SquireTrelawney,Dr.Livesey,andtherestofthesegentlemenhavingaskedmetowritedownthewholeparticularsaboutTreasureIsland,fromthebeginningtotheend,keepingnothingbackbutthebearingsoftheisland,andthatonlybecausethereisstilltreasurenotyetlifted,Itakeupmypenintheyearofgrace17__andgobacktothetimewhenmyfatherkepttheAdmiralBenbowinnandthebrownoldseamanwiththesabrecutfirsttookuphislodgingunderourroof.
Irememberhimasifitwereyesterday,ashecameploddingtotheinndoor,hissea-chestfollowingbehindhiminahand-barrow—atall,strong,heavy,nut-brownman,histarrypigtailfallingovertheshoulderofhissoiledbluecoat,hishandsraggedandscarred,withblack,brokennails,andthesabrecutacrossonecheek,adirty,lividwhite.
Irememberhimlookingroundthecoverandwhistlingtohimselfashedidso,andthenbreakingoutinthatoldsea-songthathesangsooftenafterwards:
Thenherappedonthedoorwithabitofsticklikeahandspikethathecarried,andwhenmyfatherappeared,calledroughlyforaglassofrum.
This,whenitwasbroughttohim,hedrankslowly,likeaconnoisseur,lingeringonthetasteandstilllookingabouthimatthecliffsandupatoursignboard.
Hereyou,matey,”hecriedtothemanwhotrundledthebarrow;“bringupalongsideandhelpupmychest.I’llstayhereabit,”hecontinued.
“I’maplainman;rumandbaconandeggsiswhatIwant,andthatheaduptherefortowatchshipsoff.Whatyoumoughtcallme?Youmoughtcallmecaptain.
Andindeedbadashisclotheswereandcoarselyashespoke,hehadnoneoftheappearanceofamanwhosailedbeforethemast,butseemedlikeamateorskipperaccustomedtobeobeyedortostrike.
ThemanwhocamewiththebarrowtoldusthemailhadsethimdownthemorningbeforeattheRoyalGeorge,thathehadinquiredwhatinnstherewerealongthecoast,andhearingourswellspokenof,Isuppose,anddescribedaslonely,hadchosenitfromtheothersforhisplaceofresidence.
Hewasaverysilentmanbycustom.Alldayhehungroundthecoveoruponthecliffswithabrasstelescope;alleveninghesatinacorneroftheparlournextthefireanddrankrumandwaterverystrong.
Mostlyhewouldnotspeakwhenspokento,onlylookupsuddenandfierceandblowthroughhisnoselikeafog-horn;andweandthepeoplewhocameaboutourhousesoonlearnedtolethimbe.
Atfirstwethoughtitwasthewantofcompanyofhisownkindthatmadehimaskthisquestion,butatlastwebegantoseehewasdesiroustoavoidthem.
WhenaseamandidputupattheAdmiralBenbow(asnowandthensomedid,makingbythecoastroadforBristol)hewouldlookinathimthroughthecurtaineddoorbeforeheenteredtheparlour;andhewasalwayssuretobeassilentasamousewhenanysuchwaspresent.
HehadtakenmeasideonedayandpromisedmeasilverfourpennyonthefirstofeverymonthifIwouldonlykeepmy“weather-eyeopenforaseafaringmanwithoneleg”andlethimknowthemomentheappeared.
OftenenoughwhenthefirstofthemonthcameroundandIappliedtohimformywage,hewouldonlyblowthroughhisnoseatmeandstaremedown,butbeforetheweekwasouthewassuretothinkbetterofit,bringmemyfour-pennypiece,andrepeathisorderstolookoutfor“theseafaringmanwithoneleg.”
Onstormynights,whenthewindshookthefourcornersofthehouseandthesurfroaredalongthecoveandupthecliffs,Iwouldseehiminathousandforms,andwithathousanddiabolicalexpressions.
Nowthelegwouldbecutoffattheknee,nowatthehip;nowhewasamonstrouskindofacreaturewhohadneverhadbuttheoneleg,andthatinthemiddleofhisbody.
ButthoughIwassoterrifiedbytheideaoftheseafaringmanwithoneleg,Iwasfarlessafraidofthecaptainhimselfthananybodyelsewhoknewhim.
Therewerenightswhenhetookadealmorerumandwaterthanhisheadwouldcarry;andthenhewouldsometimessitandsinghiswicked,old,wildsea-songs,mindingnobody;butsometimeshewouldcallforglassesroundandforceallthetremblingcompanytolistentohisstoriesorbearachorustohissinging.
OftenIhaveheardthehouseshakingwith“Yo-ho-ho,andabottleofrum,”alltheneighboursjoininginfordearlife,withthefearofdeathuponthem,andeachsinginglouderthantheothertoavoidremark.
Forinthesefitshewasthemostoverridingcompanioneverknown;hewouldslaphishandonthetableforsilenceallround;hewouldflyupinapassionofangerataquestion,orsometimesbecausenonewasput,andsohejudgedthecompanywasnotfollowinghisstory.
Dreadfulstoriestheywere—abouthanging,andwalkingtheplank,andstormsatsea,andtheDryTortugas,andwilddeedsandplacesontheSpanishMain.
ByhisownaccounthemusthavelivedhislifeamongsomeofthewickedestmenthatGodeveralloweduponthesea,andthelanguageinwhichhetoldthesestoriesshockedourplaincountrypeoplealmostasmuchasthecrimesthathedescribed.
Myfatherwasalwayssayingtheinnwouldberuined,forpeoplewouldsoonceasecomingtheretobetyrannizedoverandputdown,andsentshiveringtotheirbeds;butIreallybelievehispresencedidusgood.
Peoplewerefrightenedatthetime,butonlookingbacktheyratherlikedit;itwasafineexcitementinaquietcountrylife,andtherewasevenapartyoftheyoungermenwhopretendedtoadmirehim,callinghima“truesea-dog”anda“realoldsalt”andsuchlikenames,andsayingtherewasthesortofmanthatmadeEnglandterribleatsea.
Inoneway,indeed,hebadefairtoruinus,forhekeptonstayingweekafterweek,andatlastmonthaftermonth,sothatallthemoneyhadbeenlongexhausted,andstillmyfatherneverpluckedupthehearttoinsistonhavingmore.
Ifeverhementionedit,thecaptainblewthroughhisnosesoloudlythatyoumightsayheroared,andstaredmypoorfatheroutoftheroom.
Ihaveseenhimwringinghishandsaftersucharebuff,andIamsuretheannoyanceandtheterrorhelivedinmusthavegreatlyhastenedhisearlyandunhappydeath.
Oneofthecocksofhishathavingfallendown,heletithangfromthatdayforth,thoughitwasagreatannoyancewhenitblew.
Iremembertheappearanceofhiscoat,whichhepatchedhimselfupstairsinhisroom,andwhich,beforetheend,wasnothingbutpatches.
Heneverwroteorreceivedaletter,andheneverspokewithanybuttheneighbours,andwiththese,forthemostpart,onlywhendrunkonrum.
Dr.Liveseycamelateoneafternoontoseethepatient,tookabitofdinnerfrommymother,andwentintotheparlourtosmokeapipeuntilhishorseshouldcomedownfromthehamlet,forwehadnostablingattheoldBenbow.
Ifollowedhimin,andIrememberobservingthecontrasttheneat,brightdoctor,withhispowderaswhiteassnowandhisbright,blackeyesandpleasantmanners,madewiththecoltishcountryfolk,andaboveall,withthatfilthy,heavy,blearedscarecrowofapirateofours,sitting,fargoneinrum,withhisarmsonthetable.
AtfirstIhadsupposed“thedeadman’schest”tobethatidenticalbigboxofhisupstairsinthefrontroom,andthethoughthadbeenmingledinmynightmareswiththatoftheone-leggedseafaringman.
Butbythistimewehadalllongceasedtopayanyparticularnoticetothesong;itwasnew,thatnight,tonobodybutDr.Livesey,andonhimIobserveditdidnotproduceanagreeableeffect,forhelookedupforamomentquiteangrilybeforehewentonwithhistalktooldTaylor,thegardener,onanewcurefortherheumatics.
Inthemeantime,thecaptaingraduallybrightenedupathisownmusic,andatlastflappedhishanduponthetablebeforehiminawayweallknewtomeansilence.
Thevoicesstoppedatonce,allbutDr.Livesey’s;hewentonasbeforespeakingclearandkindanddrawingbrisklyathispipebetweeneverywordortwo.
Thecaptainglaredathimforawhile,flappedhishandagain,glaredstillharder,andatlastbrokeoutwithavillainous,lowoath,“Silence,there,betweendecks!”
“Wereyouaddressingme,sir?”saysthedoctor;andwhentheruffianhadtoldhim,withanotheroath,thatthiswasso,“Ihaveonlyonethingtosaytoyou,sir,”repliesthedoctor,“thatifyoukeepondrinkingrum,theworldwillsoonbequitofaverydirtyscoundrel!”
Theoldfellow’sfurywasawful.Hesprangtohisfeet,drewandopenedasailor’sclasp-knife,andbalancingitopenonthepalmofhishand,threatenedtopinthedoctortothewall.
Thedoctorneversomuchasmoved.Hespoketohimasbefore,overhisshoulderandinthesametoneofvoice,ratherhigh,sothatalltheroommighthear,butperfectlycalmandsteady:“Ifyoudonotputthatknifethisinstantinyourpocket,Ipromise,uponmyhonour,youshallhangatthenextassizes.”
Thenfollowedabattleoflooksbetweenthem,butthecaptainsoonknuckledunder,putuphisweapon,andresumedhisseat,grumblinglikeabeatendog.
“Andnow,sir,”continuedthedoctor,“sinceInowknowthere’ssuchafellowinmydistrict,youmaycountI’llhaveaneyeuponyoudayandnight.
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