PED. Ready? (enter Lafitte.)
LAF. Stop!
MAN. (starts.) Lafitte!
MAR. (starts.) Ah!
PED. (to the guard.) Seize him! (the six guards rush upon Lafitte; fasten his arms down.)
LAF. I give you warning! I belong to the American army. You will pay dearly.
PED. (savagely.) You won’t be the bill-maker, Emperor Lafitte. (to the men.) Remove his sword. (they remove it; Pedro takes it; breaks it across his knee and throws the pieces aside; exit 1st guard.)
MAN. (turning upon Mariana in a fury of jealousy.) So, Miss! You still love this fellow! Well, American or not, he will be put out of the way! Pedro and I have some scores to settle with him. And as for you, my beauty—(goes to Mariana; she slaps his face.) We’ll see! (takes her forcibly in his arms.) call upon your determined lover now! (kisses her; Lafitte suddenly breaks the shackles that bind his arms; snatches a small dagger from his belt and fells Manuel with a blow; then he turns upon the crowd; re-enter 1st guard and eight armed men.)
LAF. (with his dagger in hand.) Advance, cowards!
PED. His head, dead or alive. Fire! (the eight men raise their guns; Mariana screams; runs in front of Lafitte, clinging to him; at the same moment a commotion is heard at the opposite door and a file of soldiers with raised guns appears.)