Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-06-07
treasure
=: :: $780,

tie. What you're after. why you left
the block house, why you give me
that there chart, / don't know now, do
/? And yet l done your bidding with
my eyes shut, and never a word of
hope! But no, this here's too much.
If o Won't tell me what you mean
plain out, just say so, and | leave the
helm
No said the doctor, musingly, rive
no right TO say more; it's not my
secret, you see. Silver, or, l give you
my word, I'd tell 1t YOU. But I'll go
as far with you as l Lar go, and a
step beyond. for I'll have my wig sort
ed by the captain, or I'm mistaken!
And, first, I'll give you a bit of hope;
Silver, If we both get alive out of this
wolf-trap, IN do the best to save you.
short of perjury"
Silver's face was radiant. You
couldn't say more. I'm sure, sir, not If
you was my mother he cried. :.
We'll, that's my first concession"
added the doctor. "My second Is a
piece Of advice. Keen the boy close
beside you, and when YOU need help,
halloo. I'm off to seek 1t for you. and
that itself will show you If / speak at
random. Good-by, Jim"
And DIR. Livesey shook hands with
me through the stochade, nodded to
Silver, and set off at 9 brisk pace into
, the wood.
"Jim,' said Silver, when we were
alone. "if / saved your life, you saved
mine; and III not forget II. / seen the
doctor waving you to run for it-With
the tail OF my eye; and | seen you
say no. plain as hearing. Jim, that's
one to you. This is the first CLINT or
hope had since the attack failed, and
| owe It TO you. And now, Jim, were
to go IN for this here treasure-hunting,
with sealed orders, too, and | don't
like It; and you and me must stick
close. back to back like, and well save
our necks In spite o fate II for
tune"
lust then a nan hailed us from the
FIRE tina breakfast was ready, and we
wore o seated here and there about
the sand over biscuit and fried junk.
They had lighted n fire fit TO roast an
OK: and 1t was now grown so hot that
hey could only approach IT from the
windward, and even there not without
precaution. In the same WastelLl
spirit, they had cooked, i suppose, three
lines more thai we could eat; II one
If them, with an empty laugh, threw
what was left in the fire, Which blazed
and rOared again over this unusual
fuel. / never in my life saw men so
careless OF the morrow; hand to mouth
Is the only word that can describe their
way Of doing; and what with wasted
food and sleeping sentries, though they
were bold enough for n brush and be
lone with IL, / could see their entire
unhtness for anything like n prolonged
campaign.
Even Silver, eating away, with
Captain Flint upon his shoulder,
had not n word of blame
for their recklcssness. n
this the more surprised me, for l
thought he had never shown himself
SO cunning as he did then.
"Ay. mates" said he, ITS lucky you
have Barbecue to think for you with
this here head. / got what ! wanted,
| lid. Sure enough, they nave the
ship. Where they have 1T, l don't
know yet: but once we hit the treas
ure, wen have TO jump about and flnd
out. And then, mates, us that has the
boats, / reckon, has the ppe hand
Thus he kept running on, with his
mouth full OF hot bacon; thus he re-
stored their hope and confidence and,
I more than suspect, repaired his w
at the same time.
AS for hostage he continued,
that's his last talk, ! guess, with them
he loves so dear. I've got my piece o
news, and thanky TO him for that; but
it's over ana done. III take him in a
line when we go trcasure-hunting, for
Wen keep him like so much gold, In
case of accidents, you mark, and in the
meantime, once we got the ship and
treasure both, and off to sea like jolly
companions, why, then We'll give him
his share, to be sure, for all his kind
ness"
1t was no wonder the men were In a
good humOr now. For my part, / was
horribly cast down. Should the scheme
he had now sketched prove feasible,
Silver, already doubly a traitor, would
not hesitate to adopt It. He had still
a foot in either camp, and there was no
doubt that he would prefer wealth and
freedom with the pirates than ito a
bare escape from hanging, which was
the best he had to hope on our side.
Nay, and even If thugs SO fell out
that he was forced TO keep his faith
with DR.. Livesey, even then what lam
gers lay before us! What a moment
that would be when the suspicious OF
his followers turned TO certainty, and
he and | should have to fight for lear
life-he, a cripple, and |, n boy-against
five strong and active seamen!
Add to this double apprehension, the
mystery that still hung over the be-
IiNlDI VI llg lIltIlNSr llltll ulCA llAllltN
dcsertiOn of the stockade; their mex
plicable Cession of the chart; or, harder
still to understand, the doctors last
warning TO Silver: Look out fol
squalls when you find it," and you will
readily believe how little taste / found
in my breakfast. and with how uneasy
n heart / set forth behind my captors
on the quest for treasure.
We made a curious figure had any
one been there to see us; all in soiled
sailor clothes, and all but me armed tc
the teeth. Silver had two guns slunl
about him, n before and one behind
besides the great cutlass at his waist
and a pistol In each pocket Of his
square-tailed coat. To complete his
strange appearance, Captain Flint sa
perched upon his shoulder and gabbleC
odds and ends Of purposeless sea-talk
j a a line about my waist, n fol.
lowed o~bediently after the sea-cook
who held the loose end OF the rope
now In his free hand, now between his
powerful teeth. For all the world
was led like a dancing bear.
TIL other men were v~ariously bur.
dened. some carrying picks and shoy.
els-for that had been the very frs
necessary they had brought ashore from
the "Hispaniola'--others laden will
pork, bread and brandy for the midday