Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1923-12-28
PART VI
Captain Silver

friendly"
And thereupon he sat down acros
the brandy cask, and began to fill
pipe.
GIVE me the loan of link, Dick,
said he; and then, when he had I
good light, "That'll do, my lad" h
added, "stick the glim in the woo
heap; and you, gentlemen, bring
yourselves to!-you needn't stand III
for Mr.. Hawkins; he'll excuse you
you may lay to that. And so, jim
stopping the tobacco" here you
are, and quite a pleasant surprise
for poor old John. l see you were
smart when l first set my eyes OF
you, but this here gets away from me
clean, 1T do"
To all this, as may be well sup
posed, / made no answer. They hao
set me with my back against the
wall, and 1 stood there, looking Sill
er in the face, pluckily enough,
hope, to all outward appearance, but
with black despair in my heart.
Silver took a Whit or two of his
pipe with great composure, and then
ran on again:
Now, you see, Jim, so be as you
are here" says he, 9TH give you a
piece of my mind. I've always liked
you, l have, for a, lad of spirit, and
the picter of my own self when / was
young and handsome. always
wanted you to jine and take your
share, and die a gentleman, and now,
my cock, you've got to. Captain
Smollett's a fine seaman, as I'll own
up to any day, but stiff on discipline.
'Dooty is dooty," says he, and right
he is. Just you keep clear of the
cap'n. The doctor himself is gone
dead agin you = the 'ungrateful
scamp, was what he said; and the
short and the long of the whole story
is about here: You can't go back
to your own lot, for they wont have
you; and. without you start third
ships company all by yourself,
which might be lonely, you'll have to
line with Cap'n Silver"
So far so good. My friends, then,
were still alive, and though partly
believed the truth of Silver's state
ment, that the cabin party were in
censed at me for my desertion, was
more relieved than distressed by what
heard.
81 don't say nothing as to your
being in our hands," continued Sill
yer, though there you are, and you
may lay to it. I'm all for argument;
never seen good come out O. threat
ening. If you like the service, well,
you'll jine; and If you don't, Jim,
why you're free to answer no-free
and welcome, shipmate; and if fairer
can be said by mortal seaman, shiver
my sides!"
Gam 1 to answer them" 1 asked,
with very tremulous voice. Through
all this sneering talk 1 was made to
feel the threat of death that over
hung me, and my cheeks burned and
my heart beat painfully in my
breast
Lad" said Silver, "no ones
of you. Take your bear
ings None of us won't hurry you,
mate; time goes so pleasant in your
you see?"
well" says l, growing a bit bold
err, of I'm to choose, I declare l have
a right to know what's what, and
why you're here, and where my
friends are"
"Wot's wot?" repeated one of the
buccaneers, in a deep growl. "Ah,
he'd be lucky one as knowed that!"
you'll perhaps batten down your
matches till you're spoke to, my
friend" cried Silver, truculently, to
this speaker. yesterday morning,
Mr.. Hawkins" said he, in the dog
watch, down came Doctor Livesey
With a flag of truce. Says he: Cap n
Silver, you're sold out. Ships gone!
Well, maybe we'd been taking
glass, and a song to help it around.
/ won't say no. Leastways none of
IS had looked out. We looked out,
and by thunderl the old ship was
gone. I never seen a pack o. fools
ook fisher; and you may lay to
hat, if 1 tells you that 1 looked the
'ishiest. Well says the doctor,
let's bargain We bargained, him
ind L. and here we are; stores, bran
ly, block-house, the firewood you
was so thoughtful enough to cut,
md, in a manner of speaking, the
whole blessed boat, from cross-trees
% keelson. AS for them, they've
1 don't know where's they
lre."
He drew again quietly at his pipe.
"And lest you should take it into
hat head of yours" he went on,
that you was included in the treaty,
here's the last word that was said;
How many are you says /, to
eave?' -Four, says he-ffour, and
me of us wounded. AS for that boy,
don't know where he is, confound
lim,' says he, nor don't much care.
We're about sick of him. These
we're his last words"
us that all?" / asked.
"Well, it's all you're to hear, my
on" returned Silver.
"And now 1 am to choose?"
"And now you are to choose, and
.ou may lay to that" said Silver.
well" said l, 81 am not such
DOL but 1 know pretty well what l
ave to look for. Let the worst come
o the worst, it's little l care. I've
cen too many die since l fell in with
GU. But there's a thing or two l
ave to tell you" l said, and by this
ime l was quite excited; "and the
rst is this: Here you are, in a bad
way, ship lost, treasure lost, men
ost. your whole business gone to
wreck; and if you want to know who
id tit was I! was in the apple
arrel the night we sighted land,
nd / heard you, John, and you, Dick