What I Heard in the Apple Barrel

"NO, not I," said Silver.

"Flint was cap'n; I was quartermaster,

along of my timber leg.

The same broadside I lost my leg, old Pew

lost his deadlights.

It was a master surgeon, him that ampytated

me--out of college and all--Latin by the

bucket, and what not; but he was hanged

like a dog, and sun-dried like the rest, at

Corso Castle.

That was Roberts' men, that was, and comed

of changing names to their ships--ROYAL

FORTUNE and so on.

Now, what a ship was christened, so let her

stay, I says.

So it was with the CASSANDRA, as brought us

all safe home from Malabar, after England

took the viceroy of the Indies; so it was

with the old WALRUS, Flint's old ship, as

I've seen amuck with the red blood and fit

to sink with gold."

"Ah!" cried another voice, that of the

youngest hand on board, and evidently full

of admiration.

"He was the flower of the flock, was

Flint!"

"Davis was a man too, by all accounts,"

said Silver.

"I never sailed along of him; first with

England, then with Flint, that's my story;

and now here on my own account, in a manner

of speaking.

I laid by nine hundred safe, from England,

and two thousand after Flint.

That ain't bad for a man before the mast--

all safe in bank.

'Tain't earning now, it's saving does it,

you may lay to that.

Where's all England's men now?

I dunno.

Where's Flint's?

Why, most on 'em aboard here, and glad to

get the duff--been begging before that,

some on 'em.

Old Pew, as had lost his sight, and might

have thought shame, spends twelve hundred

pound in a year, like a lord in Parliament.

Where is he now?

Well, he's dead now and under hatches; but

for two year before that, shiver my

timbers, the man was starving!

He begged, and he stole, and he cut

throats, and starved at that, by the

powers!"

"Well, it ain't much use, after all," said

the young seaman.

"'Tain't much use for fools, you may lay to

it--that, nor nothing," cried Silver.

"But now, you look here: you're young, you

are, but you're as smart as paint.

I see that when I set my eyes on you, and

I'll talk to you like a man."

You may imagine how I felt when I heard

this abominable old rogue addressing

another in the very same words of flattery

as he had used to myself.

I think, if I had been able, that I would

have killed him through the barrel.

Meantime, he ran on, little supposing he

was overheard.

"Here it is about gentlemen of fortune.

They lives rough, and they risk swinging,

but they eat and drink like fighting-cocks,

and when a cruise is done, why, it's

hundreds of pounds instead of hundreds of

farthings in their pockets.

Now, the most goes for rum and a good

fling, and to sea again in their shirts.

But that's not the course I lay.

I puts it all away, some here, some there,

and none too much anywheres, by reason of

suspicion.

I'm fifty, mark you; once back from this

cruise, I set up gentleman in earnest.

Time enough too, says you.

Ah, but I've lived easy in the meantime,

never denied myself o' nothing heart

desires, and slep' soft and ate dainty all

my days but when at sea.

And how did I begin?

Before the mast, like you!"

"Well," said the other, "but all the other

money's gone now, ain't it?

You daren't show face in Bristol after

this."

"Why, where might you suppose it was?"

asked Silver derisively.

"At Bristol, in banks and places," answered

his companion.

"It were," said the cook; "it were when we

weighed anchor.

But my old missis has it all by now.

And the Spy-glass is sold, lease and

goodwill and rigging; and the old girl's

off to meet me.

I would tell you where, for I trust you,

but it'd make jealousy among the mates."

"And can you trust your missis?" asked the

other.

"Gentlemen of fortune," returned the cook,

"usually trusts little among themselves,

and right they are, you may lay to it.

But I have a way with me, I have.

When a mate brings a slip on his cable--one

as knows me, I mean--it won't be in the

same world with old John.

There was some that was feared of Pew, and

some that was feared of Flint; but Flint

his own self was feared of me.

Feared he was, and proud.

They was the roughest crew afloat, was

Flint's; the devil himself would have been

feared to go to sea with them.

Well now, I tell you, I'm not a boasting

man, and you seen yourself how easy I keep

company, but when I was quartermaster,

LAMBS wasn't the word for Flint's old

buccaneers.

Ah, you may be sure of yourself in old

John's ship."

"Well, I tell you now," replied the lad, "I

didn't half a quarter like the job till I

had this talk with you, John; but there's

my hand on it now."

"And a brave lad you were, and smart too,"

answered Silver, shaking hands so heartily

that all the barrel shook, "and a finer

figurehead for a gentleman of fortune I

never clapped my eyes on."

By this time I had begun to understand the

meaning of their terms.

By a "gentleman of fortune" they plainly

meant neither more nor less than a common

pirate, and the little scene that I had

overheard was the last act in the

corruption of one of the honest hands--

perhaps of the last one left aboard.

But on this point I was soon to be

relieved, for Silver giving a little

whistle, a third man strolled up and sat

down by the party.

"Dick's square," said Silver.

"Oh, I know'd Dick was square," returned

the voice of the coxswain, Israel Hands.

"He's no fool, is Dick."

And he turned his quid and spat.

"But look here," he went on, "here's what I

want to know, Barbecue: how long are we a-

going to stand off and on like a blessed

bumboat?

I've had a'most enough o' Cap'n Smollett;

he's hazed me long enough, by thunder!

I want to go into that cabin, I do.

I want their pickles and wines, and that."

"Israel," said Silver, "your head ain't

much account, nor ever was.

But you're able to hear, I reckon;

leastways, your ears is big enough.

Now, here's what I say: you'll berth

forward, and you'll live hard, and you'll

speak soft, and you'll keep sober till I

give the word; and you may lay to that, my

son."

"Well, I don't say no, do I?" growled the

coxswain.

"What I say is, when?

That's what I say."

"When!

By the powers!" cried Silver.

"Well now, if you want to know, I'll tell

you when.

The last moment I can manage, and that's

when.

Here's a first-rate seaman, Cap'n Smollett,

sails the blessed ship for us.

Here's this squire and doctor with a map

and such--I don't know where it is, do I?

No more do you, says you.

Well then, I mean this squire and doctor

shall find the stuff, and help us to get it

aboard, by the powers.

Then we'll see.

If I was sure of you all, sons of double

Dutchmen, I'd have Cap'n Smollett navigate

us half-way back again before I struck."

"Why, we're all seamen aboard here, I

should think," said the lad Dick.

"We're all forecastle hands, you mean,"

snapped Silver.

"We can steer a course, but who's to set

one?

That's what all you gentlemen split on,

first and last.

If I had my way, I'd have Cap'n Smollett

work us back into the trades at least; then

we'd have no blessed miscalculations and a

spoonful of water a day.

But I know the sort you are.

I'll finish with 'em at the island, as

soon's the blunt's on board, and a pity it

is.

But you're never happy till you're drunk.

Split my sides, I've a sick heart to sail

with the likes of you!"

"Easy all, Long John," cried Israel.

"Who's a-crossin' of you?"

"Why, how many tall ships, think ye, now,

have I seen laid aboard?

And how many brisk lads drying in the sun

at Execution Dock?" cried Silver.

"And all for this same hurry and hurry and

hurry.

You hear me?

I seen a thing or two at sea, I have.

If you would on'y lay your course, and a

p'int to windward, you would ride in

carriages, you would.

But not you!

I know you.

You'll have your mouthful of rum tomorrow,

and go hang."

"Everybody knowed 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 hisself; 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.