Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1923-11-09

Ben Gum, / am; and / haven't spoke
with a Christian these three years.
/ could now see that he was a
white man like myself, and that his
features were even pleasing. His
skin, wherever it was exposed, was
burned by the sun; even his lips
were black, and his fair eyes looked
quite startling in so dark face,
OF all the beggarmen that 1 had seen
or fancied, he was the chief for rag
gedness. He was clothed in tatters
of old ships canvass and old sea-
cloth, and this extraordinary patch
work was all held together by sys-
tenn of the most various and incon-
gruous fastenings, brass buttons,
bits of stick, and loops of tarry gas
brass-buckled leather belt, which
| kin. About his waist he wore an old
was the one thing solid in his whole
accouterment.
"Three years." l cried. "Were
you ship-wrecked?
Nay, mate" said he "marooned."
l had heard the word and / knew
it stood for a horrible kind of pun
ishment common enough among the
| buccaneers, in which the offender is
put on some desOlate and distant
| island
'Marooned three years agone," he
continued, "and lived on goats since
then, and berries and oysters.
Wherever man is, says |, a man
can do for himself But mate, my
heart is sore for Christian diet. You
mghtn't have a piece of cheese
about you, now? Well, many's the
long night I've dreamed of cheese
toasted, mostly-and woke I'D again,
and here l were"
''If ever l can get aboard again"
said l, you shall have cheese BY
the stone"
All this time he had been feeling
the stuff of my jacket, smoothing my
hands, looking at my boots, and gem
orally, in the intervals of his speech,
showing a childish pleasure in the
presence of a fellow creature. But
at my last words he perked up into
a kind of startled slyness.
IF ever you get aboard again, says
you?" he repeated. why, now, |
who's to hinder your"
mot you, 1 know" was my re-
ply.
"And right you was" he cried. !
Now, you-what do you call your
self, mater"
JAhAy 4 LOlu MIN.
Jim, Jim" says he, quite pleased, |
apparently We'll, now, Jim, I've
lived rough as you'd be ashamed to
near OF. Now, for instance, you
wouldn't think l had a pious mother /
to look at me?" he asked.
why no, not in particular" 1
answered.
All, well" said he, "but 1 had
remarkable pious. And was a civil.
pious boy, and could rattle off nv
that fast as you couldn't
tell one word from another. And
here's what it come to, Jim, and it
begun with chuck-farthen on the
blessed gravestones! That's what it
begun with, but it went further'n
that, and so my mother told me, and
predicked the whole she did. the
pious woman. But it were Providence
that put me here. I've thought il
all out on this here lonely island and
I'm back on piety. You can't catch
me tasting rum much, but lust a
thimbleful for luck, of course, the
first chance l have. I'm bound to
be good, and l see the way to. And. i
im"-loOking all round him and
lowering his voice to a whisper
I'm rich"
l now felt sure that the poor fell
low had gone crazy in his solitude.
and l suppose l must have shown
the feeling in my face, for he re-
peated the statement holly: ]
"Richi rich! l says. And I'll tell
you what, I'll make a man of you. J
Jim. All, Jim, you'll bless your
stars, you will, you was the first that !
'ound mel"
And at this there came suddenly !
owering shadow over his face and q
he frightened his grasp upon my hand
md raised a forefinger threateningIy c
before my eyes.
Now, Jim, you tell me true; that t
INT Flint's ship?' he asked. I
AT this l had happy inspiration.
began TO believe that l had found g
IN any and l answered him at once. |
III not FEnt's ship and Flint t
dead, but I'll tell you true, as you
Isk me-there are some of Flintsi
ands aboard; worse luck for the rest
# us"
Not a man-with one-leg?" he
-asped.
'Silver?" 1 asked.
"Ah, SilVer!" says he, "that were
lis name"
co." 4iiie ie'uer'
He was still holding me bv the
7rist and at that he gave it quite
wiring. 41-'S b
If you was sent by Long John" t
e said, I'm as good as pork and p
know it. And where was you, do a
GU suppOse?" Il
had made up my mind in mo- o
lent, and by way of answer told t
I'm the whole story of our VOYAGE a
nd the predicament in which we a
)und ourselves. He heard me with "
ne keenest interest, and when I had Il
one he patted me on the head n
You're a good lad, Jim" he said n
and you're all in Glove hitch W
int you? Well, you Just put vour
rust in Ben Gunn-Ben Gums tbe d
ian to do it. Would you think If a
Kelly, now, that your squire wouId m
rove liberal-minded one in case of Sc
being in a clove-hitcb. sc
S you remark?" T
l told him the squire was the most Sc
beral of men. Il
Aye, but you see" returned Ben 81