Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-01-27

came 1OFWaTu dSdlil, anu dt 1dSl- "
my wonder and confusion, threw him
self on his knees and held out his
clasped hands in supPlication.
At that l once more stopped.
"Who are you? asked.
"Ben Gunn," he answered, and his
voice sounded hoarse and awkward, like
rusty lock. "Im poor Ben Gum, I
am; and haven't spoke with a Chris
tian these three years"
l could now see that he WAS a white
man like myself, anc 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. OF all the beggar-men that
[ had seen or fancied, he was the chief
for raggedness. He 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 incongruous
fastenings, brass buttons. bits of stick,
and loops of tarry gaskiu. About his
waist he wore an old brass-buckled
leather belt, which was the one thing
solid in his whole accoutrement.
Three yearsl" 1 cried. "Were you
shipwrecked?"
"Nay, mate" said he-"marooned."
had heard the word, and l knew it
stood for a horrible kind of punish
ment common enough among the buc-
cancers, in which the offender is put
ashore with q little powder and shot,
and left behind on some desolate and
distant island.
"Marooned three years agone," he
continued, "and lived on goats since
then, and berries, and oysters. Wher-
ever a man is, says I, a man can do Tor
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
I were"
"If ever I 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 you?"
"Not you, / know" was my reply
"And right you was, he cried. Now
you-what do you call yourself, mate|'
"Jim," 1 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 me?" he asked.
"Why, no, not in particular" an
swered
"Ah. we'll" said he, but l had-re-
markably pious. And l 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 predicked 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 a thimbleful for luck, of
course, the first chance 1 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"
now felt sure that the poor fellow
had gone crazy in his solitude, and L
suppose I must have shown the feeling
in my face, for he repeated the
statement, hotly:
"Richl rich! L says. And I'll tell
you what; I'll make n man of you, Jim.
All, Jim, you'll bless your stars, yor
will, you was the first that founo
mel"
And at this there came suddenly allow