The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-02-28

nable-not pretty to look at. but fell
lows, by their faces, of the most in
domitable spirit. 1 declare we could
fight a frigate.
Long John even got rid of two out
of the six or seven l had already en-
gagged. He showed me in a moment
that they We're just the sort of fresh
water swabs we had to fear in an adj
venture Of Importance.
II am in the most magnificent health
and spirits, eating like a bull, sleeping
hke a tree, yet l shall not enjoy a mo
ment till 1 hear my old ~tarpaulins
tramping round the capstan. Seward
no! Hang the treasure! It's the glory
of the sea that has turned my head.
So now, Livesey, come post; do not
lose an hour, if you respect me.
Let young Hawkins go at once to
see his mother, with Redruth for a
guard; and hen both come at full
speed to Bristol. John Trelawney.
p. 81 did not tell you that Bland
ly, who, by the way, is to send a con
sort after us if we don't turn up by
the end of August, had found an ad-
mirable fellow for sailing master-a
stiff man. which / regret, but. in all
other respects a treasure. Long John
Silver unearthed a very competent fell
low for a mate, a man named Arrow.
[ have a boatswain who pipes, Livesey;
SO things shall go man-o,-war fashion
on board the goOd ship .Hispaniola.'
Il forgot to tell you that Silver is a
man of substance; 1 now of my own
knowledge that he has a bankers ac-
count. which has never been over
drawn. He leaves his wife to manage
the inn; and as she is q woman of
color a pair of old bachelors like YOU
and may be excused for guessing
that it is the wife, quite as much as
the health, that sends him back to row.
ing. J.T.
"P p. S.-Hawkins may stay one
night with his mother. J. T."
You can fancy the excitement into
which that letter put me. I was half
beside myself with glee; n if ever |
despiscd a man, it was old Tom Red
ruth, who could do nothing but grum-
BILE and lament. Any of the under
gamekeepers would gladly have
changed places with him; out such was
not the squire's pleasure, and the
squire's pleasure vas like law among
them all. Nobody but old Redruth
would have dared so much as ever to
grumble.
h next morning he and I set out
on foot for the Admiral Benbow, and
there l found my mother in good
health and spirits. The captain, who
had so long been a cause OF so much
discomfort, was gone where the wicked
cease from troubling. The squire had
had everything repaired, and the pub
Tic rooms and the sign r%epainted, and
had added some furniture-above all a
beautiful armchair for mother in the
bar. He had found her a boy as an APP
prentice also. so that she should not
want help While I was gone.
1t was on seeing the boy that I I'M
derstood, for the first time, my situa-
ton. I had thought up to that m
OF the adventures before me, not at all
or the home that l was leaving; and
now, at sight of this clumsy
who was to stay here in my place be-
side my mother, / a my first attack
or tears. l am afraid l led that boy a
dogs life, for he was new to the work.
l had a hundred opportunities of set
ting him right and putting him down,
and l was not slow to profit by them.
The night passed. and the next day.
after dinner, Redruth n I We're afoot
again and on the road. I said good-by
to mother n the cove where l had
lived since l was born, and the dear
old Admiral B~enbow-Since he was re-
painted, no longer quite SO dear. One
or my last thoughts was of the captain
who had so often strobe along the
beach with his cooked hat, his saber-
cut cheek, and his old brass telescope.
Next we had turned the corner
and my home was out Of sight.
The mail picked us up o dusk
at the Royal George, on the heath. 1
was Wedged in between Redruth and
a stout old gentleman. and in spite of
the swift motion and the cold night air
| must have dozed a great deal from
the very first, and then slept like a
log uphi Il and down dale through
stage after stage; for When l was
awakened, at last, it was by a punch
find that we were standing still before
a large building in a city street. and
that the day had already broken q
long time.
Where are we?" I asked.
Bristol" said Tom. Get down.
Mr.. Trelawney had taken up his re-
sidence at an inn far down the docks.
to superintend the work upon the
schooner. Thither we had now to walk,
our way, to my great delight, lay
along the quays and beside the great
multitude of ships Of all sizes and rigs
and nations. In one, sailors were sing
Ing at their work; in another, there
were men aloft, high over my head,
hanging to threads that seemed no
thicker tina a spiders. Though /
had lived by the shore all my life, I
seemed never to nave been near the
sea till then. The smell of tar and salt
was something new. l saw the most
wonderful fi~gureheads, that had all
Deen far over the ocean. l saw, be-
sides, many old sailors, with rings in
their ears, inc whiskers curled in
ringlets, and tarry pig-tails, and their
sWaggering, clumsy sea-walk; and if
| had seen as many kings or arch
bishops l could not haye been more
delighted.
And I was going to sea myself: to
sea IN a schooner, with a piping boat
swain. and pip-tail singing
to sea- bound for an unknown island,
and to seek for buried treasure.
While I was still in this delightful
dream, we came suddenly in front of
a large inn. and met Squire Trelawney.
all dressed out like a sea officer. in
stout blue cloth, coming out of the door
with a smile or his face, and a capital
imitation Of a sailors walk.