The Lady and the Pirate

None the less, I was a bit thoughtful. After all, the Mississippi

River, wide as it was, ran within certain well defined banks from

which was no escaping. We were three hundred miles or more from the

high seas, and passing between points of continuous telegraphic

communication; so that a hue and cry down the river might indeed mean

trouble for us. Moreover, even as I turned to pick up the course--for

I had myself taken the wheel--I saw the figure of Aunt Lucinda on the

after deck. She was on the point of heaving overboard a bottle--I

heard it splash, saw it bob astern. "Now, the devil will be to pay,"

thought I. But, on second thought, I slowed down, so that distinctly I

saw the officer, also slowing down, stoop over and take the bottle

aboard his launch.

"Ahoy, the launch!" I hailed. He put a hand at his ear as I megaphoned

him. "Take this message for Mr. Calvin Davidson," I hailed. He nodded

that he heard. "--That to-night John Doe will wear his waistcoat, the

one with the pink stripes. Do you get me?"

Apparently he did not get me, for he sat down suddenly and mopped his

face. We left him so. And for aught I could know, he took back ashore

material for a newspaper story, which bade fair to be better for the

newspapers than for us on board the Belle Helène; for, up and down

the river, the wires might carry the news that a crazy man had been

guilty of piracy, highway robbery, abduction, I know not how many

other crimes; and to arrest him on his mad career they might enlist

all the authorities, municipal, county, state and even national. "John

Doe," said I to myself, "if I really were you, methinks I should make

haste." None the less I smiled; for, if I were John Doe only, then

Calvin Davidson had no idea who had stolen his chartered yacht, and

who was about to disport in his most cherished waistcoat! The

situation pleased me very much. "L'Olonnois," said I, "come hither, my

hearty."

"Aye, aye, Sir," replied that worthy. "What is it, Black Bart?"

"Nothing, except I was just going to say that I enjoy it very much,

this being a pirate."

"So do I," said he. "An' let any pursue us at their peril!"