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IwassopleasedathavinggiventhesliptoLongJohnthatIbegantoenjoymyselfandlookaroundmewithsomeinterestonthestrangelandthatIwasin.
Ihadcrossedamarshytractfullofwillows,bulrushes,andodd,outlandish,swampytrees;andIhadnowcomeoutupontheskirtsofanopenpieceofundulating,sandycountry,aboutamilelong,dottedwithafewpinesandagreatnumberofcontortedtrees,notunliketheoakingrowth,butpaleinthefoliage,likewillows.
Onthefarsideoftheopenstoodoneofthehills,withtwoquaint,craggypeaksshiningvividlyinthesun.
Inowfeltforthefirsttimethejoyofexploration.
Theislewasuninhabited;myshipmatesIhadleftbehind,andnothinglivedinfrontofmebutdumbbrutesandfowls.
Iturnedhitherandthitheramongthetrees.
Hereandtherewerefloweringplants,tome;hereandthereIsawsnakes,andoneraisedhisheadfromaledgeofrockandhissedatmewithanoisenotunlikethespinningofatop.
LittledidIsupposethathewasadeadlyenemyandthatthenoisewasthefamousrattle.
ThenIcametoalongthicketoftheseoakliketrees—live,orevergreen,oaks,Iheardafterwardstheyshouldbecalled—whichgrewlowalongthesandlikebrambles,theboughscuriouslytwisted,thefoliagecompact,likethatch.
Thethicketstretcheddownfromthetopofoneofthesandyknolls,spreadingandgrowingtallerasitwent,untilitreachedthemarginofthebroad,reedyfen,throughwhichthenearestofthelittleriverssoakeditswayintotheanchorage.
Themarshwassteaminginthestrongsun,andtheoutlineoftheSpy-glasstrembledthroughthehaze.
Allatoncetherebegantogoasortofbustleamongthebulrushes;awildduckflewupwithaquack,anotherfollowed,andsoonoverthewholesurfaceofthemarshagreatcloudofbirdshungscreamingandcirclingintheair.
Ijudgedatoncethatsomeofmyshipmatesmustbedrawingnearalongthebordersofthefen.
NorwasIdeceived,forsoonIheardtheverydistantandlowtonesofahumanvoice,which,asIcontinuedtogiveear,grewsteadilylouderandnearer.
Thisputmeinagreatfear,andIcrawledundercoverofthenearestlive-oakandsquattedthere,hearkening,assilentasamouse.
Anothervoiceanswered,andthenthefirstvoice,whichInowrecognizedtobeSilver’s,oncemoretookupthestoryandranonforalongwhileinastream,onlynowandagaininterruptedbytheother.
Bythesoundtheymusthavebeentalkingearnestly,andalmostfiercely;butnodistinctwordcametomyhearing.
Atlastthespeakersseemedtohavepausedandperhapstohavesatdown,fornotonlydidtheyceasetodrawanynearer,butthebirdsthemselvesbegantogrowmorequietandtosettleagaintotheirplacesintheswamp.
AndnowIbegantofeelthatIwasneglectingmybusiness,thatsinceIhadbeensofoolhardyastocomeashorewiththesedesperadoes,theleastIcoulddowastooverhearthemattheircouncils,andthatmyplainandobviousdutywastodrawascloseasIcouldmanage,underthefavourableambushofthecrouchingtrees.
Icouldtellthedirectionofthespeakersprettyexactly,notonlybythesoundoftheirvoicesbutbythebehaviourofthefewbirdsthatstillhunginalarmabovetheheadsoftheintruders.
Crawlingonallfours,Imadesteadilybutslowlytowardsthem,tillatlast,raisingmyheadtoanapertureamongtheleaves,Icouldseecleardownintoalittlegreendellbesidethemarsh,andcloselysetaboutwithtrees,whereLongJohnSilverandanotherofthecrewstoodfacetofaceinconversation.
Thesunbeatfulluponthem.Silverhadthrownhishatbesidehimontheground,andhisgreat,smooth,blondface,allshiningwithheat,wasliftedtotheotherman’sinakindofappeal.
“Mate,”hewassaying,“it’sbecauseIthinksgolddustofyou—golddust,andyoumaylaytothat!
IfIhadn’ttooktoyoulikepitch,doyouthinkI’dhavebeenherea-warningofyou?
All’sup—youcan’tmakenormend;it’stosaveyourneckthatI’ma-speaking,andifoneofthewildunsknewit,where’dIbe,Tom—now,tellme,where’dIbe?”
“Silver,”saidtheotherman—andIobservedhewasnotonlyredintheface,butspokeashoarseasacrow,andhisvoiceshooktoo,likeatautrope—”Silver,”sayshe,“you’reold,andyou’rehonest,orhasthenameforit;andyou’vemoneytoo,whichlotsofpoorsailorshasn’t;andyou’rebrave,orI’mmistook.
Andwillyoutellmeyou’llletyourselfbeledawaywiththatkindofamessofswabs?Notyou!
AssureasGodseesme,I’dsoonerlosemyhand.IfIturnaginmydooty—”
Andthenallofasuddenhewasinterruptedbyanoise.
Ihadfoundoneofthehonesthands—well,here,atthatsamemoment,camenewsofanother.
Farawayoutinthemarshtherearose,allofasudden,asoundlikethecryofanger,thenanotheronthebackofit;andthenonehorrid,long-drawnscream.
TherocksoftheSpy-glassre-echoeditascoreoftimes;thewholetroopofmarsh-birdsroseagain,darkeningheaven,withasimultaneouswhirr;andlongafterthatdeathyellwasstillringinginmybrain,silencehadre-establisheditsempire,andonlytherustleoftheredescendingbirdsandtheboomofthedistantsurgesdisturbedthelanguoroftheafternoon.
Tomhadleapedatthesound,likeahorseatthespur,butSilverhadnotwinkedaneye.Hestoodwherehewas,restinglightlyonhiscrutch,watchinghiscompanionlikeasnakeabouttospring.
“John!”saidthesailor,stretchingouthishand.
“Handsoff!”criedSilver,leapingbackayard,asitseemedtome,withthespeedandsecurityofatrainedgymnast.
“Handsoff,ifyoulike,JohnSilver,”saidtheother.“It’sablackconsciencethatcanmakeyoufearedofme.Butinheaven’sname,tellme,whatwasthat?”
“That?”returnedSilver,smilingaway,butwarierthanever,hiseyeamerepin-pointinhisbigface,butgleaminglikeacrumbofglass.“That?Oh,Ireckonthat’llbeAlan.”
AndatthispointTomflashedoutlikeahero.
“Alan!”hecried.“Thenresthissoulforatrueseaman!
Andasforyou,JohnSilver,longyou’vebeenamateofmine,butyou’remateofminenomore.
IfIdielikeadog,I’lldieinmydooty.You’vekilledAlan,haveyou?Killmetoo,ifyoucan.ButIdefiesyou.”
Andwiththat,thisbravefellowturnedhisbackdirectlyonthecookandsetoffwalkingforthebeach.Buthewasnotdestinedtogofar.
WithacryJohnseizedthebranchofatree,whippedthecrutchoutofhisarmpit,andsentthatuncouthmissilehurtlingthroughtheair.
ItstruckpoorTom,pointforemost,andwithstunningviolence,rightbetweentheshouldersinthemiddleofhisback.
Hishandsflewup,hegaveasortofgasp,andfell.
Whetherhewereinjuredmuchorlittle,nonecouldevertell.
Likeenough,tojudgefromthesound,hisbackwasbrokenonthespot.
Buthehadnotimegivenhimtorecover.
Silver,agileasamonkeyevenwithoutlegorcrutch,wasonthetopofhimnextmomentandhadtwiceburiedhisknifeuptothehiltinthatdefenselessbody.
Frommyplaceofambush,Icouldhearhimpantaloudashestrucktheblows.
Idonotknowwhatitrightlyistofaint,butIdoknowthatforthenextlittlewhilethewholeworldswamawayfrombeforemeinawhirlingmist;Silverandthebirds,andthetallSpy-glasshilltop,goingroundandroundandtopsy-turvybeforemyeyes,andallmannerofbellsringinganddistantvoicesshoutinginmyear.
WhenIcameagaintomyselfthemonsterhadpulledhimselftogether,hiscrutchunderhisarm,hishatuponhishead.
JustbeforehimTomlaymotionlessuponthesward;butthemurderermindedhimnotawhit,cleansinghisblood-stainedknifethewhileuponawispofgrass.
Everythingelsewasunchanged,thesunstillshiningmercilesslyonthesteamingmarshandthetallpinnacleofthemountain,andIcouldscarcepersuademyselfthatmurderhadbeenactuallydoneandahumanlifecruellycutshortamomentsincebeforemyeyes.
ButnowJohnputhishandintohispocket,broughtoutawhistle,andblewuponitseveralmodulatedblaststhatrangfaracrosstheheatedair.
Icouldnottell,ofcourse,themeaningofthesignal,butitinstantlyawokemyfears.Moremenwouldbecoming.Imightbediscovered.
Theyhadalreadyslaintwoofthehonestpeople;afterTomandAlan,mightnotIcomenext?
InstantlyIbegantoextricatemyselfandcrawlbackagain,withwhatspeedandsilenceIcouldmanage,tothemoreopenportionofthewood.
AsIdidso,Icouldhearhailscomingandgoingbetweentheoldbuccaneerandhiscomrades,andthissoundofdangerlentmewings.
AssoonasIwasclearofthethicket,IranasIneverranbefore,scarcemindingthedirectionofmyflight,solongasitledmefromthemurderers;andasIran,feargrewandgrewuponmeuntilitturnedintoakindoffrenzy.
Indeed,couldanyonebemoreentirelylostthanI?
Whenthegunfired,howshouldIdaretogodowntotheboatsamongthosefiends,stillsmokingfromtheircrime?
Wouldnotthefirstofthemwhosawmewringmynecklikeasnipe’s?
Wouldnotmyabsenceitselfbeanevidencetothemofmyalarm,andthereforeofmyfatalknowledge?Itwasallover,Ithought.
Good-byetotheHispaniola;good-byetothesquire,thedoctor,andthecaptain!
Therewasnothingleftformebutdeathbystarvationordeathbythehandsofthemutineers.
Allthiswhile,asIsay,Iwasstillrunning,andwithouttakinganynotice,Ihaddrawnneartothefootofthelittlehillwiththetwopeaksandhadgotintoapartoftheislandwherethelive-oaksgrewmorewidelyapartandseemedmorelikeforesttreesintheirbearinganddimensions.
Mingledwiththesewereafewscatteredpines,somefifty,somenearerseventy,feethigh.
Theairtoosmeltmorefreshlythandownbesidethemarsh.
Andhereafreshalarmbroughtmetoastandstillwithathumpingheart.
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