The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1898-07-12
PART VI.
CHAPTER NXYII.

THE TREASURE HUNT-THE VOICE
AMONG THE TREES.
Partly from the damping influence
of this alarm, partly to rest Silver and
the sick folk, the whole party sat down
as soon as they had gained the brow of
the ascent.
The plateau being somewhat tilted
toward the west, this spot on which
we had paused commanded wide pros
pect on either hand. Before us, over
the tree-tops, we beheld the Cape of the
Woods fringed with surf; behind, we
not only looked down upon the anchor
age and Skeleton island, but saw-clear
across the spit and the eastern low
lands-a great field of open sea upon
the east. Sheer above us rose the Spy
glass, here dotted with single pines, there
black with precipices. There was no
sound but that of the distant breakers,
mounting from all round, and the chirp
of countless insects in the brush. Net
a man, not sail upon the sea; the very
Iargeness of the view increased the
sense Of solitude.
Silver. as he sat, took certain bear
ings with his compass.
There are three tall trees, >" said
he, 'about in the right line from Skele-
ton island. 'Spy-glass shoulder L take
it, means that lower pint there. It's
child's play to find the stuff now. I've
half a mind to dine first"
81 don't feel sharp" grOwled Morgan.
"Thinkin' O. Flint think il were-'as
done me-"
''Ah, well, my son, you praise your
stars he's dead" said Silver.
''He was an ugly devil cried third
pirate, with a shudder; that blue in the
face, tool"
THAT was how the rum took him,
added Merry. blue! well, reckon he
was blue. That's a true word"
Ever since they had found the skele-
ton and got upon this train of thought
they had spoken lower and lower, and
they had almost got TO whispering by
now. so that the sound of their talk
hardly interrupted the silence of the
wood All of a sudden, out of the mid
die o. the trees in front of us, thin,
high, trembling voice struck up the
well-knOwn air and words:
Fifteen men on the dead mans chest
Yc-ho-ho. and a bottle of rum!''
never have seen men more dreadful
" affected than the pirates. The color
went from their six faces like enchant-
ment; some leapcd to their feet, some
clawed hold of others; Morgan groveled
on the ground.
Its Flint, by =" cried Merry.
The song had stopped as suddenly as
it began-brollen off, you would hav-
said, in the middle of Il note, as though
some one had laid his hand upon the
singers mouth. Coming so far through
the clear. sunny atmosphere among the
green tree-tops, thought it had sound
ed airily and sweetly, and the effect on
my companions was the stranger.
Come" said Silver, struggling with
his ashen lips to get the word out, THAT
won't do. Stand by to go about. This
IS a rum start, and l can't name the
voice, but it's some one slylarking-
some one that's flesh and blood, ana
you may lay to that
His courage had come back as be
spoke, and some of the color TO his face
along with it. Already the others haC
begun to lend an ear to this encourage
ment, and were coming a little to them
selves, when the same voice broke Ou1
again-not this time singing, but in ;
faint. distant hail, that echoed yer
fainter among the clefts OF the Spy
glass.
Darby M'Graw," it wailed-for tha'
is the word that best describes the
sound - DARBY M'Graw! Darby
MGraw." again and again and again
and then rising little higher, and will
an oath that leave out: Fetch aft thu
rum, Darbyl"
The buccaneers remained rooted L
the ground, their eyes starting from
their heads. Long after the voice hat
died away they still stared in silence
dreadfully, before them.
THAT fixes it," gaspeG one. LET:
co.
They was his last words" mOanet
Morgan; "his last words above-board.
Dick had his Bible out and was pray
ing volubly. He had been well brough
up, had Dick, before he came to sc;
and fell among bad companions.
Still, Silver was unconquered. Icoult
hear his teeth rattle in his head; but h
had not yet surrendered.
Nobody in this here island eve
heard of Darby" ae muttered; mot on
q but US that's here" And then, making