Treasure Island

THE VOICE AMONG THE TREESso clear-away like it, after all. It was liker somebody else'svoice now it was liker -'By the powers,Ben Gunn!"roared Silver."Ay, and so it were," cried Morgan, springingknees. "Ben Gunn it were!"on his"It don't make much odds, do it, now?" asked Dick."Ben Gunn 's not here in the body, any more 'n Flint."But the older hands greeted this remark with scorn."Why, nobody minds Ben Gunn," cried Merry;minds him."alive, nobody"dead orIt was extraordinary how their spiritshad returned, andhow the natural colour had revived in their faces. Soon theywere chatting together, with intervals of listening;and notlong after, hearing no further sound, theyshouldered thetools and set forth again, Merry walkingfirst with Silver'scompass to keep them on the right line with Skeleton Island.He had said the truth: dead or alive, nobody minded BenGunn.Dick alone still held his Bible, and looked around himas he went, with fearful glances;and Silver even joked him on his precautions.but he found no sympathy,"I told you," said he - "I told you, you had sp'iled yourBible. If it ain't no goodto swear by, what do you supposea sperritwould give for it? Not that!" and he snappedhisa moment on his crutch.big fingers, haltingBut Dick was not to be comforted; indeed, it was soonplain to me that the lad was falling sick;hastened by heat,exhaustion, and the shock of his alarm, the fever, predictedby Dr. Livesey, was evidently growing swiftly higher.T255 ]