The Lady and the Pirate

He did let her go, smoothly and brilliantly, so that before long she

was at her top speed, around fifteen knots an hour. I was familiar

with every detail of the Belle Helène, and now I looked in both the

generating plant and the storage batteries, so that four thousand

candle-power of electric light blazed over her from bow to fantail.

The steady purr of the Belle Helène's double sixties--engines I had

had made under my own care--came to me with a soothing rhythm where I

stood near by the wheel. Her search-light made a vast illumination far

ahead. Brilliant enough must have seemed the passing spectacle of our

stanch little ship to any observer, as we now swept on down the tawny

flood of the great river. Who would deny me the feeling of exultation

which came to me? Was I not captor and captain of my own ship?

I turned to meet L'Olonnois, my blue-eyed pirate. He stood at my side

as one glorified. The full swing of romance had him, the full illusion

of this,--imagination's most ardent desire--now gripped him fully. He

was no boy, but a human being possessed of all his dreams. His second

self, once oppressed, now free, stood before me wholly satisfied. I

needed not to ask whether he had been faithful to his trust.

"I locked the door on 'em, Black Bart," said he, "and bade them cease

a idle remonstrancing. 'Little do you know,' say I to them, 'that

Black Bart the Avenger is now on the trail. Let any oppose him at

their peril,' says I to them. She give me candy, the fair captive did,

but I spurned her bribe. 'Beware,' says I to her. 'Little do you know

what lies before you.'"