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from the mutineers and that poor old Tom Redruth, still `
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unburied, lay along the wall, stiff and stark, under `
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the Union Jack. `
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If we had been allowed to sit idle, we should all have `
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fallen in the blues, but Captain Smollett was never the `
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man for that. All hands were called up before him, and `
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he divided us into watches. The doctor and Gray and I `
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for one; the squire, Hunter, and Joyce upon the other. `
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Tired though we all were, two were sent out for `
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firewood; two more were set to dig a grave for Redruth; `
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the doctor was named cook; I was put sentry at the door; `
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and the captain himself went from one to another, keeping `
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up our spirits and lending a hand wherever it was wanted. `
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From time to time the doctor came to the door for a little `
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air and to rest his eyes, which were almost smoked out of `
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his head, and whenever he did so, he had a word for me. `
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"That man Smollett," he said once, "is a better man `
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than I am. And when I say that it means a deal, Jim." `
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Another time he came and was silent for a while. Then `
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he put his head on one side, and looked at me. `
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"Is this Ben Gunn a man?" he asked. `
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"I do not know, sir," said I. "I am not very sure `
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whether he's sane." `
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"If there's any doubt about the matter, he is," returned `
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the doctor. "A man who has been three years biting his `
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nails on a desert island, Jim, can't expect to appear as `
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sane as you or me. It doesn't lie in human nature. Was `
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it cheese you said he had a fancy for?" `
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"Yes, sir, cheese," I answered. `
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"Well, Jim," says he, "just see the good that comes of `
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being dainty in your food. You've seen my snuff-box, `
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haven't you? And you never saw me take snuff, the `
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reason being that in my snuff-box I carry a piece of `
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Parmesan cheese--a cheese made in Italy, very `
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nutritious. Well, that's for Ben Gunn!" `
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Before supper was eaten we buried old Tom in the sand `
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and stood round him for a while bare-headed in the `
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breeze. A good deal of firewood had been got in, but `
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not enough for the captain's fancy, and he shook his `
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head over it and told us we "must get back to this `
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tomorrow rather livelier." Then, when we had eaten our `
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pork and each had a good stiff glass of brandy grog, `
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the three chiefs got together in a corner to discuss `
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our prospects. `
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It appears they were at their wits' end what to do, the `
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stores being so low that we must have been starved into `
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surrender long before help came. But our best hope, it `
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was decided, was to kill off the buccaneers until they `
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either hauled down their flag or ran away with the `
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HISPANIOLA. From nineteen they were already reduced `
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to fifteen, two others were wounded, and one at least-- `
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the man shot beside the gun--severely wounded, if he `
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were not dead. Every time we had a crack at them, we `
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were to take it, saving our own lives, with the `
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extremest care. And besides that, we had two able `
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allies--rum and the climate. `
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As for the first, though we were about half a mile `
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away, we could hear them roaring and singing late into `
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the night; and as for the second, the doctor staked his `
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wig that, camped where they were in the marsh and `
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unprovided with remedies, the half of them would be on `
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their backs before a week. `
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"So," he added, "if we are not all shot down first they'll `
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be glad to be packing in the schooner. It's always a ship, `
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and they can get to buccaneering again, I suppose." `
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"First ship that ever I lost," said Captain Smollett. `
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I was dead tired, as you may fancy; and when I got to `
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sleep, which was not till after a great deal of `
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tossing, I slept like a log of wood. `
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The rest had long been up and had already breakfasted and `
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increased the pile of firewood by about half as much again `
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when I was wakened by a bustle and the sound of voices. `
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"Flag of truce!" I heard someone say; and then, immediately `
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after, with a cry of surprise, "Silver himself!" `
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And at that, up I jumped, and rubbing my eyes, ran to a `
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loophole in the wall. `
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20 `
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Silver's Embassy `
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SURE enough, there were two men just outside the stockade, `
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one of them waving a white cloth, the other, no less a `
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person than Silver himself, standing placidly by. `
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It was still quite early, and the coldest morning that `
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I think I ever was abroad in--a chill that pierced into `
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the marrow. The sky was bright and cloudless overhead, `
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and the tops of the trees shone rosily in the sun. But `
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where Silver stood with his lieutenant, all was still `
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in shadow, and they waded knee-deep in a low white `
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vapour that had crawled during the night out of the `
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morass. The chill and the vapour taken together told a `
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poor tale of the island. It was plainly a damp, `
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feverish, unhealthy spot. `
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"Keep indoors, men," said the captain. "Ten to one `
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this is a trick." `
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Then he hailed the buccaneer. `
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"Who goes? Stand, or we fire." `
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"Flag of truce," cried Silver. `
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The captain was in the porch, keeping himself carefully `
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out of the way of a treacherous shot, should any be `
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intended. He turned and spoke to us, "Doctor's watch `
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on the lookout. Dr. Livesey take the north side, if `
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you please; Jim, the east; Gray, west. The watch below, `
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all hands to load muskets. Lively, men, and careful." `
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And then he turned again to the mutineers. `
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"And what do you want with your flag of truce?" he cried. `
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This time it was the other man who replied. `
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"Cap'n Silver, sir, to come on board and make terms," `
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he shouted. `
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"Cap'n Silver! Don't know him. Who's he?" cried the `
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captain. And we could hear him adding to himself, `
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"Cap'n, is it? My heart, and here's promotion!" `
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Long John answered for himself. "Me, sir. These poor `
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lads have chosen me cap'n, after your desertion, sir"-- `
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laying a particular emphasis upon the word "desertion." `
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"We're willing to submit, if we can come to terms, and `
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no bones about it. All I ask is your word, Cap'n `
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Smollett, to let me safe and sound out of this here `
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stockade, and one minute to get out o' shot before a `
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gun is fired." `
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"My man," said Captain Smollett, "I have not the slightest `
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desire to talk to you. If you wish to talk to me, you can `
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come, that's all. If there's any treachery, it'll be on `
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your side, and the Lord help you." `
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"That's enough, cap'n," shouted Long John cheerily. "A `
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word from you's enough. I know a gentleman, and you `
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may lay to that." `
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We could see the man who carried the flag of truce `
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attempting to hold Silver back. Nor was that `
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wonderful, seeing how cavalier had been the captain's `
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answer. But Silver laughed at him aloud and slapped `
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him on the back as if the idea of alarm had been `
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absurd. Then he advanced to the stockade, threw over `
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his crutch, got a leg up, and with great vigour and `
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skill succeeded in surmounting the fence and dropping `
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safely to the other side. `
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I will confess that I was far too much taken up with `
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what was going on to be of the slightest use as sentry; `
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indeed, I had already deserted my eastern loophole and `
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crept up behind the captain, who had now seated himself `
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on the threshold, with his elbows on his knees, his `
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head in his hands, and his eyes fixed on the water as `
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it bubbled out of the old iron kettle in the sand. He `
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was whistling "Come, Lasses and Lads." `
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Silver had terrible hard work getting up the knoll. `
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What with the steepness of the incline, the thick tree `
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stumps, and the soft sand, he and his crutch were as `
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helpless as a ship in stays. But he stuck to it like a `
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man in silence, and at last arrived before the captain, `
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whom he saluted in the handsomest style. He was `
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tricked out in his best; an immense blue coat, thick `
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with brass buttons, hung as low as to his knees, and a `
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fine laced hat was set on the back of his head. `
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"Here you are, my man," said the captain, raising his `
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head. "You had better sit down." `
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"You ain't a-going to let me inside, cap'n?" complained `
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Long John. "It's a main cold morning, to be sure, sir, `
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to sit outside upon the sand." `
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"Why, Silver," said the captain, "if you had pleased to `
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be an honest man, you might have been sitting in your `
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