"What I can do, that I'll do," I said.

"It's a bargain!" cried Long John. "You speak up plucky, and by thunder,
I've a chance."

He hobbled to the torch, where it stood propped among the firewood, and
took a fresh light to his pipe.

"Understand me, Jim," he said, returning. "I've a head on my shoulders,
I have. I'm on squire's side now. I know you've got that ship safe
somewheres. How you done it I don't know, but safe it is. I guess Hands
and O'Brien turned soft. I never much believed in neither of _them_. Now
you mark me. I ask no questions, nor I won't let others. I know when a
game's up, I do; and I know a lad that's stanch. Ah, you that's
young--you and me might have done a power of good together!"

He drew some cognac from the cask into a tin cannikin.

"Will you taste, messmate?" he asked, and when I had refused, "Well,
I'll take a drain myself, Jim," said he. "I need a caulker, for there's
trouble on hand. And, talking o' trouble, why did that doctor give me
the chart, Jim?"

My face expressed a wonder so unaffected that he saw the needlessness of
further questions.

"Ah, well, he did, though," said he. "And there's something under that,
no doubt--something, surely, under that, Jim--bad or good."

And he took another swallow of the brandy, shaking his great fair head
like a man who looks forward to the worst.

CHAPTER XXIX

THE BLACK SPOT AGAIN

The council of the buccaneers had lasted some time, when one of them
re-entered the house, and with a repetition of the same salute, which
had in my eyes an ironical air, begged for a moment's loan of the torch.
Silver briefly agreed, and this emissary retired again, leaving us
together in the dark.

"There's a breeze coming, Jim," said Silver, who had by this time
adopted quite a friendly and familiar tone.

I turned to the loophole nearest me and looked out. The embers of the
great fire had so far burned themselves out, and now glowed so low and
duskily, that I understood why these conspirators desired a torch. About
halfway down the slope to the stockade they were collected in a group;
one held the light; another was on his knees in their midst, and I saw
the blade of an open knife shine in his hand with varying colors, in the
moon and torchlight. The rest were all somewhat stooping, as though
watching the maneuvers of this last. I could just make out that he had a
book as well as a knife in his hand; and was still wondering how
anything