English
Sureenough,thereweretwomenjustoutsidethestockade,oneofthemwavingawhitecloth,theother,nolessapersonthanSilverhimself,standingplacidlyby.
Itwasstillquiteearly,andthecoldestmorningthatIthinkIeverwasabroadin—achillthatpiercedintothemarrow.
Theskywasbrightandcloudlessoverhead,andthetopsofthetreesshonerosilyinthesun.
ButwhereSilverstoodwithhislieutenant,allwasstillinshadow,andtheywadedknee-deepinalowwhitevapourthathadcrawledduringthenightoutofthemorass.
Thechillandthevapourtakentogethertoldapoortaleoftheisland.
Itwasplainlyadamp,feverish,unhealthyspot.
“Keepindoors,men,”saidthecaptain.“Tentoonethisisatrick.”
Thenhehailedthebuccaneer.
“Whogoes?Stand,orwefire.”
“Flagoftruce,”criedSilver.
Thecaptainwasintheporch,keepinghimselfcarefullyoutofthewayofatreacherousshot,shouldanybeintended.
Heturnedandspoketous,“Doctor’swatchonthelookout.
Dr.Liveseytakethenorthside,ifyouplease;Jim,theeast;Gray,west.
Thewatchbelow,allhandstoloadmuskets.Lively,men,andcareful.”
Andthenheturnedagaintothemutineers.
“Andwhatdoyouwantwithyourflagoftruce?”hecried.
Thistimeitwastheothermanwhoreplied.
“Cap’nSilver,sir,tocomeonboardandmaketerms,”heshouted.
“Cap’nSilver!Don’tknowhim.Who’she?”criedthecaptain.Andwecouldhearhimaddingtohimself,“Cap’n,isit?Myheart,andhere’spromotion!”
LongJohnansweredforhimself.“Me,sir.
Thesepoorladshavechosenmecap’n,afteryourdesertion,sir”—layingaparticularemphasisupontheword“desertion.”
“We’rewillingtosubmit,ifwecancometoterms,andnobonesaboutit.
AllIaskisyourword,Cap’nSmollett,toletmesafeandsoundoutofthisherestockade,andoneminutetogetouto’shotbeforeagunisfired.”
“Myman,”saidCaptainSmollett,“Ihavenottheslightestdesiretotalktoyou.
Ifyouwishtotalktome,youcancome,that’sall.
Ifthere’sanytreachery,it’llbeonyourside,andtheLordhelpyou.”
“That’senough,cap’n,”shoutedLongJohncheerily.“Awordfromyou’senough.Iknowagentleman,andyoumaylaytothat.”
WecouldseethemanwhocarriedtheflagoftruceattemptingtoholdSilverback.
Norwasthatwonderful,seeinghowcavalierhadbeenthecaptain’sanswer.
ButSilverlaughedathimaloudandslappedhimonthebackasiftheideaofalarmhadbeenabsurd.
Thenheadvancedtothestockade,threwoverhiscrutch,gotalegup,andwithgreatvigourandskillsucceededinsurmountingthefenceanddroppingsafelytotheotherside.
IwillconfessthatIwasfartoomuchtakenupwithwhatwasgoingontobeoftheslightestuseassentry;indeed,Ihadalreadydesertedmyeasternloopholeandcreptupbehindthecaptain,whohadnowseatedhimselfonthethreshold,withhiselbowsonhisknees,hisheadinhishands,andhiseyesfixedonthewaterasitbubbledoutoftheoldironkettleinthesand.
Hewaswhistling“Come,LassesandLads.”
Silverhadterriblehardworkgettinguptheknoll.
Whatwiththesteepnessoftheincline,thethicktreestumps,andthesoftsand,heandhiscrutchwereashelplessasashipinstays.
Buthestucktoitlikeamaninsilence,andatlastarrivedbeforethecaptain,whomhesalutedinthehandsomeststyle.
Hewastrickedoutinhisbest;animmensebluecoat,thickwithbrassbuttons,hungaslowastohisknees,andafinelacedhatwassetonthebackofhishead.
“Hereyouare,myman,”saidthecaptain,raisinghishead.“Youhadbettersitdown.”
“Youain’ta-goingtoletmeinside,cap’n?”complainedLongJohn.“It’samaincoldmorning,tobesure,sir,tositoutsideuponthesand.”
“Why,Silver,”saidthecaptain,“ifyouhadpleasedtobeanhonestman,youmighthavebeensittinginyourgalley.It’syourowndoing.
You’reeithermyship’scook—andthenyouweretreatedhandsome—orCap’nSilver,acommonmutineerandpirate,andthenyoucangohang!”
“Well,well,cap’n,”returnedthesea-cook,sittingdownashewasbiddenonthesand,“you’llhavetogivemeahandupagain,that’sall.
Asweetprettyplaceyouhaveofithere.Ah,there’sJim!Thetopofthemorningtoyou,Jim.Doctor,here’smyservice.
Why,thereyouallaretogetherlikeahappyfamily,inamannerofspeaking.”
“Ifyouhaveanythingtosay,myman,bettersayit,”saidthecaptain.
“Rightyouwere,Cap’nSmollett,”repliedSilver.“Dootyisdooty,tobesure.
Wellnow,youlookhere,thatwasagoodlayofyourslastnight.Idon’tdenyitwasagoodlay.
Someofyouprettyhandywithahandspike-end.
AndI’llnotdenyneitherbutwhatsomeofmypeoplewasshook—maybeallwasshook;maybeIwasshookmyself;maybethat’swhyI’mhereforterms.
Butyoumarkme,cap’n,itwon’tdotwice,bythunder!
We’llhavetodosentry-goandeaseoffapointorsoontherum.
Maybeyouthinkwewereallasheetinthewind’seye.
ButI’lltellyouIwassober;Iwason’ydogtired;andifI’dawokeasecondsooner,I’d‘acaughtyouattheact,Iwould.
Hewasn’tdeadwhenIgotroundtohim,nothe.”
“Well?”saysCaptainSmollettascoolascanbe.
AllthatSilversaidwasariddletohim,butyouwouldneverhaveguesseditfromhistone.Asforme,Ibegantohaveaninkling.
BenGunn’slastwordscamebacktomymind.
Ibegantosupposethathehadpaidthebuccaneersavisitwhiletheyalllaydrunktogetherroundtheirfire,andIreckonedupwithgleethatwehadonlyfourteenenemiestodealwith.
“Well,hereitis,”saidSilver.“Wewantthattreasure,andwe’llhaveit—that’sourpoint!Youwouldjustassoonsaveyourlives,Ireckon;andthat’syours.Youhaveachart,haven’tyou?”
“That’sasmaybe,”repliedthecaptain.
“Oh,well,youhave,Iknowthat,”returnedLongJohn.
“Youneedn’tbesohuskywithaman;thereain’taparticleofserviceinthat,andyoumaylaytoit.WhatImeanis,wewantyourchart.
Now,Inevermeantyounoharm,myself.”
“Thatwon’tdowithme,myman,”interruptedthecaptain.“Weknowexactlywhatyoumeanttodo,andwedon’tcare,fornow,yousee,youcan’tdoit.”
Andthecaptainlookedathimcalmlyandproceededtofillapipe.
“IfAbeGray—”Silverbrokeout.
“Avastthere!”criedMr.Smollett.
“Graytoldmenothing,andIaskedhimnothing;andwhat’smore,Iwouldseeyouandhimandthiswholeislandblowncleanoutofthewaterintoblazesfirst.
Sothere’smymindforyou,myman,onthat.”
ThislittlewhiffoftemperseemedtocoolSilverdown.Hehadbeengrowingnettledbefore,butnowhepulledhimselftogether.
“Likeenough,”saidhe.“Iwouldsetnolimitstowhatgentlemenmightconsidershipshape,ormightnot,asthecasewere.
Andseein’ashowyouareabouttotakeapipe,cap’n,I’llmakesofreeasdolikewise.”
Andhefilledapipeandlightedit;andthetwomensatsilentlysmokingforquiteawhile,nowlookingeachotherintheface,nowstoppingtheirtobacco,nowleaningforwardtospit.Itwasasgoodastheplaytoseethem.
“Now,”resumedSilver,“hereitis.Yougiveusthecharttogetthetreasureby,anddropshootingpoorseamenandstovingoftheirheadsinwhileasleep.
Youdothat,andwe’llofferyouachoice.
Eitheryoucomeaboardalongofus,oncethetreasureshipped,andthenI’llgiveyoumyaffy-davy,uponmywordofhonour,toclapyousomewheresafeashore.
Orifthatain’ttoyourfancy,someofmyhandsbeingroughandhavingoldscoresonaccountofhazing,thenyoucanstayhere,youcan.
We’lldividestoreswithyou,manforman;andI’llgivemyaffy-davy,asbeforetospeakthefirstshipIsight,andsend‘emheretopickyouup.Now,you’llownthat’stalking.
Handsomeryoucouldn’tlooktoget,nowyou.
AndIhope”—raisinghisvoice—”thatallhandsinthishereblockhousewilloverhaulmywords,forwhatisspoketooneisspoketoall.”
CaptainSmollettrosefromhisseatandknockedouttheashesofhispipeinthepalmofhislefthand.
“Isthatall?”heasked.
“Everylastword,bythunder!”answeredJohn.“Refusethat,andyou’veseenthelastofmebutmusket-balls.”
“Verygood,”saidthecaptain.“Nowyou’llhearme.
Ifyou’llcomeuponebyone,unarmed,I’llengagetoclapyouallinironsandtakeyouhometoafairtrialinEngland.
Ifyouwon’t,mynameisAlexanderSmollett,I’veflownmysovereign’scolours,andI’llseeyoualltoDavyJones.Youcan’tfindthetreasure.
Youcan’tsailtheship—there’snotamanamongyoufittosailtheship.
Youcan’tfightus—Gray,there,gotawayfromfiveofyou.
Yourship’sinirons,MasterSilver;you’reonaleeshore,andsoyou’llfind.
Istandhereandtellyouso;andthey’rethelastgoodwordsyou’llgetfromme,forinthenameofheaven,I’llputabulletinyourbackwhennextImeetyou.Tramp,mylad.
Bundleoutofthis,please,handoverhand,anddoublequick.”
Silver’sfacewasapicture;hiseyesstartedinhisheadwithwrath.Heshookthefireoutofhispipe.
“Givemeahandup!”hecried.
“NotI,”returnedthecaptain.
“Who’llgivemeahandup?”heroared.
Notamanamongusmoved.Growlingthefoulestimprecations,hecrawledalongthesandtillhegotholdoftheporchandcouldhoisthimselfagainuponhiscrutch.Thenhespatintothespring.
“There!”hecried.“That’swhatIthinkofye.
Beforeanhour’sout,I’llstoveinyouroldblockhouselikearumpuncheon.Laugh,bythunder,laugh!
Beforeanhour’sout,ye’lllaughupontheotherside.Themthatdie’llbetheluckyones.”
Andwithadreadfuloathhestumbledoff,plougheddownthesand,washelpedacrossthestockade,afterfourorfivefailures,bythemanwiththeflagoftruce,anddisappearedinaninstantafterwardsamongthetrees.
Share this article to
FINISH