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Fromthesideofthehill,whichwasheresteepandstony,aspoutofgravelwasdislodgedandfellrattlingandboundingthroughthetrees.
Myeyesturnedinstinctivelyinthatdirection,andIsawafigureleapwithgreatrapiditybehindthetrunkofapine.
Whatitwas,whetherbearormanormonkey,Icouldinnowisetell.
Itseemeddarkandshaggy;moreIknewnot.
Buttheterrorofthisnewapparitionbroughtmetoastand.
Iwasnow,itseemed,cutoffuponbothsides;behindmethemurderers,beforemethislurkingnondescript.
AndimmediatelyIbegantopreferthedangersthatIknewtothoseIknewnot.
Silverhimselfappearedlessterribleincontrastwiththiscreatureofthewoods,andIturnedonmyheel,andlookingsharplybehindmeovermyshoulder,begantoretracemystepsinthedirectionoftheboats.
Instantlythefigurereappeared,andmakingawidecircuit,begantoheadmeoff.
Iwastired,atanyrate;buthadIbeenasfreshaswhenIrose,Icouldseeitwasinvainformetocontendinspeedwithsuchanadversary.
Fromtrunktotrunkthecreatureflittedlikeadeer,runningmanlikeontwolegs,butunlikeanymanthatIhadeverseen,stoopingalmostdoubleasitran.
Yetamanitwas,Icouldnolongerbeindoubtaboutthat.
IbegantorecallwhatIhadheardofcannibals.
Iwaswithinanaceofcallingforhelp.
Butthemerefactthathewasaman,howeverwild,hadsomewhatreassuredme,andmyfearofSilverbegantoreviveinproportion.
Istoodstill,therefore,andcastaboutforsomemethodofescape;andasIwassothinking,therecollectionofmypistolflashedintomymind.
AssoonasIrememberedIwasnotdefenseless,courageglowedagaininmyheartandIsetmyfaceresolutelyforthismanoftheislandandwalkedbrisklytowardshim.
Hewasconcealedbythistimebehindanothertreetrunk;buthemusthavebeenwatchingmeclosely,forassoonasIbegantomoveinhisdirectionhereappearedandtookasteptomeetme.
Thenhehesitated,drewback,cameforwardagain,andatlast,tomywonderandconfusion,threwhimselfonhiskneesandheldouthisclaspedhandsinsupplication.
AtthatIoncemorestopped.
“Whoareyou?”Iasked.
“BenGunn,”heanswered,andhisvoicesoundedhoarseandawkward,likearustylock.“I’mpoorBenGunn,Iam;andIhaven’tspokewithaChristianthesethreeyears.”
Icouldnowseethathewasawhitemanlikemyselfandthathisfeatureswereevenpleasing.
Hisskin,whereveritwasexposed,wasburntbythesun;evenhislipswereblack,andhisfaireyeslookedquitestartlinginsodarkaface.
Ofallthebeggar-menthatIhadseenorfancied,hewasthechiefforraggedness.
Hewasclothedwithtattersofoldship’scanvasandoldsea-cloth,andthisextraordinarypatchworkwasallheldtogetherbyasystemofthemostvariousandincongruousfastenings,brassbuttons,bitsofstick,andloopsoftarrygaskin.
Abouthiswaistheworeanoldbrass-buckledleatherbelt,whichwastheonethingsolidinhiswholeaccoutrement.
“Threeyears!”Icried.“Wereyoushipwrecked?”
“Nay,mate,”saidhe;“marooned.”
Ihadheardtheword,andIknewitstoodforahorriblekindofpunishmentcommonenoughamongthebuccaneers,inwhichtheoffenderisputashorewithalittlepowderandshotandleftbehindonsomedesolateanddistantisland.
“Maroonedthreeyearsagone,”hecontinued,“andlivedongoatssincethen,andberries,andoysters.
Whereveramanis,saysI,amancandoforhimself.
But,mate,myheartissoreforChristiandiet.
Youmightn’thappentohaveapieceofcheeseaboutyou,now?No?
Well,many’sthelongnightI’vedreamedofcheese—toasted,mostly—andwokeupagain,andhereIwere.”
“IfeverIcangetaboardagain,”saidI,“youshallhavecheesebythestone.”
Allthistimehehadbeenfeelingthestuffofmyjacket,smoothingmyhands,lookingatmyboots,andgenerally,intheintervalsofhisspeech,showingachildishpleasureinthepresenceofafellowcreature.
Butatmylastwordsheperkedupintoakindofstartledslyness.
“Ifeveryoucangetaboardagain,saysyou?”herepeated.“Why,now,who’stohinderyou?”
“Notyou,Iknow,”wasmyreply.
“Andrightyouwas,”hecried.“Nowyou—whatdoyoucallyourself,mate?”
“Jim,”Itoldhim.
“Jim,Jim,”sayshe,quitepleasedapparently.
“Well,now,Jim,I’velivedthatroughasyou’dbeashamedtohearof.
Now,forinstance,youwouldn’tthinkIhadhadapiousmother—tolookatme?”heasked.
“Why,no,notinparticular,”Ianswered.
“Ah,well,”saidhe,“butIhad—remarkablepious.
AndIwasacivil,piousboy,andcouldrattleoffmycatechismthatfast,asyoucouldn’ttellonewordfromanother.
Andhere’swhatitcometo,Jim,anditbegunwithchuck-farthenontheblessedgrave-stones!
That’swhatitbegunwith,butitwentfurther’nthat;andsomymothertoldme,andpredickedthewhole,shedid,thepiouswoman!
ButitwereProvidencethatputmehere.
I’vethoughtitalloutinthisherelonelyisland,andI’mbackonpiety.
Youdon’tcatchmetastingrumsomuch,butjustathimblefulforluck,ofcourse,thefirstchanceIhave.
I’mboundI’llbegood,andIseethewayto.
And,Jim”—lookingallroundhimandloweringhisvoicetoawhisper—”I’mrich.”
Inowfeltsurethatthepoorfellowhadgonecrazyinhissolitude,andIsupposeImusthaveshownthefeelinginmyface,forherepeatedthestatementhotly:“Rich!Rich!Isays.
AndI’lltellyouwhat:I’llmakeamanofyou,Jim.
Ah,Jim,you’llblessyourstars,youwill,youwasthefirstthatfoundme!”
Andatthistherecamesuddenlyaloweringshadowoverhisface,andhetightenedhisgraspuponmyhandandraisedaforefingerthreateninglybeforemyeyes.
“Now,Jim,youtellmetrue:thatain’tFlint’sship?”heasked.
AtthisIhadahappyinspiration.IbegantobelievethatIhadfoundanally,andIansweredhimatonce.
“It’snotFlint’sship,andFlintisdead;butI’lltellyoutrue,asyouaskme—therearesomeofFlint’shandsaboard;worseluckfortherestofus.”
“Notaman—withone—leg?”hegasped.
“Silver?”Iasked.
“Ah,Silver!”sayshe.“Thatwerehisname.”
“He’sthecook,andtheringleadertoo.”
Hewasstillholdingmebythewrist,andatthathegiveitquiteawring.
“IfyouwassentbyLongJohn,”hesaid,“I’masgoodaspork,andIknowit.Butwherewasyou,doyousuppose?”
Ihadmademymindupinamoment,andbywayofanswertoldhimthewholestoryofourvoyageandthepredicamentinwhichwefoundourselves.
Heheardmewiththekeenestinterest,andwhenIhaddonehepattedmeonthehead.
“You’reagoodlad,Jim,”hesaid;“andyou’reallinaclovehitch,ain’tyou?
Well,youjustputyourtrustinBenGunn—BenGunn’sthemantodoit.
Wouldyouthinkitlikely,now,thatyoursquirewouldprovealiberal-mindedoneincaseofhelp—himbeinginaclovehitch,asyouremark?”
Itoldhimthesquirewasthemostliberalofmen.
“Aye,butyousee,”returnedBenGunn,“Ididn’tmeangivingmeagatetokeep,andasuitofliveryclothes,andsuch;that’snotmymark,Jim.
WhatImeanis,wouldhebelikelytocomedowntothetoonof,sayonethousandpoundsoutofmoneythat’sasgoodasaman’sownalready?”
“Iamsurehewould,”saidI.“Asitwas,allhandsweretoshare.”
“ANDapassagehome?”headdedwithalookofgreatshrewdness.
“Why,”Icried,“thesquire’sagentleman.Andbesides,ifwegotridoftheothers,weshouldwantyoutohelpworkthevesselhome.”
“Ah,”saidhe,“soyouwould.”Andheseemedverymuchrelieved.
“Now,I’lltellyouwhat,”hewenton.“SomuchI’lltellyou,andnomore.
IwereinFlint’sshipwhenheburiedthetreasure;heandsixalong—sixstrongseamen.
Theywasashorenighonaweek,andusstandingoffandonintheoldWALRUS.
Onefinedayupwentthesignal,andherecomeFlintbyhimselfinalittleboat,andhisheaddoneupinabluescarf.
Thesunwasgettingup,andmortalwhitehelookedaboutthecutwater.
But,therehewas,youmind,andthesixalldead—deadandburied.
Howhedoneit,notamanaboarduscouldmakeout.
Itwasbattle,murder,andsuddendeath,leastways—himagainstsix.
BillyBoneswasthemate;LongJohn,hewasquartermaster;andtheyaskedhimwherethetreasurewas.
‘Ah,’sayshe,‘youcangoashore,ifyoulike,andstay,’hesays;‘butasfortheship,she’llbeatupformore,bythunder!’That’swhathesaid.
“Well,Iwasinanothershipthreeyearsback,andwesightedthisisland.
‘Boys,’saidI,‘here’sFlint’streasure;let’slandandfindit.’
Thecap’nwasdispleasedatthat,butmymessmateswereallofamindandlanded.
Twelvedaystheylookedforit,andeverydaytheyhadtheworsewordforme,untilonefinemorningallhandswentaboard.
‘Asforyou,BenjaminGunn,’saysthey,‘here’samusket,’theysays,‘andaspade,andpick-axe.
YoucanstayhereandfindFlint’smoneyforyourself,’theysays.
“Well,Jim,threeyearshaveIbeenhere,andnotabiteofChristiandietfromthatdaytothis.Butnow,youlookhere;lookatme.DoIlooklikeamanbeforethemast?No,saysyou.NorIweren’t,neither,Isays.”
Andwiththathewinkedandpinchedmehard.
“Justyoumentionthemwordstoyoursquire,Jim,”hewenton.
“Norheweren’t,neither—that’sthewords.
Threeyearshewerethemanofthisisland,lightanddark,fairandrain;andsometimeshewouldmaybethinkuponaprayer(saysyou),andsometimeshewouldmaybethinkofhisoldmother,sobeasshe’salive(you’llsay);butthemostpartofGunn’stime(thisiswhatyou’llsay)—themostpartofhistimewastookupwithanothermatter.
Andthenyou’llgivehimanip,likeIdo.”
Andhepinchedmeagaininthemostconfidentialmanner.
“Then,”hecontinued,“thenyou’llup,andyou’llsaythis:Gunnisagoodman(you’llsay),andheputsaprecioussightmoreconfidence—aprecioussight,mindthat—inagen’lemanbornthaninthesegen’lemanoffortune,havingbeenonehisself.”
“Well,”Isaid,“Idon’tunderstandonewordthatyou’vebeensaying.Butthat’sneitherherenorthere;forhowamItogetonboard?”
“Ah,”saidhe,“that’sthehitch,forsure.
Well,there’smyboat,thatImadewithmytwohands.Ikeepherunderthewhiterock.
Iftheworstcometotheworst,wemighttrythatafterdark.Hi!”hebrokeout.“What’sthat?”
Forjustthen,althoughthesunhadstillanhourortwotorun,alltheechoesoftheislandawokeandbellowedtothethunderofacannon.
“Theyhavebeguntofight!”Icried.“Followme.”
AndIbegantoruntowardstheanchorage,myterrorsallforgotten,whilecloseatmysidethemaroonedmaninhisgoatskinstrottedeasilyandlightly.
“Left,left,”sayshe;“keeptoyourlefthand,mateJim!Underthetreeswithyou!Theer’swhereIkilledmyfirstgoat.
Theydon’tcomedownherenow;they’reallmastheadedonthemmountingsforthefearofBenjaminGunn.Ah!
Andthere’sthecetemery”—cemetery,hemusthavemeant.“Youseethemounds?
Icomehereandprayed,nowsandthens,whenIthoughtmaybeaSundaywouldbeaboutdoo.
Itweren’tquiteachapel,butitseemedmoresolemnlike;andthen,saysyou,BenGunnwasshort-handed—nochapling,norsomuchasaBibleandaflag,yousays.”
SohekepttalkingasIran,neitherexpectingnorreceivinganyanswer.
Thecannon-shotwasfollowedafteraconsiderableintervalbyavolleyofsmallarms.
Anotherpause,andthen,notaquarterofamileinfrontofme,IbeheldtheUnionJackflutterintheairaboveawood.
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