Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1897-11-04
CHAPTER ~.

should have told her long before, and
we saw ourselves at once in difficult
and dangerous position. Some OF the
mans money-if be had any-was Ger.
tainly due TO us; but it was not likely
that our captains shipmates, above ali
the two specimens seen by me, Black
Dog and the blind beggar, would be
inclined 70 give up their booty in pay
ment of the dead mans debts. Iuc
captains order to mount al once au
ride for Dr. Liresey would have left ny
mother atone and unprotected which
was not 10 be thought Of Indeed, e
seemed impossible for either of us To
remain much longer Iva the house; the
fan OF couls in the kitchen CRATE, the
very ticking OF the clock, iilca us with
alarms.
The neighborhood, TO our ears.
seemed haunted 81 approaching fooi-
steps, and what between tie dead body
Of the captain on the parlor floor, and
The thought of that detcstable blind
beggar lowering near at hand and
ready to return, there were moments
when. as the saying goes. ! jumped in
my skin for terror. Something must
speedily be resolved upon; and il oc-
CURED to Us at last TO go forth to-
gethel and seek help In the ueighbor
ing hamlet No sooner said than done.
Bare. beaded MS We were, We ran out
1t once in the gathering evening and
the frosty fog.
The hamlet lay not many hundred
yards away, though out OF view, on the
other side OF the next cove; and, what
greatly encouraged me, it was in an
opposite direction from that whence
the blind man had made hs appear
ance. aud whittier be had presumably
returned We were not many minutes
On the road, though we sometimes
stopped to lay hold Of each other and
uearken. Bun there was no unusual
sound--notbng but tie low wash OF
he ripple aud the croaking Of the
crows III The wood
II was already caudle-light when WE
reached the hamlet, and shall never
forget how much was cheered 10 see
be yellow shine in doors and windows.
mt that, as it proved. was the best
It the help we were likely 70 GER n
hat quarter. For-you would have
bought men would have been ashamed
themseyes-no soul would consent
return with ms TO the admiral Ben
DOW. The more we told OF our trou
bles, the more-man, woman and child
they chung to the shelter Of THEN
houses. The name of Capt. Flint,
though it was strange 10 me, was Well
enough known TO some there, and car
ried a great weight of terror. Some
Of the men who had been to Hcld-work
on the far side Of the Admiral Ben
bow remembered, besides, TO lave seen
several strangers on the road, and tax
ing them 90 be smugglers, 10 have bolt
ed away; and one at least had seen
Hole. For that matter, anyone who
was a comrdde of the captains was
enough to frighten them o death. And
The short and the long of the matter
was, that while we could get several
who were willing enough to ride to
Dr. Livesey's, which lay in another III
rection. not one would help us to de.
fend tie inn.
They say cowardice is infectious; bui
then argument is, on The other hand.
a great emboldener; and SO when each
had his say, my mother made them
speech, She would not, she declared.
lose money that belonged to her father
less boy; III none Of the rest Of YOU
dare" she said, "Jim and I dare. Back
we viii go, the way we came, and small
thanks to you big, hulking, chicken.
hearted men. Wen have that chest
open, if we die for Il. And IN thank
you for that bag. Mrs Crossley, 10 bring
back our lawful money in
Of course. said would go with my
mother; and of course they all cried
out al our foolhardiness; but even then
not man would go along with us. An
they would do was to give me loaded
pistol, lest we were attacked; and 10
promise to have horses ready saddled.
in ease we were pursued on our re-
turn; while one lad was 10 ride for
ward to the doctors in search of armed
assistance.
My heart was beating tiercely when
we two set forth ia the cold night upon
this dangerous venture. \ fun moon
was beginning to rise and peered red
ly through the upper edges of the fog.
and this increased our haste, for it
was plain, before we came forth again.
that all would be bright as day, and
our departure exposed TO the ewes o9
any watchers. we slipped along the
hedges, uoiseless aud swift. nor did we
see or hear anything to increase our
terrors. till, TO our huge relief. the door
% THE Admiral Benbow had closed be-
bind as.
slipped the bolt al once. and we
stood aud painted for a moment in the
dark. alone in the house with the dead
captains body. Then my mother got a
candle in THE bar. and. holding each
others hands. We advanced into the
a.