At noon, I went to the Captain's room. I brought him medicine and water. The Captain looked very weak and tired. He told me that I was a good boy. Then he asked me for a glass of rum.
I told the Captain that Dr. Livesey did not want him to drink. The Captain became very angry. He said the doctor did not understand sailors. He talked about hot places and a sickness called Yellow Jack (a dangerous fever that makes the skin look yellow). The Captain said he lived on rum for many years.
The Captain’s fingers moved constantly. He was very nervous because he had no rum. He offered me a guinea (a gold coin from the past) for one glass. I did not want his money. I only wanted the money he owed my father. I gave him one glass of rum.
The Captain drank the rum quickly. He said he could not stay in bed for a week. He was afraid of the Black Spot (a secret message that means danger or death). He said other sailors wanted his chest. The Captain said he was the first mate (the second leader on a ship) for a pirate named Flint.
The Captain told me to find Dr. Livesey if something happened. He told me to tell the doctor to bring men to the Admiral Benbow. He was afraid of Flint’s old crew. "But do not tell them unless they give me the Black Spot," the Captain said. He then fell into a deep sleep.
That evening, my father died suddenly. This was a very sad time for me and Mrs. Hawkins. We were very busy with the funeral. I did not have time to think about the Captain. The Captain became even weaker, but he was still angry.
The Captain stayed at the inn for a few more days. He was often drunk and he carried his sword everywhere. He did not talk to me much. He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. He even sang a different, sad song from his youth.
The day after the funeral was very cold and foggy. I was standing outside the Admiral Benbow. I saw a man walking slowly toward the inn. He was blind and used a stick. He wore a big, old coat and a green cover over his eyes. He looked very scary.
The blind man stopped and asked where he was. I told him he was at the Admiral Benbow inn. The blind man took my hand. He had a very strong grip. He told me to take him to the Captain. I was afraid, but the blind man was very cruel.
The blind man hurt my arm and forced me to walk. We went into the room where the Captain sat. The Captain looked very sick when he saw the blind man. The blind man told the Captain to hold out his hand. I saw the blind man put something in the Captain's palm.
Then the blind man ran away very fast. I could hear his stick tapping on the road. The Captain looked at the small piece of paper in his hand. It had a black circle on it. "Ten o'clock!" the Captain shouted. "I have six hours!"
The Captain tried to stand up. He put his hand to his throat and made a strange noise. Then he fell face first onto the floor. I ran to help him and called for Mrs. Hawkins. But the Captain was dead.
I began to cry. The Captain was not a good man, but I felt sorry for him. This was the second death I saw in one week. My heart was full of sorrow. I did not know what to do next.