The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1922-01-04

ana kept very sui. BEFORE lie LAO
said a dozen words I knew that all
honest men aboard were in great dan
ger.
Well, I made the discovery that Long
John and most Of the crew were old
shipmates 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 How and we anchored
at Captain Kidd's anchorage" &C.
cording to the chart. I told the doc.
tor and the squire what had heard.
and they had the captain send the
crew ashore, SO that we might have an
opportunity to talk matters over.
1t was decided that we must 60 on,
and we counted those we could trust,
only to find that we were but six
against nineteen.
The next morning 1t was plain that
mutiny hung over us like thunder
cloud. Captain Smollet thought It best
to give the crew shore leave, and n
party was made up including Silver.
Some Of the men, however, remained
aboard. I suddenly took 1t into my
head to 60 ashore, too, and slipped
unseen over the side and into the for.
ward sheets Of the nearest boat; as
soon as the bow struck among the
shore-side trees, I caught a branch
and swung ashore, making Of into
the nearby thiciket.
cannot give all the details Of the
voyage; they were many and exciting.
but one or two happenings I must tell.
While wandering about In the thick.
ct came upon a Withholding man.
who said he was seaman, Ben Gum,
marooned on the island three years
before. got his story. and he ours
he was great help to Ms, as you shall
see.
In the meantime our party had
abandoned the ship and taken up the
fight ashore. I had a notion to get
out to the ship, cut her adrift and Let
her go ashore where she would, and 80
prevent the nutineers from sailing
away In her; and remembering Ben
Gums mention Of a coracle which he
had made and put in hiding. set
out to find 1t: being successful, made
my way to the ship, ard laying hold
Of her hawser, was about to finish cut
ting her loose when I heard voices
from the cabin: one recognized as
that Of the cOXswaln, Israel Hands,
the other was sailor whose name /
did not know. Both were drunk, and
whe!i got look at them through the
"abln window, saw that they were
ie deaths grip.
The strong current had by this part
ed the last strand Of the hawser which
had left, ans both coracle and ship
were adrft; with leap caught at
the jlb boom, and chung painting. left
| without retreat on the Hispanlola.
When I got Mt found the sailor
dead, and Hands in sad condition,
He was friendly enough while help
less but as ne grew stronger he as.
serted himself and issued orders,
which I obeyed until the ship was
| Il.
The excitement of the last maneuv-
| ers 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 corner me;
quick rs thought I sprang into the
mizzen shrouds and ratified up hand
over hand into the cross-trees; none
| too soon. the dirk had struck not
foot below me as I climbed
! Now I primed my pistols and re-
loaded, and Hands seeing this, knew
the dice were against him in spite Of
this he started up after mo. "One
more step. Mr.. Hands," said /, land I'll
blow your brains QUIT" saw his
right hand go up over his shoulder,
something sang like an arrow through
the air, and was pinned to the mast
both my pistols went Off and es-
capped from my hands. but they did
not fall alone: with a choking cry
the c0xswaln loosed his grasp and
plunged down head first. and I saw
him through the clear water, lying ON
the sand beneath.
found that I was held simply by
the skin Of my arm, and pulling my
self free, finally got ashore, and with
difficulty reached my friends. They
had had some fierce battling with the
mutineers, but in the end q flag of
truce appeared and Silver come for
ward to bargain. The doctor. much to
the surprise OF all. gave him the chart
but this was explained later, for when
they dug for the treasure and reached
the bottom Of the cache, nothing was
found but n broken pick and a hoard
with the word "Walrus" burnt into it
the name Of Flints ship!
Ben Gum was the real hero. Early
In his stay on the island he had come
upon the treasure, and with great diff
ticulty transported 1t to cave and
hidden 1t, seven hundred thousand
pounds In minted money Of all ma
tons, besides heavy bars Of gold.
The doctor had wormed the secret