Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1902-04-24
|TR 4 A SURE
ISL AND -: :: :::::::::

tor sat BY the captains side awhile in
consultation; and when they had
talked to their hearts content, it being
then Il little past noon, the doctor took
UP his hta and pistols, grit on cut
lass, put the chart in his pocket, and
With musket over his shoulder,
crossed the paiisade on the north side,
and set off briskly through the trees.
Gray and | We're sitting together at
the far end of the block house. to be
out of carshot of our officers consult
ing; and Gray took his pipe out of
his mouth and fairly forgot to put it
back again so thunderstruck was he
at this occurrence
why, in the name of Davy Jones"
said he lis Or. Livesey mad?"
why no. says L. Hes about the
last Of the crew for that, take it,
"Wel, sllipmate,' said Gray. mad
he may not be; but If he's not, mark
my words, j am"
IL take it, replied /, "thc doctor has
his idea; and il i am right, he's going
now to see Ben Gum
#1'he mutineers were soon only eight
in number, for the man shot by Mr..
Treawney on board the schooner died
that same evening of his wound. But
this vas, of course. not known till
after by the faithful party.
was right. as appeared later: but
sitting hot and the little patch of
sand inside the paiisade ablaze with
midday sun, l began to get another
thought into my head, which WAS not
by any means so right. What | began
to do was TO envy the doctor, walking
in the cool shadow of the woods, with
the birds about him, and the pleasant
smell of the pines. while l sat grilling,
With my clothes stuck to the hot
rosin, and so much blood about me,
aud so many poor dead bodies lying
all around, that l took a disgust OF
the place that was almost as strong as
fear.
An the time 1 was washing out the
block house. and then washing up the
things for dinner, the disgust and envy
kept growing stronger and stronger,
TIL at last. being near u bread bag,
and no one then observing me, | took
alled both pockets of my coat with
biscuits
| was fool, If you like, and Ger
tainly l was going To do foolish
OVERLOAD act; but | was determined to
do it with all the precautions in my
power. These biscuits. should any
thing befall me, would keep me, at
least from starving, till far on into the
next day.
The next thing l laid hold of was a
brace OF pistols, and, us l already had
a powder horn and bullets, / felt my
self well supplied With arms.
AS for the scheme / had in my head
it was not Il bad one in itself. 1t was
to go down the sandy pit that divides
the anchorage on the east from the
open sea, find the white rock had OBJ
served last evening, and ascertain
whether it was There or not that Ben
Gum had hidden his boat; a thing
quite worth doing, as / still believe
But as 1 was certain | should not be
allowed to leave the Enclosure, my only
plan was to take French leave, and slip
out when nobody was Watching: and
that was so bad a way of doing 1t
as made the thing itself wrong. But
was only a boy, and / had made up my
mind.
Well as things at last feel out, L
found an admirable opportunity. The
squire and Gray We're busy helping
the captain with his bandages; the
coast was clear; / made a bolt for it
over the stockade and into the thick
est of the trees, and before my alb
sence was observed | was out of cry
OF companions.
This was my second folly, far worse
than the first, as l left but two sound
men 10 guard tine house; but, like the
first, it was a help toward saving all
of us.
/ took my way straight for the east
coast of The island, for | was deter
mined 10 so down the sea side of the
spit TO AVOID all chance of observation
from the anchorage. LII was already
late in the afternoon, although still
warm and sunny AS continued to
thread the tall woods ] could hear
from far before me not only the con-
tiiiuous thunder OF the surf, but a
certain tossing of foliage and grinding
of boughs which showed me the sea
breeze had set in higher than usual.
Soon cool draughts of air began to
reach me; and a few steps further |
came forth into the open borders of
the grove and saw the sea lying blue
and sunny to the horizon and the surf
tunbling and tossing it's foam along
the beach.
i have never seen the sea quiet round
Treasure island. The sun might blaze
the surface smooth and blue. but still
these great rollers would be running
along all the external coast, thunder
ing and laundering by day and night;
and 1 scarce believe there is one spot in
The island where a man would be out
OF earshot of their noise.
| walked along beside the surf with
great enjoyment, till, thinking / was
now got far enough to the south, 1
took the cover of some thick bushes
and crept warily up the ridge OF the
spit.
Behind me was the sea. in front the
anchorage. The sea breeze, as though
ii had the sooner blown itself out by
its unusual violence, was already al an
end; it had been succeeded by light,
variable airs from the south and south
cast, carrying great banks of fog; and
the anchorage, under lee of Skeleton
island, lay still land leaden as When
first we entered. The "Hispaniola"
in that unbroken mirror was exactly
III otrayed from the track to the water
lire, the Jolly river hanging from her
peak.
Alongside lay one of the gigs. Silver
in the stern sheets-him l could always
recognize--while couple OF men We're
leaning over the stern pulwarks, one of
them with a red cap-the very rogue
had seen some hours before stride
legs upon the paiisade. Apparently
they We're talking and laughing, though
at that distance upwards of a mile-I
could, of course. hear no word of what
was said. All at once there began the
most horrid, unearthly screaming,
which at first startled me badly though
had soon remembered the voice of
Captain Flint, and even thought l
could make out the bird by her bright
plumage as she sat perched upon her
masters wrist.
Soon after the Jolly-boat showed off
and pulled for the shore, and the man
With the red cap and his comrade went
below by the cabin companion.
Just about the same time the sun
had gone down behind the Spyglass
and as the fog was collecting rapidly