Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1892-12-31

"Its a habit ! have, Mr. Balfour,
said the skipper. I'm cold rife man
by my nature; have cold blood, sir
There's neither fur, nor fannel--no, sir
nor hot rum will warm up what they
call the temperature. Sir, it's the same
with most men that have been carbona-
doed, as they call it, in the tropic seas.
"Well, well, captain, replied my un
Gle. 1--WE must all be the way we're
made"
But it CHANGED that this fancy Of the
captains had great share in my mis-
fortunes. For though | had promised
myself not TO let my kinsman out of
sight, | was both so impatient for
nearer look of the sea and 50 sickened
by the closeness Of the room that when
he told me to run down stairs and play
myself awhile" | was fool enough to
take him ut his word.
Away | went therefore, leaving the
two men sitting down to bottle and
great mass of papers; and crossing the
road in front Of the inn, walked down
upon the beach.
Ransome soon came out of the inn
and ran to me, crying for bowl of
punch told him would give him no
such thing. for neither he nor | was OF
age for such indulgences. But a glass
Of ale you may have, and welcome" ;"
said l. He mopped and moved at me,
and called me names; but he was glad
to get the ale for all that; and presently
we We're set down at a table in the front
room of the inn, and both eating and
drinking with a good appetite.
Here it occurred to me that, as the
landlord was q man of that country, |
might do well to make friend of him.
| offered him a share, as was much the
custom in these days; but he was far
! too great a man to sit with such poor
| customers as RansOme und myself, and
he was leaving the room, when | called
him back to ask if he knew Mr.. Ran
| keillor.
"Hoot, aye" says he, "and a very hon.
est man. And oh, by the bye" says he,
twas it you that came in with Eben.
ezer?" And when had told him yes,
"Yell be no friend Of his" he asked,
meaning, in the Scotch way, that
! would be no relative.
told him no, none.
u thought not, said he; "and ye have
a kind of gliif [loo. Of Mr.. Alexa lder.'
/ said it seemed that Ebenezer was i'll
seen in the country.
Nae doubt" said the landlord.
"He's a wicked auld man, and there's
many would like to see him girning in a
tow. Jennet Clouston and mony main
that he has harried out of house and
hame. And yet he was ance a fine young
fellow too. But that was before the
sough gaed abroad about Mr. Alexander
that was like the death of him.
"And what was III" asked
sou, just chat be had killed him, said
the landlord, "Dil yo never hear tAat"
'And what did he kill him fort" said |.
"AAd what for but just to get the
place, said he.
"The placer said l. "The ShawsP"
mae other place that ken" said lie.
"Aye, mau9" said l.. "Is that so3 Was
my-was Alexander the eldest SOM"
"'Deed was he, said the landlord.
"What else would he have killed hiln
for:'
And with that he went away, as he
had been impatient to 40 from the be-
ginning.
OF course I had guessed it a long
while ago, but it is one thing to guess,
another TO Euow, and | sat stunned
with my good fortune, and could scarce
grow to believe that the same poor lad
who had trudged in the dust from E.
trick forest not two days ago was now
one of the rich of the earth, and had
house and broad lands, and if he but
knew how to ride might mount his
horse tomorrow. All these pleasant
things, and thousand others, crowded
into my mind as | sat staring before me
out Of the inn window and paying no
heed to what | saw; only | remember
that my eye lighted on Captain Hoseason
down ON the pier among his seamen and
speaking with some authority. And pres
emily he came marching back toward the
house, with no mark of sailors clumsi-
ness, but carrying his fine, tall figure
with manly bearing, and still with the
same sober, grave expression ON his face.
| wondered if it was possible that Ran
some's stories could be true, and half
disbelieved them; they fitted so i'll with
the mans looks. But indeed he was
neither so good as | supposed him, nor
quite so bad as Ransome did for in
fact he was two men, and left the bet
ter one behind him as soon as he set foot
on board his vessel.
The next thing heard my uncle call
ing me and found the pair in the road
together 1t was the captain who ad-
dressed me, and that with an air very
fattering to young lad) of grave equal
| ity.