Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-03-08
tian theae three YEARS."


man like myself, and that his features
were even pleasing. His skin, wher-
ever it was exposed, was burned by the
sun; even his lips were black, and his
fair eyes looked quite startling in so
dark face. fall the beggar-men that
| had seen or fancied, he was the chief
for raggedness. lie was clothed with
tatters of old ships canvas and old sea-
cloth; and this extraordinary patch
work was all held together by system
of the most various and homogeneous
fastenings, brass buttons, bits of stick,
and loops of tarry gaskin. About his
waist he wore an old brasslbuckled
leather belt, which was the one tnlng
solid in his whole accoutrenent.
"Three years!" 1 cried. "Were you
shipwrecked?"
"Nay, nate" said he-"marooned."
I had heard the word, and knew it
stood for horrible kind of punish
ment common enough among the buc-
cancers, in which the offender is put
ashore with little powder and shot,
and left behind on some desolate and
distant island.
"Marooned three years agone," he
continued, land lived on goats since
then, and berries, and oysters. Wher-
ever man is, says /, man can do for
himself. But, mate, my heart is sore
for Christian diet. You mightn't hap
pen to have piece of cheese about you,
now? No? Well, many's the long
night I've dreamed of cheese--toasted,
mostly-and woke up again, and here
were"
eff ever can get aboard again." said
I, "you shall have cheese by the stone"
All this time he had been feeling the
stuff of my jacket, smoothing my hands,
looking at my boots, and generally, in
the intervals of his speech, showing a
childish pleasure in the presence of a
fellow creature. But at my last words
he perked up into kind of startled sly
ness.
''If you ever get aboard again, says
you?" he repeated. why, now, who's
to hinder your"
"Not you, ] know" was my reply.
"And right you was" he cried. Now
you-what do you call yourself, mate?"
"Jim," told him.
"Jim, jim" says he, quite pleased, ap-
parently. "Well, now, Jim, I've lived
that rough as you'd be ashamed to a
hear of. Now, for instance, you
wouldn't think had pious mother
to look at 1nc?" he asked.
"Why, no, not in particular" l an
swered
"Ah, WE'LL" said he, but ] had-re-
mariably pious. And | was civil,
pious boy, and could rattle off my cate
chism that fast, as you couldn't tell
one word from another. And here's
what it come to, Jim, and it begun with
chuck-farthen on the blessed grave
stones! That's what it begun with,
| but it went further'n that; and so my
mother told me, and prediclled the
whole, she did, the pious woman. But
| it were Providence that put me here.
I've thought it all out in this here lone
ly island. and I'm back on piety. You
can't catch me tasting rum so much;
but just thimbleful for luck, OF
course, the first chance l have. I'm
bound I'll be good, and see the way to
And, jim" looking all around him
and lowering his voice to whisper
I'm rich"
l now felt sure that the poor fellow
had gone crazy in his solitude, and
suppose must have shown the feeling
in my face, for he repeated the
statement, hotly:
"Rich! rich! I says. And I'll tel
you what; I'll make a man of you, Jim
All, Jim, you'll bless your stars, yor
will, you was the first that found
mel"
And at this there came suddenly a low
ering shadow over his face, and he
frightened his grasp upon my hand, ane
raised forefnger threateningly be
fore my eyes.
"Now, Jim, you tell me true; tina
amt Flint's ship?" he asked.
AT this had a happy inspiration.
began to believe that had found al
ally, and answered him at once.
Its not Flint's ship, and Flint i:
dead; but I'll tell you true, as you asl
me-there are some of Flints hands
aboard; worse luck for the rest o
u.s."
mot man-with one--leg?" h
gasped.
"Silver?'' I asked.
"Ah, silver!" says he; "that were hi
name"
Hes the cook; and the ringleader
too"
He was still holding me by the wrist
and at that he gave it a quiet wiring.
"If you was sent by Long john" h
said, I'm as good as pork, and 1 know
it. But where was you, do you SUP
pose?
l had made my mind up in moment
and by way of answer told him tn
whole story of our voyage, and the pre-
dicament in which we found ourselves
He heard me with the keenest interest
and when | had done he patted me o.
the head.
you're good lad, jim" he said
"and you're all in Glove hitch, ain
you? Well, you just put your trust i
Ben Gunn-Ben Gums the man to d
it. Would you think it likely, now
that your squire would prove a liberia
minded one in case of help-him bein
in Glove hitch, as you remark?"
told him the squire was the most liz
eral of men.
"Ah, but you see," returned Be