ou."

Eph was off at once to the agent's, where he found Eric and the canoe's
crew, and was across the river and winding through the bayous before the
sun went down. So full was he of his important message that he hardly
allowed a halt of a few hours to cook and rest, and arrived at Barataria
on the second morning after leaving New Orleans.

CHAPTER XVIII.

CONCLUSION.

When the Belle Acadienne was announced as coming down the bay, Lafitte
himself went to the landing, so anxious was he to hear the news of which
Eph Clark was the bearer.

As they walked back together to the chief's house, Eph told him all that
had occurred in the council. And Lafitte told him that Johannot had
reported the arrival of the British fleet, for he had been sent out to
reconnoiter, and that he had also sent a message to the English captain
which would prevent him from being certain whether they would be guided
through the bayous or not.

While Eph got some needed refreshment, orders were sent to assemble all
the guns' crews of the pirate vessels in the fort.

There were about two hundred selected, the best and most capable
gunners, and they were at once put under vigorous drill--Eph being made
a lieutenant of the battery.

In the meantime canoes and boats were prepared to take the cannon and
their carriages, with ammunition and stores and utensils of all kinds,
through the secret route, and up to the plain of the east side of the
river, where great works had been thrown up to resist the invaders,
which works stretched between the river and the swamp on the left.

When the artillery and men arrived they were immediately sent to this
work, where they found the battery of an American gun-boat, the
Carolina, also stationed. There was another gun-boat, the Louisiana,
afloat on the river, with a powerful battery of guns, which did good
service in the approaching fight.

The long row of earth-works which the Americans occupied had not been
quite finished, so the top of a great deal of the line was made of
cotton bales, which protected the riflemen from the enemy's bullets to a
great extent, but were easily disarranged and set on fire by artillery.
Some people thought that they would have been better without the cotton
bales, but they were then, and they were always afterwards, associated
with the battle.

When the firing actually began it was discovered that the British had
found a quantity of sugar hogsheads in the plantations, and h