From nineteen they were already reduced to fifteen, two others were
wounded, and one, at least--the man shot beside the gun--severely
wounded, if he were not dead. Every time we had a crack at them, we were
to take it, saving our own lives, with the extremest care. And, besides
that, we had two able allies--rum and the climate.

As for the first, though we were about half a mile away, we could hear
them roaring and singing late into the night; and as for the second, the
doctor staked his wig that, camped where they were in the marsh, and
unprovided with remedies, the half of them would be on their backs before
a week.

"So," he added, "if we are not all shot down first they'll be glad to be
packing in the schooner. It's always a ship, and they can get to
buccaneering again, I suppose."

"First ship that ever I lost," said Captain Smollett.

I was dead tired, as you may fancy; and when I got to sleep, which was
not till after a great deal of tossing, I slept like a log of wood.

The rest had long been up, and had already breakfasted and increased the
pile of firewood by about half as much again, when I was awakened by a
bustle and the sound of voices.

"Flag of truce!" I heard some one say; and then, immediately after, with
a cry of surprise, "Silver himself!"

And at that up I jumped, and, rubbing my eyes, ran to a loophole in the
wall.

CHAPTER XX

SILVER'S EMBASSY

Sure enough, there were two men just outside the stockade, one of them
waving a white cloth; the other, no less a person than Silver himself,
standing placidly by.

It was still quite early, and the coldest morning that I think I ever was
abroad in; a chill that pierced into the marrow. The sky was bright and
cloudless overhead, and the tops of the trees shone rosily in the sun.
But where Silver stood with his lieutenant all was still in shadow, and
they waded knee-deep in a low, white vapour, that had crawled during the
night out of the morass. The chill and the vapour taken together told a
poor tale of the island. It was plainly a damp, feverish, unhealthy spot.

"Keep indoors, men," said the captain. "Ten to one this is a trick."

Then he hailed the buccaneer.

"Who goes? Stand, or we fire."

"Flag of truce," cried Silver.

The captain was in the porch, keeping himself carefully out of the way of
a treacherous shot should any be intended. He turned and spoke to us:--

"Doctor's watch on the look-out. Dr. Livesey take th