Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Dream Audio Books presents Chapter two. Black Dog Appears and disappears.
It was not very long after this that there occurred
the first of the mysterious events that rid us at
last of the Captain, though not as you will see
of his affairs. It was a bitter cold winter, with long,
(00:21):
hard frosts and heavy gales, and it was plain from
the first that my poor father was little likely to
see the spring. He sank daily, and my mother and
I had all the inn upon our hands, and were
kept busy enough without paying much regard to our unpleasant guest.
It was one January morning, very early, a pinching frosty morning,
(00:46):
the cove all gray with hoarfrost, the ripple lapping softly
on the stones, the sun still low and only touching
the hilltops and shining far to seaward. The Captain had
risen earlier than usual and set out down the beach,
his cutlass swinging under the broad skirts of the old
blue coat, his brass telescope under his arm, his hat
(01:09):
tilted back upon his head. I remember his breath hanging
like smoke in his wake as he strode off, and
the last sound I heard of him as he turned
the big rock was a loud snort of indignation, as
though his mind was still running upon Doctor livesey Well.
Mother was upstairs with father, and I was laying the
(01:31):
breakfast table against the captain's return, when the parlor door
opened and a man stepped in on whom I had
never set my eyes before. He was a pale, tallowy creature,
wanting two fingers off the left hand, and though he
wore a cutlass, he did not look much like a fighter.
I had always my eye open for seafaring men with
(01:52):
one leg or two, and I remember this one puzzled me.
He was not sailorly, and yet he had a smack
of the sea about him too. I asked him what
was for his service, and he said he would take rum.
But as I was going out of the room to
fetch it, he sat down upon a table and motioned
(02:13):
me to draw near. I paused 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 a
kind of leer. I told him I did not know
(02:34):
his mate, Bill, and this was for a person who
stayed in our house, whom we called the captain, Well
said he, my mate Bill would be called the captain
is like as not. He has a cut on one
cheek and a mighty pleasant way with him, particularly in drink.
Has my mate Bill. We'll put it for argument, like
(02:57):
that your captain has a cut on one cheek, and
we'll put it if you like that that cheek's the
right one. Ah, Well, I told 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?
(03:18):
And when I had pointed out the rock and told
him how the Captain was likely to return and how soon,
and answered a few other questions, Ah said he this'll
be as good as drink to my mate Bill. The
expression of his face as he said these words was
not at all pleasant. And I had my own reasons
(03:39):
for thinking that the stranger was mistaken, 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 inside the
inn door, peering around the corner like a cat waiting
for a mouse. Once I stepped out myself into the road,
(04:03):
but he immediately called me back, and as I 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 I was back again, he returned to his former manner,
half fawning, half sneering, patted me on the shoulder, told
(04:25):
me I was a good boy, and he had taken
quite a fancy to me. I have a son of
my own, said he as like you as two blocks,
and he's all the pride of my heart. But the
great thing for boys is discipline, sonny. Discipline. Now, if
you had sailed along a Bill, you wouldn't have stood
(04:48):
there to be smoked too twice, not you. That was
never Bill's way, nor the way of such as sailed
with him. And here, sure enough is my mate Bill
with a spyglass under his arm, bless his old art.
To be sure, you and me'll just go back into
the parlor, sonny, and get behind the door, and we'll
(05:08):
give Bill a little surprise. Bless his heart, I say again,
so saying, the stranger backed along with me into the
parlor and put me behind him in the corner, so
that we were both hidden by the open door. I
was very uneasy and alarmed, as you may fancy, and
it rather added to my fears to observe that the
(05:30):
stranger was certainly frightened himself. He cleared the hilt of
his cutlass and loosened the blade in the sheath, and
all the time we were waiting there, he kept swallowing,
as if he felt what we used to call a
lump in the throat. At last, instrode the captain, slammed
the door behind him, without looking to the right or left,
(05:53):
and marched straight across the room to where his breakfast
awaited him. Bill, said the stranger, in a voice that
I thought he had tried to make bold and big.
The captain spun round on his heel and fronted us.
All the brown had gone out of his face, and
even his nose was blue. He had the look of
(06:14):
a man who sees a ghost, or the evil one,
or something worse, if anything can be. And upon my word,
I felt sorry to see him all in a moment
turn so old and sick. Come Bill, you know me?
You know an old ship? May Bill, surely, said the stranger.
(06:36):
The captain made a sort of gasp, black Dog said
he and who else returned the other getting more at
his ease. Black Dog, as ever was come for to
see his old ship, made Billy at the Admiral benbo
inn Ah. Bill, Bill, we have seen us sight of
(06:58):
times us two since I lost them two talons, holding
up his mutilated hand. Now look here, said the captain.
You've run me down here. I am well, then speak up?
What is it that's you? Bill returned black Dog. You're
(07:18):
in the right of it, Billy. I'll have a glass
of rum from this dear child here, as I've took
such a liking to, and we'll sit down, if you please,
and talk square like old shipmates. When I returned with
the rum, they were already seated on either side of
the Captain's breakfast table, black Dog next to the door
(07:41):
and sitting sideways so as to have one eye on
his old shipmate, and one as I thought on his retreat.
He bade me go and leave the door wide open.
None of your key holes for me, sonny, he said.
And I left them together and retired into the bar.
For a long time. Though I certainly did my best
(08:04):
to listen, I could hear nothing but a low gabbling.
But at last the voices began to grow higher, and
I could pick up a word or two, mostly oaths
from the captain. No, no, no, no, and an end
of it, he cried, once and again. If it comes
to swinging, swing all, say I. Then all of a
(08:28):
sudden there was a tremendous explosion of oaths and other noises.
The chair and table went over in a lump. A
clash of steel followed, and then a cry of pain.
And the next instant I saw black Dog in full
flight and the captain hotly pursuing, both with drawn cutlasses,
and the former streaming blood from the left shoulder. Just
(08:51):
at the door, the captain aimed at the fugitive one
last tremendous cut, which would certainly have split him to
the chine had it not been intercepted by our big
signboard of Admiral Benbow. You may see the notch on
the lower side of the frame to this day. That
blow was the last of the battle. Once out upon
the road, black Dog, in spite of his wound, showed
(09:14):
a wonderful clean pair of heels and disappeared over the
edge of the hill in half a minute. The Captain,
for his part, stood staring at the signboard like a
bewildered man. Then he passed his hand over his eyes
several times, and at last turned back into the house.
Jim says, he rum, and as he spoke he reeled
(09:38):
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 all that had fallen out,
and I broke one glass and fouled the tap. And
(10:00):
I was still getting in my own way, I heard
a loud fall in the parlor, and running in beheld
the Captain lying full length upon the floor. At the
same instant, my mother, alarmed by the cries and fighting,
came running downstairs to help me. Between us we raised
his head. He was breathing very loud and hard, but
(10:21):
his eyes were closed and his face a horrible color. Dear,
deary me, cried my mother, What a disgrace upon the house,
and your poor father sick. In the meantime, we had
no idea what to do to help the captain, nor
any other thought but that he had got his death
hurt in the scuffle with the stranger, I got the rum,
(10:45):
to be sure, and tried to put it down his throat,
but his teeth were tightly shut, and his jaws as
strong as iron. It was a happy relief for us
when the door opened and Doctor Livesey came in on
his visit to my father. Oh doctor, we cried, what
shall we do? Where is he wounded? Wounded a fiddlestick's end,
(11:09):
said the doctor, Nor more wounded than you or I.
The man has had a stroke, as I warned him. Now,
missus Hawkins, just you run upstairs to your husband and
tell him, if possible, nothing about it. For my part,
I must do my best to save this fellow's trebly
worthless life. And Jim, you get me a basin. When
(11:34):
I got back with the basin, the doctor had already
ripped up the captain's sleeve and exposed his great sinewy arm.
It was tattooed in several places. Here's luck, a fair
wind and Billy Bones's fancy were very neatly and clearly executed.
On the forearm, and up near the shoulder there was
(11:56):
a sketch of a gallows and a man hanging from it.
Done as I thought, with great spirit prophetic, said the doctor,
touching this picture with his finger. And now, master Billy Bones,
if that be your name, will have a look at
the color of your blood, Jim, he said, Are you
(12:17):
afraid of blood? No, sir, said I. Well, then said
he you hold the basin, And with that he took
his lancet and opened a vein. A great deal of
blood was taken before the captain opened his eyes and
looked mistily about him. First he recognized the doctor with
(12:38):
an unmistakable frown. Then his glance fell upon me, and
he looked relieved. But suddenly his color changed and he
tried to raise himself, crying, where's black dog? There is
no black dog here, said the doctor, except what you
have on your own back. You have been drinking rum.
(13:01):
You have had a stroke precisely as I told you,
and I have just very much against my own will,
dragged you head foremost out of the grave. Now, mister Bones,
that's not my name, he interrupted, much I care returned
the doctor. It's the name of a buccaneer of my acquaintance,
(13:23):
and I call you by it for the sake of shortness.
And what I have to say to you is this
One glass of rum won't kill you. But if you
take one, you'll take another and another. And I stake
my wig. If you don't break off short, you'll die.
Do you understand that? Die and go to your own
(13:43):
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 him
upstairs and laid him on his bed, where his head
fell back on the pillow as if he were almost fainting.
Now mind you, said the doctor. I clear my conscience.
(14:07):
The name of rum for you is death. And with
that he went off to see my father, taking me
with him by the arm. This is nothing, he said,
as soon as he had closed the door. I have
drawn blood enough to keep him quiet a while. He
should lie for a week where he is. That is
(14:28):
the best thing for him and you. But another stroke
would settle him. End of chapter. Dream Audio Books hopes
you have enjoyed this program.
Dream Audio Books presents Chapter two. Black Dog Appears and disappears.
It was not very long after this that there occurred
the first of the mysterious events that rid us at
last of the Captain, though not as you will see
of his affairs. It was a bitter cold winter, with long,
(00:21):
hard frosts and heavy gales, and it was plain from
the first that my poor father was little likely to
see the spring. He sank daily, and my mother and
I had all the inn upon our hands, and were
kept busy enough without paying much regard to our unpleasant guest.
It was one January morning, very early, a pinching frosty morning,
(00:46):
the cove all gray with hoarfrost, the ripple lapping softly
on the stones, the sun still low and only touching
the hilltops and shining far to seaward. The Captain had
risen earlier than usual and set out down the beach,
his cutlass swinging under the broad skirts of the old
blue coat, his brass telescope under his arm, his hat
(01:09):
tilted back upon his head. I remember his breath hanging
like smoke in his wake as he strode off, and
the last sound I heard of him as he turned
the big rock was a loud snort of indignation, as
though his mind was still running upon Doctor livesey Well.
Mother was upstairs with father, and I was laying the
(01:31):
breakfast table against the captain's return, when the parlor door
opened and a man stepped in on whom I had
never set my eyes before. He was a pale, tallowy creature,
wanting two fingers off the left hand, and though he
wore a cutlass, he did not look much like a fighter.
I had always my eye open for seafaring men with
(01:52):
one leg or two, and I remember this one puzzled me.
He was not sailorly, and yet he had a smack
of the sea about him too. I asked him what
was for his service, and he said he would take rum.
But as I was going out of the room to
fetch it, he sat down upon a table and motioned
(02:13):
me to draw near. I paused 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 a
kind of leer. I told him I did not know
(02:34):
his mate, Bill, and this was for a person who
stayed in our house, whom we called the captain, Well
said he, my mate Bill would be called the captain
is like as not. He has a cut on one
cheek and a mighty pleasant way with him, particularly in drink.
Has my mate Bill. We'll put it for argument, like
(02:57):
that your captain has a cut on one cheek, and
we'll put it if you like that that cheek's the
right one. Ah, Well, I told 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?
(03:18):
And when I had pointed out the rock and told
him how the Captain was likely to return and how soon,
and answered a few other questions, Ah said he this'll
be as good as drink to my mate Bill. The
expression of his face as he said these words was
not at all pleasant. And I had my own reasons
(03:39):
for thinking that the stranger was mistaken, 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 inside the
inn door, peering around the corner like a cat waiting
for a mouse. Once I stepped out myself into the road,
(04:03):
but he immediately called me back, and as I 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 I was back again, he returned to his former manner,
half fawning, half sneering, patted me on the shoulder, told
(04:25):
me I was a good boy, and he had taken
quite a fancy to me. I have a son of
my own, said he as like you as two blocks,
and he's all the pride of my heart. But the
great thing for boys is discipline, sonny. Discipline. Now, if
you had sailed along a Bill, you wouldn't have stood
(04:48):
there to be smoked too twice, not you. That was
never Bill's way, nor the way of such as sailed
with him. And here, sure enough is my mate Bill
with a spyglass under his arm, bless his old art.
To be sure, you and me'll just go back into
the parlor, sonny, and get behind the door, and we'll
(05:08):
give Bill a little surprise. Bless his heart, I say again,
so saying, the stranger backed along with me into the
parlor and put me behind him in the corner, so
that we were both hidden by the open door. I
was very uneasy and alarmed, as you may fancy, and
it rather added to my fears to observe that the
(05:30):
stranger was certainly frightened himself. He cleared the hilt of
his cutlass and loosened the blade in the sheath, and
all the time we were waiting there, he kept swallowing,
as if he felt what we used to call a
lump in the throat. At last, instrode the captain, slammed
the door behind him, without looking to the right or left,
(05:53):
and marched straight across the room to where his breakfast
awaited him. Bill, said the stranger, in a voice that
I thought he had tried to make bold and big.
The captain spun round on his heel and fronted us.
All the brown had gone out of his face, and
even his nose was blue. He had the look of
(06:14):
a man who sees a ghost, or the evil one,
or something worse, if anything can be. And upon my word,
I felt sorry to see him all in a moment
turn so old and sick. Come Bill, you know me?
You know an old ship? May Bill, surely, said the stranger.
(06:36):
The captain made a sort of gasp, black Dog said
he and who else returned the other getting more at
his ease. Black Dog, as ever was come for to
see his old ship, made Billy at the Admiral benbo
inn Ah. Bill, Bill, we have seen us sight of
(06:58):
times us two since I lost them two talons, holding
up his mutilated hand. Now look here, said the captain.
You've run me down here. I am well, then speak up?
What is it that's you? Bill returned black Dog. You're
(07:18):
in the right of it, Billy. I'll have a glass
of rum from this dear child here, as I've took
such a liking to, and we'll sit down, if you please,
and talk square like old shipmates. When I returned with
the rum, they were already seated on either side of
the Captain's breakfast table, black Dog next to the door
(07:41):
and sitting sideways so as to have one eye on
his old shipmate, and one as I thought on his retreat.
He bade me go and leave the door wide open.
None of your key holes for me, sonny, he said.
And I left them together and retired into the bar.
For a long time. Though I certainly did my best
(08:04):
to listen, I could hear nothing but a low gabbling.
But at last the voices began to grow higher, and
I could pick up a word or two, mostly oaths
from the captain. No, no, no, no, and an end
of it, he cried, once and again. If it comes
to swinging, swing all, say I. Then all of a
(08:28):
sudden there was a tremendous explosion of oaths and other noises.
The chair and table went over in a lump. A
clash of steel followed, and then a cry of pain.
And the next instant I saw black Dog in full
flight and the captain hotly pursuing, both with drawn cutlasses,
and the former streaming blood from the left shoulder. Just
(08:51):
at the door, the captain aimed at the fugitive one
last tremendous cut, which would certainly have split him to
the chine had it not been intercepted by our big
signboard of Admiral Benbow. You may see the notch on
the lower side of the frame to this day. That
blow was the last of the battle. Once out upon
the road, black Dog, in spite of his wound, showed
(09:14):
a wonderful clean pair of heels and disappeared over the
edge of the hill in half a minute. The Captain,
for his part, stood staring at the signboard like a
bewildered man. Then he passed his hand over his eyes
several times, and at last turned back into the house.
Jim says, he rum, and as he spoke he reeled
(09:38):
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 all that had fallen out,
and I broke one glass and fouled the tap. And
(10:00):
I was still getting in my own way, I heard
a loud fall in the parlor, and running in beheld
the Captain lying full length upon the floor. At the
same instant, my mother, alarmed by the cries and fighting,
came running downstairs to help me. Between us we raised
his head. He was breathing very loud and hard, but
(10:21):
his eyes were closed and his face a horrible color. Dear,
deary me, cried my mother, What a disgrace upon the house,
and your poor father sick. In the meantime, we had
no idea what to do to help the captain, nor
any other thought but that he had got his death
hurt in the scuffle with the stranger, I got the rum,
(10:45):
to be sure, and tried to put it down his throat,
but his teeth were tightly shut, and his jaws as
strong as iron. It was a happy relief for us
when the door opened and Doctor Livesey came in on
his visit to my father. Oh doctor, we cried, what
shall we do? Where is he wounded? Wounded a fiddlestick's end,
(11:09):
said the doctor, Nor more wounded than you or I.
The man has had a stroke, as I warned him. Now,
missus Hawkins, just you run upstairs to your husband and
tell him, if possible, nothing about it. For my part,
I must do my best to save this fellow's trebly
worthless life. And Jim, you get me a basin. When
(11:34):
I got back with the basin, the doctor had already
ripped up the captain's sleeve and exposed his great sinewy arm.
It was tattooed in several places. Here's luck, a fair
wind and Billy Bones's fancy were very neatly and clearly executed.
On the forearm, and up near the shoulder there was
(11:56):
a sketch of a gallows and a man hanging from it.
Done as I thought, with great spirit prophetic, said the doctor,
touching this picture with his finger. And now, master Billy Bones,
if that be your name, will have a look at
the color of your blood, Jim, he said, Are you
(12:17):
afraid of blood? No, sir, said I. Well, then said
he you hold the basin, And with that he took
his lancet and opened a vein. A great deal of
blood was taken before the captain opened his eyes and
looked mistily about him. First he recognized the doctor with
(12:38):
an unmistakable frown. Then his glance fell upon me, and
he looked relieved. But suddenly his color changed and he
tried to raise himself, crying, where's black dog? There is
no black dog here, said the doctor, except what you
have on your own back. You have been drinking rum.
(13:01):
You have had a stroke precisely as I told you,
and I have just very much against my own will,
dragged you head foremost out of the grave. Now, mister Bones,
that's not my name, he interrupted, much I care returned
the doctor. It's the name of a buccaneer of my acquaintance,
(13:23):
and I call you by it for the sake of shortness.
And what I have to say to you is this
One glass of rum won't kill you. But if you
take one, you'll take another and another. And I stake
my wig. If you don't break off short, you'll die.
Do you understand that? Die and go to your own
(13:43):
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 him
upstairs and laid him on his bed, where his head
fell back on the pillow as if he were almost fainting.
Now mind you, said the doctor. I clear my conscience.
(14:07):
The name of rum for you is death. And with
that he went off to see my father, taking me
with him by the arm. This is nothing, he said,
as soon as he had closed the door. I have
drawn blood enough to keep him quiet a while. He
should lie for a week where he is. That is
(14:28):
the best thing for him and you. But another stroke
would settle him. End of chapter. Dream Audio Books hopes
you have enjoyed this program.
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