“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.”