Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-06-19
CHAPTER ".

My curiosity, in sense, was strong
er than my fear; for could not remain
where l was. but crept back 10 the
| bank again, whence, sheltering my
head behind bush Of broom, might
command the road before the door.
/ was scarcely in position ere my en-
emies began to arrive, seven or eight
of them, running hard, their feet beating
out of time along the road, and the
man with the lantern some PAGES in
| front. Three men ran together. hand
in hand, and | made out, even through
the mist, that the middle man of this
trio was the blind beggar. The next
moment his voice showed me that /
was right.
| down with the door!7 he cried.
GAY, ay, sir" answered two or three;
and a rush was made upon the Ad-
miral Denbow. the lantern bearer fol
lowing; and then l could see them
pause, and hear speeches passed in a
lower key, as if they were surprised to
find the door open. But the pause was
brief, and the blind man again issued
his commands. His voice sounded
louder and higher, as if he were atire
with cagerness and rage.
I'm, in, in!" he shouted, and cursed
them for their delay.
Four or five Of them obeyed at once
two remaining on the road with the
formidable beggar. There was pause.
then cry of surprise, and then voice
shouting from the house:
"Bill's dead"
But the blind man swore at them
again for their delay.
Search him, some of you Sinking
lubbers, and the rest of you aloft and
get the chest" he cried.
I could hear tn cir feet rattling up our
old stairs, SO that the house must have
shaken with it. Promptly afterward,
fresh sounds Of establishment arose {:
the window of the captains room was
thrown open with slam and a jingle
Of broken glass; and a man leaned out
into the moonlight, head and shout
ders, and addressed the blind beggar on
the road below him.
pew" he cried, they've been be-
fore us. Some ones turned the chest
out allow and aloft."
"Is it there?" roared Pew.
1.-THE moneys there"
The blind man cursed the money.
"Flint's fist, l mean" he cried.
1--WE don't see it here nohow," re-
turned the man.
Here, you below here, is it on Bill?'
cried the blind man again.
At that another fellow, probably he
who had remained below to search the
captain's body, came to the door OF
the inn. BILLS been overha lied
already" said he, "nothin' left"
It's these people of the limits
that boy. l wish l had put his eyes
out!" cried the blind man, Pew. ''They
were here no time ago-they had the
door bolted when l tried it. Scatter
lads, and find en-"
Sure enough, they left their glin
here" said the fellow from the window
Scatter and find 'em! Rout the
house out!" reiterated Pew, striking
with his stick upon the road.
Then there followed great to-dc
through all our old inn, heavy fee
pounding to and fro, furniture al
very rocks reechoed, and the men came
out again, one after another, on thu
road, and declared that we were no
where TO be found. And Just then the
same whistle that had alarmed my
mother and myself over the dead cap
; tain's money was once more clearlJ
audible through the night, but thi!
time twice repeated | had thought i
,, to be the blind mans trumpet, SO t.
speak, summoning his crew to the as
sault; but L now found that it was
signal from the hillside toward th'
hamlet, and, from its effect upon tn,
buccaneers, a signal to warn them o
approaching danger.
"There's Dirk again." said one
, ''Twice! Well have to bulge, mates.
"Budge, you skulk!" cried Pew
, "Dirk was fool and a coward from tn
, first-you wouldn't mind him. The,
must be close by; they can't be far; 20,
have your hands omit. Scatter and lool
. for them, dogs. Oh, shiver my soul
a he cried. ''if / had eycs!"
This appeal seemed reproduce som
effect, for two of the fellows began t
O look here and there among the lumber
: but half heartedly, thought, and wit
! half an eye to their own danger all tn
: time, while the rest stood irresolute OF
q the road.
r "You have your hands on thousa nd'
/ you fools, and you hang leg! You
a be as rich as kings if you could find il
Y and you know it's here, and you stan
|, there mnlingering. There wasn't on
!. of you dared face Bill, and 7 did it
!, blind man! And I'm to lose my chanc
for you! I'm to be a poor crawling
o beggar, sponging for rum, when
a might be rolling in a coach! II you ha
the pluck of weevil in a biscuit, yo
r. would catch them still"
y "Hang it, Pew, we've got the dout
4 loons!" grumbled one.
: "They might have hid the blesse
t thing" said another. take tn
i Georges, Pew, and don't stand her