The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-06-20


We thought. besides, they had had more
than enough of fighting.
Therefore the work was pushed on
briskly. Gray and Ben Gum came and
went with the boat, while the rest dur
ing their absence piled treasure on the
beach. Two of the hars, slung tn q
ropes end, made good load for a
grown ma1--one that he was glad to
walk slowly with. For my part, as !
was not much use at carrying, I was
kept busy all day in the cave packing
the mtnted money into bread bags.
1t was strange collection, like Billy
Bones hoard for the diversity Of coin
age, but so much larger and so much
more varied that think never had
more pleasure than In sorting them.
English, French, Spanish, Portuguese.
Georges and Louises, doubloons and
double guineas and moidores and
sequins, the pictures fall the kings Of
Europe for the last hundred years.
strange oriental pieces stamped with
what looked like wisps Of string or bits
of SPIDERS web, round piecese and
square pieces and pieces bored through
the middle. as If to wear them round
your neck-nearly every variety Of
money in the world must, think have
found a place in that collection: and
for numb Der, am sure they were like
autumn leaves, so that my back ached
with STOPPING and my fingers with sort
ing them out.
Day after day this work went on; by
every evening a fortune had been
slowed aboard, but there was another
fortune waiting for the morrow: and
all this time we heard nothing of the
three surviving mutineers.
At last-I think 1t was on the third
night-the doctor and were strolling
on the shoulder of the hill where 1t
overlooks the lowlands Of the isle,
when, from out the thick darkness be-
low, the wind brought us a noise be-
tween shrieklng and singing. 1t was
only snatch that reached our ears,
followed by the former silence.
Heaven forgive them" said the doc
tor; . tbs the mutineers!"
"All drunk, SIR struck in the voice
of Silver from behind us.
Silver, I should say, was allowed his
entire liberty, and in spite Of daily re-
Bluffs, seemed to regard himself once
more as quite privileged and friendly
dependent. Indeed, 1T was remarkable
what unwearying politeness he kept
at trying to ingratiate himself with all
Yet, I think, none treated him better
than a dog: unless 1t was Ben Gum,
who was still terribly afraid of his old
quartermaster, or myself, who had real
ly something. to thank him for; all
thought for that matter, suppose, I
had reason to think even worse o. him
than anybody else, for had seen him
meditating a fresh treachery upon the
plateau. Accordingly, it was pretty
gruffly that the doctor answered him.
Drunk or raving!" said he.
fright you were, sir" replied Silver;
land precious little odds which, to you
and me-
IT suppose you would hardly ask me
to call you humane man." returned
the doctor, with a sheer, land so my
feelings may surprise you, Master Sill
Yer. But If were sure they We're raw
ing-as I am morally certain one, at
least, Of them is down with feyerAI
should leave this camp, and, at what
ever risk to my own carcass take them
the assistance Of my skill"
ASK your pardon, sir, you would be
very wrong" quoth Silver. You would
lose your precious life, and you may
lay to that. I'm on your side now,
hand and glove; and I shouldn't
wish for to see the party
weakened, let alone yourself,
seeing as I know what I owes
you. But these men down there, they
couldn't keep their word-no, not sup
posing they wished to, and what's more,
they couldn't believe as you could"
NO." said the doctor. You're the
man to keep your word, we know that
I Well, that was about the last news
we had of the three pirates. Only once
we heard gunshot a great way off,
and supposed them to be hunting. A
| council was held, and it was decided
that we must desert them on the island
to the huge glee, must say, Of Ben
Gum, and with the strong approval of
Gray. We left a good stock Of powder
and shot, the bluk of the salt goat, a
few medicines and some other neces-
saries, tools, clothing, a spare sail, a
| fathom or two of rope and, by the par
ticular desire of the doctor, handsome
present Of tobacco.
That was about our last doing on the
island. Before that we had got the
treasure slowed, and had shipped
enough water and the remainder Of the
goat meat, in case Of any distress; and
at last, one fine morning, we weighed
| anchor, which was about all that we
could manage and stood out Of North
inlet, the same colors flying that the
/ captain had flown and fought under at
| the palisade.
The three fellows must have beer
| watching us closer than we thought
for, as we soon had proved. For, COM
ing through the narrows, we had to lie
/ very near the southern point, and there
we saw all three Of them kneeling to.
/ gether on a spit Of sand, with theil
arms raised in supplication. 1t went tt
all our hearts, think, to leave then
/ in that wretched state: but we coulc
4 not risk another nnutiny; and to take
them home for the gibber would have
! been cruel sort Of kindness. The
doctor hailed them and told them Of
the stores we had left, and where they
were to find them, but they continued
to call us by name and appeal to us
4 for God's sake, to be merciful, and no
a leave them to die In such a place.
i At last, seeing the ship still bore OF
4 her course, and was now swiftly draw
4 ing out Of earshot, one of thenl-I know
4 not which it was-leoped to his fee
with hoarse cry, whipped his muske
4 to his shoulder and sent shot Whis
Ting over .Silver's head and through
i the mainsail
4 After that we kept under cover O
4 the bulWarks, and when next I looked
out they disappeared from the spit ant
i the spit itself had almost melted on
/. of sight in the glowing distance. Tha
" was. at least, the end Of that: and be
, fore noon. to my inexpressible joy, tn
4 highest rock of Treasure Island hat
4 sunk into the blue round Of sea.
! We were SO short of men that every
|, one on board had to bear hand-onl
!. the captain lying on a mattress in tn
a EtarT1 MI erfytnp hi G fhn11e