Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1898-02-22
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PART II.
THE SEA COOK.
CHAPTER VII.
60 TO BRISTOL.

CHAPTER VII.
100 TO BRISTOL.
It was longer than the squire i'm
Rgined ere we were ready for the sea,
and none of our first plans-not even
Dr. Livesey's, of keeping me beside him
could be carried out as we intended.
The doctor had to go to London for
u physician to take charge Of his prac-
tice; the squire was hard at work at
Bristol; and lived on at the Hall I'M
der the charge Of old Redruth, the
gamekeeper, almost prisoner but full
of sea dreams and the most charming
anticipations of strange islands and ad-
ventures. I brooded by the hour to-
gether over the map, all the details Of
which 1 well remembered. Sitting by
the fire in the housekeeper's room,
approached that island in my fancy,
from every possible direction; 1 ex-
plored every acre of it's surface; l
climbed thousand times to that tall
hill they call the Spy-glass, and from
the top enjoyed the most wonderful
and changing prospects. Sometimes
the isle was thick with savages, with
whom we fought; sometimes full of
dangerous animals that hunted us; but
DIN all my fancies nothing occurred to
inc SO strange and tragic as our actual
adventures.
So the weeks passed on, till one fine
day there came letter addressed to DR..
Livesey, with this addition: ITO be
opened in the case of his absence by
Tom Redruth, or young Hawkins. -
Obeying this order we found, or rather
7 found-for the gamekeeper was a
poor hand at reading anything but
print-the following important news:
''Old Anchor Inn, Bristol March /, IL.
/ ''Dear Livesey: AS I do not know wheth-
Ter you are a. the Hall or still in London.
send this in double to both places.
THE ship is bought and fitted. She lies
at anchor, ready for sea. You never i'm
agined a sweeter schooner-a child might
sail her-two hundred tons; name, His
PAMELA
II got her through my old friend, Bland
1y. who has proved himself throughout the
most surprising trump. The admirable
fellow literally shaved in my interest, and
80, may say, did every one in Bristol as
soon as they got wind of the port we sailed
for-treasure. mean"
'Redruth,' said I, interrupting the
letter, ''Dr. Livesey will not like that.
The squire has been talking after all.'
''Well, who's got a better right?''
growled the gameleeper. "a pretty
rum go if squire amt to talk for DR..
Livesey, I should think"
At that I gave up all attempts at COM
mentary, and read straight on:
''Blandly himself found the TIispaniola,'
and by the most admirable management
got her for the merest trif1e. There is
class Of men in Bristol monstrously preju-
diced against Blandly. They go the length
Of declaring that this honest creature
would do anything for money, that the
'Hispaniola' belonged to him and that he
BOLD it me absurdly high-the most trans
parent calumnies. None of them dare,
however, to deny the merits of the ship.
$50 far there was not hitch. The work
people to be sure-riggers and what not
were most annoyingly slow; but time cured
that. 1t was the crew that troubled me.
Il wished round score of men-in case
OF natives, buccaneers, or the odious
French-and I had the worry of the deuce
Itself to find so much as half dozen, till
the most remarkable stroke of fortune
brought me the very man that required.
Il was standing on the dock, when, by
the merest accident, fell in talk with him.
found he was an old sailor, kept public
house, knew all the seafaring men in Bris-
tol had lost his health ashore, and want
ed good berth as cook TO get to sea again.
He had .hobbled down there that morning,
he said, to get a smell Of the salt.
II was monstrously touched-so would
you have been-and, out of pure pity, en-
gagged him on the spot to be ships cook.
Long John Silver, he is called, and has lost
aleg; but that regarded as recommended
ton, since he lost it in his country's serv-
Ice, under the immortal Hawke. He has no
pension, Livesey. Imagine the abomin-
able age we live in!
''Well, sir, thought had only found
cook, but it was a crew had discovered.
Between Silver and myself we got to-
gether In a few days a company of the
toughest old salts imaginable-not pretty
to look at, but fellows, by their faces, Of the
most tndomitable spirit. declare we could
fight a frigate.
'Long John even got rid Of two out of the
six or seven I had already engaged. He
showed me in a moment that they were
just the sort Of fresh-water swabs we had
to: fear in an adventure of Importance.
II am in the most magnificent health and
spirits, eating like bull, sleeping like
tree, yet shall not enjoy moment till
hear my old tarpaulins tramping round the
capstan. Seaward ho!s Hang the treasure!
It's the glory Of the sea that has turned
my head. So now, Liyesey, come post; do
not lose an hour, If you respect me.
Let young Hawkins go at once to see
his mother, with Redruth for guard: and
then both come full speed to Bristol
JOHN TRELAWNEY. +
'P. 81 did not tell you that Blamdly,
who, by the way, Is to send a consort after
us II we don't turn up by the end of Au-
gust, had found an admirable fellow for
sailing stiff man, which I regret,
but, in all other respects, treasure. Long
John Silver unearthed very competent
man for mate, man named Arrow. I
have q boatswain who pipes. Livesey; so
things shall go man-o'-war fashion on
board the good ship Hispaniola.'
Il forgot to tell you that Silver Is q man
Of substance; I know Of my own knowledge