The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-06-20

ing fruit and vegetables, and Offering
to dive for bits of money. The sight of
SO many good humored faces (espe-
cially the blacks), the taste of the trop-
ical fruits, and above all, the lights
that began to shine in the town. made a
most chaming sojonrn on the island;
and the doctor and the squire. taking
me along with them, went ashore to
pass the early part of the night. Here
they met the captain of an English
man of-war, fell in talk with him, went
on board his ship, and. in short, had SO
agreeable time that dawn was break
ing when We came along the ''Hispano-
la"
Ben Gum was on deck alone, and. as
soon as we came on board, he began,
with wonderful contortions, to make us
a confession. Silver was gone. The
maroon and connived at his escape in
q shore boat some hours ago, and he
! now assured us he had only done so to
preserve our lives. which would GER
tatnly have been forfeited If ''that man
with the one leg had stayed aboard"
But this was not all. The sea cook had
not gone empety-handed. He had cut
through bulkhead unobserved, and
had removed one of the sacks of coin,
worth, perhaps, three Of four hundred
guineas, to help him on his further
wanderfngs.
I think we were all pleased to be so
| cheaply quit Of him.
Well, to make long story short, we
got few ha~ds on board made a good
cruise home, and the "Hispaniola'
reached Bristol just as Mr.. Blandly
was beginning to think Of fitting out
her consort. Five men only Of those
who had sailed returned with her.
Drink and the devil had done for the
| rest with a vengence; although, to be
sure, we We're not quite in so bad case
as that other ship they sung about:
with one man of the crew alive,
What put to sea with seventy-iive' IA
All of us had an ample share of the
treasure, and used it wisely or foolish
ly, according to our natures. Captain
Smollet Is now retired from the sea.
Gray not only saved his money but
being suddenly smit with the desire to
rise. also studied his profession; and he
is now mate and part owner of fine
full-rigged ship; married besides, and
the father Of family. AS for Ben
Gum, he got $1,000. which he spent or
lost In three weeks, or to be more ex-
act, in 10 days, for he was back beg
ging on the twentieth. Then he was
given a lodge to keep, exactly as he had
Jared upon the island; and he still
lives, a great favorite, though some
thing of q butt, with the country boys,
anu u uoldOie 1SluSei III church Oh Suil-
| days and saints days.
OF Silver We have heard no more.
That formidable seafaring man with
one leg has at last gone clean out of
my life: but dare say he met his old
negress, and perhaps still lives In COM
fort with her and Captain Flint. It is
to be hoped SO, I suppose, for his
chances of comfort IN another world are
very small.
The bar silver and the arms still lie,
for all that I know, where Flint buried
them; and certainly they shall lie there
for me. Oxen and wain-ropes would not
bring me back again to that accused
island; and the worst dreams that ever
I have are when / hear the surf BOOM
ing about its coasts or start upright
in bed,'with the sharp voice of Captain
Flint. still ringing in my ears: pieces
of eight! pieces Of eight"
THE END.