Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1923-09-28


though he wore a cutlass, he did not
look much lilss a fighter. / had al
ways my eyes open for seafaring
, men, with one leg or two, and I re-
: member this one puzzled me, He
was not sailorly, and yet he had a
smack OF the sea about him too.
l asked him what was for his serv-
ice, and he said he would take rum,
but as / was going out of the room
to fetch it he sat down upon table
and motioned to me to draw near. I
paused where ! was with my nap
kin in my hand.
Come here, sonny" said he.
Come nearer here"
took step nearer.
'Is this here table for my mate
Bill?" he asked, with kind of leer.
l told him l did not know his mate
Bill, and this was for a person who
stayed at our house, whom we called
the captain.
well" said he, my mate Bill
would be called the captain, as like
as not. He has a cut on one cheek,
and a mighty pleasant way with
him, particularly in drink, has my
mate Bill. Wen put it, for argu-
ment, like, that your captain has
cut on one eheek--and Wen put it,
if you like, that that cheeks the
right one. All, WE'LL told you.
Now, is my mate Bill in this here
house?"
l told him he was out walking.
Which way, sonny? Which way
is he gomez"
And when l had pointed to the
rock and told him how the captain
was likely to return, and how soon,
and answered few other questions,
"Ah," said he, "thisll be as good
as drink to my mate Bill"
The expression of his face as he
said these words was not at all pleas
ant, and 1 had my own reasons for
thinking that the stranger was mis-
taken, even supposing he meant what
he said. But it was no affair of
mine, I thought; and besides, it was
difficult to know what to do. The
stranger kept hanging about just in
side the inn door, peering round the
corner like a cat waiting for mouse.
Once ! stepped out myself into the
road, but he Immediately called me
back, and, as l did not obey quick
enough for his fancy, a most horrible
change came over his tallowy face,
and he ordered me in with an oath
that made me jump.
AS soon as l was back again he
to his former manner, half
iawning, half-sneering, patted me
IN the shoulder, told me was a good
BOY, and he had taken quite a fancy
o me. 81 have a son of my own"
'aid he, "as like you as two blocks, Z
md he's all the pride of my art. But.
he great thing for boys is discipline,
Now, if you had j.,
allied along of Bill you wouldn't !
lave stood there to be spoke to twice J
not you. That was never Bills I
way, nor the way of SIGH as sailed
With him. And here, sure enough,
S my mate Bill, with a spy-glass n
inder his arm, bless his old art, to f
e sure. You and nell just go back
nto the parlor, sonny, and get be-
lind the door, and We'll give Bill :
little surprise-bless his art, l n
ay again"
So saying, the stranger backed
long with me into the parlor, and h
ut me behind him in the corner,
D that we were both hidden by the ..
pen door. / was very uneasy and q
Harmed as you may fancy, and it f,
ather added to my fears that the b.
-ranger was certainly frightened
imself. He cleared the hilt of his +,
1tlass and loosened the blade in il
ne sheath and all the time we were
.aiting there he kept swallowing
j if he felt what we used to call "
mp in the throat. II
At last in strobe the captain, la
lie door behind him, without look la
g to the right or left, and marched OF
raight across the room to where -
Is breakfast awaited him. re
BILL" said the stranger, in a hC
,ice that 1 thought he had tried to SO
axe bold and big.
The captain spun around on his %
eel and fronted US; all the brown 81
I'd gone out of his face, and even da
s nose was blue; he had the look Of E'
man who sees a ghost, or the Evil ~ ~
ne, or something worse, if any In
ing can be; and, upon my word, ST.
felt sorry to see him, all in a mo- H'
emit, turn so old and sick. 40
Come, Bill, you know me; you
low an old shipmate, Bill, surely, do
id the stranger. wi
The captain made a sort of gasp. no
"Black Dogp said he. VI
H.. - Il.