The Forrest City times., 1888-01-14
CHAPTER yTV
NII7N IH NV THE FIRST BLOW.

was so pleased at having given the slip 10 Long John, that 1 began to enjoy myself anu look around with some interest on the 1 strange land that was in.
 l had crossed a marshy tract full of vii. lows, bulrushes. and odd, outlandisb. swampy trees; and had now come out up. on the skirts of an open piece Of undulatiBg. l sandy country about mile long, dotted wlth Few pines, and great number of con. tofted trees, not unlike the oak in growth. Out pale In the foliage, like willows. On the lar side of the open stood one of the hiiis With two quaint craggy peaks, shining Yydly in the sun,
 now felt for the first time the ioy of ex. ploration. The isle was uninhsbited. my shipmales l had left behind. and notbinp lived in front of mo but dumb brutes and fowls. turned hither and tither among the trees. Here and there were Towering plants unknown 10 me; here and there i saw snakes, and one raised his head from a ledge of rock and hissed at me with noise not unlike the spinning of top. Little did ] suppose he was q deadly enemy, and that the noise was the famous rattle.
 Then came to long thcket of these oak. Ike tfees-liye, or evergreen, oaks, 1 heard sfteIward they should be called-which grew low along the sand like brambles. tae boughs curlously twisted, the foliage com pact Ike thaich. The thlcket stretched down from the top one Of the sandy knolls. spreading and growing taller as We went, until 1t reached the margin of the broad reedy fen, through which the nearest of the little rivers soaked its way Into the anchor age. Ibe marsh was stFaming in tbe strong sun, and the outline of the Spy-glass tremD- ied through the haze.
 All at once there began to go a sort of bus'ie among the burushes, a wild duck new up with qnack, another followed and soon over the whole surface Of the marsh great cloud of birds hung screaming and cHeHhg Tn the air. l judged at once that soiiie or my sh.ipmatss must ba drawing near slollS the bJTders of the fen. Nor WIS ] de- ee'Sed' .or soon heard the very distant and !o" . W.nes of human voice, which, as con s'h' 4ed to give ear, grew steadily louder and r.earer
 This put me in great fear, and 1 crawled under cover of the nearest live-oak, and squaited there, hearkening, as silent as mouse.
 Another voice answered; and then the first voice. which l now recognized to be Silyer's, once more took up the story and ran on for long while in a stream only now and again interrupted by the other. By the sound they must have been talking elrn' estly, and almost hercely; but no distinct word came to my hearing.
 At last the speakers seemed to have paused, and perhaps to have sat down; for not only did they cease to draw any nearer, but the birds themselves began 10 grow more quiet, and 10 settle again to ther places in the swamp.
 And now began to feel that l was neg lecting my business; that since l had been so foolhardy as to come ashore with these des- peradoes the least l could do was to over hear them at their councils; and that my plain and obvious duty was 10 draw as close as 1 could manage, under tine favorable am bush of the crouching trees.
 l could tell the direction of the speakers pretty exactly, not only by the sound of their voices, but by the behavior of the few birds that still hung in alarm above the heads of the intrudars
 Crawling on all-fours made steadily but slowly toward them; til at last raising my head to an aperture among the leaves, l could see clear town into a little green dell beside the mar , and closely set about With trees. where Long nhn Silver and another of the crew stood face 10 face in conversation.
 The sun beat full upon them. Silver had thrown his hat beside him on the ground, and his great smooth, blonde face, all shin ing with heat, was lifted to the other mans in kind of appeal.
 Mate" he was saving tits because l thinks gold-dnst ol you-gold-dnst and you may lay to thatl If hadn't took to you like pitch. do you think l q have been here a. warning of you? Al's up-you can't make nor mend; it's to save yoar neck that I'm a-speaking, and if one ot the wild 'uns knew it. where 'ud ] be, Tom-now, tell me. where 'ud be?'
 silver" said the other man-and l ob- served he was not only red n the lace, but smoke as hoarse as a crow, and his voice shook, too, like taut rope--''Silver," says he. you're old, and you're honest, or has the name for it; and you've money, too, which lots of poor sailors hasn't; and you're hrave or I'm mistoOk And will you tell me vou'u let yourself be laid away wilh that kind of a mess of swabs? not you! As sure as God sees me, I'd sooner lose my hand. II turn again my dooty--
 And then all of a sudden he was interrupt al by n noise. had found one of tine hon est hands we'll here, at that some moment came news of another Far away out in the marsh there arose, all of a sudden, a sound like the cry of anger, then another on the back of it; and then one horrid, long-drawn scream, The rocks of the Spy-glass re-eel- oed it a score of times; the whole troop of marsh-blrds rose again, darkening heaven, with a simultaneous whirr; and loss alter that death we'll was still ringing in my brain, silence had re-establshed its empira, and onIy the rustic of the redescending birds ana the boom of the distant surges disturbed the languor of the afternoon.
 Tom had leaped at the sound, like horse at the spur; but Silver had not winked an eve. He stood where he was, resting light- Iv on his crutch, watching his companion like snake about to spring.
 John" said the sallor slretehing out hls hand.
 .Hands onr' cried Silver leaping back a ward. as 1t seemed to me, with the speed and security of a trained gymnast.
 "Hands oil, ir you like, John Silver, said ,be other. its black conscience that can make YOU feared of me. But in Heavens name. tell me what was thatg'
 .Thaty' returned Silver, smiling away, hut warler than ever his eye mere pm point iu his bls face. but gleaIninE Ike