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 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; 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.

"This is nothing," he said, as soon as he had closed the door. "I have
drawn blood enough to keep him quiet awhile; he should lie for a week
where he is--that is the best thing for him and you, but another stroke
would settle him."

CHAPTER III

THE BLACK SPOT

About noon I stopped at the captain's door with some cooling drinks and
medicines. He was lying very much as we had left him, only a little
higher, and he seemed both weak and excited.

"Jim," he said, "you're the only one here that's worth anything; and you
know I've always been good to you. Never a month but I've given you a
silver fourpenny for yourself. And now you see, mate, I'm pretty low,
and deserted by all; and, Jim, you'll bring me one noggin of rum, now,
won't you, matey?"

"The doctor--" I began.

But he broke in, cursing the doctor in a feeble voice, but heartily.
"Doctors is all swabs," he said; "and that doctor there, why, what do he
kn