Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-03-22

these oaw-like trees-live or
oaks, i heard afterward they should
be called-which grew low along the
sand like brambles, the boughs r
iously twisted, the foliage compact, Ike
thatch. The thicket stretched down
from the top one of the sandy knobs,
spreading and growing taller as it went
until it reached the margin OF the
broad, reedy fen, through which the
hearts of the little rivers soaked it's
way into the anchorage. The marsh
was steaming In the strong sun, and
h outline of the Spy-glass trembled
through the haze.
All at once there began TO go a sort
Of hustle among the bulrushes: a wild
duck flew up with a quack, another fol-
lowed. and 500 over the whole surface
OF the marsh a great cloud of birds
hung screaming Il circling in the
air. / judged at once that some OF my
shipmates must be drawing near along
the borders of the fen. Nor was l de-
ceiyed; for soon | heard the very dis
tant and low tones Of a human voice,
which as l continued to give ear, grew
steadily louder and nearer.
This put me in great fear, and l
crawled under cover of the nearest live
oak and squatted there, hardening, as
silent as a mouse.
Another voice answered; n then
the first voice, which | now recognized
TO he Silver's. once more took up the
story, and ran on Cor a long while in a
stream, only now and again interrupt
ed by the other. by the sound The!
must have been talking earnestly, and
almost flercely; but no distinct word
came 60 my hearing.
At last the speakers seemed TO have
paused, and perhaps TO have sat down;
for not only did they cease to draw any
nearer, but the birds themselves began
TO grow more quiet, and TO settle again
TO their places in the swamp.
Aud now l be-an TO fee! that ] was
negleCting my b~dsincs5, hat since
had been so ~foolhardy as to come ashore
With these despeir does, the least ]
could do was 60 ovcrhear them at then
councils; ard my plan and obvious
duty was to draw as close as could
manage, under the favorable ambush
Of the crouching trees.
| could tell the direction Of the speak
ers pretty exactly, not only by the
sound of their voices. but by the be-
havior of the few birds thai still hung
in alarm above the heads OF the in
trudcrS.
Crawling on all-fours. l made
steadily but slowly toward them; til
at last, raising my head to an aper-
ture among the Leaves, l could see clear
down into a little green dell beside the
marsh, end closely set about with trees
where Long John Silver and another
of the crew stood face to ace in con.
Versation.
The sun beat fun upon them. Silver
had thrown his hat beside him on the
ground, and his great, smooth, blonde
face, all shining with heat, was lifted
to the other mans in a kind of appeal
Mate" he was saying, its because
| thinks gold-dust OF you-gold-dust
and you may lay to that! If l hadn't
tool to you like pitch, do you think I'd
have been here a-warning of you? AIRS
up-you can't D Ike nor mend. it's &c
save your neck that I'm a-speaklng
and if one of the wild 'uns knew it
where 'ud l be, Tom-now, tell me
where 'ud / be-"
SILVER" said the other MAINLAND
l observed he was not only red in the
face, but spoke as hoarse as a crow
and his voice shook, too, like a taut
rope-'Silver,' says he, you're old
and you're honest, or has tn. name fol
it; and you've money, too, which lots OF
poor sailors hasn't; and you're brave
or I'm mistoOk. And will you tell me
youll let yourself be led away Will
that kind Of n mess of swabs? not you.
As sure as God sees me, ia sooner los,
my hand. Is urn again my dooty-
CONTINUED next week.)