Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1898-07-28
CHAPTER II.
BLACK DOG APPEARS AND DIsAP
PEARS.

II WIS not long amer inns thaf t1 re
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 IL Was a bitter, cold winter, with
long, hard frosts aud heavy gales; and
IL Was plain from the first that: ny poor
father WAS little likely To $50 the
spring. lie sunk daily and my mother
and had all the inn upon on" hands.
and were kept busy enough without
paying much regard Ia our unpleasant
guest.
II was one January morning, very
carly-a pinching, frosty morning
the cove all gray with huar-frost, the
ripple tapping softly on the stones, the
sun Stillluw, and only touching the hill
tops and shining far to scau ard. 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 telcscope
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 I heard of him.
rs he turned the big rock, was a loud
snort of Indignation, as though his
mind was still running upon DR.. Live
scy.
We'll, mother MAS upstairs with Ia
Their; and | 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 wac u pale, tai
lowy creature. wanting two fingers On
the left hand; and. though he wcr- a
cutlass, lac dill not look much like n
fighter. | had always my eyes oIcp
for seafaring men, with one leg or two,
and ! remember this one puzzled me.
lie Was not sailorly, and yet he had 3
smack of the sea about him. too.
asked him what was for his sc,-ice,
and he said he would take rum;
but rs | was going out of the room to
fetch il he sat down upon a table and
motioncd to me To draw near. pausel
where ! was with my napkin in my
hand.
Come here, sonny" says he Come
nearer here"
took a step nearer.
lis this here table for my mate
Bile" he asked. with kind of lecr.
told him did not l.now his mate
Bill; and this was for a person who
stayed in our house, whom we called
the captain.
Well" said he, my mate Bill would
he called the captain, as Ike as not. lie
has a cut on one cheek, and a mighty
pleasant way with him. particularly in
drink. has my mate Bill. Wen put it.
for argument like. that your captain
has a cut on one check-and Wen put
it. if you like, that that cheeks the
right one. Ah, well. | told YOU.
Now, is my mate Bill in this here
house?"
told linn 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 Ike
ly to return, and how soon, and an
swered few other questions, "Ah,
said he, "this'll be as good as drinlG TO
my mate Bill"
The expression of his face as he said
these words was not at all pleasant,
and ! had my own reasons for think-
ing that the stranger was mistaken,
even surprising he meant what he s id.
But il was no affair of mine, | though /;
and, besides, il was difficult to k.ow
al IL. ~'Ih., Ct, l,,,t L. NO
ing about Just inside the inner Il Dor,
pccring around the corner like n cat
waiting for mouse. Once | stepped cut
myself into the road, but he immediS te-
ly called me back. and. as did not obey
quick enough for his fancy, most hor
rible change came over his tallowy
face. and he ordered me in, with au
oath that made me jump.
As soon as | was back again he re-
turned TO his former manner, hall
fawning, half snccring, patted me Gn
the shoulder, told me | was good boz,
and he had taken quite n fancy TO mr..
- have a son of my own" said he, las
like you as two blocks, and he's all til e
pride of my art. But the great thing
for boys is discipline, sonny-discir-
line. Now, if you had sailed along Of
Bill, YOU wouldn't have stood there TO
he spoke TO twice-not you. That was
never Bill's 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
prise-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. lie cleared
the hilt of his cutlass and loosened the
blade in the sheath; and all the time
we were kept waiting there he kept
swallowing as II he felt what we used
20 call a lump in the throat.
FRO nE coNTISUEDl