The mirror., 1922-03-09
TREASURE ISLAND


tHch VIC were OH OIL our cruise IOI tHc
treasure.
AT sundown one evening, l went to the
apple barrel for an apple, and, finding
them low, l got into the barrel bodily
and being rather sleepy, sat there while
in the dark; soon heavy man sat down
with a crash nearby; l was about to
jump out when l heard John Silver's
voice, and kept very still. Before he had
said dozen words knew that all honest
men aboard were in great danger.
Well, l made the discovery that Long
John and most of the crew were old ship
mates of Bill Bones and John Flint; they
knew the object of our voyage, and were
planning to do away with our party and
get the treasure for themselves.
A moment more and the lookout shouted
Land Ho!" and we anchored at "Cap-
tain Kidd's anchorage" according to the
chart. told the doctor and the squire
what had heard, and they had the cap
tain send the crew ashore, so that we
might have an opportunity to talk matters
over
1t was decided that we must go on,
and we counted those we could trust, only
to find that we were but six against nine
teen.
The next morning it was plain that
mutiny hung over US like a thunder cloud.
Captain Smellet thought it best to give
the crew shore leave, and a party was
made up including Silver. Some of the
men, however, remained aboard. I sud-
denly took it into my head to go ashore,
too, and slipped unseen over the side and
into the forward sheets of the nearest
boat; as soon as the bow struck among
the shore-side trees, caught branch
and swung ashore, making of into the
nearby thicket.
l cannot give all the details of the
voyage; they were many and exciting,
but one or two happenings must tell.
While wandering about in the thicket
came upon Withholding man, who
said he was a seaman, Ben Gum,
marooned on the island three years before.
got his story, and he ours he was great
help to us, as you shall see.
In the meantime our party had aban-
doned the ship and taken up the fight
ashore. had notion to get out to the
ship, cut her adrift and let her go ashore
where she would, and so prevent the
mutineers from sailing away in her; and
remembering Ben Gums mention of
coracle which he had made and put in
hiding, l set out to find it; being success
full, made my way to the ship, and lay
ing hold of her hawser, was about to finish
cutting her loose when heard voices from
the cabin; one I recognized as that of the
coxswain, Israel Hands, the other was
sailor whose name did not know. Both
were drunk, and when l got a look at
them through the cabin window, saw
that they were in deaths grip.
The strong current had by this time
parted the last strand of the hawser which
l had left, and both coracle and ship were
adrift; with leap l caught at the jib
boom, and clung painting, left without
retreat on the Hispaniola.
When got aft found the sailor dead,
and Hands in sad condition. He was
friendly enough while helpless, but as he
grew stronger he asserted himself and is
sued orders. which obeyed until the ship
was round in the low wooded north inlet
The excitement of the last maneuvers
had interfered with my watch upon the
coxswain, but something caused me to turn
my head, when saw the fellow halfway
towards me, his dirk in his hand; he
chased me around the deck, trying to cor
ner me; quick as thought l sprang into
the mizzen shrouds and ratified up hand