Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1898-07-22
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(RoeER1 LOUIS s7IvEnson jND
PART ~.
CHAPTER XIX.


AS soon as Ben Gum saw the colors
he came to halt, stopped me by the
arm, and sat down.
snow" said he, there's your friends,
sure enough"
Far more likely it's the mutineers,"
I answered.
"That!" he cried. "Why, in place
like this, where nobody puts in but
gentlemen of fortune, Silver would
fly the jolly Roger, you don't make no
doubt of that. No; that's your friends.
There's been blows, too, and I reckon
your friends has had the best of it;
and here they are ashore in the old
stockade, as was made years and years
ago by Flint. All, he was the man to
have headpiece, was Flint! Barring
rum, his match was never seen. He
were afraid of none; not he; only Silver
Silver was that genteel."
''Well," said I, "that may be so, and
so be it.; all the more reason that l
should hurry on and join my friends"
"Nay, mate" returned Ben, mot you.
You're good boy, or I'm mistook;
but you're on'y boy, all told. Now,
Ben Gum is fly. Rum wouldn't bring
me there, where you're going-not
rum wouldn't, till l see your born
gentleman, and gets it on his word of
honor. And you won't forget my
words: "A precious sight CHATS what
you'll say), "a precious sight more con-
fdence'-and then nips him.
And he pinched me the third time
with the same air of cleverness.
"And when Ben Gum is wanted,
you know where to find him, Jim. Just
where you found him to-day. And him
that comes is to have white thing in
his hand; and he's to come alone. Oh!
and you'll say this: Ben Gunn,' says
you, has reasons of his own"
stand. You have something to pro-
pose, and you wish to see the squire or
the doctor; and you're to be found
where found you. Is that all?'
'And when? says you," he added.
"Why, from about noon observation to
about six bells"
"Good," says !, "and now may go?"
"You won't forget?" he inquired
anxiously. "Precious sight, and reasons
of his own, says you. Reasons of his
own; that's the mainstay; as between
man and man. Well, then''-still hold
ing met reckon you can 60, Jim.
And Jim, if you was to see Silver, you
wouldn't go for to sell Ben Gum? Wild
horses wouldn't draw it from you?
No, says you. And if them pirates
came ashore, Jim, what would you say
but there'd be widders in the morn
ing?"
Here he was interrupted by a loud re-
port, and a cannonball came tearing
through the trees and pitched in the
were talking. The next moment each
of us had taken to his heels in differ
ent direction.
For good hour to come frequent
reports shook the island, and balls kept
crashing through the woods. moved
from hiding-place to hiding-place, al
ways pursued, or so it seemed to me, by
these terrifying missiles. But toward
the end of the bombardment, though
still burst not venture in the direction
of the stockade, where the balls fell
oftenest, had begun, in manner, to
pluck up my heart again; and after a
long detour to the east, crept down
among the shore-side trees.
The sun had just set, the sea breeze
was rustling and tumbling in the
woods, and rufaing the gray surface Of
the anchorage; the tide, too, was far
out, and great tracks of sand lay I'M
covered; the air, after the heat of the
day, chilled me through my jacket.
The "Hispaniola" still lay where she
had anchored; but, sure enough, there
was the Jolly Roger-the black flag Of
piracy-fying from her peak. Even as
I looked there came another red flash
and another report, that sent the
echoes Gathering, and one more round
shot whistled through the air. It was
the last of the cannonade.
I lay for some time, watching the
hustle which succeeded the attack.
Men were demolishing something with
axes on the beach near the stockade;
the poor jolly-boat, I afterward dis
covered. Away, near the mouth of the
river, a great fire was glowing among
the trees, and between that point and
the ship one of the gigs kept coming
and going, the men, whom 1 had seen
so gloomy, shouting at the oars like
children. But there was a sound in
their voices which suggested rum.
At length I thought might return
toward the stockade. was pretty far
down on the low, sandy spit that in
closes the anchorage to the east, and is
Joined at half-water to Skeleton island;
and now, as rose to my feet, I saw,
some distance further down the spit,
and rising from among low bushes, an
isolated rock pretty high, and peculiar
ly white in color. 1t occurred to me
that this might be the white rock of
which Ben Gum had spoken, and that
some day or other boat might be
wanted, and I should know where to
look for one.
Then 1 skirted among the woods until
I had regained the rear, or shoreward
side, of the stockade, and was soon
warmly welcomed by the faithful
party.
1 had soon told my story, and began
to look about me. The Lighthouse was
made of unsquared trunks of pine
roof, walls and floor. The latter stood
in several places as much as foot or
foot and a half above the surface of the
sand. There was porch at the door,
and under this porch the little spring
welled I'D into an artificial basin of a