Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-06-21

should cave this amp ahd, at what
ever risk to my w carcass, take them
h assistance Of my skill"
ASK your pardon, sirJ o would be
very wrong" quoth Silver. You would
lose your precious life,) and you may
lay to that. I'm on your side now,
hand and glove; and ] shouldn't
wish for to see the party
weakened, let alone yourself.
seeing as I know what I owes
couldn't keep their word-no. not sup
posing they wished to, and what's more.
they couldn't believe as you could"
mo-" said the doctor. You're the
man to keep your word, we know that"
Well, hat was about the last news
we had of the three pirates. Only once
we heard q gunshot a great way off,
and supposed them to be hunting. A
council was held, and 1t was decided
that we must desert them on the island
Ito the huge glee, / must say, of Ben
Gum, and with the strong approval OF
Gray. We left a good stock OF powder
and shot, the bluk of the salt goat, q
few medicines and some other neces-
~saries. tools, clothing, a spare sail, a
fathom or two Of rope and, by the par
ticular desire OF the doctor. a handsome
present of tobacco.
That was about our last doing on the
island. Before that we had got the
treasure slowed, and had shipped
enough water and the remainder of the
goat meat, In case Of any distress: and
at last, one fine morning, we weighed
anchor, which was about all that we
could manage and stood out of North
inlet, the same colors flying that the
captain had fiown and fought under at
the palisade.
The three fellows must have been
watching us closer han we thought
for. as we soon had proved. For, com
ing through the narrows, we had to lie
very near the southern point, and there
we saw all three OF them kneeling to-
gether on a spit Of sand, with their
arms raised In supplication. IL went to
all our hearts, i think, to leave them
in that wretched state; but we could
not risk another mutiny: and to take
them home for the gibbet would have
been a cruel sort OF kindness. The
doctor hailed them and told them of
the stores we had left, and where they
were to find them, but they continued
to call us by name and appeal to us,
for Gods sake, to be merciful, and not
leave them to die in such a place.
At last, seeing the ship still bore on
her course, and vas now swiftly draw
ing out of earshot, one Of them-I know
not which IT was-leoped to his feet
with a hoarse cry, whipped his musket
to his shoulder and sent a shot whis-
Ting over Silver's head and through
the mainsail.
After that we kept under cover OF
the bulwarks, and when next / looked
out they disappeared from the spit and
the spit itself had almost melted out
Of sight In the glowing distance. That
was, at least, the end OF that; and be-
fore noon, to my ineXpressible JOY, the
highest rock of Treasure Island had
sunk into the blue round of sea.
We were so short of men hat every
n on board had to bear a hand-only
the captain lying on a mattress in the
stern and giving his orders; for, though
greatly recovered. he was still. in want
Of quiet. We laid her head for the
nearest port In Spanish America, for
we could not risk the voyage home
without fresh hands: and, as 1t was,
what with battling winds and a couple
Of fresh gales, we were all worn out be-
fore we reached 1t.
II was just at shutdown when we cast
anchor in a most beautiful land-locked
gulf, and were Immediately surround
ed by shore boats full Of negroes, and
Mexican Indians, and half-bloods, sell
ing fruit and vegetables, n offering
to dive for bits of money. The sight of
so many good-humored faces (espe-
cially the blacks), the taste Of the trop-
ical fruits, and above all, the lights
that began to shine In the town, madea
most chaming sojourn' on the island;
and the doctor and the squire, taking
me along with them, went ashore to
pass the early part of the night. Here
they met the captain of an English
man-of-war, fell in talk with him, went
on board his ship, and, in short, had so
agreeable a time that dawn was break
ing when we came along the "Hispano-
Ia"
Ben Gum was on deck alone, and, as
soon as we came on board, he began,
with wonderful contortions, to make us
a confession. Silver was gone. The
maroon and connived at his escape in
a shore boat some hour ago, and he
now assured us he had only m so to
preserve our lives, which would GER
tainly have been forfeited If that man
with the one leg had stayed aboard"
But this was not all. The sea cook had
not gone empety-handed. He had cut
through q bulkhead unobserved, and
had removed one of the sacks OF coin,
worth, perhaps, three Of four hundred
guineas, to help him on his further
wanderings.
/ think we were all pleased to be SO
cheaply quit Of him..
Well, to make a long story short, we
got a few hands on board, made a good
cruise home, and the "Hispaniola"
reached Bristol just as Mr.. Blandly
was beginning to think of fitting out
her consort. five men only OF those
who had sailed returned with her.
Drink and the devil had done for the
rest with a vengence; although, to be
sure, we were not quite in so bad a case
as that other ship they sung about:
with one man of the crew alive,
What put to sea with seventy-1ve.'
All of us had an ample share of the
treasure, and used 1t wisely or foolish
ly, according to u natures. Captain
Smollet Is now retired from the sea
Gray not only saved his money, but
being suddenly smit with the desire to
rise, also studied his profession; and he
is now mate and part owner Of a fine
full rugged ship; married besides, and
the father of a family. AS for Ben
Gum, he got Ell, 900, which he spent OF
lost in three weeks, or, to be more ex-
act, in 10 days, for he was Jack beg
ging on the twentieth. Then he was
given a lodge to keep, exactly as he had
Jared Upon the island; and he still
lives, a great favorite, though some
thing of a butt, with the country boys
and q notable singer In church on Sun
days and saiIyts' days.
OF Silver we hav heard no more
That formidable s~eafaring man with
one leg has at last gone clean out OF
my life: but 1 dare say he met his ole
negress, and perhaps still ives in com
fort with her and Captain Flint. 1t is
to be hoped so, l suppose, for his
chances Of comfort in another world are
very small.
The bar silver and the arms still lie
for all that / know, where Flint buried
them; and certainly they shall lie there
for me. Oxen and w~ain-ropes would not
bring me back again to that accurse6
island; and the worst dreams that ever
1 have are when / hear the surf boom.
ing about Its coasts. or start upright
In bed, with the sharp voice of Captain
Flint still ringing in my ears: 'Pieces