Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-08-07

went through, leaping on his crutch till
the muscles of his chest were fit to
burst, was work no sound man ever
equaled; and so thinks the doctor. AS
1t was, he was already 30 yards behind
us and on the verge OF strangling when
we reached the brow of the slope.
Doctor" he hailed, "see there! no
hurry"
Sure enough. there was no hurry. In
a more open part of the plateau we
could see the three survivors still run
ming in the same direction as they had
started, right for Mizzen-mast Hill. We
were already between them and their
boats, and 20 we four sat down TO
breathe, while Long John, mopping
his face, came slowly up with us.
THANK We kindly, doctor" says he
You came in about the nick. guess,
for me and Hawkins. And so it's you.
BNl Gunn!" he added. We'll, you're a
vice one, TO be sure"
I'm Ben Gum. l am" replied the
maroon, wrggling like an eel in his
embarrassment. And" he added, after
long pause, show do, Mr. Silver! Pref
ty well. thank ye. says you"
ben, Ben" murmured Silver, "to
think as you've done me-"
The doctor sent back Gray for one
Of the pickaxes. deserted, in their flight,
by the mutineers; and then as we pro-
ceeded leisurely downfall to where the
boats were lying, rcla ted in few words
what had taken place. 1t was a story
that profoundly interested Silver, and
Ben Gum, the haif-idiot maroon, was
the hero from begin ming to end.
Ben, in his long, lonely wauderings
about the island, had found the skele-
ton-it was he that had rifled it; he
had found the treasurer he had dug
1t up Gt was the half Of his pickax
that lay broken in the excavation); be
had carried it on his back in many
weary journeys from the foot of the tall
pine to cave he had ON the wo-pointed
hill at the northeast angle ofthe island
and there it had laid stored in safety
since two months before the arrival OF
the "Hispaniola."
When the doctor had wormed his Sc
cret from him on the afternoon Of the
attack, and when, next morning, he
saw the anchorage deserted, he had
gone to Silver, given him the chart
which was now useless-given him tn,
stores, for Ben Gums Gaze was vel
supplied with goats meat sailed by
himself-given anything and every
thing to get a chance Of moving in
safety from the stockade TO the two
pointed hill, there to be clear Of ma
laria and keep guard upon the money
"As for you. jim" NE said. cit wen
against my heart, but I did what
thought best for those who had stood
by their duty; and if you were not on,
CT these, whose fault was it?"
That morning, finding that ! was Il
be involved in the horrid disappont
ment he had prepared for the mu
tineers. he had run all the way to tn,
cave, and, leaving Squire to guard TIL
captain, had taken Gray and the ma
room and started. making the diagona
across the island. to be at hand be
side the pine. Soon. however, he saw
that our party had the start of him
and Ben Gum, beirg fleet Of foot. hat
been dispatched in front to do his hes
alone. Then It had occurred to him t.
work upon the superstitions of his for
mer shipmatcs. and he WIS so far sue
ceesful that Gray and the doctor ha,
come up and were already ambushe,
before the arrival of the treasure hunt
ers.
"Ah," said Silver, cit was fortunat
for me that had Hawkins here. 70
/ would have let old John be cut to bit
and never given 1t a thought. doctor"
"Not q thought" replied DR.. Livesey
cheerily.
And by this time we had reached tn
gigs. The doctor, with the pick az, d,
! molshed one of them. and then we a
got aboard the other, and set out to &
7 round by the sea for North Inlet.
This was q run of eight or nine miles
Silver, though he was almost kille
| already with fatigue, was set to an GA,
; like the rest of US, and we were 500
Q Swimming swiftly over a smooth SCI
Soon we passed out Of the straits an