Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1923-10-05

you a silver fourpenny for yourself
And now you see, mate, I'm pretty
low, and deserted by all; and Jim
, you'll bring me one noggin of rum
now won't you, matey?"
''The doctor l began.
But he broke off in cursing the
doctor, in a feeble voice, but heartily
doctors is all swabs," said he; "and
that doctor there, why, what do he
know about seafaring men? 1 been
in places hot as pitch, and mates
dropping around with Yellow Jack,
and the blessed land a-heaVing like
the sea with earthquakes-what do
the doctor know of lands like that?-
and 1 lived on rum, l tell you. It's
been meat and drink, and man and
wife, to me; and if am not to have
my rum now I'm poor old hulk on
a lee shore. My blood'll be on you,
Jim, and that doctor swab," and he
ran on again for awhile with curses.
Look, Jim, how my fingers fidges,
he continued in the pleading tone.
81 can't keep 'em still, not L. 1
haven't had blessed drop this day.
That Doctors fool, l tell you. If
don't have a drain O. rum, Jim, I'll
have the horrors; l seen some on
EN- already. l seen old Flint in the
corner there, behind you; as plain
as print, 1 seen him; and if get the
horrors, I'm a man that has lived
rough, and I'll raise Cain. Your doc
tor hisself said one glass wouldn't
hurt me. I'll give you a golden
guinea for a noggin, jim"
He was growing more and more
excited, and this alarmed me, for
my father, who was very low that
day, needed quiet; besides, I was as
sured by the doctors words, now
quoted to me, and rather offended by
the offer of bride.
81 want none of your money" said
I, "but what you owe my father. I'll
get you one glass and no more"
When 1 brought it to him he seized
it greedily and drank it out.
AYE, ave." said he, that's some
better, sure enough. And now, matey,
did that doctor say how long 1 was to
lie here in this berth?"
"a week at least" said l.
"Thunder!" he cried "a week!
1 can't do that; they'd have a black
spot on me by then. The lubbers is
going about to get the wind of me
this blessed moment; lubbers as
couldn't keep what they got, and
want to nail what is another's. Is
that seamanly behavior, now, 1 want
to know? But I'm a saving soul.
never wasted good money of mine,
nor lost it neither; and I'll trick 'em
again. Pm not afraid on 'em. I'll
shake out another reef, matey, and
daddle 'em again"
AS he was thus speaking, he had
risen from bed with great difficulty,
holding to my shoulder with a grip
that almost made me cry out, and
moving his legs like so much dead
weight. His words, spirited as they
were in meaning, contrasted sadly
with the weakness of the voice in
which they were uttered. He paused
when he had got into a sitting posi-
ton on the edge.
"That doctors done me-" he muir
INJURED my ears is singing Lay
me back"
Before 1 could do much to help
him he had fallen back again to his
former place, where he lay for awhile
silent.
Jim" he said, at length. you {
saw that seafaring man today?'
"Black Dog?" 1 asked
"Ah, Black Dog" said he. "He's ;
a bad 'un; but there's worse that put
him on. Now, if 1 can't get away t
nohow, and they tip me the black
spot, mind you, it's my old sea-chest {
they're after; you get on horse Y
you can, can't you? Well, then, you
get on a horse and go towel, yes, =
will!-to that eternal doctor swab,
md tell him to pipe all hands-mag-
strates and sich-and he'll lay 'em
aboard at the Admiral Benbow-all I
I'D Flint's crew, man and boy, all |
If 'em that's left. 1 was first mate, G
was, old Flint's first mate, and Pm g
he on'y one as knows the place. He S
rave it me to Savannah, when he lay
l-dying, like as if I was to now, you c
lee. But you won't peach unless they
ret the black spot on me, or unless
rou see that Black Dog again, or a
eafaring man with one leg, Jim
lin above all" a
But what is the black spot, cap
ain?" 1 asked. D
That's summons, mate. I'll tell .
-ou if they get that. But keep your a
veather-eye open, Jim, and I'll share
With you equal, upon my honor"
He wandered a little longer, his o