The Lady and the Pirate

Jean Lafitte, who had so well executed the work assigned him in the

boarding party's plans, proved himself neither inefficient nor

unobservant. He approached me now, with a salute, which probably he

copied from Peterson.

"How now, good leftenant?" said I.

"If you please, Black Bart," he began, "how are we headed, and what

are our plans?"

"Our course on this river, Jean Lafitte, will box the compass, indeed

box an entire box of compasses, for no river is more winding. Yet in

time we shall reach its end, no doubt, since others have."

"And what about our good ship, the Sea Rover, that we have left

behind?"

"By Jove! Jean Lafitte," I exclaimed, "that is, indeed, a true word.

What, indeed? We left her riding at anchor just off the channel edge,

and so far as I recall, she had not her lights up, in accordance with

the law."

"Shall we put about and take her in tow, Black Bart?"

"By no means. That is the very last of my intentions."

"What'll become of her, then?"

"That is no concern of mine."

"But nobody'll know whose she is, and nobody can tell what may happen

to her----"

"Quite true. She may be stolen, or sunk. Why not?"

"But she cost a lot of money."

"On the contrary, she cost only twelve hundred dollars."

"Twelve hundred dollars!" Jean drew a long deep breath. "I didn't know

anybody had that much money in the world. Besides, look what you spent

for them pearls. Ain't you poor, then, Black Bart?"

"On the contrary, I have that much more money left, very likely. And I

do not, to say truth, care a jot, a rap or a stiver, what becomes of

the derelict Sea Rover now. Have we not taken a better ship for our

own?"

"Yes, but suppose yon varlet boards the Sea Rover, an' chases us the

way we done him?"

"Again, by Jove! Jean Lafitte; an idea. But suppose he does? Much good

it will do him. For, look you, good leftenant, the Belle Helène will

not stop to send any man ashore for baseball scores. Such was not the

practise of the old buccaneers, nor shall it be ours; whereas, no

matter what the haste, yon varlet could in nowise refrain from that

same folly which hath lost him his ship to us. Each hour will only

widen the gap between us. Let him take our tub if he likes, and do as

he likes, for 'twill be a long day before he picks up our masts over

his horizon, Jean Lafitte."

"Aye, aye, Sir!" rejoined my lieutenant, and withdrew. I could see he

was not overjoyed at the abandonment of our earlier ship that had

brought us so far in safety. All this luxury of the Belle Helène had

the effect of oppressing a pirate who so short a time ago had started

out on the high seas in a sixteen foot yawl, and who had seen that

yawl, in a manner of speaking, grown into a schooner, the schooner

comparatively grown into a full-fledged four-decker, richly fitted as

any ship of the royal navy.