, 1926-06-02

Ing his whip behind him.
"rTisn't goold l want" he wept.
IT'S to lay my lash to t back o. nun.
Aye! Till he do he bloody raw, same
as job P~ytchens and they other lads
as Is under sod. Oh, my pore back ="
There was an interval of silence
after he was gone.
ITS bad luck to touch the dead" re-
affirmed Flint. mo, no, the thing to
do is tc bury him quick. You axe half
a dozen men, Bill, and plant him my
where-so's he's deep enough"
"And what about the treasurer
called one of the men by the door.
AYE, aye chimed In a second.
"when do we shift it aboard and
dlvyy upT'
Flint stroked his chin, considering.
@Why. there's no hurry about the
treasure, mates" he answered finally.
Its safe here. What we all need
now Is a dram o. rum and two watches
below"
There was q general murmur of as
sent with this sentiment, and he
crooked his finger at me.
Come along. Buckskin. Well put
the three o. we aboardship, out o.
harms way. seem as ye're so precious
o. your skins. Long John. I'll leave It
To We to guard the prisoners. Give the
girl a stateroom for herself-less'n We
might wish to share It, Buckskin?" he
added with a leer that fetched a rudy
tide to Moira's cheeks.
Silver motioned US to precede him
into the night, and as we passed out lie
gathered together a party Of men who
formed loosely around US.
IF so be as yen give me your word
TO come ~peaceable, Master Ormerod, |
can make things easier for ye," he
offered when We we're clear of the hut.
What do o say, PeterT' l asked
the Dutchman.
ia"
That's enough for me-" announced
Silver cheerfully. And very sensible
of We, too, gentlemen. Not quite so
fast. I'm only a crippled sallorman.
and ha' labOred hard this night. Aye.
II were such a seesaw o. fortune as
KEEP my heart a-poppln' in my throat
l thought We had me on the %stockade:
but there's m like Pew wi the knife.
and he can smell his man when he
can't see him. Well. well, who'd ha
's'posed when We met in New York
we'd come to aught ike this, Master
Ormerndg"
l lacked the heart to answer him.
and We stumbled through the woods In
silence to the shore of the Anchorage.
Here n of the Walrus' boats was
launched, and we We're rowed out to
where she lay, her hull squatting like
n rock in the quiet water. Men
hailed us from her deck, a whip was
sent down for Sllver's convenience. and
the rest of us climbed the side ladder,
MORA as agile as any after her months
at sea.
Here we are, safe and snug on the
old Walrus,' ema <led Silver. still az
gresslvely CHEEKY and them rs is
here can call themselves fortunate.
cause there's Il plenty as ha' kept Muir
ray company. Ave. blast me. for a
swab, hut it ha' been n bloody night.
Get for'ard. mates"
This to the men who had come off
with US.
"Tll see 10 the prIs'ners. Now then.
ge~ntlemen-and mlstress-you come
along WI me. and I'll make ye all as
comf'table as II we was In a Bristol
pncket."
He prodded a muscular forefnger
into my chest.
"You mind that, Master Ormerod.
Npn mind that I ann TnHp v~,- ,-,.r
friend Cause why. says your Here's
the Walrus, and here's n treasure. and
here's Flint. and here's maybe twelve
score lads ms don't all think alike, and
here's BIZ Bones-nnd here's me. A
goodlsh bit might happen, my master.
And who's to say what will start II
a~-happenln'7 Not me! Nor who
might come out on top a'terward.'
And with a parting wink he stumped
aft, crooking his finger in sign that we
should follow him across the untidy
deck.
"GloryH' smiled MORA, her nose In
air. This will he more the like of a
stable than n ship"
She did not exnggernte. The Wal.
rus was dlrtier han she hnd been tAe
night Peter and | were committed 10
her as hostage. Her decks were foul
with grease and all manner Of flth
her paint wns crooked and peellng: n
cloud OF flies buzzed around a tub OF
ish.guts which nobody would take the
trouble 10 cast oversize; from nm open
hatch poured n sour. acrld stencil. A
strange contrast with the Royal james
Inside the compnnlonwny under thu
poop we tripped over the usual litter
OF broken bottles, plstoi-fints and odds
md ends Of CASTOR clothing. Silver
balanced himself on his crutch against
the wall. struck flint and steel to q
slow-mntch and ignlted the wick OF n