Part 2 (1/2)

At this Pe his error, turned with a screaht for the ditch, into which he rolled But he was on his feet again in a second and ht under the nearest of the co horses

The rider tried to save hih into the night; and the four hoofs trampled and spurned hiently collapsed upon his face and moved no more

I leaped toup, at any rate, horrified at the accident; and I soon sahat they were One, tailing out behind the rest, was a lad that had gone from the hamlet to Dr Livesey's; the rest were revenue officers, whoence to return at once Soer in Kitt's Hole had found its way to Supervisor Dance and set hiht in our direction, and to that circumstance my mother and I owed our preservation from death

Peas dead, stone dead As for my mother, e had carried her up to the haht her back again, and she was none the worse for her terror, though she still continued to deplore the balance of the money In the meantime the supervisor rode on, as fast as he could, to Kitt's Hole; but his , and so, their horses, and in continual fear of areat ot down to the Hole the lugger was already under way, though still close in He hailed her A voice replied, telling hiet some lead in him, and at the same tier doubled the point and disappeared Mr Dance stood there, as he said, ”like a fish out of water,” and all he could do was to dispatch a man to B---- to warn the cutter ”And that,” said he, ”is just about as good as nothing They've got off clean, and there's an end Only,” he added, ”I'lad I trod on Master Pew's corns,” for by this time he had heard my story

I went back with hiine a house in such a state of smash; the very clock had been thron by these fellows in their furious hunt afterhad actually been taken away except the captain'sand a little silver from the till, I could see at once that ere ruined Mr Dance could ot the money, you say? Well, then, Hawkins, what in fortune were they after? More money, I suppose?”

”No, sir; not money, I think,” replied I ”In fact, sir, I believe I have the thing in my breast pocket; and to tell you the truth, I should like to get it put in safety”

”To be sure, boy; quite right,” said he ”I'll take it, if you like”

”I thought perhaps Dr Livesey--” I began

”Perfectly right,” he interrupted very cheerily, ”perfectly right--a gentleht as well ride round there myself and report to him or squire Master Pew's dead, when all's done; not that I regret it, but he's dead, you see, and people will ainst an officer of his Majesty's revenue, if make it out they can Now, I'll tell you, Hawkins, if you like, I'll take you along”

I thanked him heartily for the offer, and alked back to the hamlet where the horses were By the time I had told er,” said Mr Dance, ”you have a good horse; take up this lad behind you”

As soon as I was ave the word, and the party struck out at a bouncing trot on the road to Dr Livesey's house

6

The Captain's Papers

WE rode hard all the way till we drew up before Dr Livesey's door The house was all dark to the front

Mr Dance told ave me a stirrup to descend by The door was opened almost at once by the maid

”Is Dr Livesey in?” I asked

No, she said, he had coone up to the hall to dine and pass the evening with the squire

”So there we go, boys,” said Mr Dance

This time, as the distance was short, I did not ates and up the long, leafless, s looked on either hand on great old gardens Here Mr Dance dis with him, was admitted at a word into the house

The servant led us down a reat library, all lined with bookcases and busts upon the top of them, where the squire and Dr Livesey sat, pipe in hand, on either side of a bright fire

I had never seen the squire so near at hand He was a tall h, and broad in proportion, and he had a bluff, rough-and-ready face, all roughened and reddened and lined in his long travels His eyebroere very black, and ave him a look of soh

”Co

”Good evening, Dance,” says the doctor with a nod ”And good evening to you, friend Jis you here?”

The supervisor stood up straight and stiff and told his story like a lesson; and you should have seen how the two gentleot to smoke in their surprise and interest When they heard how my mother went back to the inn, Dr Livesey fairly slapped his thigh, and the squire cried ”Bravo!” and broke his long pipe against the grate Long before it was done, Mr Trelawney (that, you will reot up fro about the room, and the doctor, as if to hear the better, had taken off his powdered wig and sat there looking very strange indeed with his own close-cropped black poll

At last Mr Dance finished the story

”Mr Dance,” said the squire, ”you are a very noble fellow And as for riding down that black, atrociouson a cockroach This lad Hawkins is a tru that bell? Mr Dance must have some ale”

”And so, Ji that they were after, have you?”

”Here it is, sir,” said I, and gave him the oilskin packet

The doctor looked it all over, as if his fingers were itching to open it; but instead of doing that, he put it quietly in the pocket of his coat

”Squire,” said he, ”when Dance has had his ale he must, of course, be off on his Majesty's service; but I mean to keep Jim Hawkins here to sleep at my house, and with your permission, I propose we should have up the cold pie and let him sup”

”As you will, Livesey,” said the squire; ”Hawkins has earned better than cold pie”

So a big pigeon pie was brought in and put on a sidetable, and I ry as a hahile Mr Dance was further complimented and at last dismissed

”And now, squire,” said the doctor

”And now, Livesey,” said the squire in the sahed Dr Livesey ”You have heard of this Flint, I suppose?”

”Heard of him!” cried the squire ”Heard of him, you say! He was the bloodthirstiest buccaneer that sailed Blackbeard was a child to Flint The Spaniards were so prodigiously afraid of hilishman I've seen his top-sails with these eyes, off Trinidad, and the cowardly son of a rum-puncheon that I sailed with put back--put back, sir, into Port of Spain”

”Well, I've heard of hiland,” said the doctor ”But the point is, had he money?”

”Money!” cried the squire ”Have you heard the story? What were these villains after but money? What do they care for but money? For ould they risk their rascal carcasses but money?”

”That we shall soon know,” replied the doctor ”But you are so confoundedly hot-headed and exclaet a word in What I want to know is this: Supposing that I have here in my pocket some clue to where Flint buried his treasure, will that treasure amount to much?”

”Amount, sir!” cried the squire ”It will amount to this: If we have the clue you talk about, I fit out a shi+p in Bristol dock, and take you and Hawkins here along, and I'll have that treasure if I search a year”

”Very well,” said the doctor ”Now, then, if Jireeable, we'll open the packet”; and he laid it before hiether, and the doctor had to get out his instrument case and cut the stitches with his s--a book and a sealed paper