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CAPTAIN
SAiARAC
-— —-By
Charles Tenney Jackson
Illustrations by Irwin Myers
Copyright bv The Bobbt-Merrlll Conipn
CHAPTER IX.—Continued. _
—l3
They were silent. The light breeze
lifted'and swung the silken curtains
of-he shir Napoleon; the wines lapped
slowlv in the rich glass and silver.
j arv ls looked about at the polished
teak, the homily carpeted floors; he
shook his head.
■ This is a dream,” he muttered, “and
stjii—yye must awaken!- After Na
poleon—when our threescore niusket
,,,en have come scrambling up the St.
Helena crags, filched tlie'emperof* from
their snoozing guards and cutlassed a
vay to sen again—what then?”
“Old Bosslere, Monsieur Girod, arid
the other spirits of this venture, be
fore we seized the ship, had every
point worked out,” explained De Al
monaster. “Even the plans of the
island and the English lookouts. Even
Mock and tackle and "chair to hoist the
emperor from out tile St. Helena cliffs
to our waiting longboats if needful.
Doctor Antomarehi, Napoleon’s own
physician, and Marshal Bertrand, Ills
friend in exile, are aware of our pur
pose and expectant. Everything Is
cared for—it is only for us-to put
through what the gentry of New Or
leans had plotted.”
“Except,” mused Jarvis, “the lady
who once looked back at me from the
coach . . . and threescore cut-
Ihronts brawling on these decks!”
The Captain Jean looked gravely
off to the shimmering sea. Dominique
sighed. “Ah, yes—after Napoleon —
what?”
"Gentlemen, the future of you ail
has been a concern to my mind,” said
Lafitte gravely. And as he was speak
ing on, there came a hail from the
forward lookout; and then Beluche,
the deck officer, at the companionway.
“A ship’s light, sir! Sou’ by east,
lying out o’ the wind!”
“She is not within hailing?” ‘ The
master started to his feet.
“No, sir. And we have little air to
come up with. But the longboats, sir!
The tiling might be done in a trice
this very night, unless she undertakes
to repel our parley 1”
"She will hardly (give in to our de
mands.’ Lafitte followed to the quar
ter-rail. The twinkle of the. stranger
showed through the. mqpnlight. But
both ships were lying in the great out-:
rush of the Mississippi waters "though
many miles from the sigh? of land.
" La y to, sir, end keep her In eye?
We can do nothing without a .bit of
wind. We shall request the restora
tion of Mademoiselle Lestron peace
tihiy before we consider boarding the
:i, k Hie master urned below again.
Johanness went forward grumbling.
The light of battle was In bis eye. Off
t ils pass he had taken his last Span
ned fifteen years ago with eighty
musand dollars to be divided among
is crew at the Grand Terre fort of
p buccaneers which was not a day’s
sail westward on the Louisiana coast.
n d the party in the emperor’s cabin
,iea , rd a hoarse shout from the fo’-
cas le hood.
A snip, bullies! And we lay here
■;> t “ e ol d itch tc be alongside!
do the gentlemen aft propose
ror ) her, eh— mates?”
1 • ,ie showered imprecations upon
■ e >, P iker. There wae a yell or two,
then silence. Presently the admiral
<, H “ft under the limp hang of the
r~. ,i .‘ :| e s snoW y new canvng _
•' ar e some hardheads, sir. Al
-2J y ?li r y are dicln s it for the first
t " plunder from the Genaron.
rnan - they agree, is yours I”
stPrr?. '!‘ ey tll!nk >” retorted Lafitte
• ' Lat this is the time of Mor
gan come again?"
The i shence grew upon them all.
- "me sighed once more. “The
aff r ' V p lnnn lf lt wa3 not for the
give Eng,lsh woman, we could
this s'. T ‘ 6 ,)erth to everything until
v< ' : p and crew had fouDd them-
Sfl ■ 7 w,li this coming day!”
f CO f mander - “I am Lafitte
an,/",, not Monsieur Sazarac! Irons,
f ' n the yard-arm for the first
ho • 1 15.® dlsputcs my will. The older
p, “ not needs be told. The
is M r >m ! n Cr "t~after that, as It
I s . ’ r de Almonaster’s honor TO
B„, ~° w c, tizens of Loulsiana-for
... ’ rte - And th-n—”
>l/ :J eae are wide,” grimaced Jar-
' ,ook t the master which
im ' a glance of impenetrable
CHAPTER X
The Long Chase.
At dawn the Seraphine lay in a fiat
pink sea, with, not a mile to the east
ward, the dingy moil of the Mississippi
outpour still visible. The canvas hung
wet and limp. Tlie idle steersman lis
tened to Beluche’s impatient comments
as lie held tlie glass off to the grow
ing light.
“Beggar’s luck! The river drift has
been with her. She is ail but tops’l
down with some < apful of wind that
we never saw!”
“Wi’ fhe sun," growled NeZ Coupe,
“we shall find our breeze.”
“Yes, but this matter cannot wait.
Some Yankee clipper may put out on
our trail! We cannot tell wlmt Is
brewing after this affair."
De Almonnster and the captain
joined them before breakfast. True, a
topsail breeze came with the sun, and
the Seraphine began to draw out of
the detaining eddies of the dHta drift.
The gentlemen had no more than set
tled to their morning coffee when the
monotonous cry of the lookout was re
peated. Beluche came with his report.
“Tlie stranger has picked a better
wind, sir, and has come about, making
sou’west, and running fair.”
4 “G.opd! She will not make (he
Floridas then and draw us into the
path of the traffic. It will be a. good
ship today that' we do not haul up
with.”
“I have ordered the chase guns
shotted,” muttered the admiral. “It
may take a. carronade across her bows
to make her lay to. Eli, bien! You
will see old eyes shine as they take
to tlie" lanyard!”
De Aimonaster cried out exultantly
when lie followed to the deck. The
first poke of the breeze laid the good
ship smartly over and the snap of
the answering canvas drew a shout
from the crew.
“Every bully of them out to see!”
cried Raoul. “A lot of schoolboys
minded to rob an orchard 1 The fi> st
eigliteen-pounder let go will be music
to old bars, Monsieur!”
“And they may dance on air to it,
afterward.” Lafitte turned quietly to
the younger man.' “I have had a sleep
less night, Monsieur de Aimonaster. It
appears to be largely yourself. The
"In Her Own. Good Time the Ship
Will Fly a Flag—and That le the
Business of Wiser Heads Than
Yours."
rest carried In irons to Charleston
when the Inevitable happens, will not
matter, but you—your position, your
good name and fortune —”
Raoul snapped his fingers laughing
ly. “I came for this—a true exploit,
and with you, sir—whatever befalls
afterward 1”
“I have my plans considered," said
the captain calmly. “We will not es
cape in the end. When that hour
comes, you shall be my prisoner.”
“I, Monsieur?”
“I seized you upon this ship against
your will. It was no affair of yours
but of Jean Lafitte’s.”
“But nom de Dieu I I was the first
to propose it 1”
“That is why I shall save you.” He
bowed enigmatically. “And Jervis, the
fool. The rest—well, in the end, I
must answer. First to these lawless
spirits who believe absolutely that I
am turning pirate again. Next to the
admiralty courts. America, Great Brit
ain”—he shrugged—“it will be of no
consequence."
De Almonaster watched the face of
the exile who had been the enigma of
diplomats of Britain and generals of
the United States but seven years back
when he shook the dice between them
for the province of Louisiana, and
gave back a captain’s commission in
the royal navy to fight for the puling
republic of the West. Slowly the
younger can was guessing. To rescue
rlva woman whom he loved meant but
to tear fne mask from his own face—
to stand before her —Jean Lafltte, the
last pirate chieftain of the gulf—a pro
scribed outlaw, hunted by the navies
of the world, dragged out of his ob
THE DANIELSVILLE MONITOR, DANIELSVILLE, GEORGIA.
seurity of peace to face a ring of ene
mies.
“You are my prisoner, sir—when
the end comes,” lit said quietly.
Raoul stirred, and then turned from
this implacable will. Below lie came
upon John Jarvis shaking the sleep
from his swollen eyes.
“I have been forward,” granted tlie
painter. “There is more hubbub than
a ladies’ picnic. Bohon and Johanness
cannot keep the dogs from howling.
Old fellows who have been in the
business before are scouring up rusty
dirks, pistols that have molded ten
years in muskrat trappers’ camps—
very quiet, tlie older heads, hut wink
ing wisely. They whisper that La
fitte is a wise fox to pretend to an af
fair of women when he knows of the
fat prizes helpless, unsuspecting, in
tlie trade routes.”
“They are in for an awakening, Jar
vis. He does not mean that.”
“I took them a bucket o’ grog,” mut
tered the other. “Tlie gimcrack ad
miral roundly cursed me for upsetting
his discipline, but the bullies are ready
to elect me captain, If Sazarac is too
finicky in tastes.”
Raoul laughed wonderingly. “The
Captain Sazarac ordains that you and
I are to be prisoners—to save our
necks if the ventu e fails. And bur
good names, as well, In the eyes of
Mademoiselle Lestron of Quvbec.”
“He can consider wlmt he wishes
and be damned. I am a free man—l
will boast to the lady-of’the necks I
have slit, which—God knows is none!
I will play the fool for her, the thief
for her—l will stretch rope for her
. ’. . and I never saw her but oue
time. She looked l ack and laughed—
there was old John Jarvis, very
drunken in the' broad day,.'.hanging to
a lamp-post, his stock behind his ear
and a bottle sticking from Ills coat. A
proud Tory lady of the Canadas, filled
with soft sweet laugli'er at John, the
jester.”
Raoul looked keenly at tlie impas
sive face of the wit. “Have a care.
Who was ever your friend in the old
days, but Jean? You and I diligently
must aid his plan. It Is due him,
Monsieur. He would be an honest
gentlemnn in this, at least."
“Well, a drink, now —and I will play
the fool for anyone." Jarvis arose:
“Come, I hear the bo’sun’s whistle.
They are calling the bullies up for
-some matter."
Johanness had tumbled the watches
out and along tlie port rail, when the
two came behind Lafitte who was ad
dressing tlie straggling lines. There
was much unsteady peering and bend
ing; and then reprimanding growls
from the older dogs.
“Stow that tulkl The captain
speaks!”
“Silence, there!” roared Beluche,
“and a man mutters ho gets the cat!
This is a ship, mind you—not u drink-
Tng bout!”
Lafitte raised his hand:
“Eirsjt, men—l have already told
you of the object of this venture,
which has, for the end, the rescue of
the Emperor Bonaparte from St.
Helena.-' That, alone, will keep us
busied for some months; hut I do not
say there will he nothing done of profit
to you all, in the meantime, if it comes
our way—”
There was a murmur, some In ap
proval. some impatiently.
“The English,” went on Lafitte
sternly, “are now the friends of the
United' States. Even now, in Wash
ington, they report that never were
relations so good as under the Presi
dent Monroe —”
“Bah,” grunted Crackley, “I am not
a sea-lawyer! Eh, mateys?"
“Silence I” thundered Lafitte.
De^Mmonaster, by the rail, watched
curiously. The line of reluctant pri
vateers edged nervously. Behind the
captain stood Beluche and old Domi
nique and Nez Coupe. Old Johanness,
grim and sullen, stood rubbing his
chin doubtfully.
“Enough!” went on Lafitte. “Anoth
er word, and then Johanness will dis
miss you. But first, take your warn
ing—l am Captain Sazarac of the
Seraphine. In her own good time the
ship will fly a flag—and that is the
business of wiser heads than yours t
And now, as to that ship we are over
hauling—it is a matter of private
business In this case. A lady Is to be
taken off. If an affray must come you
are to fight the guns or board exactly
as ordered, and cease when ordered.
And when once the lady from the
Genaron is put upon this ship, she is
to be treated with absolute respect
from you all. More than that—com
plete silence. She Is not to know
upon what mission this ship Is bound,
nor who is her commander.”
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
Dogmatic Man Frequently Wrong.
Nothing can he more unphllosophlcal
than to be positive or dogmatical on
any subject; and even if excessive
scepticism could be maintained It would
not be more destructive to all just rea
soning and inquiry. When men are the
most sure and arrogant they are com
monly the most mistaken. —Hume.
Use for Coral Debris.
The debris left from coral made into
Jewelry and ornaments is crushed,
scented and sold aa a tooth powder at
a high price by the Italian perfumer*,
Pyramid Temple of Chichen Itza.
(Prepared by the National Geographic So
cloty, Washington, D. C.)
Archeology, modern transportation
and radical government experiments
have been made bedfellows by the
opening of anew automobile road by
the socialist government of the state
of Yucatan, Mexico, leading from
Merida, the capital, to tlie wonderful
ruins of Chichen Itza, which might he
termed America’s Thebes. One of the
world’s most interesting remains of
our ancient civilization is thus made
accessible to students and tourists as
a by-product to a radical government s
plan to make work for laborers during
an economic depression by pushing
road construction.
In the hot, rather dry Yucatan penin
sula, which today is little visited by
outsiders, civilization reached its High
est point on the North American con
tinent in tlie years before tlie coming
of Europeans. After tlie finding of
savages by Columbus and Ids immedi
ate followers, both on the West Indian
Islands and on parts of the mainland,
the discovery a little later in Yucatan
of structures built of stone, and built
well, and of artistic carvings, came as
a great surprise to the Spaniards.
While some of the structures were
in use at the time of the Spanish con
quest, a number of, once great cities
hud been abandoned and swallowed up
by the jungle. Some mysterious fate
had overtaken this people, the Mayas,
and. only a somewhat degenerate rem
nant was clinging to the works of their
more Illustrious ancestors. The wholly
new regime resulted in the final extin
guishment of their culture.
Temples and palaces, prisons, “con
vents,” arenas for games, astronomical
observatories and monuments, all ac
curately built of masonry and decorat
ed with artistic carvings and hiero
glyphics, are some of the sign posts
pointing to the achievements of the
Mayas and their development of cul
ture. Archeologists state that at the
time of their mysterious decline they
were at the threshold of a true civili
zation. Indeed, in some ways they had
surpassed in Intellectual achievements
the civilization of the Egyptians and
the Babylonians.
Their Writing and Architecture.
In their system of writing, the Mayas
had reached a most interesting point,
found among no other existing people
in the world, the transition point be
tween picture writing, wldch the Chi
nese have never passed beyond, and
phonetic writing by means of an alpha
bet such as that we use.
The architectural types of the Mayas
and their decorative designs have fea
tures so similar to some of those of
the old world that the earlier students
of the American ruined cities believed
that their builders had been Influenced
by Egyptians, Babylonians or Hindus.
The types of arches and certain sculp
tured designs were compared especial
ly to those found in the great Hindu
temple of Boro-Budur in Java. It Is
the more general opinion now, how
ever, that the works of the Mayas
were the result of a culture horn on
this continent and acquired by this
people In their toilsome way upward
from savagery and through barbarism.
The story of Yucatan in recent
times Is the story of henequen fiber.
Offhand, that doesn’t seem to affect
the average American to any great ex
tent. But lt does affect lilrn every
time he buys a loaf of bread. The story
might be framed like that of tlie house
that Jack built. Henequin means rea
sonably cheap and plentiful binder
• twine; binder twine makes possible the
1 use of harvesting machines; harvesters
clieapen grain production; cheap grain
moans cheap bread; and so heneqtiln,
and arid Yucatan, play Important parts
in feeding America and the world.
Henequen, which is a sort of cactus
not unlike the century plant or the
“pulque cactus” in appearance, had
been grown In Yucatan since prehis
toric times and Its fiber was used in
local plantation and village industries.
But there was no outside market of
considerable magnitude for the fiber
until the increasing use of harvesting
machinery In the United States created
a demand for large quantities of bind
er twine.
One* a Feudal State.
Before what may be called “the
henequen era” in Yucatan a traveler
in the country might have imagined—
with a few concessions to race and
climate —that lie was in the heart of
Europe’s old feudalism. Some of the
principal land owners had truly baro
nial estates through which one could
travel for days. On the most extensive
estutes were scattered half a dozen or
more great stone castle-llke haciendas
In the cqrq of major dornos. In these
,sumptuous dwellings members of' the
owner’s family might mot spend a.
night a year, for they lived for the
most part In state In the capital, Meri
da, or spent theif time traveling In Eu
rope or the. United Stutes.
Climate and physical conditions gave
Yucatan its feudalism. The surface of
the country consists of only the thin
nest of soil, and underneath is porous
limestone. The climate Is dry and hot
half the year, blit there Is a reasonable
amount of rainfall during the other six
months. Yucatan Is one of the few
areas in which there Is an appreciable
rainfall, but no streams or even stream
beds. As fast as the rain falls during
the rainy season it seeps through the
thin soil and soaks Into the limestone.
The lack of surface water, and the
fact that hardly any food crops can be
grown on much of Yucatan’s poor soil,
made it practically Impossible for the
peons to exist except under the wings
of the great landholders.
Laborers Now in Control.
Toward the close of the Nineteenth
century henequen production shoul
dered out cattle production from the
place of first Importance, and before
many years the fiber dominated the life
of the country. The old feudal system
remained largely unchanged, however,
and the landowners became extremely
wealthy. But some of the prosperity
inevitably filtered down to a growing
middle class, and even to the planta
tion laborers, und soon Yucatan gave
Indications of a political turbulence
unknown In the older feudal days.
When the World war came prosper
ity reached Its peak in Yucatan, with
henequen fiber selling for as much as
19 cents a pound. The few landowners
were no longer able to dominate the
state government and the laborers and
their friends, who gained control, re
shaped the entire scheme of things.
Wages of workers were fixed by legis
lation at $0.25 to $24 (in United States
money) for each eight hours. After the
armistice the price of henequen fell
sharply, and by 1921 It had fallen to 4
cents, and In 1922 it reached Its lowest
point, 3V6 cents. The wage laws re
mained unchanged and many of the
plantations, carefully tended for years,
were abandoned to wild growth. The
country then experienced what was
probably Its greatest economic crisis.
Henequen production was greatly re
duced and conditions have Improved
somewhat with the fiber now at
cents a pound.