Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-06-12
CHAPTER III.
TILE BLACK GDGT

(HADlER Ill.
THE BLACK SPOT.
About noon / stopped at the captains
door with some cooling drinks and
medicines. lie was lying very much
as we had left him, only little higher,
and he seemed both weak and excited
jim he said, you're the only one
here that's worth anything; and you
know I've been always good to you.
Never a month but I've given you a sill
yer fourpenny for yourself. And now
You see, mate, I'm pretty low, and de-
serted by all; and Jim, you'll bring me
one noPgin of rum. now won't you,
matey?"
THE Doctor" / began.
But he broke in cursing the doctor, in
a feeble voice, but heartily. doctors
is all swabs," he said; land that doctor
there, why, what do he know about
seafaring men? ! been in places hot
as pitch, and mates dropping round
with Yellow Jack, and the blessed land
a-heaving like the sea with earth
quakes-what do the doctors know of
lands like that? and / lived on rum,
tell you. It's been meat and drink, and
man and wife. to me; and if I'm not to
have my rum now I'm a poor old hulk
On lee shore, my blood'll be on you,
Jim, and that doctor sWab:" and he ra n
onagain for awhile with curses. Look,
jim, how my fingers fdges," he CON
tinued, in the pleading tone. Il can't
keep EN- still, not |. haven't had a
drop this blessed day. That doctors a
fool, tell you. If don't have a drain
o rum, Jim, I'll have the horrors; /
Flint in the corner there. behind you;
IS plain as print, | seen him; and if
get the horrors, I'm man that has
lived ROUGH, and I'll raise Cain. Your
doctor hisself said ONO glass wouldn't
hurt me. I'll give you golden guinea
for a no"Cin, jim
He was growing more and more ex-
cited, and this alarmed me, for my ia
Their was very low that day, and
needed Quiet; besides, ! was treasured
by the doctors words, now quoted to
me, and rattle Offended by the offaS' of
bride.
II want none of your money" salo
|, "but what YOU owe my father. III
get you one glass, and no more"
When brought it TO him. he seized it
greedily, and drank it out.
"Ay. ay,' said he, that's some bet
ter, sure enough. And now, matey.
did that doctor say how long was to
lie here in this old berth?'
"A week at least" said l.
"Thunder." he cried. A week! /
cant do that; they'd have black spot
on me by then. The lubbers is going
about to get the wind of me this blessed
moment; lubbers as couldn't keep
what they got. and want to nail what is
another's. Is that seamanly behavior,
now, | want 10 know? But I'm a saw
ing soul. | never wasted good money
of mine, nor lost it, neither; and I'll
trick EN- again. I'm not afraid on 'em.
I'll shake out another reef, matey, and
daddle 'em again"
AS he was thus speaking he had risen
from bed with great difficulty, holding
to my shoulder with IL grip that almost
made me cry, and moving his legs like
SO much dead weight. His words,
spirited as they were in meaning, con-
sadly with the weakness of the
voice in which they were uttered. He
paused when he had got into sitting
position on the edge.
That doctors done me-" he muir
INJURED. "My ears is singing. Lay me
back"
BeforeI could do much to help him he
had fallen back again to his former
place, where he lay for awhile silent.
Jim" lie said, at length, you saw
that seafaring Inan today"
BLACK Dog?" asked
"Ah! Black Dog" says he. Hes a
bad 'un; but there's worse that put
him on. Now, if can't get away no.
how, and they tip me the black spot,
mind you, it's my old sea-chest they're
can't you? Well, then you get on
horse, and go towel, yes, l will!-to
that eternal doctor swab, and tell him
to pipe all hands-magistrat and SIGH
and he'll lay 'em aboard at the Ad-
miral Benbow-all old Flint's crew,
man and boy, all on 'em that's left.
was first mate, | was, old Flint's first
mate. and I'm the on'y one as knows the
place. He gave it me to Savannah,
when he lay a-dying, like as if was to
now, you see. But you won't peach I'M
less they get the black spot on me, or
unless you see that Black Dog again,
or scafaring man with one leg, Jim
him above all"
But what is the black spot, captainr
asked.
That's summons, mate. I'll tell
you if they get that. But you keep your
weather-eye open, jim, and III share
with you equals, upon my honor"
He wandered little longer, his voice
growing weaker; but soon after had
given him his medicine, which he took
Like child, with the remark, "if ever
d seaman wanted drugs, it's me-" he fell
1t last into heavy, swoon-like sleep in
which / left him. What / should have