Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-06-07

= 4 Va htAN1l y lllg ~
fore. Had he not struck a bargain
with the doctor he and his m~utineers,
deserted by the ship, must have been
driven to subsist on clear water. and
the proceeds OF their hunting. Water
would have been little to their taste;
a sailor is not usually a good shot;
and. besides all that, when they were
50 short of eatables, IL was not likely
they would be very flush OF powder.
Well, thus equipped, we ell set out
even the fellow with the broken head,
who should certainly have kept In
shadow-and struggled, n after an
other. to the beach, where the two
gigs awaited us. Even these bore trace
of the drunken folly of the pirates, one
In a broken thwart, and both I'm their
mudoled. unbailed condition. Both
were to be carried along with us, for
the sake Of safety; and SO. with our
numbers divided between them, we set
forth upon the bosom OF the anchor
age.
AS we pulled over there was some
discussion on the chart. The red
cross was, of course, far too large TO be
n guide; and the terms of the note
or the back, as you will hear, admitted
OF some ambiguity. They Tan, the
reader may remember, thus
Tall tree, ~Spy-glass shoulder, bear
ing a point to the N. OF N, N. Il.
Skeleton Island, Il. S. l.. and by Il.
Ten feet"
A tail tree was thus the principal
mark. Now, right before us, the an
chorage was bounded by a plateau
from 200 TO 300 feet high, adjoining on
the north the sloping southern houl-
der Of the Spy-glass, and rising again
toward the south into the rough, cliffy
eminence called the Mizzen-mast Hill.
The top of the plateau was dotted
thickly with pine trees OF varying
height. Every here and there, one OF n
different species rose forty or fifty feet
clear above its neighbors, and which
of these was the particular tall tree"
of Captain Flint could only be de-
cided on the spot, and by readings OF
the compass.
Yet, although that was the case,
every man on board the boat had
picked n favorite Of his own ere we
were halfway over, Long John alone
struggling his shoulders and bidding
them walt till they We're there.
We pulled easily by Silver's direc-
lions, not TO weary the hands prema-
turely; and, after quite n long passage,
landed at the mouth OF the second
river-that which runs down "A woody
cleft to our left, we began to ascend
the slope toward the plateau.
At he first outset, heavy, miry
ground and a matted, marsh vegetation
greatly delayed our progress; but by
little II little the hill began to steep
en- n become stony under foot, and
the wood to change its character and
to grow In n more open order. II was,
indeed, n most pleasant portion of the
island h Il we were now approaching.
A hcavy-scented bloom and many
Towering shrubs had almost taken the
place of grass Thickcts Of green nut
meg trees were dotted here and there
with the red columns and the broad
shadows Of the pines; and the first
mingled their spice with the aroma Of
the others. The air, besides, was fresh
Il stirring, and this, under the sheer
sunDeams, was n wonderful refresh
ment to our senses.
The party spread itself abroad, in a
fan shape, shouting and leaping TO and
FRO. About the center, and Il good
way behind the rest, Silver and | fol-
lowell tethered by my rope, he pow
ing, with deep pants, among the sliding
gravel. From time TO time, Indeed, |
had TO lend him a hand. or he must
have missed his footing and fallen
backward down the hill.
We had thus proceeded for about
hair n milo, and were approaching the
brow Of the plateau, when the man
upon the farthest left began to cry
aloud, as If I'm terror. Shout after
shout came from him. and the others
began TO run I'm his direction.
"Ilc can't have found the TREASURE
said old Morgan, hurrying past us
from the right, for that's clean
atop
Indeed. as we found when we also
reached the spot, It was something
very different. At the foot Of a pretty
big pine, and involved in a green
creeper, which had even partly lifted
some Of the smaller bones, n human
skeleton lay with a few shrcds OF
clothing, on the ground. | believe .
chill struck for a moment to every
heart.
"Hc was a seaman" said Gcorg,
Merry, who, bolder han the rest, ha(
gone up close, n was examining tn,
rags Of clothing. "Lcastways, this Is
q good sea-cloth."
LAY, ay.' said Silver. like enough.
you wouldn't look TO find a bishop here
l reckon. But what sort of a way Is
that for bones to lie? 'Tain't il
natur'.'
Indeed, on second glance, 1t seemed
impossible TO fancy that the body was
In n natural position. But for some dis.
array (the work, perhaps of the bird,
that had fed upon him, or OF the slow,
growing Creeper that had gradually en-.
veloped his remains) the man lay per.
fectly straight-his feet pointing in on,
direction, his hands, raised above hi!
head like q divers, pointing directly il
the opposite.
i've taken a notion into my ole
numskull," observed Silver. Here
the compass; there's the tip-top pin
OF Skeleton island, stickin' out like
tooth. Just take a bearing, will you
along the line OF them bones"
II was done. The body pointe,
straight in the direction OF the island
and the compass read duly Il. S. j.
by f.
II thought So" cried the cook; "thi
here is a p'inter. Right up there is GU
line for the pole star and the jolly dol
lars, but, by thunder, If 1t don't maxi
me cold inside 10 think OF Flint. Thi
is II Of his jokes, and no mistake
Him and these six were alone here
he killed 'em, every man; and this on
he hauled here and laid down by com
pass, SILVER my timbers! They're lon
bones, and the hairs beer yellow. Ay
that would be Allardyce. You min,
Allardyce, Tom Morgan?"
"Ay, ay," returned Morgan, 81 min,
him; he owed me money, he did. an,
took my knife ashore with him"
Speaking Of knives" said another
"why don't we find his'n lying around
Flint warn't the man to pick a sea
mans pocket; and the birds, | CUES.
would leave it be-"
by the powers, and that's true!
cried Silver.
$500