"Sometimes I did not catch any fish,
and sometimes I caught five hundred boxes of Havana cigars. I often
caught other kinds of fish."
"You did not always eat the fish you caught," suggested Christy.
"No, sir; but I used to drink some of them."
"Precisely so; West India rum and wines."
"Cigars mostly, sir, was the kind of fish we caught. Captain Flanger
brought them outside the Grand Pass: I took them up to Fort Lafitte,
and the captain's brother worked them into New Orleans and other places.
They did a big business before the custom-house folks broke it up."
"Very likely; and I dare say you know all about this region."
"No doubt of that, sir."
"What do you know about the fort?"
"Not much, captain, for in our business we did not have anything to do
with forts and such things," chuckled Mike. "The old quarters of the
mechanics and laborers used to be on the Gulf shore, but they moved them
up north of the fort, on the Grand Pass. About a mile east of the fort
there is a big plantation."
"That is all for the present, Mike," added Christy.
The contraband touched his cap, for he had been rigged out in a new
suit of seaman's clothes. The commander retired to his cabin, and again
devoted himself to the study of the chart of the locality.
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