Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-05-12
PART I.
CHAPTER HOODWINKED.

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 1 thought he had tried to make
bold and big.
The captain spun round on his heel
and fronted US; all the brown had gone
out of his face, and even his nose was
blue; he had the look of man who
sees a ghost, or the evil one, or some
thing worse, if anything can be; and,
upon my word, I felt sorry to see him,
all in a moment, turn so old and sick.
"Come. Bill, you know me; you know
an old shipmate, Bill, surely" said the
stranger.
The captain made sort of gasp.
''Black Dog!" said he.
s'And who else?'' returned the other,
getting more at his ease. "Black Dog
as ever was, come for to see his old
shipmate, Billy, at the Admiral Ben
bow Inn. All, Bill, Bill, we have seen
a sight of times, US two. since lost
them two talons," holding up his mu
ti1ated hand.
snow, look here" said the captain;
you've run me down; here 1 am; well,
then. speak up; what is il?
That's you, Billy" returned Black
Dog, you're in the right of it, Billy. I'll
have glass of rum from this dear child
here, as I've took such a liking to; and
We'll sit down, if you please, and talk
square, like old shipmates."
When I returned with the rum, they
were already seated on either side of
the captains breakfast-table = Black
Dog next to the door, and sitting side
ways, so as to have one eye on his old
shipmate, and one, as 1 thought, on his
retreat. -
He bade me 60 and leave the door
wide open. ''None of your key-holes
for me. sonny" he said; and left them
together, and retired into the bar.
For a long time, though I certainly
did my best to listen, I could hear moth
ing but low Cabling; but at last the
voices began to grow higher, and I
could pick up a word or two. mostly
oaths, from, the captain.
''No. no, no. no; and iap end of it,"
, he cried once. And again: eff it comes
to swinging, swing all, say l."
Then all of a sudden there was a ire
mendous explosion of oaths and other
notes.-the chair and table went over
in lump, a clash of steel followed, and
then cry of pain, and the next instant
saw Black Dog in full flight, and the
captain holly pursuing, both with
drawn cutlasses, and the former stream
ing blood from the left shoulder. Just
at the door. the captain aimed at the
fugitive one last tremendous cut, which
would certainly have split him to the
chin had it not been intercepted by our
big sgnboard of Admiral Benbow. You
may see the notch on the lower side of
the frame to this day.
That blow was the last of the battle.
Once out upon the road, Black Dog, in
spite of his wound, showed a wonderful
clean pair of heels, and disappeared
over the edge of the hill in half min
ute. The captain, for his part, stood
staring at the signboard like a bewil-
dered man. Then he passed his hand
over his eyes several times. and at last
turned back into the house.
"Jim," says he, rum" and, as he
spoke, he reeled a little, and caught
himself with one hand against the wall.
Are you hurt ?'' cried I.
RUM he repeated 81 must get
away from here. Rum! rum!"
I ran to fetch it; but I was quite I'M
steadied by all that had fallen out, and
/ broke one glass and fou,ed the tap,
and while was still getting in my own
way, heard loud fall in the parlor,
and, running in. beheld the captain "
ing full length upon the floor. At the
same instant my mother, alarmed by
the cries and fighting, came running
downstairs to help me. Between us we
raised his head. He was breathing very
loud and hard; but his eyes were closed,
and his face horrible color.
Dear. deary me-" cried my mother.
''what disgrace upon the housed And
your poor father sicki"
In the meantime, we had no idea
what to do to help the captain, nor any
other thought but that he had got his
death-hurt in the scuffie with the stran-
ger. i got the rum, to be sure. and tried
to put it down his throat; but his
teeth were tightly shut, and his jaws as
strong as iron. 1t was happy relief
for us when the door opened and DIR.
Iivesey came in. on his visit to my IA
Their.
ssOh. DOCTOR. we cried. what shall
we do? Where is he wounded 90
ssWounded? A fddlestick's endi"
said the doctor. NO more wounded
than you or I. The uaan has had a
stroke, as warned him. Now. Mrs
Hawkins. inst you run upstairs to your