need funds to carry you through with your venture in
that city, this letter will enable you to draw upon Captain Lafitte for
a hundred doubloons."

I sought to express my gratitude, but he cut me short, and rang for his
mulatto boy to show me out. As it was by now past nine o'clock and a
dark, cloudy evening, I returned to my hotel for the night.

But sunrise found me down in the midst of the hurly-burly and confusion
of the water front. Such a scene was never known elsewhere than here in
the port of the Father of Waters. Rowdy rivermen from the Ohio and
Mississippi settlements, and no less rowdy seamen from the four quarters
of the globe, lewd women and dock workmen, black and white, swarthy
creole merchants and weather-beaten ship's officers,--all jostling and
hurrying about wharf and levee in the cool of the early morning.

Upon starting to inquire, I discovered that it was not so simple a
matter to find the sloop _Siren_ as I had imagined. The slaves and
creoles were polite in their replies, the sailors and rivermen gruff,
but all alike expressed their inability to enlighten me.

At last I accosted at a venture a splendidly built gentleman of about my
own age and breadth but a full two inches taller.

"Monsieur," I said, noting his black hair and French features, "your
pardon, but I am in search of the schooner _Siren_, Captain Lafitte."

"Ah," he replied, eying me with a polite yet penetrating gaze. "May I
request you to name your business with Captain Lafitte?"

"Sir," I answered, bowing, "my business with Monsieur Lafitte is
private. If you cannot favor me with the location of the _Siren_--"

"If I cannot favor you with that, I can at least with the location of
Jean Lafitte," he said, bowing in turn. "Monsieur, permit me to
introduce myself as Jean Lafitte, at your service."

"Monsieur, your servant, Dr. John H. Robinson, with a letter from
Monsieur Daniel Clark," I responded.

His fine hazel eyes glowed. "A friend of Monsieur Clark!"

I handed him the letter. He bowed with the polished ease of a courtier,
and after a polite apology, opened and read the letter. At the end he
slipped the letter into his wallet, and smilingly held out to me a
shapely, bronzed hand.

"Monsieur Clark has explained your reason for sailing, doctor," he said,
with a manner that won him my regard on the spot. "I shall be more than
pleased to do all in my power to aid you. We shall first send for your
chests."

I explained