rners to the rolling of the
ship. One of the doctor's medical books lay open on the table, half of
the leaves gutted out, I suppose, for pipelights. In the midst of all
this the lamp still cast a smoky glow, obscure and brown as umber.

I went into the cellar; all the barrels were gone, and of the bottles a
most surprising number had been drunk out and thrown away. Certainly,
since the mutiny began, not a man of them could ever have been sober.

Foraging about, I found a bottle with some brandy left, for Hands; and
for myself I routed out some biscuit, some pickled fruits, a great bunch
of raisins, and a piece of cheese. With these I came on deck, put down my
own stock behind the rudder-head, and well out of the coxswain's reach,
went forward to the water-breaker, and had a good, deep drink of water,
and then, and not till then, gave Hands the brandy.

He must have drunk a gill before he took the bottle from his mouth.

"Ay," said he, "by thunder, but I wanted some o' that!"

I had sat down already in my own corner and begun to eat.

"Much hurt?" I asked him.

He grunted, or, rather, I might say, he barked.

"If that doctor was aboard," he said, "I'd be right enough in a couple of
turns; but I don't have no manner of luck, you see, and that's what's the
matter with me.--As for that swab, he's good and dead, he is," he added,
indicating the man with the red cap. "He warn't no seaman, anyhow.--And
where mought you have come from?"

"Well," said I, "I've come aboard to take possession of this ship, Mr.
Hands, and you'll please regard me as your captain until further notice."

He looked at me sourly enough, but said nothing. Some of the colour had
come back into his cheeks, though he still looked very sick, and still
continued to slip out and settle down as the ship banged about.

"By the bye," I continued, "I can't have these colours, Mr. Hands; and,
by your leave, I'll strike 'em. Better none than these."

And, again dodging the boom, I ran to the colour lines, handed down their
cursed black flag, and chucked it overboard.

"God save the King!" said I, waving my cap; "and there's an end to
Captain Silver!"

He watched me keenly and slyly, his chin all the while on his breast.

"I reckon," he said at last--"I reckon, Cap'n Hawkins, you'll kind of
want to get ashore, now. S'pose we talks."

"Why, yes," says I, "with all my heart, Mr. Hands. Say on." And I went
back to my meal with a good appetite.

"This