it out--the craven followers
of Lafitte now turned their schooners to the shore--ran their bows
into the sand, and, leaping overboard, made into the forest as fast as
their legs could carry them. Thus--without firing a shot--the cowardly
pirates of Barrataria "took to the bush."

"The enemy had mounted on their vessels, twenty pieces of cannon of
different calibre," wrote Patterson, after this tame affair. "And, as
I have since learnt, they had from eight hundred to one thousand men
of all nations and colors. When I perceived the pirates forming their
vessels into a line of battle I felt confident, from their fleet and
very advantageous position, and their number of men, that they would
have fought me. Their not doing so I regret; for had they, I should
have been enabled more effectually to destroy or make prisoners of
them and their leaders; but it is a subject of great satisfaction to
me, to have effected the object of my enterprise, without the loss of
a man. On the afternoon of the 23rd, I got under way with my whole
squadron, in all seventeen vessels, but during the night one escaped
and the next day I arrived at New Orleans with my entire command."

Thus ended the magnificent (?) attempt of the vainglorious Lafitte to
stem the advance of the Government of the United States. In the
parlance of the camp, "He was a fust-class quitter."

But he did not show himself to be a "quitter" in the battle of New
Orleans.

The English and Americans, in fact, were soon at each other's throats
in the ungentle game of war. At different times the British had sought
to attack the pirates of Barrataria, in the hope of taking their
prizes and armed vessels. On June 23rd, 1813, while two of Lafitte's
privateers were lying to off of Cat Island, an English sloop-of-war
came to anchor at the entrance of the pass, and sent out two boats in
the endeavor to capture the rakish sea-robbers. But they were repulsed
with severe and galling loss.

On the 2nd of September, 1814, an armed brig appeared on the coast,
opposite the famous pass to the home of the rangers of the sea. She
fired a gun at a smuggler, about to enter, and forced her to poke her
nose into a sand-bar; she then jibed over and came to anchor at the
entrance to the shallows.

"That vessel means business, sure," said one of the pirates to
Lafitte. "She has spouted one gun, but now she's lyin' to. Better see
what's up."

"You're right," answered the famous sea-rover. "We'l