The men were happy, but I was afraid. If Silver's plan came true, he would forget Dr Livesey and the others, I was sure And if things went wrong, how could a boy and a one-legged man fight five strong men?

When we left the stockade, everyone had weapons except me. Silver had two guns; and the parrot, Captain Flint, sat on his shoulder. There was a rope around me and I followed after Silver, who held the other end.

We went back to eat our breakfast.

"They have the ship," Silver told the men, "and I don't know where it is. But once we have the treasure, we'll find it soon enough. I'll keep the boy close by me when we look for the treasure; then, when we have both ship and treasure, we'll persuade Jim to join us, and give him some of the treasure for all his help."

Some of the men carried spades, others food and rum, and we made our way to the beach where the two boats were waiting. The men talked about the map. The cross was too large to be of much help, and the words on the back of the map were no better.

Skeleton Island East-South-East and by East. We landed the boats at the mouth of the second river, then began to climb Spyglass Hill. Silver and I followed a long way behind the rest, and I had to help him. We were near the top when a man on the left cried aloud. The others started to run towards him.

And indeed it was something very different -- the bones of a human skeleton, a few pieces of clothing still on it. Cold fear filled every heart.

Tall tree. Spyglass shoulder, to the North of North-North-East.

"He was a seaman," said George Merry.

"He can't have found the treasure," said Morgan.

"Yes," agreed Silver "But look at the way those bones are lying -- it isn't natural." The man lay perfectly straight -- his feet pointing one way, his hands, over his head, pointing the opposite way. "I've got an idea," said Silver. "Look! We can see the top of Skeleton Island from here. These bones are a pointer, telling us which way to go!"

He was right. Our compass showed that the body pointed straight towards Skeleton Island, and in a line East-South-East and by East.

The effect on the pirates was terrible to see. The colour went from their six faces, and they caught hold of each other like frightened children. Morgan fell to the ground, trembling with fear.

Suddenly, out of the middle of the trees in front of us, a high shaking voice began to sing:

Then the voice came again: "Darby M'Graw!" it screamed. "Darby M'Graw! Fetch the rum!"

"There are three tall trees," he said, "in about the right place. Spyglass shoulder must be that lower place, there. A child could find the treasure now!"

Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!

"It's Flint!" cried George Merry.

"That does it!" said one. "Let's go!"

The pirates were fixed to the ground after the voice died away, their staring eyes full of horror.

"No!" said Silver, fighting to get the word out. "It's someone playing games -- it's no ghost!"

Fifteen men on the dead man's chest --

We left the skeleton behind, but now the pirates kept together and talked in frightened whispers. At the top of the hill, Silver took out his compass again.

"If it was, it's still a ghost," said Dick. "Ben Gunn's not here in body, any more than Flint is."

"Those were Flint's last words before he died," cried Morgan.

But the older men laughed. "Nobody minds Ben Gunn, Dead or alive," cried George.

The words calmed George Merry. "Yes, that's right," he said. "Now I think about it, it was like Flint's voice, but not exactly like it. It was like another person's voice…more like --"

"I'm here to get that treasure," shouted Silver, "and I'll not be beaten by man or ghost! I was never afraid of Flint in his life and, by thunder, I'll face him dead! There's seven hundred thousand pounds not a quarter of a mile from here. I'll not leave that much money for a drunken old seaman -- him dead, too! And there's something strange. There was an echo, and no man ever saw a ghost with a shadow, so why should a ghost's voice have an echo? It's not natural."

The men were happy again, the colour back in their faces as they talked together and began to walk on. George Merry went first, leading the way with Silver's compass.

"Ben Gunn!" shouted Silver.

There was no treasure.

We reached the first tall tree, but it was the wrong one. So was the second. The third was tall enough to be seen from the sea, both east and west of the island. My companions hurried on, desperate to get their hands on the seven hundred thousand pounds in gold which lay somewhere under the tree's shadows.

Suddenly, George Merry shouted, "All together, boys!", and the men began to run. Not ten metres farther on they stopped and cried out. Silver moved quickly, and the next moment we were with them Before us was a large hole, but it was not a new hole because grass grew on the bottom.

The seven hundred thousand pounds had gone!

Silver pulled at the rope that held me, and turned his eyes upon me with a deadly look. I could read his thoughts. So near to the gold now, everything was forgotten -- his promise and the doctor's warning. I knew he hoped to take the treasure, cut every honest throat on that island, find and board the Hispaniola at night, and sail away a rich man and a murderer.