English
WerodehardallthewaytillwedrewupbeforeDr.Livesey’sdoor.Thehousewasalldarktothefront.
Mr.Dancetoldmetojumpdownandknock,andDoggergavemeastirruptodescendby.Thedoorwasopenedalmostatoncebythemaid.
“IsDr.Liveseyin?”Iasked.
No,shesaid,hehadcomehomeintheafternoonbuthadgoneuptothehalltodineandpasstheeveningwiththesquire.
“Sotherewego,boys,”saidMr.Dance.
Thistime,asthedistancewasshort,Ididnotmount,butranwithDogger’sstirrup-leathertothelodgegatesandupthelong,leafless,moonlitavenuetowherethewhitelineofthehallbuildingslookedoneitherhandongreatoldgardens.
HereMr.Dancedismounted,andtakingmealongwithhim,wasadmittedatawordintothehouse.
Theservantledusdownamattedpassageandshowedusattheendintoagreatlibrary,alllinedwithbookcasesandbustsuponthetopofthem,wherethesquireandDr.Liveseysat,pipeinhand,oneithersideofabrightfire.
Ihadneverseenthesquiresonearathand.
Hewasatallman,oversixfeethigh,andbroadinproportion,andhehadabluff,rough-and-readyface,allroughenedandreddenedandlinedinhislongtravels.
Hiseyebrowswereveryblack,andmovedreadily,andthisgavehimalookofsometemper,notbad,youwouldsay,butquickandhigh.
“Comein,Mr.Dance,”sayshe,verystatelyandcondescending.
“Goodevening,Dance,”saysthedoctorwithanod.“Andgoodeveningtoyou,friendJim.Whatgoodwindbringsyouhere?”
Thesupervisorstoodupstraightandstiffandtoldhisstorylikealesson;andyoushouldhaveseenhowthetwogentlemenleanedforwardandlookedateachother,andforgottosmokeintheirsurpriseandinterest.
Whentheyheardhowmymotherwentbacktotheinn,Dr.Liveseyfairlyslappedhisthigh,andthesquirecried“Bravo!”
andbrokehislongpipeagainstthegrate.
Longbeforeitwasdone,Mr.Trelawney(that,youwillremember,wasthesquire’sname)hadgotupfromhisseatandwasstridingabouttheroom,andthedoctor,asiftohearthebetter,hadtakenoffhispowderedwigandsattherelookingverystrangeindeedwithhisownclose-croppedblackpoll.
AtlastMr.Dancefinishedthestory.
“Mr.Dance,”saidthesquire,“youareaverynoblefellow.
Andasforridingdownthatblack,atrociousmiscreant,Iregarditasanactofvirtue,sir,likestampingonacockroach.
ThisladHawkinsisatrump,Iperceive.Hawkins,willyouringthatbell?Mr.Dancemusthavesomeale.”
“Andso,Jim,”saidthedoctor,“youhavethethingthattheywereafter,haveyou?”
“Hereitis,sir,”saidI,andgavehimtheoilskinpacket.
Thedoctorlookeditallover,asifhisfingerswereitchingtoopenit;butinsteadofdoingthat,heputitquietlyinthepocketofhiscoat.
“Squire,”saidhe,“whenDancehashadhisalehemust,ofcourse,beoffonhisMajesty’sservice;butImeantokeepJimHawkinsheretosleepatmyhouse,andwithyourpermission,Iproposeweshouldhaveupthecoldpieandlethimsup.”
“Asyouwill,Livesey,”saidthesquire;“Hawkinshasearnedbetterthancoldpie.”
Soabigpigeonpiewasbroughtinandputonasidetable,andImadeaheartysupper,forIwasashungryasahawk,whileMr.Dancewasfurthercomplimentedandatlastdismissed.
“Andnow,squire,”saidthedoctor.
“Andnow,Livesey,”saidthesquireinthesamebreath.
“Oneatatime,oneatatime,”laughedDr.Livesey.“YouhaveheardofthisFlint,Isuppose?”
“Heardofhim!”criedthesquire.“Heardofhim,yousay!
Hewasthebloodthirstiestbuccaneerthatsailed.BlackbeardwasachildtoFlint.
TheSpaniardsweresoprodigiouslyafraidofhimthat,Itellyou,sir,IwassometimesproudhewasanEnglishman.
I’veseenhistop-sailswiththeseeyes,offTrinidad,andthecowardlysonofarum-puncheonthatIsailedwithputback—putback,sir,intoPortofSpain.”
“Well,I’veheardofhimmyself,inEngland,”saidthedoctor.“Butthepointis,hadhemoney?”
“Money!”criedthesquire.“Haveyouheardthestory?Whatwerethesevillainsafterbutmoney?Whatdotheycareforbutmoney?Forwhatwouldtheyrisktheirrascalcarcassesbutmoney?”
“Thatweshallsoonknow,”repliedthedoctor.
“Butyouaresoconfoundedlyhot-headedandexclamatorythatIcannotgetawordin.
WhatIwanttoknowisthis:SupposingthatIhavehereinmypocketsomecluetowhereFlintburiedhistreasure,willthattreasureamounttomuch?”
“Amount,sir!”criedthesquire.
“Itwillamounttothis:Ifwehavetheclueyoutalkabout,IfitoutashipinBristoldock,andtakeyouandHawkinsherealong,andI’llhavethattreasureifIsearchayear.”
“Verywell,”saidthedoctor.“Now,then,ifJimisagreeable,we’llopenthepacket”;andhelaiditbeforehimonthetable.
Thebundlewassewntogether,andthedoctorhadtogetouthisinstrumentcaseandcutthestitcheswithhismedicalscissors.Itcontainedtwothings—abookandasealedpaper.
“Firstofallwe’lltrythebook,”observedthedoctor.
ThesquireandIwerebothpeeringoverhisshoulderasheopenedit,forDr.Liveseyhadkindlymotionedmetocomeroundfromtheside-table,whereIhadbeeneating,toenjoythesportofthesearch.
Onthefirstpagetherewereonlysomescrapsofwriting,suchasamanwithapeninhishandmightmakeforidlenessorpractice.
Onewasthesameasthetattoomark,“BillyBoneshisfancy”;thentherewas“Mr.W.Bones,mate,”“Nomorerum,”“OffPalmKeyhegotitt,”andsomeothersnatches,mostlysinglewordsandunintelligible.
Icouldnothelpwonderingwhoitwasthathad“gotitt,”andwhat“itt”wasthathegot.Aknifeinhisbackaslikeasnot.
“Notmuchinstructionthere,”saidDr.Liveseyashepassedon.
Thenexttenortwelvepageswerefilledwithacuriousseriesofentries.
Therewasadateatoneendofthelineandattheotherasumofmoney,asincommonaccount-books,butinsteadofexplanatorywriting,onlyavaryingnumberofcrossesbetweenthetwo.
Onthe12thofJune,1745,forinstance,asumofseventypoundshadplainlybecomeduetosomeone,andtherewasnothingbutsixcrossestoexplainthecause.
Inafewcases,tobesure,thenameofaplacewouldbeadded,as“OffeCaraccas,”oramereentryoflatitudeandlongitude,as“62o17’20”,19o2’40”.”
Therecordlastedovernearlytwentyyears,theamountoftheseparateentriesgrowinglargerastimewenton,andattheendagrandtotalhadbeenmadeoutafterfiveorsixwrongadditions,andthesewordsappended,“Bones,hispile.”
“Ican’tmakeheadortailofthis,”saidDr.Livesey.
“Thethingisasclearasnoonday,”criedthesquire.
“Thisistheblack-heartedhound’saccount-book.
Thesecrossesstandforthenamesofshipsortownsthattheysankorplundered.
Thesumsarethescoundrel’sshare,andwherehefearedanambiguity,youseeheaddedsomethingclearer.
‘OffeCaraccas,’now;yousee,herewassomeunhappyvesselboardedoffthatcoast.
Godhelpthepoorsoulsthatmannedher—corallongago.”
“Right!”saidthedoctor.“Seewhatitistobeatraveller.Right!Andtheamountsincrease,yousee,asheroseinrank.”
TherewaslittleelseinthevolumebutafewbearingsofplacesnotedintheblankleavestowardstheendandatableforreducingFrench,English,andSpanishmoneystoacommonvalue.
“Thriftyman!”criedthedoctor.“Hewasn’ttheonetobecheated.”
“Andnow,”saidthesquire,“fortheother.”
Thepaperhadbeensealedinseveralplaceswithathimblebywayofseal;theverythimble,perhaps,thatIhadfoundinthecaptain’spocket.
Thedoctoropenedthesealswithgreatcare,andtherefelloutthemapofanisland,withlatitudeandlongitude,soundings,namesofhillsandbaysandinlets,andeveryparticularthatwouldbeneededtobringashiptoasafeanchorageuponitsshores.
Itwasaboutninemileslongandfiveacross,shaped,youmightsay,likeafatdragonstandingup,andhadtwofineland-lockedharbours,andahillinthecentrepartmarked“TheSpy-glass.”
Therewereseveraladditionsofalaterdate,butaboveall,threecrossesofredink—twoonthenorthpartoftheisland,oneinthesouthwest—andbesidethislast,inthesameredink,andinasmall,neathand,verydifferentfromthecaptain’stotterycharacters,thesewords:“Bulkoftreasurehere.”
Overonthebackthesamehandhadwrittenthisfurtherinformation:
Talltree,Spy-glassshoulder,bearingapointto
theN.ofN.N.E.
SkeletonIslandE.S.E.andbyE.
Tenfeet.
Thebarsilverisinthenorthcache;youcanfind
itbythetrendoftheeasthummock,tenfathoms
southoftheblackcragwiththefaceonit.
Thearmsareeasyfound,inthesand-hill,N.
pointofnorthinletcape,bearingE.anda
quarterN.
J.F.
Thatwasall;butbriefasitwas,andtomeincomprehensible,itfilledthesquireandDr.Liveseywithdelight.
“Livesey,”saidthesquire,“youwillgiveupthiswretchedpracticeatonce.TomorrowIstartforBristol.Inthreeweeks’time—threeweeks!
—twoweeks—tendays—we’llhavethebestship,sir,andthechoicestcrewinEngland.Hawkinsshallcomeascabin-boy.
You’llmakeafamouscabin-boy,Hawkins.
You,Livesey,areship’sdoctor;Iamadmiral.We’lltakeRedruth,Joyce,andHunter.
We’llhavefavourablewinds,aquickpassage,andnottheleastdifficultyinfindingthespot,andmoneytoeat,torollin,toplayduckanddrakewitheverafter.”
“Trelawney,”saidthedoctor,“I’llgowithyou;andI’llgobailforit,sowillJim,andbeacredittotheundertaking.There’sonlyonemanI’mafraidof.”
“Andwho’sthat?”criedthesquire.“Namethedog,sir!”
“You,”repliedthedoctor;“foryoucannotholdyourtongue.
Wearenottheonlymenwhoknowofthispaper.
Thesefellowswhoattackedtheinntonight—bold,desperateblades,forsure—andtherestwhostayedaboardthatlugger,andmore,Idaresay,notfaroff,are,oneandall,throughthickandthin,boundthatthey’llgetthatmoney.
Wemustnoneofusgoalonetillwegettosea.
JimandIshallsticktogetherinthemeanwhile;you’lltakeJoyceandHunterwhenyouridetoBristol,andfromfirsttolast,notoneofusmustbreatheawordofwhatwe’vefound.”
“Livesey,”returnedthesquire,“youarealwaysintherightofit.I’llbeassilentasthegrave.”
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