AlSamCur123/DataText · Datasets at Hugging Face

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another, to the beach, where the two gigs awaited us. Even these bore
trace of the drunken folly of the pirates, one in a broken thwart, and
both in their muddy and unbailed condition. Both were to be carried
along with us for the sake of safety; and so, with our numbers divided
between them, we set forth upon the bosom of the anchorage.
As we pulled over, there was some discussion on the chart. The red cross
was, of course, far too large to be a guide; and the terms of the note
on the back, as you will hear, admitted of some ambiguity. They ran, the
reader may remember, thus:
Tall tree, Spy-glass shoulder, bearing a point to
the N. of N.N.E.
Skeleton Island E.S.E. and by E.
Ten feet.
A tall tree was thus the principal mark. Now, right before us the
anchorage was bounded by a plateau from two to three hundred feet high,
adjoining on the north the sloping southern shoulder of the Spy-glass
and rising again towards the south into the rough, cliffy eminence
called the Mizzenmast Hill. The top of the plateau was dotted thickly
with pine-trees of varying height. Every here and there, one of a
different species rose forty or fifty feet clear above its neighbours,
and which of these was the particular “tall tree” of Captain Flint could
only be decided on the spot, and by the readings of the compass.
Yet, although that was the case, every man on board the boats had
picked a favourite of his own ere we were half-way over, Long John alone
shrugging his shoulders and bidding them wait till they were there.
We pulled easily, by Silver’s directions, not to weary the hands
prematurely, and after quite a long passage, landed at the mouth of
the second river--that which runs down a woody cleft of the Spy-glass.
Thence, bending to our left, we began to ascend the slope towards the
plateau.
At the first outset, heavy, miry ground and a matted, marish vegetation
greatly delayed our progress; but by little and little the hill began
to steepen and become stony under foot, and the wood to change its
character and to grow in a more open order. It was, indeed, a most
pleasant portion of the island that we were now approaching. A
heavy-scented broom and many flowering shrubs had almost taken the place
of grass. Thickets of green nutmeg-trees were dotted here and there with
the red columns and the broad shadow of the pines; and the first mingled
their spice with the aroma of the others. The air, besides, was fresh
and stirring, and this, under the sheer sunbeams, was a wonderful
refreshment to our senses.
The party spread itself abroad, in a fan shape, shouting and leaping to
and fro. About the centre, and a good way behind the rest, Silver and
I followed--I tethered by my rope, he ploughing, with deep pants, among
the sliding gravel. From time to time, indeed, I had to lend him a hand,
or he must have missed his footing and fallen backward down the hill.
We had thus proceeded for about half a mile and were approaching the
brow of the plateau 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 ’a found the treasure,” said old Morgan, hurrying past us from
the right, “for that’s clean a-top.”
Indeed, as we found when we also reached the spot, it was something
very different. At the foot of a pretty big pine and involved in a green
creeper, which had even partly lifted some of the smaller bones, a human
skeleton lay, with a few shreds of clothing, on the ground. I believe a
chill struck for a moment to 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. “Leastways, this
is good sea-cloth.”
“Aye, aye,” said Silver; “like enough; you wouldn’t look to find a
bishop here, I reckon. But what sort of a way is that for bones to lie?
’Tain’t in natur’.”
Indeed, on a second glance, it seemed impossible to fancy that the body
was in a natural position. But for some disarray (the work, perhaps, of
the birds that had fed upon him or of the slow-growing creeper that had
gradually enveloped his remains) the man lay perfectly straight--his
feet pointing in one direction, his hands, raised above his head like a
diver’s, pointing directly in the opposite.
“I’ve taken a notion into my old numbskull,” observed Silver. “Here’s
the compass; there’s the tip-top p’int o’ Skeleton Island, stickin’
out like a tooth. Just take a bearing, will you, along the line of them
bones.”
It was done. The body pointed straight in the direction of the island,
and the compass read duly E.S.E. and by E.
“I thought so,” cried the cook; “this here is a p’inter. Right up there
is our line for the Pole Star and the jolly dollars. But, by thunder!
If it don’t make me cold inside to think of Flint. This is one of HIS
jokes, and no mistake. Him and these six was alone here; he killed ’em,
every man; and this one he hauled here and laid down by compass, shiver
my timbers! They’re long bones, and the hair’s been yellow. Aye, that
would be Allardyce. You mind Allardyce, Tom Morgan?”
“Aye, aye,” returned Morgan; “I mind him; he owed me money, he did, and
took my knife ashore with him.”
“Speaking of knives,” said another, “why don’t we find his’n lying
round? Flint warn’t the man to pick a seaman’s pocket; and the birds, I
guess, would leave it be.”
“By the powers, and that’s true!” cried Silver.
“There ain’t a thing left here,” said Merry, still feeling round among
the bones; “not a copper doit nor a baccy box. It don’t look nat’ral to
me.”
“No, by gum, it don’t,” agreed Silver; “not nat’ral, nor not nice, says
you. Great guns! Messmates, but 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 here deadlights,” said Morgan. “Billy took me
in. There he laid, with penny-pieces on his eyes.”
“Dead--aye, sure enough he’s dead and gone below,” said the fellow with
the bandage; “but if ever sperrit walked, it would be Flint’s. Dear
heart, but he died bad, did Flint!”

another, to the beach, where the two gigs awaited us. Even these bore

trace of the drunken folly of the pirates, one in a broken thwart, and

both in their muddy and unbailed condition. Both were to be carried

along with us for the sake of safety; and so, with our numbers divided

between them, we set forth upon the bosom of the anchorage.

As we pulled over, there was some discussion on the chart. The red cross

was, of course, far too large to be a guide; and the terms of the note

on the back, as you will hear, admitted of some ambiguity. They ran, the

reader may remember, thus:

Tall tree, Spy-glass shoulder, bearing a point to

the N. of N.N.E.

Skeleton Island E.S.E. and by E.

Ten feet.

A tall tree was thus the principal mark. Now, right before us the

anchorage was bounded by a plateau from two to three hundred feet high,

adjoining on the north the sloping southern shoulder of the Spy-glass

and rising again towards the south into the rough, cliffy eminence

called the Mizzenmast Hill. The top of the plateau was dotted thickly

with pine-trees of varying height. Every here and there, one of a

different species rose forty or fifty feet clear above its neighbours,

and which of these was the particular “tall tree” of Captain Flint could

only be decided on the spot, and by the readings of the compass.

Yet, although that was the case, every man on board the boats had

picked a favourite of his own ere we were half-way over, Long John alone

shrugging his shoulders and bidding them wait till they were there.

We pulled easily, by Silver’s directions, not to weary the hands

prematurely, and after quite a long passage, landed at the mouth of

the second river--that which runs down a woody cleft of the Spy-glass.

Thence, bending to our left, we began to ascend the slope towards the

plateau.

At the first outset, heavy, miry ground and a matted, marish vegetation

greatly delayed our progress; but by little and little the hill began

to steepen and become stony under foot, and the wood to change its

character and to grow in a more open order. It was, indeed, a most

pleasant portion of the island that we were now approaching. A

heavy-scented broom and many flowering shrubs had almost taken the place

of grass. Thickets of green nutmeg-trees were dotted here and there with

the red columns and the broad shadow of the pines; and the first mingled

their spice with the aroma of the others. The air, besides, was fresh

and stirring, and this, under the sheer sunbeams, was a wonderful

refreshment to our senses.

The party spread itself abroad, in a fan shape, shouting and leaping to

and fro. About the centre, and a good way behind the rest, Silver and

I followed--I tethered by my rope, he ploughing, with deep pants, among

the sliding gravel. From time to time, indeed, I had to lend him a hand,

or he must have missed his footing and fallen backward down the hill.

We had thus proceeded for about half a mile and were approaching the

brow of the plateau 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 ’a found the treasure,” said old Morgan, hurrying past us from

the right, “for that’s clean a-top.”

Indeed, as we found when we also reached the spot, it was something

very different. At the foot of a pretty big pine and involved in a green

creeper, which had even partly lifted some of the smaller bones, a human

skeleton lay, with a few shreds of clothing, on the ground. I believe a

chill struck for a moment to 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. “Leastways, this

is good sea-cloth.”

“Aye, aye,” said Silver; “like enough; you wouldn’t look to find a

bishop here, I reckon. But what sort of a way is that for bones to lie?

’Tain’t in natur’.”

Indeed, on a second glance, it seemed impossible to fancy that the body

was in a natural position. But for some disarray (the work, perhaps, of

the birds that had fed upon him or of the slow-growing creeper that had

gradually enveloped his remains) the man lay perfectly straight--his

feet pointing in one direction, his hands, raised above his head like a

diver’s, pointing directly in the opposite.

“I’ve taken a notion into my old numbskull,” observed Silver. “Here’s

the compass; there’s the tip-top p’int o’ Skeleton Island, stickin’

out like a tooth. Just take a bearing, will you, along the line of them

bones.”

It was done. The body pointed straight in the direction of the island,

and the compass read duly E.S.E. and by E.

“I thought so,” cried the cook; “this here is a p’inter. Right up there

is our line for the Pole Star and the jolly dollars. But, by thunder!

If it don’t make me cold inside to think of Flint. This is one of HIS

jokes, and no mistake. Him and these six was alone here; he killed ’em,

every man; and this one he hauled here and laid down by compass, shiver

my timbers! They’re long bones, and the hair’s been yellow. Aye, that

would be Allardyce. You mind Allardyce, Tom Morgan?”

“Aye, aye,” returned Morgan; “I mind him; he owed me money, he did, and

took my knife ashore with him.”

“Speaking of knives,” said another, “why don’t we find his’n lying

round? Flint warn’t the man to pick a seaman’s pocket; and the birds, I

guess, would leave it be.”

“By the powers, and that’s true!” cried Silver.

“There ain’t a thing left here,” said Merry, still feeling round among

the bones; “not a copper doit nor a baccy box. It don’t look nat’ral to

me.”

“No, by gum, it don’t,” agreed Silver; “not nat’ral, nor not nice, says

you. Great guns! Messmates, but 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 here deadlights,” said Morgan. “Billy took me

in. There he laid, with penny-pieces on his eyes.”

“Dead--aye, sure enough he’s dead and gone below,” said the fellow with

the bandage; “but if ever sperrit walked, it would be Flint’s. Dear

heart, but he died bad, did Flint!”