Itwaslongerthanthesquireimaginederewewerereadyforthesea,andnoneofourfirstplans—notevenDr.Livesey’s,ofkeepingmebesidehim—couldbecarriedoutasweintended. ThedoctorhadtogotoLondonforaphysiciantotakechargeofhispractice;thesquirewashardatworkatBristol;andIlivedonatthehallunderthechargeofoldRedruth,thegamekeeper,almostaprisoner,butfullofsea-dreamsandthemostcharminganticipationsofstrangeislandsandadventures. Ibroodedbythehourtogetheroverthemap,allthedetailsofwhichIwellremembered. Sittingbythefireinthehousekeeper’sroom,Iapproachedthatislandinmyfancyfromeverypossibledirection;Iexploredeveryacreofitssurface;IclimbedathousandtimestothattallhilltheycalltheSpy-glass,andfromthetopenjoyedthemostwonderfulandchangingprospects. Sometimestheislewasthickwithsavages,withwhomwefought,sometimesfullofdangerousanimalsthathuntedus,butinallmyfanciesnothingoccurredtomesostrangeandtragicasouractualadventures. Sotheweekspassedon,tillonefinedaytherecamealetteraddressedtoDr.Livesey,withthisaddition,“Tobeopened,inthecaseofhisabsence,byTomRedruthoryoungHawkins.” Obeyingthisorder,wefound,orratherIfound—forthegamekeeperwasapoorhandatreadinganythingbutprint—thefollowingimportantnews: OldAnchorInn,Bristol,March1,17— DearLivesey—AsIdonotknowwhetheryou areatthehallorstillinLondon,Isendthisin Theshipisboughtandfitted.Sheliesat anchor,readyforsea.Youneverimagineda sweeterschooner—achildmightsailher—two hundredtons;name,Hispaniola. Igotherthroughmyoldfriend,Blandly,who hasprovedhimselfthroughoutthemostsurprising trump.Theadmirablefellowliterallyslavedin myinterest,andso,Imaysay,dideveryonein Bristol,assoonastheygotwindoftheportwe sailedfor—treasure,Imean. “Redruth,”saidI,interruptingtheletter,“Dr.Liveseywillnotlikethat.Thesquirehasbeentalking,afterall.” “Well,who’sabetterright?”growledthegamekeeper.“Aprettyrumgoifsquireain’ttotalkforDr.Livesey,Ishouldthink.” AtthatIgaveupallattemptsatcommentaryandreadstraighton: BlandlyhimselffoundtheHispaniola,and bythemostadmirablemanagementgotherforthe meresttrifle.ThereisaclassofmeninBristol monstrouslyprejudicedagainstBlandly.Theygo thelengthofdeclaringthatthishonestcreature woulddoanythingformoney,thattheHispaniola belongedtohim,andthathesolditmeabsurdly high—themosttransparentcalumnies.Noneofthem dare,however,todenythemeritsoftheship. Sofartherewasnotahitch.The workpeople,tobesure—riggersandwhatnot—were mostannoyinglyslow;buttimecuredthat.Itwas Iwishedaroundscoreofmen—incaseof natives,buccaneers,ortheodiousFrench—andI hadtheworryofthedeuceitselftofindsomuch ashalfadozen,tillthemostremarkablestroke offortunebroughtmetheverymanthatI Iwasstandingonthedock,when,bythe merestaccident,Ifellintalkwithhim.Ifound hewasanoldsailor,keptapublic-house,knew alltheseafaringmeninBristol,hadlosthis healthashore,andwantedagoodberthascookto gettoseaagain.Hehadhobbleddowntherethat morning,hesaid,togetasmellofthesalt. Iwasmonstrouslytouched—sowouldyouhave been—and,outofpurepity,Iengagedhimonthe spottobeship’scook.LongJohnSilver,heis called,andhaslostaleg;butthatIregardedas arecommendation,sincehelostitinhis country’sservice,undertheimmortalHawke.He hasnopension,Livesey.Imaginetheabominable Well,sir,IthoughtIhadonlyfoundacook, butitwasacrewIhaddiscovered.Between Silverandmyselfwegottogetherinafewdaysa companyofthetoughestoldsaltsimaginable—not prettytolookat,butfellows,bytheirfaces,of themostindomitablespirit.Ideclarewecould LongJohnevengotridoftwooutofthesix orsevenIhadalreadyengaged.Heshowedmeina momentthattheywerejustthesortoffresh-water swabswehadtofearinanadventureof Iaminthemostmagnificenthealthand spirits,eatinglikeabull,sleepinglikeatree, yetIshallnotenjoyamomenttillIhearmyold tarpaulinstrampingroundthecapstan.Seaward, ho!Hangthetreasure!It’sthegloryofthesea thathasturnedmyhead.Sonow,Livesey,come post;donotloseanhour,ifyourespectme. LetyoungHawkinsgoatoncetoseehis mother,withRedruthforaguard;andthenboth Postscript—IdidnottellyouthatBlandly, who,bytheway,istosendaconsortafterusif wedon’tturnupbytheendofAugust,hadfound anadmirablefellowforsailingmaster—astiff man,whichIregret,butinallotherrespectsa treasure.LongJohnSilverunearthedavery competentmanforamate,amannamedArrow.I haveaboatswainwhopipes,Livesey;sothings shallgoman-o’-warfashiononboardthegoodship IforgottotellyouthatSilverisamanof substance;Iknowofmyownknowledgethathehas abanker’saccount,whichhasneverbeen overdrawn.Heleaveshiswifetomanagetheinn; andassheisawomanofcolour,apairofold bachelorslikeyouandImaybeexcusedfor guessingthatitisthewife,quiteasmuchasthe health,thatsendshimbacktoroving. P.P.S.—Hawkinsmaystayonenightwithhis Youcanfancytheexcitementintowhichthatletterputme. Iwashalfbesidemyselfwithglee;andifeverIdespisedaman,itwasoldTomRedruth,whocoulddonothingbutgrumbleandlament. Anyoftheunder-gamekeeperswouldgladlyhavechangedplaceswithhim;butsuchwasnotthesquire’spleasure,andthesquire’spleasurewaslikelawamongthemall. NobodybutoldRedruthwouldhavedaredsomuchaseventogrumble. ThenextmorningheandIsetoutonfootfortheAdmiralBenbow,andthereIfoundmymotheringoodhealthandspirits. Thecaptain,whohadsolongbeenacauseofsomuchdiscomfort,wasgonewherethewickedceasefromtroubling. Thesquirehadhadeverythingrepaired,andthepublicroomsandthesignrepainted,andhadaddedsomefurniture—aboveallabeautifularmchairformotherinthebar. HehadfoundheraboyasanapprenticealsosothatsheshouldnotwanthelpwhileIwasgone. ItwasonseeingthatboythatIunderstood,forthefirsttime,mysituation. Ihadthoughtuptothatmomentoftheadventuresbeforeme,notatallofthehomethatIwasleaving;andnow,atsightofthisclumsystranger,whowastostayhereinmyplacebesidemymother,Ihadmyfirstattackoftears. IamafraidIledthatboyadog’slife,forashewasnewtothework,Ihadahundredopportunitiesofsettinghimrightandputtinghimdown,andIwasnotslowtoprofitbythem. Thenightpassed,andthenextday,afterdinner,RedruthandIwereafootagainandontheroad. Isaidgood-byetoMotherandthecovewhereIhadlivedsinceIwasborn,andthedearoldAdmiralBenbow—sincehewasrepainted,nolongerquitesodear. Oneofmylastthoughtswasofthecaptain,whohadsooftenstrodealongthebeachwithhiscockedhat,hissabre-cutcheek,andhisoldbrasstelescope. Nextmomentwehadturnedthecornerandmyhomewasoutofsight. ThemailpickedusupaboutduskattheRoyalGeorgeontheheath. IwaswedgedinbetweenRedruthandastoutoldgentleman,andinspiteoftheswiftmotionandthecoldnightair,Imusthavedozedagreatdealfromtheveryfirst,andthensleptlikealoguphillanddowndalethroughstageafterstage,forwhenIwasawakenedatlastitwasbyapunchintheribs,andIopenedmyeyestofindthatwewerestandingstillbeforealargebuildinginacitystreetandthatthedayhadalreadybrokenalongtime. “Bristol,”saidTom.“Getdown.” Mr.Trelawneyhadtakenuphisresidenceataninnfardownthedockstosuperintendtheworkupontheschooner. Thitherwehadnowtowalk,andourway,tomygreatdelight,layalongthequaysandbesidethegreatmultitudeofshipsofallsizesandrigsandnations. Inone,sailorsweresingingattheirwork,inanotherthereweremenaloft,highovermyhead,hangingtothreadsthatseemednothickerthanaspider’s. ThoughIhadlivedbytheshoreallmylife,Iseemednevertohavebeenneartheseatillthen. Thesmelloftarandsaltwassomethingnew. Isawthemostwonderfulfigureheads,thathadallbeenfarovertheocean. Isaw,besides,manyoldsailors,withringsintheirears,andwhiskerscurledinringlets,andtarrypigtails,andtheirswaggering,clumsysea-walk;andifIhadseenasmanykingsorarchbishopsIcouldnothavebeenmoredelighted. AndIwasgoingtoseamyself,toseainaschooner,withapipingboatswainandpig-tailedsingingseamen,tosea,boundforanisland,andtoseekforburiedtreasure! WhileIwasstillinthisdelightfuldream,wecamesuddenlyinfrontofalargeinnandmetSquireTrelawney,alldressedoutlikeasea-officer,instoutbluecloth,comingoutofthedoorwithasmileonhisfaceandacapitalimitationofasailor’swalk. “Hereyouare,”hecried,“andthedoctorcamelastnightfromLondon.Bravo!Theship’scompanycomplete!” “Oh,sir,”criedI,“whendowesail?” “Sail!”sayshe.“Wesailtomorrow!” 
