Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-06-14
CHAPTER XXXII.
THE TREASURE HUNT - THE
NnTnE AnnNy1 nIIU IT'D


Partly from the ~dampening influence
the sick folk, the whole party sat down
as soon as they had gained the brow OF
the ascent.
Tie plateau being somewhat tilted
toward the west, this spot on which
we a paused commanded q wide
prospect on either hand. Before us,
over the tree tops, we beheld the Cape
of the Woods fringed with surf; be-
hind we not only looked down upon
the anchorage and Skeleton island, but
saw clear acros the spit and the
eastern lowlands-a great field of opeiI
sea upon the east. Sheer above us rose
the Spyglass, here dotted with single
pines, there black with precipices.
There was no sound but hat Of the dis
TAM breakers, mounting from all
round, and the chirp OF the countless
insects in the brush. Not a man, not
a sail upon the sea-; the very largeness
Of the view increased the sense of soil
tude.
Silver, as he sat, took certain bear
ings with his compass.
"There are three tall trees" said
he, about in the right line from Skele-
ton island. '~Spy-glass shoulder j
take 1t, means that lower pint there.
It's child play TO find the stuff now
I've half a mind to dine first"
II don't feel sharp" growled Nor
gan "Thinkin' O. Flint thing II
were-'as dom me-"
"Ah, well, my son, you praise your
stars he's dead" said Silver.
HE was an ugly devil" cried a third
pirate, with a shudder; that blue in
the face, tool"
THAT was how the rum took him.
o6And Marry aTllIIai uyall II rnaknn Inc
was blue. That's a true word"
Ever since they had found the skele-
ton and got upon this train OF thought
they had spoken lower and lower, and
they had almost got to whispering by
now, so that the sound OF their talk
hardly interrupted the silence Of the
wood. All of a sudden, out OF the mid
die Of the trees in front OF us, a thin,
high, trembling voice struck up the
we'll known air and words:
Fifteen men on the dead mans
chest
Yo-ho-ho, and q bottle of rum!"
i never have seen men more dread
fully affected than the pirates. The
color went from their six faces like
enchantment; ONE leaped to their feet
some clawed hold of others; Morgan
groveled on the ground.
Its Flint, by" cried Merry.
The song had stopped as suddenly as
1t began-broken off, o would have
said, in the middle OF a note, as though
some one had laid his hand upon the
singers mouth. Coming so far through
the clear, sunny atmosphere among
the green tree tops, 1 thought It had
sounded airly and sweetly, ana the eff
feet on my companions was ' the
stranger.
Come" said Silver, struggling with
his ashen lips to get the word out,
that won't do. Stand by to go about.
This Is a rum start, and I can't name
the voice, but it's some one skylark-
ing-some one that's flesh n blood
and you may lay to that"
His courage had come back as he
spoke, and some of the color to his
face along with It. Already the 9TH
ers had begun to lend an ear to this
encouragement, and were coming a lit
tie to themselves. when the same voice
broke out again-not this time sing
ing, but In a faint, distant hail, that
echoed yet fainter among the clefts of
the Spy-glass.
Darby McGraw," 1t wailed-for that
is the word that best describes the
sound-"Darby McGraw, Darby Nc
Crawl" again and again and again.
Then rising a little higher, and with
an oath that 1 leave out: Fetch aft
the rum, Darby!"
The buccaneers remained rooted to
the ground, their eyes starting from
their heads. Long after the voice had
died away they still stared in silence,
d~readfully, before them.
THAT fixes it," gasped one. Lets
60"
'They was his last words" moaned
Morgan; "his last words above-board.'
"Dick had his bible out and was
praying volubly. He had been well
brought up, had Dick, before he came
to sea and fell among bad companions
Still, Silver was u~nconquered.
could hear his teth rattle in his head:
but he had not yet surrendered.
Nobody In this here island ever
heard of Darby" he muttered; mot