Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-10-06
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PART V.
CHAPTER XXV.-CoNTINUED.

Foraging about, found bottle with
come brandy left, for Hands; and for
myself l routed out some biscuit, some
picked fruits, great bunch of raisins,
and a piece of cheese. With these l
came on deck, put down my own stock
behind the rudder-head. and well out of
the cockswain's reach, went forward
to the breaker, and had good
deep drink of water, and then, and not
till then, gave Hands the brandy.
He must have drunk a gill before he
took the bottle from his mouth.
"Ay," said he, "by thunder, but l
wanted some o. that!"
/ had sat down already in my own
corner and began to eat.
Much hurt ?" | asked him.
He grunted, or, rather, l might say he
barked.
'If that doctor was aboard" he said,
ard be right enoughin couple of turns;
but don't have no manner of luck, you
see, and that's what's the matter with
me. AS for that swab, he's good and
dead, he is" he added, indicating the
Gnan with the red cap. HE warn't no
seaman, anyhow. And where mought
you have come from?"
"Well," said /, I've come aboard to
take possession of this ship, Mr.. Hands;
and you'll please regard me as your
captain until further notice"
He looked at me sourly enough, but
said nothing. Some Of the color had
come back into his cheeks, though he
still looked very sick and still contin-
ued to slip out and settle down as the
ship banged about.
"By the by" / continued, 81 can't
have these colors, Mr.. Hands; and by
your leave I'll strike 'em. Better none
than these"
And, again lodging the boom, I ran to
the color lines, hauled down their
cursed black flag, and chucked it over
board.
"God save the king!" said I, waving
my cap; "and there's an end to Capt
Silver"
He watched me keenly and slyly, his
chin all the while on his breast.
"I reckon" he said at last-"I reckon
Cap'n Hawkins, you'll kind of want to
get ashore, now. S'pose we talks"
"Why, yes" says l, with all my
heart. Mr.. Hands. Say on" And
went back to my meal with good appe
tite.
'"This man." he began, nodding feeb
1y at the corpse-"O'Brien were his
name-a rank 1relander-this man anC
me got the canvas on her, meaning fol
to sail her back. Well, he's dead now
he is-as dead as bilge; and who's TO sal
this ship. | don't see. Without l give
you a hint, you amt that man, as faT':
can tell. Now, look here, you give!
me food and drink, and old scarf OIL
ankecher to tie my wound up, you do
and I'll tell you how to sail her; anc
that's about square all round, l take it.
"Ill tell you one thing" says l; "Tn
not going back to Capt. Kidd's anchor
age. / mean to get into North inlet
and beach her quietly there"
'"To be sure you did, he cried. 'Why
amt sich an Internal lubber, after all
can see. can't 1? I've tried my fling
I have, and I've lost, and it's you ha
the wind of me. North inlet? Why,
haven't no ch'ice, not l! I'd help yol
sAlt her up 10 Execution uocK, %.
thunder! so I would"
Well as it seemed to me, there wa
some sense in this. We struck our bar
gain on the spot. In three minutes
had the "Hispaniola" sailing easily be
fore the wind along the coast of Treas
ure island, with good hopes of turning
the northern point ere noon. and beat
ing down again as far as North inle
before high water, when we nigh
beach her safely, and wait till the sub
siding tide permitted us to land.
Then | lashed the tilier and went be
low to my own chest, where got a sof
silk handkerchief of my mothers. Will
this. and with my aid, Hanos bound VI
the great bleeding stab he had received
In the thigh, and after he had eaten
little and had a swallow or two more o
the brandy. he began to pick up visibly
sat straighter up, spoke louder ant
clearer, and looked in every way an
other man.
The breeze served us admirably. w
akimmed before 1t like bird, the coas