Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-07-27
KIDNAP
BEING MEMOIRS OF THE ADVENTURES Or DAVID
BALFoUR IN THE YEAR l751.
By ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE ROUNDEOUSE.

there began to go a whisper about the
forecastle that ''Shuan had done for him
at last" There was no need of name ;
we all knew who was meant: but we had
scarce to get the idea rightly in our
heads, far less to speak of it, when the
scuttle was again flung open, and Capt
Aoseason came down the ladder. He
looked sharply round the hunks in the
tossing light of the lantern: and them
walking straight up to me, he addressed
. The, to my surprise, in tones of sadness.
"My man. said he, 1--WE want you to
serve in the roundhouse. You and Ran
some are to change berths. Run away
aft with ye.'
Even as he spoke two seamen appeared
in the scuttle, carrying RansOme in their
arms; and the ship at that moment Civ
ing a great sheer into the sea, and the
lantern swinging, the light fell direct on
the boys face. 1t was as white as wax
and had a look upon it like dreadful
smile. The blood in me ran cold and /
drew in my breath as if / had been
struck.
"Run away aft; run away aft with
YEP cried Hoseason.
And at that [ brushed by the sailors
and the boy (who neither spoke nor
moved) and ran up the ladder on deck.
The brig was steering swiftly and
giddily through long, cresting SWELL
She was on the StarbOard tack, and
on the left hand, under the arched foot
of the foresail, l could see the sunset
still quite bright. This, at such an hour
of the night, surprised me greatly; but
] was too ignorant to draw the true
cOnclusioH-that we were going north
about round Scotland, and were now on
the high sea between the Orkney and
the Shetland islands, having avoided the
dangerous currents of the Pentland firth.
For my part, who had been so long
shut in the dark and knew nothing of
head winds, thought we might be half
way or more across the Atlantic. And
indeed (beyond that ] wondered little
at the lateness of the sunset light [ gave
no heed to it, and pushed on across the
decks, running between the seas, catch
ing at ropes and only saved from going
overheard by one of the hands on deck,
who had been always kind to me.
The roundhouse, for which | was
bound and where [ was now to sleep
and serve, stood some six feet above
the decks, and considering the size of the
brig, was of good dimensions. Inside
were fixed table and bench and two
berths, one for the captain and the other
fer the two mates, turn and turn about.
1t was all fitted with lockers from top
TO bottom so as to stow away the officers
belongings and a part of the ships stores;
<
meath, which you entered by hatch
way in the middle of the deck; indeed,
all the best of the meat and drink and
the whole of the powder were collected
in this place; and all the firearms. except
the two pieces of brass ordnance, were
set in a rack in the aftermost wall of
the roundhouse. The most of the cut
lasses were in another place.
A small window with shutter on each
side and skylight in the roof gave it
light by day; and after dark there was
Il lamp always burning. It was burn-
ing when | entered; not bright
ly, but enough to show Mr.. Shuan
sitting at the table, with the brandy bot
tie and tin pannikin in front of him.
He was a tall man, strongly made and
very black; and he stared before him on
the table like one stupid.
He took no notice Of my coming in;
nor did he move when the captain fol-
Howed and leant on the berth beside me.
looking darkly at the mate. | stood
IN great fear of Hoseason. and had my
reasons for it; but something told me |
need not be afraid of him just then;
and I whispered in his ear, "How is
he 2" He shook his head like one that
d0eS not know and does not wish to
think, and his face was very stern.
=. Presently Mr.. Riach came in. He
gave the captain Il glance that meant
81
and took his place like the rest of us;
so we all three stood without a word,
staring down at Mr.. Shuan, and Mr..
Shuan ION his side) sat without a word,
looking hard upon the table.
All of a sudden he put out his hand
to take the bottle; and at that Mr.. Riach
started forward and caught it away from
him, rather by surprise than violence,
crying out, with an oath, that there had
been too much of this work altogether,
and that a judgment would fall upon
the ship. And as he spoke (the weather
Sliding-doors standing open) he tossed the
bottle into the sea.
Mr.. Shuan was on his feet in trice;
he still looked dazed, but he meant muir
der. ay, and would have done it, for the
second time that night, had not the cap
tam stepped in between him and his vic
tina.
'Sit down. roars the captain. eye sot
and swine, do We know what we've done?
We've murdered the boyr'
Mr.. Shuan seemed to understand; for
he sat down again and put his hand up
to his brow.
We'll" he said, che brought me dir
~ pannikinw
At that word, the captain and [ and
Mr.. Riach all looked at each other for
n second with a kind OF frightened look;
and then Hoseason walked up to his
Will 8lllC6I, tOOh HIilI ny the HOulucI,
led him across to his bunk and babe him
Tic down and go to sleep, as you might
speak to a bad child. The murderer
cried little, but he took off his sea-
boots and obeyed.
"Ahv' cried Mr.. Riach, with dread
full voice, rye should have interfered long
syne. It's too late now"
''Gr. Riach," said the captain, ''this
nights work must never be kermit in Dy
sart. The boy went overheard, sir;
that's what the story is; and l would
give f5 out of my pocket if it was true!'
he added "There was nae sense III that,
sir. Here, David, draw me another.
They're in the bottom locker and he
tossed me a key yell need glass
yourself, SIR he added, to Riach EYon
was an ugly thing to see."
SO the pair sat down and hob-a-nobbed;
and while they did so, the murderer,
who had been lying and whimpering in
his berth, raised himself upon his elbow
and looked at them and at me.
This was the first night of my new
duties; and in the course of the next
day / bad got well into the run of them.
bod tO. servo at the meals which the