Thirty-one

THE TREASURE HUNT—FLINT'S POINTER

"Jim," said Silver, when we were alone, "if I saved your life, you saved mine; and I'll not forget. I saw the doctor waving you to run for it—with the tail of my eye, I did; and I saw you say no, as plain as hearing. Jim, that's one to you. This is the first glimmer of hope I've had since the attack failed, and I owe it you. And now, Jim, we're to go in for this here treasure hunting, with secret orders, too, and I don't like it; and you and I must keep close, back to back, and we'll save our necks in spite of fate and fortune."

Just then a man shouted to us that breakfast was ready, and we sat down to it by the fire.

As Silver ate, he kept on talking. "Ah, lads," he said, "it's a good thing you have Barbecue to think for you. I got what I wanted. Sure enough they have the ship. Where they have it, I don't know yet; but, once we get the treasure, we'll jump about and find out. We have the boats, and that makes us stronger than they are. As for this boy, that's his last talk with them he loves so dear. I'll take him on a rope when we go treasure hunting, in case of accidents ... "

And so he ran on. The men were very pleased with themselves now, and I was in despair. Silver had still a foot in both camps. If this plan of his could be carried out, he would do it, for he would prefer wealth and freedom with the pirates to a mere escape from hanging on our side. Even if he kept his promise to Dr. Livesey, what danger lay before us! He and I would have to fight for our lives, a one-legged man and a boy against five strong seamen. Add to these fears the strange actions of my friends. Why had they left the stockade? What was the meaning of the doctor's last warning, "Look out for trouble when you find it"? You may easily believe that I had little taste for my breakfast.

We set out, a strange-looking party, all in soiled clothes, and all, except me, armed to the teeth. Captain Flint sat on Silver's shoulder, talking strange sea-talk. I had a rope round my waist and followed after Silver who held the other end, now in his free hand, now in his powerful teeth.

We went down to the beach and got into the boats. As we rowed, there was some talk about the map. The writing on the back was not very clear. It ran, as you will remember, thus:

Tall tree, Spy-glass shoulder, line to a point to the N. of N.N.E.

Island E.S.E. and by E.

Ten feet.

A tall tree was thus the chief mark by which we had to guide ourselves. But the high ground in which the treasure was supposed to lie was covered with tall trees; and every man in the boats had chosen a different one of the trees as the right one.

After quite a long trip in the boats we landed at the mouth of the second river—that which runs down the side of Spy-glass hill. From there we began to climb up to the high ground.

The party spread itself out, shouting and leaping. About the centre, and a good way behind the rest, Silver and I followed—I held by my rope, he making his way with difficulty over the soft soil. From time to time, indeed, I had to help him, or he must have fallen backward down the hill.

We had thus proceeded for about half a mile, and were approaching the top, when the man upon the farthest left began to cry aloud, as if in terror. Shout after shout came from him, and the others began to run in his direction.

"He can't have found the treasure," said old Morgan, hurrying past us from the right, "for that's right on the top."

Indeed, as we found when we also reached the spot, it was something very different. At the foot of a big tree and partly grown over with forest plants, lay what had once been a man. A few pieces of clothing still lay about the bones.

Cold fear struck into every heart.

"He was a seaman," said George Merry, who, bolder than the rest, had gone up close, and was examining the rags of clothing. "This is good sea-cloth."

"Ah," said Silver, "he would be that. But what sort of a way is that for bones to lie; it's not in nature."

Indeed, it seemed impossible to fancy that the body was in a natural shape. The man lay perfectly straight—his feet pointing in one direction, his hands, raised above his head, pointing directly in the opposite.

"I've taken an idea into my old head," said Silver. "Here's the compass; there's the top point of the little island, standing out like a tooth. Just take a line, will you, along the line of these bones."

It was done. The body pointed straight in the direction of the small island, and the compass showed E.S.E. and by E.

"I thought so," cried the cook; "this is a pointer. Right up there is our line for the jolly old treasure. But, by thunder! if it doesn't make me cold inside to think of Flint. He would have thought this a laughing matter, he would. He and these six were alone here; he killed 'em, every man; and this one he dragged here and laid down by compass. Great guns. They're long bones, and the hair's been yellow. Ah, that would be Allardyce. You remember Allardyce, Tom Morgan?"

"I do," replied Morgan, "I remember him; he owed me money, he did, and took my knife on shore with him."

"Speaking of knives," said another, "why don't we find his knife lying here? Flint wasn't the man to pick a seaman's pocket; and the birds, I guess, would leave it."

"By the powers, and that's true!" cried Silver.

"There isn't a thing left here," said Merry, still feeling round among the bones. "It doesn't look natural to me."

"No, by heaven, it doesn't," agreed Silver; "not natural, nor nice. Great guns! if Flint was living, this would be a hot spot for you and me. Six they were, and six are we; and bones is what they are now."

"I saw him dead with these eyes," said Morgan. "Billy took me in. There he lay, with pennies on his eyes to keep 'em shut."

"Dead—yes, sure enough he's dead and gone below," said the fellow with the broken head; "but if ever a man's spirit walked after death, it would be Flint's. Dear heart, but he died badly, did Flint!"

"That he did," said another; "now he cursed, and now he shouted for the rum, and now he sang. 'Fifteen men' was his only song; and I've never liked to hear it since. It was hot, and the window was open, and I hear that old song coming out as clear as clear—and the hand of Death on the man already."

"Come, come," said Silver, "stop this talk. He's dead, and he doesn't walk, that I know—well, he won't walk by day; you may be sure o' that."

We went on; but in spite of the hot sun and the bright daylight, the pirates no longer ran separate and shouting through the wood, but kept side by side and spoke in low voices. The terror of the dead Captain Flint had fallen on their spirits.