English
“Jim,”saidSilverwhenwewerealone,“ifIsavedyourlife,yousavedmine;andI’llnotforgetit.
Iseenthedoctorwavingyoutorunforit—withthetailofmyeye,Idid;andIseenyousayno,asplainashearing.Jim,that’sonetoyou.
ThisisthefirstglintofhopeIhadsincetheattackfailed,andIoweityou.
Andnow,Jim,we’retogoinforthisheretreasure-hunting,withsealedorderstoo,andIdon’tlikeit;andyouandmemuststickclose,backtobacklike,andwe’llsaveournecksinspiteo’fateandfortune.”
Justthenamanhailedusfromthefirethatbreakfastwasready,andweweresoonseatedhereandthereaboutthesandoverbiscuitandfriedjunk.
Theyhadlitafirefittoroastanox,anditwasnowgrownsohotthattheycouldonlyapproachitfromthewindward,andeventherenotwithoutprecaution.
Inthesamewastefulspirit,theyhadcooked,Isuppose,threetimesmorethanwecouldeat;andoneofthem,withanemptylaugh,threwwhatwasleftintothefire,whichblazedandroaredagainoverthisunusualfuel.
Ineverinmylifesawmensocarelessofthemorrow;handtomouthistheonlywordthatcandescribetheirwayofdoing;andwhatwithwastedfoodandsleepingsentries,thoughtheywereboldenoughforabrushandbedonewithit,Icouldseetheirentireunfitnessforanythinglikeaprolongedcampaign.
EvenSilver,eatingaway,withCaptainFlintuponhisshoulder,hadnotawordofblamefortheirrecklessness.
Andthisthemoresurprisedme,forIthoughthehadnevershownhimselfsocunningashedidthen.
“Aye,mates,”saidhe,“it’sluckyyouhaveBarbecuetothinkforyouwiththisherehead.IgotwhatIwanted,Idid.Sureenough,theyhavetheship.
Wheretheyhaveit,Idon’tknowyet;butoncewehitthetreasure,we’llhavetojumpaboutandfindout.
Andthen,mates,usthathastheboats,Ireckon,hastheupperhand.”
Thushekeptrunningon,withhismouthfullofthehotbacon;thusherestoredtheirhopeandconfidence,and,Imorethansuspect,repairedhisownatthesametime.
“Asforhostage,”hecontinued,“that’shislasttalk,Iguess,withthemhelovessodear.
I’vegotmypieceo’news,andthankytohimforthat;butit’soveranddone.
I’lltakehiminalinewhenwegotreasure-hunting,forwe’llkeephimlikesomuchgold,incaseofaccidents,youmark,andinthemeantime.
Oncewegottheshipandtreasurebothandofftosealikejollycompanions,whythenwe’lltalkMr.Hawkinsover,wewill,andwe’llgivehimhisshare,tobesure,forallhiskindness.”
Itwasnowonderthemenwereinagoodhumournow.Formypart,Iwashorriblycastdown.
Shouldtheschemehehadnowsketchedprovefeasible,Silver,alreadydoublyatraitor,wouldnothesitatetoadoptit.
Hehadstillafootineithercamp,andtherewasnodoubthewouldpreferwealthandfreedomwiththepiratestoabareescapefromhanging,whichwasthebesthehadtohopeonourside.
Nay,andevenifthingssofelloutthathewasforcedtokeephisfaithwithDr.Livesey,eventhenwhatdangerlaybeforeus!
WhatamomentthatwouldbewhenthesuspicionsofhisfollowersturnedtocertaintyandheandIshouldhavetofightfordearlife—heacrippleandIaboy—againstfivestrongandactiveseamen!
Addtothisdoubleapprehensionthemysterythatstillhungoverthebehaviourofmyfriends,theirunexplaineddesertionofthestockade,theirinexplicablecessionofthechart,orharderstilltounderstand,thedoctor’slastwarningtoSilver,“Lookoutforsquallswhenyoufindit,”andyouwillreadilybelievehowlittletasteIfoundinmybreakfastandwithhowuneasyaheartIsetforthbehindmycaptorsonthequestfortreasure.
Wemadeacuriousfigure,hadanyonebeentheretoseeus—allinsoiledsailorclothesandallbutmearmedtotheteeth.
Silverhadtwogunsslungabouthim—onebeforeandonebehind—besidesthegreatcutlassathiswaistandapistolineachpocketofhissquare-tailedcoat.
Tocompletehisstrangeappearance,CaptainFlintsatpercheduponhisshoulderandgabblingoddsandendsofpurposelesssea-talk.
Ihadalineaboutmywaistandfollowedobedientlyafterthesea-cook,whoheldthelooseendoftherope,nowinhisfreehand,nowbetweenhispowerfulteeth.
Foralltheworld,Iwasledlikeadancingbear.
Theothermenwerevariouslyburthened,somecarryingpicksandshovels—forthathadbeentheveryfirstnecessarytheybroughtashorefromtheHispaniola—othersladenwithpork,bread,andbrandyforthemiddaymeal.
Allthestores,Iobserved,camefromourstock,andIcouldseethetruthofSilver’swordsthenightbefore.
Hadhenotstruckabargainwiththedoctor,heandhismutineers,desertedbytheship,musthavebeendriventosubsistonclearwaterandtheproceedsoftheirhunting.
Waterwouldhavebeenlittletotheirtaste;asailorisnotusuallyagoodshot;andbesidesallthat,whentheyweresoshortofeatables,itwasnotlikelytheywouldbeveryflushofpowder.
Well,thusequipped,weallsetout—eventhefellowwiththebrokenhead,whoshouldcertainlyhavekeptinshadow—andstraggled,oneafteranother,tothebeach,wherethetwogigsawaitedus.
Eventheseboretraceofthedrunkenfollyofthepirates,oneinabrokenthwart,andbothintheirmuddyandunbailedcondition.
Bothweretobecarriedalongwithusforthesakeofsafety;andso,withournumbersdividedbetweenthem,wesetforthuponthebosomoftheanchorage.
Aswepulledover,therewassomediscussiononthechart.
Theredcrosswas,ofcourse,fartoolargetobeaguide;andthetermsofthenoteontheback,asyouwillhear,admittedofsomeambiguity.
Theyran,thereadermayremember,thus:
Talltree,Spy-glassshoulder,bearingapointto
theN.ofN.N.E.
SkeletonIslandE.S.E.andbyE.
Tenfeet.
Atalltreewasthustheprincipalmark.
Now,rightbeforeustheanchoragewasboundedbyaplateaufromtwotothreehundredfeethigh,adjoiningonthenorththeslopingsouthernshoulderoftheSpy-glassandrisingagaintowardsthesouthintotherough,cliffyeminencecalledtheMizzen-mastHill.
Thetopoftheplateauwasdottedthicklywithpine-treesofvaryingheight.
Everyhereandthere,oneofadifferentspeciesrosefortyorfiftyfeetclearaboveitsneighbours,andwhichofthesewastheparticular“talltree”ofCaptainFlintcouldonlybedecidedonthespot,andbythereadingsofthecompass.
Yet,althoughthatwasthecase,everymanonboardtheboatshadpickedafavouriteofhisownerewewerehalf-wayover,LongJohnaloneshrugginghisshouldersandbiddingthemwaittilltheywerethere.
Wepulledeasily,bySilver’sdirections,nottowearythehandsprematurely,andafterquitealongpassage,landedatthemouthofthesecondriver—thatwhichrunsdownawoodycleftoftheSpy-glass.
Thence,bendingtoourleft,webegantoascendtheslopetowardstheplateau.
Atthefirstoutset,heavy,mirygroundandamatted,marishvegetationgreatlydelayedourprogress;butbylittleandlittlethehillbegantosteepenandbecomestonyunderfoot,andthewoodtochangeitscharacterandtogrowinamoreopenorder.
Itwas,indeed,amostpleasantportionoftheislandthatwewerenowapproaching.
Aheavy-scentedbroomandmanyfloweringshrubshadalmosttakentheplaceofgrass.
Thicketsofgreennutmeg-treesweredottedhereandtherewiththeredcolumnsandthebroadshadowofthepines;andthefirstmingledtheirspicewiththearomaoftheothers.
Theair,besides,wasfreshandstirring,andthis,underthesheersunbeams,wasawonderfulrefreshmenttooursenses.
Thepartyspreaditselfabroad,inafanshape,shoutingandleapingtoandfro.
Aboutthecentre,andagoodwaybehindtherest,SilverandIfollowed—Itetheredbymyrope,heploughing,withdeeppants,amongtheslidinggravel.
Fromtimetotime,indeed,Ihadtolendhimahand,orhemusthavemissedhisfootingandfallenbackwarddownthehill.
Wehadthusproceededforabouthalfamileandwereapproachingthebrowoftheplateauwhenthemanuponthefarthestleftbegantocryaloud,asifinterror.
Shoutaftershoutcamefromhim,andtheothersbegantoruninhisdirection.
“Hecan’t‘afoundthetreasure,”saidoldMorgan,hurryingpastusfromtheright,“forthat’scleana-top.”
Indeed,aswefoundwhenwealsoreachedthespot,itwassomethingverydifferent.
Atthefootofaprettybigpineandinvolvedinagreencreeper,whichhadevenpartlyliftedsomeofthesmallerbones,ahumanskeletonlay,withafewshredsofclothing,ontheground.
Ibelieveachillstruckforamomenttoeveryheart.
“Hewasaseaman,”saidGeorgeMerry,who,bolderthantherest,hadgoneupcloseandwasexaminingtheragsofclothing.“Leastways,thisisgoodsea-cloth.”
“Aye,aye,”saidSilver;“likeenough;youwouldn’tlooktofindabishophere,Ireckon.Butwhatsortofawayisthatforbonestolie?‘Tain’tinnatur’.”
Indeed,onasecondglance,itseemedimpossibletofancythatthebodywasinanaturalposition.
Butforsomedisarray(thework,perhaps,ofthebirdsthathadfeduponhimoroftheslow-growingcreeperthathadgraduallyenvelopedhisremains)themanlayperfectlystraight—hisfeetpointinginonedirection,hishands,raisedabovehisheadlikeadiver’s,pointingdirectlyintheopposite.
“I’vetakenanotionintomyoldnumbskull,”observedSilver.
“Here’sthecompass;there’sthetip-topp’into’SkeletonIsland,stickin’outlikeatooth.
Justtakeabearing,willyou,alongthelineofthembones.”
Itwasdone.Thebodypointedstraightinthedirectionoftheisland,andthecompassreaddulyE.S.E.andbyE.
“Ithoughtso,”criedthecook;“thishereisap’inter.
RightupthereisourlineforthePoleStarandthejollydollars.But,bythunder!
Ifitdon’tmakemecoldinsidetothinkofFlint.
ThisisoneofHISjokes,andnomistake.
Himandthesesixwasalonehere;hekilled‘em,everyman;andthisonehehauledhereandlaiddownbycompass,shivermytimbers!
They’relongbones,andthehair’sbeenyellow.Aye,thatwouldbeAllardyce.YoumindAllardyce,TomMorgan?”
“Aye,aye,”returnedMorgan;“Imindhim;heowedmemoney,hedid,andtookmyknifeashorewithhim.”
“Speakingofknives,”saidanother,“whydon’twefindhis’nlyinground?Flintwarn’tthemantopickaseaman’spocket;andthebirds,Iguess,wouldleaveitbe.”
“Bythepowers,andthat’strue!”criedSilver.
“Thereain’tathinglefthere,”saidMerry,stillfeelingroundamongthebones;“notacopperdoitnorabaccybox.Itdon’tlooknat’raltome.”
“No,bygum,itdon’t,”agreedSilver;“notnat’ral,nornotnice,saysyou.Greatguns!
Messmates,butifFlintwasliving,thiswouldbeahotspotforyouandme.
Sixtheywere,andsixarewe;andbonesiswhattheyarenow.”
“Isawhimdeadwiththeseheredeadlights,”saidMorgan.“Billytookmein.Therehelaid,withpenny-piecesonhiseyes.”
“Dead—aye,sureenoughhe’sdeadandgonebelow,”saidthefellowwiththebandage;“butifeversperritwalked,itwouldbeFlint’s.Dearheart,buthediedbad,didFlint!”
“Aye,thathedid,”observedanother;“nowheraged,andnowheholleredfortherum,andnowhesang.
‘FifteenMen’werehisonlysong,mates;andItellyoutrue,Ineverrightlylikedtohearitsince.
Itwasmainhot,andthewindywasopen,andIhearthatoldsongcomin’outasclearasclear—andthedeath-haulonthemanalready.”
“Come,come,”saidSilver;“stowthistalk.He’sdead,andhedon’twalk,thatIknow;leastways,hewon’twalkbyday,andyoumaylaytothat.Carekilledacat.Fetchaheadforthedoubloons.”
Westarted,certainly;butinspiteofthehotsunandthestaringdaylight,thepiratesnolongerranseparateandshoutingthroughthewood,butkeptsidebysideandspokewithbatedbreath.
Theterrorofthedeadbuccaneerhadfallenontheirspirits.
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