ave some gift of the
second sight, as I shall now prove to you. For instance, Jean Lafitte,
I know your earlier name was John Saunders, although I never saw or
heard of you before."

"Well, now, how'd you know that?" demanded the elder boy.

"I did not promise to tell the secrets of my art," I smiled. I did not
tell him that I had seen the name of Saunders on the tag of a shirt
somewhat soiled.

"Your father's name was John before you," I added at a venture. He
assented, half-frightened, although I had only guessed at this,
supposing John Saunders to be a somewhat continuous family name in a
family of auburn Highlanders.

"He sells farm stuff at the hotel above," I ventured. And again my
guess was truth.

"You take the wagon there, sometimes, with vegetables and milk and
eggs; and so you met Jimmy, here, and you went fishing together; and
he told you stories out of his book. I fear, John, that your father
licks you because you go fishing on Sunday. That was why you resolved
to run away. You led Jimmy into that with you. Yesterday you took a
boat from the lake near the hotel, and you painted her up and rigged
her for a pirate ship. You rowed across the lake to the marsh where
the little stream makes out--my trout-stream here. You followed that
stream down, with no more trouble than ducking under a wire fence
once in a while, until you came to my land, and until you saw me. You
were afraid I might tell on you; and besides, you were pirates now;
and so you took me prisoner. Marry, good Sirs, 'tis not the first time
a prisoner has joined a pirate band!"

"That's wonderful!" gasped Jean T. Lafitte Saunders. "And you say you
have never been up to our lake!"

"No," said I, "but I have a map, and I know my river heads in your
lake, and that very probably it runs out of the low marshy side.
Besides, being a boy myself, I know precisely what boys would do. Tell
me, do you think I would betray two of the brotherhood?"

"You won't give us away?" The elder pirate's face was eager.

"On the contrary, I'll see that you don't get into any trouble."

"That's a good scout!" ejaculated he fervently, his freckled face
flushing.

"We wasn't--that is, we hadn't--well, you see?" began Jimmy. "Maybe
we'd just have camped down here and gone back to-morrow. I was afraid
about taking the boat. Besides, I've only got about six dollars,
anyhow." He spread his wealth out upon the table before me frankly.

"Have no fear," said I. "To-