Part One: The Old Buccaneer - Chapter 2: Black Dog Appears and Disappears

by Robert Louis Stevenson

　　It was not very long after this that there occurred thefirst of the mysterious events that rid us at last ofthe captain, though not, as you will see, of hisaffairs. It was a bitter cold winter, with long, hardfrosts and heavy gales; and it was plain from the firstthat my poor father was little likely to see thespring. He sank daily, and my mother and I had all theinn upon our hands, and were kept busy enough withoutpaying much regard to our unpleasant guest.

　　It was one January morning, very early--a pinching,frosty morning--the cove all grey with hoar-frost, theripple lapping softly on the stones, the sun still lowand only touching the hilltops and shining far toseaward. The captain had risen earlier than usual andset out down the beach, his cutlass swinging under thebroad skirts of the old blue coat, his brass telescopeunder his arm, his hat tilted back upon his head. Iremember his breath hanging like smoke in his wake ashe strode off, and the last sound I heard of him as heturned the big rock was a loud snort of indignation, asthough his mind was still running upon Dr. Livesey.

　　Well, mother was upstairs with father and I was layingthe breakfast-table against the captain's return whenthe parlour door opened and a man stepped in on whom Ihad never set my eyes before. He was a pale, tallowycreature, wanting two fingers of the left hand, andthough he wore a cutlass, he did not look much like afighter. I had always my eye open for seafaring men,with one leg or two, and I remember this one puzzledme. He was not sailorly, and yet he had a smack of thesea about him too.

　　I asked him what was for his service, and he said he wouldtake rum; but as I was going out of the room to fetch it,he sat down upon a table and motioned me to draw near. Ipaused where I was, with my napkin in my hand.

　　"Come here, sonny," says he. "Come nearer here."

　　I took a step nearer.

　　"Is this here table for my mate Bill?" he asked with akind of leer.

　　I told him I did not know his mate Bill, and this was fora person who stayed in our house whom we called the captain.

　　"Well," said he, "my mate Bill would be called thecaptain, as like as not. He has a cut on one cheek anda mighty pleasant way with him, particularly in drink,has my mate Bill. We'll put it, for argument like, thatyour captain has a cut on one cheek--and we'll put it, ifyou like, that that cheek's the right one. Ah, well! Itold you. Now, is my mate Bill in this here house?"

　　I told him he was out walking.

　　"Which way, sonny? Which way is he gone?"

　　And when I had pointed out the rock and told him howthe captain was likely to return, and how soon, andanswered a few other questions, "Ah," said he, "this'llbe as good as drink to my mate Bill."

　　The expression of his face as he said these words wasnot at all pleasant, and I had my own reasons forthinking that the stranger was mistaken, even supposinghe meant what he said. But it was no affair of mine, Ithought; and besides, it was difficult to know what todo. The stranger kept hanging about just inside theinn door, peering round the corner like a cat waitingfor a mouse. Once I stepped out myself into the road,but he immediately called me back, and as I did notobey quick enough for his fancy, a most horrible changecame over his tallowy face, and he ordered me in withan oath that made me jump. As soon as I was back againhe returned to his former manner, half fawning, halfsneering, patted me on the shoulder, told me I was agood boy and he had taken quite a fancy to me. "I havea son of my own," said he, "as like you as two blocks,and he's all the pride of my 'art. But the great thingfor boys is discipline, sonny--discipline. Now, if youhad sailed along of Bill, you wouldn't have stood thereto be spoke to twice--not you. That was never Bill'sway, nor the way of sich as sailed with him. And here,sure enough, is my mate Bill, with a spy-glass underhis arm, bless his old 'art, to be sure. You and me'lljust go back into the parlour, sonny, and get behindthe door, and we'll give Bill a little surprise--blesshis 'art, I say again.

　　So saying, the stranger backed along with me into theparlour and put me behind him in the corner so that wewere both hidden by the open door. I was very uneasyand alarmed, as you may fancy, and it rather added tomy fears to observe that the stranger was certainlyfrightened himself. He cleared the hilt of his cutlassand loosened the blade in the sheath; and all the timewe were waiting there he kept swallowing as if he feltwhat we used to call a lump in the throat.

　　At last in strode the captain, slammed the door behind him,without looking to the right or left, and marched straightacross the room to where his breakfast awaited him.

　　"Bill," said the stranger in a voice that I thought hehad tried to make bold and big.

　　The captain spun round on his heel and fronted us; allthe brown had gone out of his face, and even his nosewas blue; he had the look of a man who sees a ghost, orthe evil one, or something worse, if anything can be;and upon my word, I felt sorry to see him all in amoment turn so old and sick.

　　"Come, Bill, you know me; you know an old shipmate,Bill, surely," said the stranger.

　　The captain made a sort of gasp.

　　"Black Dog!" said he.

　　"And who else?" returned the other, getting more at hisease. "Black Dog as ever was, come for to see his oldshipmate Billy, at the Admiral Benbow inn. Ah, Bill,Bill, we have seen a sight of times, us two, since Ilost them two talons," holding up his mutilated hand.

　　"Now, look here," said the captain; "you've run medown; here I am; well, then, speak up; what is it?"

　　"That's you, Bill," returned Black Dog, "you're in theright of it, Billy. I'll have a glass of rum from thisdear child here, as I've took such a liking to; andwe'll sit down, if you please, and talk square, likeold shipmates."

　　When I returned with the rum, they were already seatedon either side of the captain's breakfast-table--BlackDog next to the door and sitting sideways so as to haveone eye on his old shipmate and one, as I thought, onhis retreat.

　　He bade me go and leave the door wide open. "None ofyour keyholes for me, sonny," he said; and I left themtogether and retired into the bar.

　　"For a long time, though I certainly did my best tolisten, I could hear nothing but a low gattling; but atlast the voices began to grow higher, and I could pickup a word or two, mostly oaths, from the captain.

　　"No, no, no, no; and an end of it!" he cried once. Andagain, "If it comes to swinging, swing all, say I."

　　Then all of a sudden there was a tremendous explosion ofoaths and other noises--the chair and table went over ina lump, a clash of steel followed, and then a cry of pain,and the next instant I saw Black Dog in full flight, andthe captain hotly pursuing, both with drawn cutlasses, andthe former streaming blood from the left shoulder. Justat the door the captain aimed at the fugitive one lasttremendous cut, which would certainly have split him tothe chine had it not been intercepted by our big signboardof Admiral Benbow. You may see the notch on the lower sideof the frame to this day.

　　That blow was the last of the battle. Once out uponthe road, Black Dog, in spite of his wound, showed awonderful clean pair of heels and disappeared over theedge of the hill in half a minute. The captain, forhis part, stood staring at the signboard like abewildered man. Then he passed his hand over his eyesseveral times and at last turned back into the house.

　　"Jim," says he, "rum"; and as he spoke, he reeled a little,and caught himself with one hand against the wall.

　　"Are you hurt?" cried I.

　　"Rum," he repeated. "I must get away from here. Rum! Rum!"

　　I ran to fetch it, but I was quite unsteadied by allthat had fallen out, and I broke one glass and fouledthe tap, and while I was still getting in my own way, Iheard a loud fall in the parlour, and running in, beheldthe captain lying full length upon the floor. At the sameinstant my mother, alarmed by the cries and fighting, camerunning downstairs to help me. Between us we raised hishead. He was breathing very loud and hard, but his eyeswere closed and his face a horrible colour.

　　"Dear, deary me," cried my mother, "what a disgraceupon the house! And your poor father sick!"

　　In the meantime, we had no idea what to do to help thecaptain, nor any other thought but that he had got hisdeath-hurt in the scuffle with the stranger. I got therum, to be sure, and tried to put it down his throat, buthis teeth were tightly shut and his jaws as strong as iron.It was a happy relief for us when the door opened and DoctorLivesey came in, on his visit to my father.

　　"Oh, doctor," we cried, "what shall we do? Where is he wounded?"

　　"Wounded? A fiddle-stick's end!" said the doctor. "Nomore wounded than you or I. The man has had a stroke,as I warned him. Now, Mrs. Hawkins, just you runupstairs to your husband and tell him, if possible,nothing about it. For my part, I must do my best tosave this fellow's trebly worthless life; Jim, you getme a basin."

　　When I got back with the basin, the doctor had alreadyripped up the captain's sleeve and exposed his greatsinewy arm. It was tattooed in several places."Here's luck," "A fair wind," and "Billy Bones hisfancy," were very neatly and clearly executed on theforearm; and up near the shoulder there was a sketch ofa gallows and a man hanging from it--done, as Ithought, with great spirit.

　　"Prophetic," said the doctor, touching this picturewith his finger. "And now, Master Billy Bones, if thatbe your name, we'll have a look at the colour of yourblood. Jim," he said, "are you afraid of blood?"

　　"No, sir," said I.

　　"Well, then," said he, "you hold the basin"; and withthat he took his lancet and opened a vein.

　　A great deal of blood was taken before the captainopened his eyes and looked mistily about him. First herecognized the doctor with an unmistakable frown; thenhis glance fell upon me, and he looked relieved. Butsuddenly his colour changed, and he tried to raisehimself, crying, "Where's Black Dog?"

　　"There is no Black Dog here," said the doctor, "exceptwhat you have on your own back. You have been drinkingrum; you have had a stroke, precisely as I told you;and I have just, very much against my own will, draggedyou headforemost out of the grave. Now, Mr. Bones--"

　　"That's not my name," he interrupted.

　　"Much I care," returned the doctor. "It's the name ofa buccaneer of my acquaintance; and I call you by itfor the sake of shortness, and what I have to say toyou is this; one glass of rum won't kill you, but ifyou take one you'll take another and another, and Istake my wig if you don't break off short, you'll die--do you understand that?--die, and go to your own place,like the man in the Bible. Come, now, make an effort.I'll help you to your bed for once."

　　Between us, with much trouble, we managed to hoist himupstairs, and laid him on his bed, where his head fellback on the pillow as if he were almost fainting.

　　"Now, mind you," said the doctor, "I clear myconscience--the name of rum for you is death."

　　And with that he went off to see my father, taking mewith him by the arm.

　　"This is nothing," he said as soon as he had closed thedoor. "I have drawn blood enough to keep him quietawhile; he should lie for a week where he is--that isthe best thing for him and you; but another strokewould settle him."