They must be close by ; they ca n't be far ; you have your hands on it . Scatter and look for them , dogs ! Oh , shiver my soul , '' he cried , `` if I had eyes ! '' This appeal seemed to produce some effect , for two of the fellows began to look here and there among the lumber , but half-heartedly , I thought , and with half an eye to their own danger all the time , while the rest stood irresolute on the road . `` You have your hands on thousands , you fools , and you hang a leg ! You 'd be as rich as kings if you could find it , and you know it 's here , and you stand there skulking . There was n't one of you dared face Bill , and I did it -- a blind man ! And I 'm to lose my chance for you ! I 'm to be a poor , crawling beggar , sponging for rum , when I might be rolling in a coach ! If you had the pluck of a weevil in a biscuit you would catch them still . '' `` Hang it , Pew , we 've got the doubloons ! '' grumbled one . `` They might have hid the blessed thing , '' said another . `` Take the Georges , Pew , and do n't stand here squalling . '' Squalling was the word for it ; Pew 's anger rose so high at these objections till at last , his passion completely taking the upper hand , he struck at them right and left in his blindness and his stick sounded heavily on more than one . These , in their turn , cursed back at the blind miscreant , threatened him in horrid terms , and tried in vain to catch the stick and wrest it from his grasp . This quarrel was the saving of us , for while it was still raging , another sound came from the top of the hill on the side of the hamlet -- the tramp of horses galloping . Almost at the same time a pistol-shot , flash and report , came from the hedge side . And that was plainly the last signal of danger , for the buccaneers turned at once and ran , separating in every direction , one seaward along the cove , one slant across the hill , and so on , so that in half a minute not a sign of them remained but Pew . Him they had deserted , whether in sheer panic or out of revenge for his ill words and blows I know not ; but there he remained behind , tapping up and down the road in a frenzy , and groping and calling for his comrades .
Finally he took a wrong turn and ran a few steps past me , towards the hamlet , crying , `` Johnny , Black Dog , Dirk , '' and other names , `` you wo n't leave old XXXXX , mates -- not old Pew ! ''
Bill Georges Pew buccaneers doubloons left pistol-shot right seaward weevil