Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-04-26
headed lubber had a Bible?"


"It was Dick" said one.
"Dick, was it? Then Dick can get to
prayers" said Silver. Hes seen his
slice of luck, has Dick, and you may lay
to that"
But here the long man with the yell
low eyes struck in.
Delay that talk, John Silver" he
said. "This crew has tipped you the
black spot in full council, as in dooty
bound; just you turn it over, as in dooty
bound, and see what's wrote there.
Then you can talk"
"Thanky, George" replied the sea
cook. 'You always was brisk for bust
ness, and has the rules by heart, George,
as I'm pleased to see. Well, what is it,
anyway? All! Deposed'-thats it, is
it? Very pretty wrote, to be sure; like
print, I swear. Your hand O. write,
George? Why, you was gettin' quite
leadin' man in this here crew. You'll
be cap'n next, 1 shouldn't wonder. Just
oblige me with that torch again, will
you? This pipe don't draw"
"Come, now" said George, "you don't
fool this crew no more. You're funny
man, by your account; but you're over
now, and you'll maybe step down off
that barrel and help vote"
81 thought you said you knowed the
rules" returned Silver, contemptuous-
ly. "Leastways, if you don't, do, and
I wait here-and I'm still your cap'n,
mindful you outs with your griev-
ances and reply; in the meantime your
black spot amt worth biscuit. After
that we'll see."
"Oh." replied George, "you don't be
under no kind of apprehension; we're
all square, we are. First, you've made
a hash of this cruise-you'll be bold
man to say no to that. Second, you let
the enemy out O this here trap for moth
ing. Why did they want out! Idunno;
but it's pretty plain they wanted it.
Third, you wouldn't let us go at them
upon the march. Oh, we see through
you, John Silver; you want to play
booty, that's what's wrong with you.
And then, fourth, there's this here boy"
us that all?" asked Silver, quietly.
j Enough, too" retorted George.
swell all swing and sun dry for your
bungling."
"Well, now, look here, I'll answer
these four p'ints; one after another III
answer 'em. / made a hash O this
cruise, did I? Well, now, you all know
what 1 wanted; and you all know, if
that had been done, that we'd "a been
aboard the 'Hispaniola' this night as
ever was, every man of us alive, and fit,
and full of good plum-duff, and the
treasure in the hold of her, by thunder!
Well, who crossed me? Who forced my
hand, as with the lawful cap'n? Who
tipped me the black spot the day we
landed and began this dance? All, it's
a mighty fine dance-I'm with you
there-and looks mighty like horn
pipe in a ropes end at Execution Dock
by London town, it does. But who done
it? Why, it was Anderson and Hands,
and you, George Merry! And you're the
last above board of that same meddling
crew; and you have the Davy Jones'
Il insolence to up and stand for cap'n over
me-you, that sunk the lot Of us! By
the powers! but this tops the stiffest
yarn to nothing"
Silver paused, and could see by the
faces of George and his companions
that these words had not been said in
vain.
THAT'S for number one" cried the
accused, wiping the sweat from his
brow, for he had been talking with a
vehemence that shook the house
"Why, I give you my word, I'm sick to
speak to you. You've neither sense nor
memory, and leave it to fancy where
your mother was that let you come to
sea. Sea! Gentlemen O fortunel ]
reckon tailors is your trade"
go on, john" said Morgan. "Speak
up to the Others"
"Ah, the others!" returned John
They're nice lot, amt they? You say
this cruise is bungled! All! by gum
If you could understand how bad it's
bungled, you would see! We're that
near the gibbet that my neck's stiff
with thinking on it. You've seen 'em
maybe, hanged in chains, birds about
'em, seamen printing 'em out as they
go down with the tide. Who's that?
says one. That! Why, that's John Sill
yer. 1 knowed him WELL says another
And you can hear the chains a-jangle as
you go about and reach for the other
buoy. Now, that's about where we are
every mothers son of us, thanks tc
him and Hands, and Anderson, and
other ruination fools of you. And if you
want to know about number four, and
that boy, why, SILVER my timbers! isn't
he hostage? Are we going to waste
hostage? No, not us; he nigh,
be our last chance, and shouldn't
wonder. Kill that boy? Not me, matesl
And number three? All, well, there.
deal to say to number three. Maybe
you don't count it nothing to have area
college doctor come to see you every
day-you, John, with your head broke
or you, George Merry, that had the
ague shakes upon you not six hours
agone, and has your eyes the color Of
lemon peel to this same moment on the
clock? And maybe, perhaps, you didn',
know there was a consort coming
either? But there is, and not so Ions
till then; and We'll see who'll be glad tt
have hostage when it comes to that
And as for number two, and why
, made a bargain-well, you came crawl
ing on your knees to me to make it-or
your knees you came, you was tina
, down-hearted-and you'd have starved
, too, if hadn't-but that's trife! you
look there-that's why!"