The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-03-14
CHAPTER ri.

~ A'AAA - 800 -A-
BARREL.
mo, not l." sale Silver. FLINT was
cap'n; l was quartermaSter, along of
my timber leg. The same ~broadside
lost my leg old Pew lost his headlights.
1t was a master surgeon, him that am
putated 90 of college and all
Latin by the bucket, n what not;
but he was hanged like a,dog, and sun
dried like the rest, at Corso castle.
That a Roberts men, that was, and
coined of changing names to their
ships-'Royal Fortune and so on. Now,
what a ship was christened, so let her
stay, says I. So it was with the Cas-
sandra,' rs brought us all safe home
from Malabar, after England took the
'Viceroy of the Indies sc It was with
the old Walrus, Flint's old ship, as I've
seen amuck with the red blood and fit
to sink with gold"
youngest hand on board. and evidently
full of admiration. "he was the flower
Of the flock, was Flint
Davis was a man. too, by all ac-
counts said Silver. Il never sailed
along Of him: first with England, then
with Flint, that's my story; and now
here on my account. in a manner of
spea king. 1 laid by 900 safe, from Eng
land, and 1000 after Flint. That amt
DiO LII q uiaH pSlole tIlc uldSl-dllS Sale
in bank. 'Tain't earning now; it's saw
ing does it, o may lay to that.
Where's all England's men now? !
dunno. Where's Flint's? Why, most
on ems abroad here, and glad to get
the duff-been begging before that,
some on EN-. Old Pew, as has lost his
sight, n might hav thought shame,
spends G1,200 a year. like a lord in
parliament. Where Is he now? Well,
1,o,, lnoJ ,ou- 1,,J ,,,lo, I.talo~. l,,+
for two years before that, SILVER my
timbers! that mar was starving. He
begged and he stole, and he cut thrOats,
n starved at that. by the powers!"
well, It amt much use, after ALL"
said the young
"'Tain't UGH use for fools, you may
lay to it-that, o nothing" cried Sill
yer. But now, O look here; you're
young, you are, but you're as smart
as paint. I see hat when 1 set my eyes
on you, and I'll talk to you like a
man"
You can imagine how I felt when I
heard this abominable old rogue ad-
dressing another in the very same
words of fiattery he had used to myself.
I think, If I had been able, 1 would
have killed him through the barrel.
Meantime he ran on, little suposing he
was overheard.
mere IL Is aDOul SellleIHetl Oh lOT-
une They lives rough, and they risk
swinging, but they eat and drink like
fighting cocks, and when a cruise is
done, why it's hundreds of pounds in
steal of hundreds of %farthings in their
pockets. Now. h most goes for rum
and a good fling, and to sea again in
their ships. But that's not the course
l lay. l puts it away, some here, some
there, and none too much anywheres,
H., "a r.. RI .---I
you; once back from this cruise, 1 set up
gentleman in earnest. Time enough,
too, say you. All! but I've lived easy
in the meantime; never denied myself
O. nothing heart desires, and slept
soft and eat dainty all my days, but
when at sea. And how. did i begin?
Before the mast like you!"
WELL said the other, but all the
other moneys gone now, amt it? You
daren't show face in Bristol after this
why, where might you suppose it
was?" asked Silver, derisively.
A Bristol, in banks and Places
answered his companion.
1T We're" said the cook; ut were
when we weighed anchor. But my old
misSis has it all by now. And the Spy
glass is sold, lease and goodwill and
rigging; and the old girls off to meet
me. l would tell you where, for I
trust you, DuC IL uu make jealousy
among the mates"
And you can trust your missis? 2"
asked the other.
Gentlemen Of fortune" returned
the cook, usually trusts little among
themselves, and right they are, you
may lay to it. But I have a way with
me, I have. When a mate brings @ slip
on his cable-one as knows me, 1 mean
it won't be in the same world with
Old John. There was some tina was
feared of Pew, and some that was
was feared Of me. Feared he was, and
proud. They was the toughest crew
afoat, was Flint's; the devil himself
would have been feared to go to sea
with them. Well. now, 1 tell you, I'm
not a boasting man, and you seen
yourself how easy l keep company; for
when l was quartermaster, lambs
wasn't the word for Flint's old buc-
cancers. All, you may be sure of your
self in old Johns ship"
well, I tell you now" replied the
lad, II didn't half a quarter like the job
till I had this talk with you, John but
there's my hand on 1t now
And a brave lad you were, and
smart, too," answered Silver, shaking
hands SO heartily that all the barrel
shook. 'and a finer ~flgure-head for a
gentleman of fortune 1 never clapped
my eyes on"
By this time I had begun to under
stand the meaning Of their terms. BY
a gentleman of fortune" they plainly
meant neither more nor less than a
common pirate, and the little scene
that I had overheard was the last ac
in the corruption of one Of the honest
hands-perhaps of the last one left
aboard. But on this point 1 was soon
to be relieved, for Silver giving a little
whistle, a third man strolled up, and
sat down by the party.
Dicks, square" said Silver.
"Oh. I knowed Dick was square,
returned the voice of the cockswain,
Israel Hands. Hes no fool, is Dick
And he turned his quid and spat. But,
look here" he went on, heres what j