The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-04-18
CHAPTER Xxx.
SILNER'S EMBASSY.


Sure enough, there were two men
just outside the stockade, one Of them
waving white cloth; the other, no less
a person than Silver himself, standing
placidly by.
1t was still quite early and the cold
est morning that I think I ever saw
abroad in; chill that pierced into the
marrow The sky was bright and cloud
less overhead, and the tops of the trees
shone rosily in the sun. But where Sill
yer stood with his lieutenant all was
still in shadow, and they waded knee
deep in a low white vapor, that had
crawled during the night out Of the
morass. The chill and vapor taken to-
gether told poor tale Of the island. 1t
was plainly a damp, feVeriSh, unheal-
thy spot.
Keep indoors, men," said the cap
tain. Ten to one this is a trick
Then he hailed the buccaneer.
"Who goes? Stand or we fire.
Flag of truce" cried Silver.
The captain was in the porch, keep
ing himself carefully out of the way of
treacherous shot should any be in
tended. He turned and spoke to us.
Doctors watch on the lookout. DR..
LiVesey, take the north side, If you
please; Jim, the east, Gray the west.
The watch below, all hands to load
And then he turned again to the mu-
tineers.
And what do you want with your
flag of .truce?" he cried.
This time it was the other man who
replied.
"Cap'n Silver, sir, to come on board
and make terms he shouted
"Cap'n Silver! Don't know him.
Who's he?" cried the captain. And we
hin, o11inp tn him Self.
"Cap'n, is it? My heart, and here's
prom otion!"
Long John answered for himself.
ME, sir. These poor lads have
chosen me cap'n, after your desertion,
sir''-laying particular stress upon the
word "desertion." Were willing to
submit, IL we can come to terms, and no
bones about it. All ask is your word,
Capn Smollett, to let me safe and sound
out of this here stockade. and one
minute to get out O. shot before gun
is fred"
my man." said Captain Smollett II
have not the slightest desire to talk
to you. If you wish to talk to me, you
can come that's all. If there's any
treachery, it'll be on your side, and the
Lord help you
John, cheerly. "A word from yous
enough. I know gentleman, and you
may lay to that"
We could see the man who carried
the flag of truce attempting to hold
Silver back, nor was that wonderful
seeing how cavalier had been the cap
tain's answer. But Silver laughed at
him aloud. and slapped him on the
back, as if the idea Of alarm had been
absurd. Then he advanced to the
stockade, threw over his crutch, got a
leg up, and with great vigor and skill.
succeeded in surmounting the fence
and dropping safely to the other side.
/ will confess that I was far too much
taken up with what was going on to
be of the slightest use as sentry; in
deed I had already deserted my east
ern lophole and crept up behind the cap
tain, who had now seated himself on
the threshold, with his elbows on his
knees, his head in his hands, and his
eyes fixed on the water as it dubbed
out of the old iron kettle in the sand.
He was whistling to himself: Come,
Lasses and Lads
Silver had terrible hard work get
ting up the knoll. With the steepness
of the incline, the thick tree stumps,
and the soft sand, he and his crutch
were as helpless as a ship in stays. But
he stuck to 1t like a man in silence,
and at last arrived before the captain,
whom he saluted in the handsomest
style. He was tricked out in his best:
an immense blue coat, thick with brass
buttons, hung as low as to his knees,
and a fine laced hat was set on the
back or his head.
Here you are, my man. said the
captain, raising his head. You had
better sit down."
You amt a-going to let me inside,
cap'n. It's main cold morning, to be
sure. sir. to sit outside upon the sand ?
q why, Silver" said the captain, 'if
you had pleased to be an honest man
You might have been sitting in fr