he stuff he
has done might never have occurred to me. While not exactly thankful to the
New York editor, I have abandoned a blood-thirsty raid on his sanctum and a
righteous indignation has been dissipated in the serene pleasure I have
found in expressing an appreciation of Allison's genius in this private
volume for our friends. God bless the Old Scout! In all of our intimate
years there has been such a complete understanding between us that spoken
words have been largely unnecessary, and so the opportunity of saying
publicly what has ever been in my heart, is a rare one, eagerly seized.

C. I. H.

Louisville, November, 1914.

_THIS VOLUME IS INSCRIBED TO HER WHOSE FAITH IN ME AND LOVE FOR ME
NEVER WANED_

[Illustration]

DERELICT

A Reminiscence of "Treasure Island"

YOUNG E. ALLISON

_Fifteen men on the dead man's chest--
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!
Drink and the devil had done for the rest--
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!_

(_Cap'n Billy Bones his song._)

Fifteen men on the dead man's chest--
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!
Drink and the devil had done for the rest--
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!
The mate was fixed by the bos'n's pike,
The bos'n brained with a marlinspike
And Cookey's throat was marked belike
It had been gripped
By fingers ten;
And there they lay,
All good dead men,
Like break-o'-day in a boozing-ken--
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!

* * * * *

Fifteen men of a whole ship's list--
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!
Dead and bedamned, and the rest gone whist!--
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!
The skipper lay with his nob in gore
Where the scullion's axe his cheek had shore--
And the scullion he was stabbed times four.
And there they lay,
And the soggy skies
Dripped all day long
In up-staring eyes--
At murk sunset and at foul sunrise--
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

Fifteen men of 'em stiff and stark--
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!
Ten of the crew had the Murder mark--
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!
'Twas a cutlass swipe, or an ounce of lead,
Or a yawing hole in a battered head--
And the scuppers glut with a rotting red.
And there they lay--
Aye, damn my eye