PIRATES OF BARATARIA

Ned Bishop was on his way to fight for Jackson during the War of 1812, but is readily sidetracked by two brothers who work for Lafitte (in a vague capacity) in the Barataria swamp outside of New Orleans. Most of the story finds the boys sloughing around in the mire, especially in the vicinity of a mysterious, apparently haunted old house which turns out to be the headquarters for hatching the plan to destroy the city. Ned never shows any reflex reactions--in times of sudden danger he always stops to consider that his participation will make good army training. The boys, of course, are credited with the rescue of New Orleans, but the jungle of contrived, unlikely events preceding their success, is almost impassable.