Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-04-12
CHAPTER XIX.
NARRATIVE RESUMED BY JIM
HAWKINS-THE GARRISON

CHAPTER XIX.
NARRATIVE RESUMED BY JIM
HAWKINS-THE GARRISON
At THE STOCKADE.
As soon as Ben Gunn saw the colors
he came to a halt, stopped me by the
arm, and sat down.
Now said he, there's your friends,
sure enough
Far more likely it's the m~utineers,"
I answered.
That" he cried. why in a place
like this, where nobody puts in but
gentlemen of fortune, Silver would
fly the Jolly Roger, you don't make no
doubt Of that. No; that's your friends.
There's been blows, too, and j reckon
your friends has had the best of it;
and here they are ashore in the old
~stockade, AS was made years and years
& by Flint. All, he was the man to
have a headpiece, was Flint. Barring
rum, his match was never seen. lie
were afraid OF none; not he; on'y Silver
Silver was that genteel."
well" said /, that may be so, and
so be it; all The more reason that i
should hurry on and Join my friends"
Nay, mate" returned Ben, mot you.
You're n good boy, or I'm mistook;
but you're on'y a boy, all told. Now,
Ben Gum Is ny. Rum wouldn't bring
me there, where you're going-not
rum wouldn't, till | see your born
gentlemen, and gets It on his word OF
honor. And you won't forget my
words: q precious sight CHATS what
youll say), "a precious sight more con-
h~dence-and then tips him.
And lac pinched me the third time
with the same ar of cleverness.
"And when Ben Gum is wanted,
you know where to nnd him, Jim. jug
KVIay. y.ptt fp1it,l him fn1aU And him
that comes Is to have a white thing in
his hand; and he's 20 come along. Oh!
and you'll say this. Ben Gum says
you, has reasons Of his own
Well said l. Il believe l under
stand. You have something to pro-
pose, and you wish to see the squire or
the doctor; and you're to be found
where ] ound you. Is that all?"
"And when? says YOU" he added.
why, from about Don observation to
about six bells"
Good says l, and now may | go?"
you won't foTget?" he inquired
anxiously. Precious sight. and reasons
of his own, says you. Reasons OF his
own; that's the mainstay; as between
mar and man. Well, then'-still hold
ing me-"I reckon you can go, Jim.
And jim, II you was to see Silver, you
wouldn't go for to sell Ben Gum? Wild
horses wouldn't draw it from you?
No, says you. And If them pirates
came ashore, jim, what would you say
but there'd be widders in the morn
ing"
Here he was interrupted by a loud re-
port, and a cannOnball came tearing
through the trees and pitched in the
sand. not 100 yards from where we two
were talking. The next each
of us had taken TO his heels in a differ
ent direction.
For a good hour to come frequent re-
ports shook the island, and balls kept
crashing through the woods. | moved
from hiding-place to hiding-place, al
ways pursued, or so It seemed to me,
by these terrifying missiles. But tow
ard the end of the bombardment.
though still / duist not venture in the
direction OF the stockade, where the
balls fell O~ftenest, | had begun, In a
manner TO pluck up my heart again:
and after a long detour to the east,
crept down among the short-side trees.
The sun had just set, the sea breeze
was rustlIng and tumbling in the
woods. and ruling the gray surface OF
-the anchorage; the tide, too, was far
out, and great tracks OF sand lay I'M
covered; he air, after the heat of the
day, chilled me through my jacket.
The "Hispaniola' still lay where she
had anchored. but, sure enough, there
was the Jolly l~toger-the black flag of
piracy-hying from her peak. Even as
| looked there came another red flash
and another report, that sent the
echoes gathering, and one more round
shot whistled through the air. 1t was
the last of the Cannonade.
| lay for some time, watching the
hustle which succeeded the attack.
Men were demolishing something with
axes ON the bench near the ~stockade;
the poor jolly-boat, | afterward dis
covered. Away, near the mouth of the
river. a great fire was glowing among
the trees, and betwee that point and
the ship one of the gigs kept coming
and going, the men, whom | had seen
so gloomy, shouting at the oars like
children. But there was n sound in
their voices which suggested rum.
At length l thought l might return
toward the stockade. | was pretty far
down on the low, sandy spit that in
closes the anchorage to the east, and is
joined at half-water to Skeleton island;
and now, as | rose to my feet, l saw,
some distance further down the spit,
and rising from among low bushes. an
isolated rock pretty high, and peculiar
~ white in color. 1t occurred to me
that this might be the white rock of
which Ben Gum had spoken and that
some day or other n boat might be
wanted, and | should know where to
look for n
Then l skirted among the woods UNI
I'll | had ~regained the rear, or shore
ward side. OF the stockade, and was
soon warmly welcomed by the faith
full party.
/ had soon told my story, and began
to look about me. The Lighthouse was
made OF unsquared trunks of pine
roof, walls and floor. The latter stood
in several places as much as a foot or
o foot and a half above the surface of
the sand. The was q porach at the
door, under this porch the little spring
welled up into an artificial basin of a
rather odd kind-no other than a great
ships kettle of iron, with the bottom
knocked out, and sunk ito her bear
ings,' as the captain said, among the
sand.
Little had been left beside the frame
work of the house; but in one corner
there was a stone slab laid down by
way Of hearth, and an old rusty iron
ba sket to contain the fire.
The slopes of the knoll and all the
inside of the stockade had been cleared
Of timber to build the house, and we
could see by the stumps what a fine
and lofty grove had been destroyed.
Most of the soil had been washed
away or buried In drift after the re-
moyal of the trees: Only Where the