Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-03-08

John would touch his forelock with q
solemn way he had, that made me think
he was the best of men.
In the meantime, the squire and Cap
tain Smollett were still on pretty dist
ant terms with one another. The squire
made no bones about h matter; he
despised the captain. The captain, on
his part, never spoke but when he was
spoken TO, and then sharp and short
and dry, and not word wasted. He
owned. when driven into a corner. that
he seemed to have been wrong o
the crew, that some of them were as
brisk as he wanted to see, and all had
behaved fairly well. AS for he ship, he
mad taken a downright fancy to her.
She'll lie a point nearer the wind than
a man has a right 10 expect of his own
married wife, sir. But" he would add,
Fall / say is, we're no home again, ana
/ don't like the cruise"
The squire, at this. would turn away
and march up and down the deck, chin
in air.
"A trife more of that man." he
would say, land I should explode"
We had some heavy weather which
only proved the qualities of the
"Hispaniola." Every man on board
must have been hard to please
If they had been otherwise; for
1t is my belief there was never a ships
company so spoiled since Noah put to
sea. Double grog was going on the
least excuse; there was dun on odd
days, as for instance. If the squire
heard ii was a mans birthday; and
always a barrel of apples standing
preached in the waist, for anyone TO
help himself that had q fancy"
Never knew good to come OF 1t yet"
the captain said to DR.. Livesey. Spoil
fok's'le hands, make devils. That's my
belief"
But good did come OF the apple bar
rel. as you shall hear; for IL IT had not
been for that, we should have had no
note OF warning and might all have
persisted by the hand OF treachery.
This is o 1t came about:
We had run up the trades TO get the
wind of the island we were after-I am
not allowed to be more plain-and now
we were running down for 1t with a
bright lookout day and night. 1t was
about III last day Of our outward voy-
age, by the largest computations; some
time that night, or. at latest, before
moo of the morrow, we should sight
the Treasure island. We were heading
s. S. W., and had a steady breeze
abeam and a quiet sea. The "Hispan-
lola" rolled steadily, dipping her bow
SDlTil now anu lltD With a. VIII VI
spray. All was dra wing allow and aloft;
every one was IN the bravest spirits,
because we were now so near an end
OF the first part OF our adventure.
Now, just after shutdown, when all
my work was over, and / was on my
way TO my berth. 1t occurred TO me
that / should Ike an apple. l ran on
deck. The watch was all forward look
ing out for the island. The man at the
helm was watching the luff or the
sail, and whistling away gently to him
self: and that was the only sound ex-
Cepting the swish Of the sea against the
bows and around the sides Of the ship
In / got bodily into the apple barrel
and found there was scare an apple
left; but, sitting down there in the
dark, what with the sound OF the wa
ters and the rocking movement of the
ship. | had either fallen asleep, or was
on the point of doing so, when a heavy
mar sat down with rather a clash close
by. The barrel shook as he leaned his
shoulders against Ii, and / was JUS
about to jump up when the man begar
TO speak. 1t was Silver's voice, anC
before | had heard a dozen words,
would not have shown myself for al
the world. but lay there. trembling and
listening, in the extreme of fear anc
curiosity; for from these dozen word:
| understood that the lives Of all thu
honest men aboard depended upon me
aloCe.
CONTINUED next week.)