Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1921-12-31
CONDENSED
CLASSICS
81
TREASURE ISLAND
BY
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON
Condensation by
Alice G. Grozier
Condensation by
Alice G. Grozier

most speaking of presences3 n steady
penetrating fire I'm the widest eyes, O
compelling power and sweetness in tho
smile, courteous waving gestures OF
his long, nervous hands, lit cigarette
generally held between HIS fingers
His conversation was fncOmparably
brilliant, yet he did not dominate the
talk; "rnther he helped everyone about
him to discover unexpected powers OF
their Own.o
Henley says "he radiates talk ms the
sun does light and heat" COlvin COM
pnres his warm humanity to the steady
flame Mt heart of great driftwOOd
fire, while his flashing humOr was like
the myriad colored flames.
Stevenson had moreover the most
sterling sense of duty and of Justice.
owe were put here" he says, "tO do
what service we can, for honor and
not for hire"
He was eager to risk his life mt the
time of the agrarian troubles in Ire
land, and again in Samoa, he was
threatened with deportation for his
activities in behalf OF the natives. His
loyalty II best express, ed in n letter to
Barrie about their beloved Scotland
"singuInr that should live here in the
South Seas under conditions SO new
and so striking. and yet my imngina-
ton 80 continually fnhabit that cold old
huddIe of gray hills"
But above all he was tempera-
mentally poet. From childhood Ii
was his
To hear
The great bell beating far and near
The odd, unknown, enchanted gong
That on the road hales men along,
That from the mountain calls afar,
That lures the vessel from a star,
And with still, aerial sound
Makes all the earth enchanted ground.
CQUIRE TRELAWNEY. Doctor
- Livesey and the others have bid
den me tell the story of our
search for old Buccaneer Flint's hid
den treasure, and so 1 go back to the
time when my father kept the Admiral
Benbow inn. Then it was that the
seaman, Bill Bones came to us for
lodging, his sea chest following after
In hand-barrow.
At his request we called him "cap-
tain" he settled down, always on the
watch for a seaman with one Leg"
and constantly singing an old sea
song:
"Fifteen men on the dead mans
chest
Yo-hO-hO, and bottle Of rum!
Drink and the devil had done for the
rest
- Yo-ho-he, and bottle of rum!"
Then one day an old blind man left
him the pirates Summons" or "black
spot" which so excited him that, COM
bined with the effect of his rum drink
ing, it brought on stroke, and we
found him dead upon the floor.
Mother and 1 opened his sea chest,
where l discovered a packet done up
In oil-silk; this I took with me, and
as soon as could, went to the doc
tors house, where I found him with
the squire.
To them I told the story of the hap
penings at the inn, and gave them the
packet.
"You have heard of Flint, I sup
pose? 2" laughed the doctor, as he ham
died the packet.
"IIeard of him" said the squire,
"heard of him, you say! He was the
sailed! If we have here the clew to
old Flints treasure, as you seem to
think, then I'll fit out ship in Bris-
tol, take you and Hawkins here along,
and I'll have that treasure If / search
a year,"
When they opened the packet, there
fell out the map Of an island, with
every particular needed to bring ship
to safe anchorage on its shore, and
full directions for finding the treas
ure.
Tomorrow" said the squire. II start
for Bristol; in two weeks-yes, In ten
days, Wen have the best ship, sir, and
the choicest crew in England. You
shall be the ships doctor, Livesey,
Jim cabin boy and am admiral"
But it was longer than the squire
expected ere we were ready for sea.
In the meantime went to Bristol also,
and while looking over the ship and
around the dock, I discovered that our
cook was a seaman with one leg. He
was very domineering with the crew,
but servile and smiling to the rest.
began to have my suspicious, but
he was so deep and clever that my
doubts of "Long John Silver" were
soon quoted.
We settled aboard our ship, the His
PAMELA, with Captain Smollet in COM
mand; then one morning, @ little be-
fore dawn, the boatswain sounded his
pipe and the crew began to man the
capstan bars.
snow, Barbecue. tip us a staves"
cried voice.
"The old one" cried another.
GAY, ay, mates" said Long john
who was standing by with his crutch
under his arm, and at once broke into
the air and words I knew so well
"Fifteen men on the dead mans
chest''-the crew coming in on the
chorus; and then we were off on our
cruise for the treasure.
At sundown one evening, went to
the apple barrel for an apple, and
finding them low, got into the barrel