`Everybody know'd 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 was that sort, and he died a beggar-man. Flint was, and he died of rum at Savannah. Ah, they was a sweet crew they was! on'y, where are they?'

`But,' asked Dick, `when we do lay 'em athwart, what are we to do with 'em, anyhow?'

`There's the man for me!' cried the cook, admiringly. `That's what I call business. Well, what would you think? Put 'em ashore like maroons? That would have been England's way. Or cut 'em down like that much pork? That would have been Flint's or Billy Bones's.'

`Billy was the man for that,' said Israel. ```Dead men don't bite,'' says he. Well, he's dead now himself; he knows the long and short on it now; and if ever a rough hand come to port, it was Billy.'

`Right you are,' said 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. Dooty is dooty, mates. I give my vote - death. When I'm in Parlyment, and riding in my coach, I don't want none of these sea - lawyers in the cabin a-coming home, unlooked for, like the devil at prayers. Wait is what I say; but when the time comes, why let her rip!'

`John,' cries 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 his body with these hands. Dick!' he added, breaking off, `you just jump 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 out and run for it, if I had found the strength; but my limbs and heart alike misgave me. I heard Dick begin to rise, and then someone seemingly stopped him, and the voice of Hands exclaimed:--

`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 ear. 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 sam 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 look-out shouted `Land ho!'