The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-02-07
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He babe me go and cav the door
wide open. None of your key-holes
Cor me, sonny" he said; and I left
them together, and retired into the bar.
For a long time. though | certainty
lie my best to listen, l could hear
nothing but a low cabling; but at
last the voices began to grow higher,
and I could pick up a word or two,
mostly oaths, from tie captain.
mo, no, no, no; and an end OF 1t!'
he cried once And again: IF 1t comes
to swinging, swing all, say L.
Then all Of a sudden there was O
tremendous explosion of oaths and
other notes.-the chair and table went
over in q lump, a clash of steel fol-
lowed, and then a cry of pain. and the
next instant I saw Black Dog in full
flight, n the captain hotly pursuing,
both with drawn cutlasses, and the
former streaming blood from the left
shoulder. Just at the door the captain
aimed at the fugitive one last tremen-
dous cut. which would certainly have
split him to the chin had 1t not been
Intercepted by our big ~signboard OF
Admiral Benbow. You may see the
notch on the lower side Of the frame
to this day.
Tha blow was the last of the battle.
Once out upon the road, Black Dog, in
spite Of his wound, showed a wonder
full clean pair of heels. and disap-
peared over the edge Of the hill in half
a minute. The captain, for his part,
bewildered man. Then he passed his
hand over his eyes several times, and
at last turned back into the house.
jim says he, rum and, as he
spoke, he reeled a little. and caught
himself with one hand against the
wall.
"Are you hurt?' cried I.
stR1,rn no ranaatad LET mJlSt get
away from here. Rum! rum!'
I ran to fetch it; but I was quite IN
steadied by all that had fallen out, and
I broke one glass and fouled the tap,
and while I vas still getting In my
own way, I heard a loud fall in the par
lor, and, running in, beheld the captain
lying full length upon the floor. At the
same instant my mother, alarmed by
the cries and fighting, came running
down stairs to help me. Between us we
raised his head. He was breathing very
loud and hard; but his eyes were closed,
and his face a horrible color.
Dear, deary me- cried my mother,
what a disgrace upon the house! And
YOU poor father sick!"
In the meantime we had no idea what
to do to help the captain. nor n
other thought but that he had got his
d%eath-hurt IN the scuff1e with the
stranger. I got the rum, to be sure,
and tried to put it down his throat;
but his teeth were tightly shut, and
his jaws as strong as iron. 1t was a
happy relief for us when the door
opened and DR.. Livesey came in, on
his visit to my father.
"Oh, DOCTOR" we cried. what shall
we do? Where is he wounded"
Wounded ? A fiddlestick's end!"
said the doctor. mo more wounded
than o or I. The man has had a
stroke, as I warned him. Now, Mrs.
Hawkins, just you run up stairs to
your husband, and tell him, If possible,
nothing about 1t. For my part, I must
do my best to W his fellows trebly
worthless life; and Jim here will get
me a BASIN"
When I got back with the basin, the
doctor had already ripped up the cap
tain's sleeve, and exposed his great
sinewy arm. 1t was tattooed In several
places. Here's luck" "A fair Wind
and BILLY Bones his fancy were very
neatly and clearly executed on the
forearm; and up near the shoulder
there vas a sketch Of a gallows and a
man hanging from it-done, as I
thought, with great spirit. ~
Prophetic" said the doctor. touch
ing THU picture with his finger. And
now. Master Billy Bones, If that be
your name, we'll have a look at the
color Of your blood. Jim" he said.
ARE you afraid of blood?"
mo, sir" said 1. -
well, then" said he, you hold the
BASIN" and with that he took his Ian
Get and opened a vein. H.
A great deal of blood was taken be-
fore the captain opened his eyes ard
looked mistily about him. First he
recognized the doctor with an unmis-
taxable frown; then his glance fell up
on me and he looked relieved. But
suddenly his color changed, and he
tried to raise himSa1T CRYING. y. -.-
Where's Black Dog?"
There is no Black Dog here" said
the doctor, except what you have OF
your own back. You have been drink.
ing rum; you have had a stroke pre-
cisely as I old you; and I have just
dragged you headforemost out OF the
grave. Now, Mr.. Bones
That's not my name" he inter.
rupted.
TITS the name Of a buccaneer Of my
acquaintance: and I call you by 1t fol
the sake Of shortness, and what l have
to say to you is this: one glass Of run
won't kill you, out If you take m
you'll take another and another, ant
I stake my wig If you don't break of
short, you'll die-do you understand
that?-die, and go to your own place
like the man in the bible. Come. now
make an effort. I'll help you to you,
bed for once" #
Between US, with much trouble, W.
managed to hoist him up stairs, ar
laid him on his bed, where his heat
fell back on the pillow as If he wer'
almost fainting.
"Now, mind you." said the doctor, /"
clear my conscience-the name of run
for o is DEATH
And with that he went off to see m,
father, taking me with him by tn
arm.
This is nothing" he said, as soon a
he had closed the door. Il have draw,
blood enough to keep him quie
awhile: he should lie for a week Wner