Cæsar’s fiddle was never far from him. It was, in fact, tucked away in a nice little nook just over the manger; and he often caught an interval from his work to scrape a dancing-tune on it, keeping time with his heels, to our great delight.
A most wailing minor-keyed tune was doled forth, which seemed quite refreshing to Sam’s pathetic vein, as he sang in his most lugubrious tones,--
“‘My name was Robert Kidd As I sailed, as I sailed, My name was Robert Kidd; God’s laws I did forbid, And so wickedly I did, As I sailed, as I sailed.’
“Now ye see, boys, he’s a goin’ to tell how he abused his religious privileges; just hear now:--
“‘My father taught me well, As I sailed, as I sailed; My father taught me well To shun the gates of hell, But yet I did rebel, As I sailed, as I sailed.
“‘He put a Bible in my hand, As I sailed, as I sailed; He put a Bible in my hand, And I sunk it in the sand Before I left the strand, As I sailed, as I sailed.’
“Did ye ever hear o’ such a hardened, contrary critter, boys? It’s awful to think on. Wal, ye see that ’are’s the way fellers allers begin the ways o’ sin, by turnin’ their backs on the Bible and the advice o’ pious parents. Now hear what he come to:--
“‘Then I murdered William More, As I sailed, as I sailed; I murdered William More, And left him in his gore, Not many leagues from shore, As I sailed, as I sailed.
“‘To execution dock I must go, I must go. To execution dock, While thousands round me flock, To see me on the block, I must go, I must go.’
“There was a good deal more on’t,” said Sam, pausing, “but I don’t seem to remember it; but it’s real solemn and affectin’.”
“Wal, he was an officer in the British navy, and he got to bein’ a pirate: used to take ships and sink ’em, and murder the folks; and so they say he got no end o’ money,--gold and silver and precious stones, as many as the wise men in the East. But ye see, what good did it all do him? He couldn’t use it, and dar’sn’t keep it; so he used to bury it in spots round here and there in the awfullest heathen way ye ever heard of. Why, they say he allers used to kill one or two men or women or children of his prisoners, and bury with it, so that their sperits might keep watch on it ef anybody was to dig arter it. That ’are thing has been tried and tried and tried, but no man nor mother’s son on ’em ever got a cent that dug. ’Twas tried here’n Oldtown; and they come pretty nigh gettin’ on’t, but it gin ’em the slip. Ye see, boys, _it’s the Devil’s money, and he holds a pretty tight grip on’t_.”