Arizona republican., 1899-02-08
CHAPTER II.

| BLACK DOG APPEARS AND DISAP-
 PEARS.
 It was not long after this that there occurred the first of the mysterious events that riG IS at last cf the captain. though not, as you will sec. Of his af- fairs. It was bitter, cold winter, with long, hard frOsta and heavy gales; and it was plain from the first that my poor father was little likely to see the spring. He sunk daily and my mother and l k2d all the inn upon our hands, and were kept busy enough without paying much regard to our unpleasant guest.
 It was one January morning, very carly-a rinching, frosty morning the cove all gray with hoar-frCst, the ripple tapping softly on the stones, the sun still low. 2.d Cnly touching the hill tops and shining far to seav ard. The captain had risen earlier than usual and set out down the beach, his cutlass swinging under the broad skirts of the old blue coat, his brass telescope under his arm, his hat tilted back upon his head. I remember his breath hang ing like sr.Cllc in his wake as he strode off, and the last sound I heard of him, as he turned the Eig rock, was loud snort Of indignation, as though his mind was still running upon Dr. Live sey.
 Well. mother was upstairs with ia ther; and 1 was laying the breakfast table against tLe captains return, when the paTlor door opened, and a man stepped il on whom l lad never set m eyes before. He wGs q pale, tal- loUy creature, wanting two fingers on the left ha1d; and, though lie wore | cutlass, kc did net look much like fighter I had always E.y eyes open for seafaring men. with one lcg CT two, and 1 remember this one puzzled me He vGs rot s2ilorly, and yet he had snacI; Of the sea about hin, too.
 I as,,cd hi.-l what w2s for his service, ard Ee said he wc;Id take rum; but as 1 was gcirg cut Of the room to fetch t lie aat down upon table and notioHcd to l1.c to draw near. l paused where l was with my napkin in my hand
 Core kerc, sonny says he. Come nearer here"
 tool: q step nearer.
 "Is this Ec-c table for my mate Bii?' he col-cd. with q ki-d Of lcer
 I ted Linn I Gia rot know his mate Bill; and this was for person who stayed in our house, whom We called the captain.
 Well" said Lc, my mate Bill would be called the captain, as Ike as not. He has q cut CT enc cheek, and 2 mighty pleasant way with kila. particularly in drink, has my mate Bill. We'll put it, fer argument like, that your Captain has cut on one chcell-and we'll put it, if you like, that that checks the right one. Ah, well! I told you. Now, is my mate Bill in this here housc?"
 I told Linn he was out walking
 (Which way, sonny? Which way is he gone?"
 And when I had pointed out the rock a-d told him how the captain was like ly to return, and how soon, and an swered a few other questions, 'Ah," said he, "this1l be as good as drink to my mate Bill"
 The expression of his face as he said these words was not at all pleasant, and I had my own reasons for think ing that the stranger was mistaken, even supposing he meant what he said But it was TO affair of mine, thought; and, besides, it was difficult to know what to do. The stranger kept hang ing about just inside the inner door, peerirg around the corner like q cat vaitingfor a1nouee. OnceI stepped out myself into the road, but he immediate lv called me back, and, as l did not obey quick enough for his fancy, most hor- riblc change came over his tallowy face, and he ordered ne in, with an oath that made me jump.
 As soon as | was back again he re- turned to his former manner, half faw1irg. half sneerinG, Patted me on the shoulder, told me 1 was q good boy, and he had taken quite q fancy to me. '1 have a son of my Cwn," said he, ''as ike you as two blocks, and he's all the pride of mEe art. But the great thing for boys is discipline, sonny-discip- line Now, if you had sailed along of Bill, you wouldn't have stood there to be spoke to twicc-nOt you. That was never Bills way, nor t,e way of such as sailed with him. And here, sure enough, is my mate Bill, with spy | glass under his arm, bless his old art, to be sure You and nell just go back into the p2rlor, sonny, and get behind the dcc~, and we'll give Bill little sur his art, gay again
 So -s-yinm the stranger backed along with ,..c into the ParloT, and put me be- hind him i- the corner, so that we were both hidden by the open door. was very uneasy and alarmed. as you may fancy, and it rather added to my fears