Free X Marks the Spot by Tony Abbott

shall fall,” added Jim, gritting his teeth.
    â€œLook here,” said Silver. “You give me that chart and as I’m a man of my word, I’ll give ye all some treasure and put you on the next ship we see!”
    The captain burst into cold laughter. “Now, hear what I say. Lay down your weapons and let me take you prisoner and—as I’m a man of my word—I’ll see to it that every last one of you is brought to justice!”
    Silver’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. “So, you’re taking a hard line, are you? Then, listen to this! Before the hour’s done, we’ll destroy your stockade. And all of you will be food for my parrot!”
    The bird ruffled its feathers. “For me! For me!”
    With that, Silver flung the white flag to the ground and he and his pirate flunky stumbled off and disappeared among the trees.
    The captain wasted no time. “We shall be under attack in minutes, my mates. We must defend our house against pirates! Doctor, you take the north side. Jim take the east side. Frankie, Devin, the west side. Squire, you are the best shot—”
    â€œOf course I am!” said the squire, grinning.
    â€œTake the front gate,” the captain went on. “Together, we shall defeat these pirates, or die trying!”
    I looked at Frankie as we scaled up to the highest part of the western wall of the stockade. “It looks like we’re in for a fight, Frankie, whether we like it or not.”
    â€œLet’s just hope we don’t get hurt,” she said.
    â€œI was thinking the exact same thing!” I said.
    There was a sudden crack of a pistol shot.
    Instantly, we heard the hurried crackling of leaves and snapping of twigs and branches from every side.
    â€œHere they come!” called the squire.
    The captain turned to us. “People, defend our stockade as if it were your home!”
    â€œAye, aye, sir!” we all cheered.
    It was a fierce fight. While the captain and squire and the others shot their muskets and pistols, Frankie and Jim and I threw whatever we found at the pirates. We bonked them on the head with biscuits and dried peas. They kept shouting for us to stop, but we wouldn’t.
    â€œOoof! Ouch! Hey!” the pirates yelled as we pummeled them. In a flash, two had tripped to the ground, clutching their arms and feet.
    â€œScore two for the good guys!” I shouted.
    â€œYahoo!” Frankie shouted.
    Meanwhile, the grownups were having a regular battle. Actual gunshots were whizzing and pinging wildly all over the place.
    â€œHey, Frankie,” I said, just as I hurled a bunch of pork bones at a couple of nasty pirates, “can you and I get hurt in a book? I mean, like the other characters can? If we can’t, maybe we should be taking more risks.”
    Frankie ducked just before a shot flew past her ear and struck the log house.
    â€œI don’t think I’ll take that chance!” she said, heaving a fistful of old peach pits down at the attackers.
    Trying to escape our rain of terror, the pirates ran around to the other side and headed for the back door, but the squire and doctor were ready for them with more than dried fruit and stale veggies.
    Gunshots crackled and smoked from inside the stockade, and the pirates went running and limping back into the woods.
    â€œWe won!” I cried. “Yahoo! Yay!”
    But Jim had a dark expression on his face.
    â€œWhat is it?” asked Frankie.
    Jim pointed, and we saw that even though we’d won, we still had suffered. The three of us were okay.
    But two of our sailors were actually dead.
    And brave Captain Smollett was wounded.

Chapter 14
    â€œDon’t fuss over me!” the captain protested, clutching his wounded leg. “We still have a job to do.”
    The doctor was very upset. “This must end!” he growled as he patched the captain’s wound. “To fight over money? Treasure? No, this terrible