restrained, broke out immediately the doctor had left the house. Silver
was roundly accused of playing double--of trying to make a separate
peace for himself, of sacrificing the interests of his accomplices and
victims, and, in one word, of the identical, exact thing that he was
doing. It seemed to me so obvious, in this case, that I could not
imagine how he was to turn their anger. But he was twice the man
the rest were, and his last night s victory had given him a huge
preponderance on their minds. He called them all the fools and dolts
you can imagine, said it was necessary I should talk to the doctor,
fluttered the chart in their faces, asked them if they could afford to
break the treaty the very day they were bound a-treasure-hunting.
No, by thunder! he cried. It s us must break the treaty when the time
comes; and till then I ll gammon that doctor, if I have to ile his boots
with brandy.
And then he bade them get the fire lit, and stalked out upon his crutch,
with his hand on my shoulder, leaving them in a disarray, and silenced
by his volubility rather than convinced.
Slow, lad, slow, he said. They might round upon us in a twinkle of an
eye if we was seen to hurry.
Very deliberately, then, did we advance across the sand to where the
doctor awaited us on the other side of the stockade, and as soon as we
were within easy speaking distance Silver stopped.
You ll make a note of this here also, doctor, says he, and the boy ll
tell you how I saved his life, and were deposed for it too, and you
may lay to that. Doctor, when a man s steering as near the wind as
me--playing chuck-farthing with the last breath in his body, like--you
wouldn t think it too much, mayhap, to give him one good word? You ll
please bear in mind it s not my life only now--it s that boy s into the
bargain; and you ll speak me fair, doctor, and give me a bit o hope to
go on, for the sake of mercy.
Silver was a changed man once he was out there and had his back to his
friends and the block house; his cheeks seemed to have fallen in, his
voice trembled; never was a soul more dead in earnest.
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