, 1926-06-30

amt see, and he's a-comin' alter me ="
AT this a dozen pirates jolted In be-
tween us, cursing and threatening me,
and l gave ground toward where my
friends were standing with Silver.
The o~ne-legged man hoped out to
meet me-. But i had scant satisfaction
from him. He snatched the knife from
my hand and, bending low, spat at me
with a scorn words cannot possibly
convey
"Ye bunglerl AS good as blind, and
we didn't do for hin ~
And he swung by me on his crutch,
hallooing to his friends:
They're after Black Dog yonl Lay
into the dirty swabs, mates!"
Knives were out all over the deck,
and men were slashlng and stabbing
at one another. Bones was swallowed
up in the mass of frantic humanity
that milled around the restricted space
between the butt of the mizzen and
the rise of the poop.
A man plucked at my sleeve, and I
spun about defensively to confront
Peter.
"Wnere $ MORA Z! 1 panied.
DARBY took her. He has a plan for
us to get free. Hurry, Bob! We got
a goodt chance, ia. This is what Sill
yer worked for, to hafe you kill Bones
or set der crew against him"
1 noticed that Peter steered me
for'ard where the deck was deserted /;
but I asked no questions, for Silver's
voice spurred me on.
LAY aft, lads" he was shouting.
"Well show 'em whatl We won't let
no perishin' fool like Bill Bones go for
to hold out that treasure-map on us.
Couldn't even handle the B~uckskin. he
Couldn't"
MORA hailed us from the shelter of
the capstan.
viii it be you, Bob? Oh, thank
God. thank Godi'
"And your hand?r / stammered.
She pressed it to my lips.
There" said she. eff you will be
so chary of other places"
I strove to redress my fault. and
she lay for one precious moment in
my arms.
"Are you sure We will have meant
it," she asked shyly.
Meant it, Since the morning ]
heard the Tilt of your voice in"
A low whistle came from over the
side to larboard.
Ills Darby :" she cried. 'He slid
down the anchor-cable to get at one
of the boats they will have lowered
by the side ladder for the water-party
49, ,,ou cai-x ,E1.1 .-l Ill.,
Peter beckoned urgently from the
rail.
1--WE don't talk" he ordered grimly.
eve GO"
There was a coil Of spare cable
handy, and we dropped it oversize,
sliding one by one into the jolly-boat
which Darby held steady beneath the
heft of the %bowsprit. The Walrus
had swung with the tide until her
stern was toward the town, and Oar
by and / tool the oars and rowed
quietly along the mass of the pirates
hull in the direction of the scattered
lights hat represented Savannah. How
beautiful they seemed to us, those
tiny gllmmers of rush-lights and liant
horns In a clearing In the wilderness!
They spelled safety, perhaps home.
But we were none too sure of our
selves yet. The big vessel doomed
over us, her gunports like a row of
gouglng tusks, her spars and rigging
a monstrous net poised for casting.
Her decks seethed with lawless men,
fighting and running, with harsh out
cries and the c~lashing of steel and an
occasional pistol shot.
We passed the cluster of boats
moored by the side ladder. unwilling
to risk the time it would take to cut
them adrift. We passed the poop,
where Il particularly savage fray was
going on. Men were battering at the
door to the cabin companionway and
II called to "roll up a chase-gun,
II give the - - n rOund-shot
in his belly"
We rowed on under the Walrus'
stern, and there we came upon an
amazing spectacle.
a longboat was always towed astern
for the greater convenience in case
there was a sudden necessity for its
use at sea. This boat had been
drawn beneath the stern windows,