"I know many things. I know that any cousin descended from those brave
days loves the sea and its ways more than he loves the law. And if
money has come easy--as this did--what harm if a cousin should take
the price of a rat-skin or two and carry out a letter or so to the
railway, and keep a close mouth about it as well? To the good old
days, and Messieurs, my friends!" I had seen the neck of a flask in
Peterson's pocket, and now I took it forth, unscrewed the top, and
passed it, with two bills of one hundred dollars each.
They poured, grinned. I stood, waiting for their slow brains to act,
but there was only a foregone answer. The keeper drank first, as
ranking his tender; the other followed; and they handed the
flask--not the bills--back to Peterson and me.
"Merci, mes amis!" said I. "And I drink to Jean Lafitte and the old
days! Perhaps, you may buy a mass for your cousin's soul?"
"Ah non!" answered the keeper. "Hees soul she's hout of Purgatoire
long hago eef she'll goin' get hout. Me, I buy me some net for
s'rimp."
"An' me, two harpent more lan' for my farm," quoth the tender.
"Alas! poor Jean!" said I. "But he was so virtuous a man that he needs
no masses after a hundred years, perhaps. As you like. You will take
the letters; and this for the telegraph?"
"Certain'! I'll took it those," answered the tender. "You'll stayed
for dish coffee, yass?" inquired the keeper, with Cajun hospitality.
"No, I fear it is not possible, thank you," I replied. "We must be
going soon."
"An' where you'll goin', Monsieur?"
"Around the island, up the channel, up the old oyster-boat channel of
Monsieur Edouard. The letters are some of them for Monsieur Edouard
himself. And you know well, mes amis, that once we lie at the wharf
of Monsieur Edouard, not the government even of the state will touch
us yonder?"
"My faith, non! I should say it--certain' not! No man he'll mawnkey
wit' Monsieur Edouard, heem! You'll was know him, Monsieur?"
"We went to school together. We smoked the same pipe."
"My faith! You'll know Monsieur Edouard!" The keeper shook my hand.
"H'I'll was work for Monsieur Edouard manny tam hon hees boat, hon
hees plantation, hon hees 'ouse. When I'll want some leetle money,
s'pose those hrat he'll wasn't been prime yet, hall H'I'll need was to
go non Monsieur Edouard, hask for those leetle monny. He'll han' it on
me, yass, heem, ten dollar, jus' like as heasy Monsieur has gave it me
hondred dollar now, yas, heem!"
"Yes? Well, I know that a cousin of Jean Lafitte--who no doubt has dug
for treasure all over the dooryard of Monsieur Edouard----"