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Iwaswakened—indeed,wewereallwakened,forIcouldseeeventhesentinelshakehimselftogetherfromwherehehadfallenagainstthedoor-post—byaclear,heartyvoicehailingusfromthemarginofthewood:
“Blockhouse,ahoy!”itcried.“Here’sthedoctor.”
Andthedoctoritwas.AlthoughIwasgladtohearthesound,yetmygladnesswasnotwithoutadmixture.
Irememberedwithconfusionmyinsubordinateandstealthyconduct,andwhenIsawwhereithadbroughtme—amongwhatcompanionsandsurroundedbywhatdangers—Ifeltashamedtolookhimintheface.
Hemusthaveriseninthedark,forthedayhadhardlycome;andwhenIrantoaloopholeandlookedout,Isawhimstanding,likeSilveroncebefore,uptothemid-legincreepingvapour.
“You,doctor!Topo’themorningtoyou,sir!”
criedSilver,broadawakeandbeamingwithgoodnatureinamoment.
“Brightandearly,tobesure;andit’stheearlybird,asthesayinggoes,thatgetstherations.
George,shakeupyourtimbers,son,andhelpDr.Liveseyovertheship’sside.
Alla-doin’well,yourpatientswas—allwellandmerry.”
Sohepatteredon,standingonthehilltopwithhiscrutchunderhiselbowandonehanduponthesideofthelog-house—quitetheoldJohninvoice,manner,andexpression.
“We’vequiteasurpriseforyoutoo,sir,”hecontinued.“We’vealittlestrangerhere—he!he!
Anooboarderandlodger,sir,andlookingfitandtautasafiddle;slep’likeasupercargo,hedid,rightalongsideofJohn—stemtostemwewas,allnight.”
Dr.Liveseywasbythistimeacrossthestockadeandprettynearthecook,andIcouldhearthealterationinhisvoiceashesaid,“NotJim?”
“TheverysameJimaseverwas,”saysSilver.
Thedoctorstoppedoutright,althoughhedidnotspeak,anditwassomesecondsbeforeheseemedabletomoveon.
“Well,well,”hesaidatlast,“dutyfirstandpleasureafterwards,asyoumighthavesaidyourself,Silver.Letusoverhaulthesepatientsofyours.”
Amomentafterwardshehadenteredtheblockhouseandwithonegrimnodtomeproceededwithhisworkamongthesick.
Heseemedundernoapprehension,thoughhemusthaveknownthathislife,amongthesetreacherousdemons,dependedonahair;andherattledontohispatientsasifhewerepayinganordinaryprofessionalvisitinaquietEnglishfamily.
Hismanner,Isuppose,reactedonthemen,fortheybehavedtohimasifnothinghadoccurred,asifhewerestillship’sdoctorandtheystillfaithfulhandsbeforethemast.
“You’redoingwell,myfriend,”hesaidtothefellowwiththebandagedhead,“andifeveranypersonhadacloseshave,itwasyou;yourheadmustbeashardasiron.Well,George,howgoesit?
You’reaprettycolour,certainly;why,yourliver,man,isupsidedown.Didyoutakethatmedicine?Didhetakethatmedicine,men?”
“Aye,aye,sir,hetookit,sureenough,”returnedMorgan.
“Because,yousee,sinceIammutineers’doctor,orprisondoctorasIprefertocallit,”saysDoctorLiveseyinhispleasantestway,“ImakeitapointofhonournottoloseamanforKingGeorge(Godblesshim!)andthegallows.”
Therogueslookedateachotherbutswallowedthehome-thrustinsilence.
“Dickdon’tfeelwell,sir,”saidone.
“Don’the?”repliedthedoctor.“Well,stepuphere,Dick,andletmeseeyourtongue.No,Ishouldbesurprisedifhedid!Theman’stongueisfittofrightentheFrench.Anotherfever.”
“Ah,there,”saidMorgan,“thatcomedofsp’ilingBibles.”
“Thatcomes—asyoucallit—ofbeingarrantasses,”retortedthedoctor,“andnothavingsenseenoughtoknowhonestairfrompoison,andthedrylandfromavile,pestiferousslough.
Ithinkitmostprobable—thoughofcourseit’sonlyanopinion—thatyou’llallhavethedeucetopaybeforeyougetthatmalariaoutofyoursystems.Campinabog,wouldyou?Silver,I’msurprisedatyou.
You’relessofafoolthanmany,takeyouallround;butyoudon’tappeartometohavetherudimentsofanotionoftherulesofhealth.
“Well,”headdedafterhehaddosedthemroundandtheyhadtakenhisprescriptions,withreallylaughablehumility,morelikecharityschoolchildrenthanblood-guiltymutineersandpirates—”well,that’sdonefortoday.
AndnowIshouldwishtohaveatalkwiththatboy,please.”
Andhenoddedhisheadinmydirectioncarelessly.
GeorgeMerrywasatthedoor,spittingandsplutteringoversomebad-tastedmedicine;butatthefirstwordofthedoctor’sproposalheswungroundwithadeepflushandcried“No!”andswore.
Silverstruckthebarrelwithhisopenhand.
“Si-lence!”heroaredandlookedabouthimpositivelylikealion.
“Doctor,”hewentoninhisusualtones,“Iwasa-thinkingofthat,knowingashowyouhadafancyfortheboy.
We’reallhumblygratefulforyourkindness,andasyousee,putsfaithinyouandtakesthedrugsdownlikethatmuchgrog.
AndItakeitI’vefoundawayas’llsuitall.
Hawkins,willyougivemeyourwordofhonourasayounggentleman—forayounggentlemanyouare,althoughpoorborn—yourwordofhonournottoslipyourcable?”
Ireadilygavethepledgerequired.
“Then,doctor,”saidSilver,“youjuststepoutsideo’thatstockade,andonceyou’rethereI’llbringtheboydownontheinside,andIreckonyoucanyarnthroughthespars.
Gooddaytoyou,sir,andallourdootiestothesquireandCap’nSmollett.”
Theexplosionofdisapproval,whichnothingbutSilver’sblacklookshadrestrained,brokeoutimmediatelythedoctorhadleftthehouse.
Silverwasroundlyaccusedofplayingdouble—oftryingtomakeaseparatepeaceforhimself,ofsacrificingtheinterestsofhisaccomplicesandvictims,and,inoneword,oftheidentical,exactthingthathewasdoing.
Itseemedtomesoobvious,inthiscase,thatIcouldnotimaginehowhewastoturntheiranger.
Buthewastwicethemantherestwere,andhislastnight’svictoryhadgivenhimahugepreponderanceontheirminds.
Hecalledthemallthefoolsanddoltsyoucanimagine,saiditwasnecessaryIshouldtalktothedoctor,flutteredthechartintheirfaces,askedthemiftheycouldaffordtobreakthetreatytheverydaytheywerebounda-treasure-hunting.
“No,bythunder!”hecried.“It’susmustbreakthetreatywhenthetimecomes;andtillthenI’llgammonthatdoctor,ifIhavetoilehisbootswithbrandy.”
Andthenhebadethemgetthefirelit,andstalkedoutuponhiscrutch,withhishandonmyshoulder,leavingtheminadisarray,andsilencedbyhisvolubilityratherthanconvinced.
“Slow,lad,slow,”hesaid.“Theymightrounduponusinatwinkleofaneyeifwewasseentohurry.”
Verydeliberately,then,didweadvanceacrossthesandtowherethedoctorawaitedusontheothersideofthestockade,andassoonaswewerewithineasyspeakingdistanceSilverstopped.
“You’llmakeanoteofthisherealso,doctor,”sayshe,“andtheboy’lltellyouhowIsavedhislife,andweredeposedforittoo,andyoumaylaytothat.
Doctor,whenaman’ssteeringasnearthewindasme—playingchuck-farthingwiththelastbreathinhisbody,like—youwouldn’tthinkittoomuch,mayhap,togivehimonegoodword?
You’llpleasebearinmindit’snotmylifeonlynow—it’sthatboy’sintothebargain;andyou’llspeakmefair,doctor,andgivemeabito’hopetogoon,forthesakeofmercy.”
Silverwasachangedmanoncehewasoutthereandhadhisbacktohisfriendsandtheblockhouse;hischeeksseemedtohavefallenin,hisvoicetrembled;neverwasasoulmoredeadinearnest.
“Why,John,you’renotafraid?”askedDr.Livesey.
“Doctor,I’mnocoward;no,notI—notSOmuch!”andhesnappedhisfingers.“IfIwasIwouldn’tsayit.
ButI’llownupfairly,I’vetheshakesuponmeforthegallows.
You’reagoodmanandatrue;Ineverseenabetterman!
Andyou’llnotforgetwhatIdonegood,notanymorethanyou’llforgetthebad,Iknow.
AndIstepaside—seehere—andleaveyouandJimalone.
Andyou’llputthatdownformetoo,forit’salongstretch,isthat!”
Sosaying,hesteppedbackalittleway,tillhewasoutofearshot,andtheresatdownuponatree-stumpandbegantowhistle,spinningroundnowandagainuponhisseatsoastocommandasight,sometimesofmeandthedoctorandsometimesofhisunrulyruffiansastheywenttoandfrointhesandbetweenthefire—whichtheywerebusyrekindling—andthehouse,fromwhichtheybroughtforthporkandbreadtomakethebreakfast.
“So,Jim,”saidthedoctorsadly,“hereyouare.
Asyouhavebrewed,soshallyoudrink,myboy.
Heavenknows,Icannotfinditinmyhearttoblameyou,butthismuchIwillsay,beitkindorunkind:whenCaptainSmollettwaswell,youdarednothavegoneoff;andwhenhewasillandcouldn’thelpit,byGeorge,itwasdownrightcowardly!”
IwillownthatIherebegantoweep.“Doctor,”Isaid,“youmightspareme.
Ihaveblamedmyselfenough;mylife’sforfeitanyway,andIshouldhavebeendeadbynowifSilverhadn’tstoodforme;anddoctor,believethis,Icandie—andIdaresayIdeserveit—butwhatIfearistorture.Iftheycometotortureme—”
“Jim,”thedoctorinterrupted,andhisvoicewasquitechanged,“Jim,Ican’thavethis.Whipover,andwe’llrunforit.”
“Doctor,”saidI,“Ipassedmyword.”
“Iknow,Iknow,”hecried.“Wecan’thelpthat,Jim,now.
I’lltakeitonmyshoulders,holusbolus,blameandshame,myboy;butstayhere,Icannotletyou.Jump!
Onejump,andyou’reout,andwe’llrunforitlikeantelopes.”
“No,”Ireplied;“youknowrightwellyouwouldn’tdothethingyourself—neitheryounorsquirenorcaptain;andnomorewillI.Silvertrustedme;Ipassedmyword,andbackIgo.But,doctor,youdidnotletmefinish.
Iftheycometotortureme,Imightletslipawordofwheretheshipis,forIgottheship,partbyluckandpartbyrisking,andsheliesinNorthInlet,onthesouthernbeach,andjustbelowhighwater.Athalftideshemustbehighanddry.”
“Theship!”exclaimedthedoctor.
RapidlyIdescribedtohimmyadventures,andheheardmeoutinsilence.
“Thereisakindoffateinthis,”heobservedwhenIhaddone.
“Everystep,it’syouthatsavesourlives;anddoyousupposebyanychancethatwearegoingtoletyouloseyours?Thatwouldbeapoorreturn,myboy.
Youfoundouttheplot;youfoundBenGunn—thebestdeedthateveryoudid,orwilldo,thoughyoulivetoninety.
Oh,byJupiter,andtalkingofBenGunn!Why,thisisthemischiefinperson.Silver!”hecried.“Silver!
I’llgiveyouapieceofadvice,”hecontinuedasthecookdrewnearagain;“don’tyoubeinanygreathurryafterthattreasure.”
“Why,sir,Idomypossible,whichthatain’t,”saidSilver.“Icanonly,askingyourpardon,savemylifeandtheboy’sbyseekingforthattreasure;andyoumaylaytothat.”
“Well,Silver,”repliedthedoctor,“ifthatisso,I’llgoonestepfurther:lookoutforsquallswhenyoufindit.”
“Sir,”saidSilver,“asbetweenmanandman,that’stoomuchandtoolittle.
Whatyou’reafter,whyyoulefttheblockhouse,whyyougivenmethattherechart,Idon’tknow,now,doI?
AndyetIdoneyourbiddingwithmyeyesshutandneverawordofhope!Butno,thishere’stoomuch.
Ifyouwon’ttellmewhatyoumeanplainout,justsaysoandI’llleavethehelm.”
“No,”saidthedoctormusingly;“I’venorighttosaymore;it’snotmysecret,yousee,Silver,or,Igiveyoumyword,I’dtellityou.
ButI’llgoasfarwithyouasIdarego,andastepbeyond,forI’llhavemywigsortedbythecaptainorI’mmistaken!
Andfirst,I’llgiveyouabitofhope;Silver,ifwebothgetaliveoutofthiswolf-trap,I’lldomybesttosaveyou,shortofperjury.”
Silver’sfacewasradiant.“Youcouldn’tsaymore,I’msure,sir,notifyouwasmymother,”hecried.
“Well,that’smyfirstconcession,”addedthedoctor.
“Mysecondisapieceofadvice:keeptheboyclosebesideyou,andwhenyouneedhelp,halloo.
I’mofftoseekitforyou,andthatitselfwillshowyouifIspeakatrandom.Good-bye,Jim.”
AndDr.Liveseyshookhandswithmethroughthestockade,noddedtoSilver,andsetoffatabriskpaceintothewood.
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