English
Allthatnightwewereinagreatbustlegettingthingsstowedintheirplace,andboatfulsofthesquire’sfriends,Mr.Blandlyandthelike,comingofftowishhimagoodvoyageandasafereturn.
WeneverhadanightattheAdmiralBenbowwhenIhadhalfthework;andIwasdog-tiredwhen,alittlebeforedawn,theboatswainsoundedhispipeandthecrewbegantomanthecapstan-bars.
Imighthavebeentwiceasweary,yetIwouldnothaveleftthedeck,allwassonewandinterestingtome—thebriefcommands,theshrillnoteofthewhistle,themenbustlingtotheirplacesintheglimmeroftheship’slanterns.
“Now,Barbecue,tipusastave,”criedonevoice.
“Theoldone,”criedanother.
“Aye,aye,mates,”saidLongJohn,whowasstandingby,withhiscrutchunderhisarm,andatoncebrokeoutintheairandwordsIknewsowell:
“Fifteenmenonthedeadman’schest—”
Andthenthewholecrewborechorus:—
“Yo-ho-ho,andabottleofrum!”
Andatthethird“Ho!”drovethebarsbeforethemwithawill.
EvenatthatexcitingmomentitcarriedmebacktotheoldAdmiralBenbowinasecond,andIseemedtohearthevoiceofthecaptainpipinginthechorus.
Butsoontheanchorwasshortup;soonitwashangingdrippingatthebows;soonthesailsbegantodraw,andthelandandshippingtoflitbyoneitherside;andbeforeIcouldliedowntosnatchanhourofslumbertheHispaniolahadbegunhervoyagetotheIsleofTreasure.
Iamnotgoingtorelatethatvoyageindetail.Itwasfairlyprosperous.
Theshipprovedtobeagoodship,thecrewwerecapableseamen,andthecaptainthoroughlyunderstoodhisbusiness.
ButbeforewecamethelengthofTreasureIsland,twoorthreethingshadhappenedwhichrequiretobeknown.
Mr.Arrow,firstofall,turnedoutevenworsethanthecaptainhadfeared.
Hehadnocommandamongthemen,andpeopledidwhattheypleasedwithhim.
Butthatwasbynomeanstheworstofit,forafteradayortwoatseahebegantoappearondeckwithhazyeye,redcheeks,stutteringtongue,andothermarksofdrunkenness.
Timeaftertimehewasorderedbelowindisgrace.
Sometimeshefellandcuthimself;sometimeshelayalldaylonginhislittlebunkatonesideofthecompanion;sometimesforadayortwohewouldbealmostsoberandattendtohisworkatleastpassably.
Inthemeantime,wecouldnevermakeoutwherehegotthedrink.Thatwastheship’smystery.
Watchhimaswepleased,wecoulddonothingtosolveit;andwhenweaskedhimtohisface,hewouldonlylaughifheweredrunk,andifheweresoberdenysolemnlythatheevertastedanythingbutwater.
Hewasnotonlyuselessasanofficerandabadinfluenceamongstthemen,butitwasplainthatatthisratehemustsoonkillhimselfoutright,sonobodywasmuchsurprised,norverysorry,whenonedarknight,withaheadsea,hedisappearedentirelyandwasseennomore.
“Overboard!”saidthecaptain.“Well,gentlemen,thatsavesthetroubleofputtinghiminirons.”
Buttherewewere,withoutamate;anditwasnecessary,ofcourse,toadvanceoneofthemen.
Theboatswain,JobAnderson,wasthelikeliestmanaboard,andthoughhekepthisoldtitle,heservedinawayasmate.
Mr.Trelawneyhadfollowedthesea,andhisknowledgemadehimveryuseful,forheoftentookawatchhimselfineasyweather.
Andthecoxswain,IsraelHands,wasacareful,wily,old,experiencedseamanwhocouldbetrustedatapinchwithalmostanything.
HewasagreatconfidantofLongJohnSilver,andsothementionofhisnameleadsmeontospeakofourship’scook,Barbecue,asthemencalledhim.
Aboardshiphecarriedhiscrutchbyalanyardroundhisneck,tohavebothhandsasfreeaspossible.
Itwassomethingtoseehimwedgethefootofthecrutchagainstabulkhead,andproppedagainstit,yieldingtoeverymovementoftheship,getonwithhiscookinglikesomeonesafeashore.
Stillmorestrangewasittoseehimintheheaviestofweathercrossthedeck.
Hehadalineortworiggeduptohelphimacrossthewidestspaces—LongJohn’searrings,theywerecalled;andhewouldhandhimselffromoneplacetoanother,nowusingthecrutch,nowtrailingitalongsidebythelanyard,asquicklyasanothermancouldwalk.
Yetsomeofthemenwhohadsailedwithhimbeforeexpressedtheirpitytoseehimsoreduced.
“He’snocommonman,Barbecue,”saidthecoxswaintome.
“Hehadgoodschoolinginhisyoungdaysandcanspeaklikeabookwhensominded;andbrave—alion’snothingalongsideofLongJohn!
Iseenhimgrapplefourandknocktheirheadstogether—himunarmed.”
Allthecrewrespectedandevenobeyedhim.
Hehadawayoftalkingtoeachanddoingeverybodysomeparticularservice.
Tomehewasunweariedlykind,andalwaysgladtoseemeinthegalley,whichhekeptascleanasanewpin,thedisheshangingupburnishedandhisparrotinacageinonecorner.
“Comeaway,Hawkins,”hewouldsay;“comeandhaveayarnwithJohn.
Nobodymorewelcomethanyourself,myson.Sityoudownandhearthenews.
Here’sCap’nFlint—IcallsmyparrotCap’nFlint,afterthefamousbuccaneer—here’sCap’nFlintpredictingsuccesstoourv’yage.Wasn’tyou,cap’n?”
Andtheparrotwouldsay,withgreatrapidity,“Piecesofeight!Piecesofeight!Piecesofeight!”tillyouwonderedthatitwasnotoutofbreath,ortillJohnthrewhishandkerchiefoverthecage.
“Now,thatbird,”hewouldsay,“is,maybe,twohundredyearsold,Hawkins—theyliveforevermostly;andifanybody’sseenmorewickedness,itmustbethedevilhimself.
She’ssailedwithEngland,thegreatCap’nEngland,thepirate.
She’sbeenatMadagascar,andatMalabar,andSurinam,andProvidence,andPortobello.
Shewasatthefishingupofthewreckedplateships.
It’sthereshelearned‘Piecesofeight,’andlittlewonder;threehundredandfiftythousandof‘em,Hawkins!
ShewasattheboardingoftheviceroyoftheIndiesoutofGoa,shewas;andtolookatheryouwouldthinkshewasababby.
Butyousmeltpowder—didn’tyou,cap’n?”
“Standbytogoabout,”theparrotwouldscream.
“Ah,she’sahandsomecraft,sheis,”thecookwouldsay,andgivehersugarfromhispocket,andthenthebirdwouldpeckatthebarsandswearstraighton,passingbeliefforwickedness.
“There,”Johnwouldadd,“youcan’ttouchpitchandnotbemucked,lad.
Here’sthispooroldinnocentbirdo’mineswearingbluefire,andnonethewiser,youmaylaytothat.
Shewouldswearthesame,inamannerofspeaking,beforechaplain.”
AndJohnwouldtouchhisforelockwithasolemnwayhehadthatmademethinkhewasthebestofmen.
Inthemeantime,thesquireandCaptainSmollettwerestillonprettydistanttermswithoneanother.
Thesquiremadenobonesaboutthematter;hedespisedthecaptain.
Thecaptain,onhispart,neverspokebutwhenhewasspokento,andthensharpandshortanddry,andnotawordwasted.
Heowned,whendrivenintoacorner,thatheseemedtohavebeenwrongaboutthecrew,thatsomeofthemwereasbriskashewantedtoseeandallhadbehavedfairlywell.
Asfortheship,hehadtakenadownrightfancytoher.
“She’lllieapointnearerthewindthanamanhasarighttoexpectofhisownmarriedwife,sir.
But,”hewouldadd,“allIsayis,we’renothomeagain,andIdon’tlikethecruise.”
Thesquire,atthis,wouldturnawayandmarchupanddownthedeck,chininair.
“Atriflemoreofthatman,”hewouldsay,“andIshallexplode.”
Wehadsomeheavyweather,whichonlyprovedthequalitiesoftheHispaniola.
Everymanonboardseemedwellcontent,andtheymusthavebeenhardtopleaseiftheyhadbeenotherwise,foritismybelieftherewasneveraship’scompanysospoiledsinceNoahputtosea.
Doublegrogwasgoingontheleastexcuse;therewasduffonodddays,as,forinstance,ifthesquirehearditwasanyman’sbirthday,andalwaysabarrelofapplesstandingbroachedinthewaistforanyonetohelphimselfthathadafancy.
“Neverknewgoodcomeofityet,”thecaptainsaidtoDr.Livesey.“Spoilforecastlehands,makedevils.That’smybelief.”
Butgooddidcomeoftheapplebarrel,asyoushallhear,forifithadnotbeenforthat,weshouldhavehadnonoteofwarningandmightallhaveperishedbythehandoftreachery.
Thiswashowitcameabout.
Wehadrunupthetradestogetthewindoftheislandwewereafter—Iamnotallowedtobemoreplain—andnowwewererunningdownforitwithabrightlookoutdayandnight.
Itwasaboutthelastdayofouroutwardvoyagebythelargestcomputation;sometimethatnight,oratlatestbeforenoonofthemorrow,weshouldsighttheTreasureIsland.
WewereheadingS.S.W.andhadasteadybreezeabeamandaquietsea.
TheHispaniolarolledsteadily,dippingherbowspritnowandthenwithawhiffofspray.
Allwasdrawingalowandaloft;everyonewasinthebravestspiritsbecausewewerenowsonearanendofthefirstpartofouradventure.
Now,justaftersundown,whenallmyworkwasoverandIwasonmywaytomyberth,itoccurredtomethatIshouldlikeanapple.Iranondeck.
Thewatchwasallforwardlookingoutfortheisland.
Themanatthehelmwaswatchingtheluffofthesailandwhistlingawaygentlytohimself,andthatwastheonlysoundexceptingtheswishoftheseaagainstthebowsandaroundthesidesoftheship.
InIgotbodilyintotheapplebarrel,andfoundtherewasscarceanappleleft;butsittingdownthereinthedark,whatwiththesoundofthewatersandtherockingmovementoftheship,Ihadeitherfallenasleeporwasonthepointofdoingsowhenaheavymansatdownwithratheraclashcloseby.
Thebarrelshookasheleanedhisshouldersagainstit,andIwasjustabouttojumpupwhenthemanbegantospeak.
ItwasSilver’svoice,andbeforeIhadheardadozenwords,Iwouldnothaveshownmyselfforalltheworld,butlaythere,tremblingandlistening,intheextremeoffearandcuriosity,forfromthesedozenwordsIunderstoodthatthelivesofallthehonestmenaboarddependeduponmealone.
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