Daily camera., 1901-08-21

In that Old sea song tnat ne sung sc
often aftcrward:
Fifteen men on the dead mans chest
Yo-ho-ho. and a bottle OF rum!'
in the high, old tottering voice that
seemed to have been tuned and broken
Mt the capstan bars. Then he raped
on She door with bit Of of stick like a
handspike that he carried, and when
my father appeared called roughly for
glass of rum. This, when it was
brought to him. he drank slowly. like a
connoisseur. lingering on the taste
and still looking about him at the cliffs
and up at our signboard.
This is a handy cove" says he, at
length; "and pleasant sittyate
grog-shop. Much company, mate?
My father told him no. very little
company, the more was the pity.
We'll. then" said he, this is the
berth for me. Here you. matey," he
cried to the man who trundled the bar
row; bring up alongside and help up
my chest. I'll stay here bit" he con-
tinucd. I'm q plain man; rum and
bacon and eggs is what want, and
that head up there for to watch ships
off What you mought call me? You
mought call me captain. Oh, l see
wha, you're at-there;" and he threw
down three OF four gold pieces on the
threshold. "You can tell me when I've
worked through that" says he. looking
as fierce as a commander.
and. indeed bad as his clothes were
of the appearances of q man who sailed
before the mast; bu, seemed like a
mate or skipper, accustomed to be
obeyed or TO strike. The man who
came with the barrow told us the mail
had set him down the morning before
quircd what inns there were along the
coast, and hearing ours well spoken Of
I suppose, and described rs lonely. had
chosen it from the others for his place
OF residence. And that was all we
could learn OF our guest.
He was very silent man by custom.
All day he hung round the cove, or up
on the cliffs, with brass telescope;
all evening he sat in n corner of the par
lor next the fire, and drank rum and
water very strong. Mostly he would
not speak when spoken TO; only look
up suddenly and fierce, and blow
through his nose like q fog-horn; and
we and the people who came about our
house soon learned to let him be,
Every day, when he came back from
his stroll, he would ask If any seafaring
men had gone by along the road? Al
first we thought il was the want OF
company of his kind that made him
ask this question; but at last we began
TO see he was desirous to avoid
them. When a seaman put up at the
Admiral Benbow tas now and
then some did, making by the coast
road for BristoD, he would look at him
through the curtained door before he
entered the parlor; and he was always
any such was present. For me. at
least, there was no secret about the
matter; for I was, in a way, o sharer in
his alarms.
He had taken me aside one day, and
promised me silver tourpenny on the
first Of every month II I would only
keep my "weather-eye open for sea-
faring man with one leg" and let him
know the moment he appeared. Often
enough, when the first Of the month
came round, and I applied to him for
my wage. he would only blow through
his nose at me, and stare me down, but
before the week was cut he was sure to
think better Of it, bring me my four
penny piece, and repeat his orders to
look out for "the seafaring man with
one leg"
How that parsonage haunted my
dreams, l need scarcely tell you. On
stormy nights, when the wind shook
the four corners OF the house. and the
surf roared along the cove and up the
cliffs, would see him in a thousand
forms, and with thousand diabolical
expressions. Now the leg would be cut
of at the knee, now at the hip; now he
was monstrous kind of creature
| who had never had but the one leg,
and that in the middle Of his body. To
see him leap and run and pursue me
over hedge and ditch, was the worst OF
Nightmares. And altogether I paid
pretty dear for my monthly fourpenny
piece in the shape Of these abominahlt
fancies.
But though ! was SO terrified by tn,
idea of the seafaring man with one leg
! was far less afraid Of the captain him
self than anybody else who knew him
There were nights when he took dea
more rum and water than his heat
would carry; and then he would some
times sit and sing his wicked, old, wilt
sea songs, minding nobody; but some
times he would call for glasses round
and force all the trembling company t.
listen to his stories or bear choru
to his singing. Often I have heard tn
house shaking with :sFo-ho-ho, and
bottle Of rum;" air the neighbors join
ing IN for dear life, with the fear o
death upon them, and each singing
louder than the other, to avoid remark
For in these fits he was the most over
riding companion ever known; h
would slap his hand on the table for 81
lence all round; he would fly up in a pas
sion Of anger at question, or some
times because none was put and SO ,
judged the company was not followin'
his story. Nor would he allow anyon
to leave the inn till hc had drunk him
self sleepy and reeled OF tobed.
His stories were what frightened pee