Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1923-11-16
CHAPTER XIX
Narrative Resumed by Jim Hawkins
The Garrison at the Stockade

AS soon as Ben Gum saw the
cOlors he came to a halt, stopped me
by the arm, and sat down.
'Now," said he, there's your
friends, sure enough"
Far more likely it's the muffin
GERS" l answered.
That" he cried "Why in a
place like this, where nobody puts
in but gen 'lemen 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 / 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 Sill
ver-Silver was that genteel."
"Well" said l, that may be so,
and so it be; all the more reason
should hurry and join my friends. "
NAY, mate" returned Ben, mot
you. You're a good boy, or I'm mis-
Took but you're On'y boy, all told.
Now Ben Gum is fly. Rum wouldn't
bring me there, where you're going
not rum wouldn't, till l see your
born gentleman, and gets it on his
word of honor. And yon won't forget
my words: A precions sight more
confidence'-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 today.
And him that comes is to have a
white thing in his hand; and he's
to come alone. Oh! and you'll say
this: Ben Gum, says you, has reas-
ons of his own
"Well," said !, Il believe l 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 I found you. Is that all?"
"And when? says you" he added.
Why, from about noon observation
TO about six bells"
Good" says l, land now may
I go?"
you won't forget?" he inquired,
anxiously. precious sight, and
reasons of his own, says you. Reas-
ons of his own; that's the mainstay;
as between man and man. Well,
then"-still holding me-"I reckon
you can go, Jim. And Jim, If 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 widders in the morn
ing?"
Here he was interrupted by a loud
report, and a cannOn-ball came tear
ing through the trees and pitched in
the sand, not a hundred yards from
where we two were talking. The
next moment each Of us had taken to
our heels in a different direction.
For a good hour to come frequent
reports shook the island, and balls
kept crashing through the woods
moved from hiding-place to hiding
place, always pursued or so It'll
seemed to me, by these terrifying
missiles. But toward the end of the
bOmbardment though still 1 burst
not venture in the direction of the
stockade, where the balls fell often
est, l had begun, in a manner, TO
pluck up my heart again; and after
a long detour to the east, crept down
among the shore-side trees.
The sun had just set, the sea
breeze was rustling and tumbling
In the woods, and ruffling the gray
surface of the anchorage; the tide,
100, was far out, and great tracts of
sand lay uncovered; the air, after
the heat of the day, chilled me
through my jacket.
The Hispaniola still lay where she
had anchored; but sure enough,