English
TheappearanceoftheislandwhenIcameondecknextmorningwasaltogetherchanged.
Althoughthebreezehadnowutterlyceased,wehadmadeagreatdealofwayduringthenightandwerenowlyingbecalmedabouthalfamiletothesouth-eastoftheloweasterncoast.
Grey-colouredwoodscoveredalargepartofthesurface.
Thiseventintwasindeedbrokenupbystreaksofyellowsand-breakinthelowerlands,andbymanytalltreesofthepinefamily,out-toppingtheothers—somesingly,someinclumps;butthegeneralcolouringwasuniformandsad.
Thehillsranupclearabovethevegetationinspiresofnakedrock.
Allwerestrangelyshaped,andtheSpy-glass,whichwasbythreeorfourhundredfeetthetallestontheisland,waslikewisethestrangestinconfiguration,runningupsheerfromalmosteverysideandthensuddenlycutoffatthetoplikeapedestaltoputastatueon.
TheHispaniolawasrollingscuppersunderintheoceanswell.
Theboomsweretearingattheblocks,therudderwasbangingtoandfro,andthewholeshipcreaking,groaning,andjumpinglikeamanufactory.
Ihadtoclingtighttothebackstay,andtheworldturnedgiddilybeforemyeyes,forthoughIwasagoodenoughsailorwhentherewaswayon,thisstandingstillandbeingrolledaboutlikeabottlewasathingIneverlearnedtostandwithoutaqualmorso,aboveallinthemorning,onanemptystomach.
Perhapsitwasthis—perhapsitwasthelookoftheisland,withitsgrey,melancholywoods,andwildstonespires,andthesurfthatwecouldbothseeandhearfoamingandthunderingonthesteepbeach—atleast,althoughthesunshonebrightandhot,andtheshorebirdswerefishingandcryingallaroundus,andyouwouldhavethoughtanyonewouldhavebeengladtogettolandafterbeingsolongatsea,myheartsank,asthesayingis,intomyboots;andfromthefirstlookonward,IhatedtheverythoughtofTreasureIsland.
Wehadadrearymorning’sworkbeforeus,fortherewasnosignofanywind,andtheboatshadtobegotoutandmanned,andtheshipwarpedthreeorfourmilesroundthecorneroftheislandandupthenarrowpassagetothehavenbehindSkeletonIsland.
Ivolunteeredforoneoftheboats,whereIhad,ofcourse,nobusiness.
Theheatwassweltering,andthemengrumbledfiercelyovertheirwork.
Andersonwasincommandofmyboat,andinsteadofkeepingthecrewinorder,hegrumbledasloudastheworst.
“Well,”hesaidwithanoath,“it’snotforever.”
Ithoughtthiswasaverybadsign,foruptothatdaythemenhadgonebrisklyandwillinglyabouttheirbusiness;buttheverysightoftheislandhadrelaxedthecordsofdiscipline.
Allthewayin,LongJohnstoodbythesteersmanandconnedtheship.
Heknewthepassagelikethepalmofhishand,andthoughthemaninthechainsgoteverywheremorewaterthanwasdowninthechart,Johnneverhesitatedonce.
“There’sastrongscourwiththeebb,”hesaid,“andthisherepassagehasbeendugout,inamannerofspeaking,withaspade.”
Webroughtupjustwheretheanchorwasinthechart,aboutathirdofamilefromeachshore,themainlandononesideandSkeletonIslandontheother.Thebottomwascleansand.
Theplungeofouranchorsentupcloudsofbirdswheelingandcryingoverthewoods,butinlessthanaminutetheyweredownagainandallwasoncemoresilent.
Theplacewasentirelyland-locked,buriedinwoods,thetreescomingrightdowntohigh-watermark,theshoresmostlyflat,andthehilltopsstandingroundatadistanceinasortofamphitheatre,onehere,onethere.
Twolittlerivers,orrathertwoswamps,emptiedoutintothispond,asyoumightcallit;andthefoliageroundthatpartoftheshorehadakindofpoisonousbrightness.
Fromtheshipwecouldseenothingofthehouseorstockade,fortheywerequiteburiedamongtrees;andifithadnotbeenforthechartonthecompanion,wemighthavebeenthefirstthathadeveranchoredtheresincetheislandaroseoutoftheseas.
Therewasnotabreathofairmoving,norasoundbutthatofthesurfboominghalfamileawayalongthebeachesandagainsttherocksoutside.
Apeculiarstagnantsmellhungovertheanchorage—asmellofsoddenleavesandrottingtreetrunks.
Iobservedthedoctorsniffingandsniffing,likesomeonetastingabadegg.
“Idon’tknowabouttreasure,”hesaid,“butI’llstakemywigthere’sfeverhere.”
Iftheconductofthemenhadbeenalarmingintheboat,itbecametrulythreateningwhentheyhadcomeaboard.
Theylayaboutthedeckgrowlingtogetherintalk.
Theslightestorderwasreceivedwithablacklookandgrudginglyandcarelesslyobeyed.
Eventhehonesthandsmusthavecaughttheinfection,fortherewasnotonemanaboardtomendanother.
Mutiny,itwasplain,hungoveruslikeathunder-cloud.
Anditwasnotonlyweofthecabinpartywhoperceivedthedanger.
LongJohnwashardatworkgoingfromgrouptogroup,spendinghimselfingoodadvice,andasforexamplenomancouldhaveshownabetter.
Hefairlyoutstrippedhimselfinwillingnessandcivility;hewasallsmilestoeveryone.
Ifanorderweregiven,Johnwouldbeonhiscrutchinaninstant,withthecheeriest“Aye,aye,sir!”
intheworld;andwhentherewasnothingelsetodo,hekeptuponesongafteranother,asiftoconcealthediscontentoftherest.
Ofallthegloomyfeaturesofthatgloomyafternoon,thisobviousanxietyonthepartofLongJohnappearedtheworst.
Weheldacouncilinthecabin.
“Sir,”saidthecaptain,“ifIriskanotherorder,thewholeship’llcomeaboutourearsbytherun.Yousee,sir,hereitis.Igetaroughanswer,doInot?
Well,ifIspeakback,pikeswillbegoingintwoshakes;ifIdon’t,Silverwillseethere’ssomethingunderthat,andthegame’sup.Now,we’veonlyonemantorelyon.”
“Andwhoisthat?”askedthesquire.
“Silver,sir,”returnedthecaptain;“he’sasanxiousasyouandItosmotherthingsup.
Thisisatiff;he’dsoontalk‘emoutofitifhehadthechance,andwhatIproposetodoistogivehimthechance.
Let’sallowthemenanafternoonashore.
Iftheyallgo,whywe’llfighttheship.
Iftheynoneofthemgo,wellthen,weholdthecabin,andGoddefendtheright.
Ifsomego,youmarkmywords,sir,Silver’llbring‘emaboardagainasmildaslambs.”
Itwassodecided;loadedpistolswereservedouttoallthesuremen;Hunter,Joyce,andRedruthweretakenintoourconfidenceandreceivedthenewswithlesssurpriseandabetterspiritthanwehadlookedfor,andthenthecaptainwentondeckandaddressedthecrew.
“Mylads,”saidhe,“we’vehadahotdayandarealltiredandoutofsorts.
Aturnashore’llhurtnobody—theboatsarestillinthewater;youcantakethegigs,andasmanyaspleasemaygoashorefortheafternoon.
I’llfireagunhalfanhourbeforesundown.”
Ibelievethesillyfellowsmusthavethoughttheywouldbreaktheirshinsovertreasureassoonastheywerelanded,fortheyallcameoutoftheirsulksinamomentandgaveacheerthatstartedtheechoinafarawayhillandsentthebirdsoncemoreflyingandsquallingroundtheanchorage.
Thecaptainwastoobrighttobeintheway.
Hewhippedoutofsightinamoment,leavingSilvertoarrangetheparty,andIfancyitwasaswellhedidso.
Hadhebeenondeck,hecouldnolongersomuchashavepretendednottounderstandthesituation.Itwasasplainasday.
Silverwasthecaptain,andamightyrebelliouscrewhehadofit.
Thehonesthands—andIwassoontoseeitprovedthatthereweresuchonboard—musthavebeenverystupidfellows.
Orrather,Isupposethetruthwasthis,thatallhandsweredisaffectedbytheexampleoftheringleaders—onlysomemore,someless;andafew,beinggoodfellowsinthemain,couldneitherbelednordrivenanyfurther.
Itisonethingtobeidleandskulkandquiteanothertotakeashipandmurderanumberofinnocentmen.
Atlast,however,thepartywasmadeup.Sixfellowsweretostayonboard,andtheremainingthirteen,includingSilver,begantoembark.
Thenitwasthattherecameintomyheadthefirstofthemadnotionsthatcontributedsomuchtosaveourlives.
IfsixmenwereleftbySilver,itwasplainourpartycouldnottakeandfighttheship;andsinceonlysixwereleft,itwasequallyplainthatthecabinpartyhadnopresentneedofmyassistance.Itoccurredtomeatoncetogoashore.
InajiffyIhadslippedoverthesideandcurledupinthefore-sheetsofthenearestboat,andalmostatthesamemomentsheshovedoff.
Noonetooknoticeofme,onlythebowoarsaying,“Isthatyou,Jim?Keepyourheaddown.”
ButSilver,fromtheotherboat,lookedsharplyoverandcalledouttoknowifthatwereme;andfromthatmomentIbegantoregretwhatIhaddone.
Thecrewsracedforthebeach,buttheboatIwasin,havingsomestartandbeingatoncethelighterandthebettermanned,shotfaraheadofherconsort,andthebowhadstruckamongtheshore-sidetreesandIhadcaughtabranchandswungmyselfoutandplungedintothenearestthicketwhileSilverandtherestwerestillahundredyardsbehind.
“Jim,Jim!”Iheardhimshouting.
ButyoumaysupposeIpaidnoheed;jumping,ducking,andbreakingthrough,IranstraightbeforemynosetillIcouldrunnolonger.
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