The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1899-09-16

they chung to the shelter of their
houses. The name of Capt. Flint,
though it was strange to me, was well
enough known to some there, and car
ried great weight of terror. Some
of the men who had been to field-work
on the far side of the Admiral Ben
bow remembered, besides, to have seen
several strangers on the road, and. TAX
ing them to be smugglers, to have bolt
ed away; and one at least had seen
a little lugger in what we called Kits
Hole. For that matter, anyone who
was comFade of the captains was
enough to brighten them to death. And
the short and the long of the matter
was, that while we could get several
who were willing enough to ride to
DR.. Livesey's, which lay in another di-
rection, not one would help us to de-
fend the inn.
They say cowardice is infectious; but
then argument is, on the other hand,
a great emboldener; and so when each
had his say, my mother made them
speech. She would not, she declared.
lose money that belonged to her father
less boy; eff none of the rest of you
dare" she said, Jim and ! dare. Back
we will 60, the way we came, and small
thanks to you big, hulking, chicken
hearted men. Well have that chest
open, if we die for it. And I'll thank
you for that bag, Mrs. Crossley, to bring
back our lawful money in"
Of course, | said would go with my
mother; and of course they all cried
out at our foolhardiness; but even then
not man would go along with us. All
they would do was to give me loaded
pistol, lest we were attacked; and to
promise to have horses ready saddled,
in case we were pursued on our re-
turn; while one lad was to ride for
ward to the doctors in search of armed
assistance.
My heart was beating tiercely when
we two set forth in the cold night upon
this dangerous venture. A full moon
was beginning to rise and peered red
ly through the upper edges of the fog,
and this increased our haste, for it
was plain, before we came forth again
that all would be bright as day, and
our departure exposed to the eyes OF
any watchers. We slipped along the
hedges, noiseless and swift. nor did we
see or hear anything to increase our
terrors, till, to our huge relief, the door
of the Admiral Benbow had closed be.
hind us.
l slipped the bolt at once, and we
stood and painted for a moment in the
dark. alone in the house with the dead
captains body. Then my mother got O
candle in the bar, and, holding each
others hands, we advanced into the
parlor. He lay as we had left him, or
his back, with his eyes open, and one
arm stretched out.
"Draw down the blind, JIM" wills
pered my mother; "they might com,
and watch outside. And now" sale
she, when 1 had done so, "we have t.
get the key off that; and who's to toucl
it. should like to know" and she gave
a kind of sob as she said the words.
l went down on my knees at once
On the floor close to his hand there wa
a little round of paper, blackened OF
the one side. l could not doubt tina
this was the black spot; and, taking j
up, | found written on the other side
in very good, clear hand, this shor
message: "You have till ten tonight.
"He had till ten, mother" said I; and
Just as l said it, our old clock began
striking This sudden noise startled II
shockingly; but the news was good
for it was only six.
"Now, JIM" she said, "that key"
I felt in his pockets, one after an
other A few small coins, a thimbl
and some thread and big needles,
piece of pigtail tobacco bitten away a
the end, his gully with the crooke
handle, a pocket compass and finder
box. were all that they contained, and
began to despair.
Perhaps it's round his neck" sug
gested my mother.
| Overcoming strong repugnance,
tore open his shirt at the neck. an
there, sure enough, hanging to bit @
tarry string, which I cut with his ow
gully, we found the key. AT this tr
umph we were filled with hope, an
hurried upstairs, without delay, to tn
little room where he had slept so Ions
and where his box had stood since tn
day of his arrival.
1t was like any other seaman's ches
on the outside, the initial "B." burne
on the top of it with a hot iron, an
the corners somewhat smashed an
broken as by long, rough usage.
"Give me the key" said my mother
and though the lock was very stiff sh
had turned it and thrown back the Ii
in twinkling.
A strong smell of tobacco and ia
: rose from the interior, but nothin
was to be seen on the top except SUI
of very good clothes, carefully brushe
and folded. They had never been worl
my mother said. Under that, the mi
cellany began-a quadrant, tin can
kin, several sticks of tobacco, two brat
of very handsome pistols, piece {
: bar silver, an old Spanish watch an
some other trinkets of little value an
mostly of foreign make, pair of con