Coupe kept beyond the reach alike of the lash and of the Latin
Bible.

By and by came a man with a rumor, whom the overseer brought to the
master's sick-room, to tell that an enterprising Frenchman was
attempting to produce a new staple in Louisiana, one that worms would
not annihilate. It was that year of history when the despairing planters
saw ruin hovering so close over them that they cried to heaven for
succor. Providence raised up Etienne de Bore. "And if Etienne is
successful," cried the news-bearer, "and gets the juice of the
sugar-cane to crystallize, so shall all of us, after him, and shall yet
save our lands and homes. Oh, Senor, it will make you strong again to
see these fields all cane and the long rows of negroes and negresses
cutting it, while they sing their song of those droll African numerals,
counting the canes they cut," and the bearer of good tidings sang them
for very joy:

[Illustration: music]

An-o-que, An-o-bia, Bia-tail-la, Que-re-que, Nal-le-oua,
Au-mon-de, Au-tap-o-te, Au-pe-to-te, Au-que-re-que, Bo.

"And Honore Grandissime is going to introduce it on his lands," said Don
Jose.

"That is true," said Agricola Fusilier, coming in. Honore, the
indefatigable peacemaker, had brought his uncle and his brother-in-law
for the moment not only to speaking, but to friendly, terms.

The senor smiled.

"I have some good tidings, too," he said; "my beloved lady has borne me
a son."

"Another scion of the house of Grand--I mean Martinez!" exclaimed
Agricola. "And now, Don Jose, let me say that _I_ have an item of rare
intelligence!"

The don lifted his feeble head and opened his inquiring eyes with a
sudden, savage light in them.

"No," said Agricola, "he is not exactly taken yet, but they are on his
track."

"Who?"

"The police. We may say he is virtually in our grasp."

* * * * *

It was on a Sabbath afternoon that a band of Choctaws having just played
a game of racquette behind the city and a similar game being about to
end between the white champions of two rival faubourgs, the beating of
tom-toms, rattling of mules' jawbones and sounding of wooden horns drew
the populace across the fields to a spot whose present name of Congo
Square still preserves a reminder of its old barbaric pastimes. On a
grassy plain under the ramparts, the performers of these hideous
discords sat upon the ground facing each other, and in their midst the
dancers danc