Les Burdett's story of Roger

Author: Les Burdett

Nationality: British

treasure chest. ‘Ah har,’ says John Silver, ‘This must be Treasure Island, I thinks we is rich.’ So, we opens up the chest, and guess what we finds, It be full of bones, but not any old bones, they all be feet; they didn't 'arf pong."

"Black Beard!" Julian interrupted. "He sinks ships with all hands, but sometimes keeps the feet."

"Aye, it be Black Beard all right," confirmed Roger. "Jim, do 'e think 'e could find this place agin?"

"Aye, I's made a map of the Island. Look, that be where the crossed trees are an' where the feet was buried; X marks the spot."

"But could 'e find the Island?"

"That be easy, our course all be recorded in my capn’s log, but 'e must beware, I aint told 'e all of what 'appened on that island."

"Ah har, then 'e best tell us all Cap'n Jim."

"Now then, where was I?"

"The chest of smelly ol' feet."

"Oh arr. In all we dug up fifteen chests, all filled wi’ feet. I says to John Silver, "This be strange, all these feet and not a soul on the island, there must be treasure somewhere 'ere abouts", so, we gets all the crew ashore ta search the island. I was just about ta give up when some of the crew came runnin' out of the forest, some was screamin', some was a cryin', and some was out of their minds. ‘Monster’, they yelled, ‘big black monster, 'e be eatin' John Silver.’ So, we arms ourselves wi’ our swords an' long bows, ta track down the monster. At the foot of the mountain we finds poor ol' John Silver, the monster 'ad ripped orf 'is leg, just below the knee. He survived, but later our chippy 'ad ta knock 'im out wi’ 'is mallet an' fit 'im wi’ a wooden leg. Anyway, we could

see a cave 'arf way up the mountain, we thought the monster might live there, so we starts ta climb. We 'adn't gone far when the monster attacked us, it were like a huge black dog, wi’ a white spot between 'is ears."

"Ah har, I knew it, I knew it, har ha, ha, ha, ha," Interrupted Roger. "That aint no monster, that be Black Spot, Black Beards dog, 'e be a mean an' vicious beast. Black Beard be usin' 'im ta guard the treasure, it must be in the cave. Ah har Jim, this do be your Treasure Island after all, if 'e takes us there 'e can keep all the treasure, an' we'll keep Black Beard. What do ya say Jim, will 'e 'elp us ta catch Black Beard?"

"Aye Roger, that I will."

Two weeks later the small fleet of three vessels, The Wood Pigeon, The Mass o' Hearties, and The Enterprise, sailed out of Portsmouth harbour to find Kirks' Treasure Island.

The voyage to Treasure Island was long and hazardous. Storms lashed the ships for days on end and when they stopped the ships would be becalmed. The Wood Pigeon, equipped with the donkey drive paddles was able to continue but Roger held back to stay with Julian and Kirk. Three months after they left Portsmouth, when the island was sighted, Roger called Julian and Kirk to a briefing before landing.

"Ah har, Julian 'e done well to sail The Mass o' Hearties all this way. By the powers given ta me by Admiral Drake I promotes 'e ta Cap'n Julian, ah har. First thing 'e as ta do as a new cap'n is ta learn ta talk proper, like what me an' Cap'n Kirk does. Ha, ha, ha, he, he, he, ho, ho, ho."

"Ooh, thank you very much," Julian replied as he lent forward to kiss Roger in gratitude.

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