The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-03-28

aboard: worse luck for the rest of
u.s."
Not man-with one-leg?" he
gasped.
/ "silver?" I asked.
| "Ah, Silver" said he; "tfat were his
name"
Hes the cook, and the ringleader,
! too"
4 He was still holding me by the wrist,
and at that he gave it quiet wiring.
IF you was sent by Long John" he
said, I'm as good pork, and / know
It, But where was you, do you sup
pose?"
I had made up my mind in a moment.
and by way of answer told him the
whole story of our voyage. and the pre-
dicament in which we found ourselves
He heard me with the keenest interest,
and when l had done he patted me on
the head.
You're a good lad jim" he said:
and you'll all in a Glove hitch, amt
! YOU? Well you just put your trust in
Ben Gunn-Ren Gums the man to do
it. Would you think it likely. now
that your squire would prove a liberals
minded one in case OF help-him being
In Glove hitch, as you remarl?"
I told him the squire was the most
liberal of men.
"Ah but you see," returned Ben
Gum, Il didn't mean giving me a gate
to keep, and a suit of livery clothes,
and such; that's not my mark, jim
What l mean is, would he be likely 30
4 come down to the toon of, say G1, 900
I out of money that's as good as a mans
own already?"
Il am sure he would" said I. LAS it
/ was, all hands We're to share"
And n passage home?" he added,
with a look Of great shrewdness
Why" I cried, the squire's a gen
tleman. And, besides, if we got rid Of
the others, we should want you to help
work the vessel home"
"Ah," said he, $50 you would" And
he seemed very much relieved.
Now, I'll tell you what" he went
on. 80 much I'll tell you, and no more.
l were in F'lints ship when he buried
the treasure; he and six along-siX
strong seamen. They was ashore nigh
on a week, and us standing off and
on in the old 'Walrus.' One fine day
up went the signal, and here come
| Flint by himself in little boat and
his head done up in a blue scarf. The
sun was getting up, and mortal white
| he looked about the cut-water. But
there he was you mind, and the six all
| dead-dead and buried. How he had
done it not a man aboard of us could
make out. 1t was battle, murder and
sudden death, leastaways-him against
six. Billy Bones was the mate; Long
John, he was quartermaster; and they
asked him where the treasure was.
All. says he, you can go ashore, If
you like, and stay he says, but as
for the ship, she'll beat up for more, by
| thunder! That's what he said.
We'll, l was in another ship three
| years back and we sighted this island.
Boys said I, here's Flint's treasure;
let's land and find it, The captain was
displeased at that; but my messmates
a IF a ind nd 10 cd T,ra 11,a
days they looked for it, and every day
| they had the worse word for me, until
one fine morning all hands went
aboard. AS for you, Benjamin Gum
says they, here's musket.' they says,
and a spade, and pick-ax. You can
stay here, and find Flint's money for
yourself they says.
| We'll, JIM three years have I been
here, and not bite of Christian diet
from that day to this But now you
| look here; look at me Do look like a
man before the mast? No, says you.
! Nor weren't neither" says l."
| And with that he winked and pinched
me hard.
Just you mention them words to
your squire, Jim he went on. Nor
| he weren't neither-that's the words.
/ Three years he were the man of this
| island, light and dark, fair and rain;
and sometimes he would, maybe, think
times he would, maybe, think Of his old
mother, so be as she's alive you'll say);&
| but the most part of Gunn's time (this
| is what you'll say)-the most part Of
| his time was took up with another
matter And then you'll give him a
nip like I do"
And he pinched me again in the
most confidential manner.
Then" he continued, then you'll
! up and you'll say this: Gum is
good man you'll say, and he puts a
precious sight more confidence pre-
cious sight, mind that-in q gentleman
born than in these gentlemen Of for
| tune. having been one hisself."
| Well I said, II don't understand
/ one word that you've been saying. But
| that's neither here nor there; for how
am I to get on board?"
"Ah." said he, that's the hitch for
sure. Well, there's my boat that made
with my two hands. keep her under
| the white rock. If the worst come to
the worst, we might try that after
dark. Hi!' he broke out whats
that?'
For just then, although the sun had
! still an hour or two to run, all the
echoes Of the island awoke and bel
lowed to the thunder Of a cannon.
'They have begun to fight I cried.
Follow me-
And I began to run toward the
anchorage, my terrors all forgotten;
while, close at my side, the marooned
man in his goatskins trotted easily and
lightly.
Left. left" says he: keep to your
left hand, mate Jim! Under the trees
with you! There's where 1 killed my
first goat They don't come down here
now; they're all mastheaded on them
/ mountings for the fear Of Benjamin
Gum. All! and there's the cetemery'
1 cemetery he must have meant.
You see the mounds? I come here
and pray, nows and thens, when I
thought maybe a Sunday would be
about doc. 1t weren't quite chapel.
| h,,t col .lilxo. III