Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1898-05-20
CHAPTER V,

THE LAST OF THE BLIND MAN.
My curiosity, in a sense, was strong
err than my fear; for l could not remain
where I was, but crept back to the
bank again, whence, sheltering my
head behind bush of broom, might
command the road before the door.
I was scarcely in position ere my en-
emies began to arrive, seven or eight
of them, running hard, their feet beating
out of time along the road, and the
man with the lantern some PAGES in
front. Three men ran together, hand
in hand, and I made out, even through
the mist, that the middle man of this
trio was the blind beggar. The next
moment his voice showed me that I
was right.
'Down with the door," he cried.
GAY, ay, sir" answered two or three;
and rush was made upon the Adj
miral Benbow, the lantern bearer fol-
lowing; and then I could see them
pause, and hear speeches passed in a
lower key, as if they were surprised to
find the door open. But the pause was
brief, and the blind man again issued
his commands. His voice sounded
louder and higher, as if he were afire
with cagerness and rage.
"In, in, in!" he shouted, and cursed
them for their delay.
Four or five of them obeyed at once,
two remaining on the road with the
formidable bcggar. There was pause,
then cry of surprise, and then voice
shouting from the house:
"Bill's dead"
But the blind man swore at them
again for their delay.
SEARCH him, some Of you Sinking
lubbers, and the rest Of you aloft and
get the chest" he cried.
could hear their feet rafting up our
old stairs, so that the house must have
shaken with it. Promptly afterward,
fresh sounds of establishment arose:
the window of the captains room was
thrown open with slam and jingle
of broken glass; and man leaned out
into the moonlight, head and shoul-
ders, and addressed the blind beggar on
the road below him.
"Pew," he cried, "they've been be-
fore us. Some ones turned the chest
out allow and aloft."
"Is it there?" roared Pew. -
"The moneys there"
The blind man cursed the money.
"Flint's fist, I mean," he cried.
1--WE don't see it here nohow," r..
turned the man.
"Here, you below here, is 1t on Bill7s
cried the blind man again.
At that another fellow, probably h.
who had remained below to search the
captains body, came to the door Of
the inn. "Bill's been overhauled
Already" said he, "nothin' left"
ITS these people of the inn-it's
that boy. I wish I had put his eyes
out!" cried the blind man, Pew. 'They
were here no time ago-they had the
door bolted when I tried it. Scatter,
lads, and find 'em."
"Sure enough, they left their glim
here" said the fellow from the window.
Scatter and find 'em! Rout the
house out!" reiterated Pew, striking
with his stick upon the road.
Then there followed great TODD
through all our old inn, heavy feet
pounding to and fro, furniture all
thrown over, doors kicked in, until the
very rocks reechoed, and the men came
out again, one after another, on the
road, and declared that we were no.
where to be found. And just then tho
same whistle that had alarmed my
mother and myself over the dead cap
tain's money was once more clearly
audible through the night, but this
time twice repeated. had thought It
to be the blind mans trumpet, so to
speak, summoning his crew to the as
sault; but I now found that it was
signal from the hillside toward the
hamlet, and, from its effect upon the
buccaneers, signal to warn them of
approaching danger.
"There's Dirk again." said one.
'Twice! Well have to bulge, mates"
"Budge, you skulk!" cried Pew.
''Dirk was fool and coward from the
frst-you wouldn't mind him. They
must be close by; they can't be far; you
have your hands on it. Scatter and look
for them, dogs. Oh, SILVER my SOUL"
he cried, eff I had eyes!"
lTo BE Continued
In the DAYS of Long Ago.