Prophetic, said the doctor, touching this picture with his finger.
And now, Master Billy Bones, if that be your name, we ll have a look at
the colour of your blood. Jim, he said, are you 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
an unmistakable frown; then his glance fell upon me, and he looked
relieved. But suddenly his colour 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; you have had a stroke,
precisely as I told you; and I have just, very much against my own will,
dragged you 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 of a buccaneer of my
acquaintance; 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 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--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.
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