ther's?" She still gazed at me,
sphinx-like.

"Yes! By the Lord, Helena, my father did, and his, and so would I! So
would I, if that were you! Let him fend for himself."

She turned from the rail, her color a little heightened, affected to
yawn, stretched her arms.

We were now passing over the bar, slowly, feeling our way, our skiff
alongside, and the shelter of the curving, tree-covered bayou banks
now beginning to hide us from view, though the bellowing steamer below
had not yet entered our bend.

"Who is that boy?" she inquired lazily.

"That, madam, is no less than the celebrated freebooter, Jean Lafitte,
who so long made this lower coast his rendezvous."

"Nonsense! And you're filling his head with wild ideas."

"Say not so; 'twas he and your blessed blue-eyed pirate nephew, the
cutthroat L'Olonnois, who filled my head with wild ideas."

"How, then?"

"They took me prisoner, on my own--I mean, at the little place where I
stop, up in the country. And not till by stern deeds I had won their
confidence, did they accept me as comrade, and, at last, as leader--as
I may modestly claim to be. And do not think that you can wheedle
either of them away from Black Bart. L'Olonnois remembers you spanked
him once, and has sworn a bitter vengeance."

"Why did you happen to start sailing down this way?"

"Because I learned Cal Davidson had started--with you."

"And all that way you had it in mind to overtake us?"

"Yes; and have done so; and have taken his ship away from him, and for
all I know his bride."

"He was your friend."

"I thought so. I suppose he never knew that you and I used to--well,
to know each other, before I lost my money."

"He never spoke of that."

"No difference, unless all for the better, for I shall, now, never
give you up to any man on earth."

"And I thought you the best product of our civilization, a man of
education, of breeding."

"No, not breeding, unless savagery gives it. I'm civilized no longer.
When you stand near me, and your hair--go below, Helena! Go at once!"

She turned, moved slowly toward her door.

I finished calmly as I could. "To-morrow, at eleven, I shall give you
an audience here on the deck. We shall have time. This is a
wilderness. You can not get away, and I hope no one will find you.
That is my risk. And oh! Helena," I added, suddenly, feeling my heart
soften at the pallor of her face--"Oh, Helena, Helena, try to think
gently of me as you can, for all