NO, not I said Silver. Flint was cap'n; 1 ve Nemaster, The san quartermaster, along of my timber leg, bradade I lost my leg, old Pew lost his deadlights. It was a master surgeon, him that ampytated me-out of college and all-Latin by the bucket, and what not, but he was hanged like a dog, and sun-dned like the rest, at Corso Castle. That was Roberts' men, that was, and comed of changing names to their ships-ROYAL FORTUNE and so on. Now, what a ship was chastened, so let her stay, I says. So it was with the CASSANDRA, as brought us all safe home from Malabar, after England took the viceroy of the Indies, so it was with the old WALRUS, Flint's old ship, as I've seen amuck with the red blood and fit to sink with gold."

"Ah!' cried another voice, that of the youngest hand on board, and evidently full of admiration. He was the flower of the Block, was Flint!"

Davis was a man too, by all accounts,' said Silver. 'I never sailed along of him, first with England, then with Flint, that's my story, and now here on my own account, in a manner of speaking, I laid by nine hundred safe, from England, and twothousand after Flint. That ain't bad for a man before the mast- all safe in bank. Tain't earning now, it's saving does it, you may lay to that. Where's all England's men now? I dunno. Where's Flint's? Why, most on 'em aboard here, and glad to get the duff-been begging before that, some on 'em. Old Pew, as had kost his sight, and might have thought shame, spends twelve hundred pound in a year, like a lord in Parliament. Where is be now? Well, he's dead now and under hatches; but for two year before that, shiver my timbers, the man was starving! He begged, and he stole, and he cut throats, and starved at that, by the powers

Well, it ain't much use, after all," said the young seaman "Tan't much use for fools, you may lay to it-that, nor nothing, cried Silver. But now, you look here: you're young, you are, but you're as smart as paint. I see that when I set my eyes on you, and I'll talk to you like a man."

You may imagine how I felt when I heard this abomina- ble old rogue addressing another in the very same words of Hamery as he had used to myself. I think, if I had been able, that I would have killed him through the barrel. Meantime, he ran on, little supposing he was overheard.

Here it is about gentlemen of fortune. They lives tough and they risk swinging, but they eat and drink like fighting cooks, and when a cruise is done, why, it's hundreds of pounds instead of bundreds of farthings in their pockets Now, the most goes for ram and a good fing, and to sea upin in their shes. But that's not the course I lay. I puts it all away, some here, some there, and none too much anywheres, by reason c suspicion. I'm y, mark you once back from this cruise, I ser up gentleman in camest. Time enough to seys youth, bur The red car in the meantime, never denied myself o' nothingheart desires, and slep' soft and ate dainty all my days but when at sea. And how did I begin? Before the mast, like you!" "Well,' said the other, 'but all the other money's gone now

ain't it? You daren't show face in Bristol after this." "Why, where might you suppose it was?' asked Silver de risively. 'At Bristol, in banks and places,' answered his companie

'It were,' said the cook; it were when we weighed anchor. But my old missis has it all by now. And the Spy-glass is sold lease and goodwill and rigging, and the old girl's off to meet me I would tell you where, for I trust you, but it'd make jealousy among the mates."

'And can you trust your missis?' asked the other.

'Gentlemen of fortune,' returned the cook, 'usually trusts little among themselves, and right they are, you may lay to it But I have a way with me, I have. When a mate brings a slip on his cable-one as knows me, I mean-it won't be in the same world with old John. There was some that was feared of Pew, and some that was feared of Flint; but Flint his own self was feared of me. Feared he was, and proud. They was the roughest crew afloat, was Flint's; the devil himself would have been feared to go to sea with them. Well now, I tell you, I'm not a boasting man, and you seen yourself how easy I keep company. but when I was quartermaster, LAMBS wasn't the word for Flint's old buccaneers. Ah, you may be sure of yourself in old John's ship."

"Well, I tell you now,' replied the lad, 'I didn't half a quarter like the job till I had this talk with you, John; but there's my hand on it now."

And a brave lad you were, and smart too,' answered Silver, shaking hands so heartily that all the barrel shook, 'and a finerfigurehead for a gentleman of fortune I never clapped my eyes on."

By this time I had begun to understand the meaning of their terms. By a gentleman of fortune' they plainly meant neither more nor less than a common pirate, and the little scene that I had overheard was the last act in the corruption of one of the honest hands-perhaps of the last one left aboard. But on this point I was soon to be relieved, for Silver giving a little whistle, a third man strolled up and sat down by the party.

Dick's square,' said Silver.

Oh, I know'd Dick was square,' returned the voice of the coxswain, Israel Hands. He's no fool, is Dick.' And he turned his quid and spat. But look here,' he went on, here's what I want to know, Barbecue: how long are we a-going to stand off and on like a blessed bumboat? I've had a'most enough o' Cap'n Smollett, he's hazed me long enough, by thunder! I want to go into that cabin, I do. I want their pickles and wines, and that."

Israel,' said Silver, your head ain't much account, nor ever was. But you're able to hear, I reckon; leastways, your ears is big enough. Now, here's what I say: you'll berth forward, and you'll live hard, and you'll speak soft, and you'll keep sober till I give the word; and you may lay to that, my son.'

"Well, I don't say no, do I?' growled the coxswain. What I say is, when? That's what I say.'

When! By the powers!' cried Silver. 'Well now, if you want to know, I'll tell you when. The last moment I can manage, and that's when. Here's a first-rate seaman, Cap'n Smollett, sails the blessed ship for us. Here's this squire and doctor with a map and such-I don't know where it is, do I? No more do you, says you. Well then, I mean this squire and doctor shallfind the stuff, and help us to get it aboard, by the powers. Then we'll see. If I was sure of you all, sons of double Dutchmen, I'd have Cap'n Smollett navigate us halfway back again before I struck.' Why, we're all seamen aboard here, I should think," said

the lad Dick. We're all forecastle hands, you mean,' snapped Silver. 'We can steer a course, but who's to set one? That's what all you gentlemen split on, first and last. If I had my way, I'd have Cap'n Smollett work us back into the trades at least, then we'd have no blessed miscalculations and a spoonful of water a day. But I know the sort you are. I'll finish with 'em at the island, as soon's the blunt's on board, and a pity it is. But you're never happy till you're drunk. Split my sides, I've a sick heart to sail with the likes of you!"

Easy all, Long John,' cried Israel. 'Who's a-crossin' of you?'

"Why, how many tall ships, think ye, now, have I seen laid aboard? And how many brisk lads drying in the sun at Execution Dock?' cried Silver. 'And all for this same hurry and hurry and hurry. You hear me? I seen a thing or two at sea, I have. If you would on'y lay your course, and a p'int to windward, you would ride in carriages, you would. But not you! I know you. You'll have your mouthful of rum tomorrow, and go hang.'

'Everybody knowed you was a kind of a chapling, John, but there's others as could hand and steer as well as you,' said Israel. "They liked a bit o' fun, they did. They wasn't so high and dry, nohow, but took their fling, like jolly companions every one.'

'So?' says Silver. Well, and where are they now? Pew wasthat sort, and he did a beggar-man. Flint was, and he died of

num at Savannah Ah, they was a sweet crew, they was! Only, where are they? But, asked Dick, when we do lay 'em ashwant, what are

we to do with 'em, anyhow? There's the man for me cred the cook admingly. That's

what I call business. Well, what would you think? Put 'om ashore like maroon? That would have been England's way Or cut 'em down like that much pork? That would have been Find's, or Billy Bones's

Billy was the man for that,' said Israel. "Dead men don't he says he Well, he's dead now hself, he knows the long and short on it now, and if ever a mough hand come to pon, it Billy

Right you are, and Silver rough and ready. But mark you here, I'm an easy man-I'm quite the gentleman, says you but this time it's serious Doory is dooty, mates. I give my vote- death When I'm in Parlement and riding in my coach, I don't want none of these sea-lawyers in the cabin a-coming home, unlocked for, like the devil at prayers. Wait is what I say, but when the time comes, why, let her p

John, ones the coxswain, you're a man? You'll say so, Israel when you see, said Silver Only one

thing I claim-I claim Trelawney I'll wring his calf's head off ha body with these hands, Dick? he added, breaking off You pump up, like a sweet lad, and get me an apple, to wet my Pipe like

You may fancy the terror I was in! I should have leaped and run for it if I had found the strength, but my limbs and heart alike magave me. I heard Dick begin to nse, and then someone seemingly stopped him, and the voice of Handsexclaimed, 'Oh, stow that! Don't you get sucking of that bilge,

John. Let's have a go of the rum." 'Dick,' said Silver, I trust you. I've a gauge on the keg.

mind. There's the key, you fill a pannikin and bring it up.'

Terrified as I was, I could not help thinking to myself that this must have been how Mr. Arrow got the strong waters that destroyed him.

Dick was gone but a little while, and during his absence Israel spoke straight on in the cook's car. It was but a word or two that I could catch, and yet I gathered some important news, for besides other scraps that tended to the same purpose, this whole clause was audible: 'Not another man of them'll jine.' Hence there were still faithful men on board.

When Dick returned, one after another of the trio took the pannikin and drank-one To luck,' another with a 'Here's to old Flint, and Silver himself saying, in a kind of song, 'Here's to ourselves, and hold your luff, plenty of prizes and plenty of duff."

Just then a sort of brightness fell upon me in the barrel, and looking up, I found the moon had risen and was silvering the mizzen-top and shining white on the luff of the fore-sail; and almost at the same time the voice of the lookout shouted, Land hol