if that ain t to your fancy, some of my hands being rough and having
old scores on account of hazing, then you can stay here, you can. We ll
divide stores with you, man for man; and I ll give my affy-davy, as
before to speak the first ship I sight, and send em here to pick you
up. Now, you ll own that s talking. Handsomer you couldn t look to get,
now you. And I hope --raising his voice-- that all hands in this here
block house will overhaul my words, for what is spoke to one is spoke to
all.
Captain Smollett rose from his seat and knocked out the ashes of his
pipe in the palm of his left hand.
Is that all? he asked.
Every last word, by thunder! answered John. Refuse that, and you ve
seen the last of me but musket-balls.
Very good, said the captain. Now you ll hear me. If you ll come up
one by one, unarmed, I ll engage to clap you all in irons and take you
home to a fair trial in England. If you won t, my name is Alexander
Smollett, I ve flown my sovereign s colours, and I ll see you all
to Davy Jones. You can t find the treasure. You can t sail the
ship--there s not a man among you fit to sail the ship. You can t fight
us--Gray, there, got away from five of you. Your ship s in irons, Master
Silver; you re on a lee shore, and so you ll find. I stand here and tell
you so; and they re the last good words you ll get from me, for in the
name of heaven, I ll put a bullet in your back when next I meet you.
Tramp, my lad. Bundle out of this, please, hand over hand, and double
quick.
Silver s face was a picture; his eyes started in his head with wrath. He
shook the fire out of his pipe.
Give me a hand up! he cried.
Not I, returned the captain.
Who ll give me a hand up? he roared.
Not a man among us moved. Growling the foulest imprecations, he crawled
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