Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-05-03

meantime. once we got the ship and
treasure both, and Off to sea like jolly
companions, why, then We'll talk Mr..
Hawkins over, we will, and We'll give
him his share, to be sure, for all his
kindness"
1t was no wonder the men were in
good humor now. For my part, was
horribly cast down Should the scheme
he had now sketched prove feasible, Sill
yer. already doubly a traitor, would not
hesitate to adopt it, He had still foot
in either camp, and there was no doubt
he would prefer wealth and freedom
with the pirates to bare escape from
hanging, which was the best he had to
hope on our side.
Nay, and even if things so fell out
that he was forced to keep his faith
with DR.. Livesey, even then what dan
ger lay before us! What n moment that
would be when the suspicious of his fol-
lowers turned to certainty, and he and
should have to fight for dear life
he. cripple, and /, a boy-against five
strong and active seamen!
Add to this double apprehension, the
mystery that still hung over the be-
havor of my friends; their unexplained
desertion of the stockade; their mex
plicable cession of the chart; or, harder
still to understand, the doctors last
warning to Silver: Look out for
squalls when you find it," and you will
readily believe how little taste found
in my breakfast, and with how uneasy
a heart I set forth behind my captors
on the quest for treasure.
We made curious figure had
anyone been there to see us; all in
soiled sailor clothes, and all but me
armed to the teeth. Silver had two
guns slung about him, one before and
one behind-besides the great cutlass
at his waist, and pistol in each pock-
ct of his square-tailed coat. To complete
his strange appearance, Capt Flint sat
perched upon his shoulder and gabbled
! odds and ends of purposeless sea-talk.
I had line about my waist, and fol-
lowed obediently after the sea-cook,
who held the loose end of the rope, now
in his free hand, now between his pow
erful teeth. For all the world was led
like dancing bear.
The other men were variously bur-
dened, some carrying picks and SHOW
els-for that had been the very first
necessary they brought ashore from
the 'Hispaniola"-others laden with
pork, bread and brandy for the midday
meal. All the stores, I observed, came
| from our stock; and I could see the
truth of Silver's words the night before.
Had he not struck bargain with the
doctor he and his mutineers, deserted
by the ship, must have been driven to
| subsist on clear water, and the proceeds
| of their hunting. Water would have
been little to their taste; sailor is not
usually a good shot; and, besides all
that, when they were SO short of eat
ables, it was not likely they would be
very flush of powder.
Well, thus equipped, we all set out
even the fellow with the broken head
who should certainly have kept in shad.
ow-and struggled, one after another
to the beach, where the two gigs await
ed us. Even these bore trace of the
drunken folly of the pirates, one in a
broken thwart, and both in their mud.
died, unbailed condition. Both were tc
be carried along with us, for the sake OF
safety; and so, with our numbers di
vided between them, we set forth upon
the bosom of the anchorage.
AS we pulled over there was some
discussion on the chart. The red cross
was, of course, far too large to be q
guide; and the terms of the note on the
back, as you will hear, admitted Of
some ambiguity. They ran, the reade,
may remember, thus:
Tall tree. spy-glass shoulder, bearing
a point to the N. Of N. N. E.
Skeleton Island. E. s. e. and by e.
Ten feet"
A tall tree was thus the principa
mark. Now, right before us, the an
chorage was bounded by plateau from
two to three hundred feet high, adjoin
ing on the north the sloping southern
shoulder of the Spy-glass, and rising
again toward the south into the rough
cliffy eminence called the Mizzen-mas
Hill. The top of the plateau was dotted
thickly with pine trees of varying
height. Every here and there, one of ;
different species rose forty or fifty fee
clear above its neighbors, and which O
these was the particular "tall tree" O.
Capt. Flint could only be decided on tn,
spot, and by readings of the compass.
Yet. although that was the case
every man on board the boats hac
picked favorite of his own ere WE
were halfway over, Long John alon,
Struggling his shoulders and bidding
them wait till they were there.
We pulled easily by Silver's direc
tions, not TO weary the hands prema
turely; and, after quite long passage
landed at the mouth of the SECOND
river-that which runs down woody
cleft of the Spy-glass. Thence, bend
ing to our left, we began to ascend tn
slope toward the plateau.
At the first outset, heavy, mir,
ground and matted, marsh vegeta
ton greatly delayed our progress
but by little and little the hill began t.
steepen and become stony underfoot
and the wood to change its characte
I and to grow in more open oruer.
was, indeed, most pleasant portion o
the island that we were now approach
ing. A heavy-scented bloom and man
/ Towering shrubs had almost taken tn
place of grass. Thickets of green nut
meg trees were dotted here and Their
. with the red columns and the broa
shadow of the pines; and the first mir
gled their spice with the aroma of tn