t of the stone in
these walls was brought straight from Europe, just as they later brought
the paving blocks for the streets of New Orleans. When he had done--and
the place was five years a-building because of Indian troubles and other
disturbances--he settled down to live in feudal state. Some of his
former seamen rallied around him as a guard, and he imported blacks from
the islands to work his indigo fields.

"The family continued to prosper through both French and Spanish
domination until the time of American rule."

"Now for Uncle Rick." Ricky settled herself with a wriggle. "This is
even more exciting than Pirate Dick."

"In the year 1788, the time of the great fire which destroyed over half
of New Orleans, twin boys were born at Pirate's Haven. They came into
their heritage early, for their parents died of yellow fever when the
twins were still small children.

"Those were restless times. New Orleans was full of refugees. From
Haiti, where the revolting blacks were holding a reign of terror, and
from France, where to be a noble was to be a dead one, came hundreds.
Even members of the royal house, the Duc d'Orleans and his brother, the
Duc de Montpensier, came for a space in 1798.

"The city had always been more or less lawless and intolerant of
control. Like the New Englanders of the eighteenth century, many
respected merchants were also smugglers."

"And pirates," suggested Val.

"The king of smugglers was Jean Lafitte. His forge--where his slaves
shaped the wrought-iron which was one of the wonders of the city--was a
fashionable meeting-place for the young bloods. He was the height of wit
and fashion--daring openly to placard the walls of the town with his
notices of smugglers' sales.

"And Roderick Ralestone, the younger of the twins, became one of
Lafitte's men. In spite of the remonstrances of his brother Richard,
young Rick withdrew to Barataria with Dominque You and the rest of the
outlawed captains.

"In the winter of 1814 matters came to a head. Richard wanted to marry
an American girl, the daughter of one of Governor Claiborne's friends.
Her father told him very pointedly that since the owners of Pirate's
Haven seemed to be indulging in law breaking, such a marriage was out of
the question. Aroused, Richard made a secret inspection of certain
underground storehouses which had been built by his pirate
great-grandfather and discovered that Rick had put them in use again for
the very same purpo