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fact that a citizen of New Orleans had
offered himself as a soldier was nothing
peculiar or impressive; men were: doing
this every day. , Moreover, what Mr. Ver-
non had said was simple enough. Jackson
found that it was the man’s personality,
the extraordinary presence, the suggestion
of almost immeasurable experience and of
incomparable dignity, reserve, self-repres-
sion that lingered in his brain and ap-
pealed to him in some obscure but won-
derfully potent way. It is credible that
Jackson, who was a man of penetrating
insight, felt that Mr. Vernon was a type
embodying the strange spirit of this ro-
mantic creole civilization—that in his stal-
wart, massive frame there dwelt the com-
posite soul of all this wild, free, untamable
swarm in whose midst the general now
found himself, with no efficient means of
reaching their natures and warming their
sympathies.
“What did Vernon want?” Claiborne
ventured, in his smooth way, to inquire,
after the immediate business of the inter-
view was over.
“* He offered his services,” said Jackson,
evasively. . -
“He did? That is fortunate just at this
juncture. Do now, general, that
he is the most important man in Louis-
jana?”
. I have been told that he has influ-
ence.”
“It is unbounded,” said the French
consul.
“Yes,” added General Villeré, with
quick interest, lighting a cigar meantime,
“ can count’upon everything if his
hearty support can be secured at once.”
**T asked him to raise and lead a com-
pany,” said General Jackson.
“* Why, general,” said Villeré, ‘¢1 must
say that you have blundered—unwittingly,
of course. Raise and lead a company!
You should haye taken him close to you
at once and made him a_ confidential ‘ad-
viser.”
“Tt was he who came with Faval, some
time ago, and asked me to take that devil,
Colonel Loring, on my staff,” Jackson re-
plied dryly and with a savage shrug of his
shoulders.
““He asked that? He favored Loring!”
exclaimed Viileré, in an astonished tone.
“Incredi ”
In his excitement he spoke in French,
and Jackson did not understand his words;
but his gestures and expression told as
much as his language.
Oh, it was Faval's work, perhaps,”
said Claiborne. ‘You know that Ver-
non and Faval have always been great
friends.”
‘Vernon proposes to raise and equip a
company of riflemen at his own expense,”
remarked Jackson, ‘but he flatly refuses
to command it.”
- * Of course, he would refuse that, gene-
ral,” said the governor. ‘* You should not
xpect a man of his stamp to come to that.
Isee that you have not understood him.
Plainly, you do not recognize his impor-
tance.”
“Important or not important,” ex-
claimed Jackson, permitting his natural
irascibility to appear, ‘I do not need his
advice or, for that matter, yours either!”
Claiborne, who was no mean diplomat,
held his temper and smiled blandly. He
had the utmost confidence in Jackson, and
was determined not to have a rupture with
him; but he feared Mr. Vernon’s influence,
and knew that it was necessary to prevent,
if possible, any further disagreement be-
tween him and the commanding general.
Negotiations were in progress between the
governor and Lafitte, by which the former
hoped to bring a Jarge number of the out-
laws of Barataria and other resorts to the
aid of the government. Jackson was fa-
voring this scheme, knowing that free-
booters were capable of doing most effect-
ive service as soldiers. He now asked for
a private interview with the. general, and
when they had passed into an adjoining
room, he said:
“I understand your feelings, general,
and am far from wishing to aggravate them;
but let me say to you in deepest confidence
that Mr. Vernon is just now an indispen-
sable person to us. He alone can control
the mass of the creoles and especially the
lawless class. I tell you that we cannot do
without him.” '
Claiborne spoke more from conjecture
than from any definite knowledge. He
did know, however, that Mr. Vernon’s in-
fluence was as powerful as it was mysteri-
ous; that his wealth, though great, and
his liberality, though democratic, could not
wholly account for the hold he certainly
had upon the dangerous class of persons
who constituted in reality the larger num-
ber of the effective fighting men of the
State.
Jackson walked the floor, He had been
terribly worried with reports of plots and
THE NEW YORK LEDGER.
combinations against him in the city.
The legislature had not done as he wished,
the courts were disposed to assert the
superiority of the law, and certain of his
injudicious friends had magnified to him
the evidences of sedition among the creole
population. Added to all this, reinforce-
ments were slow in arriving, and such as
had come were miserably deficient in equip-
ment, without food and very inadequately
clad against the. unusual cold of the
season,
He felt that patriotism as well as self-
interest demanded of the people of New
Orleans and of Louisiana the most enthu-
siastic and heroic self-devotion in behalf
of his purposes. Knowing his own courage
and genius and seeing with the absolute
vision of the born general the supreme
need of the hour, he could have no pa-
tience with anything or anybody that did
not fall at once into line and obey his
every command, execute his every sugges-
tion and show the most active faith in his
superiority.
“*] despise and detest the whole crew of
Frenchmen,” -he presently blurted out,
“Cand I'll blow them to everlasting scraps,
before long, if they persist in their disloy-
alty to the country. Claiborne, you go at
once and tell that legislature to adjourn—
tell them that I say so.”
governor stood for a moment con-
founded; but it did not take long for him
to see that General Jackson meant to be
obeyed.
“Thave already suggested an adjourn-
ment,” he replied, ‘‘ but of course there is
some opposition.”
«From the infernal creoles? But I will
not permit opposition from anybody, do
you hear? This thing is coming toa point
right shortly. I am in command here and,
by the Eternal, lam going to be master !
You go at once, governor, and tell that leg-
islature to shut up shop, and if it doesn’t
do it I'll pitch it bodily into the river.
hey haven’t got a Wilkinson to trifle with
now.”
Along with General Jackson’s assump-
tion of superiority there went an immense
capacity for being just what he assumed to
be. He overawed Claiborne from the mo-
ment of his arrival in New Orleans, and,
to all intents and purposes, took charge of
the State government.
It will never be known just how far act-
ual treason went in plotting the betrayal of
Jackson and the delivery of the city to the
British commander; but the movement
was more than an incipient impulse.
There were many men in New Orleans who
dreaded to have the power of the United
States government well fixed in Louisiana.
Wilkinson had more than winked at a free
and easy understanding with the forbans,
robbers, negro-stcalers and smuggiers, and
there can be little doubt that Claiborne,
although he would have preferred law and
order, was the sort of politician to turn his
back and not see the worst that his sup-
porters did. He knew Mr. Vernon’s power,
had more than once felt it in his favor
when it was political salvation to have it on
his side.
He knew but little of Colonel Lor-
ing; but since the incident of the nose-
pulling he had heard a great deal about
him. Rumor was having it everywhere
that Loring and Pierre Rameau were one
and the same tnan, and that now the far-
reaching organization of which this redoubt-
able outlaw was king would be turned
against Jackson.
Claiborne had already gone too far in
his support of General Jackson to take any
backward step, even if he had desired to do
it, and it was absolutely necessary now that
he should use the finest diplomacy, in order
to avoid falling between two stools.
“«T will go at once, general, and havea
conference with Louallier and Roffignac,”
said he, in a tone of ready compliance,
“and, if possible, I will have the adjourn-
ment declared.”
“* Governor, there can be no ifs or ands
about it; the adjournment must come at
once !” exclaimed Jackson, with overbear-
ing sternness. ‘ They will adjourn, or I
will adjourn them !”
Claiborne’s face paled with sudden anger,
but he made no response; simply bowe
and retired. As he went out he met Lieu-
tenant Ballanche comingin. The young
man looked fatigued and somewhat in a
hurry, as if he had come from a distance
in great haste and was bearing important
news; he greeted Claiborne deferentially
as he passed, but did not stop. Thesandy
mud showing in splashes all over him told
of a long, hard ride.
The governor would have given a good
deal to know what message Ballanche was
bearing, and under any other circumstances
he would have turned back into the room.
He could not trust himself to do this now ;
he was too much wrought upon by Jack-
son’s tyranny, There was something in
the young officer’s look and manner, how-
ever, that told a stirring story.
CHAPTER XVIII.
SEEKING REFUGE,
The journey to the plantation was a com-
paratively short one, and the three women
at first found it not so tiresome and unin-
teresting as they had feared, although it
was depressing toa degree.
They set out early in the morning through
a country somewhat gloomy, and in places
covered with water. The rain fell at inter-
vals, but the sun flashed warmly out be-
tween the showers, as the winter sun does | do:
in that fickle, April-like climate, giving
them now and then a golden gleam while
they were trundled slowly along under the
moss-hung trees. The spacious carriage
with its easy springs and luxurious cush-
ions afforded ample room for its fair occu-
pants to rest at ease.
Mademoiselle de Sezannes, who had
never been much in the country and whose
volatile spirits were easily set to efferves-
cing, found a good deal to interest her on
the way; but Mrs. Vernon and Pauline
could not pull their minds away from the
fact that they were once more leaving
Chateau d’ Or for an indefinite sojourn in a
lonely plantation house. Their former ex-
perience of country life in’a remote place,
as they now involuntarily recalled it, did
not present to their minds its more pleas-
ing associations, but turned persistently to
view those closing incidents which were
coupled with the coming of Burns and the
robbing of Vasseur. To be sure, Pauline
remembered, with a girl’s vivid faithful-
ness, every look, every word, every move-
ment of Fairfax during those dawn-hours
of her love; but the darker things would
insist on taking precedence, and: her mind
dwelt upon all that she had heard of Pierre
Rameau and his crimes. She and her
mother had both strenuously objected to
leaving the city, and having set out under
protest, they, woman-like, made the whole
Jourr.ey in a state of mind averse to any
sentiments of wayfaring appreciation.
The venerable coachman, muffled in his
broad-caped greatcoat, hummed many a
negro melody in a soft falsetto voice, and
between snatches. grumbled at the horses
because they did not keep well in the rather
vague roadway.
“It seems too bad,” said Mademoiselle
de Sezannes, after she had somewhat ex-
hausted herself in making inquiries touch-
ing the natural objects new to her eyes as
they passed them by in the strange old
forest—‘‘it seems too bad that this dread-
ful war should break up all our delightful
winter enjoyments and send us away into
exile to dream of slaughter and all manner
of dreadful evils. Isn't it so, Pauline ?”
“Do not speak of it! It rends my
heart!” spoke up Mrs. Vernon. ‘I shal
not see a moment's peace, asleep or awake,
till it is all over.” .
‘* And how are we to be any safer away
out here in the woods, I should like to
know?” demanded _Pauline, with more
genuine petulance than her mother had
ever before known hertoindulge. ‘I know
that Ishould feel better at home in the
city.”
“Butif I were a man,” exclaimed Made-
moiselle de Sezannes, shrugging her fine
shoulders and emphasizing her words with
quick French gestures, “I would stay at
home with my family and protect it, in-
stead of —*
“Oh, no,” Mrs. Vernon interrupted.
“How could you protect them single-
handed? The men are behaving heroic-
ally, dear.” .
‘*And what of us? What shall we do
when .they have been killed? I think it
more heroic to stay with those you love
and lead them out of danger and keep
yoursclf alive for them than to fight all the
battles in the world and die.”
“If the men felt in that way, dear, the
English would burn New Orleans before
the week’s end. It would be unmitigated
cowardice. Don’t you know it would,
dear?”
“I don’t care! Idon’tcare! So there!”
exclaimed the excitable girl, beginning to
cry. ‘*T want to go back home. Tell the
coachman to turn around. I can’t go on!
Ican’t! I can’t!”
Pauline joined her friend in shedding
tears freely. She, too, felt a sudden, un-
controllable desire to fly back to the city.
The two clasped each other and nestled
their young heads together, sobbing hys-
terically, while the carriage rolled softly
along over the slushy sand or bumped
against the palmetto roots.
Mrs. Vernon understood the unexpressed
thoughts of the girls, and felt that fine
sympathy which makes the true mother so
clear and tender a critic of her daughter’s
love. She beat back, though she could not
forget, her own distress in her desire to
OCTOBER 29, 1892,
console and inspirit those budding hearts
upon which the first rude wind of trouble
was blowing. .
It was while she was using her best en-
deavors to distract their attention from the
subject of the war that the carriage sud-
denly stopped, and she heard some one
speaking to the coachman in a sharp, nasal
ice.
“* Kem all the way fom town, hev’ ye ?”
je man was saying. ‘An’ w’at air folks
a-doin’ up thar’ ?”
“I cayn’ say, seh,” answered the coach-
man, whose English was of ‘the thin, min-
cing creole kind. ‘I cayn’ say vat zey
39
“* An’ who ye got inter the car’ge thar’?”
**T-hev’ ze madame an’ ze ma’mn’zelles,
seh.” ‘
**Oh, weeming, air they? An’ whar’ air
ye a-takin’ ’em to?”
** To ze plantaseeon, seh.”
“‘Wihat pertic’ler plantation air ye a-
takin’ ’em to?”
**Tt ees Mess’u Vernon’s, seh.”
“‘Humph! Let me take er squint inter
thet air vehicle.”
irs. Vernon recoiled from the wizened,
wrinkled old face that was just then thrus
close to ‘the carriage window. _Mademoi-
selle de Sezannes screamed shrilly.
“ arding, weeming, beg yer mar-
ciful parding !” exclaimed the queer-look-
ing old fellow, touching his ’coon-skin cap.
“Don’t ye be uneasy or afeard; Enos
Peevy ain't agoin’ to do ye no harm.”
He shifted the long, heavy ‘rifle by a ’
quick, deft movement, so as to let it rest
more easily in the hollow of his bony shoul-
der, at the same time a huge quid of to-
bacco was rolled from one side of his mouth
to the other.
““Oh, no, no, weeming folks, I air your
friend; don’t ye git sceert. Hit air my
jooty, ye know, bein’ a scout fer Giner’l
Jackson, ter kinder squint inter car’ges an’
things ter see w’at’s in’em; but.I don’t
hurt nobody ner nothin’.”
He looked very kindly into the faces of
the ladies and chewed his tobacco with
great complacency,
Mademoiselle de Sezannes began to speak
volubly to him in French; but he only
grinned and scratched his head.
“<*T ain’t no use a-flingin’ thet air sort er
stuff at me; young’oman. Up in Tennes-
see we jes’ talks thet same ole lang’age
wiat we allus did.”
‘ You say you are scouting for Jackson ?”
suayely inquired Mrs. Vernon, merely to
collect herself.
“Yas, mum; the gin’ral an’ me runs to-
gether. Wharsomever ye fin’ him ye’ll
stagger onter me pooty clost ’roun’ thar’.
He calls me Ole Eyes; but my name air
nothin’ but Enos Peevy.”
‘Thank you, sir. Good morning. Drive
on, Catulle.” Mrs. Vernon smiled and
bowed to the man as graciously as if he had
been a courtier.
The coachman, obedient to the order of
his mistress, started the horses on at a
brisk gait.
“‘What a queer person!” exclaimed
Mademoiselle de Sezannes, when they were
well away from the spot. ‘Tennessee
must be a strange country if it is inhabited
by that sort of people.”
‘But he had a kind face and an engag-
ing way, despite his odd dress and comical
dialect,” said Mrs. Vernon, ‘¢and I should
be ready to trust him at a time of danger.”
“Oh, but he’s so hideously ugly.”
“No, not ugly, dear; only outlandish-
looking. I noted his features carefully and
found them of almost Grecian regularity,
Old age and exposure have wrinkled and
bronzed him; but he has clear, honest
eyes and a good face, on the whole.”
Mrs. Vernon urged the discussion in
order to draw the minds of the girls away
from the recent channel of thought. Pauline
was inclined to side with Mademoiselle de
Sezannes and say that the scout did not
strike her as a person to be implicitly be-
lieved in. He must have had some ulterior
design in stopping the carriage. It was
very easy for a man to call himself a scout ;
e might be a robber or even an English
spy. Certainly he had found out by most
adroit work who they were, where they
were going and what they had in their
carriage. © Perhaps he would come that
very night and rob them of their money
and jewels, .
“Oh, I know that’s just what he will
do!” cried Mademoiselle de Sezannes, re-
lapsing again into hysterical weeping and
beginning to wring her hands. “*Oh,
please, Madam Vernon, tell the coachman
totake us back! We shall all be murdered
this very night !”
he suggestion was infectious. Pauline
caught the chill of fear, and Mrs. Vernon
lost control of herself at an unsuarded
moment.
€ carriage rumbled on through the
forest, and, if there had been any person