Newspaper Page Text
CAPTAIN
SAZARAC
'
- By
Charles Tenney Jackson
Copyright fcj The Bobbi-Merrill Company
“AND—DIE!"
SYNOPSIS. —Under the name of
■T v:ain Sazarac,’' and disguised,
T C . a n Lafitte, former freebooter
; arataria, proscribed, returns
,0 the city of New Orleans. He
. r ogrnized by two of his old
companions. Alderman Dominique
ant l ueluche. At the gaming
tables Sazarac has won much
money from Colonel Carr. Brit
,.i :!icer. John Jarvis, the city s
•ir=t bohemian of the arts and
I,.t't. rs. an oldtime friend of La
fltte tells of a woman’s face and
cm il’e. As his last wager, Carr
l ms up a woman, presumably a
si ’ vp. Custom compels Sazarac
t„ accept the stake.' He
His old associates and Count
Raoul de Almonaster accost him
as Lafitte. A project of the
youthful adventurers of New Or
ie his Is the rescue of Napoleon
Bonaparte from St. Helena, and
i ship, the Seraphlne. has been
made ready. From De Almonas
ter Sazarac learns that the girl
he "won” at the card table Is
white, of high estate, and that
the matter has been made a by
word in the city’s resorts. Saz
arac finds Mademoiselle Lestron.
a fellow passenger on a river
steamer a few days before, and
with whom he had fallen in love,
is the girl and in chivalry fore
goes his revenge against Carr.
Jarvis admires Mademoiselle Les
tron. He is a witness of the
meeting and picks up a camellia
which the girl had thrown, un
noticed, to Sazarac. Jarvis is
dangerous; he talks too much in
his cups. His old associates of
the Barataria days urge Lafltte
to take command of the Sera
phine. ostensibly to rescue Napo
leon but really to fly the black
flag and cruise the seas. He
hesitates. Jarvis is a witness of
the kidnaping of Mademoiselle
Lestron, but his story is not
given credence. De Almonaster
£ntertalns Sazarac, now admitted
ly Jean Lafitte, at his country
CHAPTER V—Continued.
“And were he to order these young
scions of the city’s blue blood to
holystone his decks, be would have
to land in every isle of the Indies to
settle the challenges! No, no—sir,
Bonaparte is safe from these gentry!”
The two gentlemen smiled. But as
they were to part, down the banquette
of the rue Chartres came two figures,
one supporting the otfier. A short,
dark, ragged man whose gold earrings
glistened under filthy locks, struggling
to save his basket of cooked crayfish
as he steered his companion on.
Let be —” growled Gorglo, the
Catalan. “Come, Jarvis—the Cafe des
Refugies for you, man!”
"A ship!” bawled Jarvis. And being
much the larger of the two he almost
propelled the crayfish seller into the
Uv " gentlemen, who stepped
aside :n disgust to let them pass.
J ship! A rescue, old buccaneer!”
lb' lurched to the banquette, and
sar : |j re blinking. Old Gorglo hauled
In vain at his sleeve. “Come, be up
with me!’’
But the town’s first bohemian con
tinued to fumble at his clothes.
“ was this way they went, Gorglo.
:1C! even now on my way to the po
lice to report of {he affair. I shall
apn - al t 0 the mayor—Rouifflgnac is
r - so dumb as to refuse rescue to a
lady
, "'hat does he babble of?" Inquired
’■ n - orne haughtily.
1 painter got to his feet. He was
. ; ng from a gash across his
! > Cm his sleeve he laid a crushed
“ty camellia. Then, down the
came Mayor Roulftlgnac and
lor Dominique to see what
-be this public scandal. And to
Jarvis suddenly shouted his
grievance.
1 was fumbling along the rue St.
n the mud, sober as any honest
i >ave that the moon kept diving
'■ And there came a carriage
■■ but ran me down. The horses
d—and a lady screamed. She
an arm from the curtains—a
’•m. I reached to touch. And
v within struck me ... I got
"—I and my blossom. I swear
more camellias in her hair!
Lave told it again! Now
fools!”
did you come upon this man,
lr Mudge ?” said His Honor.
V • as - vou see—dirty and howl
- cturned the merchant.
"b° fnke him home, and come
to my clerk for a dollar," frowned
the mayor. “It’s drunkard's talk.”
“Home?” blustered Jarvis. “A lady
seized, spirited away In a galloping
chaise through New Orleans’ streets—
and you say: ‘Home!’ Then romance
is dead, sirs! I shall paint a fish
woman’s shawl on my lady’s head,
and sorrow in her eyes. It was not
so when Jean Lafitte was here!”
“You have dreamed—” muttered
Dominique, watching him covertly.
“Come with me, Jarvis.”
“My skinned nose and brow—is that
a dream?”
“He has stumbled nightlong about
the streets,” said Gorgio sullenly. Be
tween the crayfish seller and the ro
tund aide mi an there shot glances of
alert understanding. The Catalan
stretched his hand to the painter and
bent upon him a look of implacable
fury.
“Let be!” grunted Jarvis. “Ca
mellias? Let’s see? Why, Jean—last
night—”
“Silence —fool!” whispered Gorgio.
He seized upon the fellow; he bore
him along with his hull-necked
strength against his back.
“He is utterly drunk,” murmured
Dominique. “Come, gentlemen—let us
to our morning coffee at Maspero’s!”
He took the mayor’s arm, turning him
hurriedly. A block distant the coun
cilor looked back, fiddling with his
velvet cuff nervously. The Catalan
vagabond was dragging his comrade
along.
But none save the alderman saw
that the hand of the one-time bucca
neer was under Jarvis’ arm. that his
knife-point pressed there until the
coat was torn.
“A word more,” hissed the crayfish
seller, “and —die!” Then he whis
pered: “Sazarac . . . and the Eng
lish woman? Jean —and the wager he
won? Who. then, has a better right
to the woman? Home, now! —get your
paint pots and paint a poultice on your
broken head!”
But Gorgio had to drag the un
conscious wastrel up the studio stairs,
and there lock him in ere he went to'a
whispered conference behind a cab
bage stack in the French market.
CHAPTER V!
The Mask Is Dropped.
It was after the heat of that same
day that two horsemen rode out from
a courtyard of the Faubourg St. Marie
upon the Tclioupitoulas road.
Count de Almonaster breathed re
lief when the river willows hid them
and the steeds broke into a gallop.
"My blacks are waiting at the ferry,”
lie murmured; “now, Captain Sazarac,
did the plainsmen teach you to ride?
Come, then!” And the guest led the
way in a cloud of dust. A half-dozen
slaves uprose as the two dashed over
the levee, dismounted and flung rein
to the grooms. Then the scow-boat
swung off on the muddy Mississippi,
propelled by the nuked-baeked oars
men.
Sazarac stood watching the wil
lowed shores. The city was invisible,
but on the western bank arose the
stately facades of plantation homes
among great oaks. Beyond this,
glimpses of the grim, gray forest wall,
the impenetrable cypress swamp, with
its watery aisles leading to Barataria,
the legend-haunted, even at this early
day.
De Almonaster stepped ashore as
the scow grounded, and led the way
across the broad lawns to the high
steps of the porticoed gallery of the
white mansion. Black boys dashed
for the bridles. At the great glass
doors arose a grizzled major-domo.
“At your pleasure, sir,” said Raoul.
“A drink shall be brought, and the
bath.”
“I have thoug't It strange”—Saza
rac smiled absently—“that you—of
the Spanish Almonasters, of wealth
and connections beyond the proudest
in the city—have chosen to idle un
attached.”
“I have my dream —" De Almonaster
said gravely. “A boy’s dream . . .
but it does not pass. For six years
now, the ’ovellest face that could stir
youth has been with me. It was for
that I cruised last year about the
Caribbean ports—aimlessly seeking,
slowly trying to forget. Ah, •..•ell! I
am trying to be a practical, sober
man—financing the new sugar proc
ess !”
With a bow he left the guest. The
stranger looked from the great win
dows upon the gardens. Beyond the
narrow fields ran a rutted road, and
Jean Lafltte smiled. Dp that same
road had come the clumsy carts of
the smugglers who met the gulf ad
venturers in the swamp rendezvous
and brought the loot c* silks and
wines and Jewels taken from luckless
merchantmen on the Spanish Main.
By pole-boat from the coast, by carts
to the river forest; and then at dead
of night, ferried by other agents
across to the warehouses of the city.
And to Pierre Lafltte’s cloaking smithy
on the rue Bourbon came the winking
merchants to watch the slaves work
the forges while they slyly murmured
to the proprietor: “I hear that a ship
from Bilhoa strangely foundered in
Yucatan strait? . . . What, pray,
is the price of brocade and silver
plate at Monsieur Lafitte’s Red house
at Grand Terre?”
THE DANIELSVILLE MONITOR, DANIELSVILLE, GEORGIA.
"Hypocritical dogs!” muttered the
master now. “I respect the roughest
scoundrel of my own band more than
the smug merchants who enriched
themselves on our traffic, covertly pro
tecting us while they profited; eager
to denounce us when our last ship was
driven from the Gulf I”
The liquor decanter was on a high
boy of heavy rosewood. The adven
turer’s melancholy eyes lighted as he
examined it, the great four-post bed,
the table and the mirrors.
“Loot from the Isle o’ Pines! I re
call Gnmbio’s sweating blacks poling
It from the swamp to be sold to a city
factor! It turns up at De Almonas
ter’s and I am entertained with it!”
His laughter had hardly ceased
when he joined his host at dinner.
Never a more well-appointed guest
had Count Raoul greeted than the
last sea-rover who sat across the board
beyond the golden candelabrum.
Monsieur Sazaruc raised u hand. He
held a glass before him.
“As to the wine, young sir, I could
swear there had been mischief in the
Gulf again !’’
Raoul laughed ardently: “If ever,
sir, one of my uncle’s ships, which
bring our wine from Bordeaux, had
fallen your way. all the wars of Bona
parte had been nothing to the uproar
he would have raised I”
“Come— ’’ smiled the guest. “I
would forget it all!”
“If we let you—” he signaled the
serving men to withdraw. “Now, I
am delegated by your own worthy
companions for this —the Napoleon
plot—is not that adventure enough?”
“More.” Sazarac smiled distantly.
“I am done with ndventuring. 1
dream of a plantation In the Indies.
In Louisiana, even if again granted
amnesty, my presence would be a sore
spot. Let any thieving brawl come In
the ports, and at once Lafitte’s old
men are charged with it. They are
peaceful men now, scattered on the
coast —hunters, raisers of truck, and
fishers. Let the dead past lie, my
friend. 7 am an evil legacy . . .
and I am forty-two!”
“And yet—the lady of the packet
boat!” mused Raoul. “Strange?”
“To her, Sazarac, the gamester —to
you, Lafitte, the outlaw. And yet—”
the older man stopped, his gaze out
the glass doors to the starlight.
“And yet, Monsieur —Sazarac —what
if you, of all men, brought Napoleon
triumphantly out of exile to the New
world? What proud lady of all Lou
isiana would not be thrilled by the
name—Lafitte 1”
“Now, that is ridiculous," frowned
the other man. “She —an English
Tory—an intrigue to aid Bonaparte
win her approval?” He laughed: “Ah,
well, a lovely lady for whom I would
have fought; and I had to turn aside
in silence. I nm Lafltte. That Is the
irony of it —at forty-two, discredited,
a fugitive under a mask . . and
she smiled upon the man who Is the
knave in either role. I did not chal
lenge Colonel Carr,” he concluded
pointedly.
“I saw that.” Raoul repressed his
curious note. “We knew you went to
confront him.” He shrugged. “Come,
my Captain Jean I I, too, have greatly
loved—and lost. Now, this affair Is
of the sea and men. Would you not
listen? You heard last night your old
wild fellows chuckling with It!”
The guest stared hard at him. “Na
poleon? The devil they would care
for him 1 Tooth and nail on the first
merchantman—loot, scurry, spend fist
fuls of gold in the ports of South
America —and then the yard-arm for
them all 1 Monsieur, the world has
shuffled off our gentlemen of for
tune!”
“It is the English woman holds yon
from us,” said Raoul, and then saw
the black line deepen on the other’s
brow. The host bit his lip; and then
upon the silence, there came rapid
footsteps. A doorman was expostulat
ing at the broad gallery. There was a
scuffle, an oath.
“But I shall enter, fellow! Out of
the door!”
De Almonaster had arisen by the
silver-laden board, with a hasty glance
at his guest’s impassive face under the
golden candelabrum, when the burly
grizzled Johanness charged from the
hallway. He turned without greeting,
staring at Sazarac.
“You, Captain Jean! See, I have
fought for you 1 A customs guard, I
think It was, went down by the cut
lass. Nez Coupe, Bohon and I stopped
them from the first crossing, hi# the
dragoons are here I”
“And that he i* in reality Jean
Lafitte, turned up from the dead.”
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
For the Liver.
We usually try out all the remedies
friends suggest to us, but occasionally
it Is necessary to balk. One editorial
friend tells us how to cure a sluggish
liver, which we know we have. Says
he: “Take one spade, one hoe and one
rake, twice a day. and dig a cure out
of the garden.” —Honey Grove Signal
Says the Sage.
Sometimes it is easier to look wise
than to talk wisdom.
/"tudyinq
Gdldpaqos
I Island
aik% Life
Galapagos Land Turtle.
(Prepared l>y the National Geographic So
ciety, Washington, P. C.)
Once more scientists have gone to
the Galapagos Islands, a little archi
pelago, IKK) miles off the const of
Ecuador In the Pacific, to study animals
and plants that can be found nowhere
else in the world. These remote Is
lands are believed to have played an
Important part In the final formula
tion of the theory of organic evolution.
Darwin landed there in 18.15 and was
fascinated by the unique and unex
pected forms of life which he found.
Here were some of the best data In
regard to the development of forms In
Isolated regions, which he encountered
on the famous voyage of the “Beagle,"
data which he drew upon when ho
later wrote tils “Origin of Species.”
Darwin arrived at the conclusion that
these islands were at no time con
nected with any continent, but that
they were formed far from other land
by volcanic action, and that not even
the members of the group hml ever
been connected. He found himself sur
rounded by new birds, new reptiles,
new insects and new plants; and to a
considerable extent each island was
Inhabited by different kinds of beings.
The most famous of the creatures of
the Galapagos islands —the ones, in
fact, from which they take their name
—are the giant land turtles. Some of
these weigh more than 200 pounds and
are several feet In diameter. Darwin,
like numerous later visitors, rode on
their backs. Thousands of them ex
isted on all the islands (a different
species on each island) before they
were molested by man; and numerous
paths, extending for miles up the
mountain sides, were beaten by the
awkward creatures on their regular
trips to the few springs and pools.
More significant to science however,
are the Inrge sea Iguanas, the only
marine lizards known now to exist In
the world. They nre really “Immi
grants” from past geologic ages when
other huge snurlans splashed through
the seas. These lizards are blnck, re
pulsive creatures, three and four feet
long. Thousands of them rnny be seen
basking on the wet volcanic rocks
along the shore or swimming seaward
in search of food. In spite of their
appearance they are harmless and
will not bite even when teased.
Inland, land lizards, little smaller
than their sea brothers, nre even more
numerous, large areas being perforated
by their burrows. The other forms of
animal life of the Galapagos are not
so strikingly interesting to the layman,
but science finds that whether they he
birds or Insects nt least half of them
are of species unknown save on these
islands. The same situation is found
In regard to the plants. Thirty-eight
of the plants on one Island, James, are
found only In the Galapagos, and thirty
of them are confined to James island
alone.
Once a Buccaneer*’ Resort.
The Galapagos Islands were for a
long time remote from any steamer
lanes. It was natural, therefore, that
they should remain uninhabited and
undeveloped for nearly three centuries
after their discovery In 1585. But
their very remoteness made them a
safe gathering place for buccaneers,
and those worthies who preyed ot
.Spanish treasure ships and the Span
the islands In the Sixteenth and Seven
teenth centuries. Dogs, cats, goats
and donkeys left by them have given
rise to numerous wild descendants on
some of the islands. Much treasure Is
believed to have been buried there
and some, In fact, has been found.
What are believed to be the main de
posits, however, have never come to
light.
The next picturesque chapter In the
history of the Islands was written in
the early years of the Nineteenth cen
tury when American whalers, who
found their catches In the Atlantic de-
creasing, rounded the iToro and began
operations in the Pacific. They found
the Galapagos islands n convenient
place to meet, get water and even to
replenish their larders with the deli
cate flesh of the giant turtles. On
Charles island (Santa Maria to the
Ecundorenns) the whalers established
on Post Office bay a cache 111 which
the ships left mail for each other.
About this time the Ecuador govern
ment, alarmed perhaps by the presence
of the Americans, decided formally to
take possession of the Islands, This
was done in 1881 and a colony was es
tablished which became mensureably
prosperous by trading with the wlml J
ers. But within a few years the
colony was turned Into a penal settle
ment, the whalers left the region, and
after a decade or so only a handful of
settlers remained.
Neglected by Ecuador.
Ecuador has neglected the Galapagoi*
islands ever since, but she Ims been
unwilling or unable to sell them to any
of the great powers who would be glrnl
to take them over. (Jrent Britain sug
gested taking them for a debt In 1852,
but Peru, France and Spain promptly
made protest and the transfer was
not made. Later the United States pro
posed that concessions he granted It on
the Islands, but the same protestanta
made objections and were joined by
Great Britain, so that, nothing came of
the proposal. Still later Individual
Americans attempted to obtain con
tracts for the exploitation of the Is
lands but the Ecuadorean government
apparently feared the growth of alien
Influence In her remote larfds, and re
fused to consider the proposals. What
ever reasons the United States may
have had for Interest In the Island
group have been strengthened since
the const ruction of the Panama canal.
Ttje opening of that waterway
straightway relieved the Islands of
their remoteness, for they are on the
direct route between the isthmus on
the one hand and Australia, New Zea
land and the Islands of the South
seas on the other. This position gives
the Islands considerable value as po
tential coaling stations. Even more
important, the Islands ns a naval baso
would command the Pacific entrance
to the canal. Their falling Into the
hands of a power unfriendly to the
United States would constitute a dan
gerous situation.
At first view the Galapagos Islands
seem hopelessly barren. Beyond a
straggling fringe of mangroves that
have established themselves in places
along the shore, extend miles of dry,
broken lava fragments In which only
cacti and scrubby, almost leafless
shrubs, exist. These wastes of vol
canic fragments, over which Innumer
able lizards run and occasional giant
turtles stalk, slope upward and finally
give way rather unexpectedly to a
molster region In which the volcanic
material has been decomposed, form
ing soli. First Is a belt of trees and
still higher, grasslands. An interest
ing feature of the climate of the Gala
pagos Is that these green uplands aro
supported not so much by rain ns by
frequent fogs or clouds In actual con
tact with the earth which deposit
their moisture directly.
Climate Ratner Chilly.
The Islands are directly under th'V
equator, but their climate Is far from
what Is generally understood by the
term, “equatorial.” A cold ocean cur
rent from the Antarctic bathes them'
and the air currents from this cool!
water keep the uplands at a pleasant!
temperature the year round. At nlgliP
It becomes really cold on the plateaus)
and camp fires must be used. It Ist
when the visitor finds this upland re- 1
glon that he realizes that there I®
really some sort of future for thW
Galapagos Islands.