so you met Jimmy, here, and you went fishing together; and

he told you stories out of his book. I fear, John, that your father

licks you because you go fishing on Sunday. That was why you resolved

to run away. You led Jimmy into that with you. Yesterday you took a

boat from the lake near the hotel, and you painted her up and rigged

her for a pirate ship. You rowed across the lake to the marsh where

the little stream makes out--my trout-stream here. You followed that

stream down, with no more trouble than ducking under a wire fence

once in a while, until you came to my land, and until you saw me. You

were afraid I might tell on you; and besides, you were pirates now;

and so you took me prisoner. Marry, good Sirs, 'tis not the first time

a prisoner has joined a pirate band!"

"That's wonderful!" gasped Jean T. Lafitte Saunders. "And you say you

have never been up to our lake!"

"No," said I, "but I have a map, and I know my river heads in your

lake, and that very probably it runs out of the low marshy side.

Besides, being a boy myself, I know precisely what boys would do. Tell

me, do you think I would betray two of the brotherhood?"




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