PART ONE -- 1 at , , and having asked to write down the whole particulars about , from the beginning to the end , keeping nothing back but the bearings of , and that only because there is still treasure not yet lifted , take up pen in the year of grace 17 __ and go back to the time when kept and with the sabre cut first took up lodging under .
remember as if it were yesterday , as came plodding to door , sea-chest following behind in a hand-barrow -- , tarry pigtail falling over the shoulder of soiled blue coat , hands ragged and scarred , with black , broken nails , and the sabre cut across one cheek , a dirty , livid white .
remember looking round and whistling to as did so , and then breaking out in that old sea-song that sang so often afterwards : " Fifteen on 's chest -- Yo-ho-ho , and a bottle of rum ! "
in the high , old tottering voice that seemed to have been tuned and broken at .
Then rapped on the door with a bit of stick like a handspike that carried , and when appeared , called roughly for a glass of rum .
This , when it was brought to , drank slowly , like a connoisseur , lingering on the taste and still looking about at and up at signboard .
" is , " says at length ; " and .
Much , ? "
told no , very little , the more was the pity .
" Well , then , " said , " is for .
Here , , " cried to ; " bring up alongside and help up chest .
'll stay a bit , " continued .
" 'm ; rum and bacon and eggs is what want , and that head up there for to watch ships off .
What mought call ?
mought call .
Oh , see what 're at -- there " ; and threw down three or four gold pieces on the threshold .
" can tell when 've worked through that , " says , looking as fierce as .
And indeed bad as clothes were and coarsely as spoke , had none of the appearance of , but seemed like or .
told the mail had set down the morning before at , that had inquired what there were along , and hearing well spoken of , suppose , and described as lonely , had chosen from for .
And that was all could learn of .
was by custom .
All day hung round or upon with a brass telescope ; all evening sat in and drank rum and water very strong .
Mostly would not speak when spoken to , only look up sudden and fierce and blow through nose like a fog-horn ; and and soon learned to let be .
Every day when came back from stroll would ask if any had gone by along .
At first thought it was the want of company of own kind that made ask this question , but at last began to see was desirous to avoid .
When did put up at ( as now and then did , making by for ) would look in at through the curtained door before entered ; and was always sure to be as silent as a mouse when any such was present .
For , at least , there was no secret about the matter , for was , in a way , .
had taken aside one day and promised a silver fourpenny on the first of every month if would only keep " weather-eye open for " and let know the moment appeared .
Often enough when the first of the month came round and applied to for wage , would only blow through nose at and stare down , but before the week was out was sure to think better of it , bring four-penny piece , and repeat orders to look out for " . "
How haunted dreams , need scarcely tell .
On stormy nights , when the wind shook the four corners of and the surf roared along and up , would see in a thousand forms , and with a thousand diabolical expressions .
Now the leg would be cut off at the knee , now at the hip ; now was .
To see leap and run and pursue over hedge and ditch was the worst of nightmares .
And altogether paid pretty dear for monthly fourpenny piece , in the shape of these abominable fancies .
But though was so terrified by the idea of with one leg , was far less afraid of than .
There were nights when took a deal more rum and water than head would carry ; and then would sometimes sit and sing wicked , old , wild sea-songs , minding ; but sometimes would call for glasses round and force all to listen to stories or bear a chorus to singing .
Often have heard shaking with " Yo-ho-ho , and a bottle of rum , " all joining in for dear life , with the fear of death upon , and each singing louder than the other to avoid remark .
For in these fits was ever known ; would slap hand on the table for silence all round ; would fly up in a passion of anger at a question , or sometimes because none was put , and so judged was not following story .
Nor would allow to leave till had drunk sleepy and reeled off to bed .
stories were what frightened worst of all .
Dreadful stories they were -- about hanging , and walking the plank , and storms , and , and wild deeds and .
By own account must have lived life among , and the language in which told these stories shocked almost as much as the crimes that described .
was always saying would be ruined , for would soon cease coming to be tyrannized over and put down , and sent shivering to beds ; but really believe presence did good .
were frightened at the time , but on looking back rather liked it ; it was a fine excitement in a quiet country life , and there was even who pretended to admire , calling and and such like names , and saying there was .
In one way , indeed , bade fair to ruin , for kept on staying week after week , and at last month after month , so that all the money had been long exhausted , and still never plucked up the heart to insist on having more .
If ever mentioned it , blew through nose so loudly that might say roared , and stared out of .
have seen wringing hands after such a rebuff , and am sure the annoyance and the terror lived in must have greatly hastened early and unhappy death .
All the time lived with made no change whatever in dress but to buy some stockings from .
One of the cocks of hat having fallen down , let it hang from that day forth , though it was a great annoyance when it blew .
remember the appearance of coat , which patched in , and which , before the end , was nothing but patches .
never wrote or received a letter , and never spoke with any but , and with these , for the most part , only when drunk on rum .
The great sea-chest had ever seen open .
was only once crossed , and that was towards the end , when was far gone in a decline that took off .
came late one afternoon to see , took a bit of dinner from , and went into to smoke a pipe until horse should come down from , for had no stabling at .
followed in , and remember observing the contrast , with powder as white as snow and bright , black eyes and pleasant manners , made with , and above all , with , sitting , far gone in rum , with arms on the table .
Suddenly -- , that is -- began to pipe up eternal song : " Fifteen on 's chest -- Yo-ho-ho , and a bottle of rum !
Drink and had done for the rest -- Yo-ho-ho , and a bottle of rum ! "
At first had supposed " 's chest " to be that identical big box of in , and the thought had been mingled in nightmares with that of .
But by this time had all long ceased to pay any particular notice to the song ; it was new , that night , to , and on observed it did not produce an agreeable effect , for looked up for a moment quite angrily before went on with talk to old , , on a new cure for the rheumatics .
In the meantime , gradually brightened up at own music , and at last flapped hand upon the table before in a way all knew to mean silence .
The voices stopped at once , all but 's ; went on as before speaking clear and kind and drawing briskly at pipe between every word or two .
glared at for a while , flapped hand again , glared still harder , and at last broke out with a villainous , low oath , " Silence , there , between decks ! "