on the threshold, with his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands, and his eyes fixed on the water, as it bubbled out of the old iron kettle in the sand. He was whistling to himself, `Come, Lasses and Lads.'

Silver had terrible hard work getting up the knoll. What with the steepness of the incline, the thick tree stumps, and the soft sand, he and his crutch were as helpless as a ship in stays. But he stuck to it like a man in silence, and at last arrived before the captain, whom he saluted in the handsomest style. He was tricked out in his best; an immense blue coat, thick with brass buttons, hung as low as to his knees, and a fine laced hat was set on the back of his head.

`Here you are, my man,' said the captain, raising his head. `You had better sit down.'

`You aint a-going to let me inside, cap'n?' complained Long John. `It's a main cold morning, to be sure, sir, to sit outside upon the sand.'

`Why, Silver,' said the captain, `if you had pleased to be an honest man, you might have been sitting in your galley. It's your own doing. You're either my ship's cook - and then you were treated handsome - or Cap'n Silver, a common mutineer and pirate, and then you can go hang!'

`Well, well, cap'n,' returned the sea-cook, sitting down as he was bidden on the sand, `you'll have to give me a hand up again, that's all. A sweet pretty place you have of it here. Ah, there's Jim! The top of the morning to you, Jim. Doctor, here's my service. Why, there you all are together like a happy family, in a manner of speaking.'

`If you have anything to say, my man, better say it,' said the captain.

`Right you were, Cap'n Smollett,' replied Silver. `Dooty is dooty, to be sure. Well, now, you look here, that was a good lay of yours last night. I don't deny it was a good lay. Some of you pretty handy with a handspike-end. And I'll not deny neither but what some of my people was shook - maybe all was shook; maybe I was shook myself; maybe that's why I'm here for terms. But you mark me, cap'n, it won't do twice, by thunder! We'll have to do sentry-go, and ease off a point or so on the rum. Maybe you think we were all a sheet in the wind's eye. But I'll tell you I was sober; I was on'y dog tired; and if I'd awoke a second sooner I'd at caught you i the act, I would. He wasn't dead when I got round to him, not he.'

`Well?' says Captain Smollett, as cool as can be.

All that Silver said was a riddle to him, but you would never have guessed it from his tone. As for me, I began to have an inkling. Ben Gunn's last words came back to my mind. I began to suppose that he had paid the buccaneers a visit while they all lay drunk together round their fire, and I reckoned up with glee that we had only fourteen enemies to deal with.

`Well, here it is,' said Silver. `We want that treasure, an we'll have it - that's our point! You would just as soon save your lives, I reckon; and that's yours. You have a chart, haven't you?'

`That's as may be,' replied the captain.

`Oh, well, you have, I know that,' returned Long John. `You needn't be so husky with a man; there aint a particle of service in that, and you may lay to it. What I mean is, we want your chart. Now, I never meant you no harm, myself.'

`That won't do with me, my man,' interrupted the captain. `We know exactly what you meant to do, and we don't care; for now, you see, you can't do it.'

And the captain looked at him calmly, and proceeded to fill a pipe.

`If Abe Gray--' Silver broke out.