Kidnapped by R.L. Stevenson

4.1

This is a story about the adventures of a Scottish boy, David Balfour. His father and mother died, and he had to look for work when he was sixteen. David tells his story himself.

Part I

One morning in June, 1751, I left our house and went to see my uncle, Mr. Ebenezer Balfour. He lived in a big house and had no family. As I had no money, I walked all the way to my uncle’s house. I had a letter from my father to my uncle. I walked for two days and at last, I came to a large house. It was near Edinburgh. I knocked at the door, but no one came to open it. I knocked again and again and then at last, I saw an old man with a gun at an open window.

“Who are you?” asked the old man.

“I am David Balfour,” I said, “and I have a letter from my father to Mr. Ebenezer Balfour.”

“Put the letter by the door,” said the old man.

"No” I said, “I shall give it only into Mr. Balfour’s hands.” The old man did not speak for some time. Then he said, “You can come into the house,” and I waited.

At last, he opened the door and I went in. It was a house with many rooms and a large kitchen. The old man lived there alone. On the table in the kitchen stood a plate of porridge and a glass of beer.

“Give me the letter,” said the old man and I gave him my father’s letter.

“Yes, it is from my brother Alexander,” said the old man, “so you’re my nephew. But why have you come? You think I am rich and you want my help, don’t you?”

“No,” said I, “I came to give you my father’s letter. I don’t want your help — I have friends who can help me.”

“Now don’t be angry,” said my uncle. “Eat some porridge, and then you can go to bed. It is late now.”

Part II

In the morning for breakfast I again had some porridge. The old man asked me many questions about my father and mother and then he said, “I must go to the port now. You will come with me. I must see the captain of a ship which will soon sail to America.”

We went to the port and there we met a tall dark man. This was Captain Hoseason.

“You have come in time, Mr. Balfour. That is good,” he said. “We are going to sail tonight.”

My uncle sat down to talk to the captain and he told me to go and look at the sea and the ships.

I walked about for some time near the sea and looked at the ships that were in the port. Then my uncle called me. The captain spoke to me in a very friendly way. He said:

“You may come on board my ship for half an hour. We shall sail soon.”

I wanted very much to see the big ship, so the captain, my uncle and I got into a boat and it took us to the ship. The captain climbed up a ladder on to the deck and I climbed up behind him. When we were on board, I turned back to see where my uncle was, but the boat was on its way back to the port.

“Where is my uncle? Why is he not coming on board?” I asked the captain. Suddenly he hit me on the head and I fell down on the deck.

It was dark when I opened my eyes. I was in a little dark place. The ship was on its way. Then a door opened and two men came in. One of them was Captain Hoseason. He told me to get up and to goon deck. When I asked him to take me back to the port, the captain laughed and said:

“My ship is going to America. Your uncle has paid me well. I shall take you to America and there you will work on the tobacco fields.”

I understood that I was kidnapped. I was alone and had no friends on board the ship, but I decided to run away when the ship came to America.