Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-04-19
Xxx.
EMBASSY.

CHAPTER Xxx.
SILVER'S EMBASSY.
Sure enough, there were WE men
tust outside the stockade, one of them
waving q white cloth; the other, no less
a person thar Silver himself, standing
placidly by.
II was still quite early and the cold
est morning that / think / even saw
abroad IN; "a 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 or the
morass. The chill and vapor taken to-
gether told q poor tale of the island. II
was plainly a damp, feverish, unheal-
thy spot.
Keep indoors, men," said the cap
tain. Ten to one this is q trick
Then he hailed the ~buccaneer.
"VVho goes? Stand or we fire.
alag Of truce" cried Silver.
The captain was I'm the porch, keep
ing himself carefully out OF the way or
a treacherOus hot should any be IN
tended. He turned and spoke to us.
Doctors watch on the lookout. DR..
Livesey, take the north side, II you
please; Jim, the east, Gray the west.
The watch below, all hands to load
muskets. Lively, men, and careful.
And then he turned again to the mu-
tlneers.
And what do you want with your
flag OF truce?' he cried.
This time It was the other man who
replied.
and make terms" he shouted.
"Cap'n Silver! Don't know him.
Who's her" cried the captain. And we
could hear BIN adding to himself:
"Cap'n, is IT.? My heart, and here's
promotion!"
Long John answered for himself.
Me, sir. These poor lads have
chosen me cap'n, after your desertion,
s~Ir"-laying particular stress upon the
word "desertion." Were willing to
submit. II we can come to terms, and no
bones about II. All | ask is your word,
Cap'n Smollett, to let me safe and sound
out of this here stockade, and one
minute to get out o shot before a gun
is fred
MY man." said Captain Smollett, Il
have not the slightest desire to talk
to o If you wish to talk to me, you
can come that's all. If there's ny
tr~eachery, it'll be on your side, and the
Lord help YOU
That's enough, cap'n," shouted Long
John, cheerily. "A word from you's
enough. i know a 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 hat wonderful,
seeing how cavalier had been the cap
tain's answer. But Silver laughed at
him aloud, and slapped him on the
back, as II 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 SIKH,
succeeded in suTmounting the fence
and dropping safely to the other side.
I will confess that / was far too much
taken up with What was going on TO
be of the slightest use as sentry; in
deed, / had already deserted my east
ern lophole and crept up behind the cap
tain. who had now seated himself on
the threshold, with his o on his
knees, his head in his hands. and his
eyes fixed on the water as 1t 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
and the soft sand he and his crutch
were as helpless as a ship in stays. But
he stuck to ii 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 q fine laced hat was set on the
back of 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 a main cold morning, to be
sure, sir, to sit outside upon the sand"
"Why. Silver said the captain, IF
you had pleased TO be an honest man
you might have been sitting in your
galley. It's your own doing. You're
either my ships cook-and then you
were treated handsome-or Cap'n Sill
yer, a common mutineer n pirate,
and then you can go hang!"
''Well, we'll, cap'n," returned the sea
cook, sitting down as he was hidden on
the sand, you'll nave to give me a hand
up again, that's all. A sweet, pretty
place you have OF 1t here. All, there's
Jim. The top of the morning to you,
Jim. Doctor. here's my service. Why,
there you all are together like q happy
family, in a manner of speaking"
"If you have anything to say, my
lIldD, ptlAGI soy ~ oaAa tAC Naphdlll.
Right you are, Cap'n Smollett." re-
piled Silver. 'Dooty is dooty, to be
sure. Well, now, you ook here, that
was a good lay of yours last night. /
don't deny it was a good lay. Some of
you pretty handy with a hand-spike
end. And I'll not deny either, but
what some of my people was shook
maybe all was shook; maybe l was
shook myself. But you mark me, cap'n,
it won't do twice, by thunder! Well
have to do sentry go, and ease off a
point or so or the rum. Maybe you
think we were all a sheet in the winds
eye. But I'll tell you / was sober; 1
was Only dog-tired; and If I'd awoke a
second sooner I'D a caught you at the
act, l would. He wasn't dead when 1
got round to him, not he"
"Well?" says Captain Smollett, as
cool as a be.
All that Silver said was a riddle to