English
Thecouncilofbuccaneershadlastedsometime,whenoneofthemre-enteredthehouse,andwitharepetitionofthesamesalute,whichhadinmyeyesanironicalair,beggedforamoment’sloanofthetorch.
Silverbrieflyagreed,andthisemissaryretiredagain,leavingustogetherinthedark.
“There’sabreezecoming,Jim,”saidSilver,whohadbythistimeadoptedquiteafriendlyandfamiliartone.
Iturnedtotheloopholenearestmeandlookedout.
TheembersofthegreatfirehadsofarburnedthemselvesoutandnowglowedsolowandduskilythatIunderstoodwhytheseconspiratorsdesiredatorch.
Abouthalf-waydowntheslopetothestockade,theywerecollectedinagroup;oneheldthelight,anotherwasonhiskneesintheirmidst,andIsawthebladeofanopenknifeshineinhishandwithvaryingcoloursinthemoonandtorchlight.
Therestwereallsomewhatstooping,asthoughwatchingthemanoeuvresofthislast.
Icouldjustmakeoutthathehadabookaswellasaknifeinhishand,andwasstillwonderinghowanythingsoincongruoushadcomeintheirpossessionwhenthekneelingfigureroseoncemoretohisfeetandthewholepartybegantomovetogethertowardsthehouse.
“Heretheycome,”saidI;andIreturnedtomyformerposition,foritseemedbeneathmydignitythattheyshouldfindmewatchingthem.
“Well,let‘emcome,lad—let‘emcome,”saidSilvercheerily.“I’vestillashotinmylocker.”
Thedooropened,andthefivemen,standinghuddledtogetherjustinside,pushedoneoftheirnumberforward.
Inanyothercircumstancesitwouldhavebeencomicaltoseehisslowadvance,hesitatingashesetdowneachfoot,butholdinghisclosedrighthandinfrontofhim.
“Stepup,lad,”criedSilver.“Iwon’teatyou.Handitover,lubber.Iknowtherules,Ido;Iwon’thurtadepytation.”
Thusencouraged,thebuccaneersteppedforthmorebriskly,andhavingpassedsomethingtoSilver,fromhandtohand,slippedyetmoresmartlybackagaintohiscompanions.
Thesea-cooklookedatwhathadbeengivenhim.
“Theblackspot!Ithoughtso,”heobserved.“Wheremightyouhavegotthepaper?Why,hillo!Lookhere,now;thisain’tlucky!You’vegoneandcutthisoutofaBible.Whatfool’scutaBible?”
“Ah,there!”saidMorgan.“There!WotdidIsay?Nogood’llcomeo’that,Isaid.”
“Well,you’veaboutfixeditnow,amongyou,”continuedSilver.“You’llallswingnow,Ireckon.Whatsoft-headedlubberhadaBible?”
“ItwasDick,”saidone.
“Dick,wasit?ThenDickcangettoprayers,”saidSilver.“He’sseenhissliceofluck,hasDick,andyoumaylaytothat.”
Butherethelongmanwiththeyelloweyesstruckin.
“Belaythattalk,JohnSilver,”hesaid.
“Thiscrewhastippedyoutheblackspotinfullcouncil,asindootybound;justyouturnitover,asindootybound,andseewhat’swrotethere.Thenyoucantalk.”
“Thanky,George,”repliedthesea-cook.“Youalwayswasbriskforbusiness,andhastherulesbyheart,George,asI’mpleasedtosee.Well,whatisit,anyway?Ah!‘Deposed’—that’sit,isit?
Veryprettywrote,tobesure;likeprint,Iswear.Yourhando’write,George?
Why,youwasgettin’quitealeadin’maninthisherecrew.
You’llbecap’nnext,Ishouldn’twonder.
Justobligemewiththattorchagain,willyou?Thispipedon’tdraw.”
“Come,now,”saidGeorge,“youdon’tfoolthiscrewnomore.You’reafunnyman,byyouraccount;butyou’reovernow,andyou’llmaybestepdownoffthatbarrelandhelpvote.”
“Ithoughtyousaidyouknowedtherules,”returnedSilvercontemptuously.
“Leastways,ifyoudon’t,Ido;andIwaithere—andI’mstillyourcap’n,mind—tillyououtswithyourgrievancesandIreply;inthemeantime,yourblackspotain’tworthabiscuit.Afterthat,we’llsee.”
“Oh,”repliedGeorge,“youdon’tbeundernokindofapprehension;WE’REallsquare,weare.
First,you’vemadeahashofthiscruise—you’llbeaboldmantosaynotothat.
Second,youlettheenemyouto’thisheretrapfornothing.Whydidtheywantout?
Idunno,butit’sprettyplaintheywantedit.
Third,youwouldn’tletusgoatthemuponthemarch.
Oh,weseethroughyou,JohnSilver;youwanttoplaybooty,that’swhat’swrongwithyou.
Andthen,fourth,there’sthishereboy.”
“Isthatall?”askedSilverquietly.
“Enough,too,”retortedGeorge.“We’llallswingandsun-dryforyourbungling.”
“Wellnow,lookhere,I’llanswerthesefourp’ints;oneafteranotherI’llanswer‘em.Imadeahasho’thiscruise,didI?
Wellnow,youallknowwhatIwanted,andyouallknowifthathadbeendonethatwe’d‘abeenaboardtheHispaniolathisnightaseverwas,everymanofusalive,andfit,andfullofgoodplum-duff,andthetreasureintheholdofher,bythunder!Well,whocrossedme?
Whoforcedmyhand,aswasthelawfulcap’n?
Whotippedmetheblackspotthedaywelandedandbeganthisdance?
Ah,it’safinedance—I’mwithyouthere—andlooksmightylikeahornpipeinarope’sendatExecutionDockbyLondontown,itdoes.Butwhodoneit?
Why,itwasAnderson,andHands,andyou,GeorgeMerry!
Andyou’rethelastaboveboardofthatsamemeddlingcrew;andyouhavetheDavyJones’sinsolencetoupandstandforcap’noverme—you,thatsankthelotofus!Bythepowers!
Butthistopsthestiffestyarntonothing.”
Silverpaused,andIcouldseebythefacesofGeorgeandhislatecomradesthatthesewordshadnotbeensaidinvain.
“That’sfornumberone,”criedtheaccused,wipingthesweatfromhisbrow,forhehadbeentalkingwithavehemencethatshookthehouse.
“Why,Igiveyoumyword,I’msicktospeaktoyou.
You’veneithersensenormemory,andIleaveittofancywhereyourmotherswasthatletyoucometosea.Sea!Gentlemeno’fortune!Ireckontailorsisyourtrade.”
“Goon,John,”saidMorgan.“Speakuptotheothers.”
“Ah,theothers!”returnedJohn.“They’reanicelot,ain’tthey?Yousaythiscruiseisbungled.Ah!
Bygum,ifyoucouldunderstandhowbadit’sbungled,youwouldsee!
We’rethatnearthegibbetthatmyneck’sstiffwiththinkingonit.
You’veseen‘em,maybe,hangedinchains,birdsabout‘em,seamenp’inting‘emoutastheygodownwiththetide.‘Who’sthat?’saysone.‘That!Why,that’sJohnSilver.Iknowedhimwell,’saysanother.
Andyoucanhearthechainsa-jangleasyougoaboutandreachfortheotherbuoy.
Now,that’saboutwhereweare,everymother’ssonofus,thankstohim,andHands,andAnderson,andotherruinationfoolsofyou.
Andifyouwanttoknowaboutnumberfour,andthatboy,why,shivermytimbers,isn’theahostage?Arewea-goingtowasteahostage?
No,notus;hemightbeourlastchance,andIshouldn’twonder.Killthatboy?Notme,mates!Andnumberthree?
Ah,well,there’sadealtosaytonumberthree.
Maybeyoudon’tcountitnothingtohavearealcollegedoctortoseeyoueveryday—you,John,withyourheadbroke—oryou,GeorgeMerry,thathadtheagueshakesuponyounotsixhoursagone,andhasyoureyesthecolouroflemonpeeltothissamemomentontheclock?
Andmaybe,perhaps,youdidn’tknowtherewasaconsortcomingeither?
Butthereis,andnotsolongtillthen;andwe’llseewho’llbegladtohaveahostagewhenitcomestothat.
Andasfornumbertwo,andwhyImadeabargain—well,youcamecrawlingonyourkneestometomakeit—onyourkneesyoucame,youwasthatdownhearted—andyou’dhavestarvedtooifIhadn’t—butthat’satrifle!Youlookthere—that’swhy!”
AndhecastdownuponthefloorapaperthatIinstantlyrecognized—noneotherthanthechartonyellowpaper,withthethreeredcrosses,thatIhadfoundintheoilclothatthebottomofthecaptain’schest.
WhythedoctorhadgivenittohimwasmorethanIcouldfancy.
Butifitwereinexplicabletome,theappearanceofthechartwasincredibletothesurvivingmutineers.
Theyleapeduponitlikecatsuponamouse.
Itwentfromhandtohand,onetearingitfromanother;andbytheoathsandthecriesandthechildishlaughterwithwhichtheyaccompaniedtheirexamination,youwouldhavethought,notonlytheywerefingeringtheverygold,butwereatseawithit,besides,insafety.
“Yes,”saidone,“that’sFlint,sureenough.J.F.,andascorebelow,withaclovehitchtoit;sohedoneever.”
“Mightypretty,”saidGeorge.“Buthowarewetogetawaywithit,andusnoship.”
Silversuddenlysprangup,andsupportinghimselfwithahandagainstthewall:“NowIgiveyouwarning,George,”hecried.
“Onemorewordofyoursauce,andI’llcallyoudownandfightyou.How?Why,howdoIknow?
Youhadoughttotellmethat—youandtherest,thatlostmemyschooner,withyourinterference,burnyou!
Butnotyou,youcan’t;youhain’tgottheinventionofacockroach.
Butcivilyoucanspeak,andshall,GeorgeMerry,youmaylaytothat.”
“That’sfairenow,”saidtheoldmanMorgan.
“Fair!Ireckonso,”saidthesea-cook.
“Youlosttheship;Ifoundthetreasure.Who’sthebettermanatthat?AndnowIresign,bythunder!
Electwhomyoupleasetobeyourcap’nnow;I’mdonewithit.”
“Silver!”theycried.“Barbecueforever!Barbecueforcap’n!”
“Sothat’sthetoon,isit?”criedthecook.
“George,Ireckonyou’llhavetowaitanotherturn,friend;andluckyforyouasI’mnotarevengefulman.Butthatwasnevermyway.Andnow,shipmates,thisblackspot?‘Tain’tmuchgoodnow,isit?
Dick’scrossedhisluckandspoiledhisBible,andthat’saboutall.”
“It’lldotokissthebookonstill,won’tit?”growledDick,whowasevidentlyuneasyatthecursehehadbroughtuponhimself.
“ABiblewithabitcutout!”returnedSilverderisively.“Notit.Itdon’tbindnomore’naballad-book.”
“Don’tit,though?”criedDickwithasortofjoy.“Well,Ireckonthat’sworthhavingtoo.”
“Here,Jim—here’sacur’osityforyou,”saidSilver,andhetossedmethepaper.
Itwasaroundaboutthesizeofacrownpiece.
Onesidewasblank,forithadbeenthelastleaf;theothercontainedaverseortwoofRevelation—thesewordsamongtherest,whichstrucksharplyhomeuponmymind:“Withoutaredogsandmurderers.”
Theprintedsidehadbeenblackenedwithwoodash,whichalreadybegantocomeoffandsoilmyfingers;ontheblanksidehadbeenwrittenwiththesamematerialtheoneword“Depposed.”
Ihavethatcuriositybesidemeatthismoment,butnotatraceofwritingnowremainsbeyondasinglescratch,suchasamanmightmakewithhisthumb-nail.
Thatwastheendofthenight’sbusiness.
Soonafter,withadrinkallround,welaydowntosleep,andtheoutsideofSilver’svengeancewastoputGeorgeMerryupforsentinelandthreatenhimwithdeathifheshouldproveunfaithful.
ItwaslongereIcouldcloseaneye,andheavenknowsIhadmatterenoughforthoughtinthemanwhomIhadslainthatafternoon,inmyownmostperilousposition,andaboveall,intheremarkablegamethatIsawSilvernowengagedupon—keepingthemutineerstogetherwithonehandandgraspingwiththeotheraftereverymeans,possibleandimpossible,tomakehispeaceandsavehismiserablelife.
Hehimselfsleptpeacefullyandsnoredaloud,yetmyheartwassoreforhim,wickedashewas,tothinkonthedarkperilsthatenvironedandtheshamefulgibbetthatawaitedhim.
Share this article to
FINISH