Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1898-12-15
CHAPTER XXXIn.
THE FALL OF A CHIEFTAIN.

with Silver the blow passed almost in.
stantly. Every thought Of his soul
had been set full-stretch, Ike a racer,
on that money; well. he was brought up
In single second, dead: and he kept his
head. fouSd his temper, and changed
his plan before the others had had time
to realize the disappointment.
"Jim," he viii ,pcred. take that, and
stand 10y for trouble"
And he passed me q double -barreled
pistol.
NJ the same t;be he began quietly
moving northward, aud in "A few steps
had put the hollow between MS two
and the Other five. Then he lonl "a at me-
and nodded. us much as Ia cay: ''llcrr
Is narrow conner" az, indeed, |
thought il was. llis looks were nov
quite friendly; ard was So tcvoltcl
at these constant changes that could
not forhrar whispering: so you've
changed sides ugain."
There was no time left for him to
answer In. The buccaneers. with oaths
and cries, began to leap, one after an
,heir fingers. throwing the boards aside
ns they did 81. Morgan found a piece of
gold. lie held IL up with perfect
spout uf oaths. II was a two-gunrn
piece, and il went from hand to hand
among them for IA quarter Of a min
ute.
Two Cuincas." roarcd Merry, shak-
Ing il at Silver. That's your 100000,
Is il? You're the man for bargains
amt YOU? You're him that never bum
glcd nothing, you wooden-hcadcd lub-
ber."
Dig away, boys" said Silver. with
the coolest insolence: ''you'll find some
pig-nuts. and ! shouldn't wonder"
"Pig-nuts?" repeated Merry, In n
scream. MATES. do you hear that? I
tell YOU. now, that man there knew II
al along. Look in the face of him, and
you'll see il wrote there"
"Ah. Merry" remarked Silver, "stand
ing for cap'n again? You're pushing
lad. 10 he sure"
But this time everyone was entirely
i'm Mcrry's favor. They began to scram-
bic out of the excavation. darting fu-
rious looks behind them. One thing
observed. which looked well for us;
they all got out upon the opposite side
from Silver.
Well. there we stood. two on one
side. five on the other. the pit between
MS. and nobody screwed up high enough
TO offer the first blow. Silver never
moved; he watched them, very upright
on his crutch. and looked as cool as ever
saw him. He was brave, and no mis-
take.
At last. Merry seemed to think 4
speech might help matters.
Mates" says he. "there's two OF
them alone there: ones the old cripple
that brought us all here and Numbered
us down TO this; the others that cub
that mean to have the heart of. Now,
mates"
lie was raising his ar9 and his voice.
and plainly meant 10 lead charge.
But Just then-crack. crack! crack
three musket shots flashed out of the
thicket. Merry tumblei head foremost
into the excavation; the man with the
bandage spun round like a teetotum,
ard fell all his length upon his side.
where he lay deal, but still twitching:
and the other three turned and ran
for il With all thei:' might.
Before you coult wink Long John had
fired three barrels of a pistol into the
struggling Merry: and as the man rolled
up his Eyes at HIM in the last agony.
Geo said h., II reckon I settled
you.
A. rssr.e MOI rent the doctor, Gray,
ant mn joi.red us, with smoking
from among the nutmeg trees.
"i' ~ ard" c led the doctor.
"-oun quick, m, lads. We must head
'"u e. 2 the boats"
And we set off 1T great pace, some
times plunging through the bushes to
the chest.
tell you, but Silver was anxious 10
keep up with us. The work that man
went through, lea ,ing on his crutch TIL
the muscles of his chest were fit 10
burst, was work no sound man ever
equaled: and so links the doctor. As
il was. he was al eady 30 yards behind
us and on the verte of strang.ing when
we reached the l. 'ow of The slope.
Doctor" he hsiled, "see there! No
hurry"
Sure enough, III .ra was no hurry. L.
more open ra't of the plateau "
could see the thrie survivors still run
ming in the same direction as they hai
started. right for tiizzen-mast Hill. We
were already beiNeen them and thetr
boats. ard so W. four rat down ic
breathe, while long John. mopping
his face. came slowly up with us.
THANK We kindly, Doctor" says he
You came in aba mt the nick, guess
for me and Hawkins. And so it's you
Ben Gunn." he added. We'll. you're
nice one. TO be sure"
I'm Ben Gum, l am" replied the
maroon, wriggliny like an eel in hi,
embarrassment. and" he added. after
long pause, show do, Mr.. Silver! Pret.
~ WEI, thank We, says you"
Ben, Ben" mrrmured Silver, "to
think as you've done me-"
The doctor sen. back Gray for one
of the pickaxes. des .rted. in their flight,
by the mutineersi and then, as we pro-
ceeded leisurely cownhilI to where the
boats were lying, Ielsted in few words
what had taken pace. II was story
that profoundly Interested Silver, and
Ben Gum, the ha.f-idiot maroon. was
the hero from beginning 10 end.
Ben, in his long. lonely wandering
about the island, had found the skele-
ton-it WINS he ttat had rifed il; hs
had found the treasure; he mad dug
il up Gt was the half OF his picllax
that lay broken in the excavation); he
had carried il or his back In many
weary journeys frsm the foot Of the tell
pine TO a cave he h: ON the wo.pointed
hill at the northeast angle ofthe island,
and there II had laid stored in safety
since two months before the arrival ni
the 'lIispaniola."
fro BE Continued
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OId-1ime Wee thor Indications.
The earliest weather vanes in New
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