Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-02-01

| CHAPTER 1.-Billy Bones, an old sea
dog, much addicted to rum. lodges at Ad-
mira, Ranhnw inn.
CHAPTER III.
BLACK DOG APPEARS AND DIsAP.
| PEARS.
1t was not long after this that there
occurred the first of the mysterious
events that rid us at last of the captain.
though not, as you will see, of his af.
fairs. 1t was bitter, cold winter, with
long, hard frosts and heavy gales; and
it was plain from the first that my poor
father was little likely to see the
spring. He sunk daily and my mother
| and 1 had all the inn upon our hands.
and were kept busy enough without
. paying much regard to our unpleasant
guest.
1t was one January morning, very
early-a pinching, frosty morning
the cove all gray with hoar-frost, the
ripple tapping softly on the stones, the
sun stilllow, and only touching the hill.
tops and shining far to seward The
captain had risen earlier than usual,
and set out down the beach, his cutlass
swinging under the broad skirts of
! the old blue coat, his brass telescope
under his arm, his hat tilted back upon
his head. remember his breath hang.
ing like smoke in his wake as he strobe
off, and the last sound heard of him,
as he turned the big rock, was loud
snort of indignation, as though his
mind was still running upon DR.. Live
sey.
Well, mother was upstairs with IA
ther; and l was laying the breakfast
table against the captains return,
when the parlor door opened, and a
man stepped in on whom | had never
set my eyes before. He was pale, tai
lowy creature, wanting two fingers on
the left hand; and. though he wore a
cutlass, he did not look much like a
fighter. | had always my eyes open
for seafaring men, with one leg or two,
and l remember this one puzzled me.
lie was not sailorly, and yet he had a
smack of the sea about him, too.
! asked him what was for his service,
and he said he would take rum;
but as 1 was going out of the room to
fetch it he sat down upon a table and
notioned to me to draw near. I paused
where l was with my napkin in my
hand.
Come here, sonny" says he. "Come
nearer here"
took step nearer.
us this here table for my mate
Bill?" he asked, with a kind of leer.
l told him did not know his mate
Bill; and this was for person wha
stayed in our house, whom we called
the captain.
Well" said he, "my mate Bill would
be called the captain, as like as not He
/ has cut on one cheek, and mighty
pleasant way with him. particularly in
drink, has my mate Bill Well put it.
: for argument like, that your captain
5 has cut on one cheell-and we'll put
it, if you like, that that cheeks the
I right one. All, we'll! / told YOU
Now, is my mate Bill in this here
house?"
told him he was out walking.
(which way, sonny? Which way is
he gomez"
And when had pointed out the rock
and told him how the captain was like,
ly to return, and how soon, and an
swered few other questions, "Ah,"
said he, "this'll be as good as drink ia
my mate Bill"
The expression of his face as he said
these words was not at all pleasant
and l had my own reasons for think
Ing that the stranger was mistaken.
even supposlng ne meant what he sala.
But it was no affair of mine, thought;
and, besides, it was difficult to know
what to do. The stranger kept hang
ing about just inside the inner door,
peering around the corner like a cat
waiting fora mouse. OnceI stepped out
myself into the road, but he Immediate
ly called me back, and, as did not obey
quick enough for his fancy, a most hor-
rible change came over his tallowy
face, and he ordered me in, with an
oath that made me jump.
AS soon as | was back again he re-
turned to his former manner, half
fawning, half sneering, patted me on
the shoulder, told me | was good boy,
and he had taken quite fancy to me.
Il have son of my own" said he, ''as
like you as two blocks, and he's all the
pride of my art. But the great thing
for boys is discipline, sonny-discip-
line. Now, if you had sailed along of
Bill, you wouldn't have stood there to
be spoke to twice-not you. That was
never Bills way, nor the way of such as
sailed with him. And here, sure
enough, is my mate Bill. with spy
glass under his arm, bless his old art,
to be sure. You and nell just go back
into the parlor, sonny, and get behind
the door, and We'll give Bill little sur
prisc-bless his art, say again"
So saying the stranger backed along
with me into the parlor, and put me be-
hind him in the corner, SO that we were
both hidden by the open door. was
very uneasy and alarmed, as you may
fancy, and it rather added to my fears
to observe that the stranger was GER
tainly frightened himself. He cleared
the hilt of his cutlass and looscned the
blade in the sheath; and all the time
we were kept waiting there he kept
swallowing as if he felt what we used
to call a lump in the throat.
AT last in strobe the captain, slammed
the door behind him, without looking to
the right or left, and marched straight
across the room to where his breakfast
awaited him.
BILL" said the stranger, in voice
that l thought he had tried to make