English
TheHispaniolalaysomewayout,andwewentunderthefigureheadsandroundthesternsofmanyotherships,andtheircablessometimesgratedunderneathourkeel,andsometimesswungaboveus.
Atlast,however,wegotalongside,andweremetandsalutedaswesteppedaboardbythemate,Mr.Arrow,abrownoldsailorwithearringsinhisearsandasquint.
Heandthesquirewereverythickandfriendly,butIsoonobservedthatthingswerenotthesamebetweenMr.Trelawneyandthecaptain.
Thislastwasasharp-lookingmanwhoseemedangrywitheverythingonboardandwassoontotelluswhy,forwehadhardlygotdownintothecabinwhenasailorfollowedus.
“CaptainSmollett,sir,axingtospeakwithyou,”saidhe.
“Iamalwaysatthecaptain’sorders.Showhimin,”saidthesquire.
Thecaptain,whowasclosebehindhismessenger,enteredatonceandshutthedoorbehindhim.
“Well,CaptainSmollett,whathaveyoutosay?Allwell,Ihope;allshipshapeandseaworthy?”
“Well,sir,”saidthecaptain,“betterspeakplain,Ibelieve,evenattheriskofoffense.Idon’tlikethiscruise;Idon’tlikethemen;andIdon’tlikemyofficer.That’sshortandsweet.”
“Perhaps,sir,youdon’tliketheship?”inquiredthesquire,veryangry,asIcouldsee.
“Ican’tspeakastothat,sir,nothavingseenhertried,”saidthecaptain.“Sheseemsaclevercraft;moreIcan’tsay.”
“Possibly,sir,youmaynotlikeyouremployer,either?”saysthesquire.
ButhereDr.Liveseycutin.
“Stayabit,”saidhe,“stayabit.Nouseofsuchquestionsasthatbuttoproduceillfeeling.
Thecaptainhassaidtoomuchorhehassaidtoolittle,andI’mboundtosaythatIrequireanexplanationofhiswords.Youdon’t,yousay,likethiscruise.Now,why?”
“Iwasengaged,sir,onwhatwecallsealedorders,tosailthisshipforthatgentlemanwhereheshouldbidme,”saidthecaptain.“Sofarsogood.
ButnowIfindthateverymanbeforethemastknowsmorethanIdo.Idon’tcallthatfair,now,doyou?”
“No,”saidDr.Livesey,“Idon’t.”
“Next,”saidthecaptain,“Ilearnwearegoingaftertreasure—hearitfrommyownhands,mindyou.
Now,treasureisticklishwork;Idon’tliketreasurevoyagesonanyaccount,andIdon’tlikethem,aboveall,whentheyaresecretandwhen(beggingyourpardon,Mr.Trelawney)thesecrethasbeentoldtotheparrot.”
“Silver’sparrot?”askedthesquire.
“It’sawayofspeaking,”saidthecaptain.“Blabbed,Imean.It’smybeliefneitherofyougentlemenknowwhatyouareabout,butI’lltellyoumywayofit—lifeordeath,andacloserun.”
“Thatisallclear,and,Idaresay,trueenough,”repliedDr.Livesey.
“Wetaketherisk,butwearenotsoignorantasyoubelieveus.Next,yousayyoudon’tlikethecrew.Aretheynotgoodseamen?”
“Idon’tlikethem,sir,”returnedCaptainSmollett.“AndIthinkIshouldhavehadthechoosingofmyownhands,ifyougotothat.”
“Perhapsyoushould,”repliedthedoctor.“Myfriendshould,perhaps,havetakenyoualongwithhim;buttheslight,iftherebeone,wasunintentional.Andyoudon’tlikeMr.Arrow?”
“Idon’t,sir.Ibelievehe’sagoodseaman,buthe’stoofreewiththecrewtobeagoodofficer.Amateshouldkeephimselftohimself—shouldn’tdrinkwiththemenbeforethemast!”
“Doyoumeanhedrinks?”criedthesquire.
“No,sir,”repliedthecaptain,“onlythathe’stoofamiliar.”
“Well,now,andtheshortandlongofit,captain?”askedthedoctor.“Telluswhatyouwant.”
“Well,gentlemen,areyoudeterminedtogoonthiscruise?”
“Likeiron,”answeredthesquire.
“Verygood,”saidthecaptain.“Then,asyou’veheardmeverypatiently,sayingthingsthatIcouldnotprove,hearmeafewwordsmore.
Theyareputtingthepowderandthearmsintheforehold.
Now,youhaveagoodplaceunderthecabin;whynotputthemthere?—firstpoint.
Then,youarebringingfourofyourownpeoplewithyou,andtheytellmesomeofthemaretobeberthedforward.
Whynotgivethemtheberthsherebesidethecabin?—secondpoint.”
“Anymore?”askedMr.Trelawney.
“Onemore,”saidthecaptain.“There’sbeentoomuchblabbingalready.”
“Fartoomuch,”agreedthedoctor.
“I’lltellyouwhatI’veheardmyself,”continuedCaptainSmollett:“thatyouhaveamapofanisland,thatthere’scrossesonthemaptoshowwheretreasureis,andthattheislandlies—”Andthenhenamedthelatitudeandlongitudeexactly.
“Inevertoldthat,”criedthesquire,“toasoul!”
“Thehandsknowit,sir,”returnedthecaptain.
“Livesey,thatmusthavebeenyouorHawkins,”criedthesquire.
“Itdoesn’tmuchmatterwhoitwas,”repliedthedoctor.
AndIcouldseethatneitherhenorthecaptainpaidmuchregardtoMr.Trelawney’sprotestations.
NeitherdidI,tobesure,hewassolooseatalker;yetinthiscaseIbelievehewasreallyrightandthatnobodyhadtoldthesituationoftheisland.
“Well,gentlemen,”continuedthecaptain,“Idon’tknowwhohasthismap;butImakeitapoint,itshallbekeptsecretevenfrommeandMr.Arrow.OtherwiseIwouldaskyoutoletmeresign.”
“Isee,”saidthedoctor.“Youwishustokeepthismatterdarkandtomakeagarrisonofthesternpartoftheship,mannedwithmyfriend’sownpeople,andprovidedwithallthearmsandpowderonboard.Inotherwords,youfearamutiny.”
“Sir,”saidCaptainSmollett,“withnointentiontotakeoffense,Idenyyourrighttoputwordsintomymouth.
Nocaptain,sir,wouldbejustifiedingoingtoseaatallifhehadgroundenoughtosaythat.
AsforMr.Arrow,Ibelievehimthoroughlyhonest;someofthemenarethesame;allmaybeforwhatIknow.
ButIamresponsiblefortheship’ssafetyandthelifeofeverymanJackaboardofher.
Iseethingsgoing,asIthink,notquiteright.
AndIaskyoutotakecertainprecautionsorletmeresignmyberth.Andthat’sall.”
“CaptainSmollett,”beganthedoctorwithasmile,“dideveryouhearthefableofthemountainandthemouse?
You’llexcuseme,Idaresay,butyouremindmeofthatfable.
Whenyoucameinhere,I’llstakemywig,youmeantmorethanthis.”
“Doctor,”saidthecaptain,“youaresmart.WhenIcameinhereImeanttogetdischarged.IhadnothoughtthatMr.Trelawneywouldhearaword.”
“NomoreIwould,”criedthesquire.“HadLiveseynotbeenhereIshouldhaveseenyoutothedeuce.Asitis,Ihaveheardyou.Iwilldoasyoudesire,butIthinktheworseofyou.”
“That’sasyouplease,sir,”saidthecaptain.“You’llfindIdomyduty.”
Andwiththathetookhisleave.
“Trelawney,”saidthedoctor,“contrarytoallmynotions,Ibelievedyouhavemanagedtogettwohonestmenonboardwithyou—thatmanandJohnSilver.”
“Silver,ifyoulike,”criedthesquire;“butasforthatintolerablehumbug,IdeclareIthinkhisconductunmanly,unsailorly,anddownrightun-English.”
“Well,”saysthedoctor,“weshallsee.”
Whenwecameondeck,themenhadbegunalreadytotakeoutthearmsandpowder,yo-ho-ingattheirwork,whilethecaptainandMr.Arrowstoodbysuperintending.
Thenewarrangementwasquitetomyliking.
Thewholeschoonerhadbeenoverhauled;sixberthshadbeenmadeasternoutofwhathadbeentheafter-partofthemainhold;andthissetofcabinswasonlyjoinedtothegalleyandforecastlebyasparredpassageontheportside.
Ithadbeenoriginallymeantthatthecaptain,Mr.Arrow,Hunter,Joyce,thedoctor,andthesquireweretooccupythesesixberths.
NowRedruthandIweretogettwoofthemandMr.Arrowandthecaptainweretosleepondeckinthecompanion,whichhadbeenenlargedoneachsidetillyoumightalmosthavecalleditaround-house.
Verylowitwasstill,ofcourse;buttherewasroomtoswingtwohammocks,andeventhemateseemedpleasedwiththearrangement.
Evenhe,perhaps,hadbeendoubtfulastothecrew,butthatisonlyguess,forasyoushallhear,wehadnotlongthebenefitofhisopinion.
Wewereallhardatwork,changingthepowderandtheberths,whenthelastmanortwo,andLongJohnalongwiththem,cameoffinashore-boat.
Thecookcameupthesidelikeamonkeyforcleverness,andassoonashesawwhatwasdoing,“Soho,mates!”sayshe.“What’sthis?”
“We’rea-changingofthepowder,Jack,”answersone.
“Why,bythepowers,”criedLongJohn,“ifwedo,we’llmissthemorningtide!”
“Myorders!”saidthecaptainshortly.“Youmaygobelow,myman.Handswillwantsupper.”
“Aye,aye,sir,”answeredthecook,andtouchinghisforelock,hedisappearedatonceinthedirectionofhisgalley.
“That’sagoodman,captain,”saidthedoctor.
“Verylikely,sir,”repliedCaptainSmollett.
“Easywiththat,men—easy,”heranon,tothefellowswhowereshiftingthepowder;andthensuddenlyobservingmeexaminingtheswivelwecarriedamidships,alongbrassnine,“Hereyou,ship’sboy,”hecried,“outo’that!
Offwithyoutothecookandgetsomework.”
AndthenasIwashurryingoffIheardhimsay,quiteloudly,tothedoctor,“I’llhavenofavouritesonmyship.”
IassureyouIwasquiteofthesquire’swayofthinking,andhatedthecaptaindeeply.
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