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the parlour door opened and a man stepped in on whom I `
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had never set my eyes before. He was a pale, tallowy `
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creature, wanting two fingers of the left hand, and `
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though he wore a cutlass, he did not look much like a `
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fighter. I had always my eye open for seafaring men, `
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with one leg or two, and I remember this one puzzled `
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me. He was not sailorly, and yet he had a smack of the `
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sea about him too. `
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I asked him what was for his service, and he said he would `
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take rum; but as I was going out of the room to fetch it, `
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he sat down upon a table and motioned me to draw near. I `
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paused where I was, with my napkin in my hand. `
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"Come here, sonny," says he. "Come nearer here." `
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I took a step nearer. `
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"Is this here table for my mate Bill?" he asked with a `
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kind of leer. `
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I told him I did not know his mate Bill, and this was for `
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a person who stayed in our house whom we called the captain. `
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"Well," said he, "my mate Bill would be called the `
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captain, as like as not. He has a cut on one cheek and `
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a mighty pleasant way with him, particularly in drink, `
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has my mate Bill. We'll put it, for argument like, that `
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your captain has a cut on one cheek--and we'll put it, if `
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you like, that that cheek's the right one. Ah, well! I `
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told you. Now, is my mate Bill in this here house?" `
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I told him he was out walking. `
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"Which way, sonny? Which way is he gone?" `
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And when I had pointed out the rock and told him how `
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the captain was likely to return, and how soon, and `
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answered a few other questions, "Ah," said he, "this'll `
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be as good as drink to my mate Bill." `
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The expression of his face as he said these words was `
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not at all pleasant, and I had my own reasons for `
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thinking that the stranger was mistaken, even supposing `
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he meant what he said. But it was no affair of mine, I `
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thought; and besides, it was difficult to know what to `
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do. The stranger kept hanging about just inside the `
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inn door, peering round the corner like a cat waiting `
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for a mouse. Once I stepped out myself into the road, `
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but he immediately called me back, and as I did not `
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obey quick enough for his fancy, a most horrible change `
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came over his tallowy face, and he ordered me in with `
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an oath that made me jump. As soon as I was back again `
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he returned to his former manner, half fawning, half `
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sneering, patted me on the shoulder, told me I was a `
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good boy and he had taken quite a fancy to me. "I have `
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a son of my own," said he, "as like you as two blocks, `
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and he's all the pride of my 'art. But the great thing `
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for boys is discipline, sonny--discipline. Now, if you `
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had sailed along of Bill, you wouldn't have stood there `
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to be spoke to twice--not you. That was never Bill's `
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way, nor the way of sich as sailed with him. And here, `
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sure enough, is my mate Bill, with a spy-glass under `
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his arm, bless his old 'art, to be sure. You and me'll `
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just go back into the parlour, sonny, and get behind `
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the door, and we'll give Bill a little surprise--bless `
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his 'art, I say again." `
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So saying, the stranger backed along with me into the `
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parlour and put me behind him in the corner so that we `
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were both hidden by the open door. I was very uneasy `
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and alarmed, as you may fancy, and it rather added to `
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my fears to observe that the stranger was certainly `
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frightened himself. He cleared the hilt of his cutlass `
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and loosened the blade in the sheath; and all the time `
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we were waiting there he kept swallowing as if he felt `
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what we used to call a lump in the throat. `
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At last in strode the captain, slammed the door behind him, `
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without looking to the right or left, and marched straight `
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across the room to where his breakfast awaited him. `
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"Bill," said the stranger in a voice that I thought he `
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had tried to make bold and big. `
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The captain spun round on his heel and fronted us; all `
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the brown had gone out of his face, and even his nose `
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was blue; he had the look of a man who sees a ghost, or `
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the evil one, or something worse, if anything can be; `
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and upon my word, I felt sorry to see him all in a `
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moment turn so old and sick. `
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"Come, Bill, you know me; you know an old shipmate, `
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Bill, surely," said the stranger. `
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The captain made a sort of gasp. `
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"Black Dog!" said he. `
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"And who else?" returned the other, getting more at his `
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ease. "Black Dog as ever was, come for to see his old `
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shipmate Billy, at the Admiral Benbow inn. Ah, Bill, `
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Bill, we have seen a sight of times, us two, since I `
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lost them two talons," holding up his mutilated hand. `
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"Now, look here," said the captain; "you've run me `
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down; here I am; well, then, speak up; what is it?" `
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"That's you, Bill," returned Black Dog, "you're in the `
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right of it, Billy. I'll have a glass of rum from this `
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dear child here, as I've took such a liking to; and `
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we'll sit down, if you please, and talk square, like `
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old shipmates." `
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When I returned with the rum, they were already seated `
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on either side of the captain's breakfast-table--Black `
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Dog next to the door and sitting sideways so as to have `
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one eye on his old shipmate and one, as I thought, on `
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his retreat. `
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He bade me go and leave the door wide open. "None of `
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your keyholes for me, sonny," he said; and I left them `
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together and retired into the bar. `
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"For a long time, though I certainly did my best to `
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listen, I could hear nothing but a low gattling; but at `
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last the voices began to grow higher, and I could pick `
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up a word or two, mostly oaths, from the captain. `
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"No, no, no, no; and an end of it!" he cried once. And `
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again, "If it comes to swinging, swing all, say I." `
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Then all of a sudden there was a tremendous explosion of `
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oaths and other noises--the chair and table went over in `
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a lump, a clash of steel followed, and then a cry of pain, `
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and the next instant I saw Black Dog in full flight, and `
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the captain hotly pursuing, both with drawn cutlasses, and `
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the former streaming blood from the left shoulder. Just `
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at the door the captain aimed at the fugitive one last `
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tremendous cut, which would certainly have split him to `
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the chine had it not been intercepted by our big signboard `
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of Admiral Benbow. You may see the notch on the lower side `
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of the frame to this day. `
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That blow was the last of the battle. Once out upon `
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the road, Black Dog, in spite of his wound, showed a `
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wonderful clean pair of heels and disappeared over the `
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edge of the hill in half a minute. The captain, for `
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his part, stood staring at the signboard like a `
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bewildered man. Then he passed his hand over his eyes `
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several times and at last turned back into the house. `
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"Jim," says he, "rum"; and as he spoke, he reeled a little, `
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and caught himself with one hand against the wall. `
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"Are you hurt?" cried I. `
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"Rum," he repeated. "I must get away from here. Rum! Rum!" `
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I ran to fetch it, but I was quite unsteadied by all `
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that had fallen out, and I broke one glass and fouled `
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the tap, and while I was still getting in my own way, I `
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heard a loud fall in the parlour, and running in, beheld `
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the captain lying full length upon the floor. At the same `
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instant my mother, alarmed by the cries and fighting, came `
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running downstairs to help me. Between us we raised his `
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head. He was breathing very loud and hard, but his eyes `
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were closed and his face a horrible colour. `
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"Dear, deary me," cried my mother, "what a disgrace `
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upon the house! And your poor father sick!" `
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In the meantime, we had no idea what to do to help the `
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captain, nor any other thought but that he had got his `
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death-hurt in the scuffle with the stranger. I got the `
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rum, to be sure, and tried to put it down his throat, but `
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his teeth were tightly shut and his jaws as strong as iron. `
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It was a happy relief for us when the door opened and Doctor `
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Livesey came in, on his visit to my father. `
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"Oh, doctor," we cried, "what shall we do? Where is he wounded?" `
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"Wounded? A fiddle-stick's end!" said the doctor. "No `
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more wounded than you or I. The man has had a stroke, `
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as I warned him. Now, Mrs. Hawkins, just you run `
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upstairs to your husband and tell him, if possible, `
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nothing about it. For my part, I must do my best to `
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save this fellow's trebly worthless life; Jim, you get `
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me a basin." `
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When I got back with the basin, the doctor had already `
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ripped up the captain's sleeve and exposed his great `
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sinewy arm. It was tattooed in several places. `
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"Here's luck," "A fair wind," and "Billy Bones his `
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fancy," were very neatly and clearly executed on the `
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forearm; and up near the shoulder there was a sketch of `
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a gallows and a man hanging from it--done, as I `
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thought, with great spirit. `
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"Prophetic," said the doctor, touching this picture `
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with his finger. "And now, Master Billy Bones, if that `
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