fficer of the
town, he would be entirely freed from the necessity of leading the life
of a buccaneer, and this life was becoming more and more repugnant to
him every day,--not only on account of the highly disagreeable nature of
his associates and their reckless deeds, but because the country was
becoming aroused, and the resistance to his advances was growing
stronger and stronger. In the next attack he made upon a town or village
he might receive a musket ball in his body, which would end his career
and leave his debts in France unpaid.

More than that, he was disappointed, as has been said before, in regard
to the financial successes he had expected. At that time he saw no
immediate prospect of being able to go home with money enough in his
pocket to pay off his creditors, and if he did not return to his native
land under those conditions, he did not wish to return there at all.
Under these circumstances it seemed to be wise and prudent, that if he
had no reason to expect to be able to settle down honorably and
peaceably in France, to accept this opportunity to settle honorably,
peaceably, and in every way satisfactorily in America.

It is easy to imagine the pitching and the tossing in the mind of our
French buccaneer. The more he thought of the attractions of the fair
widow and of the wealth and position which had been offered him, the
more he hated all thoughts of his piratical crew, and of the dastardly
and cruel character of the work in which they were engaged. If he could
have trusted the officers and citizens of the town, there is not much
doubt that he would have married the widow, but those officers and
citizens were Spaniards, and he was a Frenchman. A week before the
inhabitants of the place had been prosperous, contented, and happy. Now
they had been robbed, insulted, and in many cases ruined, and he was
commander of the body of desperadoes who had robbed and ruined them. Was
it likely that they would forget the injuries which he had inflicted
upon them simply because he had married a wealthy lady of the town and
had kindly consented to accept the office of city treasurer?

It was much more probable that when his men had really left that part of
the country the citizens would forget all their promises to him and
remember only his conduct toward them, and that even if he remained
alive long enough to marry the lady and take the position offered him,
it would not be long before she was again a widow and t