Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1898-02-10

was blue. That's 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 of the trees in front of us, thin,
high, trembling voice struck up the
well-xnown air and words:
Fifteen men on the dead mans chest
Yo-ho-ho, and bottle of rum!'
Inever have seen men more dreadful
" affected than the pirates. The color
went from their six faces like enchant-
ment; some leaped to their feet, some
clawed hold of others; Morgan groyeled
on the ground.
Its Flint, by -" cried Merry.
The song had stopped as suddenly as
it began-broken off, you would have
said, in the middle of 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 ii 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 skylarking-
some one that's flesh and blood, and
you may lay to that"
His courage had come back as he
spoke, and some of the color to his face
along with it. Already the others had
begun to lend an ear to this encourage
ment, and were coming a little to them
selves, when the same voice broke out
again-not this time singing, but in a
faint, distant hail, that echoed yet
fainter among the clefts of the Spy
glass.
DARBY M'Graw." it wailed-for that
is the word that best describes the
sound - DARBY M'Grawl Darby
MGraw!" again and again and again.
and then rising little higher. and with
an oath that leave out: Fetch aft the
rum, Darby!"
The buccaneers remained rooted to
the ground. their eyes starting from
their heads. Long after the voice had
died away they still stared in silence.
before them.
THAT fixes i'll" gasped one. Lets
co.
"They was his last words" moaned
Morgan: "his last words aboye-board."
Dick had his Bible out and was pray
ing volubly. He had been well brought
mp, had Dick, before he came 10 sea
aud fell among bad companions.
Still, Silver was unconquered. could
hear his teeth rattle in his head; but he
had not vet surrendered.
"Nobody in this here island ever
heard of Darby" he muttered; mot one
Dut us that's here" And then, making
4 great effort: "Shipmates." he cried,
I'm here to get that stuff. and I'll not
De beat by man nor devil. ! never was
feared of Flint in his life. and, by the
POWERS. I'll face him dead. There's
c 100000 not a quarter of mile from
lere. When did ever a gentleman o
fortune show his stern to that much
dollars. for booty old seaman with
blue mug-and him dead, too?"
But there was no sign of reawakening
in his followers; rather, in
feed. of growing terror at the irrever-
nee of his words.
Delay there. joint" said Merry.
Don't you cross a sperrit."
And the rest were all too terrified to
-eply. They would have run away
everally had they dared. but fear kept
hem together, and kept them close by
Iohn. as if his daring helped them.
lie. on his part. had pretty well fought
lis weakness down.
"Sperrit? Well. maybe" he said.
But there's one thing not Gear to me.
There was an echo. Now. no man ever
,een a sperrit with a shadow: well,
hen. what's he doing with an echo TO
lin. ! should like to know? That amt
n patur'. surely?"
This argument seemed weak enough
o me. But YOU can never tell what will
fleet the superstitious. and. to my
wonder. George Merry was greatly re
ieved.
"Wen. that's so" he said. you've
read upon your shoulders. John. and
20 mistake. Bout ship, mates! This
Iere crew is on the wrong tack, do be-
ieve. And come to think on it, it was
Ike Flint's voice, l grant you, but not
nst so clear away like it, after all 1t
ras liker somebody else's voice now
/ was like"
"By the powers. Ben Gunn!" roared
liver.
"Ay. and so it were" cried Morgan.
bringing on his knees. Ben Gum it
rerel"
at don't make much odds. do it.
ow?'' asked Dick ben Gums not
ere in the body. any more'n Flint"
But the older hands greeted this re-
lark with scorn. why. nobody minds
zen Gum" cried Merry; dead or alive,
obody minds him"