Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-07-10
CHAPTER XIX,
NARRATIVE RESUMED BY JIM HAv

NARRATIVE RESUMED BY JIM HAW-
KINS THE GARRISON AT THE
STOCkADE.
As soon as Ben Gum saw the colors
he came TO halt, stopped me by the
arm, and sat down.
"Now," said he, there's your friends,
sure enough"
Far more likely it's the mutineers,"
] answered.
THAT" he cried. "Why, in place
like this, where nobody puts in but
gentlemen of fortune, Silver would
fly the Jolly Roger, you don't make no
doubt of that. No; that's your friends
There's been blows, too, and l reckon
your friends has had the best of it;
and here they are ashore in the old
stockade, as was made years and years
ago by Flint. All, he was the man to
have a headpiece, was Flint! Barring
rum, his match was never seen. he
were afraid of none; not he; on'y Silver
Silver was that Fenteel."
WELL" said !, that may be so, and
so be it; all the more reason that l
should hurry on and join my friends"
"Nay, mate" returned Ben, mot you.
You're n good boy, or I'm mistook;
but you're on'y boy, all told. Now,
Zen Gum is fly. Rum wouldn't bring
me there, where you're going-not
rum wouldn't, till ! see your born
gentleman, and gets it on his word of
honor. And you won't forget my
words: "A precious sight Chats what
you'll say), "a precious sight more con-
fidence'-and then nips him."
And he pinched me the third time
with the same air of cleverness.
And when Ben Gum is wanted,
you know where to find him, jim. just
where you found him to-day. And him
that comes is to have white thing in
his hand; and he's to come alone. Oh!
and you'll say this: Ten Gunn,' says
you, has reasons of his own"
Well" said l, Il believe ] under
stand. You have something to pro-
pose. and you wish to see the squire or
the doctor; and you're to be found
where l found you. Is that alp"
"And when? says you," he added.
"Why, from about noon observation to
about six bells"
Good" says I. land now may l go?"
"You won't forget?" he inquired
anxiously. "Precious sight, and reasons
OF his own, says you. Reasons of his
own; that's the mainstay; as between
man aud man. Well, then"-still hold
ing mc-"I reckon you can go, jim.
And Jim, il you was to see Silver, you
wouldn't go for to sell Ben Gum? Wild
horses wouldn't draw it from YOU?
No, says you. And if them pirates
came ashore, Jim, what would you say
but there'd be widdcrs in the morn
ing?"
Here he was interrupted by n loud re-
port, and a cannonball came tearing
through the trees and pitched in the
sand, not 100 yards from where we two
were talking. The next moment each
OF us had taken to his heels in a differ
ent direction.
For n good hour to come frequent
reports shook the island, and balls kept
crashing through the woods. i moved
from hiding-place to hiding-place, al
ways pursued, or so it seemed to me, by
these terrifying missiles. But toward
the end of the bombardment, though
still burst not venture in the direction
of the stockade, where the balls fell
oftenest, / had begun, in manner, to
pluck up my heart again; and after u
long detour TO the east, crept down
among the shore-eide trees.
The sun had just set, the sea br-eze
was rustling and tumbling in the
woods, and rufiing the gray surface of
the anchorage; the tide, too, was far
out, and great tracks of sand lay un-