"Peterson," said I calmly, handing him the paper, "they seem to be

after us, and to value us rather high."

He glanced, his eyes eager; but Peterson, while a professional

doubter, was personally a man of whose loyalty and whose courage I,

myself, had not the slightest doubt.

"Let 'em come!" said he. "We're on our own way and about our own

business; and outside the three mile zone, let 'em follow us on the

high seas if they like. She's sound as a bell, Mr. Harry, and once we

get her docked and her port shaft straight, there's nothing can touch

her on the Gulf. Let 'em come."

"But we can't dock here, my good Peterson."

"Well, we can beat 'em with one engine and one screw. Besides, what

have we done?"

"Haint you was 'hrobber, han ron hoff with those sheep?" demanded the

keeper excitedly.

"No, we are not ship thieves but gentlemen, my friend," I answered,

suddenly catching at his long gun and setting it behind me. "You

might let that go off," I explained. At which he went yellower than

ever, a thing I had thought impossible.

"Now, look here," said I. "Suppose we are robbers, pirates, what you

like, and suppose a price is put on our heads--a price which means a

jolly nice libel suit for each paper printing it, by the way, or a

jolly nice apology--none the less, we are a strong band and without

fear either of the law or of you. Here you are alone, and not a sail

is in sight. If any boat did come here, we could--well, we could blow

her out of the water, couldn't we, Peterson? We could blow you out of

the water, too, couldn't we, we and these ruffians of our crew?"--and

I pointed at the two low-browed pictures of Lafitte and L'Olonnois.

A shudder was my only answer. I think the two portraits of my young

bullies did the business.

"Very well, then," I resumed, "it is plain, Messieurs, that there is

many a slip between the reward and the pocket, voyez vous? Bien!

But here--" and I thrust a hand into my pocket--"is a reward much

closer home, and far easier to attain."

Their eyes bulged as they saw two or three thousand dollars in big

bills smoothed out.

"Ecoutez, Messieurs!" said I. "Behold here not enemies, but men of

like mind. I speak of men who live by the sea, men of the old home of

Jean Lafitte, that great merchant, that bold soldier, who did so much

to save his country at the Battle. Even now he has thousands of

friends and hundreds of relatives in this land. You yourself, I doubt

not, Messieurs, are distant cousins of Jean Lafitte? N'est-ce pas?"

They crossed themselves, but murmured "Ba-oui!" "Est ees the trut'!

How did Monsieur know?" asked the tender.




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