Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-07-03


winked an eye. He stood where he
was, resting lightly on his crutch,
watching his companion like a snake
about to spring.
"Johnl" said the sailor, stretching
out his hand.
Glands off" cried Silver, leaping
back n yard, as it seemed to me, with
the speed and security of trained
gymnast.
"IIands of, II you Hike, John Silver"
said the other. ITS black conscience
that can make you feared of me. But,
in Heavens name, tell me what was
that?"
"That?" returned Silver. smiling
away, but warier than ever, his eye a
mere pin-point in his big face, but
cleaning like a crumb of glass.
THAT? Oh, I reckon that'll be Alan"
And at this poor Tom flashed out like
a hero.
"Alan!" he cried. "Then rest his
soul for a true seaman! And as for
you, John Silver, long you've been a
mate of mine, but you're mate of mine
my dooty. You've killed Alan, have
you? Kill me, too. if you can. But 1
defies you"
And with that, this brave fellow
turned his back directly on the cook,
and set off walking for the beach. But
he was not destined to 60 far. With q
cry, John seized the branch of q tree,
whipped the crutch out of his armpit,
and sent tlNlt uncouth missile hurting
through the dir. 1t struck poor Tom,
point foremost, and with stunning
violence, right between the shoulders
in the middle of bis back. His hands
flew up, he gave sort of gasp, and
fell.
Whether he was injured much or
little none could ever tell. Like enough,
to judge from the sound. his back was
broken on the spot, but he had no time
given him to recover. Silver, agile as
a monkey, even without leg or crutch,
was on the top of him the next moment,
and had twice buried his knife up to the
bilt in that defenseless body. From my
place of am bush l could hear him pant
1 do not know what it rightly is to
faint, but l do know that for the next
little while the whole world swan
away from before me in whirling
mist; Silver and the birds and the tall
Spy-glass hilltop, going round and
round and topsy turvy before my eyes,
and all manner of bells ringing and dis
tant voices shouting in my ears.
When l came again to myself, the
monster had pulled himself together,
his crutch under his arm, his hat upon
his head. Just before him Tom lay
motionlcss upon the sward; but the
murderer minded him not a whit,
cleansing his blood-stained knife the
while upon a whsp of grass. Every
thing else was unchanged. the sun still
shining mercilessly on the steaming
marsh and the tall pinnacle of the noun
tain, and l could scarce persuade my
self that murder had actually been
done, and human life cruelty cut
short a moment since before my eyes.
But now John put his hand into his
pocket, brought out a whistle. and blew
upon it several modulated blasts, that
rang far across the heated air. l could
not tell. of course, the meaning of the
signal, but it instantly awoke my fears.
More men would be coming. l might
be discovered. They had already slain
two of the honest people; after Tom
and Alan, might not l come next?
Instantly | began to extricate myself
and crawl back again, with what speed
and silence I could manage, to the more
open portion Of the wood. AS did so,
could hear halls coming and going be-
tween the old buccaneer and his com
rades. and this sound of danger lent me
wings. As soon as | was clear of the
thickct l ran as l never ran before.
scarce minding the direction of my
| flight, so long as it led me from the muir
derers; and as l ran, fear grew and
grew upon me, until it turned into a
kind of frenzy.
Indeed. could anyone be more entire
ly lost than 7? When the gun fired
how should dare go down to the boats
among those fiends, still smoking from
their crime? Would not the first OF
them who saw me wiring my neck like
snipe's? Would not my absence itself
be an evidence to them of my alarm
and therefore of my fatal knowledge:
1t was all over, I thought. Good-by
to the IIispaniola; good-by to the
squire, the doctor and the captain. There
was nothing left for me but death by
starvation or death by the hands of the
mutineers.
All this while, as I say was still
running, and. without taking any no
tice, had drawn near to the foot Of the
little hill with the two peaks. and hac
| got into a part of the island where the
wild oaks grew more widely apart, and
seemed more like forest trees in their
bearings and dimensions. Mingled
with these were few scattered pines
some so, some nearly 20 feet high. The
mir, too, smelled more freshly thar
down beside The marsh.
And here fresh alarm brought me to
a standstill with a humping heart.
CHAPTER XIV.
THE MAN OF THE ISLAND.