The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-03-21

HSl was ~ Va ~ 'S'NN' |
and instead of keeping the crew in or
der, he g%ru!nbled as loud as the worst.
WELL" he said. with an oath, its
not forever
1 thought his was a very bad sign;
for. up to that day, the men had gone
briskly n willingly about their bust
hess; but the very sight of the lSlan1
had relaxed the cords of discipline.
All the IA in, Long John stood by
the steersman and conned the ship.
He knew the passage like the palm of
his hand; and though the man in the
chains got everywhere more water
than was down in the chart, John new
er heSitated once.
There's a strong scour with the
ebb," he said. land this here passage
has been dug out, in q manner OF
speaking, with a spade"
We brought up just where the an
Choir was in the chart, about a third OF
a mile from either shore, the mainland
on n side, and Skeleton island on the
other. The bottom was clean sand.
The plunge of our anchor sent up
clouds Of birds wheeling and crying
over the woods; but in less than a min
ute they were all down again, and all
was once more silent.
The place was entirely land-lOcked,
buried in woods, the trees coming right
down to high water mark. the shores
mostly fiat, n the hilltops standing
round at a distance in a sort of amphi-
theater, one here, one there. Two lit
tie rivers, or, rather, two swamps,
emptied out into this pond, as you
might call it; and the foliage round
that part of the shore had q kind Of
poisonous brightness. From the ship,
we could see nothing Of the house or
stockade, for they We're quite buried
among trees; and if it had not been
for the chart on the companion, we
might ave been the first that had
ever nchored there since the island
arose out of the seas.
There was not a breath of air NOV
ing, nor a sound bat hat Of the surf
booming half a mile away along the
beaches and against the rocks outside.
A peculiar stagnant smell hung over
the anchorage-a smell Of sodden
leaves and rotten tree trunks. l OBJ
served the doctor shifting, and shifting,
like some one tasting a bad egg.
It don't know about treasure" he
said, but I'll stake my wig there's
fever here"
If the conduct of the men had been
alarming in the boat, it became truly
threatening when they had come
aboard. They lay about the deck
: growing together in talk. The slight
est order was received with a black
look, and grudgingly and carelessly
obeyed. Even the honest hands must
} have caught the infection, for there
, was not one man aboard to mend an
} other. Mutiny, 1t Yves plain. hung over
+ US like a thunder-cloud.
/ And it was not only we Of the cabin
party who perceived the danger. Long
/ John was hard at work going from
group to group, spending himself in
: good advice, and as for example no
man could have shown a better. He
1 fairly outstripped himself In willing
ness and civility; he was all smiles to
t every one. If an order were given,
John would be on his crutch in an in
slant, with the cheeriest GAY, ay, sir!'
V in the world; and when there was
e nothing else to do, he kept up one
f song after another, as If to conceal the
discomfort of the rest.
OF all the gloomy features of that
G gloomy afternoon, this obvious anxiety
on the part of Long John appeared the
worst.
We held a council in the cabin.
Sir" said the captain, IF I risk an
other order, the whole shipll come
about our ears by the rum. You see,
sir, here it is. I get a rough answer
: do I not? Well, If 1 speak back, pixies
will be going in two shakes; If 1 don't,
r Silver will see there's something under
: that, and the games up. Now, we've
only one M to rely on
= "And who is that?" asked the
a squire.
q "he's as anxious as you and I tc
= smother things up. This is a tiff; he'o
d soon talk 'em out of it IL he had the
: chance and what I propose to do Is
q to give him the chance. Let's allow the
mon an afternoon ashore. If they al
y 90 WHY we'l fight the ship. If none OF
n them go. well. then, we hold the cabin
and God defend the right. If some go
p Won mark NV words, sir, Silver'll bring
;en, aboard again as mild as lambs
" 80, IA.,