Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-02-03

B through the LedTt-
( We began to rejoice over our good
/ success, when just at that moment Il
I pistol cracked in the bush, a ball whis-
I tied close pastmy ear, and poor Tom Red
/ ruth stumbled and fell his full length on
! the ground. Both the squire and re
. turned the shot; but rs we had nothing
TO aim at, it is probable we only
wasted powder. Then we reloaded, and
/ turned our attention to poor Tom.
/ The captain and Gray were already.
examining him, and I saw with hall an
( eye that all was over.
/ l believe the readiness Of our return
! volley had scattered the mutineers once
/ more, for we were suffered without
/ further molestation to get the poor old
/ gamekeeper hoisted over the stockade
and carried, groaning and bleeding,
into the log house.
Poor old fellow, he had not uttered
one word OF surprise, complaint, fear,
or even acquiescence, from the very
beginning of our troubles till now,
when we had laid him down in the log
( house to die. He had laid like Trojan
behind his mattress in the gallery; he
| had followed every order silently, dog
! gedly and well; he was the Oldest of
our party by a score of years; and now,
sullen, old, serviceable servant, it was
! he that was TO die.
The squire dropped down beside him
on his knees and kissed his hand, cry
ing like child.
"Be I going, doctor?" he asked.
zasI stNr0rn nr1-
ing home"
II wish 1 had lick at them with the
gun first" he replied.
"Tom," said the squire, Say you for
give me, won't your
Would that be respectful like, from
me to you, squire?' was the answer.
'Howsoeyer, so be it, amen!"
After a little while of silence, he said
he thought somebody might read a
prayer. Its the aston, sir" he add
ed, apologetically. And not long after,
without another word, he passed away.
In the meantime the captain, whom
/ had observed to be wonderfully
swollen about the chest and pockets,
had turned out great many various
stores-the British colors, Bible, a
coil of stoutish rope, pen, ink, the log
book, and pounds of tobacco. He had
found a longish fir tree lying felled and
cleared in the inclosure and, with the
help of Hunter, he had set it up at the
corner of the log house where the
trunks crossed and made an angle.
Then, climbing on the roof, he had
with his own hand bent and run up
the colors.
This seemed nightly to relieve him.
He reentered the log house and set
about counting the stores, as If moth
ing else existed. But he had an eye
on Toms passage for all that; and as
soon as oil was over came forward with
another flag and reverently spread it
on the body.
Don't you take on, sir" he said,
shaking the squire's hand. "Alls well
with him; no fear for a hand that's
been shot down in his duty to captain
but it's fact"
Then he pulled me aside.
"Dr. Livesey," he said, ''in how many
weeks do you and squire expect the
consort?"
l told him it was a question, not OF
weeks, but of months; that If Y, were
not back by the end of August, Blandly
was to send to find us; but neither
sooner nor later. You can calculate
for yourself" I said.
"Why, yes" returned the captain,
scratching his head, "and making
large allowance, sir, for all the gifts of
Providence, should say we were pref
ty close hauled"
"How do you meanP" asked.
"It's a pity, sir, we lost the second
load. That's what l mean," replied
the captain. "As for powder and shot,
we'll do. But the rations are short,
very short-so short, DR.. Livesey, that
we're perhaps as well without that ex-
| ira mouth"
And he pointed to the dead body un-
der the flag.
! Just then, with q roar and whistle,
u round shot passed high above the
roof of the log house and pumped far
beyond us in the wood.
"Ohol" said the captain. Blaze
away! You've little enough powder
already, my lads"
At the second trial the aim was bet
ter and the ball descended inside the
stockade, scattering a cloud of sand,
but doing no further damage.
Captain" said the squire, "the
house is quite invisible from the ship.
1t must be the flag they are aiming at.
Would it not be wiser to take it imp
Strike my colors!" cried the cap
tain. "No, sir, not l." and, as soon as
he had said the words, think we all
agreed with him. For it was not only
n piece of stout, seamanly good feeling;
1t was good policy besides. and showed
our enemies that we despised their
cannonade.
All through the evening they kept
laundering away. Ball after ball flew
over or fell short, or kicked up the sand
In the inclosure; but they had to fire
so high that the shot fell dead and
buried Itself in the soft sand. We had
no richochet to fear; and though one
popped In through the roof Of the log
house and out again through the floor,
we soon got used to that sort of horse
| play and minded it no more than
cricket.
There is one thing about all this"
observed the good captain; 1.-THE wood
in front of us is likely clear. The ebb
has made a good while; our stores
should be uncovered. Volunteers TO 20
and bring in pork"
| Gray and Hunter were the first to
come forward. Well armed, they stole
out of the stockade, but it proved
useless mission. The mutineers were
bolder than we faucied, or they put
more trust in IsraeIs gunnery. For
four or five of them were busy carry
ing off o. stores, and wading out with
them to one of the gigs that lay close
by, pulling an oar or so to hold her
steady against the current Silver was
In the stern-sheets in command; and
every man of them was now provided
with musket from some secret maya
zine of their own.
The captain sat down TO his log, and
here is the beginning of the entry:
Alexander Smollett. master; David Live
sey ships doctor; Abraham Gray, carpcn-
,er's mate: John Trelawuey, owner: John
ants landsmen-being all that IS left faith
full of the ships company-wlth stores for
/ ten days at short rations, came ashore this
| day, and flew British Colors on the log
house in Treasure island. Thomas Red
| ruth owners gcryaut. laulgmau. shot by