English
Thenextmorningwefellearlytowork,forthetransportationofthisgreatmassofgoldnearamilebylandtothebeach,andthencethreemilesbyboattotheHispaniola,wasaconsiderabletaskforsosmallanumberofworkmen.
Thethreefellowsstillabroadupontheislanddidnotgreatlytroubleus;asinglesentryontheshoulderofthehillwassufficienttoensureusagainstanysuddenonslaught,andwethought,besides,theyhadhadmorethanenoughoffighting.
Thereforetheworkwaspushedonbriskly.
GrayandBenGunncameandwentwiththeboat,whiletherestduringtheirabsencespiledtreasureonthebeach.
Twoofthebars,slunginarope’send,madeagoodloadforagrownman—onethathewasgladtowalkslowlywith.
Formypart,asIwasnotmuchuseatcarrying,Iwaskeptbusyalldayinthecavepackingthemintedmoneyintobread-bags.
Itwasastrangecollection,likeBillyBones’shoardforthediversityofcoinage,butsomuchlargerandsomuchmorevariedthatIthinkIneverhadmorepleasurethaninsortingthem.
English,French,Spanish,Portuguese,Georges,andLouises,doubloonsanddoubleguineasandmoidoresandsequins,thepicturesofallthekingsofEuropeforthelasthundredyears,strangeOrientalpiecesstampedwithwhatlookedlikewispsofstringorbitsofspider’sweb,roundpiecesandsquarepieces,andpiecesboredthroughthemiddle,asiftowearthemroundyourneck—nearlyeveryvarietyofmoneyintheworldmust,Ithink,havefoundaplaceinthatcollection;andfornumber,Iamsuretheywerelikeautumnleaves,sothatmybackachedwithstoopingandmyfingerswithsortingthemout.
Dayafterdaythisworkwenton;byeveryeveningafortunehadbeenstowedaboard,buttherewasanotherfortunewaitingforthemorrow;andallthistimeweheardnothingofthethreesurvivingmutineers.
Atlast—Ithinkitwasonthethirdnight—thedoctorandIwerestrollingontheshoulderofthehillwhereitoverlooksthelowlandsoftheisle,when,fromoutthethickdarknessbelow,thewindbroughtusanoisebetweenshriekingandsinging.
Itwasonlyasnatchthatreachedourears,followedbytheformersilence.
“Heavenforgivethem,”saidthedoctor;“‘tisthemutineers!”
“Alldrunk,sir,”struckinthevoiceofSilverfrombehindus.
Silver,Ishouldsay,wasallowedhisentireliberty,andinspiteofdailyrebuffs,seemedtoregardhimselfoncemoreasquiteaprivilegedandfriendlydependent.
Indeed,itwasremarkablehowwellheboretheseslightsandwithwhatunwearyingpolitenesshekeptontryingtoingratiatehimselfwithall.
Yet,Ithink,nonetreatedhimbetterthanadog,unlessitwasBenGunn,whowasstillterriblyafraidofhisoldquartermaster,ormyself,whohadreallysomethingtothankhimfor;althoughforthatmatter,Isuppose,Ihadreasontothinkevenworseofhimthananybodyelse,forIhadseenhimmeditatingafreshtreacheryupontheplateau.
Accordingly,itwasprettygrufflythatthedoctoransweredhim.
“Drunkorraving,”saidhe.
“Rightyouwere,sir,”repliedSilver;“andpreciouslittleoddswhich,toyouandme.”
“Isupposeyouwouldhardlyaskmetocallyouahumaneman,”returnedthedoctorwithasneer,“andsomyfeelingsmaysurpriseyou,MasterSilver.
ButifIweresuretheywereraving—asIammorallycertainone,atleast,ofthemisdownwithfever—Ishouldleavethiscamp,andatwhateverrisktomyowncarcass,takethemtheassistanceofmyskill.”
“Askyourpardon,sir,youwouldbeverywrong,”quothSilver.
“Youwouldloseyourpreciouslife,andyoumaylaytothat.
I’monyoursidenow,handandglove;andIshouldn’twishfortoseethepartyweakened,letaloneyourself,seeingasIknowwhatIowesyou.
Butthesemendownthere,theycouldn’tkeeptheirword—no,notsupposingtheywishedto;andwhat’smore,theycouldn’tbelieveasyoucould.”
“No,”saidthedoctor.“You’rethemantokeepyourword,weknowthat.”
Well,thatwasaboutthelastnewswehadofthethreepirates.
Onlyonceweheardagunshotagreatwayoffandsupposedthemtobehunting.
Acouncilwasheld,anditwasdecidedthatwemustdesertthemontheisland—tothehugeglee,Imustsay,ofBenGunn,andwiththestrongapprovalofGray.
Weleftagoodstockofpowderandshot,thebulkofthesaltgoat,afewmedicines,andsomeothernecessaries,tools,clothing,asparesail,afathomortwoofrope,andbytheparticulardesireofthedoctor,ahandsomepresentoftobacco.
Thatwasaboutourlastdoingontheisland.
Beforethat,wehadgotthetreasurestowedandhadshippedenoughwaterandtheremainderofthegoatmeatincaseofanydistress;andatlast,onefinemorning,weweighedanchor,whichwasaboutallthatwecouldmanage,andstoodoutofNorthInlet,thesamecoloursflyingthatthecaptainhadflownandfoughtunderatthepalisade.
Thethreefellowsmusthavebeenwatchinguscloserthanwethoughtfor,aswesoonhadproved.
Forcomingthroughthenarrows,wehadtolieverynearthesouthernpoint,andtherewesawallthreeofthemkneelingtogetheronaspitofsand,withtheirarmsraisedinsupplication.
Itwenttoallourhearts,Ithink,toleavetheminthatwretchedstate;butwecouldnotriskanothermutiny;andtotakethemhomeforthegibbetwouldhavebeenacruelsortofkindness.
Thedoctorhailedthemandtoldthemofthestoreswehadleft,andwheretheyweretofindthem.
Buttheycontinuedtocallusbynameandappealtous,forGod’ssake,tobemercifulandnotleavethemtodieinsuchaplace.
Atlast,seeingtheshipstillboreonhercourseandwasnowswiftlydrawingoutofearshot,oneofthem—Iknownotwhichitwas—leapttohisfeetwithahoarsecry,whippedhismuskettohisshoulder,andsentashotwhistlingoverSilver’sheadandthroughthemain-sail.
Afterthat,wekeptundercoverofthebulwarks,andwhennextIlookedouttheyhaddisappearedfromthespit,andthespititselfhadalmostmeltedoutofsightinthegrowingdistance.
Thatwas,atleast,theendofthat;andbeforenoon,tomyinexpressiblejoy,thehighestrockofTreasureIslandhadsunkintotheblueroundofsea.
Weweresoshortofmenthateveryoneonboardhadtobearahand—onlythecaptainlyingonamattressinthesternandgivinghisorders,forthoughgreatlyrecoveredhewasstillinwantofquiet.
WelaidherheadforthenearestportinSpanishAmerica,forwecouldnotriskthevoyagehomewithoutfreshhands;andasitwas,whatwithbafflingwindsandacoupleoffreshgales,wewereallwornoutbeforewereachedit.
Itwasjustatsundownwhenwecastanchorinamostbeautifulland-lockedgulf,andwereimmediatelysurroundedbyshoreboatsfullofNegroesandMexicanIndiansandhalf-bloodssellingfruitsandvegetablesandofferingtodiveforbitsofmoney.
Thesightofsomanygood-humouredfaces(especiallytheblacks),thetasteofthetropicalfruits,andaboveallthelightsthatbegantoshineinthetownmadeamostcharmingcontrasttoourdarkandbloodysojournontheisland;andthedoctorandthesquire,takingmealongwiththem,wentashoretopasstheearlypartofthenight.
HeretheymetthecaptainofanEnglishman-of-war,fellintalkwithhim,wentonboardhisship,and,inshort,hadsoagreeableatimethatdaywasbreakingwhenwecamealongsidetheHispaniola.
BenGunnwasondeckalone,andassoonaswecameonboardhebegan,withwonderfulcontortions,tomakeusaconfession.Silverwasgone.
Themaroonhadconnivedathisescapeinashoreboatsomehoursago,andhenowassuredushehadonlydonesotopreserveourlives,whichwouldcertainlyhavebeenforfeitif“thatmanwiththeoneleghadstayedaboard.”Butthiswasnotall.Thesea-cookhadnotgoneempty-handed.
Hehadcutthroughabulkheadunobservedandhadremovedoneofthesacksofcoin,worthperhapsthreeorfourhundredguineas,tohelphimonhisfurtherwanderings.
Ithinkwewereallpleasedtobesocheaplyquitofhim.
Well,tomakealongstoryshort,wegotafewhandsonboard,madeagoodcruisehome,andtheHispaniolareachedBristoljustasMr.Blandlywasbeginningtothinkoffittingoutherconsort.
Fivemenonlyofthosewhohadsailedreturnedwithher.
“Drinkandthedevilhaddonefortherest,”withavengeance,although,tobesure,wewerenotquiteinsobadacaseasthatothershiptheysangabout:
Withonemanofhercrewalive,
Whatputtoseawithseventy-five.
Allofushadanampleshareofthetreasureanduseditwiselyorfoolishly,accordingtoournatures.
CaptainSmollettisnowretiredfromthesea.
Graynotonlysavedhismoney,butbeingsuddenlysmitwiththedesiretorise,alsostudiedhisprofession,andheisnowmateandpartownerofafinefull-riggedship,marriedbesides,andthefatherofafamily.
AsforBenGunn,hegotathousandpounds,whichhespentorlostinthreeweeks,ortobemoreexact,innineteendays,forhewasbackbeggingonthetwentieth.
Thenhewasgivenalodgetokeep,exactlyashehadfearedupontheisland;andhestilllives,agreatfavourite,thoughsomethingofabutt,withthecountryboys,andanotablesingerinchurchonSundaysandsaints’days.
OfSilverwehaveheardnomore.Thatformidableseafaringmanwithoneleghasatlastgonecleanoutofmylife;butIdaresayhemethisoldNegress,andperhapsstilllivesincomfortwithherandCaptainFlint.
Itistobehopedso,Isuppose,forhischancesofcomfortinanotherworldareverysmall.
Thebarsilverandthearmsstilllie,forallthatIknow,whereFlintburiedthem;andcertainlytheyshallliethereforme.
Oxenandwain-ropeswouldnotbringmebackagaintothataccursedisland;andtheworstdreamsthateverIhavearewhenIhearthesurfboomingaboutitscoastsorstartuprightinbedwiththesharpvoiceofCaptainFlintstillringinginmyears:“Piecesofeight!Piecesofeight!”
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