" J IM," said Silver, when we were alone, "if I saved
your life, you saved mine, and I'll not forget it.
-- I seen the doctor waving you to run for it
with the tail of my eye, I did -- and I seen you say
no as plain as hearing. Jim, that's one to you. This
is the first glint of hope I had since the attack failed,
and I owe it to you. And now, Jim, we're to go in for
this here treasure-hunting, with sealed orders, too,
and I don't like it; and you and me must stick
close, back to back like, and we'll save our necks in
spite o' fate and fortune."

Just then a man hailed us from the fire that break-
fast was ready, and we were soon seated here and
there about the sand over biscuit and fried junk.
They had lighted a fire fit to roast an ox; and it was
now grown so hot that they could only approach it
from the windward, and even there not without pre-
caution. In the same wasteful spirit, they had
cooked, I suppose, three times more than we could
eat; and one of them, with an empty laugh, threw
what was left into the fire, which blazed and roared
again over this unusual fuel. I never in my life saw
men so careless of the morrow; hand to mouth is the

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