"
"By gambling?"
"No, sir! By piracy!"
Col. Willoughby gave a real or affected start.
"A grave charge that, sir." He looked steadily at the landlord. "And
one that should not be lightly made."
"I only report the common talk."
"If such talk should reach the ears of Captain Allen?" suggested the
stranger.
"No great likelihood of its doing so, for I reckon there's no man in
S----bold enough to say 'pirate' to his face."
"What kind of a man is he?"
"A bad specimen in every way."
"He's no favorite of yours, I see?"
"I have no personal cause of dislike. We never had many words
together," said the landlord. "But he's a man that you want to get
as far away from as possible. There are men, you know, who kind of
draw you towards them, as if they were made of loadstone; and others
that seem to push you off. Captain Allen is one of the latter kind."
"What sort of a looking man is he?"
"Short; thick-set; heavily built, as to body. A full, coarse face;
dark leathery skin; and eyes that are a match for the Evil One's.
There is a deep scar across his left forehead, running past the
outer corner of his eye, and ending against the cheek bone.
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