Chapter 22

Dick was gone but a little while, and during his absence Israel spoke straight on in the cook’s ear. It was but a word or two that I could catch, and yet I gathered some important news, for besides other scraps that tended to the same purpose, this whole clause was audible: “Not another man of them’ll jine.” Hence there were still faithful men on board. When Dick returned, one after another of the trio took the pannikin and drank--one “To luck,” another with a “Here’s to old Flint,” and Silver himself saying, in a …