The Project Gutenberg EBook of Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson This eBook is for the use of anyone

any here at no cost and ith al!ost no restrictions hatsoever" #ou !ay co$y it, give it a ay or re%use it under the ter!s of the Project Gutenberg License included ith this eBook or online at "gutenberg"org Title& Treasure Island 'uthor& Robert Louis Stevenson Release (ate& )ebruary *+, *,,- .EBook /0*,1 Last 2$dated& 3ove!ber 4, *,0* Language& English 555 ST'RT 6) T7IS PR68E9T G2TE3BERG EB66: TRE'S2RE ISL'3( 555

Produced by 8udy Boss, 8ohn 7a!! and (avid ;idger

TREASURE ISLAND
by Robert Louis Stevenson

CONTENTS TREASURE ISLAND PART ONE 1 2 3 4 5

6 PART TWO 7 8 9 10 11 12 PART THREE 13 14 15 PART FOUR 16 17 18 19 20 21 PART FIVE 22 23 24 25 26 27 PART SIX 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 THE OLD BUCCANEER THE OLD SEA-DOG AT THE ADMIRAL BENBOW BLACK DOG APPEARS AND DISAPPEARS THE BLACK SPOT THE SEA-CHEST THE LAST OF THE BLIND MAN THE CAPTAIN S PAPERS THE SEA-COOK I GO TO BRISTOL AT THE SIGN OF THE SP!-GLASS

POWDER AND ARMS THE "O!AGE WHAT I HEARD IN THE APPLE BARREL CO#NCIL OF WAR MY SHORE ADVENTURE HOW M! SHORE AD"ENT#RE BEGAN THE FIRST BLOW THE MAN OF THE ISLAND THE STOCKADE HOW THE SHIP WAS ABANDONED THE $OLL!-BOAT S LAST TRIP END OF THE FIRST DA! S FIGHTING THE GARRISON IN THE STOCKADE SIL"ER S EMBASS! THE ATTACK MY SEA ADVENTURE HOW M! SEA AD"ENT#RE BEGAN THE EBB-TIDE R#NS THE CR#ISE OF THE CORACLE I STRIKE THE $OLL! ROGER ISRAEL HANDS %PIECES OF EIGHT% CAPTAIN SILVER IN THE ENEM! S CAMP THE BLACK SPOT AGAIN ON PAROLE FLINT S POINTER THE "OICE AMONG THE TREES THE FALL OF A CHIEFTAIN AND LAST

TREASURE ISLAND
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T6 T7E 7ESIT'TI3G P2R97'SER If sailor tales to sailor tunes, Stor! and adventure, heat and cold, If schooners, islands, and !aroons, 'nd buccaneers, and buried gold, 'nd all the old ro!ance, retold E<actly in the ancient ay, 9an $lease, as !e they $leased of old, The iser youngsters of today& =So be it, and fall on> If not, If studious youth no longer crave, 7is ancient a$$etites forgot, :ingston, or Ballantyne the brave, 6r 9oo$er of the ood and ave& So be it, also> 'nd !ay I 'nd all !y $irates share the grave ;here these and their creations lie>

TREASURE ISLAND PART ONEThe Old Buccaneer

The Old Sea!do" at the Ad#iral Benbo$

S?2IRE TREL';3E#, (r" Livesey, and the rest of these gentle!en having asked !e to rite do n the hole $articulars about Treasure Island, fro! the beginning to the end, kee$ing nothing back but the bearings of the island, and that only because there is still treasure not yet lifted, I take u$ !y $en in the year of grace 0@AA and go back to the ti!e hen !y father ke$t the 'd!iral Benbo inn and the bro n old sea!an ith the sabre cut first took u$ his lodging under our roof" I re!e!ber hi! as if it ere yesterday, as he ca!e $lodding to the inn door, his sea%chest follo ing behind hi! in a hand%barro =a tall, strong, heavy, nut%bro n !an, his tarry $igtail falling over the shoulder of his soiled blue coat, his hands ragged and scarred, ith black, broken nails, and the sabre cut across one cheek, a dirty, livid hite" I re!e!ber hi! looking round the cover and histling to hi!self as he did so, and then breaking out in that old sea% song that he sang so often after ards&
B)ifteen !en on the dead !anCs chest= #o%ho%ho, and a bottle of ru!>B

in the high, old tottering voice that see!ed to have been tuned and broken at the ca$stan bars" Then he ra$$ed on the door ith a bit of stick like a hands$ike that he carried, and hen !y father a$$eared, called roughly for a glass of ru!" This, hen it as brought to hi!, he drank slo ly, like a connoisseur, lingering on the taste and still looking about hi! at the cliffs and u$ at our signboard" BThis is a handy cove,B says he at lengthD Band a $leasant sittyated grog%sho$" Euch co!$any, !ateFB Ey father told hi! no, very little co!$any, the !ore as the $ity" B;ell, then,B said he, Bthis is the berth for !e" 7ere you, !atey,B he cried to the !an ho trundled the barro D Bbring u$ alongside and hel$ u$ !y chest" ICll stay here a bit,B he continued" BIC! a $lain !anD ru! and bacon and eggs is hat I ant, and that head u$ there for to atch shi$s off" ;hat you !ought call !eF #ou !ought call !e ca$tain" 6h, I see hat youCre at=thereBD and he thre do n three or four gold $ieces on the threshold" B#ou can tell !e hen ICve orked through that,B says he, looking as fierce as a co!!ander" 'nd indeed bad as his clothes ere and coarsely as he s$oke, he had none of the a$$earance of a !an ho sailed before the !ast, but see!ed like a !ate or ski$$er accusto!ed to be obeyed or to strike" The !an ho ca!e ith the barro told us the !ail had set hi! do n the !orning before at the Royal George, that he had inGuired hat inns there ere along the coast, and hearing ours ell s$oken of, I su$$ose, and described as lonely, had chosen it

fro! the others for his $lace of residence" 'nd that as all e could learn of our guest" 7e as a very silent !an by custo!" 'll day he hung round the cove or u$on the cliffs ith a brass telesco$eD all evening he sat in a corner of the $arlour ne<t the fire and drank ru! and ater very strong" Eostly he ould not s$eak hen s$oken to, only look u$ sudden and fierce and blo through his nose like a fog%hornD and e and the $eo$le ho ca!e about our house soon learned to let hi! be" Every day hen he ca!e back fro! his stroll he ould ask if any seafaring !en had gone by along the road" 't first e thought it as the ant of co!$any of his o n kind that !ade hi! ask this Guestion, but at last e began to see he as desirous to avoid the!" ;hen a sea!an did $ut u$ at the 'd!iral Benbo Has no and then so!e did, !aking by the coast road for BristolI he ould look in at hi! through the curtained door before he entered the $arlourD and he as al ays sure to be as silent as a !ouse hen any such as $resent" )or !e, at least, there as no secret about the !atter, for I as, in a ay, a sharer in his alar!s" 7e had taken !e aside one day and $ro!ised !e a silver four$enny on the first of every !onth if I ould only kee$ !y B eather%eye o$en for a seafaring !an ith one legB and let hi! kno the !o!ent he a$$eared" 6ften enough hen the first of the !onth ca!e round and I a$$lied to hi! for !y age, he ould only blo through his nose at !e and stare !e do n, but before the eek as out he as sure to think better of it, bring !e !y four%$enny $iece, and re$eat his orders to look out for Bthe seafaring !an ith one leg"B 7o that $ersonage haunted !y drea!s, I need scarcely tell you" 6n stor!y nights, hen the ind shook the four corners of the house and the surf roared along the cove and u$ the cliffs, I ould see hi! in a thousand for!s, and ith a thousand diabolical e<$ressions" 3o the leg ould be cut off at the knee, no at the hi$D no he as a !onstrous kind of a creature ho had never had but the one leg, and that in the !iddle of his body" To see hi! lea$ and run and $ursue !e over hedge and ditch as the orst of night!ares" 'nd altogether I $aid $retty dear for !y !onthly four$enny $iece, in the sha$e of these abo!inable fancies" But though I as so terrified by the idea of the seafaring !an ith one leg, I as far less afraid of the ca$tain hi!self than anybody else ho kne hi!" There ere nights hen he took a deal !ore ru! and ater than his head ould carryD and then he ould so!eti!es sit and sing his icked, old, ild sea%songs, !inding nobodyD but so!eti!es he ould call for glasses round and force all the tre!bling co!$any to listen to his stories or bear a chorus to his singing" 6ften I have heard the house shaking ith B#o%ho%ho, and a bottle of ru!,B all the neighbours joining in for dear life, ith the fear of death u$on the!, and each singing louder than the other to avoid re!ark" )or in these fits he as the !ost overriding co!$anion ever kno nD he ould sla$ his hand on the table for silence all roundD he ould fly u$ in a $assion of anger at a Guestion, or so!eti!es because none as $ut, and so he judged the co!$any as not follo ing his story" 3or ould he allo anyone to leave the inn till he had drunk hi!self slee$y and reeled off to bed" 7is stories ere hat frightened $eo$le orst of all" (readful stories they ere=about hanging, and alking the $lank, and stor!s at sea, and the (ry

Tortugas, and ild deeds and $laces on the S$anish Eain" By his o n account he !ust have lived his life a!ong so!e of the ickedest !en that God ever allo ed u$on the sea, and the language in hich he told these stories shocked our $lain country $eo$le al!ost as !uch as the cri!es that he described" Ey father as al ays saying the inn ould be ruined, for $eo$le ould soon cease co!ing there to be tyranniJed over and $ut do n, and sent shivering to their bedsD but I really believe his $resence did us good" Peo$le ere frightened at the ti!e, but on looking back they rather liked itD it as a fine e<cite!ent in a Guiet country life, and there as even a $arty of the younger !en ho $retended to ad!ire hi!, calling hi! a Btrue sea%dogB and a Breal old saltB and such like na!es, and saying there as the sort of !an that !ade England terrible at sea" In one ay, indeed, he bade fair to ruin us, for he ke$t on staying eek after eek, and at last !onth after !onth, so that all the !oney had been long e<hausted, and still !y father never $lucked u$ the heart to insist on having !ore" If ever he !entioned it, the ca$tain ble through his nose so loudly that you !ight say he roared, and stared !y $oor father out of the roo!" I have seen hi! ringing his hands after such a rebuff, and I a! sure the annoyance and the terror he lived in !ust have greatly hastened his early and unha$$y death" 'll the ti!e he lived ith us the ca$tain !ade no change hatever in his dress but to buy so!e stockings fro! a ha ker" 6ne of the cocks of his hat having fallen do n, he let it hang fro! that day forth, though it as a great annoyance hen it ble " I re!e!ber the a$$earance of his coat, hich he $atched hi!self u$stairs in his roo!, and hich, before the end, as nothing but $atches" 7e never rote or received a letter, and he never s$oke ith any but the neighbours, and ith these, for the !ost $art, only hen drunk on ru!" The great sea%chest none of us had ever seen o$en" 7e as only once crossed, and that as to ards the end, hen !y $oor father as far gone in a decline that took hi! off" (r" Livesey ca!e late one afternoon to see the $atient, took a bit of dinner fro! !y !other, and ent into the $arlour to s!oke a $i$e until his horse should co!e do n fro! the ha!let, for e had no stabling at the old Benbo " I follo ed hi! in, and I re!e!ber observing the contrast the neat, bright doctor, ith his $o der as hite as sno and his bright, black eyes and $leasant !anners, !ade ith the coltish country folk, and above all, ith that filthy, heavy, bleared scarecro of a $irate of ours, sitting, far gone in ru!, ith his ar!s on the table" Suddenly he=the ca$tain, that is=began to $i$e u$ his eternal song&
B)ifteen !en on the dead !anCs chest= #o%ho%ho, and a bottle of ru!> (rink and the devil had done for the rest= #o%ho%ho, and a bottle of ru!>B

't first I had su$$osed Bthe dead !anCs chestB to be that identical big bo< of his u$stairs in the front roo!, and the thought had been !ingled in !y night!ares ith that of the one%legged seafaring !an" But by this ti!e e had all long ceased to $ay any $articular notice to the songD it as ne , that night, to nobody but (r" Livesey, and on hi! I observed it did not $roduce an

agreeable effect, for he looked u$ for a !o!ent Guite angrily before he ent on ith his talk to old Taylor, the gardener, on a ne cure for the rheu!atics" In the !eanti!e, the ca$tain gradually brightened u$ at his o n !usic, and at last fla$$ed his hand u$on the table before hi! in a ay e all kne to !ean silence" The voices sto$$ed at once, all but (r" LiveseyCsD he ent on as before s$eaking clear and kind and dra ing briskly at his $i$e bet een every ord or t o" The ca$tain glared at hi! for a hile, fla$$ed his hand again, glared still harder, and at last broke out ith a villainous, lo oath, BSilence, there, bet een decks>B B;ere you addressing !e, sirFB says the doctorD and hen the ruffian had told hi!, ith another oath, that this as so, BI have only one thing to say to you, sir,B re$lies the doctor, Bthat if you kee$ on drinking ru!, the orld ill soon be Guit of a very dirty scoundrel>B The old fello Cs fury as a ful" 7e s$rang to his feet, dre and o$ened a sailorCs clas$%knife, and balancing it o$en on the $al! of his hand, threatened to $in the doctor to the all" The doctor never so !uch as !oved" 7e s$oke to hi! as before, over his shoulder and in the sa!e tone of voice, rather high, so that all the roo! !ight hear, but $erfectly cal! and steady& BIf you do not $ut that knife this instant in your $ocket, I $ro!ise, u$on !y honour, you shall hang at the ne<t assiJes"B Then follo ed a battle of looks bet een the!, but the ca$tain soon knuckled under, $ut u$ his ea$on, and resu!ed his seat, gru!bling like a beaten dog" B'nd no , sir,B continued the doctor, Bsince I no kno thereCs such a fello in !y district, you !ay count ICll have an eye u$on you day and night" IC! not a doctor onlyD IC! a !agistrateD and if I catch a breath of co!$laint against you, if itCs only for a $iece of incivility like tonightCs, ICll take effectual !eans to have you hunted do n and routed out of this" Let that suffice"B Soon after, (r" LiveseyCs horse ca!e to the door and he rode a ay, but the ca$tain held his $eace that evening, and for !any evenings to co!e"

%
Blac& Do" A''ears and Disa''ears
IT as not very long after this that there occurred the first of the !ysterious events that rid us at last of the ca$tain, though not, as you ill see, of his affairs" It as a bitter cold inter, ith long, hard frosts and heavy galesD and it as $lain fro! the first that !y $oor father as little likely to see the s$ring" 7e sank daily, and !y !other and I had all the inn u$on our hands, and ere ke$t busy enough ithout $aying !uch regard to our un$leasant guest" It as one 8anuary !orning, very early=a $inching, frosty !orning=the cove all grey ith hoar%frost, the ri$$le la$$ing softly on the stones, the sun still lo and only touching the hillto$s and shining far to sea ard" The ca$tain had risen earlier than usual and set out do n the beach, his cutlass s inging under the broad skirts of the old blue coat, his brass telesco$e under his ar!,

his hat tilted back u$on his head" I re!e!ber his breath hanging like s!oke in his ake as he strode off, and the last sound I heard of hi! as he turned the big rock as a loud snort of indignation, as though his !ind as still running u$on (r" Livesey" ;ell, !other as u$stairs ith father and I as laying the breakfast%table against the ca$tainCs return hen the $arlour door o$ened and a !an ste$$ed in on ho! I had never set !y eyes before" 7e as a $ale, tallo y creature, anting t o fingers of the left hand, and though he ore a cutlass, he did not look !uch like a fighter" I had al ays !y eye o$en for seafaring !en, ith one leg or t o, and I re!e!ber this one $uJJled !e" 7e as not sailorly, and yet he had a s!ack of the sea about hi! too" I asked hi! hat as for his service, and he said he ould take ru!D but as I as going out of the roo! to fetch it, he sat do n u$on a table and !otioned !e to dra near" I $aused here I as, ith !y na$kin in !y hand" B9o!e here, sonny,B says he" B9o!e nearer here"B I took a ste$ nearer" BIs this here table for !y !ate BillFB he asked ith a kind of leer" I told hi! I did not kno his !ate Bill, and this as for a $erson ho stayed in our house ho! e called the ca$tain" B;ell,B said he, B!y !ate Bill ould be called the ca$tain, as like as not" 7e has a cut on one cheek and a !ighty $leasant ay ith hi!, $articularly in drink, has !y !ate Bill" ;eCll $ut it, for argu!ent like, that your ca$tain has a cut on one cheek=and eCll $ut it, if you like, that that cheekCs the right one" 'h, ell> I told you" 3o , is !y !ate Bill in this here houseFB I told hi! he as out alking" B;hich ay, sonnyF ;hich ay is he goneFB 'nd hen I had $ointed out the rock and told hi! ho the ca$tain as likely to return, and ho soon, and ans ered a fe other Guestions, B'h,B said he, BthisCll be as good as drink to !y !ate Bill"B The e<$ression of his face as he said these ords as not at all $leasant, and I had !y o n reasons for thinking that the stranger as !istaken, even su$$osing he !eant hat he said" But it as no affair of !ine, I thoughtD and besides, it as difficult to kno hat to do" The stranger ke$t hanging about just inside the inn door, $eering round the corner like a cat aiting for a !ouse" 6nce I ste$$ed out !yself into the road, but he i!!ediately called !e back, and as I did not obey Guick enough for his fancy, a !ost horrible change ca!e over his tallo y face, and he ordered !e in ith an oath that !ade !e ju!$" 's soon as I as back again he returned to his for!er !anner, half fa ning, half sneering, $atted !e on the shoulder, told !e I as a good boy and he had taken Guite a fancy to !e" BI have a son of !y o n,B said he, Bas like you as t o blocks, and heCs all the $ride of !y Cart" But the great thing for boys is disci$line, sonny=disci$line" 3o , if you had sailed along of Bill, you ouldnCt have stood there to be s$oke to t ice=not you" That as never BillCs ay, nor the ay of sich as sailed ith hi!" 'nd here, sure enough, is !y !ate Bill, ith a s$y%glass under his ar!, bless his old Cart, to be sure" #ou and !eCll just go back into the $arlour, sonny, and get behind the door, and eCll give Bill a little sur$rise=bless his Cart, I say again"B

So saying, the stranger backed along ith !e into the $arlour and $ut !e behind hi! in the corner so that e ere both hidden by the o$en door" I as very uneasy and alar!ed, as you !ay fancy, and it rather added to !y fears to observe that the stranger as certainly frightened hi!self" 7e cleared the hilt of his cutlass and loosened the blade in the sheathD and all the ti!e e ere aiting there he ke$t s allo ing as if he felt hat e used to call a lu!$ in the throat" 't last in strode the ca$tain, sla!!ed the door behind hi!, ithout looking to the right or left, and !arched straight across the roo! to here his breakfast a aited hi!" BBill,B said the stranger in a voice that I thought he had tried to !ake bold and big" The ca$tain s$un round on his heel and fronted usD all the bro n had gone out of his face, and even his nose as blueD he had the look of a !an ho sees a ghost, or the evil one, or so!ething orse, if anything can beD and u$on !y ord, I felt sorry to see hi! all in a !o!ent turn so old and sick" B9o!e, Bill, you kno !eD you kno an old shi$!ate, Bill, surely,B said the stranger" The ca$tain !ade a sort of gas$" BBlack (og>B said he" B'nd ho elseFB returned the other, getting !ore at his ease" BBlack (og as ever as, co!e for to see his old shi$!ate Billy, at the 'd!iral Benbo inn" 'h, Bill, Bill, e have seen a sight of ti!es, us t o, since I lost the! t o talons,B holding u$ his !utilated hand" B3o , look here,B said the ca$tainD ByouCve run !e do nD here I a!D ell, then, s$eak u$D hat is itFB BThatCs you, Bill,B returned Black (og, ByouCre in the right of it, Billy" ICll have a glass of ru! fro! this dear child here, as ICve took such a liking toD and eCll sit do n, if you $lease, and talk sGuare, like old shi$!ates"B ;hen I returned ith the ru!, they ere already seated on either side of the ca$tainCs breakfast%table=Black (og ne<t to the door and sitting side ays so as to have one eye on his old shi$!ate and one, as I thought, on his retreat" 7e bade !e go and leave the door ide o$en" B3one of your keyholes for !e, sonny,B he saidD and I left the! together and retired into the bar" )or a long ti!e, though I certainly did !y best to listen, I could hear nothing but a lo gattlingD but at last the voices began to gro higher, and I could $ick u$ a ord or t o, !ostly oaths, fro! the ca$tain" B3o, no, no, noD and an end of it>B he cried once" 'nd again, BIf it co!es to s inging, s ing all, say I"B Then all of a sudden there as a tre!endous e<$losion of oaths and other noises=the chair and table ent over in a lu!$, a clash of steel follo ed, and then a cry of $ain, and the ne<t instant I sa Black (og in full flight, and the ca$tain hotly $ursuing, both ith dra n cutlasses, and the for!er strea!ing blood fro! the left shoulder" 8ust at the door the ca$tain ai!ed at the fugitive one last tre!endous cut, hich ould certainly have s$lit hi! to the chine had it not been interce$ted by our big signboard of 'd!iral Benbo " #ou !ay see the notch on the lo er side of the fra!e to this day"

That blo as the last of the battle" 6nce out u$on the road, Black (og, in s$ite of his ound, sho ed a onderful clean $air of heels and disa$$eared over the edge of the hill in half a !inute" The ca$tain, for his $art, stood staring at the signboard like a be ildered !an" Then he $assed his hand over his eyes several ti!es and at last turned back into the house" B8i!,B says he, Bru!BD and as he s$oke, he reeled a little, and caught hi!self ith one hand against the all" B're you hurtFB cried I" BRu!,B he re$eated" BI !ust get a ay fro! here" Ru!> Ru!>B I ran to fetch it, but I as Guite unsteadied by all that had fallen out, and I broke one glass and fouled the ta$, and hile I as still getting in !y o n ay, I heard a loud fall in the $arlour, and running in, beheld the ca$tain lying full length u$on the floor" 't the sa!e instant !y !other, alar!ed by the cries and fighting, ca!e running do nstairs to hel$ !e" Bet een us e raised his head" 7e as breathing very loud and hard, but his eyes ere closed and his face a horrible colour" B(ear, deary !e,B cried !y !other, B hat a disgrace u$on the house> 'nd your $oor father sick>B In the !eanti!e, e had no idea hat to do to hel$ the ca$tain, nor any other thought but that he had got his death%hurt in the scuffle ith the stranger" I got the ru!, to be sure, and tried to $ut it do n his throat, but his teeth ere tightly shut and his ja s as strong as iron" It as a ha$$y relief for us hen the door o$ened and (octor Livesey ca!e in, on his visit to !y father" B6h, doctor,B e cried, B hat shall e doF ;here is he oundedFB B;oundedF ' fiddle%stickCs end>B said the doctor" B3o !ore ounded than you or I" The !an has had a stroke, as I arned hi!" 3o , Ers" 7a kins, just you run u$stairs to your husband and tell hi!, if $ossible, nothing about it" )or !y $art, I !ust do !y best to save this fello Cs trebly orthless lifeD 8i!, you get !e a basin"B ;hen I got back ith the basin, the doctor had already ri$$ed u$ the ca$tainCs sleeve and e<$osed his great sine y ar!" It as tattooed in several $laces" B7ereCs luck,B B' fair ind,B and BBilly Bones his fancy,B ere very neatly and clearly e<ecuted on the forear!D and u$ near the shoulder there as a sketch of a gallo s and a !an hanging fro! it=done, as I thought, ith great s$irit" BPro$hetic,B said the doctor, touching this $icture ith his finger" B'nd no , Easter Billy Bones, if that be your na!e, eCll have a look at the colour of your blood" 8i!,B he said, Bare you afraid of bloodFB B3o, sir,B said I" B;ell, then,B said he, Byou hold the basinBD and ith that he took his lancet and o$ened a vein" ' great deal of blood as taken before the ca$tain o$ened his eyes and looked !istily about hi!" )irst he recogniJed the doctor ith an un!istakable fro nD then his glance fell u$on !e, and he looked relieved" But suddenly his colour changed, and he tried to raise hi!self, crying, B;hereCs Black (ogFB BThere is no Black (og here,B said the doctor, Be<ce$t hat you have on your o n back" #ou have been drinking ru!D you have had a stroke, $recisely as I told youD and I have just, very !uch against !y o n ill, dragged you headfore!ost out of the grave" 3o , Er" Bones=B

BThatCs not !y na!e,B he interru$ted" BEuch I care,B returned the doctor" BItCs the na!e of a buccaneer of !y acGuaintanceD and I call you by it for the sake of shortness, and hat I have to say to you is thisD one glass of ru! onCt kill you, but if you take one youCll take another and another, and I stake !y ig if you donCt break off short, youCll die=do you understand thatF=die, and go to your o n $lace, like the !an in the Bible" 9o!e, no , !ake an effort" ICll hel$ you to your bed for once"B Bet een us, ith !uch trouble, e !anaged to hoist hi! u$stairs, and laid hi! on his bed, here his head fell back on the $illo as if he ere al!ost fainting" B3o , !ind you,B said the doctor, BI clear !y conscience=the na!e of ru! for you is death"B 'nd ith that he ent off to see !y father, taking !e ith hi! by the ar!" BThis is nothing,B he said as soon as he had closed the door" BI have dra n blood enough to kee$ hi! Guiet a hileD he should lie for a eek here he is= that is the best thing for hi! and youD but another stroke ould settle hi!"B

(
The Blac& S'ot
'B62T noon I sto$$ed at the ca$tainCs door ith so!e cooling drinks and !edicines" 7e as lying very !uch as e had left hi!, only a little higher, and he see!ed both eak and e<cited" B8i!,B he said, ByouCre the only one here thatCs orth anything, and you kno ICve been al ays good to you" 3ever a !onth but ICve given you a silver four$enny for yourself" 'nd no you see, !ate, IC! $retty lo , and deserted by allD and 8i!, youCll bring !e one noggin of ru!, no , onCt you, !ateyFB BThe doctor=B I began" But he broke in cursing the doctor, in a feeble voice but heartily" B(octors is all s abs,B he saidD Band that doctor there, hy, hat do he kno about seafaring !enF I been in $laces hot as $itch, and !ates dro$$ing round ith #ello 8ack, and the blessed land a%heaving like the sea ith earthGuakes= hat to the doctor kno of lands like thatF=and I lived on ru!, I tell you" ItCs been !eat and drink, and !an and ife, to !eD and if IC! not to have !y ru! no IC! a $oor old hulk on a lee shore, !y bloodCll be on you, 8i!, and that doctor s abBD and he ran on again for a hile ith curses" BLook, 8i!, ho !y fingers fidges,B he continued in the $leading tone" BI canCt kee$ Ce! still, not I" I havenCt had a dro$ this blessed day" That doctorCs a fool, I tell you" If I donCt have a drain oC ru!, 8i!, ICll have the horrorsD I seen so!e on Ce! already" I seen old )lint in the corner there, behind youD as $lain as $rint, I seen hi!D and if I get the horrors, IC! a !an that has lived rough, and ICll raise 9ain" #our doctor hisself said one glass ouldnCt hurt !e" ICll give you a golden guinea for a noggin, 8i!"B

7e as gro ing !ore and !ore e<cited, and this alar!ed !e for !y father, ho as very lo that day and needed GuietD besides, I as reassured by the doctorCs ords, no Guoted to !e, and rather offended by the offer of a bribe" BI ant none of your !oney,B said I, Bbut hat you o e !y father" ICll get you one glass, and no !ore"B ;hen I brought it to hi!, he seiJed it greedily and drank it out" B'ye, aye,B said he, BthatCs so!e better, sure enough" 'nd no , !atey, did that doctor say ho long I as to lie here in this old berthFB B' eek at least,B said I" BThunder>B he cried" B' eek> I canCt do thatD theyCd have the black s$ot on !e by then" The lubbers is going about to get the ind of !e this blessed !o!entD lubbers as couldnCt kee$ hat they got, and ant to nail hat is anotherCs" Is that sea!anly behaviour, no , I ant to kno F But IC! a saving soul" I never asted good !oney of !ine, nor lost it neitherD and ICll trick Ce! again" IC! not afraid on Ce!" ICll shake out another reef, !atey, and daddle Ce! again"B 's he as thus s$eaking, he had risen fro! bed ith great difficulty, holding to !y shoulder ith a gri$ that al!ost !ade !e cry out, and !oving his legs like so !uch dead eight" 7is ords, s$irited as they ere in !eaning, contrasted sadly ith the eakness of the voice in hich they ere uttered" 7e $aused hen he had got into a sitting $osition on the edge" BThat doctorCs done !e,B he !ur!ured" BEy ears is singing" Lay !e back"B Before I could do !uch to hel$ hi! he had fallen back again to his for!er $lace, here he lay for a hile silent" B8i!,B he said at length, Byou sa that seafaring !an todayFB BBlack (ogFB I asked" B'h> Black (og,B says he" B7ECS a bad unD but thereCs orse that $ut hi! on" 3o , if I canCt get a ay noho , and they ti$ !e the black s$ot, !ind you, itCs !y old sea%chest theyCre afterD you get on a horse=you can, canCt youF ;ell, then, you get on a horse, and go to= ell, yes, I ill>=to that eternal doctor s ab, and tell hi! to $i$e all hands=!agistrates and sich=and heCll lay Ce! aboard at the 'd!iral Benbo =all old )lintCs cre , !an and boy, all on Ce! thatCs left" I as first !ate, I as, old )lintCs first !ate, and IC! the onCy one as kno s the $lace" 7e gave it !e at Savannah, hen he lay a%dying, like as if I as to no , you see" But you onCt $each unless they get the black s$ot on !e, or unless you see that Black (og again or a seafaring !an ith one leg, 8i!=hi! above all"B BBut hat is the black s$ot, ca$tainFB I asked" BThatCs a su!!ons, !ate" ICll tell you if they get that" But you kee$ your eather%eye o$en, 8i!, and ICll share ith you eGuals, u$on !y honour"B 7e andered a little longer, his voice gro ing eakerD but soon after I had given hi! his !edicine, hich he took like a child, ith the re!ark, BIf ever a sea!an anted drugs, itCs !e,B he fell at last into a heavy, s oon%like slee$, in hich I left hi!" ;hat I should have done had all gone ell I do not kno " Probably I should have told the hole story to the doctor, for I as in !ortal fear lest the ca$tain should re$ent of his confessions and !ake an end of !e" But as things fell out, !y $oor father died Guite suddenly that evening, hich $ut all other !atters on one side" 6ur natural distress, the visits of the

neighbours, the arranging of the funeral, and all the ork of the inn to be carried on in the !ean hile ke$t !e so busy that I had scarcely ti!e to think of the ca$tain, far less to be afraid of hi!" 7e got do nstairs ne<t !orning, to be sure, and had his !eals as usual, though he ate little and had !ore, I a! afraid, than his usual su$$ly of ru!, for he hel$ed hi!self out of the bar, sco ling and blo ing through his nose, and no one dared to cross hi!" 6n the night before the funeral he as as drunk as everD and it as shocking, in that house of !ourning, to hear hi! singing a ay at his ugly old sea%songD but eak as he as, e ere all in the fear of death for hi!, and the doctor as suddenly taken u$ ith a case !any !iles a ay and as never near the house after !y fatherCs death" I have said the ca$tain as eak, and indeed he see!ed rather to gro eaker than regain his strength" 7e cla!bered u$ and do n stairs, and ent fro! the $arlour to the bar and back again, and so!eti!es $ut his nose out of doors to s!ell the sea, holding on to the alls as he ent for su$$ort and breathing hard and fast like a !an on a stee$ !ountain" 7e never $articularly addressed !e, and it is !y belief he had as good as forgotten his confidencesD but his te!$er as !ore flighty, and allo ing for his bodily eakness, !ore violent than ever" 7e had an alar!ing ay no hen he as drunk of dra ing his cutlass and laying it bare before hi! on the table" But ith all that, he !inded $eo$le less and see!ed shut u$ in his o n thoughts and rather andering" 6nce, for instance, to our e<tre!e onder, he $i$ed u$ to a different air, a kind of country love%song that he !ust have learned in his youth before he had begun to follo the sea" So things $assed until, the day after the funeral, and about three oCclock of a bitter, foggy, frosty afternoon, I as standing at the door for a !o!ent, full of sad thoughts about !y father, hen I sa so!eone dra ing slo ly near along the road" 7e as $lainly blind, for he ta$$ed before hi! ith a stick and ore a great green shade over his eyes and noseD and he as hunched, as if ith age or eakness, and ore a huge old tattered sea%cloak ith a hood that !ade hi! a$$ear $ositively defor!ed" I never sa in !y life a !ore dreadful% looking figure" 7e sto$$ed a little fro! the inn, and raising his voice in an odd sing%song, addressed the air in front of hi!, B;ill any kind friend infor! a $oor blind !an, ho has lost the $recious sight of his eyes in the gracious defence of his native country, England=and God bless :ing George>= here or in hat $art of this country he !ay no beFB B#ou are at the 'd!iral Benbo , Black 7ill 9ove, !y good !an,B said I" BI hear a voice,B said he, Ba young voice" ;ill you give !e your hand, !y kind young friend, and lead !e inFB I held out !y hand, and the horrible, soft%s$oken, eyeless creature gri$$ed it in a !o!ent like a vise" I as so !uch startled that I struggled to ithdra , but the blind !an $ulled !e close u$ to hi! ith a single action of his ar!" B3o , boy,B he said, Btake !e in to the ca$tain"B BSir,B said I, Bu$on !y ord I dare not"B B6h,B he sneered, BthatCs it> Take !e in straight or ICll break your ar!"B 'nd he gave it, as he s$oke, a rench that !ade !e cry out" BSir,B said I, Bit is for yourself I !ean" The ca$tain is not hat he used to be" 7e sits ith a dra n cutlass" 'nother gentle!an=B

B9o!e, no , !arch,B interru$ted heD and I never heard a voice so cruel, and cold, and ugly as that blind !anCs" It co ed !e !ore than the $ain, and I began to obey hi! at once, alking straight in at the door and to ards the $arlour, here our sick old buccaneer as sitting, daJed ith ru!" The blind !an clung close to !e, holding !e in one iron fist and leaning al!ost !ore of his eight on !e than I could carry" BLead !e straight u$ to hi!, and hen IC! in vie , cry out, C7ereCs a friend for you, Bill"C If you donCt, ICll do this,B and ith that he gave !e a t itch that I thought ould have !ade !e faint" Bet een this and that, I as so utterly terrified of the blind beggar that I forgot !y terror of the ca$tain, and as I o$ened the $arlour door, cried out the ords he had ordered in a tre!bling voice" The $oor ca$tain raised his eyes, and at one look the ru! ent out of hi! and left hi! staring sober" The e<$ression of his face as not so !uch of terror as of !ortal sickness" 7e !ade a !ove!ent to rise, but I do not believe he had enough force left in his body" B3o , Bill, sit here you are,B said the beggar" BIf I canCt see, I can hear a finger stirring" Business is business" 7old out your left hand" Boy, take his left hand by the rist and bring it near to !y right"B ;e both obeyed hi! to the letter, and I sa hi! $ass so!ething fro! the hollo of the hand that held his stick into the $al! of the ca$tainCs, hich closed u$on it instantly" B'nd no thatCs done,B said the blind !anD and at the ords he suddenly left hold of !e, and ith incredible accuracy and ni!bleness, ski$$ed out of the $arlour and into the road, here, as I still stood !otionless, I could hear his stick go ta$%ta$%ta$$ing into the distance" It as so!e ti!e before either I or the ca$tain see!ed to gather our senses, but at length, and about at the sa!e !o!ent, I released his rist, hich I as still holding, and he dre in his hand and looked shar$ly into the $al!" BTen oCclock>B he cried" BSi< hours" ;eCll do the! yet,B and he s$rang to his feet" Even as he did so, he reeled, $ut his hand to his throat, stood s aying for a !o!ent, and then, ith a $eculiar sound, fell fro! his hole height face fore!ost to the floor" I ran to hi! at once, calling to !y !other" But haste as all in vain" The ca$tain had been struck dead by thundering a$o$le<y" It is a curious thing to understand, for I had certainly never liked the !an, though of late I had begun to $ity hi!, but as soon as I sa that he as dead, I burst into a flood of tears" It as the second death I had kno n, and the sorro of the first as still fresh in !y heart"

)
The Sea!chest
I L6ST no ti!e, of course, in telling !y !other all that I kne , and $erha$s should have told her long before, and e sa ourselves at once in a difficult and dangerous $osition" So!e of the !anCs !oney=if he had any= as certainly due to us, but it as not likely that our ca$tainCs shi$!ates, above all the t o s$eci!ens seen by !e, Black (og and the blind beggar, ould be inclined to give u$ their booty in $ay!ent of the dead !anCs debts" The ca$tainCs order to !ount at once and ride for (octor Livesey ould have left !y !other alone and un$rotected, hich as not to be thought of" Indeed, it see!ed i!$ossible for either of us to re!ain !uch longer in the houseD the fall of coals in the kitchen grate, the very ticking of the clock, filled us ith alar!s" The neighbourhood, to our ears, see!ed haunted by a$$roaching footste$sD and hat bet een the dead body of the ca$tain on the $arlour floor and the thought of that detestable blind beggar hovering near at hand and ready to return, there ere !o!ents hen, as the saying goes, I ju!$ed in !y skin for terror" So!ething !ust s$eedily be resolved u$on, and it occurred to us at last to go forth together and seek hel$ in the neighbouring ha!let" 3o sooner said than done" Bare%headed as e ere, e ran out at once in the gathering evening and the frosty fog" The ha!let lay not !any hundred yards a ay, though out of vie , on the other side of the ne<t coveD and hat greatly encouraged !e, it as in an o$$osite direction fro! that hence the blind !an had !ade his a$$earance and hither he had $resu!ably returned" ;e ere not !any !inutes on the road, though e so!eti!es sto$$ed to lay hold of each other and hearken" But there as no unusual sound=nothing but the lo ash of the ri$$le and the croaking of the in!ates of the ood" It as already candle%light hen e reached the ha!let, and I shall never forget ho !uch I as cheered to see the yello shine in doors and indo sD but that, as it $roved, as the best of the hel$ e ere likely to get in that Guarter" )or=you ould have thought !en ould have been asha!ed of the!selves=no soul ould consent to return ith us to the 'd!iral Benbo " The !ore e told of our troubles, the !ore=!an, o!an, and child=they clung to the shelter of their houses" The na!e of 9a$tain )lint, though it as strange to !e, as ell enough kno n to so!e there and carried a great eight of terror" So!e of the !en ho had been to field% ork on the far side of the 'd!iral Benbo re!e!bered, besides, to have seen several strangers on the road, and taking the! to be s!ugglers, to have bolted a ayD and one at least had seen a little lugger in hat e called :ittCs 7ole" )or that !atter, anyone ho as a co!rade of the ca$tainCs as enough to frighten the! to

death" 'nd the short and the long of the !atter as, that hile e could get several ho ere illing enough to ride to (r" LiveseyCs, hich lay in another direction, not one ould hel$ us to defend the inn" They say co ardice is infectiousD but then argu!ent is, on the other hand, a great e!boldenerD and so hen each had said his say, !y !other !ade the! a s$eech" She ould not, she declared, lose !oney that belonged to her fatherless boyD BIf none of the rest of you dare,B she said, B8i! and I dare" Back e ill go, the ay e ca!e, and s!all thanks to you big, hulking, chicken% hearted !en" ;eCll have that chest o$en, if e die for it" 'nd ICll thank you for that bag, Ers" 9rossley, to bring back our la ful !oney in"B 6f course I said I ould go ith !y !other, and of course they all cried out at our foolhardiness, but even then not a !an ould go along ith us" 'll they ould do as to give !e a loaded $istol lest e ere attacked, and to $ro!ise to have horses ready saddled in case e ere $ursued on our return, hile one lad as to ride for ard to the doctorCs in search of ar!ed assistance" Ey heart as beating finely hen e t o set forth in the cold night u$on this dangerous venture" ' full !oon as beginning to rise and $eered redly through the u$$er edges of the fog, and this increased our haste, for it as $lain, before e ca!e forth again, that all ould be as bright as day, and our de$arture e<$osed to the eyes of any atchers" ;e sli$$ed along the hedges, noiseless and s ift, nor did e see or hear anything to increase our terrors, till, to our relief, the door of the 'd!iral Benbo had closed behind us" I sli$$ed the bolt at once, and e stood and $anted for a !o!ent in the dark, alone in the house ith the dead ca$tainCs body" Then !y !other got a candle in the bar, and holding each otherCs hands, e advanced into the $arlour" 7e lay as e had left hi!, on his back, ith his eyes o$en and one ar! stretched out" B(ra do n the blind, 8i!,B his$ered !y !otherD Bthey !ight co!e and atch outside" 'nd no ,B said she hen I had done so, B e have to get the key off T7'TD and hoCs to touch it, I should like to kno >B and she gave a kind of sob as she said the ords" I ent do n on !y knees at once" 6n the floor close to his hand there as a little round of $a$er, blackened on the one side" I could not doubt that this as the BL'9: SP6TD and taking it u$, I found ritten on the other side, in a very good, clear hand, this short !essage& B#ou have till ten tonight"B B7e had till ten, Eother,B said ID and just as I said it, our old clock began striking" This sudden noise startled us shockinglyD but the ne s as good, for it as only si<" B3o , 8i!,B she said, Bthat key"B I felt in his $ockets, one after another" ' fe s!all coins, a thi!ble, and so!e thread and big needles, a $iece of $igtail tobacco bitten a ay at the end, his gully ith the crooked handle, a $ocket co!$ass, and a tinder bo< ere all that they contained, and I began to des$air" BPerha$s itCs round his neck,B suggested !y !other" 6verco!ing a strong re$ugnance, I tore o$en his shirt at the neck, and there, sure enough, hanging to a bit of tarry string, hich I cut ith his o n gully, e found the key" 't this triu!$h e ere filled ith ho$e and hurried u$stairs

ithout delay to the little roo! here he had sle$t so long and here his bo< had stood since the day of his arrival" It as like any other sea!anCs chest on the outside, the initial BBB burned on the to$ of it ith a hot iron, and the corners so!e hat s!ashed and broken as by long, rough usage" BGive !e the key,B said !y !otherD and though the lock as very stiff, she had turned it and thro n back the lid in a t inkling" ' strong s!ell of tobacco and tar rose fro! the interior, but nothing as to be seen on the to$ e<ce$t a suit of very good clothes, carefully brushed and folded" They had never been orn, !y !other said" 2nder that, the !iscellany began=a Guadrant, a tin canikin, several sticks of tobacco, t o brace of very handso!e $istols, a $iece of bar silver, an old S$anish atch and so!e other trinkets of little value and !ostly of foreign !ake, a $air of co!$asses !ounted ith brass, and five or si< curious ;est Indian shells" I have often ondered since hy he should have carried about these shells ith hi! in his andering, guilty, and hunted life" In the !eanti!e, e had found nothing of any value but the silver and the trinkets, and neither of these ere in our ay" 2nderneath there as an old boat%cloak, hitened ith sea%salt on !any a harbour%bar" Ey !other $ulled it u$ ith i!$atience, and there lay before us, the last things in the chest, a bundle tied u$ in oilcloth, and looking like $a$ers, and a canvas bag that gave forth, at a touch, the jingle of gold" BICll sho these rogues that IC! an honest o!an,B said !y !other" BICll have !y dues, and not a farthing over" 7old Ers" 9rossleyCs bag"B 'nd she began to count over the a!ount of the ca$tainCs score fro! the sailorCs bag into the one that I as holding" It as a long, difficult business, for the coins ere of all countries and siJes= doubloons, and louis dCors, and guineas, and $ieces of eight, and I kno not hat besides, all shaken together at rando!" The guineas, too, ere about the scarcest, and it as ith these only that !y !other kne ho to !ake her count" ;hen e ere about half% ay through, I suddenly $ut !y hand u$on her ar!, for I had heard in the silent frosty air a sound that brought !y heart into !y !outh=the ta$%ta$$ing of the blind !anCs stick u$on the froJen road" It dre nearer and nearer, hile e sat holding our breath" Then it struck shar$ on the inn door, and then e could hear the handle being turned and the bolt rattling as the retched being tried to enterD and then there as a long ti!e of silence both ithin and ithout" 't last the ta$$ing reco!!enced, and, to our indescribable joy and gratitude, died slo ly a ay again until it ceased to be heard" BEother,B said I, Btake the hole and letCs be going,B for I as sure the bolted door !ust have see!ed sus$icious and ould bring the hole hornetCs nest about our ears, though ho thankful I as that I had bolted it, none could tell ho had never !et that terrible blind !an" But !y !other, frightened as she as, ould not consent to take a fraction !ore than as due to her and as obstinately un illing to be content ith less" It as not yet seven, she said, by a long ayD she kne her rights and she ould have the!D and she as still arguing ith !e hen a little lo

histle sounded a good ay off u$on the hill" That as enough, and !ore than enough, for both of us" BICll take hat I have,B she said, ju!$ing to her feet" B'nd ICll take this to sGuare the count,B said I, $icking u$ the oilskin $acket" 3e<t !o!ent e ere both gro$ing do nstairs, leaving the candle by the e!$ty chestD and the ne<t e had o$ened the door and ere in full retreat" ;e had not started a !o!ent too soon" The fog as ra$idly dis$ersingD already the !oon shone Guite clear on the high ground on either sideD and it as only in the e<act botto! of the dell and round the tavern door that a thin veil still hung unbroken to conceal the first ste$s of our esca$e" )ar less than half% ay to the ha!let, very little beyond the botto! of the hill, e !ust co!e forth into the !oonlight" 3or as this all, for the sound of several footste$s running ca!e already to our ears, and as e looked back in their direction, a light tossing to and fro and still ra$idly advancing sho ed that one of the ne co!ers carried a lantern" BEy dear,B said !y !other suddenly, Btake the !oney and run on" I a! going to faint"B This as certainly the end for both of us, I thought" 7o I cursed the co ardice of the neighboursD ho I bla!ed !y $oor !other for her honesty and her greed, for her $ast foolhardiness and $resent eakness> ;e ere just at the little bridge, by good fortuneD and I hel$ed her, tottering as she as, to the edge of the bank, here, sure enough, she gave a sigh and fell on !y shoulder" I do not kno ho I found the strength to do it at all, and I a! afraid it as roughly done, but I !anaged to drag her do n the bank and a little ay under the arch" )arther I could not !ove her, for the bridge as too lo to let !e do !ore than cra l belo it" So there e had to stay=!y !other al!ost entirely e<$osed and both of us ithin earshot of the inn"

*
The Last o+ the Blind ,an
E# curiosity, in a sense, as stronger than !y fear, for I could not re!ain here I as, but cre$t back to the bank again, hence, sheltering !y head behind a bush of broo!, I !ight co!!and the road before our door" I as scarcely in $osition ere !y ene!ies began to arrive, seven or eight of the!, running hard, their feet beating out of ti!e along the road and the !an ith the lantern so!e $aces in front" Three !en ran together, hand in handD and I !ade out, even through the !ist, that the !iddle !an of this trio as the blind beggar" The ne<t !o!ent his voice sho ed !e that I as right" B(o n ith the door>B he cried" B'ye, aye, sir>B ans ered t o or threeD and a rush as !ade u$on the 'd!iral Benbo , the lantern%bearer follo ingD and then I could see the! $ause, and hear s$eeches $assed in a lo er key, as if they ere sur$rised to find the door o$en" But the $ause as brief, for the blind !an again issued his co!!ands"

7is voice sounded louder and higher, as if he ere afire ith eagerness and rage" BIn, in, in>B he shouted, and cursed the! for their delay" )our or five of the! obeyed at once, t o re!aining on the road ith the for!idable beggar" There as a $ause, then a cry of sur$rise, and then a voice shouting fro! the house, BBillCs dead"B But the blind !an s ore at the! again for their delay" BSearch hi!, so!e of you shirking lubbers, and the rest of you aloft and get the chest,B he cried" I could hear their feet rattling u$ our old stairs, so that the house !ust have shook ith it" Pro!$tly after ards, fresh sounds of astonish!ent aroseD the indo of the ca$tainCs roo! as thro n o$en ith a sla! and a jingle of broken glass, and a !an leaned out into the !oonlight, head and shoulders, and addressed the blind beggar on the road belo hi!" BPe ,B he cried, BtheyCve been before us" So!eoneCs turned the chest out alo and aloft"B BIs it thereFB roared Pe " BThe !oneyCs there"B The blind !an cursed the !oney" B)lintCs fist, I !ean,B he cried" B;e donCt see it here noho ,B returned the !an" B7ere, you belo there, is it on BillFB cried the blind !an again" 't that another fello , $robably hi! ho had re!ained belo to search the ca$tainCs body, ca!e to the door of the inn" BBillCs been overhauled aCready,B said heD BnothinC left"B BItCs these $eo$le of the inn=itCs that boy" I ish I had $ut his eyes out>B cried the blind !an, Pe " BThere ere no ti!e ago=they had the door bolted hen I tried it" Scatter, lads, and find Ce!"B BSure enough, they left their gli! here,B said the fello fro! the indo " BScatter and find Ce!> Rout the house out>B reiterated Pe , striking ith his stick u$on the road" Then there follo ed a great to%do through all our old inn, heavy feet $ounding to and fro, furniture thro n over, doors kicked in, until the very rocks re% echoed and the !en ca!e out again, one after another, on the road and declared that e ere no here to be found" 'nd just the sa!e histle that had alar!ed !y !other and !yself over the dead ca$tainCs !oney as once !ore clearly audible through the night, but this ti!e t ice re$eated" I had thought it to be the blind !anCs tru!$et, so to s$eak, su!!oning his cre to the assault, but I no found that it as a signal fro! the hillside to ards the ha!let, and fro! its effect u$on the buccaneers, a signal to arn the! of a$$roaching danger" BThereCs (irk again,B said one" BT ice> ;eCll have to budge, !ates"B BBudge, you skulk>B cried Pe " B(irk as a fool and a co ard fro! the first= you ouldnCt !ind hi!" They !ust be close byD they canCt be farD you have your hands on it" Scatter and look for the!, dogs> 6h, shiver !y soul,B he cried, Bif I had eyes>B This a$$eal see!ed to $roduce so!e effect, for t o of the fello s began to look here and there a!ong the lu!ber, but half%heartedly, I thought, and ith

half an eye to their o n danger all the ti!e, hile the rest stood irresolute on the road" B#ou have your hands on thousands, you fools, and you hang a leg> #ouCd be as rich as kings if you could find it, and you kno itCs here, and you stand there skulking" There asnCt one of you dared face Bill, and I did it=a blind !an> 'nd IC! to lose !y chance for you> IC! to be a $oor, cra ling beggar, s$onging for ru!, hen I !ight be rolling in a coach> If you had the $luck of a eevil in a biscuit you ould catch the! still"B B7ang it, Pe , eCve got the doubloons>B gru!bled one" BThey !ight have hid the blessed thing,B said another" BTake the Georges, Pe , and donCt stand here sGualling"B SGualling as the ord for itD Pe Cs anger rose so high at these objections till at last, his $assion co!$letely taking the u$$er hand, he struck at the! right and left in his blindness and his stick sounded heavily on !ore than one" These, in their turn, cursed back at the blind !iscreant, threatened hi! in horrid ter!s, and tried in vain to catch the stick and rest it fro! his gras$" This Guarrel as the saving of us, for hile it as still raging, another sound ca!e fro! the to$ of the hill on the side of the ha!let=the tra!$ of horses gallo$ing" 'l!ost at the sa!e ti!e a $istol%shot, flash and re$ort, ca!e fro! the hedge side" 'nd that as $lainly the last signal of danger, for the buccaneers turned at once and ran, se$arating in every direction, one sea ard along the cove, one slant across the hill, and so on, so that in half a !inute not a sign of the! re!ained but Pe " 7i! they had deserted, hether in sheer $anic or out of revenge for his ill ords and blo s I kno notD but there he re!ained behind, ta$$ing u$ and do n the road in a frenJy, and gro$ing and calling for his co!rades" )inally he took a rong turn and ran a fe ste$s $ast !e, to ards the ha!let, crying, B8ohnny, Black (og, (irk,B and other na!es, Byou onCt leave old Pe , !ates=not old Pe >B 8ust then the noise of horses to$$ed the rise, and four or five riders ca!e in sight in the !oonlight and s e$t at full gallo$ do n the slo$e" 't this Pe sa his error, turned ith a screa!, and ran straight for the ditch, into hich he rolled" But he as on his feet again in a second and !ade another dash, no utterly be ildered, right under the nearest of the co!ing horses" The rider tried to save hi!, but in vain" (o n ent Pe ith a cry that rang high into the nightD and the four hoofs tra!$led and s$urned hi! and $assed by" 7e fell on his side, then gently colla$sed u$on his face and !oved no !ore" I lea$ed to !y feet and hailed the riders" They ere $ulling u$, at any rate, horrified at the accidentD and I soon sa hat they ere" 6ne, tailing out behind the rest, as a lad that had gone fro! the ha!let to (r" LiveseyCsD the rest ere revenue officers, ho! he had !et by the ay, and ith ho! he had had the intelligence to return at once" So!e ne s of the lugger in :ittCs 7ole had found its ay to Su$ervisor (ance and set hi! forth that night in our direction, and to that circu!stance !y !other and I o ed our $reservation fro! death" Pe as dead, stone dead" 's for !y !other, hen e had carried her u$ to the ha!let, a little cold ater and salts and that soon brought her back again,

and she as none the orse for her terror, though she still continued to de$lore the balance of the !oney" In the !eanti!e the su$ervisor rode on, as fast as he could, to :ittCs 7oleD but his !en had to dis!ount and gro$e do n the dingle, leading, and so!eti!es su$$orting, their horses, and in continual fear of a!bushesD so it as no great !atter for sur$rise that hen they got do n to the 7ole the lugger as already under ay, though still close in" 7e hailed her" ' voice re$lied, telling hi! to kee$ out of the !oonlight or he ould get so!e lead in hi!, and at the sa!e ti!e a bullet histled close by his ar!" Soon after, the lugger doubled the $oint and disa$$eared" Er" (ance stood there, as he said, Blike a fish out of ater,B and all he could do as to dis$atch a !an to B== to arn the cutter" B'nd that,B said he, Bis just about as good as nothing" TheyCve got off clean, and thereCs an end" 6nly,B he added, BIC! glad I trod on Easter Pe Cs corns,B for by this ti!e he had heard !y story" I ent back ith hi! to the 'd!iral Benbo , and you cannot i!agine a house in such a state of s!ashD the very clock had been thro n do n by these fello s in their furious hunt after !y !other and !yselfD and though nothing had actually been taken a ay e<ce$t the ca$tainCs !oney%bag and a little silver fro! the till, I could see at once that e ere ruined" Er" (ance could !ake nothing of the scene" BThey got the !oney, you sayF ;ell, then, 7a kins, hat in fortune ere they afterF Eore !oney, I su$$oseFB B3o, sirD not !oney, I think,B re$lied I" BIn fact, sir, I believe I have the thing in !y breast $ocketD and to tell you the truth, I should like to get it $ut in safety"B BTo be sure, boyD Guite right,B said he" BICll take it, if you like"B BI thought $erha$s (r" Livesey=B I began" BPerfectly right,B he interru$ted very cheerily, B$erfectly right=a gentle!an and a !agistrate" 'nd, no I co!e to think of it, I !ight as ell ride round there !yself and re$ort to hi! or sGuire" Easter Pe Cs dead, hen allCs doneD not that I regret it, but heCs dead, you see, and $eo$le ill !ake it out against an officer of his EajestyCs revenue, if !ake it out they can" 3o , ICll tell you, 7a kins, if you like, ICll take you along"B I thanked hi! heartily for the offer, and e alked back to the ha!let here the horses ere" By the ti!e I had told !other of !y $ur$ose they ere all in the saddle" B(ogger,B said Er" (ance, Byou have a good horseD take u$ this lad behind you"B 's soon as I as !ounted, holding on to (oggerCs belt, the su$ervisor gave the ord, and the $arty struck out at a bouncing trot on the road to (r" LiveseyCs house"

The .a'tain/s Pa'ers

;E rode hard all the ay till e dre u$ before (r" LiveseyCs door" The house as all dark to the front" Er" (ance told !e to ju!$ do n and knock, and (ogger gave !e a stirru$ to descend by" The door as o$ened al!ost at once by the !aid" BIs (r" Livesey inFB I asked" 3o, she said, he had co!e ho!e in the afternoon but had gone u$ to the hall to dine and $ass the evening ith the sGuire" BSo there e go, boys,B said Er" (ance" This ti!e, as the distance as short, I did not !ount, but ran ith (oggerCs stirru$%leather to the lodge gates and u$ the long, leafless, !oonlit avenue to here the hite line of the hall buildings looked on either hand on great old gardens" 7ere Er" (ance dis!ounted, and taking !e along ith hi!, as ad!itted at a ord into the house" The servant led us do n a !atted $assage and sho ed us at the end into a great library, all lined ith bookcases and busts u$on the to$ of the!, here the sGuire and (r" Livesey sat, $i$e in hand, on either side of a bright fire" I had never seen the sGuire so near at hand" 7e as a tall !an, over si< feet high, and broad in $ro$ortion, and he had a bluff, rough%and%ready face, all roughened and reddened and lined in his long travels" 7is eyebro s ere very black, and !oved readily, and this gave hi! a look of so!e te!$er, not bad, you ould say, but Guick and high" B9o!e in, Er" (ance,B says he, very stately and condescending" BGood evening, (ance,B says the doctor ith a nod" B'nd good evening to you, friend 8i!" ;hat good ind brings you hereFB The su$ervisor stood u$ straight and stiff and told his story like a lessonD and you should have seen ho the t o gentle!en leaned for ard and looked at each other, and forgot to s!oke in their sur$rise and interest" ;hen they heard ho !y !other ent back to the inn, (r" Livesey fairly sla$$ed his thigh, and the sGuire cried BBravo>B and broke his long $i$e against the grate" Long before it as done, Er" Trela ney Hthat, you ill re!e!ber, as the sGuireCs na!eI had got u$ fro! his seat and as striding about the roo!, and the doctor, as if to hear the better, had taken off his $o dered ig and sat there looking very strange indeed ith his o n close%cro$$ed black $oll" 't last Er" (ance finished the story" BEr" (ance,B said the sGuire, Byou are a very noble fello " 'nd as for riding do n that black, atrocious !iscreant, I regard it as an act of virtue, sir, like sta!$ing on a cockroach" This lad 7a kins is a tru!$, I $erceive" 7a kins, ill you ring that bellF Er" (ance !ust have so!e ale"B B'nd so, 8i!,B said the doctor, Byou have the thing that they ere after, have youFB B7ere it is, sir,B said I, and gave hi! the oilskin $acket" The doctor looked it all over, as if his fingers ere itching to o$en itD but instead of doing that, he $ut it Guietly in the $ocket of his coat" BSGuire,B said he, B hen (ance has had his ale he !ust, of course, be off on his EajestyCs serviceD but I !ean to kee$ 8i! 7a kins here to slee$ at !y house, and ith your $er!ission, I $ro$ose e should have u$ the cold $ie and let hi! su$"B

B's you ill, Livesey,B said the sGuireD B7a kins has earned better than cold $ie"B So a big $igeon $ie as brought in and $ut on a sidetable, and I !ade a hearty su$$er, for I as as hungry as a ha k, hile Er" (ance as further co!$li!ented and at last dis!issed" B'nd no , sGuire,B said the doctor" B'nd no , Livesey,B said the sGuire in the sa!e breath" B6ne at a ti!e, one at a ti!e,B laughed (r" Livesey" B#ou have heard of this )lint, I su$$oseFB B7eard of hi!>B cried the sGuire" B7eard of hi!, you say> 7e as the bloodthirstiest buccaneer that sailed" Blackbeard as a child to )lint" The S$aniards ere so $rodigiously afraid of hi! that, I tell you, sir, I as so!eti!es $roud he as an English!an" ICve seen his to$%sails ith these eyes, off Trinidad, and the co ardly son of a ru!%$uncheon that I sailed ith $ut back=$ut back, sir, into Port of S$ain"B B;ell, ICve heard of hi! !yself, in England,B said the doctor" BBut the $oint is, had he !oneyFB BEoney>B cried the sGuire" B7ave you heard the storyF ;hat ere these villains after but !oneyF ;hat do they care for but !oneyF )or hat ould they risk their rascal carcasses but !oneyFB BThat e shall soon kno ,B re$lied the doctor" BBut you are so confoundedly hot%headed and e<cla!atory that I cannot get a ord in" ;hat I ant to kno is this& Su$$osing that I have here in !y $ocket so!e clue to here )lint buried his treasure, ill that treasure a!ount to !uchFB B'!ount, sir>B cried the sGuire" BIt ill a!ount to this& If e have the clue you talk about, I fit out a shi$ in Bristol dock, and take you and 7a kins here along, and ICll have that treasure if I search a year"B BKery ell,B said the doctor" B3o , then, if 8i! is agreeable, eCll o$en the $acketBD and he laid it before hi! on the table" The bundle as se n together, and the doctor had to get out his instru!ent case and cut the stitches ith his !edical scissors" It contained t o things=a book and a sealed $a$er" B)irst of all eCll try the book,B observed the doctor" The sGuire and I ere both $eering over his shoulder as he o$ened it, for (r" Livesey had kindly !otioned !e to co!e round fro! the side%table, here I had been eating, to enjoy the s$ort of the search" 6n the first $age there ere only so!e scra$s of riting, such as a !an ith a $en in his hand !ight !ake for idleness or $ractice" 6ne as the sa!e as the tattoo !ark, BBilly Bones his fancyBD then there as BEr" ;" Bones, !ate,B B3o !ore ru!,B B6ff Pal! :ey he got itt,B and so!e other snatches, !ostly single ords and unintelligible" I could not hel$ ondering ho it as that had Bgot itt,B and hat BittB as that he got" ' knife in his back as like as not" B3ot !uch instruction there,B said (r" Livesey as he $assed on" The ne<t ten or t elve $ages ere filled ith a curious series of entries" There as a date at one end of the line and at the other a su! of !oney, as in co!!on account%books, but instead of e<$lanatory riting, only a varying nu!ber of crosses bet een the t o" 6n the 0*th of 8une, 0@4+, for instance, a su! of seventy $ounds had $lainly beco!e due to so!eone, and there as

nothing but si< crosses to e<$lain the cause" In a fe cases, to be sure, the na!e of a $lace ould be added, as B6ffe 9araccas,B or a !ere entry of latitude and longitude, as B-*o 0@C *,B, 0Lo *C 4,B"B The record lasted over nearly t enty years, the a!ount of the se$arate entries gro ing larger as ti!e ent on, and at the end a grand total had been !ade out after five or si< rong additions, and these ords a$$ended, BBones, his $ile"B BI canCt !ake head or tail of this,B said (r" Livesey" BThe thing is as clear as noonday,B cried the sGuire" BThis is the black%hearted houndCs account%book" These crosses stand for the na!es of shi$s or to ns that they sank or $lundered" The su!s are the scoundrelCs share, and here he feared an a!biguity, you see he added so!ething clearer" C6ffe 9araccas,C no D you see, here as so!e unha$$y vessel boarded off that coast" God hel$ the $oor souls that !anned her=coral long ago"B BRight>B said the doctor" BSee hat it is to be a traveller" Right> 'nd the a!ounts increase, you see, as he rose in rank"B There as little else in the volu!e but a fe bearings of $laces noted in the blank leaves to ards the end and a table for reducing )rench, English, and S$anish !oneys to a co!!on value" BThrifty !an>B cried the doctor" B7e asnCt the one to be cheated"B B'nd no ,B said the sGuire, Bfor the other"B The $a$er had been sealed in several $laces ith a thi!ble by ay of sealD the very thi!ble, $erha$s, that I had found in the ca$tainCs $ocket" The doctor o$ened the seals ith great care, and there fell out the !a$ of an island, ith latitude and longitude, soundings, na!es of hills and bays and inlets, and every $articular that ould be needed to bring a shi$ to a safe anchorage u$on its shores" It as about nine !iles long and five across, sha$ed, you !ight say, like a fat dragon standing u$, and had t o fine land%locked harbours, and a hill in the centre $art !arked BThe S$y%glass"B There ere several additions of a later date, but above all, three crosses of red ink=t o on the north $art of the island, one in the south est=and beside this last, in the sa!e red ink, and in a s!all, neat hand, very different fro! the ca$tainCs tottery characters, these ords& BBulk of treasure here"B 6ver on the back the sa!e hand had ritten this further infor!ation&
Tall tree, S$y%glass shoulder, bearing a $oint to the 3" of 3"3"E" Skeleton Island E"S"E" and by E" Ten feet" The bar silver is in the north cacheD you can find it by the trend of the east hu!!ock, ten fatho!s south of the black crag ith the face on it" The ar!s are easy found, in the sand%hill, 3" $oint of north inlet ca$e, bearing E" and a Guarter 3" 8")"

That as allD but brief as it as, and to !e inco!$rehensible, it filled the sGuire and (r" Livesey ith delight" BLivesey,B said the sGuire, Byou ill give u$ this retched $ractice at once" To!orro I start for Bristol" In three eeksC ti!e=three eeks>=t o eeks= ten days= eCll have the best shi$, sir, and the choicest cre in England" 7a kins shall co!e as cabin%boy" #ouCll !ake a fa!ous cabin%boy, 7a kins" #ou, Livesey, are shi$Cs doctorD I a! ad!iral" ;eCll take Redruth, 8oyce, and 7unter" ;eCll have favourable inds, a Guick $assage, and not the least difficulty in finding the s$ot, and !oney to eat, to roll in, to $lay duck and drake ith ever after"B BTrela ney,B said the doctor, BICll go ith youD and ICll go bail for it, so ill 8i!, and be a credit to the undertaking" ThereCs only one !an IC! afraid of"B B'nd hoCs thatFB cried the sGuire" B3a!e the dog, sir>B B#ou,B re$lied the doctorD Bfor you cannot hold your tongue" ;e are not the only !en ho kno of this $a$er" These fello s ho attacked the inn tonight =bold, des$erate blades, for sure=and the rest ho stayed aboard that lugger, and !ore, I dare say, not far off, are, one and all, through thick and thin, bound that theyCll get that !oney" ;e !ust none of us go alone till e get to sea" 8i! and I shall stick together in the !ean hileD youCll take 8oyce and 7unter hen you ride to Bristol, and fro! first to last, not one of us !ust breathe a ord of hat eCve found"B BLivesey,B returned the sGuire, Byou are al ays in the right of it" ICll be as silent as the grave"B

PART T0OThe Sea!coo&

1
I 2o to Bristol
IT as longer than the sGuire i!agined ere e ere ready for the sea, and none of our first $lans=not even (r" LiveseyCs, of kee$ing !e beside hi!= could be carried out as e intended" The doctor had to go to London for a $hysician to take charge of his $racticeD the sGuire as hard at ork at BristolD and I lived on at the hall under the charge of old Redruth, the ga!ekee$er, al!ost a $risoner, but full of sea%drea!s and the !ost char!ing antici$ations of strange islands and adventures" I brooded by the hour together over the !a$, all the details of hich I ell re!e!bered" Sitting by the fire in the housekee$erCs roo!, I a$$roached that island in !y fancy fro! every $ossible directionD I e<$lored every acre of its surfaceD I cli!bed a thousand ti!es to

that tall hill they call the S$y%glass, and fro! the to$ enjoyed the !ost onderful and changing $ros$ects" So!eti!es the isle as thick ith savages, ith ho! e fought, so!eti!es full of dangerous ani!als that hunted us, but in all !y fancies nothing occurred to !e so strange and tragic as our actual adventures" So the eeks $assed on, till one fine day there ca!e a letter addressed to (r" Livesey, ith this addition, BTo be o$ened, in the case of his absence, by To! Redruth or young 7a kins"B 6beying this order, e found, or rather I found= for the ga!ekee$er as a $oor hand at reading anything but $rint=the follo ing i!$ortant ne s&
6ld 'nchor Inn, Bristol, Earch 0, 0@= (ear Livesey='s I do not kno hether you are at the hall or still in London, I send this in double to both $laces" The shi$ is bought and fitted" She lies at anchor, ready for sea" #ou never i!agined a s eeter schooner=a child !ight sail her=t o hundred tonsD na!e, 7ISP'3I6L'" I got her through !y old friend, Blandly, ho has $roved hi!self throughout the !ost sur$rising tru!$" The ad!irable fello literally slaved in !y interest, and so, I !ay say, did everyone in Bristol, as soon as they got ind of the $ort e sailed for=treasure, I !ean"

BRedruth,B said I, interru$ting the letter, B(r" Livesey ill not like that" The sGuire has been talking, after all"B B;ell, hoCs a better rightFB gro led the ga!ekee$er" B' $retty ru! go if sGuire ainCt to talk for (r" Livesey, I should think"B 't that I gave u$ all atte!$ts at co!!entary and read straight on&
Blandly hi!self found the 7ISP'3I6L', and by the !ost ad!irable !anage!ent got her for the !erest trifle" There is a class of !en in Bristol !onstrously $rejudiced against Blandly" They go the length of declaring that this honest creature ould do anything for !oney, that the 7ISP'3I6L' belonged to hi!, and that he sold it !e absurdly high=the !ost trans$arent calu!nies" 3one of the! dare, ho ever, to deny the !erits of the shi$" So far there as not a hitch" The ork$eo$le, to be sure=riggers and hat not= ere !ost annoyingly slo D but ti!e cured that" It as the cre that troubled !e" I ished a round score of !en=in case of natives, buccaneers, or the odious )rench=and I had the orry of the deuce itself to find so !uch as half a doJen, till the !ost re!arkable stroke

of fortune brought !e the very !an that I reGuired" I as standing on the dock, hen, by the !erest accident, I fell in talk ith hi!" I found he as an old sailor, ke$t a $ublic%house, kne all the seafaring !en in Bristol, had lost his health ashore, and anted a good berth as cook to get to sea again" 7e had hobbled do n there that !orning, he said, to get a s!ell of the salt" I as !onstrously touched=so ould you have been=and, out of $ure $ity, I engaged hi! on the s$ot to be shi$Cs cook" Long 8ohn Silver, he is called, and has lost a legD but that I regarded as a reco!!endation, since he lost it in his countryCs service, under the i!!ortal 7a ke" 7e has no $ension, Livesey" I!agine the abo!inable age e live in> ;ell, sir, I thought I had only found a cook, but it as a cre I had discovered" Bet een Silver and !yself e got together in a fe days a co!$any of the toughest old salts i!aginable=not $retty to look at, but fello s, by their faces, of the !ost indo!itable s$irit" I declare e could fight a frigate" Long 8ohn even got rid of t o out of the si< or seven I had already engaged" 7e sho ed !e in a !o!ent that they ere just the sort of fresh% ater s abs e had to fear in an adventure of i!$ortance" I a! in the !ost !agnificent health and s$irits, eating like a bull, slee$ing like a tree, yet I shall not enjoy a !o!ent till I hear !y old tar$aulins tra!$ing round the ca$stan" Sea ard, ho> 7ang the treasure> ItCs the glory of the sea that has turned !y head" So no , Livesey, co!e $ostD do not lose an hour, if you res$ect !e" Let young 7a kins go at once to see his !other, ith Redruth for a guardD and then both co!e full s$eed to Bristol" 8ohn Trela ney Postscri$t=I did not tell you that Blandly, ho, by the ay, is to send a consort after us if e donCt turn u$ by the end of 'ugust, had found an ad!irable fello for sailing !aster=a stiff !an, hich I regret, but in all other res$ects a treasure" Long 8ohn Silver unearthed a very co!$etent !an for a !ate, a !an na!ed 'rro " I have a boats ain ho $i$es, LiveseyD so things

shall go !an%oC% ar fashion on board the good shi$ 7ISP'3I6L'" I forgot to tell you that Silver is a !an of substanceD I kno of !y o n kno ledge that he has a bankerCs account, hich has never been overdra n" 7e leaves his ife to !anage the innD and as she is a o!an of colour, a $air of old bachelors like you and I !ay be e<cused for guessing that it is the ife, Guite as !uch as the health, that sends hi! back to roving" 8" T" P"P"S"=7a kins !ay stay one night !other" 8" T" ith his

#ou can fancy the e<cite!ent into hich that letter $ut !e" I as half beside !yself ith gleeD and if ever I des$ised a !an, it as old To! Redruth, ho could do nothing but gru!ble and la!ent" 'ny of the under%ga!ekee$ers ould gladly have changed $laces ith hi!D but such as not the sGuireCs $leasure, and the sGuireCs $leasure as like la a!ong the! all" 3obody but old Redruth ould have dared so !uch as even to gru!ble" The ne<t !orning he and I set out on foot for the 'd!iral Benbo , and there I found !y !other in good health and s$irits" The ca$tain, ho had so long been a cause of so !uch disco!fort, as gone here the icked cease fro! troubling" The sGuire had had everything re$aired, and the $ublic roo!s and the sign re$ainted, and had added so!e furniture=above all a beautiful ar!chair for !other in the bar" 7e had found her a boy as an a$$rentice also so that she should not ant hel$ hile I as gone" It as on seeing that boy that I understood, for the first ti!e, !y situation" I had thought u$ to that !o!ent of the adventures before !e, not at all of the ho!e that I as leavingD and no , at sight of this clu!sy stranger, ho as to stay here in !y $lace beside !y !other, I had !y first attack of tears" I a! afraid I led that boy a dogCs life, for as he as ne to the ork, I had a hundred o$$ortunities of setting hi! right and $utting hi! do n, and I as not slo to $rofit by the!" The night $assed, and the ne<t day, after dinner, Redruth and I ere afoot again and on the road" I said good%bye to Eother and the cove here I had lived since I as born, and the dear old 'd!iral Benbo =since he as re$ainted, no longer Guite so dear" 6ne of !y last thoughts as of the ca$tain, ho had so often strode along the beach ith his cocked hat, his sabre%cut cheek, and his old brass telesco$e" 3e<t !o!ent e had turned the corner and !y ho!e as out of sight" The !ail $icked us u$ about dusk at the Royal George on the heath" I as edged in bet een Redruth and a stout old gentle!an, and in s$ite of the s ift !otion and the cold night air, I !ust have doJed a great deal fro! the very first, and then sle$t like a log u$ hill and do n dale through stage after stage, for hen I as a akened at last it as by a $unch in the ribs, and I

o$ened !y eyes to find that e ere standing still before a large building in a city street and that the day had already broken a long ti!e" B;here are eFB I asked" BBristol,B said To!" BGet do n"B Er" Trela ney had taken u$ his residence at an inn far do n the docks to su$erintend the ork u$on the schooner" Thither e had no to alk, and our ay, to !y great delight, lay along the Guays and beside the great !ultitude of shi$s of all siJes and rigs and nations" In one, sailors ere singing at their ork, in another there ere !en aloft, high over !y head, hanging to threads that see!ed no thicker than a s$iderCs" Though I had lived by the shore all !y life, I see!ed never to have been near the sea till then" The s!ell of tar and salt as so!ething ne " I sa the !ost onderful figureheads, that had all been far over the ocean" I sa , besides, !any old sailors, ith rings in their ears, and hiskers curled in ringlets, and tarry $igtails, and their s aggering, clu!sy sea% alkD and if I had seen as !any kings or archbisho$s I could not have been !ore delighted" 'nd I as going to sea !yself, to sea in a schooner, ith a $i$ing boats ain and $ig%tailed singing sea!en, to sea, bound for an unkno n island, and to seek for buried treasure> ;hile I as still in this delightful drea!, e ca!e suddenly in front of a large inn and !et SGuire Trela ney, all dressed out like a sea%officer, in stout blue cloth, co!ing out of the door ith a s!ile on his face and a ca$ital i!itation of a sailorCs alk" B7ere you are,B he cried, Band the doctor ca!e last night fro! London" Bravo> The shi$Cs co!$any co!$lete>B B6h, sir,B cried I, B hen do e sailFB BSail>B says he" B;e sail to!orro >B

3
At the Si"n o+ the S'y!"lass
;7E3 I had done breakfasting the sGuire gave !e a note addressed to 8ohn Silver, at the sign of the S$y%glass, and told !e I should easily find the $lace by follo ing the line of the docks and kee$ing a bright lookout for a little tavern ith a large brass telesco$e for sign" I set off, overjoyed at this o$$ortunity to see so!e !ore of the shi$s and sea!en, and $icked !y ay a!ong a great cro d of $eo$le and carts and bales, for the dock as no at its busiest, until I found the tavern in Guestion" It as a bright enough little $lace of entertain!ent" The sign as ne ly $aintedD the indo s had neat red curtainsD the floor as cleanly sanded" There as a street on each side and an o$en door on both, hich !ade the large, lo roo! $retty clear to see in, in s$ite of clouds of tobacco s!oke" The custo!ers ere !ostly seafaring !en, and they talked so loudly that I hung at the door, al!ost afraid to enter" 's I as aiting, a !an ca!e out of a side roo!, and at a glance I as sure he !ust be Long 8ohn" 7is left leg as cut off close by the hi$, and under the left shoulder he carried a crutch, hich he !anaged ith onderful de<terity, ho$$ing about u$on it like a bird" 7e as very tall and strong, ith a face as big as a ha!=$lain and $ale, but intelligent and s!iling" Indeed, he see!ed in the !ost cheerful s$irits, histling as he !oved about a!ong the tables, ith a !erry ord or a sla$ on the shoulder for the !ore favoured of his guests" 3o , to tell you the truth, fro! the very first !ention of Long 8ohn in SGuire Trela neyCs letter I had taken a fear in !y !ind that he !ight $rove to be the very one%legged sailor ho! I had atched for so long at the old Benbo " But one look at the !an before !e as enough" I had seen the ca$tain, and Black (og, and the blind !an, Pe , and I thought I kne hat a buccaneer as like =a very different creature, according to !e, fro! this clean and $leasant% te!$ered landlord" I $lucked u$ courage at once, crossed the threshold, and alked right u$ to the !an here he stood, $ro$$ed on his crutch, talking to a custo!er" BEr" Silver, sirFB I asked, holding out the note" B#es, !y lad,B said heD Bsuch is !y na!e, to be sure" 'nd ho !ay you beFB 'nd then as he sa the sGuireCs letter, he see!ed to !e to give so!ething al!ost like a start" B6h>B said he, Guite loud, and offering his hand" BI see" #ou are our ne cabin% boyD $leased I a! to see you"B 'nd he took !y hand in his large fir! gras$"

8ust then one of the custo!ers at the far side rose suddenly and !ade for the door" It as close by hi!, and he as out in the street in a !o!ent" But his hurry had attracted !y notice, and I recogniJed hi! at glance" It as the tallo %faced !an, anting t o fingers, ho had co!e first to the 'd!iral Benbo " B6h,B I cried, Bsto$ hi!> ItCs Black (og>B BI donCt care t o co$$ers ho he is,B cried Silver" BBut he hasnCt $aid his score" 7arry, run and catch hi!"B 6ne of the others ho as nearest the door lea$ed u$ and started in $ursuit" BIf he ere 'd!iral 7a ke he shall $ay his score,B cried SilverD and then, relinGuishing !y hand, B;ho did you say he asFB he asked" BBlack hatFB B(og, sir,B said I" B7as Er" Trela ney not told you of the buccaneersF 7e as one of the!"B BSoFB cried Silver" BIn !y house> Ben, run and hel$ 7arry" 6ne of those s abs, as heF ;as that you drinking ith hi!, EorganF Ste$ u$ here"B The !an ho! he called Eorgan=an old, grey%haired, !ahogany%faced sailor =ca!e for ard $retty shee$ishly, rolling his Guid" B3o , Eorgan,B said Long 8ohn very sternly, Byou never cla$$ed your eyes on that Black=Black (og before, did you, no FB B3ot I, sir,B said Eorgan ith a salute" B#ou didnCt kno his na!e, did youFB B3o, sir"B BBy the $o ers, To! Eorgan, itCs as good for you>B e<clai!ed the landlord" BIf you had been !i<ed u$ ith the like of that, you ould never have $ut another foot in !y house, you !ay lay to that" 'nd hat as he saying to youFB BI donCt rightly kno , sir,B ans ered Eorgan" B(o you call that a head on your shoulders, or a blessed dead%eyeFB cried Long 8ohn" B(onCt rightly kno , donCt you> Perha$s you donCt ha$$en to rightly kno ho you as s$eaking to, $erha$sF 9o!e, no , hat as he ja ing=vCyages, ca$Cns, shi$sF Pi$e u$> ;hat as itFB B;e as a%talkinC of keel%hauling,B ans ered Eorgan" B:eel%hauling, as youF 'nd a !ighty suitable thing, too, and you !ay lay to that" Get back to your $lace for a lubber, To!"B 'nd then, as Eorgan rolled back to his seat, Silver added to !e in a confidential his$er that as very flattering, as I thought, B7eCs Guite an honest !an, To! Eorgan, onCy stu$id" 'nd no ,B he ran on again, aloud, BletCs see=Black (ogF 3o, I donCt kno the na!e, not I" #et I kind of think ICve=yes, ICve seen the s ab" 7e used to co!e here ith a blind beggar, he used"B BThat he did, you !ay be sure,B said I" BI kne that blind !an too" 7is na!e as Pe "B BIt as>B cried Silver, no Guite e<cited" BPe > That ere his na!e for certain" 'h, he looked a shark, he did> If e run do n this Black (og, no , thereCll be ne s for 9a$Cn Trela ney> BenCs a good runnerD fe sea!en run better than Ben" 7e should run hi! do n, hand over hand, by the $o ers> 7e talked oC keel%hauling, did heF ICLL keel%haul hi!>B 'll the ti!e he as jerking out these $hrases he as stu!$ing u$ and do n the tavern on his crutch, sla$$ing tables ith his hand, and giving such a sho

of e<cite!ent as ould have convinced an 6ld Bailey judge or a Bo Street runner" Ey sus$icions had been thoroughly rea akened on finding Black (og at the S$y%glass, and I atched the cook narro ly" But he as too dee$, and too ready, and too clever for !e, and by the ti!e the t o !en had co!e back out of breath and confessed that they had lost the track in a cro d, and been scolded like thieves, I ould have gone bail for the innocence of Long 8ohn Silver" BSee here, no , 7a kins,B said he, BhereCs a blessed hard thing on a !an like !e, no , ainCt itF ThereCs 9a$Cn Trela ney= hatCs he to thinkF 7ere I have this confounded son of a (utch!an sitting in !y o n house drinking of !y o n ru!> 7ere you co!es and tells !e of it $lainD and here I let hi! give us all the sli$ before !y blessed deadlights> 3o , 7a kins, you do !e justice ith the ca$Cn" #ouCre a lad, you are, but youCre as s!art as $aint" I see that hen you first co!e in" 3o , here it is& ;hat could I do, ith this old ti!ber I hobble onF ;hen I as an ' B !aster !ariner ICd have co!e u$ alongside of hi!, hand over hand, and broached hi! to in a brace of old shakes, I ouldD but no =B 'nd then, all of a sudden, he sto$$ed, and his ja dro$$ed as though he had re!e!bered so!ething" BThe score>B he burst out" BThree goes oC ru!> ;hy, shiver !y ti!bers, if I hadnCt forgotten !y score>B 'nd falling on a bench, he laughed until the tears ran do n his cheeks" I could not hel$ joining, and e laughed together, $eal after $eal, until the tavern rang again" B;hy, hat a $recious old sea%calf I a!>B he said at last, i$ing his cheeks" B#ou and !e should get on ell, 7a kins, for ICll take !y davy I should be rated shi$Cs boy" But co!e no , stand by to go about" This onCt do" (ooty is dooty, !ess!ates" ICll $ut on !y old cockerel hat, and ste$ along of you to 9a$Cn Trela ney, and re$ort this here affair" )or !ind you, itCs serious, young 7a kinsD and neither you nor !eCs co!e out of it ith hat I should !ake so bold as to call credit" 3or you neither, says youD not s!art=none of the $air of us s!art" But dash !y buttons> That as a good un about !y score"B 'nd he began to laugh again, and that so heartily, that though I did not see the joke as he did, I as again obliged to join hi! in his !irth" 6n our little alk along the Guays, he !ade hi!self the !ost interesting co!$anion, telling !e about the different shi$s that e $assed by, their rig, tonnage, and nationality, e<$laining the ork that as going for ard=ho one as discharging, another taking in cargo, and a third !aking ready for sea =and every no and then telling !e so!e little anecdote of shi$s or sea!en or re$eating a nautical $hrase till I had learned it $erfectly" I began to see that here as one of the best of $ossible shi$!ates" ;hen e got to the inn, the sGuire and (r" Livesey ere seated together, finishing a Guart of ale ith a toast in it, before they should go aboard the schooner on a visit of ins$ection" Long 8ohn told the story fro! first to last, ith a great deal of s$irit and the !ost $erfect truth" BThat as ho it ere, no , erenCt it, 7a kinsFB he ould say, no and again, and I could al ays bear hi! entirely out"

The t o gentle!en regretted that Black (og had got a ay, but e all agreed there as nothing to be done, and after he had been co!$li!ented, Long 8ohn took u$ his crutch and de$arted" B'll hands aboard by four this afternoon,B shouted the sGuire after hi!" B'ye, aye, sir,B cried the cook, in the $assage" B;ell, sGuire,B said (r" Livesey, BI donCt $ut !uch faith in your discoveries, as a general thingD but I ill say this, 8ohn Silver suits !e"B BThe !anCs a $erfect tru!$,B declared the sGuire" B'nd no ,B added the doctor, B8i! !ay co!e on board ith us, !ay he notFB BTo be sure he !ay,B says sGuire" BTake your hat, 7a kins, and eCll see the shi$"B

4
Po$der and Ar#s
T7E 7ISP'3I6L' lay so!e ay out, and e ent under the figureheads and round the sterns of !any other shi$s, and their cables so!eti!es grated underneath our keel, and so!eti!es s ung above us" 't last, ho ever, e got alongside, and ere !et and saluted as e ste$$ed aboard by the !ate, Er" 'rro , a bro n old sailor ith earrings in his ears and a sGuint" 7e and the sGuire ere very thick and friendly, but I soon observed that things ere not the sa!e bet een Er" Trela ney and the ca$tain" This last as a shar$%looking !an ho see!ed angry ith everything on board and as soon to tell us hy, for e had hardly got do n into the cabin hen a sailor follo ed us" B9a$tain S!ollett, sir, a<ing to s$eak ith you,B said he" BI a! al ays at the ca$tainCs orders" Sho hi! in,B said the sGuire" The ca$tain, ho as close behind his !essenger, entered at once and shut the door behind hi!" B;ell, 9a$tain S!ollett, hat have you to sayF 'll ell, I ho$eD all shi$sha$e and sea orthyFB B;ell, sir,B said the ca$tain, Bbetter s$eak $lain, I believe, even at the risk of offence" I donCt like this cruiseD I donCt like the !enD and I donCt like !y officer" ThatCs short and s eet"B BPerha$s, sir, you donCt like the shi$FB inGuired the sGuire, very angry, as I could see" BI canCt s$eak as to that, sir, not having seen her tried,B said the ca$tain" BShe see!s a clever craftD !ore I canCt say"B BPossibly, sir, you !ay not like your e!$loyer, eitherFB says the sGuire" But here (r" Livesey cut in" BStay a bit,B said he, Bstay a bit" 3o use of such Guestions as that but to $roduce ill feeling" The ca$tain has said too !uch or he has said too little, and IC! bound to say that I reGuire an e<$lanation of his ords" #ou donCt, you say, like this cruise" 3o , hyFB

BI as engaged, sir, on hat e call sealed orders, to sail this shi$ for that gentle!an here he should bid !e,B said the ca$tain" BSo far so good" But no I find that every !an before the !ast kno s !ore than I do" I donCt call that fair, no , do youFB B3o,B said (r" Livesey, BI donCt"B B3e<t,B said the ca$tain, BI learn e are going after treasure=hear it fro! !y o n hands, !ind you" 3o , treasure is ticklish orkD I donCt like treasure voyages on any account, and I donCt like the!, above all, hen they are secret and hen Hbegging your $ardon, Er" Trela neyI the secret has been told to the $arrot"B BSilverCs $arrotFB asked the sGuire" BItCs a ay of s$eaking,B said the ca$tain" BBlabbed, I !ean" ItCs !y belief neither of you gentle!en kno hat you are about, but ICll tell you !y ay of it=life or death, and a close run"B BThat is all clear, and, I dare say, true enough,B re$lied (r" Livesey" B;e take the risk, but e are not so ignorant as you believe us" 3e<t, you say you donCt like the cre " 're they not good sea!enFB BI donCt like the!, sir,B returned 9a$tain S!ollett" B'nd I think I should have had the choosing of !y o n hands, if you go to that"B BPerha$s you should,B re$lied the doctor" BEy friend should, $erha$s, have taken you along ith hi!D but the slight, if there be one, as unintentional" 'nd you donCt like Er" 'rro FB BI donCt, sir" I believe heCs a good sea!an, but heCs too free ith the cre to be a good officer" ' !ate should kee$ hi!self to hi!self=shouldnCt drink ith the !en before the !ast>B B(o you !ean he drinksFB cried the sGuire" B3o, sir,B re$lied the ca$tain, Bonly that heCs too fa!iliar"B B;ell, no , and the short and long of it, ca$tainFB asked the doctor" BTell us hat you ant"B B;ell, gentle!en, are you deter!ined to go on this cruiseFB BLike iron,B ans ered the sGuire" BKery good,B said the ca$tain" BThen, as youCve heard !e very $atiently, saying things that I could not $rove, hear !e a fe ords !ore" They are $utting the $o der and the ar!s in the fore hold" 3o , you have a good $lace under the cabinD hy not $ut the! thereF=first $oint" Then, you are bringing four of your o n $eo$le ith you, and they tell !e so!e of the! are to be berthed for ard" ;hy not give the! the berths here beside the cabinF= second $oint"B B'ny !oreFB asked Er" Trela ney" B6ne !ore,B said the ca$tain" BThereCs been too !uch blabbing already"B B)ar too !uch,B agreed the doctor" BICll tell you hat ICve heard !yself,B continued 9a$tain S!ollett& Bthat you have a !a$ of an island, that thereCs crosses on the !a$ to sho here treasure is, and that the island lies=B 'nd then he na!ed the latitude and longitude e<actly" BI never told that,B cried the sGuire, Bto a soul>B BThe hands kno it, sir,B returned the ca$tain" BLivesey, that !ust have been you or 7a kins,B cried the sGuire"

BIt doesnCt !uch !atter ho it as,B re$lied the doctor" 'nd I could see that neither he nor the ca$tain $aid !uch regard to Er" Trela neyCs $rotestations" 3either did I, to be sure, he as so loose a talkerD yet in this case I believe he as really right and that nobody had told the situation of the island" B;ell, gentle!en,B continued the ca$tain, BI donCt kno ho has this !a$D but I !ake it a $oint, it shall be ke$t secret even fro! !e and Er" 'rro " 6ther ise I ould ask you to let !e resign"B BI see,B said the doctor" B#ou ish us to kee$ this !atter dark and to !ake a garrison of the stern $art of the shi$, !anned ith !y friendCs o n $eo$le, and $rovided ith all the ar!s and $o der on board" In other ords, you fear a !utiny"B BSir,B said 9a$tain S!ollett, B ith no intention to take offence, I deny your right to $ut ords into !y !outh" 3o ca$tain, sir, ould be justified in going to sea at all if he had ground enough to say that" 's for Er" 'rro , I believe hi! thoroughly honestD so!e of the !en are the sa!eD all !ay be for hat I kno " But I a! res$onsible for the shi$Cs safety and the life of every !an 8ack aboard of her" I see things going, as I think, not Guite right" 'nd I ask you to take certain $recautions or let !e resign !y berth" 'nd thatCs all"B B9a$tain S!ollett,B began the doctor ith a s!ile, Bdid ever you hear the fable of the !ountain and the !ouseF #ouCll e<cuse !e, I dare say, but you re!ind !e of that fable" ;hen you ca!e in here, ICll stake !y ig, you !eant !ore than this"B B(octor,B said the ca$tain, Byou are s!art" ;hen I ca!e in here I !eant to get discharged" I had no thought that Er" Trela ney ould hear a ord"B B3o !ore I ould,B cried the sGuire" B7ad Livesey not been here I should have seen you to the deuce" 's it is, I have heard you" I ill do as you desire, but I think the orse of you"B BThatCs as you $lease, sir,B said the ca$tain" B#ouCll find I do !y duty"B 'nd ith that he took his leave" BTrela ney,B said the doctor, Bcontrary to all !y notions, I believed you have !anaged to get t o honest !en on board ith you=that !an and 8ohn Silver"B BSilver, if you like,B cried the sGuireD Bbut as for that intolerable hu!bug, I declare I think his conduct un!anly, unsailorly, and do nright un%English"B B;ell,B says the doctor, B e shall see"B ;hen e ca!e on deck, the !en had begun already to take out the ar!s and $o der, yo%ho%ing at their ork, hile the ca$tain and Er" 'rro stood by su$erintending" The ne arrange!ent as Guite to !y liking" The hole schooner had been overhauledD si< berths had been !ade astern out of hat had been the after% $art of the !ain holdD and this set of cabins as only joined to the galley and forecastle by a s$arred $assage on the $ort side" It had been originally !eant that the ca$tain, Er" 'rro , 7unter, 8oyce, the doctor, and the sGuire ere to occu$y these si< berths" 3o Redruth and I ere to get t o of the! and Er" 'rro and the ca$tain ere to slee$ on deck in the co!$anion, hich had been enlarged on each side till you !ight al!ost have called it a round%house" Kery lo it as still, of courseD but there as roo! to s ing t o ha!!ocks, and even the !ate see!ed $leased ith the arrange!ent" Even he, $erha$s,

had been doubtful as to the cre , but that is only guess, for as you shall hear, e had not long the benefit of his o$inion" ;e ere all hard at ork, changing the $o der and the berths, hen the last !an or t o, and Long 8ohn along ith the!, ca!e off in a shore%boat" The cook ca!e u$ the side like a !onkey for cleverness, and as soon as he sa hat as doing, BSo ho, !ates>B says he" B;hatCs thisFB B;eCre a%changing of the $o der, 8ack,B ans ers one" B;hy, by the $o ers,B cried Long 8ohn, Bif e do, eCll !iss the !orning tide>B BEy orders>B said the ca$tain shortly" B#ou !ay go belo , !y !an" 7ands ill ant su$$er"B B'ye, aye, sir,B ans ered the cook, and touching his forelock, he disa$$eared at once in the direction of his galley" BThatCs a good !an, ca$tain,B said the doctor" BKery likely, sir,B re$lied 9a$tain S!ollett" BEasy ith that, !en=easy,B he ran on, to the fello s ho ere shifting the $o derD and then suddenly observing !e e<a!ining the s ivel e carried a!idshi$s, a long brass nine, B7ere you, shi$Cs boy,B he cried, Bout oC that> 6ff ith you to the cook and get so!e ork"B 'nd then as I as hurrying off I heard hi! say, Guite loudly, to the doctor, BICll have no favourites on !y shi$"B I assure you I as Guite of the sGuireCs ay of thinking, and hated the ca$tain dee$ly"

5
The 6oya"e
'LL that night e ere in a great bustle getting things sto ed in their $lace, and boatfuls of the sGuireCs friends, Er" Blandly and the like, co!ing off to ish hi! a good voyage and a safe return" ;e never had a night at the 'd!iral Benbo hen I had half the orkD and I as dog%tired hen, a little before da n, the boats ain sounded his $i$e and the cre began to !an the ca$stan%bars" I !ight have been t ice as eary, yet I ould not have left the deck, all as so ne and interesting to !e=the brief co!!ands, the shrill note of the histle, the !en bustling to their $laces in the gli!!er of the shi$Cs lanterns" B3o , Barbecue, ti$ us a stave,B cried one voice" BThe old one,B cried another" B'ye, aye, !ates,B said Long 8ohn, ho as standing by, ith his crutch under his ar!, and at once broke out in the air and ords I kne so ell& B)ifteen !en on the dead !anCs chest=B 'nd then the hole cre bore chorus&= B#o%ho%ho, and a bottle of ru!>B 'nd at the third B7o>B drove the bars before the! ith a ill"

Even at that e<citing !o!ent it carried !e back to the old 'd!iral Benbo in a second, and I see!ed to hear the voice of the ca$tain $i$ing in the chorus" But soon the anchor as short u$D soon it as hanging dri$$ing at the bo sD soon the sails began to dra , and the land and shi$$ing to flit by on either sideD and before I could lie do n to snatch an hour of slu!ber the 7ISP'3I6L' had begun her voyage to the Isle of Treasure" I a! not going to relate that voyage in detail" It as fairly $ros$erous" The shi$ $roved to be a good shi$, the cre ere ca$able sea!en, and the ca$tain thoroughly understood his business" But before e ca!e the length of Treasure Island, t o or three things had ha$$ened hich reGuire to be kno n" Er" 'rro , first of all, turned out even orse than the ca$tain had feared" 7e had no co!!and a!ong the !en, and $eo$le did hat they $leased ith hi!" But that as by no !eans the orst of it, for after a day or t o at sea he began to a$$ear on deck ith haJy eye, red cheeks, stuttering tongue, and other !arks of drunkenness" Ti!e after ti!e he as ordered belo in disgrace" So!eti!es he fell and cut hi!selfD so!eti!es he lay all day long in his little bunk at one side of the co!$anionD so!eti!es for a day or t o he ould be al!ost sober and attend to his ork at least $assably" In the !eanti!e, e could never !ake out here he got the drink" That as the shi$Cs !ystery" ;atch hi! as e $leased, e could do nothing to solve itD and hen e asked hi! to his face, he ould only laugh if he ere drunk, and if he ere sober deny sole!nly that he ever tasted anything but ater" 7e as not only useless as an officer and a bad influence a!ongst the !en, but it as $lain that at this rate he !ust soon kill hi!self outright, so nobody as !uch sur$rised, nor very sorry, hen one dark night, ith a head sea, he disa$$eared entirely and as seen no !ore" B6verboard>B said the ca$tain" B;ell, gentle!en, that saves the trouble of $utting hi! in irons"B But there e ere, ithout a !ateD and it as necessary, of course, to advance one of the !en" The boats ain, 8ob 'nderson, as the likeliest !an aboard, and though he ke$t his old title, he served in a ay as !ate" Er" Trela ney had follo ed the sea, and his kno ledge !ade hi! very useful, for he often took a atch hi!self in easy eather" 'nd the co<s ain, Israel 7ands, as a careful, ily, old, e<$erienced sea!an ho could be trusted at a $inch ith al!ost anything" 7e as a great confidant of Long 8ohn Silver, and so the !ention of his na!e leads !e on to s$eak of our shi$Cs cook, Barbecue, as the !en called hi!" 'board shi$ he carried his crutch by a lanyard round his neck, to have both hands as free as $ossible" It as so!ething to see hi! edge the foot of the crutch against a bulkhead, and $ro$$ed against it, yielding to every !ove!ent of the shi$, get on ith his cooking like so!eone safe ashore" Still !ore strange as it to see hi! in the heaviest of eather cross the deck" 7e had a line or t o rigged u$ to hel$ hi! across the idest s$aces=Long 8ohnCs earrings, they ere calledD and he ould hand hi!self fro! one $lace to another, no using the crutch, no trailing it alongside by the lanyard, as Guickly as another !an could alk" #et so!e of the !en ho had sailed ith hi! before e<$ressed their $ity to see hi! so reduced"

B7eCs no co!!on !an, Barbecue,B said the co<s ain to !e" B7e had good schooling in his young days and can s$eak like a book hen so !indedD and brave=a lionCs nothing alongside of Long 8ohn> I seen hi! gra$$le four and knock their heads together=hi! unar!ed"B 'll the cre res$ected and even obeyed hi!" 7e had a ay of talking to each and doing everybody so!e $articular service" To !e he as un eariedly kind, and al ays glad to see !e in the galley, hich he ke$t as clean as a ne $in, the dishes hanging u$ burnished and his $arrot in a cage in one corner" B9o!e a ay, 7a kins,B he ould sayD Bco!e and have a yarn ith 8ohn" 3obody !ore elco!e than yourself, !y son" Sit you do n and hear the ne s" 7ereCs 9a$Cn )lint=I calls !y $arrot 9a$Cn )lint, after the fa!ous buccaneer=hereCs 9a$Cn )lint $redicting success to our vCyage" ;asnCt you, ca$CnFB 'nd the $arrot ould say, ith great ra$idity, BPieces of eight> Pieces of eight> Pieces of eight>B till you ondered that it as not out of breath, or till 8ohn thre his handkerchief over the cage" B3o , that bird,B he ould say, Bis, !aybe, t o hundred years old, 7a kins= they live forever !ostlyD and if anybodyCs seen !ore ickedness, it !ust be the devil hi!self" SheCs sailed ith England, the great 9a$Cn England, the $irate" SheCs been at Eadagascar, and at Ealabar, and Surina!, and Providence, and Portobello" She as at the fishing u$ of the recked $late shi$s" ItCs there she learned CPieces of eight,C and little onderD three hundred and fifty thousand of Ce!, 7a kins> She as at the boarding of the viceroy of the Indies out of Goa, she asD and to look at her you ould think she as a babby" But you s!elt $o der=didnCt you, ca$CnFB BStand by to go about,B the $arrot ould screa!" B'h, sheCs a handso!e craft, she is,B the cook ould say, and give her sugar fro! his $ocket, and then the bird ould $eck at the bars and s ear straight on, $assing belief for ickedness" BThere,B 8ohn ould add, Byou canCt touch $itch and not be !ucked, lad" 7ereCs this $oor old innocent bird oC !ine s earing blue fire, and none the iser, you !ay lay to that" She ould s ear the sa!e, in a !anner of s$eaking, before cha$lain"B 'nd 8ohn ould touch his forelock ith a sole!n ay he had that !ade !e think he as the best of !en" In the !eanti!e, the sGuire and 9a$tain S!ollett ere still on $retty distant ter!s ith one another" The sGuire !ade no bones about the !atterD he des$ised the ca$tain" The ca$tain, on his $art, never s$oke but hen he as s$oken to, and then shar$ and short and dry, and not a ord asted" 7e o ned, hen driven into a corner, that he see!ed to have been rong about the cre , that so!e of the! ere as brisk as he anted to see and all had behaved fairly ell" 's for the shi$, he had taken a do nright fancy to her" BSheCll lie a $oint nearer the ind than a !an has a right to e<$ect of his o n !arried ife, sir" But,B he ould add, Ball I say is, eCre not ho!e again, and I donCt like the cruise"B The sGuire, at this, ould turn a ay and !arch u$ and do n the deck, chin in air" B' trifle !ore of that !an,B he ould say, Band I shall e<$lode"B

;e had so!e heavy eather, hich only $roved the Gualities of the 7ISP'3I6L'" Every !an on board see!ed ell content, and they !ust have been hard to $lease if they had been other ise, for it is !y belief there as never a shi$Cs co!$any so s$oiled since 3oah $ut to sea" (ouble grog as going on the least e<cuseD there as duff on odd days, as, for instance, if the sGuire heard it as any !anCs birthday, and al ays a barrel of a$$les standing broached in the aist for anyone to hel$ hi!self that had a fancy" B3ever kne good co!e of it yet,B the ca$tain said to (r" Livesey" BS$oil forecastle hands, !ake devils" ThatCs !y belief"B But good did co!e of the a$$le barrel, as you shall hear, for if it had not been for that, e should have had no note of arning and !ight all have $erished by the hand of treachery" This as ho it ca!e about" ;e had run u$ the trades to get the ind of the island e ere after=I a! not allo ed to be !ore $lain=and no e ere running do n for it ith a bright lookout day and night" It as about the last day of our out ard voyage by the largest co!$utationD so!e ti!e that night, or at latest before noon of the !orro , e should sight the Treasure Island" ;e ere heading S"S";" and had a steady breeJe abea! and a Guiet sea" The 7ISP'3I6L' rolled steadily, di$$ing her bo s$rit no and then ith a hiff of s$ray" 'll as dra ing alo and aloftD everyone as in the bravest s$irits because e ere no so near an end of the first $art of our adventure" 3o , just after sundo n, hen all !y ork as over and I as on !y ay to !y berth, it occurred to !e that I should like an a$$le" I ran on deck" The atch as all for ard looking out for the island" The !an at the hel! as atching the luff of the sail and histling a ay gently to hi!self, and that as the only sound e<ce$ting the s ish of the sea against the bo s and around the sides of the shi$" In I got bodily into the a$$le barrel, and found there as scarce an a$$le leftD but sitting do n there in the dark, hat ith the sound of the aters and the rocking !ove!ent of the shi$, I had either fallen aslee$ or as on the $oint of doing so hen a heavy !an sat do n ith rather a clash close by" The barrel shook as he leaned his shoulders against it, and I as just about to ju!$ u$ hen the !an began to s$eak" It as SilverCs voice, and before I had heard a doJen ords, I ould not have sho n !yself for all the orld, but lay there, tre!bling and listening, in the e<tre!e of fear and curiosity, for fro! these doJen ords I understood that the lives of all the honest !en aboard de$ended u$on !e alone"

0hat I 7eard in the A''le Barrel

B36, not I,B said Silver" B)lint as ca$CnD I as Guarter!aster, along of !y ti!ber leg" The sa!e broadside I lost !y leg, old Pe lost his deadlights" It

as a !aster surgeon, hi! that a!$ytated !e=out of college and all=Latin by the bucket, and hat notD but he as hanged like a dog, and sun%dried like the rest, at 9orso 9astle" That as RobertsC !en, that as, and co!ed of changing na!es to their shi$s=R6#'L )6RT23E and so on" 3o , hat a shi$ as christened, so let her stay, I says" So it as ith the 9'SS'3(R', as brought us all safe ho!e fro! Ealabar, after England took the viceroy of the IndiesD so it as ith the old ;'LR2S, )lintCs old shi$, as ICve seen a!uck ith the red blood and fit to sink ith gold"B B'h>B cried another voice, that of the youngest hand on board, and evidently full of ad!iration" B7e as the flo er of the flock, as )lint>B B(avis as a !an too, by all accounts,B said Silver" BI never sailed along of hi!D first ith England, then ith )lint, thatCs !y storyD and no here on !y o n account, in a !anner of s$eaking" I laid by nine hundred safe, fro! England, and t o thousand after )lint" That ainCt bad for a !an before the !ast=all safe in bank" CTainCt earning no , itCs saving does it, you !ay lay to that" ;hereCs all EnglandCs !en no F I dunno" ;hereCs )lintCsF ;hy, !ost on Ce! aboard here, and glad to get the duff=been begging before that, so!e on Ce!" 6ld Pe , as had lost his sight, and !ight have thought sha!e, s$ends t elve hundred $ound in a year, like a lord in Parlia!ent" ;here is he no F ;ell, heCs dead no and under hatchesD but for t o year before that, shiver !y ti!bers, the !an as starving> 7e begged, and he stole, and he cut throats, and starved at that, by the $o ers>B B;ell, it ainCt !uch use, after all,B said the young sea!an" BCTainCt !uch use for fools, you !ay lay to it=that, nor nothing,B cried Silver" BBut no , you look here& youCre young, you are, but youCre as s!art as $aint" I see that hen I set !y eyes on you, and ICll talk to you like a !an"B #ou !ay i!agine ho I felt hen I heard this abo!inable old rogue addressing another in the very sa!e ords of flattery as he had used to !yself" I think, if I had been able, that I ould have killed hi! through the barrel" Eeanti!e, he ran on, little su$$osing he as overheard" B7ere it is about gentle!en of fortune" They lives rough, and they risk s inging, but they eat and drink like fighting%cocks, and hen a cruise is done, hy, itCs hundreds of $ounds instead of hundreds of farthings in their $ockets" 3o , the !ost goes for ru! and a good fling, and to sea again in their shirts" But thatCs not the course I lay" I $uts it all a ay, so!e here, so!e there, and none too !uch any heres, by reason of sus$icion" IC! fifty, !ark youD once back fro! this cruise, I set u$ gentle!an in earnest" Ti!e enough too, says you" 'h, but ICve lived easy in the !eanti!e, never denied !yself oC nothing heart desires, and sle$C soft and ate dainty all !y days but hen at sea" 'nd ho did I beginF Before the !ast, like you>B B;ell,B said the other, Bbut all the other !oneyCs gone no , ainCt itF #ou darenCt sho face in Bristol after this"B B;hy, here !ight you su$$ose it asFB asked Silver derisively" B't Bristol, in banks and $laces,B ans ered his co!$anion" BIt ere,B said the cookD Bit ere hen e eighed anchor" But !y old !issis has it all by no " 'nd the S$y%glass is sold, lease and good ill and riggingD and the old girlCs off to !eet !e" I ould tell you here, for I trust you, but itCd !ake jealousy a!ong the !ates"B

B'nd can you trust your !issisFB asked the other" BGentle!en of fortune,B returned the cook, Busually trusts little a!ong the!selves, and right they are, you !ay lay to it" But I have a ay ith !e, I have" ;hen a !ate brings a sli$ on his cable=one as kno s !e, I !ean=it onCt be in the sa!e orld ith old 8ohn" There as so!e that as feared of Pe , and so!e that as feared of )lintD but )lint his o n self as feared of !e" )eared he as, and $roud" They as the roughest cre afloat, as )lintCsD the devil hi!self ould have been feared to go to sea ith the!" ;ell no , I tell you, IC! not a boasting !an, and you seen yourself ho easy I kee$ co!$any, but hen I as Guarter!aster, L'EBS asnCt the ord for )lintCs old buccaneers" 'h, you !ay be sure of yourself in old 8ohnCs shi$"B B;ell, I tell you no ,B re$lied the lad, BI didnCt half a Guarter like the job till I had this talk ith you, 8ohnD but thereCs !y hand on it no "B B'nd a brave lad you ere, and s!art too,B ans ered Silver, shaking hands so heartily that all the barrel shook, Band a finer figurehead for a gentle!an of fortune I never cla$$ed !y eyes on"B By this ti!e I had begun to understand the !eaning of their ter!s" By a Bgentle!an of fortuneB they $lainly !eant neither !ore nor less than a co!!on $irate, and the little scene that I had overheard as the last act in the corru$tion of one of the honest hands=$erha$s of the last one left aboard" But on this $oint I as soon to be relieved, for Silver giving a little histle, a third !an strolled u$ and sat do n by the $arty" B(ickCs sGuare,B said Silver" B6h, I kno Cd (ick as sGuare,B returned the voice of the co<s ain, Israel 7ands" B7eCs no fool, is (ick"B 'nd he turned his Guid and s$at" BBut look here,B he ent on, BhereCs hat I ant to kno , Barbecue& ho long are e a% going to stand off and on like a blessed bu!boatF ICve had aC!ost enough oC 9a$Cn S!ollettD heCs haJed !e long enough, by thunder> I ant to go into that cabin, I do" I ant their $ickles and ines, and that"B BIsrael,B said Silver, Byour head ainCt !uch account, nor ever as" But youCre able to hear, I reckonD least ays, your ears is big enough" 3o , hereCs hat I say& youCll berth for ard, and youCll live hard, and youCll s$eak soft, and youCll kee$ sober till I give the ordD and you !ay lay to that, !y son"B B;ell, I donCt say no, do IFB gro led the co<s ain" B;hat I say is, henF ThatCs hat I say"B B;hen> By the $o ers>B cried Silver" B;ell no , if you ant to kno , ICll tell you hen" The last !o!ent I can !anage, and thatCs hen" 7ereCs a first%rate sea!an, 9a$Cn S!ollett, sails the blessed shi$ for us" 7ereCs this sGuire and doctor ith a !a$ and such=I donCt kno here it is, do IF 3o !ore do you, says you" ;ell then, I !ean this sGuire and doctor shall find the stuff, and hel$ us to get it aboard, by the $o ers" Then eCll see" If I as sure of you all, sons of double (utch!en, ICd have 9a$Cn S!ollett navigate us half% ay back again before I struck"B B;hy, eCre all sea!en aboard here, I should think,B said the lad (ick" B;eCre all forecastle hands, you !ean,B sna$$ed Silver" B;e can steer a course, but hoCs to set oneF ThatCs hat all you gentle!en s$lit on, first and last" If I had !y ay, ICd have 9a$Cn S!ollett ork us back into the trades at leastD then eCd have no blessed !iscalculations and a s$oonful of ater a

day" But I kno the sort you are" ICll finish ith Ce! at the island, as soonCs the bluntCs on board, and a $ity it is" But youCre never ha$$y till youCre drunk" S$lit !y sides, ICve a sick heart to sail ith the likes of you>B BEasy all, Long 8ohn,B cried Israel" B;hoCs a%crossinC of youFB B;hy, ho !any tall shi$s, think ye, no , have I seen laid aboardF 'nd ho !any brisk lads drying in the sun at E<ecution (ockFB cried Silver" B'nd all for this sa!e hurry and hurry and hurry" #ou hear !eF I seen a thing or t o at sea, I have" If you ould onCy lay your course, and a $Cint to ind ard, you ould ride in carriages, you ould" But not you> I kno you" #ouCll have your !outhful of ru! to!orro , and go hang"B BEverybody kno ed you as a kind of a cha$ling, 8ohnD but thereCs others as could hand and steer as ell as you,B said Israel" BThey liked a bit oC fun, they did" They asnCt so high and dry, noho , but took their fling, like jolly co!$anions every one"B BSoFB says Silver" B;ell, and here are they no F Pe as that sort, and he died a beggar%!an" )lint as, and he died of ru! at Savannah" 'h, they as a s eet cre , they as> 6nCy, here are theyFB BBut,B asked (ick, B hen e do lay Ce! ath art, hat are e to do ith Ce!, anyho FB BThereCs the !an for !e>B cried the cook ad!iringly" BThatCs hat I call business" ;ell, hat ould you thinkF Put Ce! ashore like !aroonsF That ould have been EnglandCs ay" 6r cut Ce! do n like that !uch $orkF That ould have been )lintCs, or Billy BonesCs"B BBilly as the !an for that,B said Israel" BC(ead !en donCt bite,C says he" ;ell, heCs dead no hisselfD he kno s the long and short on it no D and if ever a rough hand co!e to $ort, it as Billy"B BRight you are,B said SilverD Brough and ready" But !ark you here, IC! an easy !an=IC! Guite the gentle!an, says youD but this ti!e itCs serious" (ooty is dooty, !ates" I give !y vote=death" ;hen IC! in Parly!ent and riding in !y coach, I donCt ant none of these sea%la yers in the cabin a%co!ing ho!e, unlooked for, like the devil at $rayers" ;ait is hat I sayD but hen the ti!e co!es, hy, let her ri$>B B8ohn,B cries the co<s ain, ByouCre a !an>B B#ouCll say so, Israel hen you see,B said Silver" B6nly one thing I clai!=I clai! Trela ney" ICll ring his calfCs head off his body ith these hands, (ick>B he added, breaking off" B#ou just ju!$ u$, like a s eet lad, and get !e an a$$le, to et !y $i$e like"B #ou !ay fancy the terror I as in> I should have lea$ed out and run for it if I had found the strength, but !y li!bs and heart alike !isgave !e" I heard (ick begin to rise, and then so!eone see!ingly sto$$ed hi!, and the voice of 7ands e<clai!ed, B6h, sto that> (onCt you get sucking of that bilge, 8ohn" LetCs have a go of the ru!"B B(ick,B said Silver, BI trust you" ICve a gauge on the keg, !ind" ThereCs the keyD you fill a $annikin and bring it u$"B Terrified as I as, I could not hel$ thinking to !yself that this !ust have been ho Er" 'rro got the strong aters that destroyed hi!" (ick as gone but a little hile, and during his absence Israel s$oke straight on in the cookCs ear" It as but a ord or t o that I could catch, and yet I

gathered so!e i!$ortant ne s, for besides other scra$s that tended to the sa!e $ur$ose, this hole clause as audible& B3ot another !an of the!Cll jine"B 7ence there ere still faithful !en on board" ;hen (ick returned, one after another of the trio took the $annikin and drank =one BTo luck,B another ith a B7ereCs to old )lint,B and Silver hi!self saying, in a kind of song, B7ereCs to ourselves, and hold your luff, $lenty of $riJes and $lenty of duff"B 8ust then a sort of brightness fell u$on !e in the barrel, and looking u$, I found the !oon had risen and as silvering the !iJJen%to$ and shining hite on the luff of the fore%sailD and al!ost at the sa!e ti!e the voice of the lookout shouted, BLand ho>B

%
.ouncil o+ 0ar
T7ERE as a great rush of feet across the deck" I could hear $eo$le tu!bling u$ fro! the cabin and the forecastle, and sli$$ing in an instant outside !y barrel, I dived behind the fore%sail, !ade a double to ards the stern, and ca!e out u$on the o$en deck in ti!e to join 7unter and (r" Livesey in the rush for the eather bo " There all hands ere already congregated" ' belt of fog had lifted al!ost si!ultaneously ith the a$$earance of the !oon" ' ay to the south% est of us e sa t o lo hills, about a cou$le of !iles a$art, and rising behind one of the! a third and higher hill, hose $eak as still buried in the fog" 'll three see!ed shar$ and conical in figure" So !uch I sa , al!ost in a drea!, for I had not yet recovered fro! !y horrid fear of a !inute or t o before" 'nd then I heard the voice of 9a$tain S!ollett issuing orders" The 7ISP'3I6L' as laid a cou$le of $oints nearer the ind and no sailed a course that ould just clear the island on the east" B'nd no , !en,B said the ca$tain, hen all as sheeted ho!e, Bhas any one of you ever seen that land aheadFB BI have, sir,B said Silver" BICve atered there ith a trader I as cook in"B BThe anchorage is on the south, behind an islet, I fancyFB asked the ca$tain" B#es, sirD Skeleton Island they calls it" It ere a !ain $lace for $irates once, and a hand e had on board kno ed all their na!es for it" That hill to the norCard they calls the )ore%!ast 7illD there are three hills in a ro running southCard=fore, !ain, and !iJJen, sir" But the !ain=thatCs the big un, ith the cloud on it=they usually calls the S$y%glass, by reason of a lookout they ke$t hen they as in the anchorage cleaning, for itCs there they cleaned their shi$s, sir, asking your $ardon"B BI have a chart here,B says 9a$tain S!ollett" BSee if thatCs the $lace"B Long 8ohnCs eyes burned in his head as he took the chart, but by the fresh look of the $a$er I kne he as doo!ed to disa$$oint!ent" This as not the !a$ e found in Billy BonesCs chest, but an accurate co$y, co!$lete in all things=

na!es and heights and soundings= ith the single e<ce$tion of the red crosses and the ritten notes" Shar$ as !ust have been his annoyance, Silver had the strength of !ind to hide it" B#es, sir,B said he, Bthis is the s$ot, to be sure, and very $rettily dra ed out" ;ho !ight have done that, I onderF The $irates ere too ignorant, I reckon" 'ye, here it is& C9a$t" :iddCs 'nchorageC=just the na!e !y shi$!ate called it" ThereCs a strong current runs along the south, and then a ay norCard u$ the est coast" Right you as, sir,B says he, Bto haul your ind and kee$ the eather of the island" Least ays, if such as your intention as to enter and careen, and there ainCt no better $lace for that in these aters"B BThank you, !y !an,B says 9a$tain S!ollett" BICll ask you later on to give us a hel$" #ou !ay go"B I as sur$rised at the coolness ith hich 8ohn avo ed his kno ledge of the island, and I o n I as half%frightened hen I sa hi! dra ing nearer to !yself" 7e did not kno , to be sure, that I had overheard his council fro! the a$$le barrel, and yet I had by this ti!e taken such a horror of his cruelty, du$licity, and $o er that I could scarce conceal a shudder hen he laid his hand u$on !y ar!" B'h,B says he, Bthis here is a s eet s$ot, this island=a s eet s$ot for a lad to get ashore on" #ouCll bathe, and youCll cli!b trees, and youCll hunt goats, you illD and youCll get aloft on the! hills like a goat yourself" ;hy, it !akes !e young again" I as going to forget !y ti!ber leg, I as" ItCs a $leasant thing to be young and have ten toes, and you !ay lay to that" ;hen you ant to go a bit of e<$loring, you just ask old 8ohn, and heCll $ut u$ a snack for you to take along"B 'nd cla$$ing !e in the friendliest ay u$on the shoulder, he hobbled off for ard and ent belo " 9a$tain S!ollett, the sGuire, and (r" Livesey ere talking together on the Guarter%deck, and an<ious as I as to tell the! !y story, I durst not interru$t the! o$enly" ;hile I as still casting about in !y thoughts to find so!e $robable e<cuse, (r" Livesey called !e to his side" 7e had left his $i$e belo , and being a slave to tobacco, had !eant that I should fetch itD but as soon as I as near enough to s$eak and not to be overheard, I broke i!!ediately, B(octor, let !e s$eak" Get the ca$tain and sGuire do n to the cabin, and then !ake so!e $retence to send for !e" I have terrible ne s"B The doctor changed countenance a little, but ne<t !o!ent he as !aster of hi!self" BThank you, 8i!,B said he Guite loudly, Bthat as all I anted to kno ,B as if he had asked !e a Guestion" 'nd ith that he turned on his heel and rejoined the other t o" They s$oke together for a little, and though none of the! started, or raised his voice, or so !uch as histled, it as $lain enough that (r" Livesey had co!!unicated !y reGuest, for the ne<t thing that I heard as the ca$tain giving an order to 8ob 'nderson, and all hands ere $i$ed on deck" BEy lads,B said 9a$tain S!ollett, BICve a ord to say to you" This land that e have sighted is the $lace e have been sailing for" Er" Trela ney, being a very o$en%handed gentle!an, as e all kno , has just asked !e a ord or t o, and as I as able to tell hi! that every !an on board had done his duty,

alo and aloft, as I never ask to see it done better, hy, he and I and the doctor are going belo to the cabin to drink #62R health and luck, and youCll have grog served out for you to drink 62R health and luck" ICll tell you hat I think of this& I think it handso!e" 'nd if you think as I do, youCll give a good sea%cheer for the gentle!an that does it"B The cheer follo ed=that as a !atter of courseD but it rang out so full and hearty that I confess I could hardly believe these sa!e !en ere $lotting for our blood" B6ne !ore cheer for 9a$Cn S!ollett,B cried Long 8ohn hen the first had subsided" 'nd this also as given ith a ill" 6n the to$ of that the three gentle!en ent belo , and not long after, ord as sent for ard that 8i! 7a kins as anted in the cabin" I found the! all three seated round the table, a bottle of S$anish ine and so!e raisins before the!, and the doctor s!oking a ay, ith his ig on his la$, and that, I kne , as a sign that he as agitated" The stern indo as o$en, for it as a ar! night, and you could see the !oon shining behind on the shi$Cs ake" B3o , 7a kins,B said the sGuire, Byou have so!ething to say" S$eak u$"B I did as I as bid, and as short as I could !ake it, told the hole details of SilverCs conversation" 3obody interru$ted !e till I as done, nor did any one of the three of the! !ake so !uch as a !ove!ent, but they ke$t their eyes u$on !y face fro! first to last" B8i!,B said (r" Livesey, Btake a seat"B 'nd they !ade !e sit do n at table beside the!, $oured !e out a glass of ine, filled !y hands ith raisins, and all three, one after the other, and each ith a bo , drank !y good health, and their service to !e, for !y luck and courage" B3o , ca$tain,B said the sGuire, Byou ere right, and I as rong" I o n !yself an ass, and I a ait your orders"B B3o !ore an ass than I, sir,B returned the ca$tain" BI never heard of a cre that !eant to !utiny but hat sho ed signs before, for any !an that had an eye in his head to see the !ischief and take ste$s according" But this cre ,B he added, Bbeats !e"B B9a$tain,B said the doctor, B ith your $er!ission, thatCs Silver" ' very re!arkable !an"B B7eCd look re!arkably ell fro! a yard%ar!, sir,B returned the ca$tain" BBut this is talkD this donCt lead to anything" I see three or four $oints, and ith Er" Trela neyCs $er!ission, ICll na!e the!"B B#ou, sir, are the ca$tain" It is for you to s$eak,B says Er" Trela ney grandly" B)irst $oint,B began Er" S!ollett" B;e !ust go on, because e canCt turn back" If I gave the ord to go about, they ould rise at once" Second $oint, e have ti!e before us=at least until this treasureCs found" Third $oint, there are faithful hands" 3o , sir, itCs got to co!e to blo s sooner or later, and hat I $ro$ose is to take ti!e by the forelock, as the saying is, and co!e to blo s so!e fine day hen they least e<$ect it" ;e can count, I take it, on your o n ho!e servants, Er" Trela neyFB B's u$on !yself,B declared the sGuire"

BThree,B reckoned the ca$tainD Bourselves !ake seven, counting 7a kins here" 3o , about the honest handsFB BEost likely Trela neyCs o n !en,B said the doctorD Bthose he had $icked u$ for hi!self before he lit on Silver"B B3ay,B re$lied the sGuire" B7ands as one of !ine"B BI did think I could have trusted 7ands,B added the ca$tain" B'nd to think that theyCre all English!en>B broke out the sGuire" BSir, I could find it in !y heart to blo the shi$ u$"B B;ell, gentle!en,B said the ca$tain, Bthe best that I can say is not !uch" ;e !ust lay to, if you $lease, and kee$ a bright lookout" ItCs trying on a !an, I kno " It ould be $leasanter to co!e to blo s" But thereCs no hel$ for it till e kno our !en" Lay to, and histle for a ind, thatCs !y vie "B B8i! here,B said the doctor, Bcan hel$ us !ore than anyone" The !en are not shy ith hi!, and 8i! is a noticing lad"B B7a kins, I $ut $rodigious faith in you,B added the sGuire" I began to feel $retty des$erate at this, for I felt altogether hel$lessD and yet, by an odd train of circu!stances, it as indeed through !e that safety ca!e" In the !eanti!e, talk as e $leased, there ere only seven out of the t enty% si< on ho! e kne e could relyD and out of these seven one as a boy, so that the gro n !en on our side ere si< to their nineteen"

PART T7REE,y Shore Adventure

(
7o$ ,y Shore Adventure Be"an
T7E a$$earance of the island hen I ca!e on deck ne<t !orning as altogether changed" 'lthough the breeJe had no utterly ceased, e had !ade a great deal of ay during the night and ere no lying becal!ed about half a !ile to the south%east of the lo eastern coast" Grey%coloured oods covered a large $art of the surface" This even tint as indeed broken u$ by streaks of yello sand%break in the lo er lands, and by !any tall trees of the $ine fa!ily, out%to$$ing the others=so!e singly, so!e in clu!$sD but the general colouring as unifor! and sad" The hills ran u$ clear above the vegetation in s$ires of naked rock" 'll ere strangely sha$ed, and the S$y% glass, hich as by three or four hundred feet the tallest on the island, as like ise the strangest in configuration, running u$ sheer fro! al!ost every side and then suddenly cut off at the to$ like a $edestal to $ut a statue on" The 7ISP'3I6L' as rolling scu$$ers under in the ocean s ell" The boo!s ere tearing at the blocks, the rudder as banging to and fro, and the hole shi$ creaking, groaning, and ju!$ing like a !anufactory" I had to cling tight to the backstay, and the orld turned giddily before !y eyes, for though I as a good enough sailor hen there as ay on, this standing still and being rolled about like a bottle as a thing I never learned to stand ithout a Gual! or so, above all in the !orning, on an e!$ty sto!ach" Perha$s it as this=$erha$s it as the look of the island, ith its grey, !elancholy oods, and ild stone s$ires, and the surf that e could both see and hear foa!ing and thundering on the stee$ beach=at least, although the sun shone bright and hot, and the shore birds ere fishing and crying all around us, and you ould have thought anyone ould have been glad to get to land after being so long at sea, !y heart sank, as the saying is, into !y bootsD and fro! the first look on ard, I hated the very thought of Treasure Island" ;e had a dreary !orningCs ork before us, for there as no sign of any ind, and the boats had to be got out and !anned, and the shi$ ar$ed three or four !iles round the corner of the island and u$ the narro $assage to the haven behind Skeleton Island" I volunteered for one of the boats, here I had,

of course, no business" The heat as s eltering, and the !en gru!bled fiercely over their ork" 'nderson as in co!!and of !y boat, and instead of kee$ing the cre in order, he gru!bled as loud as the orst" B;ell,B he said ith an oath, BitCs not forever"B I thought this as a very bad sign, for u$ to that day the !en had gone briskly and illingly about their businessD but the very sight of the island had rela<ed the cords of disci$line" 'll the ay in, Long 8ohn stood by the steers!an and conned the shi$" 7e kne the $assage like the $al! of his hand, and though the !an in the chains got every here !ore ater than as do n in the chart, 8ohn never hesitated once" BThereCs a strong scour ith the ebb,B he said, Band this here $assage has been dug out, in a !anner of s$eaking, ith a s$ade"B ;e brought u$ just here the anchor as in the chart, about a third of a !ile fro! each shore, the !ainland on one side and Skeleton Island on the other" The botto! as clean sand" The $lunge of our anchor sent u$ clouds of birds heeling and crying over the oods, but in less than a !inute they ere do n again and all as once !ore silent" The $lace as entirely land%locked, buried in oods, the trees co!ing right do n to high% ater !ark, the shores !ostly flat, and the hillto$s standing round at a distance in a sort of a!$hitheatre, one here, one there" T o little rivers, or rather t o s a!$s, e!$tied out into this $ond, as you !ight call itD and the foliage round that $art of the shore had a kind of $oisonous brightness" )ro! the shi$ e could see nothing of the house or stockade, for they ere Guite buried a!ong treesD and if it had not been for the chart on the co!$anion, e !ight have been the first that had ever anchored there since the island arose out of the seas" There as not a breath of air !oving, nor a sound but that of the surf boo!ing half a !ile a ay along the beaches and against the rocks outside" ' $eculiar stagnant s!ell hung over the anchorage=a s!ell of sodden leaves and rotting tree trunks" I observed the doctor sniffing and sniffing, like so!eone tasting a bad egg" BI donCt kno about treasure,B he said, Bbut ICll stake !y ig thereCs fever here"B If the conduct of the !en had been alar!ing in the boat, it beca!e truly threatening hen they had co!e aboard" They lay about the deck gro ling together in talk" The slightest order as received ith a black look and grudgingly and carelessly obeyed" Even the honest hands !ust have caught the infection, for there as not one !an aboard to !end another" Eutiny, it as $lain, hung over us like a thunder%cloud" 'nd it as not only e of the cabin $arty ho $erceived the danger" Long 8ohn as hard at ork going fro! grou$ to grou$, s$ending hi!self in good advice, and as for e<a!$le no !an could have sho n a better" 7e fairly outstri$$ed hi!self in illingness and civilityD he as all s!iles to everyone" If an order ere given, 8ohn ould be on his crutch in an instant, ith the cheeriest B'ye, aye, sir>B in the orldD and hen there as nothing else to do, he ke$t u$ one song after another, as if to conceal the discontent of the rest"

6f all the gloo!y features of that gloo!y afternoon, this obvious an<iety on the $art of Long 8ohn a$$eared the orst" ;e held a council in the cabin" BSir,B said the ca$tain, Bif I risk another order, the hole shi$Cll co!e about our ears by the run" #ou see, sir, here it is" I get a rough ans er, do I notF ;ell, if I s$eak back, $ikes ill be going in t o shakesD if I donCt, Silver ill see thereCs so!ething under that, and the ga!eCs u$" 3o , eCve only one !an to rely on"B B'nd ho is thatFB asked the sGuire" BSilver, sir,B returned the ca$tainD BheCs as an<ious as you and I to s!other things u$" This is a tiffD heCd soon talk Ce! out of it if he had the chance, and hat I $ro$ose to do is to give hi! the chance" LetCs allo the !en an afternoon ashore" If they all go, hy eCll fight the shi$" If they none of the! go, ell then, e hold the cabin, and God defend the right" If so!e go, you !ark !y ords, sir, SilverCll bring Ce! aboard again as !ild as la!bs"B It as so decidedD loaded $istols ere served out to all the sure !enD 7unter, 8oyce, and Redruth ere taken into our confidence and received the ne s ith less sur$rise and a better s$irit than e had looked for, and then the ca$tain ent on deck and addressed the cre " BEy lads,B said he, B eCve had a hot day and are all tired and out of sorts" ' turn ashoreCll hurt nobody=the boats are still in the aterD you can take the gigs, and as !any as $lease !ay go ashore for the afternoon" ICll fire a gun half an hour before sundo n"B I believe the silly fello s !ust have thought they ould break their shins over treasure as soon as they ere landed, for they all ca!e out of their sulks in a !o!ent and gave a cheer that started the echo in a fara ay hill and sent the birds once !ore flying and sGualling round the anchorage" The ca$tain as too bright to be in the ay" 7e hi$$ed out of sight in a !o!ent, leaving Silver to arrange the $arty, and I fancy it as as ell he did so" 7ad he been on deck, he could no longer so !uch as have $retended not to understand the situation" It as as $lain as day" Silver as the ca$tain, and a !ighty rebellious cre he had of it" The honest hands=and I as soon to see it $roved that there ere such on board=!ust have been very stu$id fello s" 6r rather, I su$$ose the truth as this, that all hands ere disaffected by the e<a!$le of the ringleaders=only so!e !ore, so!e lessD and a fe , being good fello s in the !ain, could neither be led nor driven any further" It is one thing to be idle and skulk and Guite another to take a shi$ and !urder a nu!ber of innocent !en" 't last, ho ever, the $arty as !ade u$" Si< fello s ere to stay on board, and the re!aining thirteen, including Silver, began to e!bark" Then it as that there ca!e into !y head the first of the !ad notions that contributed so !uch to save our lives" If si< !en ere left by Silver, it as $lain our $arty could not take and fight the shi$D and since only si< ere left, it as eGually $lain that the cabin $arty had no $resent need of !y assistance" It occurred to !e at once to go ashore" In a jiffy I had sli$$ed over the side and curled u$ in the fore%sheets of the nearest boat, and al!ost at the sa!e !o!ent she shoved off"

3o one took notice of !e, only the bo oar saying, BIs that you, 8i!F :ee$ your head do n"B But Silver, fro! the other boat, looked shar$ly over and called out to kno if that ere !eD and fro! that !o!ent I began to regret hat I had done" The cre s raced for the beach, but the boat I as in, having so!e start and being at once the lighter and the better !anned, shot far ahead of her consort, and the bo had struck a!ong the shore%side trees and I had caught a branch and s ung !yself out and $lunged into the nearest thicket hile Silver and the rest ere still a hundred yards behind" B8i!, 8i!>B I heard hi! shouting" But you !ay su$$ose I $aid no heedD ju!$ing, ducking, and breaking through, I ran straight before !y nose till I could run no longer"

)
The 8irst Blo$
I ;'S so $leased at having given the sli$ to Long 8ohn that I began to enjoy !yself and look around !e ith so!e interest on the strange land that I as in" I had crossed a !arshy tract full of illo s, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, s a!$y treesD and I had no co!e out u$on the skirts of an o$en $iece of undulating, sandy country, about a !ile long, dotted ith a fe $ines and a great nu!ber of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in gro th, but $ale in the foliage, like illo s" 6n the far side of the o$en stood one of the hills, ith t o Guaint, craggy $eaks shining vividly in the sun" I no felt for the first ti!e the joy of e<$loration" The isle as uninhabitedD !y shi$!ates I had left behind, and nothing lived in front of !e but du!b brutes and fo ls" I turned hither and thither a!ong the trees" 7ere and there ere flo ering $lants, unkno n to !eD here and there I sa snakes, and one raised his head fro! a ledge of rock and hissed at !e ith a noise not unlike the s$inning of a to$" Little did I su$$ose that he as a deadly ene!y and that the noise as the fa!ous rattle" Then I ca!e to a long thicket of these oaklike trees=live, or evergreen, oaks, I heard after ards they should be called= hich gre lo along the sand like bra!bles, the boughs curiously t isted, the foliage co!$act, like thatch" The thicket stretched do n fro! the to$ of one of the sandy knolls, s$reading and gro ing taller as it ent, until it reached the !argin of the broad, reedy fen, through hich the nearest of the little rivers soaked its ay into the anchorage" The !arsh as stea!ing in the strong sun, and the outline of the S$y%glass tre!bled through the haJe" 'll at once there began to go a sort of bustle a!ong the bulrushesD a ild duck fle u$ ith a Guack, another follo ed, and soon over the hole surface of the !arsh a great cloud of birds hung screa!ing and circling in the air" I judged at once that so!e of !y shi$!ates !ust be dra ing near along the borders of

the fen" 3or as I deceived, for soon I heard the very distant and lo tones of a hu!an voice, hich, as I continued to give ear, gre steadily louder and nearer" This $ut !e in a great fear, and I cra led under cover of the nearest live%oak and sGuatted there, hearkening, as silent as a !ouse" 'nother voice ans ered, and then the first voice, hich I no recogniJed to be SilverCs, once !ore took u$ the story and ran on for a long hile in a strea!, only no and again interru$ted by the other" By the sound they !ust have been talking earnestly, and al!ost fiercelyD but no distinct ord ca!e to !y hearing" 't last the s$eakers see!ed to have $aused and $erha$s to have sat do n, for not only did they cease to dra any nearer, but the birds the!selves began to gro !ore Guiet and to settle again to their $laces in the s a!$" 'nd no I began to feel that I as neglecting !y business, that since I had been so foolhardy as to co!e ashore ith these des$eradoes, the least I could do as to overhear the! at their councils, and that !y $lain and obvious duty as to dra as close as I could !anage, under the favourable a!bush of the crouching trees" I could tell the direction of the s$eakers $retty e<actly, not only by the sound of their voices but by the behaviour of the fe birds that still hung in alar! above the heads of the intruders" 9ra ling on all fours, I !ade steadily but slo ly to ards the!, till at last, raising !y head to an a$erture a!ong the leaves, I could see clear do n into a little green dell beside the !arsh, and closely set about ith trees, here Long 8ohn Silver and another of the cre stood face to face in conversation" The sun beat full u$on the!" Silver had thro n his hat beside hi! on the ground, and his great, s!ooth, blond face, all shining ith heat, as lifted to the other !anCs in a kind of a$$eal" BEate,B he as saying, BitCs because I thinks gold dust of you=gold dust, and you !ay lay to that> If I hadnCt took to you like $itch, do you think ICd have been here a% arning of youF 'llCs u$=you canCt !ake nor !endD itCs to save your neck that IC! a%s$eaking, and if one of the ild uns kne it, hereCd I be, To!=no , tell !e, hereCd I beFB BSilver,B said the other !an=and I observed he as not only red in the face, but s$oke as hoarse as a cro , and his voice shook too, like a taut ro$e =BSilver,B says he, ByouCre old, and youCre honest, or has the na!e for itD and youCve !oney too, hich lots of $oor sailors hasnCtD and youCre brave, or IC! !istook" 'nd ill you tell !e youCll let yourself be led a ay ith that kind of a !ess of s absF 3ot you> 's sure as God sees !e, ICd sooner lose !y hand" If I turn agin !y dooty=B 'nd then all of a sudden he as interru$ted by a noise" I had found one of the honest hands= ell, here, at that sa!e !o!ent, ca!e ne s of another" )ar a ay out in the !arsh there arose, all of a sudden, a sound like the cry of anger, then another on the back of itD and then one horrid, long%dra n screa!" The rocks of the S$y%glass re%echoed it a score of ti!esD the hole troo$ of !arsh%birds rose again, darkening heaven, ith a si!ultaneous hirrD and long after that death yell as still ringing in !y brain, silence had re%

established its e!$ire, and only the rustle of the redescending birds and the boo! of the distant surges disturbed the languor of the afternoon" To! had lea$ed at the sound, like a horse at the s$ur, but Silver had not inked an eye" 7e stood here he as, resting lightly on his crutch, atching his co!$anion like a snake about to s$ring" B8ohn>B said the sailor, stretching out his hand" B7ands off>B cried Silver, lea$ing back a yard, as it see!ed to !e, ith the s$eed and security of a trained gy!nast" B7ands off, if you like, 8ohn Silver,B said the other" BItCs a black conscience that can !ake you feared of !e" But in heavenCs na!e, tell !e, hat as thatFB BThatFB returned Silver, s!iling a ay, but arier than ever, his eye a !ere $in%$oint in his big face, but glea!ing like a cru!b of glass" BThatF 6h, I reckon thatCll be 'lan"B 'nd at this $oint To! flashed out like a hero" B'lan>B he cried" BThen rest his soul for a true sea!an> 'nd as for you, 8ohn Silver, long youCve been a !ate of !ine, but youCre !ate of !ine no !ore" If I die like a dog, ICll die in !y dooty" #ouCve killed 'lan, have youF :ill !e too, if you can" But I defies you"B 'nd ith that, this brave fello turned his back directly on the cook and set off alking for the beach" But he as not destined to go far" ;ith a cry 8ohn seiJed the branch of a tree, hi$$ed the crutch out of his ar!$it, and sent that uncouth !issile hurtling through the air" It struck $oor To!, $oint fore!ost, and ith stunning violence, right bet een the shoulders in the !iddle of his back" 7is hands fle u$, he gave a sort of gas$, and fell" ;hether he ere injured !uch or little, none could ever tell" Like enough, to judge fro! the sound, his back as broken on the s$ot" But he had no ti!e given hi! to recover" Silver, agile as a !onkey even ithout leg or crutch, as on the to$ of hi! ne<t !o!ent and had t ice buried his knife u$ to the hilt in that defenceless body" )ro! !y $lace of a!bush, I could hear hi! $ant aloud as he struck the blo s" I do not kno hat it rightly is to faint, but I do kno that for the ne<t little hile the hole orld s a! a ay fro! before !e in a hirling !istD Silver and the birds, and the tall S$y%glass hillto$, going round and round and to$sy% turvy before !y eyes, and all !anner of bells ringing and distant voices shouting in !y ear" ;hen I ca!e again to !yself the !onster had $ulled hi!self together, his crutch under his ar!, his hat u$on his head" 8ust before hi! To! lay !otionless u$on the s ardD but the !urderer !inded hi! not a hit, cleansing his blood%stained knife the hile u$on a is$ of grass" Everything else as unchanged, the sun still shining !ercilessly on the stea!ing !arsh and the tall $innacle of the !ountain, and I could scarce $ersuade !yself that !urder had been actually done and a hu!an life cruelly cut short a !o!ent since before !y eyes" But no 8ohn $ut his hand into his $ocket, brought out a histle, and ble u$on it several !odulated blasts that rang far across the heated air" I could not tell, of course, the !eaning of the signal, but it instantly a oke !y fears" Eore !en ould be co!ing" I !ight be discovered" They had already slain t o of the honest $eo$leD after To! and 'lan, !ight not I co!e ne<tF

Instantly I began to e<tricate !yself and cra l back again, ith hat s$eed and silence I could !anage, to the !ore o$en $ortion of the ood" 's I did so, I could hear hails co!ing and going bet een the old buccaneer and his co!rades, and this sound of danger lent !e ings" 's soon as I as clear of the thicket, I ran as I never ran before, scarce !inding the direction of !y flight, so long as it led !e fro! the !urderersD and as I ran, fear gre and gre u$on !e until it turned into a kind of frenJy" Indeed, could anyone be !ore entirely lost than IF ;hen the gun fired, ho should I dare to go do n to the boats a!ong those fiends, still s!oking fro! their cri!eF ;ould not the first of the! ho sa !e ring !y neck like a sni$eCsF ;ould not !y absence itself be an evidence to the! of !y alar!, and therefore of !y fatal kno ledgeF It as all over, I thought" Good%bye to the 7ISP'3I6L'D good%bye to the sGuire, the doctor, and the ca$tain> There as nothing left for !e but death by starvation or death by the hands of the !utineers" 'll this hile, as I say, I as still running, and ithout taking any notice, I had dra n near to the foot of the little hill ith the t o $eaks and had got into a $art of the island here the live%oaks gre !ore idely a$art and see!ed !ore like forest trees in their bearing and di!ensions" Eingled ith these ere a fe scattered $ines, so!e fifty, so!e nearer seventy, feet high" The air too s!elt !ore freshly than do n beside the !arsh" 'nd here a fresh alar! brought !e to a standstill ith a thu!$ing heart"

*
The ,an o+ the Island
)R6E the side of the hill, hich as here stee$ and stony, a s$out of gravel as dislodged and fell rattling and bounding through the trees" Ey eyes turned instinctively in that direction, and I sa a figure lea$ ith great ra$idity behind the trunk of a $ine" ;hat it as, hether bear or !an or !onkey, I could in no ise tell" It see!ed dark and shaggyD !ore I kne not" But the terror of this ne a$$arition brought !e to a stand" I as no , it see!ed, cut off u$on both sidesD behind !e the !urderers, before !e this lurking nondescri$t" 'nd i!!ediately I began to $refer the dangers that I kne to those I kne not" Silver hi!self a$$eared less terrible in contrast ith this creature of the oods, and I turned on !y heel, and looking shar$ly behind !e over !y shoulder, began to retrace !y ste$s in the direction of the boats" Instantly the figure rea$$eared, and !aking a ide circuit, began to head !e off" I as tired, at any rateD but had I been as fresh as hen I rose, I could see it as in vain for !e to contend in s$eed ith such an adversary" )ro! trunk to trunk the creature flitted like a deer, running !anlike on t o legs, but unlike any !an that I had ever seen, stoo$ing al!ost double as it ran" #et a !an it as, I could no longer be in doubt about that"

I began to recall hat I had heard of cannibals" I as ithin an ace of calling for hel$" But the !ere fact that he as a !an, ho ever ild, had so!e hat reassured !e, and !y fear of Silver began to revive in $ro$ortion" I stood still, therefore, and cast about for so!e !ethod of esca$eD and as I as so thinking, the recollection of !y $istol flashed into !y !ind" 's soon as I re!e!bered I as not defenceless, courage glo ed again in !y heart and I set !y face resolutely for this !an of the island and alked briskly to ards hi!" 7e as concealed by this ti!e behind another tree trunkD but he !ust have been atching !e closely, for as soon as I began to !ove in his direction he rea$$eared and took a ste$ to !eet !e" Then he hesitated, dre back, ca!e for ard again, and at last, to !y onder and confusion, thre hi!self on his knees and held out his clas$ed hands in su$$lication" 't that I once !ore sto$$ed" B;ho are youFB I asked" BBen Gunn,B he ans ered, and his voice sounded hoarse and a k ard, like a rusty lock" BIC! $oor Ben Gunn, I a!D and I havenCt s$oke ith a 9hristian these three years"B I could no see that he as a hite !an like !yself and that his features ere even $leasing" 7is skin, herever it as e<$osed, as burnt by the sunD even his li$s ere black, and his fair eyes looked Guite startling in so dark a face" 6f all the beggar%!en that I had seen or fancied, he as the chief for raggedness" 7e as clothed ith tatters of old shi$Cs canvas and old sea%cloth, and this e<traordinary $atch ork as all held together by a syste! of the !ost various and incongruous fastenings, brass buttons, bits of stick, and loo$s of tarry gaskin" 'bout his aist he ore an old brass%buckled leather belt, hich as the one thing solid in his hole accoutre!ent" BThree years>B I cried" B;ere you shi$ reckedFB B3ay, !ate,B said heD B!arooned"B I had heard the ord, and I kne it stood for a horrible kind of $unish!ent co!!on enough a!ong the buccaneers, in hich the offender is $ut ashore ith a little $o der and shot and left behind on so!e desolate and distant island" BEarooned three years agone,B he continued, Band lived on goats since then, and berries, and oysters" ;herever a !an is, says I, a !an can do for hi!self" But, !ate, !y heart is sore for 9hristian diet" #ou !ightnCt ha$$en to have a $iece of cheese about you, no F 3oF ;ell, !anyCs the long night ICve drea!ed of cheese=toasted, !ostly=and oke u$ again, and here I ere"B BIf ever I can get aboard again,B said I, Byou shall have cheese by the stone"B 'll this ti!e he had been feeling the stuff of !y jacket, s!oothing !y hands, looking at !y boots, and generally, in the intervals of his s$eech, sho ing a childish $leasure in the $resence of a fello creature" But at !y last ords he $erked u$ into a kind of startled slyness" BIf ever you can get aboard again, says youFB he re$eated" B;hy, no , hoCs to hinder youFB B3ot you, I kno ,B as !y re$ly" B'nd right you as,B he cried" B3o you= hat do you call yourself, !ateFB B8i!,B I told hi!"

B8i!, 8i!,B says he, Guite $leased a$$arently" B;ell, no , 8i!, ICve lived that rough as youCd be asha!ed to hear of" 3o , for instance, you ouldnCt think I had had a $ious !other=to look at !eFB he asked" B;hy, no, not in $articular,B I ans ered" B'h, ell,B said he, Bbut I had=re!arkable $ious" 'nd I as a civil, $ious boy, and could rattle off !y catechis! that fast, as you couldnCt tell one ord fro! another" 'nd hereCs hat it co!e to, 8i!, and it begun ith chuck%farthen on the blessed grave%stones> ThatCs hat it begun ith, but it ent furtherCn thatD and so !y !other told !e, and $redicked the hole, she did, the $ious o!an> But it ere Providence that $ut !e here" ICve thought it all out in this here lonely island, and IC! back on $iety" #ou donCt catch !e tasting ru! so !uch, but just a thi!bleful for luck, of course, the first chance I have" IC! bound ICll be good, and I see the ay to" 'nd, 8i!B=looking all round hi! and lo ering his voice to a his$er=BIC! rich"B I no felt sure that the $oor fello had gone craJy in his solitude, and I su$$ose I !ust have sho n the feeling in !y face, for he re$eated the state!ent hotly& BRich> Rich> I says" 'nd ICll tell you hat& ICll !ake a !an of you, 8i!" 'h, 8i!, youCll bless your stars, you ill, you as the first that found !e>B 'nd at this there ca!e suddenly a lo ering shado over his face, and he tightened his gras$ u$on !y hand and raised a forefinger threateningly before !y eyes" B3o , 8i!, you tell !e true& that ainCt )lintCs shi$FB he asked" 't this I had a ha$$y ins$iration" I began to believe that I had found an ally, and I ans ered hi! at once" BItCs not )lintCs shi$, and )lint is deadD but ICll tell you true, as you ask !e= there are so!e of )lintCs hands aboardD orse luck for the rest of us"B B3ot a !an= ith one=legFB he gas$ed" BSilverFB I asked" B'h, Silver>B says he" BThat ere his na!e"B B7eCs the cook, and the ringleader too"B 7e as still holding !e by the rist, and at that he give it Guite a ring" BIf you as sent by Long 8ohn,B he said, BIC! as good as $ork, and I kno it" But here as you, do you su$$oseFB I had !ade !y !ind u$ in a !o!ent, and by ay of ans er told hi! the hole story of our voyage and the $redica!ent in hich e found ourselves" 7e heard !e ith the keenest interest, and hen I had done he $atted !e on the head" B#ouCre a good lad, 8i!,B he saidD Band youCre all in a clove hitch, ainCt youF ;ell, you just $ut your trust in Ben Gunn=Ben GunnCs the !an to do it" ;ould you think it likely, no , that your sGuire ould $rove a liberal%!inded one in case of hel$=hi! being in a clove hitch, as you re!arkFB I told hi! the sGuire as the !ost liberal of !en" B'ye, but you see,B returned Ben Gunn, BI didnCt !ean giving !e a gate to kee$, and a suit of livery clothes, and suchD thatCs not !y !ark, 8i!" ;hat I !ean is, ould he be likely to co!e do n to the toon of, say one thousand $ounds out of !oney thatCs as good as a !anCs o n alreadyFB BI a! sure he ould,B said I" B's it as, all hands ere to share"B

B'3( a $assage ho!eFB he added ith a look of great shre dness" B;hy,B I cried, Bthe sGuireCs a gentle!an" 'nd besides, if e got rid of the others, e should ant you to hel$ ork the vessel ho!e"B B'h,B said he, Bso you ould"B 'nd he see!ed very !uch relieved" B3o , ICll tell you hat,B he ent on" BSo !uch ICll tell you, and no !ore" I ere in )lintCs shi$ hen he buried the treasureD he and si< along=si< strong sea!en" They as ashore nigh on a eek, and us standing off and on in the old ;'LR2S" 6ne fine day u$ ent the signal, and here co!e )lint by hi!self in a little boat, and his head done u$ in a blue scarf" The sun as getting u$, and !ortal hite he looked about the cut ater" But, there he as, you !ind, and the si< all dead=dead and buried" 7o he done it, not a !an aboard us could !ake out" It as battle, !urder, and sudden death, least ays=hi! against si<" Billy Bones as the !ateD Long 8ohn, he as Guarter!asterD and they asked hi! here the treasure as" C'h,C says he, Cyou can go ashore, if you like, and stay,C he saysD Cbut as for the shi$, sheCll beat u$ for !ore, by thunder>C ThatCs hat he said" B;ell, I as in another shi$ three years back, and e sighted this island" CBoys,C said I, ChereCs )lintCs treasureD letCs land and find it"C The ca$Cn as dis$leased at that, but !y !ess!ates ere all of a !ind and landed" T elve days they looked for it, and every day they had the orse ord for !e, until one fine !orning all hands ent aboard" C's for you, Benja!in Gunn,C says they, ChereCs a !usket,C they says, Cand a s$ade, and $ick%a<e" #ou can stay here and find )lintCs !oney for yourself,C they says" B;ell, 8i!, three years have I been here, and not a bite of 9hristian diet fro! that day to this" But no , you look hereD look at !e" (o I look like a !an before the !astF 3o, says you" 3or I erenCt, neither, I says"B 'nd ith that he inked and $inched !e hard" B8ust you !ention the! ords to your sGuire, 8i!,B he ent on" B3or he erenCt, neither=thatCs the ords" Three years he ere the !an of this island, light and dark, fair and rainD and so!eti!es he ould !aybe think u$on a $rayer Hsays youI, and so!eti!es he ould !aybe think of his old !other, so be as sheCs alive HyouCll sayID but the !ost $art of GunnCs ti!e Hthis is hat youCll sayI=the !ost $art of his ti!e as took u$ ith another !atter" 'nd then youCll give hi! a ni$, like I do"B 'nd he $inched !e again in the !ost confidential !anner" BThen,B he continued, Bthen youCll u$, and youCll say this& Gunn is a good !an HyouCll sayI, and he $uts a $recious sight !ore confidence=a $recious sight, !ind that=in a genCle!an born than in these genCle!an of fortune, having been one hisself"B B;ell,B I said, BI donCt understand one ord that youCve been saying" But thatCs neither here nor thereD for ho a! I to get on boardFB B'h,B said he, BthatCs the hitch, for sure" ;ell, thereCs !y boat, that I !ade ith !y t o hands" I kee$ her under the hite rock" If the orst co!e to the orst, e !ight try that after dark" 7i>B he broke out" B;hatCs thatFB )or just then, although the sun had still an hour or t o to run, all the echoes of the island a oke and bello ed to the thunder of a cannon" BThey have begun to fight>B I cried" B)ollo !e"B

'nd I began to run to ards the anchorage, !y terrors all forgotten, hile close at !y side the !arooned !an in his goatskins trotted easily and lightly" BLeft, left,B says heD Bkee$ to your left hand, !ate 8i!> 2nder the trees ith you> TheerCs here I killed !y first goat" They donCt co!e do n here no D theyCre all !astheaded on the! !ountings for the fear of Benja!in Gunn" 'h> 'nd thereCs the cete!eryB=ce!etery, he !ust have !eant" B#ou see the !oundsF I co!e here and $rayed, no s and thens, hen I thought !aybe a Sunday ould be about doo" It erenCt Guite a cha$el, but it see!ed !ore sole!n likeD and then, says you, Ben Gunn as short%handed=no cha$ling, nor so !uch as a Bible and a flag, you says"B So he ke$t talking as I ran, neither e<$ecting nor receiving any ans er" The cannon%shot as follo ed after a considerable interval by a volley of s!all ar!s" 'nother $ause, and then, not a Guarter of a !ile in front of !e, I beheld the 2nion 8ack flutter in the air above a ood"

PART 8OURThe Stoc&ade

Narrative .ontinued by the Doctor9 7o$ the Shi' 0as Abandoned

IT as about half $ast one=three bells in the sea $hrase=that the t o boats ent ashore fro! the 7ISP'3I6L'" The ca$tain, the sGuire, and I ere talking !atters over in the cabin" 7ad there been a breath of ind, e should have fallen on the si< !utineers ho ere left aboard ith us, sli$$ed our cable, and a ay to sea" But the ind as antingD and to co!$lete our hel$lessness, do n ca!e 7unter ith the ne s that 8i! 7a kins had sli$$ed into a boat and as gone ashore ith the rest" It never occurred to us to doubt 8i! 7a kins, but e ere alar!ed for his safety" ;ith the !en in the te!$er they ere in, it see!ed an even chance if e should see the lad again" ;e ran on deck" The $itch as bubbling in the sea!sD the nasty stench of the $lace turned !e sickD if ever a !an s!elt fever and dysentery, it as in that abo!inable anchorage" The si< scoundrels ere sitting gru!bling under a sail in the forecastleD ashore e could see the gigs !ade fast and a !an sitting in each, hard by here the river runs in" 6ne of the! as histling BLillibullero"B ;aiting as a strain, and it as decided that 7unter and I should go ashore ith the jolly%boat in Guest of infor!ation"

The gigs had leaned to their right, but 7unter and I $ulled straight in, in the direction of the stockade u$on the chart" The t o ho ere left guarding their boats see!ed in a bustle at our a$$earanceD BLillibulleroB sto$$ed off, and I could see the $air discussing hat they ought to do" 7ad they gone and told Silver, all !ight have turned out differentlyD but they had their orders, I su$$ose, and decided to sit Guietly here they ere and hark back again to BLillibullero"B There as a slight bend in the coast, and I steered so as to $ut it bet een usD even before e landed e had thus lost sight of the gigs" I ju!$ed out and ca!e as near running as I durst, ith a big silk handkerchief under !y hat for coolnessC sake and a brace of $istols ready $ri!ed for safety" I had not gone a hundred yards hen I reached the stockade" This as ho it as& a s$ring of clear ater rose al!ost at the to$ of a knoll" ;ell, on the knoll, and enclosing the s$ring, they had cla$$ed a stout loghouse fit to hold t o score of $eo$le on a $inch and loo$holed for !usketry on either side" 'll round this they had cleared a ide s$ace, and then the thing as co!$leted by a $aling si< feet high, ithout door or o$ening, too strong to $ull do n ithout ti!e and labour and too o$en to shelter the besiegers" The $eo$le in the log%house had the! in every ayD they stood Guiet in shelter and shot the others like $artridges" 'll they anted as a good atch and foodD for, short of a co!$lete sur$rise, they !ight have held the $lace against a regi!ent" ;hat $articularly took !y fancy as the s$ring" )or though e had a good enough $lace of it in the cabin of the 7ISP'3I6L', ith $lenty of ar!s and a!!unition, and things to eat, and e<cellent ines, there had been one thing overlooked= e had no ater" I as thinking this over hen there ca!e ringing over the island the cry of a !an at the $oint of death" I as not ne to violent death=I have served his Royal 7ighness the (uke of 9u!berland, and got a ound !yself at )ontenoy=but I kno !y $ulse ent dot and carry one" B8i! 7a kins is gone,B as !y first thought" It is so!ething to have been an old soldier, but !ore still to have been a doctor" There is no ti!e to dilly%dally in our ork" 'nd so no I !ade u$ !y !ind instantly, and ith no ti!e lost returned to the shore and ju!$ed on board the jolly%boat" By good fortune 7unter $ulled a good oar" ;e !ade the ater fly, and the boat as soon alongside and I aboard the schooner" I found the! all shaken, as as natural" The sGuire as sitting do n, as hite as a sheet, thinking of the har! he had led us to, the good soul> 'nd one of the si< forecastle hands as little better" BThereCs a !an,B says 9a$tain S!ollett, nodding to ards hi!, Bne to this ork" 7e ca!e nigh%hand fainting, doctor, hen he heard the cry" 'nother touch of the rudder and that !an ould join us"B I told !y $lan to the ca$tain, and bet een us e settled on the details of its acco!$lish!ent" ;e $ut old Redruth in the gallery bet een the cabin and the forecastle, ith three or four loaded !uskets and a !attress for $rotection" 7unter brought the boat round under the stern%$ort, and 8oyce and I set to ork loading her

ith $o der tins, !uskets, bags of biscuits, kegs of $ork, a cask of cognac, and !y invaluable !edicine chest" In the !eanti!e, the sGuire and the ca$tain stayed on deck, and the latter hailed the co<s ain, ho as the $rinci$al !an aboard" BEr" 7ands,B he said, Bhere are t o of us ith a brace of $istols each" If any one of you si< !ake a signal of any descri$tion, that !anCs dead"B They ere a good deal taken aback, and after a little consultation one and all tu!bled do n the fore co!$anion, thinking no doubt to take us on the rear" But hen they sa Redruth aiting for the! in the s$arred galley, they ent about shi$ at once, and a head $o$$ed out again on deck" B(o n, dog>B cries the ca$tain" 'nd the head $o$$ed back againD and e heard no !ore, for the ti!e, of these si< very faint%hearted sea!en" By this ti!e, tu!bling things in as they ca!e, e had the jolly%boat loaded as !uch as e dared" 8oyce and I got out through the stern%$ort, and e !ade for shore again as fast as oars could take us" This second tri$ fairly aroused the atchers along shore" BLillibulleroB as dro$$ed againD and just before e lost sight of the! behind the little $oint, one of the! hi$$ed ashore and disa$$eared" I had half a !ind to change !y $lan and destroy their boats, but I feared that Silver and the others !ight be close at hand, and all !ight very ell be lost by trying for too !uch" ;e had soon touched land in the sa!e $lace as before and set to $rovision the block house" 'll three !ade the first journey, heavily laden, and tossed our stores over the $alisade" Then, leaving 8oyce to guard the!=one !an, to be sure, but ith half a doJen !uskets=7unter and I returned to the jolly%boat and loaded ourselves once !ore" So e $roceeded ithout $ausing to take breath, till the hole cargo as besto ed, hen the t o servants took u$ their $osition in the block house, and I, ith all !y $o er, sculled back to the 7ISP'3I6L'" That e should have risked a second boat load see!s !ore daring than it really as" They had the advantage of nu!bers, of course, but e had the advantage of ar!s" 3ot one of the !en ashore had a !usket, and before they could get ithin range for $istol shooting, e flattered ourselves e should be able to give a good account of a half%doJen at least" The sGuire as aiting for !e at the stern indo , all his faintness gone fro! hi!" 7e caught the $ainter and !ade it fast, and e fell to loading the boat for our very lives" Pork, $o der, and biscuit as the cargo, ith only a !usket and a cutlass a$iece for the sGuire and !e and Redruth and the ca$tain" The rest of the ar!s and $o der e dro$$ed overboard in t o fatho!s and a half of ater, so that e could see the bright steel shining far belo us in the sun, on the clean, sandy botto!" By this ti!e the tide as beginning to ebb, and the shi$ as s inging round to her anchor" Koices ere heard faintly halloaing in the direction of the t o gigsD and though this reassured us for 8oyce and 7unter, ho ere ell to the east ard, it arned our $arty to be off" Redruth retreated fro! his $lace in the gallery and dro$$ed into the boat, hich e then brought round to the shi$Cs counter, to be handier for 9a$tain S!ollett"

B3o , !en,B said he, Bdo you hear !eFB There as no ans er fro! the forecastle" BItCs to you, 'braha! Gray=itCs to you I a! s$eaking"B Still no re$ly" BGray,B resu!ed Er" S!ollett, a little louder, BI a! leaving this shi$, and I order you to follo your ca$tain" I kno you are a good !an at botto!, and I dare say not one of the lot of youCs as bad as he !akes out" I have !y atch here in !y handD I give you thirty seconds to join !e in"B There as a $ause" B9o!e, !y fine fello ,B continued the ca$tainD BdonCt hang so long in stays" IC! risking !y life and the lives of these good gentle!en every second"B There as a sudden scuffle, a sound of blo s, and out burst 'braha! Gray ith a knife cut on the side of the cheek, and ca!e running to the ca$tain like a dog to the histle" BIC! ith you, sir,B said he" 'nd the ne<t !o!ent he and the ca$tain had dro$$ed aboard of us, and e had shoved off and given ay" ;e ere clear out of the shi$, but not yet ashore in our stockade"

1
Narrative .ontinued by the Doctor9 The :olly!boat/s Last Tri'
T7IS fifth tri$ as Guite different fro! any of the others" In the first $lace, the little galli$ot of a boat that e ere in as gravely overloaded" )ive gro n !en, and three of the!=Trela ney, Redruth, and the ca$tain=over si< feet high, as already !ore than she as !eant to carry" 'dd to that the $o der, $ork, and bread%bags" The gun ale as li$$ing astern" Several ti!es e shi$$ed a little ater, and !y breeches and the tails of !y coat ere all soaking et before e had gone a hundred yards" The ca$tain !ade us tri! the boat, and e got her to lie a little !ore evenly" 'll the sa!e, e ere afraid to breathe" In the second $lace, the ebb as no !aking=a strong ri$$ling current running est ard through the basin, and then southCard and sea ard do n the straits by hich e had entered in the !orning" Even the ri$$les ere a danger to our overloaded craft, but the orst of it as that e ere s e$t out of our true course and a ay fro! our $ro$er landing%$lace behind the $oint" If e let the current have its ay e should co!e ashore beside the gigs, here the $irates !ight a$$ear at any !o!ent" BI cannot kee$ her head for the stockade, sir,B said I to the ca$tain" I as steering, hile he and Redruth, t o fresh !en, ere at the oars" BThe tide kee$s ashing her do n" 9ould you $ull a little strongerFB

B3ot ithout s a!$ing the boat,B said he" B#ou !ust bear u$, sir, if you $lease=bear u$ until you see youCre gaining"B I tried and found by e<$eri!ent that the tide ke$t s ee$ing us est ard until I had laid her head due east, or just about right angles to the ay e ought to go" B;eCll never get ashore at this rate,B said I" BIf itCs the only course that e can lie, sir, e !ust even lie it,B returned the ca$tain" B;e !ust kee$ u$strea!" #ou see, sir,B he ent on, Bif once e dro$$ed to lee ard of the landing%$lace, itCs hard to say here e should get ashore, besides the chance of being boarded by the gigsD hereas, the ay e go the current !ust slacken, and then e can dodge back along the shore"B BThe currentCs less aCready, sir,B said the !an Gray, ho as sitting in the fore%sheetsD Byou can ease her off a bit"B BThank you, !y !an,B said I, Guite as if nothing had ha$$ened, for e had all Guietly !ade u$ our !inds to treat hi! like one of ourselves" Suddenly the ca$tain s$oke u$ again, and I thought his voice as a little changed" BThe gun>B said he" BI have thought of that,B said I, for I !ade sure he as thinking of a bo!bard!ent of the fort" BThey could never get the gun ashore, and if they did, they could never haul it through the oods"B BLook astern, doctor,B re$lied the ca$tain" ;e had entirely forgotten the long nineD and there, to our horror, ere the five rogues busy about her, getting off her jacket, as they called the stout tar$aulin cover under hich she sailed" 3ot only that, but it flashed into !y !ind at the sa!e !o!ent that the round%shot and the $o der for the gun had been left behind, and a stroke ith an a<e ould $ut it all into the $ossession of the evil ones abroad" BIsrael as )lintCs gunner,B said Gray hoarsely" 't any risk, e $ut the boatCs head direct for the landing%$lace" By this ti!e e had got so far out of the run of the current that e ke$t steerage ay even at our necessarily gentle rate of ro ing, and I could kee$ her steady for the goal" But the orst of it as that ith the course I no held e turned our broadside instead of our stern to the 7ISP'3I6L' and offered a target like a barn door" I could hear as ell as see that brandy%faced rascal Israel 7ands $lu!$ing do n a round%shot on the deck" B;hoCs the best shotFB asked the ca$tain" BEr" Trela ney, out and a ay,B said I" BEr" Trela ney, ill you $lease $ick !e off one of these !en, sirF 7ands, if $ossible,B said the ca$tain" Trela ney as as cool as steel" 7e looked to the $ri!ing of his gun" B3o ,B cried the ca$tain, Beasy ith that gun, sir, or youCll s a!$ the boat" 'll hands stand by to tri! her hen he ai!s"B The sGuire raised his gun, the ro ing ceased, and e leaned over to the other side to kee$ the balance, and all as so nicely contrived that e did not shi$ a dro$"

They had the gun, by this ti!e, sle ed round u$on the s ivel, and 7ands, ho as at the !uJJle ith the ra!!er, as in conseGuence the !ost e<$osed" 7o ever, e had no luck, for just as Trela ney fired, do n he stoo$ed, the ball histled over hi!, and it as one of the other four ho fell" The cry he gave as echoed not only by his co!$anions on board but by a great nu!ber of voices fro! the shore, and looking in that direction I sa the other $irates troo$ing out fro! a!ong the trees and tu!bling into their $laces in the boats" B7ere co!e the gigs, sir,B said I" BGive ay, then,B cried the ca$tain" B;e !ustnCt !ind if e s a!$ her no " If e canCt get ashore, allCs u$"B B6nly one of the gigs is being !anned, sir,B I addedD Bthe cre of the other !ost likely going round by shore to cut us off"B BTheyCll have a hot run, sir,B returned the ca$tain" B8ack ashore, you kno " ItCs not the! I !indD itCs the round%shot" 9ar$et bo ls> Ey ladyCs !aid couldnCt !iss" Tell us, sGuire, hen you see the !atch, and eCll hold ater"B In the !ean hile e had been !aking head ay at a good $ace for a boat so overloaded, and e had shi$$ed but little ater in the $rocess" ;e ere no close inD thirty or forty strokes and e should beach her, for the ebb had already disclosed a narro belt of sand belo the clustering trees" The gig as no longer to be fearedD the little $oint had already concealed it fro! our eyes" The ebb%tide, hich had so cruelly delayed us, as no !aking re$aration and delaying our assailants" The one source of danger as the gun" BIf I durst,B said the ca$tain, BICd sto$ and $ick off another !an"B But it as $lain that they !eant nothing should delay their shot" They had never so !uch as looked at their fallen co!rade, though he as not dead, and I could see hi! trying to cra l a ay" BReady>B cried the sGuire" B7old>B cried the ca$tain, Guick as an echo" 'nd he and Redruth backed ith a great heave that sent her stern bodily under ater" The re$ort fell in at the sa!e instant of ti!e" This as the first that 8i! heard, the sound of the sGuireCs shot not having reached hi!" ;here the ball $assed, not one of us $recisely kne , but I fancy it !ust have been over our heads and that the ind of it !ay have contributed to our disaster" 't any rate, the boat sank by the stern, Guite gently, in three feet of ater, leaving the ca$tain and !yself, facing each other, on our feet" The other three took co!$lete headers, and ca!e u$ again drenched and bubbling" So far there as no great har!" 3o lives ere lost, and e could ade ashore in safety" But there ere all our stores at the botto!, and to !ake things orse, only t o guns out of five re!ained in a state for service" Eine I had snatched fro! !y knees and held over !y head, by a sort of instinct" 's for the ca$tain, he had carried his over his shoulder by a bandoleer, and like a ise !an, lock u$$er!ost" The other three had gone do n ith the boat" To add to our concern, e heard voices already dra ing near us in the oods along shore, and e had not only the danger of being cut off fro! the stockade in our half%cri$$led state but the fear before us hether, if 7unter and 8oyce ere attacked by half a doJen, they ould have the sense and conduct to stand fir!" 7unter as steady, that e kne D 8oyce as a doubtful

case=a $leasant, $olite !an for a valet and to brush oneCs clothes, but not entirely fitted for a !an of ar" ;ith all this in our !inds, e aded ashore as fast as e could, leaving behind us the $oor jolly%boat and a good half of all our $o der and $rovisions"

3
Narrative .ontinued by the Doctor9 End o+ the 8irst Day/s 8i"htin"
;E !ade our best s$eed across the stri$ of ood that no divided us fro! the stockade, and at every ste$ e took the voices of the buccaneers rang nearer" Soon e could hear their footfalls as they ran and the cracking of the branches as they breasted across a bit of thicket" I began to see e should have a brush for it in earnest and looked to !y $ri!ing" B9a$tain,B said I, BTrela ney is the dead shot" Give hi! your gunD his o n is useless"B They e<changed guns, and Trela ney, silent and cool as he had been since the beginning of the bustle, hung a !o!ent on his heel to see that all as fit for service" 't the sa!e ti!e, observing Gray to be unar!ed, I handed hi! !y cutlass" It did all our hearts good to see hi! s$it in his hand, knit his bro s, and !ake the blade sing through the air" It as $lain fro! every line of his body that our ne hand as orth his salt" )orty $aces farther e ca!e to the edge of the ood and sa the stockade in front of us" ;e struck the enclosure about the !iddle of the south side, and al!ost at the sa!e ti!e, seven !utineers=8ob 'nderson, the boats ain, at their head=a$$eared in full cry at the south estern corner" They $aused as if taken aback, and before they recovered, not only the sGuire and I, but 7unter and 8oyce fro! the block house, had ti!e to fire" The four shots ca!e in rather a scattering volley, but they did the business& one of the ene!y actually fell, and the rest, ithout hesitation, turned and $lunged into the trees" 'fter reloading, e alked do n the outside of the $alisade to see to the fallen ene!y" 7e as stone dead=shot through the heart" ;e began to rejoice over our good success hen just at that !o!ent a $istol cracked in the bush, a ball histled close $ast !y ear, and $oor To! Redruth stu!bled and fell his length on the ground" Both the sGuire and I returned the shot, but as e had nothing to ai! at, it is $robable e only asted $o der" Then e reloaded and turned our attention to $oor To!" The ca$tain and Gray ere already e<a!ining hi!, and I sa ith half an eye that all as over" I believe the readiness of our return volley had scattered the !utineers once !ore, for e ere suffered ithout further !olestation to get the $oor old ga!ekee$er hoisted over the stockade and carried, groaning and bleeding, into the log%house"

Poor old fello , he had not uttered one ord of sur$rise, co!$laint, fear, or even acGuiescence fro! the very beginning of our troubles till no , hen e had laid hi! do n in the log%house to die" 7e had lain like a Trojan behind his !attress in the galleryD he had follo ed every order silently, doggedly, and ellD he as the oldest of our $arty by a score of yearsD and no , sullen, old, serviceable servant, it as he that as to die" The sGuire dro$$ed do n beside hi! on his knees and kissed his hand, crying like a child" BBe I going, doctorFB he asked" BTo!, !y !an,B said I, ByouCre going ho!e"B BI ish I had had a lick at the! ith the gun first,B he re$lied" BTo!,B said the sGuire, Bsay you forgive !e, onCt youFB B;ould that be res$ectful like, fro! !e to you, sGuireFB as the ans er" B7o soever, so be it, a!en>B 'fter a little hile of silence, he said he thought so!ebody !ight read a $rayer" BItCs the custo!, sir,B he added a$ologetically" 'nd not long after, ithout another ord, he $assed a ay" In the !eanti!e the ca$tain, ho! I had observed to be onderfully s ollen about the chest and $ockets, had turned out a great !any various stores=the British colours, a Bible, a coil of stoutish ro$e, $en, ink, the log%book, and $ounds of tobacco" 7e had found a longish fir%tree lying felled and tri!!ed in the enclosure, and ith the hel$ of 7unter he had set it u$ at the corner of the log%house here the trunks crossed and !ade an angle" Then, cli!bing on the roof, he had ith his o n hand bent and run u$ the colours" This see!ed !ightily to relieve hi!" 7e re%entered the log%house and set about counting u$ the stores as if nothing else e<isted" But he had an eye on To!Cs $assage for all that, and as soon as all as over, ca!e for ard ith another flag and reverently s$read it on the body" B(onCt you take on, sir,B he said, shaking the sGuireCs hand" B'llCs ell ith hi!D no fear for a hand thatCs been shot do n in his duty to ca$tain and o ner" It !aynCt be good divinity, but itCs a fact"B Then he $ulled !e aside" B(r" Livesey,B he said, Bin ho !any eeks do you and sGuire e<$ect the consortFB I told hi! it as a Guestion not of eeks but of !onths, that if e ere not back by the end of 'ugust Blandly as to send to find us, but neither sooner nor later" B#ou can calculate for yourself,B I said" B;hy, yes,B returned the ca$tain, scratching his headD Band !aking a large allo ance, sir, for all the gifts of Providence, I should say e ere $retty close hauled"B B7o do you !eanFB I asked" BItCs a $ity, sir, e lost that second load" ThatCs hat I !ean,B re$lied the ca$tain" B's for $o der and shot, eCll do" But the rations are short, very short =so short, (r" Livesey, that eCre $erha$s as ell ithout that e<tra !outh"B 'nd he $ointed to the dead body under the flag" 8ust then, ith a roar and a histle, a round%shot $assed high above the roof of the log%house and $lu!$ed far beyond us in the ood"

B6ho>B said the ca$tain" BBlaJe a ay> #ouCve little enough $o der already, !y lads"B 't the second trial, the ai! as better, and the ball descended inside the stockade, scattering a cloud of sand but doing no further da!age" B9a$tain,B said the sGuire, Bthe house is Guite invisible fro! the shi$" It !ust be the flag they are ai!ing at" ;ould it not be iser to take it inFB BStrike !y colours>B cried the ca$tain" B3o, sir, not IBD and as soon as he had said the ords, I think e all agreed ith hi!" )or it as not only a $iece of stout, sea!anly, good feelingD it as good $olicy besides and sho ed our ene!ies that e des$ised their cannonade" 'll through the evening they ke$t thundering a ay" Ball after ball fle over or fell short or kicked u$ the sand in the enclosure, but they had to fire so high that the shot fell dead and buried itself in the soft sand" ;e had no ricochet to fear, and though one $o$$ed in through the roof of the log%house and out again through the floor, e soon got used to that sort of horse%$lay and !inded it no !ore than cricket" BThere is one good thing about all this,B observed the ca$tainD Bthe ood in front of us is likely clear" The ebb has !ade a good hileD our stores should be uncovered" Kolunteers to go and bring in $ork"B Gray and 7unter ere the first to co!e for ard" ;ell ar!ed, they stole out of the stockade, but it $roved a useless !ission" The !utineers ere bolder than e fancied or they $ut !ore trust in IsraelCs gunnery" )or four or five of the! ere busy carrying off our stores and ading out ith the! to one of the gigs that lay close by, $ulling an oar or so to hold her steady against the current" Silver as in the stern%sheets in co!!andD and every !an of the! as no $rovided ith a !usket fro! so!e secret !agaJine of their o n" The ca$tain sat do n to his log, and here is the beginning of the entry&
'le<ander S!ollett, !asterD (avid Livesey, shi$Cs doctorD 'braha! Gray, car$enterCs !ateD 8ohn Trela ney, o nerD 8ohn 7unter and Richard 8oyce, o nerCs servants, lands!en=being all that is left faithful of the shi$Cs co!$any= ith stores for ten days at short rations, ca!e ashore this day and fle British colours on the log%house in Treasure Island" Tho!as Redruth, o nerCs servant, lands!an, shot by the !utineersD 8a!es 7a kins, cabin%boy=

'nd at the sa!e ti!e, I as ondering over $oor 8i! 7a kinsC fate" ' hail on the land side" BSo!ebody hailing us,B said 7unter, ho as on guard" B(octor> SGuire> 9a$tain> 7ullo, 7unter, is that youFB ca!e the cries" 'nd I ran to the door in ti!e to see 8i! 7a kins, safe and sound, co!e cli!bing over the stockade"

4
Narrative Resu#ed by :i# 7a$&ins9 The 2arrison in the Stoc&ade
'S soon as Ben Gunn sa the colours he ca!e to a halt, sto$$ed !e by the ar!, and sat do n" B3o ,B said he, BthereCs your friends, sure enough"B B)ar !ore likely itCs the !utineers,B I ans ered" BThat>B he cried" B;hy, in a $lace like this, here nobody $uts in but genCle!en of fortune, Silver ould fly the 8olly Roger, you donCt !ake no doubt of that" 3o, thatCs your friends" ThereCs been blo s too, and I reckon your friends has had the best of itD and here they are ashore in the old stockade, as as !ade years and years ago by )lint" 'h, he as the !an to have a head$iece, as )lint> Barring ru!, his !atch ere never seen" 7e ere afraid of none, not heD onCy Silver=Silver as that genteel"B B;ell,B said I, Bthat !ay be so, and so be itD all the !ore reason that I should hurry on and join !y friends"B B3ay, !ate,B returned Ben, Bnot you" #ouCre a good boy, or IC! !istookD but youCre onCy a boy, all told" 3o , Ben Gunn is fly" Ru! ouldnCt bring !e there, here youCre going=not ru! ouldnCt, till I see your born genCle!an and gets it on his ord of honour" 'nd you onCt forget !y ordsD C' $recious sight HthatCs hat youCll sayI, a $recious sight !ore confidenceC=and then ni$s hi!"B 'nd he $inched !e the third ti!e ith the sa!e air of cleverness" B'nd hen Ben Gunn is anted, you kno here to find hi!, 8i!" 8ust heer you found hi! today" 'nd hi! that co!es is to have a hite thing in his hand, and heCs to co!e alone" 6h> 'nd youCll say this& CBen Gunn,C says you, Chas reasons of his o n"CB B;ell,B said I, BI believe I understand" #ou have so!ething to $ro$ose, and you ish to see the sGuire or the doctor, and youCre to be found here I found you" Is that allFB B'nd henF says you,B he added" B;hy, fro! about noon observation to about si< bells"B BGood,B said I, Band no !ay I goFB B#ou onCt forgetFB he inGuired an<iously" BPrecious sight, and reasons of his o n, says you" Reasons of his o nD thatCs the !ainstayD as bet een !an and !an" ;ell, thenB=still holding !e=BI reckon you can go, 8i!" 'nd, 8i!, if you as to see Silver, you ouldnCt go for to sell Ben GunnF ;ild horses ouldnCt dra it fro! youF 3o, says you" 'nd if the! $irates ca!$ ashore, 8i!, hat ould you say but thereCd be idders in the !orningFB 7ere he as interru$ted by a loud re$ort, and a cannonball ca!e tearing through the trees and $itched in the sand not a hundred yards fro! here e t o ere talking" The ne<t !o!ent each of us had taken to his heels in a different direction" )or a good hour to co!e freGuent re$orts shook the island, and balls ke$t crashing through the oods" I !oved fro! hiding%$lace to hiding%$lace, al ays $ursued, or so it see!ed to !e, by these terrifying !issiles" But to ards the end of the bo!bard!ent, though still I durst not venture in the direction of the

stockade, here the balls fell oftenest, I had begun, in a !anner, to $luck u$ !y heart again, and after a long detour to the east, cre$t do n a!ong the shore%side trees" The sun had just set, the sea breeJe as rustling and tu!bling in the oods and ruffling the grey surface of the anchorageD the tide, too, as far out, and great tracts of sand lay uncoveredD the air, after the heat of the day, chilled !e through !y jacket" The 7ISP'3I6L' still lay here she had anchoredD but, sure enough, there as the 8olly Roger=the black flag of $iracy=flying fro! her $eak" Even as I looked, there ca!e another red flash and another re$ort that sent the echoes clattering, and one !ore round%shot histled through the air" It as the last of the cannonade" I lay for so!e ti!e atching the bustle hich succeeded the attack" Een ere de!olishing so!ething ith a<es on the beach near the stockade=the $oor jolly%boat, I after ards discovered" ' ay, near the !outh of the river, a great fire as glo ing a!ong the trees, and bet een that $oint and the shi$ one of the gigs ke$t co!ing and going, the !en, ho! I had seen so gloo!y, shouting at the oars like children" But there as a sound in their voices hich suggested ru!" 't length I thought I !ight return to ards the stockade" I as $retty far do n on the lo , sandy s$it that encloses the anchorage to the east, and is joined at half% ater to Skeleton IslandD and no , as I rose to !y feet, I sa , so!e distance further do n the s$it and rising fro! a!ong lo bushes, an isolated rock, $retty high, and $eculiarly hite in colour" It occurred to !e that this !ight be the hite rock of hich Ben Gunn had s$oken and that so!e day or other a boat !ight be anted and I should kno here to look for one" Then I skirted a!ong the oods until I had regained the rear, or shore ard side, of the stockade, and as soon ar!ly elco!ed by the faithful $arty" I had soon told !y story and began to look about !e" The log%house as !ade of unsGuared trunks of $ine=roof, alls, and floor" The latter stood in several $laces as !uch as a foot or a foot and a half above the surface of the sand" There as a $orch at the door, and under this $orch the little s$ring elled u$ into an artificial basin of a rather odd kind=no other than a great shi$Cs kettle of iron, ith the botto! knocked out, and sunk Bto her bearings,B as the ca$tain said, a!ong the sand" Little had been left besides the fra!e ork of the house, but in one corner there as a stone slab laid do n by ay of hearth and an old rusty iron basket to contain the fire" The slo$es of the knoll and all the inside of the stockade had been cleared of ti!ber to build the house, and e could see by the stu!$s hat a fine and lofty grove had been destroyed" Eost of the soil had been ashed a ay or buried in drift after the re!oval of the treesD only here the strea!let ran do n fro! the kettle a thick bed of !oss and so!e ferns and little cree$ing bushes ere still green a!ong the sand" Kery close around the stockade=too close for defence, they said=the ood still flourished high and dense, all of fir on the land side, but to ards the sea ith a large ad!i<ture of live%oaks" The cold evening breeJe, of hich I have s$oken, histled through every chink of the rude building and s$rinkled the floor ith a continual rain of fine sand"

There as sand in our eyes, sand in our teeth, sand in our su$$ers, sand dancing in the s$ring at the botto! of the kettle, for all the orld like $orridge beginning to boil" 6ur chi!ney as a sGuare hole in the roofD it as but a little $art of the s!oke that found its ay out, and the rest eddied about the house and ke$t us coughing and $i$ing the eye" 'dd to this that Gray, the ne !an, had his face tied u$ in a bandage for a cut he had got in breaking a ay fro! the !utineers and that $oor old To! Redruth, still unburied, lay along the all, stiff and stark, under the 2nion 8ack" If e had been allo ed to sit idle, e should all have fallen in the blues, but 9a$tain S!ollett as never the !an for that" 'll hands ere called u$ before hi!, and he divided us into atches" The doctor and Gray and I for oneD the sGuire, 7unter, and 8oyce u$on the other" Tired though e all ere, t o ere sent out for fire oodD t o !ore ere set to dig a grave for RedruthD the doctor as na!ed cookD I as $ut sentry at the doorD and the ca$tain hi!self ent fro! one to another, kee$ing u$ our s$irits and lending a hand herever it as anted" )ro! ti!e to ti!e the doctor ca!e to the door for a little air and to rest his eyes, hich ere al!ost s!oked out of his head, and henever he did so, he had a ord for !e" BThat !an S!ollett,B he said once, Bis a better !an than I a!" 'nd hen I say that it !eans a deal, 8i!"B 'nother ti!e he ca!e and as silent for a hile" Then he $ut his head on one side, and looked at !e" BIs this Ben Gunn a !anFB he asked" BI do not kno , sir,B said I" BI a! not very sure hether heCs sane"B BIf thereCs any doubt about the !atter, he is,B returned the doctor" B' !an ho has been three years biting his nails on a desert island, 8i!, canCt e<$ect to a$$ear as sane as you or !e" It doesnCt lie in hu!an nature" ;as it cheese you said he had a fancy forFB B#es, sir, cheese,B I ans ered" B;ell, 8i!,B says he, Bjust see the good that co!es of being dainty in your food" #ouCve seen !y snuff%bo<, havenCt youF 'nd you never sa !e take snuff, the reason being that in !y snuff%bo< I carry a $iece of Par!esan cheese=a cheese !ade in Italy, very nutritious" ;ell, thatCs for Ben Gunn>B Before su$$er as eaten e buried old To! in the sand and stood round hi! for a hile bare%headed in the breeJe" ' good deal of fire ood had been got in, but not enough for the ca$tainCs fancy, and he shook his head over it and told us e B!ust get back to this to!orro rather livelier"B Then, hen e had eaten our $ork and each had a good stiff glass of brandy grog, the three chiefs got together in a corner to discuss our $ros$ects" It a$$ears they ere at their itsC end hat to do, the stores being so lo that e !ust have been starved into surrender long before hel$ ca!e" But our best ho$e, it as decided, as to kill off the buccaneers until they either hauled do n their flag or ran a ay ith the 7ISP'3I6L'" )ro! nineteen they ere already reduced to fifteen, t o others ere ounded, and one at least= the !an shot beside the gun=severely ounded, if he ere not dead" Every ti!e e had a crack at the!, e ere to take it, saving our o n lives, ith the

e<tre!est care" 'nd besides that, e had t o able allies=ru! and the cli!ate" 's for the first, though e ere about half a !ile a ay, e could hear the! roaring and singing late into the nightD and as for the second, the doctor staked his ig that, ca!$ed here they ere in the !arsh and un$rovided ith re!edies, the half of the! ould be on their backs before a eek" BSo,B he added, Bif e are not all shot do n first theyCll be glad to be $acking in the schooner" ItCs al ays a shi$, and they can get to buccaneering again, I su$$ose"B B)irst shi$ that ever I lost,B said 9a$tain S!ollett" I as dead tired, as you !ay fancyD and hen I got to slee$, hich as not till after a great deal of tossing, I sle$t like a log of ood" The rest had long been u$ and had already breakfasted and increased the $ile of fire ood by about half as !uch again hen I as akened by a bustle and the sound of voices" B)lag of truce>B I heard so!eone sayD and then, i!!ediately after, ith a cry of sur$rise, BSilver hi!self>B 'nd at that, u$ I ju!$ed, and rubbing !y eyes, ran to a loo$hole in the all"

%5
Silver/s E#bassy
S2RE enough, there ere t o !en just outside the stockade, one of the! aving a hite cloth, the other, no less a $erson than Silver hi!self, standing $lacidly by" It as still Guite early, and the coldest !orning that I think I ever as abroad in=a chill that $ierced into the !arro " The sky as bright and cloudless overhead, and the to$s of the trees shone rosily in the sun" But here Silver stood ith his lieutenant, all as still in shado , and they aded knee%dee$ in a lo hite va$our that had cra led during the night out of the !orass" The chill and the va$our taken together told a $oor tale of the island" It as $lainly a da!$, feverish, unhealthy s$ot" B:ee$ indoors, !en,B said the ca$tain" BTen to one this is a trick"B Then he hailed the buccaneer" B;ho goesF Stand, or e fire"B B)lag of truce,B cried Silver" The ca$tain as in the $orch, kee$ing hi!self carefully out of the ay of a treacherous shot, should any be intended" 7e turned and s$oke to us, B(octorCs atch on the lookout" (r" Livesey take the north side, if you $leaseD 8i!, the eastD Gray, est" The atch belo , all hands to load !uskets" Lively, !en, and careful"B 'nd then he turned again to the !utineers" B'nd hat do you ant ith your flag of truceFB he cried" This ti!e it as the other !an ho re$lied"

B9a$Cn Silver, sir, to co!e on board and !ake ter!s,B he shouted" B9a$Cn Silver> (onCt kno hi!" ;hoCs heFB cried the ca$tain" 'nd e could hear hi! adding to hi!self, B9a$Cn, is itF Ey heart, and hereCs $ro!otion>B Long 8ohn ans ered for hi!self" BEe, sir" These $oor lads have chosen !e ca$Cn, after your desertion, sirB=laying a $articular e!$hasis u$on the ord Bdesertion"B B;eCre illing to sub!it, if e can co!e to ter!s, and no bones about it" 'll I ask is your ord, 9a$Cn S!ollett, to let !e safe and sound out of this here stockade, and one !inute to get out oC shot before a gun is fired"B BEy !an,B said 9a$tain S!ollett, BI have not the slightest desire to talk to you" If you ish to talk to !e, you can co!e, thatCs all" If thereCs any treachery, itCll be on your side, and the Lord hel$ you"B BThatCs enough, ca$Cn,B shouted Long 8ohn cheerily" B' ord fro! youCs enough" I kno a gentle!an, and you !ay lay to that"B ;e could see the !an ho carried the flag of truce atte!$ting to hold Silver back" 3or as that onderful, seeing ho cavalier had been the ca$tainCs ans er" But Silver laughed at hi! aloud and sla$$ed hi! on the back as if the idea of alar! had been absurd" Then he advanced to the stockade, thre over his crutch, got a leg u$, and ith great vigour and skill succeeded in sur!ounting the fence and dro$$ing safely to the other side" I ill confess that I as far too !uch taken u$ ith hat as going on to be of the slightest use as sentryD indeed, I had already deserted !y eastern loo$hole and cre$t u$ behind the ca$tain, ho had no seated hi!self on the threshold, ith his elbo s on his knees, his head in his hands, and his eyes fi<ed on the ater as it bubbled out of the old iron kettle in the sand" 7e as histling B9o!e, Lasses and Lads"B Silver had terrible hard ork getting u$ the knoll" ;hat ith the stee$ness of the incline, the thick tree stu!$s, and the soft sand, he and his crutch ere as hel$less as a shi$ in stays" But he stuck to it like a !an in silence, and at last arrived before the ca$tain, ho! he saluted in the handso!est style" 7e as tricked out in his bestD an i!!ense blue coat, thick ith brass buttons, hung as lo as to his knees, and a fine laced hat as set on the back of his head" B7ere you are, !y !an,B said the ca$tain, raising his head" B#ou had better sit do n"B B#ou ainCt a%going to let !e inside, ca$CnFB co!$lained Long 8ohn" BItCs a !ain cold !orning, to be sure, sir, to sit outside u$on the sand"B B;hy, Silver,B said the ca$tain, Bif you had $leased to be an honest !an, you !ight have been sitting in your galley" ItCs your o n doing" #ouCre either !y shi$Cs cook=and then you ere treated handso!e=or 9a$Cn Silver, a co!!on !utineer and $irate, and then you can go hang>B B;ell, ell, ca$Cn,B returned the sea%cook, sitting do n as he as bidden on the sand, ByouCll have to give !e a hand u$ again, thatCs all" ' s eet $retty $lace you have of it here" 'h, thereCs 8i!> The to$ of the !orning to you, 8i!" (octor, hereCs !y service" ;hy, there you all are together like a ha$$y fa!ily, in a !anner of s$eaking"B BIf you have anything to say, !y !an, better say it,B said the ca$tain" BRight you ere, 9a$Cn S!ollett,B re$lied Silver" B(ooty is dooty, to be sure" ;ell no , you look here, that as a good lay of yours last night" I donCt deny it as a good lay" So!e of you $retty handy ith a hands$ike%end" 'nd ICll not

deny neither but hat so!e of !y $eo$le as shook=!aybe all as shookD !aybe I as shook !yselfD !aybe thatCs hy IC! here for ter!s" But you !ark !e, ca$Cn, it onCt do t ice, by thunder> ;eCll have to do sentry%go and ease off a $oint or so on the ru!" Eaybe you think e ere all a sheet in the indCs eye" But ICll tell you I as soberD I as onCy dog tiredD and if ICd a oke a second sooner, ICd Ca caught you at the act, I ould" 7e asnCt dead hen I got round to hi!, not he"B B;ellFB says 9a$tain S!ollett as cool as can be" 'll that Silver said as a riddle to hi!, but you ould never have guessed it fro! his tone" 's for !e, I began to have an inkling" Ben GunnCs last ords ca!e back to !y !ind" I began to su$$ose that he had $aid the buccaneers a visit hile they all lay drunk together round their fire, and I reckoned u$ ith glee that e had only fourteen ene!ies to deal ith" B;ell, here it is,B said Silver" B;e ant that treasure, and eCll have it=thatCs our $oint> #ou ould just as soon save your lives, I reckonD and thatCs yours" #ou have a chart, havenCt youFB BThatCs as !ay be,B re$lied the ca$tain" B6h, ell, you have, I kno that,B returned Long 8ohn" B#ou neednCt be so husky ith a !anD there ainCt a $article of service in that, and you !ay lay to it" ;hat I !ean is, e ant your chart" 3o , I never !eant you no har!, !yself"B BThat onCt do ith !e, !y !an,B interru$ted the ca$tain" B;e kno e<actly hat you !eant to do, and e donCt care, for no , you see, you canCt do it"B 'nd the ca$tain looked at hi! cal!ly and $roceeded to fill a $i$e" BIf 'be Gray=B Silver broke out" B'vast there>B cried Er" S!ollett" BGray told !e nothing, and I asked hi! nothingD and hatCs !ore, I ould see you and hi! and this hole island blo n clean out of the ater into blaJes first" So thereCs !y !ind for you, !y !an, on that"B This little hiff of te!$er see!ed to cool Silver do n" 7e had been gro ing nettled before, but no he $ulled hi!self together" BLike enough,B said he" BI ould set no li!its to hat gentle!en !ight consider shi$sha$e, or !ight not, as the case ere" 'nd seeinC as ho you are about to take a $i$e, ca$Cn, ICll !ake so free as do like ise"B 'nd he filled a $i$e and lighted itD and the t o !en sat silently s!oking for Guite a hile, no looking each other in the face, no sto$$ing their tobacco, no leaning for ard to s$it" It as as good as the $lay to see the!" B3o ,B resu!ed Silver, Bhere it is" #ou give us the chart to get the treasure by, and dro$ shooting $oor sea!en and stoving of their heads in hile aslee$" #ou do that, and eCll offer you a choice" Either you co!e aboard along of us, once the treasure shi$$ed, and then ICll give you !y affy%davy, u$on !y ord of honour, to cla$ you so!e here safe ashore" 6r if that ainCt to your fancy, so!e of !y hands being rough and having old scores on account of haJing, then you can stay here, you can" ;eCll divide stores ith you, !an for !anD and ICll give !y affy%davy, as before to s$eak the first shi$ I sight, and send Ce! here to $ick you u$" 3o , youCll o n thatCs talking" 7andso!er you couldnCt look to get, no you" 'nd I ho$eB=raising his voice=Bthat all hands in

this here block house ill overhaul !y ords, for hat is s$oke to one is s$oke to all"B 9a$tain S!ollett rose fro! his seat and knocked out the ashes of his $i$e in the $al! of his left hand" BIs that allFB he asked" BEvery last ord, by thunder>B ans ered 8ohn" BRefuse that, and youCve seen the last of !e but !usket%balls"B BKery good,B said the ca$tain" B3o youCll hear !e" If youCll co!e u$ one by one, unar!ed, ICll engage to cla$ you all in irons and take you ho!e to a fair trial in England" If you onCt, !y na!e is 'le<ander S!ollett, ICve flo n !y sovereignCs colours, and ICll see you all to (avy 8ones" #ou canCt find the treasure" #ou canCt sail the shi$=thereCs not a !an a!ong you fit to sail the shi$" #ou canCt fight us=Gray, there, got a ay fro! five of you" #our shi$Cs in irons, Easter SilverD youCre on a lee shore, and so youCll find" I stand here and tell you soD and theyCre the last good ords youCll get fro! !e, for in the na!e of heaven, ICll $ut a bullet in your back hen ne<t I !eet you" Tra!$, !y lad" Bundle out of this, $lease, hand over hand, and double Guick"B SilverCs face as a $ictureD his eyes started in his head ith rath" 7e shook the fire out of his $i$e" BGive !e a hand u$>B he cried" B3ot I,B returned the ca$tain" B;hoCll give !e a hand u$FB he roared" 3ot a !an a!ong us !oved" Gro ling the foulest i!$recations, he cra led along the sand till he got hold of the $orch and could hoist hi!self again u$on his crutch" Then he s$at into the s$ring" BThere>B he cried" BThatCs hat I think of ye" Before an hourCs out, ICll stove in your old block house like a ru! $uncheon" Laugh, by thunder, laugh> Before an hourCs out, yeCll laugh u$on the other side" The! that dieCll be the lucky ones"B 'nd ith a dreadful oath he stu!bled off, $loughed do n the sand, as hel$ed across the stockade, after four or five failures, by the !an ith the flag of truce, and disa$$eared in an instant after ards a!ong the trees"

%
The Attac&
'S soon as Silver disa$$eared, the ca$tain, ho had been closely atching hi!, turned to ards the interior of the house and found not a !an of us at his $ost but Gray" It as the first ti!e e had ever seen hi! angry" B?uarters>B he roared" 'nd then, as e all slunk back to our $laces, BGray,B he said, BICll $ut your na!e in the logD youCve stood by your duty like a sea!an" Er" Trela ney, IC! sur$rised at you, sir" (octor, I thought you had orn the kingCs coat> If that as ho you served at )ontenoy, sir, youCd have been better in your berth"B

The doctorCs atch ere all back at their loo$holes, the rest ere busy loading the s$are !uskets, and everyone ith a red face, you !ay be certain, and a flea in his ear, as the saying is" The ca$tain looked on for a hile in silence" Then he s$oke" BEy lads,B said he, BICve given Silver a broadside" I $itched it in red%hot on $ur$oseD and before the hourCs out, as he said, e shall be boarded" ;eCre outnu!bered, I neednCt tell you that, but e fight in shelterD and a !inute ago I should have said e fought ith disci$line" ICve no !anner of doubt that e can drub the!, if you choose"B Then he ent the rounds and sa , as he said, that all as clear" 6n the t o short sides of the house, east and est, there ere only t o loo$holesD on the south side here the $orch as, t o againD and on the north side, five" There as a round score of !uskets for the seven of usD the fire ood had been built into four $iles=tables, you !ight say=one about the !iddle of each side, and on each of these tables so!e a!!unition and four loaded !uskets ere laid ready to the hand of the defenders" In the !iddle, the cutlasses lay ranged" BToss out the fire,B said the ca$tainD Bthe chill is $ast, and e !ustnCt have s!oke in our eyes"B The iron fire%basket as carried bodily out by Er" Trela ney, and the e!bers s!othered a!ong sand" B7a kins hasnCt had his breakfast" 7a kins, hel$ yourself, and back to your $ost to eat it,B continued 9a$tain S!ollett" BLively, no , !y ladD youCll ant it before youCve done" 7unter, serve out a round of brandy to all hands"B 'nd hile this as going on, the ca$tain co!$leted, in his o n !ind, the $lan of the defence" B(octor, you ill take the door,B he resu!ed" BSee, and donCt e<$ose yourselfD kee$ ithin, and fire through the $orch" 7unter, take the east side, there" 8oyce, you stand by the est, !y !an" Er" Trela ney, you are the best shot= you and Gray ill take this long north side, ith the five loo$holesD itCs there the danger is" If they can get u$ to it and fire in u$on us through our o n $orts, things ould begin to look dirty" 7a kins, neither you nor I are !uch account at the shootingD eCll stand by to load and bear a hand"B 's the ca$tain had said, the chill as $ast" 's soon as the sun had cli!bed above our girdle of trees, it fell ith all its force u$on the clearing and drank u$ the va$ours at a draught" Soon the sand as baking and the resin !elting in the logs of the block house" 8ackets and coats ere flung aside, shirts thro n o$en at the neck and rolled u$ to the shouldersD and e stood there, each at his $ost, in a fever of heat and an<iety" 'n hour $assed a ay" B7ang the!>B said the ca$tain" BThis is as dull as the doldru!s" Gray, histle for a ind"B 'nd just at that !o!ent ca!e the first ne s of the attack" BIf you $lease, sir,B said 8oyce, Bif I see anyone, a! I to fireFB BI told you so>B cried the ca$tain" BThank you, sir,B returned 8oyce ith the sa!e Guiet civility" 3othing follo ed for a ti!e, but the re!ark had set us all on the alert, straining ears and eyes=the !usketeers ith their $ieces balanced in their

hands, the ca$tain out in the !iddle of the block house ith his !outh very tight and a fro n on his face" So so!e seconds $assed, till suddenly 8oyce hi$$ed u$ his !usket and fired" The re$ort had scarcely died a ay ere it as re$eated and re$eated fro! ithout in a scattering volley, shot behind shot, like a string of geese, fro! every side of the enclosure" Several bullets struck the log%house, but not one enteredD and as the s!oke cleared a ay and vanished, the stockade and the oods around it looked as Guiet and e!$ty as before" 3ot a bough aved, not the glea! of a !usket%barrel betrayed the $resence of our foes" B(id you hit your !anFB asked the ca$tain" B3o, sir,B re$lied 8oyce" BI believe not, sir"B B3e<t best thing to tell the truth,B !uttered 9a$tain S!ollett" BLoad his gun, 7a kins" 7o !any should say there ere on your side, doctorFB BI kno $recisely,B said (r" Livesey" BThree shots ere fired on this side" I sa the three flashes=t o close together=one farther to the est"B BThree>B re$eated the ca$tain" B'nd ho !any on yours, Er" Trela neyFB But this as not so easily ans ered" There had co!e !any fro! the north= seven by the sGuireCs co!$utation, eight or nine according to Gray" )ro! the east and est only a single shot had been fired" It as $lain, therefore, that the attack ould be develo$ed fro! the north and that on the other three sides e ere only to be annoyed by a sho of hostilities" But 9a$tain S!ollett !ade no change in his arrange!ents" If the !utineers succeeded in crossing the stockade, he argued, they ould take $ossession of any un$rotected loo$hole and shoot us do n like rats in our o n stronghold" 3or had e !uch ti!e left to us for thought" Suddenly, ith a loud huJJa, a little cloud of $irates lea$ed fro! the oods on the north side and ran straight on the stockade" 't the sa!e !o!ent, the fire as once !ore o$ened fro! the oods, and a rifle ball sang through the door ay and knocked the doctorCs !usket into bits" The boarders s ar!ed over the fence like !onkeys" SGuire and Gray fired again and yet againD three !en fell, one for ards into the enclosure, t o back on the outside" But of these, one as evidently !ore frightened than hurt, for he as on his feet again in a crack and instantly disa$$eared a!ong the trees" T o had bit the dust, one had fled, four had !ade good their footing inside our defences, hile fro! the shelter of the oods seven or eight !en, each evidently su$$lied ith several !uskets, ke$t u$ a hot though useless fire on the log%house" The four ho had boarded !ade straight before the! for the building, shouting as they ran, and the !en a!ong the trees shouted back to encourage the!" Several shots ere fired, but such as the hurry of the !arks!en that not one a$$ears to have taken effect" In a !o!ent, the four $irates had s ar!ed u$ the !ound and ere u$on us" The head of 8ob 'nderson, the boats ain, a$$eared at the !iddle loo$hole" B't Ce!, all hands=all hands>B he roared in a voice of thunder" 't the sa!e !o!ent, another $irate gras$ed 7unterCs !usket by the !uJJle, renched it fro! his hands, $lucked it through the loo$hole, and ith one stunning blo , laid the $oor fello senseless on the floor" Eean hile a third,

running unhar!ed all around the house, a$$eared suddenly in the door ay and fell ith his cutlass on the doctor" 6ur $osition as utterly reversed" ' !o!ent since e ere firing, under cover, at an e<$osed ene!yD no it as e ho lay uncovered and could not return a blo " The log%house as full of s!oke, to hich e o ed our co!$arative safety" 9ries and confusion, the flashes and re$orts of $istol%shots, and one loud groan rang in !y ears" B6ut, lads, out, and fight Ce! in the o$en> 9utlasses>B cried the ca$tain" I snatched a cutlass fro! the $ile, and so!eone, at the sa!e ti!e snatching another, gave !e a cut across the knuckles hich I hardly felt" I dashed out of the door into the clear sunlight" So!eone as close behind, I kne not ho!" Right in front, the doctor as $ursuing his assailant do n the hill, and just as !y eyes fell u$on hi!, beat do n his guard and sent hi! s$ra ling on his back ith a great slash across the face" BRound the house, lads> Round the house>B cried the ca$tainD and even in the hurly%burly, I $erceived a change in his voice" Eechanically, I obeyed, turned east ards, and ith !y cutlass raised, ran round the corner of the house" 3e<t !o!ent I as face to face ith 'nderson" 7e roared aloud, and his hanger ent u$ above his head, flashing in the sunlight" I had not ti!e to be afraid, but as the blo still hung i!$ending, lea$ed in a trice u$on one side, and !issing !y foot in the soft sand, rolled headlong do n the slo$e" ;hen I had first sallied fro! the door, the other !utineers had been already s ar!ing u$ the $alisade to !ake an end of us" 6ne !an, in a red night%ca$, ith his cutlass in his !outh, had even got u$on the to$ and thro n a leg across" ;ell, so short had been the interval that hen I found !y feet again all as in the sa!e $osture, the fello ith the red night%ca$ still half% ay over, another still just sho ing his head above the to$ of the stockade" 'nd yet, in this breath of ti!e, the fight as over and the victory as ours" Gray, follo ing close behind !e, had cut do n the big boats ain ere he had ti!e to recover fro! his last blo " 'nother had been shot at a loo$hole in the very act of firing into the house and no lay in agony, the $istol still s!oking in his hand" ' third, as I had seen, the doctor had dis$osed of at a blo " 6f the four ho had scaled the $alisade, one only re!ained unaccounted for, and he, having left his cutlass on the field, as no cla!bering out again ith the fear of death u$on hi!" B)ire=fire fro! the house>B cried the doctor" B'nd you, lads, back into cover"B But his ords ere unheeded, no shot as fired, and the last boarder !ade good his esca$e and disa$$eared ith the rest into the ood" In three seconds nothing re!ained of the attacking $arty but the five ho had fallen, four on the inside and one on the outside of the $alisade" The doctor and Gray and I ran full s$eed for shelter" The survivors ould soon be back here they had left their !uskets, and at any !o!ent the fire !ight reco!!ence" The house as by this ti!e so!e hat cleared of s!oke, and e sa at a glance the $rice e had $aid for victory" 7unter lay beside his loo$hole,

stunnedD 8oyce by his, shot through the head, never to !ove againD hile right in the centre, the sGuire as su$$orting the ca$tain, one as $ale as the other" BThe ca$tainCs ounded,B said Er" Trela ney" B7ave they runFB asked Er" S!ollett" B'll that could, you !ay be bound,B returned the doctorD Bbut thereCs five of the! ill never run again"B B)ive>B cried the ca$tain" B9o!e, thatCs better" )ive against three leaves us four to nine" ThatCs better odds than e had at starting" ;e ere seven to nineteen then, or thought e ere, and thatCs as bad to bear"B5 5The !utineers ere soon only eight in nu!ber, for the !an shot by Er" Trela ney on board the schooner died that sa!e evening of his ound" But this as, of course, not kno n till after by the faithful $arty"

PART 8I6E,y Sea Adventure

%%
7o$ ,y Sea Adventure Be"an
T7ERE as no return of the !utineers=not so !uch as another shot out of the oods" They had Bgot their rations for that day,B as the ca$tain $ut it, and e had the $lace to ourselves and a Guiet ti!e to overhaul the ounded and get dinner" SGuire and I cooked outside in s$ite of the danger, and even outside e could hardly tell hat e ere at, for horror of the loud groans that reached us fro! the doctorCs $atients" 6ut of the eight !en ho had fallen in the action, only three still breathed= that one of the $irates ho had been shot at the loo$hole, 7unter, and 9a$tain S!ollettD and of these, the first t o ere as good as deadD the !utineer indeed died under the doctorCs knife, and 7unter, do hat e could, never recovered consciousness in this orld" 7e lingered all day, breathing loudly like the old buccaneer at ho!e in his a$o$lectic fit, but the bones of his chest had been crushed by the blo and his skull fractured in falling, and so!e ti!e in the follo ing night, ithout sign or sound, he ent to his Eaker" 's for the ca$tain, his ounds ere grievous indeed, but not dangerous" 3o organ as fatally injured" 'ndersonCs ball=for it as 8ob that shot hi! first= had broken his shoulder%blade and touched the lung, not badlyD the second had only torn and dis$laced so!e !uscles in the calf" 7e as sure to recover, the doctor said, but in the !eanti!e, and for eeks to co!e, he !ust not alk nor !ove his ar!, nor so !uch as s$eak hen he could hel$ it"

Ey o n accidental cut across the knuckles as a flea%bite" (octor Livesey $atched it u$ ith $laster and $ulled !y ears for !e into the bargain" 'fter dinner the sGuire and the doctor sat by the ca$tainCs side a hile in consultationD and hen they had talked to their heartsC content, it being then a little $ast noon, the doctor took u$ his hat and $istols, girt on a cutlass, $ut the chart in his $ocket, and ith a !usket over his shoulder crossed the $alisade on the north side and set off briskly through the trees" Gray and I ere sitting together at the far end of the block house, to be out of earshot of our officers consultingD and Gray took his $i$e out of his !outh and fairly forgot to $ut it back again, so thunder%struck he as at this occurrence" B;hy, in the na!e of (avy 8ones,B said he, Bis (r" Livesey !adFB B;hy no,B says I" B7eCs about the last of this cre for that, I take it"B B;ell, shi$!ate,B said Gray, B!ad he !ay not beD but if 7ECS not, you !ark !y ords, I a!"B BI take it,B re$lied I, Bthe doctor has his ideaD and if I a! right, heCs going no to see Ben Gunn"B I as right, as a$$eared laterD but in the !eanti!e, the house being stifling hot and the little $atch of sand inside the $alisade ablaJe ith !idday sun, I began to get another thought into !y head, hich as not by any !eans so right" ;hat I began to do as to envy the doctor alking in the cool shado of the oods ith the birds about hi! and the $leasant s!ell of the $ines, hile I sat grilling, ith !y clothes stuck to the hot resin, and so !uch blood about !e and so !any $oor dead bodies lying all around that I took a disgust of the $lace that as al!ost as strong as fear" 'll the ti!e I as ashing out the block house, and then ashing u$ the things fro! dinner, this disgust and envy ke$t gro ing stronger and stronger, till at last, being near a bread%bag, and no one then observing !e, I took the first ste$ to ards !y esca$ade and filled both $ockets of !y coat ith biscuit" I as a fool, if you like, and certainly I as going to do a foolish, over%bold actD but I as deter!ined to do it ith all the $recautions in !y $o er" These biscuits, should anything befall !e, ould kee$ !e, at least, fro! starving till far on in the ne<t day" The ne<t thing I laid hold of as a brace of $istols, and as I already had a $o der%horn and bullets, I felt !yself ell su$$lied ith ar!s" 's for the sche!e I had in !y head, it as not a bad one in itself" I as to go do n the sandy s$it that divides the anchorage on the east fro! the o$en sea, find the hite rock I had observed last evening, and ascertain hether it as there or not that Ben Gunn had hidden his boat, a thing Guite orth doing, as I still believe" But as I as certain I should not be allo ed to leave the enclosure, !y only $lan as to take )rench leave and sli$ out hen nobody as atching, and that as so bad a ay of doing it as !ade the thing itself rong" But I as only a boy, and I had !ade !y !ind u$" ;ell, as things at last fell out, I found an ad!irable o$$ortunity" The sGuire and Gray ere busy hel$ing the ca$tain ith his bandages, the coast as clear, I !ade a bolt for it over the stockade and into the thickest of the trees, and before !y absence as observed I as out of cry of !y co!$anions" This as !y second folly, far orse than the first, as I left but t o sound !en to guard the houseD but like the first, it as a hel$ to ards saving all of us"

I took !y ay straight for the east coast of the island, for I as deter!ined to go do n the sea side of the s$it to avoid all chance of observation fro! the anchorage" It as already late in the afternoon, although still ar! and sunny" 's I continued to thread the tall oods, I could hear fro! far before !e not only the continuous thunder of the surf, but a certain tossing of foliage and grinding of boughs hich sho ed !e the sea breeJe had set in higher than usual" Soon cool draughts of air began to reach !e, and a fe ste$s farther I ca!e forth into the o$en borders of the grove, and sa the sea lying blue and sunny to the horiJon and the surf tu!bling and tossing its foa! along the beach" I have never seen the sea Guiet round Treasure Island" The sun !ight blaJe overhead, the air be ithout a breath, the surface s!ooth and blue, but still these great rollers ould be running along all the e<ternal coast, thundering and thundering by day and nightD and I scarce believe there is one s$ot in the island here a !an ould be out of earshot of their noise" I alked along beside the surf ith great enjoy!ent, till, thinking I as no got far enough to the south, I took the cover of so!e thick bushes and cre$t arily u$ to the ridge of the s$it" Behind !e as the sea, in front the anchorage" The sea breeJe, as though it had the sooner blo n itself out by its unusual violence, as already at an endD it had been succeeded by light, variable airs fro! the south and south%east, carrying great banks of fogD and the anchorage, under lee of Skeleton Island, lay still and leaden as hen first e entered it" The 7ISP'3I6L', in that unbroken !irror, as e<actly $ortrayed fro! the truck to the aterline, the 8olly Roger hanging fro! her $eak" 'longside lay one of the gigs, Silver in the stern%sheets=hi! I could al ays recogniJe= hile a cou$le of !en ere leaning over the stern bul arks, one of the! ith a red ca$=the very rogue that I had seen so!e hours before stride% legs u$on the $alisade" '$$arently they ere talking and laughing, though at that distance=u$ ards of a !ile=I could, of course, hear no ord of hat as said" 'll at once there began the !ost horrid, unearthly screa!ing, hich at first startled !e badly, though I had soon re!e!bered the voice of 9a$tain )lint and even thought I could !ake out the bird by her bright $lu!age as she sat $erched u$on her !asterCs rist" Soon after, the jolly%boat shoved off and $ulled for shore, and the !an ith the red ca$ and his co!rade ent belo by the cabin co!$anion" 8ust about the sa!e ti!e, the sun had gone do n behind the S$y%glass, and as the fog as collecting ra$idly, it began to gro dark in earnest" I sa I !ust lose no ti!e if I ere to find the boat that evening" The hite rock, visible enough above the brush, as still so!e eighth of a !ile further do n the s$it, and it took !e a goodish hile to get u$ ith it, cra ling, often on all fours, a!ong the scrub" 3ight had al!ost co!e hen I laid !y hand on its rough sides" Right belo it there as an e<ceedingly s!all hollo of green turf, hidden by banks and a thick under ood about knee%dee$, that gre there very $lentifullyD and in the centre of the dell, sure enough, a little tent of goat%skins, like hat the gi$sies carry about ith the! in England" I dro$$ed into the hollo , lifted the side of the tent, and there as Ben GunnCs boat=ho!e%!ade if ever anything as ho!e%!adeD a rude, lo$%sided

fra!e ork of tough ood, and stretched u$on that a covering of goat%skin, ith the hair inside" The thing as e<tre!ely s!all, even for !e, and I can hardly i!agine that it could have floated ith a full%siJed !an" There as one th art set as lo as $ossible, a kind of stretcher in the bo s, and a double $addle for $ro$ulsion" I had not then seen a coracle, such as the ancient Britons !ade, but I have seen one since, and I can give you no fairer idea of Ben GunnCs boat than by saying it as like the first and the orst coracle ever !ade by !an" But the great advantage of the coracle it certainly $ossessed, for it as e<ceedingly light and $ortable" ;ell, no that I had found the boat, you ould have thought I had had enough of truantry for once, but in the !eanti!e I had taken another notion and beco!e so obstinately fond of it that I ould have carried it out, I believe, in the teeth of 9a$tain S!ollett hi!self" This as to sli$ out under cover of the night, cut the 7ISP'3I6L' adrift, and let her go ashore here she fancied" I had Guite !ade u$ !y !ind that the !utineers, after their re$ulse of the !orning, had nothing nearer their hearts than to u$ anchor and a ay to seaD this, I thought, it ould be a fine thing to $revent, and no that I had seen ho they left their atch!en un$rovided ith a boat, I thought it !ight be done ith little risk" (o n I sat to ait for darkness, and !ade a hearty !eal of biscuit" It as a night out of ten thousand for !y $ur$ose" The fog had no buried all heaven" 's the last rays of daylight d indled and disa$$eared, absolute blackness settled do n on Treasure Island" 'nd hen, at last, I shouldered the coracle and gro$ed !y ay stu!blingly out of the hollo here I had su$$ed, there ere but t o $oints visible on the hole anchorage" 6ne as the great fire on shore, by hich the defeated $irates lay carousing in the s a!$" The other, a !ere blur of light u$on the darkness, indicated the $osition of the anchored shi$" She had s ung round to the ebb=her bo as no to ards !e=the only lights on board ere in the cabin, and hat I sa as !erely a reflection on the fog of the strong rays that flo ed fro! the stern indo " The ebb had already run so!e ti!e, and I had to ade through a long belt of s a!$y sand, here I sank several ti!es above the ankle, before I ca!e to the edge of the retreating ater, and ading a little ay in, ith so!e strength and de<terity, set !y coracle, keel do n ards, on the surface"

%(
The Ebb!tide Runs
T7E coracle=as I had a!$le reason to kno before I as done ith her= as a very safe boat for a $erson of !y height and eight, both buoyant and clever in a sea ayD but she as the !ost cross%grained, lo$%sided craft to !anage" (o as you $leased, she al ays !ade !ore lee ay than anything else, and turning round and round as the !anoeuvre she as best at" Even Ben Gunn hi!self has ad!itted that she as BGueer to handle till you kne her ay"B 9ertainly I did not kno her ay" She turned in every direction but the one I as bound to goD the !ost $art of the ti!e e ere broadside on, and I a! very sure I never should have !ade the shi$ at all but for the tide" By good fortune, $addle as I $leased, the tide as still s ee$ing !e do nD and there lay the 7ISP'3I6L' right in the fair ay, hardly to be !issed" )irst she loo!ed before !e like a blot of so!ething yet blacker than darkness, then her s$ars and hull began to take sha$e, and the ne<t !o!ent, as it see!ed Hfor, the farther I ent, the brisker gre the current of the ebbI, I as alongside of her ha ser and had laid hold" The ha ser as as taut as a bo string, and the current so strong she $ulled u$on her anchor" 'll round the hull, in the blackness, the ri$$ling current bubbled and chattered like a little !ountain strea!" 6ne cut ith !y sea%gully and the 7ISP'3I6L' ould go hu!!ing do n the tide" So far so good, but it ne<t occurred to !y recollection that a taut ha ser, suddenly cut, is a thing as dangerous as a kicking horse" Ten to one, if I ere so foolhardy as to cut the 7ISP'3I6L' fro! her anchor, I and the coracle ould be knocked clean out of the ater" This brought !e to a full sto$, and if fortune had not again $articularly favoured !e, I should have had to abandon !y design" But the light airs hich had begun blo ing fro! the south%east and south had hauled round after nightfall into the south% est" 8ust hile I as !editating, a $uff ca!e, caught the 7ISP'3I6L', and forced her u$ into the currentD and to !y great joy, I felt the ha ser slacken in !y gras$, and the hand by hich I held it di$ for a second under ater" ;ith that I !ade !y !ind u$, took out !y gully, o$ened it ith !y teeth, and cut one strand after another, till the vessel s ung only by t o" Then I lay Guiet, aiting to sever these last hen the strain should be once !ore lightened by a breath of ind" 'll this ti!e I had heard the sound of loud voices fro! the cabin, but to say truth, !y !ind had been so entirely taken u$ ith other thoughts that I had

scarcely given ear" 3o , ho ever, hen I had nothing else to do, I began to $ay !ore heed" 6ne I recogniJed for the co<s ainCs, Israel 7ands, that had been )lintCs gunner in for!er days" The other as, of course, !y friend of the red night%ca$" Both !en ere $lainly the orse of drink, and they ere still drinking, for even hile I as listening, one of the!, ith a drunken cry, o$ened the stern indo and thre out so!ething, hich I divined to be an e!$ty bottle" But they ere not only ti$syD it as $lain that they ere furiously angry" 6aths fle like hailstones, and every no and then there ca!e forth such an e<$losion as I thought as sure to end in blo s" But each ti!e the Guarrel $assed off and the voices gru!bled lo er for a hile, until the ne<t crisis ca!e and in its turn $assed a ay ithout result" 6n shore, I could see the glo of the great ca!$%fire burning ar!ly through the shore%side trees" So!eone as singing, a dull, old, droning sailorCs song, ith a droo$ and a Guaver at the end of every verse, and see!ingly no end to it at all but the $atience of the singer" I had heard it on the voyage !ore than once and re!e!bered these ords&
BBut one !an of her cre alive, ;hat $ut to sea ith seventy%five"B

'nd I thought it as a ditty rather too dolefully a$$ro$riate for a co!$any that had !et such cruel losses in the !orning" But, indeed, fro! hat I sa , all these buccaneers ere as callous as the sea they sailed on" 't last the breeJe ca!eD the schooner sidled and dre nearer in the darkD I felt the ha ser slacken once !ore, and ith a good, tough effort, cut the last fibres through" The breeJe had but little action on the coracle, and I as al!ost instantly s e$t against the bo s of the 7ISP'3I6L'" 't the sa!e ti!e, the schooner began to turn u$on her heel, s$inning slo ly, end for end, across the current" I rought like a fiend, for I e<$ected every !o!ent to be s a!$edD and since I found I could not $ush the coracle directly off, I no shoved straight astern" 't length I as clear of !y dangerous neighbour, and just as I gave the last i!$ulsion, !y hands ca!e across a light cord that as trailing overboard across the stern bul arks" Instantly I gras$ed it" ;hy I should have done so I can hardly say" It as at first !ere instinct, but once I had it in !y hands and found it fast, curiosity began to get the u$$er hand, and I deter!ined I should have one look through the cabin indo " I $ulled in hand over hand on the cord, and hen I judged !yself near enough, rose at infinite risk to about half !y height and thus co!!anded the roof and a slice of the interior of the cabin" By this ti!e the schooner and her little consort ere gliding $retty s iftly through the aterD indeed, e had already fetched u$ level ith the ca!$%fire" The shi$ as talking, as sailors say, loudly, treading the innu!erable ri$$les ith an incessant eltering s$lashD and until I got !y eye above the indo % sill I could not co!$rehend hy the atch!en had taken no alar!" 6ne glance, ho ever, as sufficientD and it as only one glance that I durst take fro! that unsteady skiff" It sho ed !e 7ands and his co!$anion locked together in deadly restle, each ith a hand u$on the otherCs throat"

I dro$$ed u$on the th art again, none too soon, for I as near overboard" I could see nothing for the !o!ent but these t o furious, encri!soned faces s aying together under the s!oky la!$, and I shut !y eyes to let the! gro once !ore fa!iliar ith the darkness" The endless ballad had co!e to an end at last, and the hole di!inished co!$any about the ca!$%fire had broken into the chorus I had heard so often&
B)ifteen !en on the dead !anCs chest= #o%ho%ho, and a bottle of ru!> (rink and the devil had done for the rest= #o%ho%ho, and a bottle of ru!>B

I as just thinking ho busy drink and the devil ere at that very !o!ent in the cabin of the 7ISP'3I6L', hen I as sur$rised by a sudden lurch of the coracle" 't the sa!e !o!ent, she ya ed shar$ly and see!ed to change her course" The s$eed in the !eanti!e had strangely increased" I o$ened !y eyes at once" 'll round !e ere little ri$$les, co!bing over ith a shar$, bristling sound and slightly $hos$horescent" The 7ISP'3I6L' herself, a fe yards in hose ake I as still being hirled along, see!ed to stagger in her course, and I sa her s$ars toss a little against the blackness of the nightD nay, as I looked longer, I !ade sure she also as heeling to the south ard" I glanced over !y shoulder, and !y heart ju!$ed against !y ribs" There, right behind !e, as the glo of the ca!$%fire" The current had turned at right angles, s ee$ing round along ith it the tall schooner and the little dancing coracleD ever Guickening, ever bubbling higher, ever !uttering louder, it ent s$inning through the narro s for the o$en sea" Suddenly the schooner in front of !e gave a violent ya , turning, $erha$s, through t enty degreesD and al!ost at the sa!e !o!ent one shout follo ed another fro! on boardD I could hear feet $ounding on the co!$anion ladder and I kne that the t o drunkards had at last been interru$ted in their Guarrel and a akened to a sense of their disaster" I lay do n flat in the botto! of that retched skiff and devoutly reco!!ended !y s$irit to its Eaker" 't the end of the straits, I !ade sure e !ust fall into so!e bar of raging breakers, here all !y troubles ould be ended s$eedilyD and though I could, $erha$s, bear to die, I could not bear to look u$on !y fate as it a$$roached" So I !ust have lain for hours, continually beaten to and fro u$on the billo s, no and again etted ith flying s$rays, and never ceasing to e<$ect death at the ne<t $lunge" Gradually eariness gre u$on !eD a nu!bness, an occasional stu$or, fell u$on !y !ind even in the !idst of !y terrors, until slee$ at last su$ervened and in !y sea%tossed coracle I lay and drea!ed of ho!e and the old 'd!iral Benbo "

%)
The .ruise o+ the .oracle
IT as broad day hen I a oke and found !yself tossing at the south% est end of Treasure Island" The sun as u$ but as still hid fro! !e behind the great bulk of the S$y%glass, hich on this side descended al!ost to the sea in for!idable cliffs" 7aulbo line 7ead and EiJJen%!ast 7ill ere at !y elbo , the hill bare and dark, the head bound ith cliffs forty or fifty feet high and fringed ith great !asses of fallen rock" I as scarce a Guarter of a !ile to sea ard, and it as !y first thought to $addle in and land" That notion as soon given over" '!ong the fallen rocks the breakers s$outed and bello edD loud reverberations, heavy s$rays flying and falling, succeeded one another fro! second to secondD and I sa !yself, if I ventured nearer, dashed to death u$on the rough shore or s$ending !y strength in vain to scale the beetling crags" 3or as that all, for cra ling together on flat tables of rock or letting the!selves dro$ into the sea ith loud re$orts I beheld huge sli!y !onsters= soft snails, as it ere, of incredible bigness=t o or three score of the! together, !aking the rocks to echo ith their barkings" I have understood since that they ere sea lions, and entirely har!less" But the look of the!, added to the difficulty of the shore and the high running of the surf, as !ore than enough to disgust !e of that landing%$lace" I felt illing rather to starve at sea than to confront such $erils" In the !eanti!e I had a better chance, as I su$$osed, before !e" 3orth of 7aulbo line 7ead, the land runs in a long ay, leaving at lo tide a long stretch of yello sand" To the north of that, again, there co!es another ca$e= 9a$e of the ;oods, as it as !arked u$on the chart=buried in tall green $ines, hich descended to the !argin of the sea" I re!e!bered hat Silver had said about the current that sets north ard along the hole est coast of Treasure Island, and seeing fro! !y $osition that I as already under its influence, I $referred to leave 7aulbo line 7ead behind !e and reserve !y strength for an atte!$t to land u$on the kindlier% looking 9a$e of the ;oods" There as a great, s!ooth s ell u$on the sea" The ind blo ing steady and gentle fro! the south, there as no contrariety bet een that and the current, and the billo s rose and fell unbroken" 7ad it been other ise, I !ust long ago have $erishedD but as it as, it is sur$rising ho easily and securely !y little and light boat could ride" 6ften, as I still lay at the botto! and ke$t no !ore than an eye above the gun ale, I ould see a big blue su!!it heaving close above !eD yet the coracle ould but bounce a little, dance as if on s$rings, and subside on the other side into the trough as lightly as a bird" I began after a little to gro very bold and sat u$ to try !y skill at $addling" But even a s!all change in the dis$osition of the eight ill $roduce violent changes in the behaviour of a coracle" 'nd I had hardly !oved before the boat, giving u$ at once her gentle dancing !ove!ent, ran straight do n a

slo$e of ater so stee$ that it !ade !e giddy, and struck her nose, ith a s$out of s$ray, dee$ into the side of the ne<t ave" I as drenched and terrified, and fell instantly back into !y old $osition, hereu$on the coracle see!ed to find her head again and led !e as softly as before a!ong the billo s" It as $lain she as not to be interfered ith, and at that rate, since I could in no ay influence her course, hat ho$e had I left of reaching landF I began to be horribly frightened, but I ke$t !y head, for all that" )irst, !oving ith all care, I gradually baled out the coracle ith !y sea%ca$D then, getting !y eye once !ore above the gun ale, I set !yself to study ho it as she !anaged to sli$ so Guietly through the rollers" I found each ave, instead of the big, s!ooth glossy !ountain it looks fro! shore or fro! a vesselCs deck, as for all the orld like any range of hills on dry land, full of $eaks and s!ooth $laces and valleys" The coracle, left to herself, turning fro! side to side, threaded, so to s$eak, her ay through these lo er $arts and avoided the stee$ slo$es and higher, to$$ling su!!its of the ave" B;ell, no ,B thought I to !yself, Bit is $lain I !ust lie here I a! and not disturb the balanceD but it is $lain also that I can $ut the $addle over the side and fro! ti!e to ti!e, in s!ooth $laces, give her a shove or t o to ards land"B 3o sooner thought u$on than done" There I lay on !y elbo s in the !ost trying attitude, and every no and again gave a eak stroke or t o to turn her head to shore" It as very tiring and slo ork, yet I did visibly gain groundD and as e dre near the 9a$e of the ;oods, though I sa I !ust infallibly !iss that $oint, I had still !ade so!e hundred yards of easting" I as, indeed, close in" I could see the cool green tree%to$s s aying together in the breeJe, and I felt sure I should !ake the ne<t $ro!ontory ithout fail" It as high ti!e, for I no began to be tortured ith thirst" The glo of the sun fro! above, its thousandfold reflection fro! the aves, the sea% ater that fell and dried u$on !e, caking !y very li$s ith salt, co!bined to !ake !y throat burn and !y brain ache" The sight of the trees so near at hand had al!ost !ade !e sick ith longing, but the current had soon carried !e $ast the $oint, and as the ne<t reach of sea o$ened out, I beheld a sight that changed the nature of !y thoughts" Right in front of !e, not half a !ile a ay, I beheld the 7ISP'3I6L' under sail" I !ade sure, of course, that I should be takenD but I as so distressed for ant of ater that I scarce kne hether to be glad or sorry at the thought, and long before I had co!e to a conclusion, sur$rise had taken entire $ossession of !y !ind and I could do nothing but stare and onder" The 7ISP'3I6L' as under her !ain%sail and t o jibs, and the beautiful hite canvas shone in the sun like sno or silver" ;hen I first sighted her, all her sails ere dra ingD she as lying a course about north% est, and I $resu!ed the !en on board ere going round the island on their ay back to the anchorage" Presently she began to fetch !ore and !ore to the est ard, so that I thought they had sighted !e and ere going about in chase" 't last, ho ever, she fell right into the indCs eye, as taken dead aback, and stood there a hile hel$less, ith her sails shivering"

B9lu!sy fello s,B said ID Bthey !ust still be drunk as o ls"B 'nd I thought ho 9a$tain S!ollett ould have set the! ski$$ing" Eean hile the schooner gradually fell off and filled again u$on another tack, sailed s iftly for a !inute or so, and brought u$ once !ore dead in the indCs eye" 'gain and again as this re$eated" To and fro, u$ and do n, north, south, east, and est, the 7ISP'3I6L' sailed by s oo$s and dashes, and at each re$etition ended as she had begun, ith idly fla$$ing canvas" It beca!e $lain to !e that nobody as steering" 'nd if so, here ere the !enF Either they ere dead drunk or had deserted her, I thought, and $erha$s if I could get on board I !ight return the vessel to her ca$tain" The current as bearing coracle and schooner south ard at an eGual rate" 's for the latterCs sailing, it as so ild and inter!ittent, and she hung each ti!e so long in irons, that she certainly gained nothing, if she did not even lose" If only I dared to sit u$ and $addle, I !ade sure that I could overhaul her" The sche!e had an air of adventure that ins$ired !e, and the thought of the ater breaker beside the fore co!$anion doubled !y gro ing courage" 2$ I got, as elco!ed al!ost instantly by another cloud of s$ray, but this ti!e stuck to !y $ur$ose and set !yself, ith all !y strength and caution, to $addle after the unsteered 7ISP'3I6L'" 6nce I shi$$ed a sea so heavy that I had to sto$ and bail, ith !y heart fluttering like a bird, but gradually I got into the ay of the thing and guided !y coracle a!ong the aves, ith only no and then a blo u$on her bo s and a dash of foa! in !y face" I as no gaining ra$idly on the schoonerD I could see the brass glisten on the tiller as it banged about, and still no soul a$$eared u$on her decks" I could not choose but su$$ose she as deserted" If not, the !en ere lying drunk belo , here I !ight batten the! do n, $erha$s, and do hat I chose ith the shi$" )or so!e ti!e she had been doing the orse thing $ossible for !e=standing still" She headed nearly due south, ya ing, of course, all the ti!e" Each ti!e she fell off, her sails $artly filled, and these brought her in a !o!ent right to the ind again" I have said this as the orst thing $ossible for !e, for hel$less as she looked in this situation, ith the canvas cracking like cannon and the blocks trundling and banging on the deck, she still continued to run a ay fro! !e, not only ith the s$eed of the current, but by the hole a!ount of her lee ay, hich as naturally great" But no , at last, I had !y chance" The breeJe fell for so!e seconds, very lo , and the current gradually turning her, the 7ISP'3I6L' revolved slo ly round her centre and at last $resented !e her stern, ith the cabin indo still ga$ing o$en and the la!$ over the table still burning on into the day" The !ain%sail hung droo$ed like a banner" She as stock%still but for the current" )or the last little hile I had even lost, but no redoubling !y efforts, I began once !ore to overhaul the chase" I as not a hundred yards fro! her hen the ind ca!e again in a cla$D she filled on the $ort tack and as off again, stoo$ing and ski!!ing like a s allo " Ey first i!$ulse as one of des$air, but !y second as to ards joy" Round she ca!e, till she as broadside on to !e=round still till she had covered a half and then t o thirds and then three Guarters of the distance that

se$arated us" I could see the aves boiling hite under her forefoot" I!!ensely tall she looked to !e fro! !y lo station in the coracle" 'nd then, of a sudden, I began to co!$rehend" I had scarce ti!e to think= scarce ti!e to act and save !yself" I as on the su!!it of one s ell hen the schooner ca!e stoo$ing over the ne<t" The bo s$rit as over !y head" I s$rang to !y feet and lea$ed, sta!$ing the coracle under ater" ;ith one hand I caught the jib%boo!, hile !y foot as lodged bet een the stay and the braceD and as I still clung there $anting, a dull blo told !e that the schooner had charged do n u$on and struck the coracle and that I as left ithout retreat on the 7ISP'3I6L'"

%*
I Stri&e the :olly Ro"er
I 7'( scarce gained a $osition on the bo s$rit hen the flying jib fla$$ed and filled u$on the other tack, ith a re$ort like a gun" The schooner tre!bled to her keel under the reverse, but ne<t !o!ent, the other sails still dra ing, the jib fla$$ed back again and hung idle" This had nearly tossed !e off into the seaD and no I lost no ti!e, cra led back along the bo s$rit, and tu!bled head fore!ost on the deck" I as on the lee side of the forecastle, and the !ainsail, hich as still dra ing, concealed fro! !e a certain $ortion of the after%deck" 3ot a soul as to be seen" The $lanks, hich had not been s abbed since the !utiny, bore the $rint of !any feet, and an e!$ty bottle, broken by the neck, tu!bled to and fro like a live thing in the scu$$ers" Suddenly the 7ISP'3I6L' ca!e right into the ind" The jibs behind !e cracked aloud, the rudder sla!!ed to, the hole shi$ gave a sickening heave and shudder, and at the sa!e !o!ent the !ain%boo! s ung inboard, the sheet groaning in the blocks, and sho ed !e the lee after%deck" There ere the t o atch!en, sure enough& red%ca$ on his back, as stiff as a hands$ike, ith his ar!s stretched out like those of a crucifi< and his teeth sho ing through his o$en li$sD Israel 7ands $ro$$ed against the bul arks, his chin on his chest, his hands lying o$en before hi! on the deck, his face as hite, under its tan, as a tallo candle" )or a hile the shi$ ke$t bucking and sidling like a vicious horse, the sails filling, no on one tack, no on another, and the boo! s inging to and fro till the !ast groaned aloud under the strain" 3o and again too there ould co!e a cloud of light s$rays over the bul ark and a heavy blo of the shi$Cs bo s against the s ellD so !uch heavier eather as !ade of it by this great rigged shi$ than by !y ho!e%!ade, lo$%sided coracle, no gone to the botto! of the sea" 't every ju!$ of the schooner, red%ca$ sli$$ed to and fro, but= hat as ghastly to behold=neither his attitude nor his fi<ed teeth%disclosing grin as any ay disturbed by this rough usage" 't every ju!$ too, 7ands a$$eared

still !ore to sink into hi!self and settle do n u$on the deck, his feet sliding ever the farther out, and the hole body canting to ards the stern, so that his face beca!e, little by little, hid fro! !eD and at last I could see nothing beyond his ear and the frayed ringlet of one hisker" 't the sa!e ti!e, I observed, around both of the!, s$lashes of dark blood u$on the $lanks and began to feel sure that they had killed each other in their drunken rath" ;hile I as thus looking and ondering, in a cal! !o!ent, hen the shi$ as still, Israel 7ands turned $artly round and ith a lo !oan rithed hi!self back to the $osition in hich I had seen hi! first" The !oan, hich told of $ain and deadly eakness, and the ay in hich his ja hung o$en ent right to !y heart" But hen I re!e!bered the talk I had overheard fro! the a$$le barrel, all $ity left !e" I alked aft until I reached the !ain%!ast" B9o!e aboard, Er" 7ands,B I said ironically" 7e rolled his eyes round heavily, but he as too far gone to e<$ress sur$rise" 'll he could do as to utter one ord, BBrandy"B It occurred to !e there as no ti!e to lose, and dodging the boo! as it once !ore lurched across the deck, I sli$$ed aft and do n the co!$anion stairs into the cabin" It as such a scene of confusion as you can hardly fancy" 'll the lockfast $laces had been broken o$en in Guest of the chart" The floor as thick ith !ud here ruffians had sat do n to drink or consult after ading in the !arshes round their ca!$" The bulkheads, all $ainted in clear hite and beaded round ith gilt, bore a $attern of dirty hands" (oJens of e!$ty bottles clinked together in corners to the rolling of the shi$" 6ne of the doctorCs !edical books lay o$en on the table, half of the leaves gutted out, I su$$ose, for $i$elights" In the !idst of all this the la!$ still cast a s!oky glo , obscure and bro n as u!ber" I ent into the cellarD all the barrels ere gone, and of the bottles a !ost sur$rising nu!ber had been drunk out and thro n a ay" 9ertainly, since the !utiny began, not a !an of the! could ever have been sober" )oraging about, I found a bottle ith so!e brandy left, for 7andsD and for !yself I routed out so!e biscuit, so!e $ickled fruits, a great bunch of raisins, and a $iece of cheese" ;ith these I ca!e on deck, $ut do n !y o n stock behind the rudder head and ell out of the co<s ainCs reach, ent for ard to the ater%breaker, and had a good dee$ drink of ater, and then, and not till then, gave 7ands the brandy" 7e !ust have drunk a gill before he took the bottle fro! his !outh" B'ye,B said he, Bby thunder, but I anted so!e oC that>B I had sat do n already in !y o n corner and begun to eat" BEuch hurtFB I asked hi!" 7e grunted, or rather, I !ight say, he barked" BIf that doctor as aboard,B he said, BICd be right enough in a cou$le of turns, but I donCt have no !anner of luck, you see, and thatCs hatCs the !atter ith !e" 's for that s ab, heCs good and dead, he is,B he added, indicating the !an ith the red ca$" B7e arnCt no sea!an anyho " 'nd here !ought you have co!e fro!FB

B;ell,B said I, BICve co!e aboard to take $ossession of this shi$, Er" 7andsD and youCll $lease regard !e as your ca$tain until further notice"B 7e looked at !e sourly enough but said nothing" So!e of the colour had co!e back into his cheeks, though he still looked very sick and still continued to sli$ out and settle do n as the shi$ banged about" BBy the by,B I continued, BI canCt have these colours, Er" 7andsD and by your leave, ICll strike Ce!" Better none than these"B 'nd again dodging the boo!, I ran to the colour lines, handed do n their cursed black flag, and chucked it overboard" BGod save the king>B said I, aving !y ca$" B'nd thereCs an end to 9a$tain Silver>B 7e atched !e keenly and slyly, his chin all the hile on his breast" BI reckon,B he said at last, BI reckon, 9a$Cn 7a kins, youCll kind of ant to get ashore no " SC$ose e talks"B B;hy, yes,B says I, B ith all !y heart, Er" 7ands" Say on"B 'nd I ent back to !y !eal ith a good a$$etite" BThis !an,B he began, nodding feebly at the cor$se B=6CBrien ere his na!e, a rank Irelander=this !an and !e got the canvas on her, !eaning for to sail her back" ;ell, 7ECS dead no , he is=as dead as bilgeD and hoCs to sail this shi$, I donCt see" ;ithout I gives you a hint, you ainCt that !an, as farCs I can tell" 3o , look here, you gives !e food and drink and a old scarf or ankecher to tie !y ound u$, you do, and ICll tell you ho to sail her, and thatCs about sGuare all round, I take it"B BICll tell you one thing,B says I& BIC! not going back to 9a$tain :iddCs anchorage" I !ean to get into 3orth Inlet and beach her Guietly there"B BTo be sure you did,B he cried" B;hy, I ainCt sich an infernal lubber after all" I can see, canCt IF ICve tried !y fling, I have, and ICve lost, and itCs you has the ind of !e" 3orth InletF ;hy, I havenCt no chCice, not I> ICd hel$ you sail her u$ to E<ecution (ock, by thunder> So I ould"B ;ell, as it see!ed to !e, there as so!e sense in this" ;e struck our bargain on the s$ot" In three !inutes I had the 7ISP'3I6L' sailing easily before the ind along the coast of Treasure Island, ith good ho$es of turning the northern $oint ere noon and beating do n again as far as 3orth Inlet before high ater, hen e !ight beach her safely and ait till the subsiding tide $er!itted us to land" Then I lashed the tiller and ent belo to !y o n chest, here I got a soft silk handkerchief of !y !otherCs" ;ith this, and ith !y aid, 7ands bound u$ the great bleeding stab he had received in the thigh, and after he had eaten a little and had a s allo or t o !ore of the brandy, he began to $ick u$ visibly, sat straighter u$, s$oke louder and clearer, and looked in every ay another !an" The breeJe served us ad!irably" ;e ski!!ed before it like a bird, the coast of the island flashing by and the vie changing every !inute" Soon e ere $ast the high lands and bo ling beside lo , sandy country, s$arsely dotted ith d arf $ines, and soon e ere beyond that again and had turned the corner of the rocky hill that ends the island on the north" I as greatly elated ith !y ne co!!and, and $leased ith the bright, sunshiny eather and these different $ros$ects of the coast" I had no $lenty

of ater and good things to eat, and !y conscience, hich had s!itten !e hard for !y desertion, as Guieted by the great conGuest I had !ade" I should, I think, have had nothing left !e to desire but for the eyes of the co<s ain as they follo ed !e derisively about the deck and the odd s!ile that a$$eared continually on his face" It as a s!ile that had in it so!ething both of $ain and eakness=a haggard old !anCs s!ileD but there as, besides that, a grain of derision, a shado of treachery, in his e<$ression as he craftily atched, and atched, and atched !e at !y ork"

%Israel 7ands
T7E ind, serving us to a desire, no hauled into the est" ;e could run so !uch the easier fro! the north%east corner of the island to the !outh of the 3orth Inlet" 6nly, as e had no $o er to anchor and dared not beach her till the tide had flo ed a good deal farther, ti!e hung on our hands" The co<s ain told !e ho to lay the shi$ toD after a good !any trials I succeeded, and e both sat in silence over another !eal" B9a$Cn,B said he at length ith that sa!e unco!fortable s!ile, BhereCs !y old shi$!ate, 6CBrienD sC$ose you as to heave hi! overboard" I ainCt $articClar as a rule, and I donCt take no bla!e for settling his hash, but I donCt reckon hi! orna!ental no , do youFB BIC! not strong enough, and I donCt like the jobD and there he lies, for !e,B said I" BThis hereCs an unlucky shi$, this 7ISP'3I6L', 8i!,B he ent on, blinking" BThereCs a $o er of !en been killed in this 7ISP'3I6L'=a sight oC $oor sea!en dead and gone since you and !e took shi$ to Bristol" I never seen sich dirty luck, not I" There as this here 6CBrien no =heCs dead, ainCt heF ;ell no , IC! no scholar, and youCre a lad as can read and figure, and to $ut it straight, do you take it as a dead !an is dead for good, or do he co!e alive againFB B#ou can kill the body, Er" 7ands, but not the s$iritD you !ust kno that already,B I re$lied" B6CBrien there is in another orld, and !ay be atching us"B B'h>B says he" B;ell, thatCs unfortCnate=a$$ears as if killing $arties as a aste of ti!e" 7o so!ever, s$errits donCt reckon for !uch, by hat ICve seen" ICll chance it ith the s$errits, 8i!" 'nd no , youCve s$oke u$ free, and ICll take it kind if youCd ste$ do n into that there cabin and get !e a= ell, a=shiver !y ti!bers> I canCt hit the na!e on CtD ell, you get !e a bottle of ine, 8i!= this here brandyCs too strong for !y head"B 3o , the co<s ainCs hesitation see!ed to be unnatural, and as for the notion of his $referring ine to brandy, I entirely disbelieved it" The hole story as a $rete<t" 7e anted !e to leave the deck=so !uch as $lainD but ith hat $ur$ose I could in no ay i!agine" 7is eyes never !et !ineD they ke$t

andering to and fro, u$ and do n, no ith a look to the sky, no ith a flitting glance u$on the dead 6CBrien" 'll the ti!e he ke$t s!iling and $utting his tongue out in the !ost guilty, e!barrassed !anner, so that a child could have told that he as bent on so!e dece$tion" I as $ro!$t ith !y ans er, ho ever, for I sa here !y advantage lay and that ith a fello so densely stu$id I could easily conceal !y sus$icions to the end" BSo!e ineFB I said" B)ar better" ;ill you have hite or redFB B;ell, I reckon itCs about the blessed sa!e to !e, shi$!ate,B he re$liedD Bso itCs strong, and $lenty of it, hatCs the oddsFB B'll right,B I ans ered" BICll bring you $ort, Er" 7ands" But ICll have to dig for it"B ;ith that I scuttled do n the co!$anion ith all the noise I could, sli$$ed off !y shoes, ran Guietly along the s$arred gallery, !ounted the forecastle ladder, and $o$$ed !y head out of the fore co!$anion" I kne he ould not e<$ect to see !e there, yet I took every $recaution $ossible, and certainly the orst of !y sus$icions $roved too true" 7e had risen fro! his $osition to his hands and knees, and though his leg obviously hurt hi! $retty shar$ly hen he !oved=for I could hear hi! stifle a groan=yet it as at a good, rattling rate that he trailed hi!self across the deck" In half a !inute he had reached the $ort scu$$ers and $icked, out of a coil of ro$e, a long knife, or rather a short dirk, discoloured to the hilt ith blood" 7e looked u$on it for a !o!ent, thrusting forth his under ja , tried the $oint u$on his hand, and then, hastily concealing it in the boso! of his jacket, trundled back again into his old $lace against the bul ark" This as all that I reGuired to kno " Israel could !ove about, he as no ar!ed, and if he had been at so !uch trouble to get rid of !e, it as $lain that I as !eant to be the victi!" ;hat he ould do after ards= hether he ould try to cra l right across the island fro! 3orth Inlet to the ca!$ a!ong the s a!$s or hether he ould fire Long To!, trusting that his o n co!rades !ight co!e first to hel$ hi!= as, of course, !ore than I could say" #et I felt sure that I could trust hi! in one $oint, since in that our interests ju!$ed together, and that as in the dis$osition of the schooner" ;e both desired to have her stranded safe enough, in a sheltered $lace, and so that, hen the ti!e ca!e, she could be got off again ith as little labour and danger as !ight beD and until that as done I considered that !y life ould certainly be s$ared" ;hile I as thus turning the business over in !y !ind, I had not been idle ith !y body" I had stolen back to the cabin, sli$$ed once !ore into !y shoes, and laid !y hand at rando! on a bottle of ine, and no , ith this for an e<cuse, I !ade !y rea$$earance on the deck" 7ands lay as I had left hi!, all fallen together in a bundle and ith his eyelids lo ered as though he ere too eak to bear the light" 7e looked u$, ho ever, at !y co!ing, knocked the neck off the bottle like a !an ho had done the sa!e thing often, and took a good s ig, ith his favourite toast of B7ereCs luck>B Then he lay Guiet for a little, and then, $ulling out a stick of tobacco, begged !e to cut hi! a Guid" B9ut !e a junk oC that,B says he, Bfor I havenCt no knife and hardly strength enough, so be as I had" 'h, 8i!, 8i!, I reckon ICve !issed stays> 9ut !e a Guid, asCll likely be the last, lad, for IC! for !y long ho!e, and no !istake"B

B;ell,B said I, BICll cut you so!e tobacco, but if I as you and thought !yself so badly, I ould go to !y $rayers like a 9hristian !an"B B;hyFB said he" B3o , you tell !e hy"B B;hyFB I cried" B#ou ere asking !e just no about the dead" #ouCve broken your trustD youCve lived in sin and lies and bloodD thereCs a !an you killed lying at your feet this !o!ent, and you ask !e hy> )or GodCs !ercy, Er" 7ands, thatCs hy"B I s$oke ith a little heat, thinking of the bloody dirk he had hidden in his $ocket and designed, in his ill thoughts, to end !e ith" 7e, for his $art, took a great draught of the ine and s$oke ith the !ost unusual sole!nity" B)or thirty years,B he said, BICve sailed the seas and seen good and bad, better and orse, fair eather and foul, $rovisions running out, knives going, and hat not" ;ell, no I tell you, I never seen good co!e oC goodness yet" 7i! as strikes first is !y fancyD dead !en donCt biteD the!Cs !y vie s=a!en, so be it" 'nd no , you look here,B he added, suddenly changing his tone, B eCve had about enough of this foolery" The tideCs !ade good enough by no " #ou just take !y orders, 9a$Cn 7a kins, and eCll sail sla$ in and be done ith it"B 'll told, e had scarce t o !iles to runD but the navigation as delicate, the entrance to this northern anchorage as not only narro and shoal, but lay east and est, so that the schooner !ust be nicely handled to be got in" I think I as a good, $ro!$t subaltern, and I a! very sure that 7ands as an e<cellent $ilot, for e ent about and about and dodged in, shaving the banks, ith a certainty and a neatness that ere a $leasure to behold" Scarcely had e $assed the heads before the land closed around us" The shores of 3orth Inlet ere as thickly ooded as those of the southern anchorage, but the s$ace as longer and narro er and !ore like, hat in truth it as, the estuary of a river" Right before us, at the southern end, e sa the reck of a shi$ in the last stages of dila$idation" It had been a great vessel of three !asts but had lain so long e<$osed to the injuries of the eather that it as hung about ith great ebs of dri$$ing sea eed, and on the deck of it shore bushes had taken root and no flourished thick ith flo ers" It as a sad sight, but it sho ed us that the anchorage as cal!" B3o ,B said 7ands, Blook thereD thereCs a $et bit for to beach a shi$ in" )ine flat sand, never a catCs $a , trees all around of it, and flo ers a%blo ing like a garding on that old shi$"B B'nd once beached,B I inGuired, Bho shall e get her off againFB B;hy, so,B he re$lied& Byou take a line ashore there on the other side at lo ater, take a turn about one of the! big $inesD bring it back, take a turn around the ca$stan, and lie to for the tide" 9o!e high ater, all hands take a $ull u$on the line, and off she co!es as s eet as naturC" 'nd no , boy, you stand by" ;eCre near the bit no , and sheCs too !uch ay on her" Starboard a little=so=steady=starboard=larboard a little=steady=steady>B So he issued his co!!ands, hich I breathlessly obeyed, till, all of a sudden, he cried, B3o , !y hearty, luff>B 'nd I $ut the hel! hard u$, and the 7ISP'3I6L' s ung round ra$idly and ran ste! on for the lo , ooded shore" The e<cite!ent of these last !anoeuvres had so!e hat interfered ith the atch I had ke$t hitherto, shar$ly enough, u$on the co<s ain" Even then I as still so !uch interested, aiting for the shi$ to touch, that I had Guite forgot

the $eril that hung over !y head and stood craning over the starboard bul arks and atching the ri$$les s$reading ide before the bo s" I !ight have fallen ithout a struggle for !y life had not a sudden disGuietude seiJed u$on !e and !ade !e turn !y head" Perha$s I had heard a creak or seen his shado !oving ith the tail of !y eyeD $erha$s it as an instinct like a catCsD but, sure enough, hen I looked round, there as 7ands, already half% ay to ards !e, ith the dirk in his right hand" ;e !ust both have cried out aloud hen our eyes !et, but hile !ine as the shrill cry of terror, his as a roar of fury like a charging bullyCs" 't the sa!e instant, he thre hi!self for ard and I lea$t side ays to ards the bo s" 's I did so, I let go of the tiller, hich s$rang shar$ to lee ard, and I think this saved !y life, for it struck 7ands across the chest and sto$$ed hi!, for the !o!ent, dead" Before he could recover, I as safe out of the corner here he had !e tra$$ed, ith all the deck to dodge about" 8ust for ard of the !ain%!ast I sto$$ed, dre a $istol fro! !y $ocket, took a cool ai!, though he had already turned and as once !ore co!ing directly after !e, and dre the trigger" The ha!!er fell, but there follo ed neither flash nor soundD the $ri!ing as useless ith sea% ater" I cursed !yself for !y neglect" ;hy had not I, long before, re$ri!ed and reloaded !y only ea$onsF Then I should not have been as no , a !ere fleeing shee$ before this butcher" ;ounded as he as, it as onderful ho fast he could !ove, his griJJled hair tu!bling over his face, and his face itself as red as a red ensign ith his haste and fury" I had no ti!e to try !y other $istol, nor indeed !uch inclination, for I as sure it ould be useless" 6ne thing I sa $lainly& I !ust not si!$ly retreat before hi!, or he ould s$eedily hold !e bo<ed into the bo s, as a !o!ent since he had so nearly bo<ed !e in the stern" 6nce so caught, and nine or ten inches of the blood%stained dirk ould be !y last e<$erience on this side of eternity" I $laced !y $al!s against the !ain%!ast, hich as of a goodish bigness, and aited, every nerve u$on the stretch" Seeing that I !eant to dodge, he also $ausedD and a !o!ent or t o $assed in feints on his $art and corres$onding !ove!ents u$on !ine" It as such a ga!e as I had often $layed at ho!e about the rocks of Black 7ill 9ove, but never before, you !ay be sure, ith such a ildly beating heart as no " Still, as I say, it as a boyCs ga!e, and I thought I could hold !y o n at it against an elderly sea!an ith a ounded thigh" Indeed !y courage had begun to rise so high that I allo ed !yself a fe darting thoughts on hat ould be the end of the affair, and hile I sa certainly that I could s$in it out for long, I sa no ho$e of any ulti!ate esca$e" ;ell, hile things stood thus, suddenly the 7ISP'3I6L' struck, staggered, ground for an instant in the sand, and then, s ift as a blo , canted over to the $ort side till the deck stood at an angle of forty%five degrees and about a $uncheon of ater s$lashed into the scu$$er holes and lay, in a $ool, bet een the deck and bul ark" ;e ere both of us ca$siJed in a second, and both of us rolled, al!ost together, into the scu$$ers, the dead red%ca$, ith his ar!s still s$read out, tu!bling stiffly after us" So near ere e, indeed, that !y head ca!e against the co<s ainCs foot ith a crack that !ade !y teeth rattle" Blo and all, I as

the first afoot again, for 7ands had got involved ith the dead body" The sudden canting of the shi$ had !ade the deck no $lace for running onD I had to find so!e ne ay of esca$e, and that u$on the instant, for !y foe as al!ost touching !e" ?uick as thought, I s$rang into the !iJJen shrouds, rattled u$ hand over hand, and did not dra a breath till I as seated on the cross%trees" I had been saved by being $ro!$tD the dirk had struck not half a foot belo !e as I $ursued !y u$ ard flightD and there stood Israel 7ands ith his !outh o$en and his face u$turned to !ine, a $erfect statue of sur$rise and disa$$oint!ent" 3o that I had a !o!ent to !yself, I lost no ti!e in changing the $ri!ing of !y $istol, and then, having one ready for service, and to !ake assurance doubly sure, I $roceeded to dra the load of the other and recharge it afresh fro! the beginning" Ey ne e!$loy!ent struck 7ands all of a hea$D he began to see the dice going against hi!, and after an obvious hesitation, he also hauled hi!self heavily into the shrouds, and ith the dirk in his teeth, began slo ly and $ainfully to !ount" It cost hi! no end of ti!e and groans to haul his ounded leg behind hi!, and I had Guietly finished !y arrange!ents before he as !uch !ore than a third of the ay u$" Then, ith a $istol in either hand, I addressed hi!" B6ne !ore ste$, Er" 7ands,B said I, Band ICll blo your brains out> (ead !en donCt bite, you kno ,B I added ith a chuckle" 7e sto$$ed instantly" I could see by the orking of his face that he as trying to think, and the $rocess as so slo and laborious that, in !y ne %found security, I laughed aloud" 't last, ith a s allo or t o, he s$oke, his face still earing the sa!e e<$ression of e<tre!e $er$le<ity" In order to s$eak he had to take the dagger fro! his !outh, but in all else he re!ained un!oved" B8i!,B says he, BI reckon eCre fouled, you and !e, and eCll have to sign articles" ICd have had you but for that there lurch, but I donCt have no luck, not ID and I reckon ICll have to strike, hich co!es hard, you see, for a !aster !ariner to a shi$Cs younker like you, 8i!"B I as drinking in his ords and s!iling a ay, as conceited as a cock u$on a all, hen, all in a breath, back ent his right hand over his shoulder" So!ething sang like an arro through the airD I felt a blo and then a shar$ $ang, and there I as $inned by the shoulder to the !ast" In the horrid $ain and sur$rise of the !o!ent=I scarce can say it as by !y o n volition, and I a! sure it as ithout a conscious ai!=both !y $istols ent off, and both esca$ed out of !y hands" They did not fall aloneD ith a choked cry, the co<s ain loosed his gras$ u$on the shrouds and $lunged head first into the ater"

%1
;Pieces o+ Ei"ht;
6;I3G to the cant of the vessel, the !asts hung far out over the ater, and fro! !y $erch on the cross%trees I had nothing belo !e but the surface of the bay" 7ands, ho as not so far u$, as in conseGuence nearer to the shi$ and fell bet een !e and the bul arks" 7e rose once to the surface in a lather of foa! and blood and then sank again for good" 's the ater settled, I could see hi! lying huddled together on the clean, bright sand in the shado of the vesselCs sides" ' fish or t o hi$$ed $ast his body" So!eti!es, by the Guivering of the ater, he a$$eared to !ove a little, as if he ere trying to rise" But he as dead enough, for all that, being both shot and dro ned, and as food for fish in the very $lace here he had designed !y slaughter" I as no sooner certain of this than I began to feel sick, faint, and terrified" The hot blood as running over !y back and chest" The dirk, here it had $inned !y shoulder to the !ast, see!ed to burn like a hot ironD yet it as not so !uch these real sufferings that distressed !e, for these, it see!ed to !e, I could bear ithout a !ur!urD it as the horror I had u$on !y !ind of falling fro! the cross%trees into that still green ater, beside the body of the co<s ain" I clung ith both hands till !y nails ached, and I shut !y eyes as if to cover u$ the $eril" Gradually !y !ind ca!e back again, !y $ulses Guieted do n to a !ore natural ti!e, and I as once !ore in $ossession of !yself" It as !y first thought to $luck forth the dirk, but either it stuck too hard or !y nerve failed !e, and I desisted ith a violent shudder" 6ddly enough, that very shudder did the business" The knife, in fact, had co!e the nearest in the orld to !issing !e altogetherD it held !e by a !ere $inch of skin, and this the shudder tore a ay" The blood ran do n the faster, to be sure, but I as !y o n !aster again and only tacked to the !ast by !y coat and shirt" These last I broke through ith a sudden jerk, and then regained the deck by the starboard shrouds" )or nothing in the orld ould I have again ventured, shaken as I as, u$on the overhanging $ort shrouds fro! hich Israel had so lately fallen" I ent belo and did hat I could for !y oundD it $ained !e a good deal and still bled freely, but it as neither dee$ nor dangerous, nor did it greatly gall !e hen I used !y ar!" Then I looked around !e, and as the shi$ as no , in a sense, !y o n, I began to think of clearing it fro! its last $assenger=the dead !an, 6CBrien" 7e had $itched, as I have said, against the bul arks, here he lay like so!e horrible, ungainly sort of $u$$et, life%siJe, indeed, but ho different fro! lifeCs colour or lifeCs co!eliness> In that $osition I could easily have !y ay ith

hi!, and as the habit of tragical adventures had orn off al!ost all !y terror for the dead, I took hi! by the aist as if he had been a sack of bran and ith one good heave, tu!bled hi! overboard" 7e ent in ith a sounding $lungeD the red ca$ ca!e off and re!ained floating on the surfaceD and as soon as the s$lash subsided, I could see hi! and Israel lying side by side, both avering ith the tre!ulous !ove!ent of the ater" 6CBrien, though still Guite a young !an, as very bald" There he lay, ith that bald head across the knees of the !an ho had killed hi! and the Guick fishes steering to and fro over both" I as no alone u$on the shi$D the tide had just turned" The sun as ithin so fe degrees of setting that already the shado of the $ines u$on the estern shore began to reach right across the anchorage and fall in $atterns on the deck" The evening breeJe had s$rung u$, and though it as ell arded off by the hill ith the t o $eaks u$on the east, the cordage had begun to sing a little softly to itself and the idle sails to rattle to and fro" I began to see a danger to the shi$" The jibs I s$eedily doused and brought tu!bling to the deck, but the !ain%sail as a harder !atter" 6f course, hen the schooner canted over, the boo! had s ung out%board, and the ca$ of it and a foot or t o of sail hung even under ater" I thought this !ade it still !ore dangerousD yet the strain as so heavy that I half feared to !eddle" 't last I got !y knife and cut the halyards" The $eak dro$$ed instantly, a great belly of loose canvas floated broad u$on the ater, and since, $ull as I liked, I could not budge the do nhall, that as the e<tent of hat I could acco!$lish" )or the rest, the 7ISP'3I6L' !ust trust to luck, like !yself" By this ti!e the hole anchorage had fallen into shado =the last rays, I re!e!ber, falling through a glade of the ood and shining bright as je els on the flo ery !antle of the reck" It began to be chillD the tide as ra$idly fleeting sea ard, the schooner settling !ore and !ore on her bea!%ends" I scra!bled for ard and looked over" It see!ed shallo enough, and holding the cut ha ser in both hands for a last security, I let !yself dro$ softly overboard" The ater scarcely reached !y aistD the sand as fir! and covered ith ri$$le !arks, and I aded ashore in great s$irits, leaving the 7ISP'3I6L' on her side, ith her !ain%sail trailing ide u$on the surface of the bay" 'bout the sa!e ti!e, the sun ent fairly do n and the breeJe histled lo in the dusk a!ong the tossing $ines" 't least, and at last, I as off the sea, nor had I returned thence e!$ty% handed" There lay the schooner, clear at last fro! buccaneers and ready for our o n !en to board and get to sea again" I had nothing nearer !y fancy than to get ho!e to the stockade and boast of !y achieve!ents" Possibly I !ight be bla!ed a bit for !y truantry, but the reca$ture of the 7ISP'3I6L' as a clenching ans er, and I ho$ed that even 9a$tain S!ollett ould confess I had not lost !y ti!e" So thinking, and in fa!ous s$irits, I began to set !y face ho!e ard for the block house and !y co!$anions" I re!e!bered that the !ost easterly of the rivers hich drain into 9a$tain :iddCs anchorage ran fro! the t o%$eaked hill u$on !y left, and I bent !y course in that direction that I !ight $ass the strea! hile it as s!all" The ood as $retty o$en, and kee$ing along the lo er s$urs, I had soon turned the corner of that hill, and not long after aded to the !id%calf across the atercourse"

This brought !e near to here I had encountered Ben Gunn, the !aroonD and I alked !ore circu!s$ectly, kee$ing an eye on every side" The dusk had co!e nigh hand co!$letely, and as I o$ened out the cleft bet een the t o $eaks, I beca!e a are of a avering glo against the sky, here, as I judged, the !an of the island as cooking his su$$er before a roaring fire" 'nd yet I ondered, in !y heart, that he should sho hi!self so careless" )or if I could see this radiance, !ight it not reach the eyes of Silver hi!self here he ca!$ed u$on the shore a!ong the !arshesF Gradually the night fell blackerD it as all I could do to guide !yself even roughly to ards !y destinationD the double hill behind !e and the S$y%glass on !y right hand loo!ed faint and fainterD the stars ere fe and $aleD and in the lo ground here I andered I ke$t tri$$ing a!ong bushes and rolling into sandy $its" Suddenly a kind of brightness fell about !e" I looked u$D a $ale gli!!er of !oonbea!s had alighted on the su!!it of the S$y%glass, and soon after I sa so!ething broad and silvery !oving lo do n behind the trees, and kne the !oon had risen" ;ith this to hel$ !e, I $assed ra$idly over hat re!ained to !e of !y journey, and so!eti!es alking, so!eti!es running, i!$atiently dre near to the stockade" #et, as I began to thread the grove that lies before it, I as not so thoughtless but that I slacked !y $ace and ent a trifle arily" It ould have been a $oor end of !y adventures to get shot do n by !y o n $arty in !istake" The !oon as cli!bing higher and higher, its light began to fall here and there in !asses through the !ore o$en districts of the ood, and right in front of !e a glo of a different colour a$$eared a!ong the trees" It as red and hot, and no and again it as a little darkened=as it ere, the e!bers of a bonfire s!ouldering" )or the life of !e I could not think hat it !ight be" 't last I ca!e right do n u$on the borders of the clearing" The estern end as already stee$ed in !oonshineD the rest, and the block house itself, still lay in a black shado cheGuered ith long silvery streaks of light" 6n the other side of the house an i!!ense fire had burned itself into clear e!bers and shed a steady, red reverberation, contrasted strongly ith the !ello $aleness of the !oon" There as not a soul stirring nor a sound beside the noises of the breeJe" I sto$$ed, ith !uch onder in !y heart, and $erha$s a little terror also" It had not been our ay to build great firesD e ere, indeed, by the ca$tainCs orders, so!e hat niggardly of fire ood, and I began to fear that so!ething had gone rong hile I as absent" I stole round by the eastern end, kee$ing close in shado , and at a convenient $lace, here the darkness as thickest, crossed the $alisade" To !ake assurance surer, I got u$on !y hands and knees and cra led, ithout a sound, to ards the corner of the house" 's I dre nearer, !y heart as suddenly and greatly lightened" It is not a $leasant noise in itself, and I have often co!$lained of it at other ti!es, but just then it as like !usic to hear !y friends snoring together so loud and $eaceful in their slee$" The sea%

cry of the atch, that beautiful B'llCs ell,B never fell !ore reassuringly on !y ear" In the !eanti!e, there as no doubt of one thingD they ke$t an infa!ous bad atch" If it had been Silver and his lads that ere no cree$ing in on the!, not a soul ould have seen daybreak" That as hat it as, thought I, to have the ca$tain oundedD and again I bla!ed !yself shar$ly for leaving the! in that danger ith so fe to !ount guard" By this ti!e I had got to the door and stood u$" 'll as dark ithin, so that I could distinguish nothing by the eye" 's for sounds, there as the steady drone of the snorers and a s!all occasional noise, a flickering or $ecking that I could in no ay account for" ;ith !y ar!s before !e I alked steadily in" I should lie do n in !y o n $lace HI thought ith a silent chuckleI and enjoy their faces hen they found !e in the !orning" Ey foot struck so!ething yielding=it as a slee$erCs legD and he turned and groaned, but ithout a aking" 'nd then, all of a sudden, a shrill voice broke forth out of the darkness& BPieces of eight> Pieces of eight> Pieces of eight> Pieces of eight> Pieces of eight>B and so forth, ithout $ause or change, like the clacking of a tiny !ill" SilverCs green $arrot, 9a$tain )lint> It as she ho! I had heard $ecking at a $iece of barkD it as she, kee$ing better atch than any hu!an being, ho thus announced !y arrival ith her eariso!e refrain" I had no ti!e left !e to recover" 't the shar$, cli$$ing tone of the $arrot, the slee$ers a oke and s$rang u$D and ith a !ighty oath, the voice of Silver cried, B;ho goesFB I turned to run, struck violently against one $erson, recoiled, and ran full into the ar!s of a second, ho for his $art closed u$on and held !e tight" BBring a torch, (ick,B said Silver hen !y ca$ture as thus assured" 'nd one of the !en left the log%house and $resently returned ith a lighted brand"

PART SI<.a'tain Silver

%3
In the Ene#y/s .a#'
T7E red glare of the torch, lighting u$ the interior of the block house, sho ed !e the orst of !y a$$rehensions realiJed" The $irates ere in $ossession of the house and stores& there as the cask of cognac, there ere the $ork and

bread, as before, and hat tenfold increased !y horror, not a sign of any $risoner" I could only judge that all had $erished, and !y heart s!ote !e sorely that I had not been there to $erish ith the!" There ere si< of the buccaneers, all toldD not another !an as left alive" )ive of the! ere on their feet, flushed and s ollen, suddenly called out of the first slee$ of drunkenness" The si<th had only risen u$on his elbo D he as deadly $ale, and the blood%stained bandage round his head told that he had recently been ounded, and still !ore recently dressed" I re!e!bered the !an ho had been shot and had run back a!ong the oods in the great attack, and doubted not that this as he" The $arrot sat, $reening her $lu!age, on Long 8ohnCs shoulder" 7e hi!self, I thought, looked so!e hat $aler and !ore stern than I as used to" 7e still ore the fine broadcloth suit in hich he had fulfilled his !ission, but it as bitterly the orse for ear, daubed ith clay and torn ith the shar$ briers of the ood" BSo,B said he, BhereCs 8i! 7a kins, shiver !y ti!bers> (ro$$ed in, like, ehF ;ell, co!e, I take that friendly"B 'nd thereu$on he sat do n across the brandy cask and began to fill a $i$e" BGive !e a loan of the link, (ick,B said heD and then, hen he had a good light, BThatCll do, lad,B he addedD Bstick the gli! in the ood hea$D and you, gentle!en, bring yourselves to> #ou neednCt stand u$ for Er" 7a kinsD 7ECLL e<cuse you, you !ay lay to that" 'nd so, 8i!B=sto$$ing the tobacco=Bhere you ere, and Guite a $leasant sur$rise for $oor old 8ohn" I see you ere s!art hen first I set !y eyes on you, but this here gets a ay fro! !e clean, it do"B To all this, as !ay be ell su$$osed, I !ade no ans er" They had set !e ith !y back against the all, and I stood there, looking Silver in the face, $luckily enough, I ho$e, to all out ard a$$earance, but ith black des$air in !y heart" Silver took a hiff or t o of his $i$e ith great co!$osure and then ran on again" B3o , you see, 8i!, so be as you 'RE here,B says he, BICll give you a $iece of !y !ind" ICve al ays liked you, I have, for a lad of s$irit, and the $icter of !y o n self hen I as young and handso!e" I al ays anted you to jine and take your share, and die a gentle!an, and no , !y cock, youCve got to" 9a$Cn S!ollettCs a fine sea!an, as ICll o n u$ to any day, but stiff on disci$line" C(ooty is dooty,C says he, and right he is" 8ust you kee$ clear of the ca$Cn" The doctor hi!self is gone dead again you=Cungrateful sca!$C as hat he saidD and the short and the long of the hole story is about here& you canCt go back to your o n lot, for they onCt have youD and ithout you start a third shi$Cs co!$any all by yourself, hich !ight be lonely, youCll have to jine ith 9a$Cn Silver"B So far so good" Ey friends, then, ere still alive, and though I $artly believed the truth of SilverCs state!ent, that the cabin $arty ere incensed at !e for !y desertion, I as !ore relieved than distressed by hat I heard" BI donCt say nothing as to your being in our hands,B continued Silver, Bthough there you are, and you !ay lay to it" IC! all for argy!entD I never seen good co!e out oC threatening" If you like the service, ell, youCll jineD and if you donCt, 8i!, hy, youCre free to ans er no=free and elco!e, shi$!ateD and if fairer can be said by !ortal sea!an, shiver !y sides>B

B'! I to ans er, thenFB I asked ith a very tre!ulous voice" Through all this sneering talk, I as !ade to feel the threat of death that overhung !e, and !y cheeks burned and !y heart beat $ainfully in !y breast" BLad,B said Silver, Bno oneCs a%$ressing of you" Take your bearings" 3one of us onCt hurry you, !ateD ti!e goes so $leasant in your co!$any, you see"B B;ell,B says I, gro ing a bit bolder, Bif IC! to choose, I declare I have a right to kno hatCs hat, and hy youCre here, and here !y friends are"B B;otCs otFB re$eated one of the buccaneers in a dee$ gro l" B'h, heCd be a lucky one as kno ed that>B B#ouCll $erha$s batten do n your hatches till youCre s$oke to, !y friend,B cried Silver truculently to this s$eaker" 'nd then, in his first gracious tones, he re$lied to !e, B#esterday !orning, Er" 7a kins,B said he, Bin the dog% atch, do n ca!e (octor Livesey ith a flag of truce" Says he, C9a$Cn Silver, youCre sold out" Shi$Cs gone"C ;ell, !aybe eCd been taking a glass, and a song to hel$ it round" I onCt say no" Least ays, none of us had looked out" ;e looked out, and by thunder, the old shi$ as gone> I never seen a $ack oC fools look fishierD and you !ay lay to that, if I tells you that looked the fishiest" C;ell,C says the doctor, CletCs bargain"C ;e bargained, hi! and I, and here e are& stores, brandy, block house, the fire ood you as thoughtful enough to cut, and in a !anner of s$eaking, the hole blessed boat, fro! cross%trees to kelson" 's for the!, theyCve tra!$edD I donCt kno hereCs they are"B 7e dre again Guietly at his $i$e" B'nd lest you should take it into that head of yours,B he ent on, Bthat you as included in the treaty, hereCs the last ord that as said& C7o !any are you,C says I, Cto leaveFC C)our,C says heD Cfour, and one of us ounded" 's for that boy, I donCt kno here he is, confound hi!,C says he, Cnor I donCt !uch care" ;eCre about sick of hi!"C These as his ords" BIs that allFB I asked" B;ell, itCs all that youCre to hear, !y son,B returned Silver" B'nd no I a! to chooseFB B'nd no you are to choose, and you !ay lay to that,B said Silver" B;ell,B said I, BI a! not such a fool but I kno $retty ell hat I have to look for" Let the orst co!e to the orst, itCs little I care" ICve seen too !any die since I fell in ith you" But thereCs a thing or t o I have to tell you,B I said, and by this ti!e I as Guite e<citedD Band the first is this& here you are, in a bad ay=shi$ lost, treasure lost, !en lost, your hole business gone to reckD and if you ant to kno ho did it=it as I> I as in the a$$le barrel the night e sighted land, and I heard you, 8ohn, and you, (ick 8ohnson, and 7ands, ho is no at the botto! of the sea, and told every ord you said before the hour as out" 'nd as for the schooner, it as I ho cut her cable, and it as I that killed the !en you had aboard of her, and it as I ho brought her here youCll never see her !ore, not one of you" The laughCs on !y sideD ICve had the to$ of this business fro! the firstD I no !ore fear you than I fear a fly" :ill !e, if you $lease, or s$are !e" But one thing ICll say, and no !oreD if you s$are !e, bygones are bygones, and hen you fello s are in court for $iracy, ICll save you all I can" It is for you to choose" :ill another and do yourselves no good, or s$are !e and kee$ a itness to save you fro! the gallo s"B

I sto$$ed, for, I tell you, I as out of breath, and to !y onder, not a !an of the! !oved, but all sat staring at !e like as !any shee$" 'nd hile they ere still staring, I broke out again, B'nd no , Er" Silver,B I said, BI believe youCre the best !an here, and if things go to the orst, ICll take it kind of you to let the doctor kno the ay I took it"B BICll bear it in !ind,B said Silver ith an accent so curious that I could not, for the life of !e, decide hether he ere laughing at !y reGuest or had been favourably affected by !y courage" BICll $ut one to that,B cried the old !ahogany%faced sea!an=Eorgan by na!e = ho! I had seen in Long 8ohnCs $ublic%house u$on the Guays of Bristol" BIt as hi! that kno ed Black (og"B B;ell, and see here,B added the sea%cook" BICll $ut another again to that, by thunder> )or it as this sa!e boy that faked the chart fro! Billy Bones" )irst and last, eCve s$lit u$on 8i! 7a kins>B BThen here goes>B said Eorgan ith an oath" 'nd he s$rang u$, dra ing his knife as if he had been t enty" B'vast, there>B cried Silver" B;ho are you, To! EorganF Eaybe you thought you as ca$Cn here, $erha$s" By the $o ers, but ICll teach you better> 9ross !e, and youCll go here !any a good !anCs gone before you, first and last, these thirty year back=so!e to the yard%ar!, shiver !y ti!bers, and so!e by the board, and all to feed the fishes" ThereCs never a !an looked !e bet een the eyes and seen a good day aCter ards, To! Eorgan, you !ay lay to that"B Eorgan $aused, but a hoarse !ur!ur rose fro! the others" BTo!Cs right,B said one" BI stood haJing long enough fro! one,B added another" BICll be hanged if ICll be haJed by you, 8ohn Silver"B B(id any of you gentle!en ant to have it out ith EEFB roared Silver, bending far for ard fro! his $osition on the keg, ith his $i$e still glo ing in his right hand" BPut a na!e on hat youCre atD you ainCt du!b, I reckon" 7i! that ants shall get it" 7ave I lived this !any years, and a son of a ru! $uncheon cock his hat ath art !y ha se at the latter end of itF #ou kno the ayD youCre all gentle!en oC fortune, by your account" ;ell, IC! ready" Take a cutlass, hi! that dares, and ICll see the colour of his inside, crutch and all, before that $i$eCs e!$ty"B 3ot a !an stirredD not a !an ans ered" BThatCs your sort, is itFB he added, returning his $i$e to his !outh" B;ell, youCre a gay lot to look at, any ay" 3ot !uch orth to fight, you ainCt" PCrCa$s you can understand :ing GeorgeCs English" IC! ca$Cn here by Clection" IC! ca$Cn here because IC! the best !an by a long sea%!ile" #ou onCt fight, as gentle!en oC fortune shouldD then, by thunder, youCll obey, and you !ay lay to it> I like that boy, no D I never seen a better boy than that" 7eCs !ore a !an than any $air of rats of you in this here house, and hat I say is this& let !e see hi! thatCll lay a hand on hi!=thatCs hat I say, and you !ay lay to it"B There as a long $ause after this" I stood straight u$ against the all, !y heart still going like a sledge%ha!!er, but ith a ray of ho$e no shining in !y boso!" Silver leant back against the all, his ar!s crossed, his $i$e in the corner of his !outh, as cal! as though he had been in churchD yet his eye

ke$t andering furtively, and he ke$t the tail of it on his unruly follo ers" They, on their $art, dre gradually together to ards the far end of the block house, and the lo hiss of their his$ering sounded in !y ear continuously, like a strea!" 6ne after another, they ould look u$, and the red light of the torch ould fall for a second on their nervous facesD but it as not to ards !e, it as to ards Silver that they turned their eyes" B#ou see! to have a lot to say,B re!arked Silver, s$itting far into the air" BPi$e u$ and let !e hear it, or lay to"B B'< your $ardon, sir,B returned one of the !enD ByouCre $retty free ith so!e of the rulesD !aybe youCll kindly kee$ an eye u$on the rest" This cre Cs dissatisfiedD this cre donCt vally bullying a !arlin%s$ikeD this cre has its rights like other cre s, ICll !ake so free as thatD and by your o n rules, I take it e can talk together" I a< your $ardon, sir, ackno ledging you for to be ca$taing at this $resentD but I clai! !y right, and ste$s outside for a council"B 'nd ith an elaborate sea%salute, this fello , a long, ill%looking, yello %eyed !an of five and thirty, ste$$ed coolly to ards the door and disa$$eared out of the house" 6ne after another the rest follo ed his e<a!$le, each !aking a salute as he $assed, each adding so!e a$ology" B'ccording to rules,B said one" B)orecastle council,B said Eorgan" 'nd so ith one re!ark or another all !arched out and left Silver and !e alone ith the torch" The sea%cook instantly re!oved his $i$e" B3o , look you here, 8i! 7a kins,B he said in a steady his$er that as no !ore than audible, ByouCre ithin half a $lank of death, and hatCs a long sight orse, of torture" TheyCre going to thro !e off" But, you !ark, I stand by you through thick and thin" I didnCt !ean toD no, not till you s$oke u$" I as about des$erate to lose that !uch blunt, and be hanged into the bargain" But I see you as the right sort" I says to !yself, you stand by 7a kins, 8ohn, and 7a kinsCll stand by you" #ouCre his last card, and by the living thunder, 8ohn, heCs yours> Back to back, says I" #ou save your itness, and heCll save your neck>B I began di!ly to understand" B#ou !ean allCs lostFB I asked" B'ye, by gu!, I do>B he ans ered" BShi$ gone, neck gone=thatCs the siJe of it" 6nce I looked into that bay, 8i! 7a kins, and seen no schooner= ell, IC! tough, but I gave out" 's for that lot and their council, !ark !e, theyCre outright fools and co ards" ICll save your life=if so be as I can=fro! the!" But, see here, 8i!=tit for tat=you save Long 8ohn fro! s inging"B I as be ilderedD it see!ed a thing so ho$eless he as asking=he, the old buccaneer, the ringleader throughout" B;hat I can do, that ICll do,B I said" BItCs a bargain>B cried Long 8ohn" B#ou s$eak u$ $lucky, and by thunder, ICve a chance>B 7e hobbled to the torch, here it stood $ro$$ed a!ong the fire ood, and took a fresh light to his $i$e" B2nderstand !e, 8i!,B he said, returning" BICve a head on !y shoulders, I have" IC! on sGuireCs side no " I kno youCve got that shi$ safe so!e heres" 7o you done it, I donCt kno , but safe it is" I guess 7ands and 6CBrien turned soft" I never !uch believed in neither of T7EE" 3o you !ark !e" I ask no

Guestions, nor I onCt let others" I kno hen a ga!eCs u$, I doD and I kno a lad thatCs staunch" 'h, you thatCs young=you and !e !ight have done a $o er of good together>B 7e dre so!e cognac fro! the cask into a tin cannikin" B;ill you taste, !ess!ateFB he askedD and hen I had refused& B;ell, ICll take a drain !yself, 8i!,B said he" BI need a caulker, for thereCs trouble on hand" 'nd talking oC trouble, hy did that doctor give !e the chart, 8i!FB Ey face e<$ressed a onder so unaffected that he sa the needlessness of further Guestions" B'h, ell, he did, though,B said he" B'nd thereCs so!ething under that, no doubt=so!ething, surely, under that, 8i!=bad or good"B 'nd he took another s allo of the brandy, shaking his great fair head like a !an ho looks for ard to the orst"

%4
The Blac& S'ot A"ain
T7E council of buccaneers had lasted so!e ti!e, hen one of the! re% entered the house, and ith a re$etition of the sa!e salute, hich had in !y eyes an ironical air, begged for a !o!entCs loan of the torch" Silver briefly agreed, and this e!issary retired again, leaving us together in the dark" BThereCs a breeJe co!ing, 8i!,B said Silver, ho had by this ti!e ado$ted Guite a friendly and fa!iliar tone" I turned to the loo$hole nearest !e and looked out" The e!bers of the great fire had so far burned the!selves out and no glo ed so lo and duskily that I understood hy these cons$irators desired a torch" 'bout half% ay do n the slo$e to the stockade, they ere collected in a grou$D one held the light, another as on his knees in their !idst, and I sa the blade of an o$en knife shine in his hand ith varying colours in the !oon and torchlight" The rest ere all so!e hat stoo$ing, as though atching the !anoeuvres of this last" I could just !ake out that he had a book as ell as a knife in his hand, and as still ondering ho anything so incongruous had co!e in their $ossession hen the kneeling figure rose once !ore to his feet and the hole $arty began to !ove together to ards the house" B7ere they co!e,B said ID and I returned to !y for!er $osition, for it see!ed beneath !y dignity that they should find !e atching the!" B;ell, let Ce! co!e, lad=let Ce! co!e,B said Silver cheerily" BICve still a shot in !y locker"B The door o$ened, and the five !en, standing huddled together just inside, $ushed one of their nu!ber for ard" In any other circu!stances it ould have been co!ical to see his slo advance, hesitating as he set do n each foot, but holding his closed right hand in front of hi!" BSte$ u$, lad,B cried Silver" BI onCt eat you" 7and it over, lubber" I kno the rules, I doD I onCt hurt a de$ytation"B

Thus encouraged, the buccaneer ste$$ed forth !ore briskly, and having $assed so!ething to Silver, fro! hand to hand, sli$$ed yet !ore s!artly back again to his co!$anions" The sea%cook looked at hat had been given hi!" BThe black s$ot> I thought so,B he observed" B;here !ight you have got the $a$erF ;hy, hillo> Look here, no D this ainCt lucky> #ouCve gone and cut this out of a Bible" ;hat foolCs cut a BibleFB B'h, there>B said Eorgan" BThere> ;ot did I sayF 3o goodCll co!e oC that, I said"B B;ell, youCve about fi<ed it no , a!ong you,B continued Silver" B#ouCll all s ing no , I reckon" ;hat soft%headed lubber had a BibleFB BIt as (ick,B said one" B(ick, as itF Then (ick can get to $rayers,B said Silver" B7eCs seen his slice of luck, has (ick, and you !ay lay to that"B But here the long !an ith the yello eyes struck in" BBelay that talk, 8ohn Silver,B he said" BThis cre has ti$$ed you the black s$ot in full council, as in dooty boundD just you turn it over, as in dooty bound, and see hatCs rote there" Then you can talk"B BThanky, George,B re$lied the sea%cook" B#ou al ays as brisk for business, and has the rules by heart, George, as IC! $leased to see" ;ell, hat is it, any ayF 'h> C(e$osedC=thatCs it, is itF Kery $retty rote, to be sureD like $rint, I s ear" #our hand oC rite, GeorgeF ;hy, you as gettinC Guite a leadinC !an in this here cre " #ouCll be ca$Cn ne<t, I shouldnCt onder" 8ust oblige !e ith that torch again, ill youF This $i$e donCt dra "B B9o!e, no ,B said George, Byou donCt fool this cre no !ore" #ouCre a funny !an, by your accountD but youCre over no , and youCll !aybe ste$ do n off that barrel and hel$ vote"B BI thought you said you kno ed the rules,B returned Silver conte!$tuously" BLeast ays, if you donCt, I doD and I ait here=and IC! still your ca$Cn, !ind= till you outs ith your grievances and I re$lyD in the !eanti!e, your black s$ot ainCt orth a biscuit" 'fter that, eCll see"B B6h,B re$lied George, Byou donCt be under no kind of a$$rehensionD ;ECRE all sGuare, e are" )irst, youCve !ade a hash of this cruise=youCll be a bold !an to say no to that" Second, you let the ene!y out oC this here tra$ for nothing" ;hy did they ant outF I dunno, but itCs $retty $lain they anted it" Third, you ouldnCt let us go at the! u$on the !arch" 6h, e see through you, 8ohn SilverD you ant to $lay booty, thatCs hatCs rong ith you" 'nd then, fourth, thereCs this here boy"B BIs that allFB asked Silver Guietly" BEnough, too,B retorted George" B;eCll all s ing and sun%dry for your bungling"B B;ell no , look here, ICll ans er these four $CintsD one after another ICll ans er Ce!" I !ade a hash oC this cruise, did IF ;ell no , you all kno hat I anted, and you all kno if that had been done that eCd Ca been aboard the 7ISP'3I6L' this night as ever as, every !an of us alive, and fit, and full of good $lu!%duff, and the treasure in the hold of her, by thunder> ;ell, ho crossed !eF ;ho forced !y hand, as as the la ful ca$CnF ;ho ti$$ed !e the black s$ot the day e landed and began this danceF 'h, itCs a fine dance=

IC! ith you there=and looks !ighty like a horn$i$e in a ro$eCs end at E<ecution (ock by London to n, it does" But ho done itF ;hy, it as 'nderson, and 7ands, and you, George Eerry> 'nd youCre the last above board of that sa!e !eddling cre D and you have the (avy 8onesCs insolence to u$ and stand for ca$Cn over !e=you, that sank the lot of us> By the $o ers> But this to$s the stiffest yarn to nothing"B Silver $aused, and I could see by the faces of George and his late co!rades that these ords had not been said in vain" BThatCs for nu!ber one,B cried the accused, i$ing the s eat fro! his bro , for he had been talking ith a vehe!ence that shook the house" B;hy, I give you !y ord, IC! sick to s$eak to you" #ouCve neither sense nor !e!ory, and I leave it to fancy here your !others as that let you co!e to sea" Sea> Gentle!en oC fortune> I reckon tailors is your trade"B BGo on, 8ohn,B said Eorgan" BS$eak u$ to the others"B B'h, the others>B returned 8ohn" BTheyCre a nice lot, ainCt theyF #ou say this cruise is bungled" 'h> By gu!, if you could understand ho bad itCs bungled, you ould see> ;eCre that near the gibbet that !y neckCs stiff ith thinking on it" #ouCve seen Ce!, !aybe, hanged in chains, birds about Ce!, sea!en $Cinting Ce! out as they go do n ith the tide" C;hoCs thatFC says one" CThat> ;hy, thatCs 8ohn Silver" I kno ed hi! ell,C says another" 'nd you can hear the chains a%jangle as you go about and reach for the other buoy" 3o , thatCs about here e are, every !otherCs son of us, thanks to hi!, and 7ands, and 'nderson, and other ruination fools of you" 'nd if you ant to kno about nu!ber four, and that boy, hy, shiver !y ti!bers, isnCt he a hostageF 're e a%going to aste a hostageF 3o, not usD he !ight be our last chance, and I shouldnCt onder" :ill that boyF 3ot !e, !ates> 'nd nu!ber threeF 'h, ell, thereCs a deal to say to nu!ber three" Eaybe you donCt count it nothing to have a real college doctor to see you every day=you, 8ohn, ith your head broke=or you, George Eerry, that had the ague shakes u$on you not si< hours agone, and has your eyes the colour of le!on $eel to this sa!e !o!ent on the clockF 'nd !aybe, $erha$s, you didnCt kno there as a consort co!ing eitherF But there is, and not so long till thenD and eCll see hoCll be glad to have a hostage hen it co!es to that" 'nd as for nu!ber t o, and hy I !ade a bargain= ell, you ca!e cra ling on your knees to !e to !ake it=on your knees you ca!e, you as that do nhearted=and youCd have starved too if I hadnCt=but thatCs a trifle> #ou look there=thatCs hy>B 'nd he cast do n u$on the floor a $a$er that I instantly recogniJed=none other than the chart on yello $a$er, ith the three red crosses, that I had found in the oilcloth at the botto! of the ca$tainCs chest" ;hy the doctor had given it to hi! as !ore than I could fancy" But if it ere ine<$licable to !e, the a$$earance of the chart as incredible to the surviving !utineers" They lea$ed u$on it like cats u$on a !ouse" It ent fro! hand to hand, one tearing it fro! anotherD and by the oaths and the cries and the childish laughter ith hich they acco!$anied their e<a!ination, you ould have thought, not only they ere fingering the very gold, but ere at sea ith it, besides, in safety" B#es,B said one, BthatCs )lint, sure enough" 8" )", and a score belo , ith a clove hitch to itD so he done ever"B

BEighty $retty,B said George" BBut ho are e to get a ay ith it, and us no shi$"B Silver suddenly s$rang u$, and su$$orting hi!self ith a hand against the all& B3o I give you arning, George,B he cried" B6ne !ore ord of your sauce, and ICll call you do n and fight you" 7o F ;hy, ho do I kno F #ou had ought to tell !e that=you and the rest, that lost !e !y schooner, ith your interference, burn you> But not you, you canCtD you hainCt got the invention of a cockroach" But civil you can s$eak, and shall, George Eerry, you !ay lay to that"B BThatCs fair eno ,B said the old !an Eorgan" B)air> I reckon so,B said the sea%cook" B#ou lost the shi$D I found the treasure" ;hoCs the better !an at thatF 'nd no I resign, by thunder> Elect ho! you $lease to be your ca$Cn no D IC! done ith it"B BSilver>B they cried" BBarbecue forever> Barbecue for ca$Cn>B BSo thatCs the toon, is itFB cried the cook" BGeorge, I reckon youCll have to ait another turn, friendD and lucky for you as IC! not a revengeful !an" But that as never !y ay" 'nd no , shi$!ates, this black s$otF CTainCt !uch good no , is itF (ickCs crossed his luck and s$oiled his Bible, and thatCs about all"B BItCll do to kiss the book on still, onCt itFB gro led (ick, ho as evidently uneasy at the curse he had brought u$on hi!self" B' Bible ith a bit cut out>B returned Silver derisively" B3ot it" It donCt bind no !oreCn a ballad%book"B B(onCt it, thoughFB cried (ick ith a sort of joy" B;ell, I reckon thatCs orth having too"B B7ere, 8i!=hereCs a curCosity for you,B said Silver, and he tossed !e the $a$er" It as around about the siJe of a cro n $iece" 6ne side as blank, for it had been the last leafD the other contained a verse or t o of Revelation=these ords a!ong the rest, hich struck shar$ly ho!e u$on !y !ind& B;ithout are dogs and !urderers"B The $rinted side had been blackened ith ood ash, hich already began to co!e off and soil !y fingersD on the blank side had been ritten ith the sa!e !aterial the one ord B(e$$osed"B I have that curiosity beside !e at this !o!ent, but not a trace of riting no re!ains beyond a single scratch, such as a !an !ight !ake ith his thu!b%nail" That as the end of the nightCs business" Soon after, ith a drink all round, e lay do n to slee$, and the outside of SilverCs vengeance as to $ut George Eerry u$ for sentinel and threaten hi! ith death if he should $rove unfaithful" It as long ere I could close an eye, and heaven kno s I had !atter enough for thought in the !an ho! I had slain that afternoon, in !y o n !ost $erilous $osition, and above all, in the re!arkable ga!e that I sa Silver no engaged u$on=kee$ing the !utineers together ith one hand and gras$ing ith the other after every !eans, $ossible and i!$ossible, to !ake his $eace and save his !iserable life" 7e hi!self sle$t $eacefully and snored aloud, yet !y heart as sore for hi!, icked as he as, to think on the dark $erils that environed and the sha!eful gibbet that a aited hi!"

(5
On Parole
I ;'S akened=indeed, e ere all akened, for I could see even the sentinel shake hi!self together fro! here he had fallen against the door% $ost=by a clear, hearty voice hailing us fro! the !argin of the ood& BBlock house, ahoy>B it cried" B7ereCs the doctor"B 'nd the doctor it as" 'lthough I as glad to hear the sound, yet !y gladness as not ithout ad!i<ture" I re!e!bered ith confusion !y insubordinate and stealthy conduct, and hen I sa here it had brought !e=a!ong hat co!$anions and surrounded by hat dangers=I felt asha!ed to look hi! in the face" 7e !ust have risen in the dark, for the day had hardly co!eD and hen I ran to a loo$hole and looked out, I sa hi! standing, like Silver once before, u$ to the !id%leg in cree$ing va$our" B#ou, doctor> To$ oC the !orning to you, sir>B cried Silver, broad a ake and bea!ing ith good nature in a !o!ent" BBright and early, to be sureD and itCs the early bird, as the saying goes, that gets the rations" George, shake u$ your ti!bers, son, and hel$ (r" Livesey over the shi$Cs side" 'll a%doinC ell, your $atients as=all ell and !erry"B So he $attered on, standing on the hillto$ ith his crutch under his elbo and one hand u$on the side of the log%house=Guite the old 8ohn in voice, !anner, and e<$ression" B;eCve Guite a sur$rise for you too, sir,B he continued" B;eCve a little stranger here=he> he> ' noo boarder and lodger, sir, and looking fit and taut as a fiddleD sle$C like a su$ercargo, he did, right alongside of 8ohn=ste! to ste! e as, all night"B (r" Livesey as by this ti!e across the stockade and $retty near the cook, and I could hear the alteration in his voice as he said, B3ot 8i!FB BThe very sa!e 8i! as ever as,B says Silver" The doctor sto$$ed outright, although he did not s$eak, and it as so!e seconds before he see!ed able to !ove on" B;ell, ell,B he said at last, Bduty first and $leasure after ards, as you !ight have said yourself, Silver" Let us overhaul these $atients of yours"B ' !o!ent after ards he had entered the block house and ith one gri! nod to !e $roceeded ith his ork a!ong the sick" 7e see!ed under no a$$rehension, though he !ust have kno n that his life, a!ong these treacherous de!ons, de$ended on a hairD and he rattled on to his $atients as if he ere $aying an ordinary $rofessional visit in a Guiet English fa!ily" 7is !anner, I su$$ose, reacted on the !en, for they behaved to hi! as if nothing had occurred, as if he ere still shi$Cs doctor and they still faithful hands before the !ast" B#ouCre doing ell, !y friend,B he said to the fello ith the bandaged head, Band if ever any $erson had a close shave, it as youD your head !ust be as

hard as iron" ;ell, George, ho goes itF #ouCre a $retty colour, certainlyD hy, your liver, !an, is u$side do n" (id you take that !edicineF (id he take that !edicine, !enFB B'ye, aye, sir, he took it, sure enough,B returned Eorgan" BBecause, you see, since I a! !utineersC doctor, or $rison doctor as I $refer to call it,B says (octor Livesey in his $leasantest ay, BI !ake it a $oint of honour not to lose a !an for :ing George HGod bless hi!>I and the gallo s"B The rogues looked at each other but s allo ed the ho!e%thrust in silence" B(ick donCt feel ell, sir,B said one" B(onCt heFB re$lied the doctor" B;ell, ste$ u$ here, (ick, and let !e see your tongue" 3o, I should be sur$rised if he did> The !anCs tongue is fit to frighten the )rench" 'nother fever"B B'h, there,B said Eorgan, Bthat co!ed of s$Ciling Bibles"B BThat co!es=as you call it=of being arrant asses,B retorted the doctor, Band not having sense enough to kno honest air fro! $oison, and the dry land fro! a vile, $estiferous slough" I think it !ost $robable=though of course itCs only an o$inion=that youCll all have the deuce to $ay before you get that !alaria out of your syste!s" 9a!$ in a bog, ould youF Silver, IC! sur$rised at you" #ouCre less of a fool than !any, take you all roundD but you donCt a$$ear to !e to have the rudi!ents of a notion of the rules of health" B;ell,B he added after he had dosed the! round and they had taken his $rescri$tions, ith really laughable hu!ility, !ore like charity schoolchildren than blood%guilty !utineers and $irates=B ell, thatCs done for today" 'nd no I should ish to have a talk ith that boy, $lease"B 'nd he nodded his head in !y direction carelessly" George Eerry as at the door, s$itting and s$luttering over so!e bad%tasted !edicineD but at the first ord of the doctorCs $ro$osal he s ung round ith a dee$ flush and cried B3o>B and s ore" Silver struck the barrel ith his o$en hand" BSi%lence>B he roared and looked about hi! $ositively like a lion" B(octor,B he ent on in his usual tones, BI as a%thinking of that, kno ing as ho you had a fancy for the boy" ;eCre all hu!bly grateful for your kindness, and as you see, $uts faith in you and takes the drugs do n like that !uch grog" 'nd I take it ICve found a ay asCll suit all" 7a kins, ill you give !e your ord of honour as a young gentle!an=for a young gentle!an you are, although $oor born= your ord of honour not to sli$ your cableFB I readily gave the $ledge reGuired" BThen, doctor,B said Silver, Byou just ste$ outside oC that stockade, and once youCre there ICll bring the boy do n on the inside, and I reckon you can yarn through the s$ars" Good day to you, sir, and all our dooties to the sGuire and 9a$Cn S!ollett"B The e<$losion of disa$$roval, hich nothing but SilverCs black looks had restrained, broke out i!!ediately the doctor had left the house" Silver as roundly accused of $laying double=of trying to !ake a se$arate $eace for hi!self, of sacrificing the interests of his acco!$lices and victi!s, and, in one ord, of the identical, e<act thing that he as doing" It see!ed to !e so obvious, in this case, that I could not i!agine ho he as to turn their anger" But he as t ice the !an the rest ere, and his last nightCs victory had given

hi! a huge $re$onderance on their !inds" 7e called the! all the fools and dolts you can i!agine, said it as necessary I should talk to the doctor, fluttered the chart in their faces, asked the! if they could afford to break the treaty the very day they ere bound a%treasure%hunting" B3o, by thunder>B he cried" BItCs us !ust break the treaty hen the ti!e co!esD and till then ICll ga!!on that doctor, if I have to ile his boots ith brandy"B 'nd then he bade the! get the fire lit, and stalked out u$on his crutch, ith his hand on !y shoulder, leaving the! in a disarray, and silenced by his volubility rather than convinced" BSlo , lad, slo ,B he said" BThey !ight round u$on us in a t inkle of an eye if e as seen to hurry"B Kery deliberately, then, did e advance across the sand to here the doctor a aited us on the other side of the stockade, and as soon as e ere ithin easy s$eaking distance Silver sto$$ed" B#ouCll !ake a note of this here also, doctor,B says he, Band the boyCll tell you ho I saved his life, and ere de$osed for it too, and you !ay lay to that" (octor, hen a !anCs steering as near the ind as !e=$laying chuck%farthing ith the last breath in his body, like=you ouldnCt think it too !uch, !ayha$, to give hi! one good ordF #ouCll $lease bear in !ind itCs not !y life only no =itCs that boyCs into the bargainD and youCll s$eak !e fair, doctor, and give !e a bit oC ho$e to go on, for the sake of !ercy"B Silver as a changed !an once he as out there and had his back to his friends and the block houseD his cheeks see!ed to have fallen in, his voice tre!bledD never as a soul !ore dead in earnest" B;hy, 8ohn, youCre not afraidFB asked (r" Livesey" B(octor, IC! no co ardD no, not I=not S6 !uch>B and he sna$$ed his fingers" BIf I as I ouldnCt say it" But ICll o n u$ fairly, ICve the shakes u$on !e for the gallo s" #ouCre a good !an and a trueD I never seen a better !an> 'nd youCll not forget hat I done good, not any !ore than youCll forget the bad, I kno " 'nd I ste$ aside=see here=and leave you and 8i! alone" 'nd youCll $ut that do n for !e too, for itCs a long stretch, is that>B So saying, he ste$$ed back a little ay, till he as out of earshot, and there sat do n u$on a tree%stu!$ and began to histle, s$inning round no and again u$on his seat so as to co!!and a sight, so!eti!es of !e and the doctor and so!eti!es of his unruly ruffians as they ent to and fro in the sand bet een the fire= hich they ere busy rekindling=and the house, fro! hich they brought forth $ork and bread to !ake the breakfast" BSo, 8i!,B said the doctor sadly, Bhere you are" 's you have bre ed, so shall you drink, !y boy" 7eaven kno s, I cannot find it in !y heart to bla!e you, but this !uch I ill say, be it kind or unkind& hen 9a$tain S!ollett as ell, you dared not have gone offD and hen he as ill and couldnCt hel$ it, by George, it as do nright co ardly>B I ill o n that I here began to ee$" B(octor,B I said, Byou !ight s$are !e" I have bla!ed !yself enoughD !y lifeCs forfeit any ay, and I should have been dead by no if Silver hadnCt stood for !eD and doctor, believe this, I can die= and I dare say I deserve it=but hat I fear is torture" If they co!e to torture !e=B

B8i!,B the doctor interru$ted, and his voice as Guite changed, B8i!, I canCt have this" ;hi$ over, and eCll run for it"B B(octor,B said I, BI $assed !y ord"B BI kno , I kno ,B he cried" B;e canCt hel$ that, 8i!, no " ICll take it on !y shoulders, holus bolus, bla!e and sha!e, !y boyD but stay here, I cannot let you" 8u!$> 6ne ju!$, and youCre out, and eCll run for it like antelo$es"B B3o,B I re$liedD Byou kno right ell you ouldnCt do the thing yourself= neither you nor sGuire nor ca$tainD and no !ore ill I" Silver trusted !eD I $assed !y ord, and back I go" But, doctor, you did not let !e finish" If they co!e to torture !e, I !ight let sli$ a ord of here the shi$ is, for I got the shi$, $art by luck and $art by risking, and she lies in 3orth Inlet, on the southern beach, and just belo high ater" 't half tide she !ust be high and dry"B BThe shi$>B e<clai!ed the doctor" Ra$idly I described to hi! !y adventures, and he heard !e out in silence" BThere is a kind of fate in this,B he observed hen I had done" BEvery ste$, itCs you that saves our livesD and do you su$$ose by any chance that e are going to let you lose yoursF That ould be a $oor return, !y boy" #ou found out the $lotD you found Ben Gunn=the best deed that ever you did, or ill do, though you live to ninety" 6h, by 8u$iter, and talking of Ben Gunn> ;hy, this is the !ischief in $erson" Silver>B he cried" BSilver> ICll give you a $iece of advice,B he continued as the cook dre near againD BdonCt you be in any great hurry after that treasure"B B;hy, sir, I do !y $ossible, hich that ainCt,B said Silver" BI can only, asking your $ardon, save !y life and the boyCs by seeking for that treasureD and you !ay lay to that"B B;ell, Silver,B re$lied the doctor, Bif that is so, ICll go one ste$ further& look out for sGualls hen you find it"B BSir,B said Silver, Bas bet een !an and !an, thatCs too !uch and too little" ;hat youCre after, hy you left the block house, hy you given !e that there chart, I donCt kno , no , do IF 'nd yet I done your bidding ith !y eyes shut and never a ord of ho$e> But no, this hereCs too !uch" If you onCt tell !e hat you !ean $lain out, just say so and ICll leave the hel!"B B3o,B said the doctor !usinglyD BICve no right to say !oreD itCs not !y secret, you see, Silver, or, I give you !y ord, ICd tell it you" But ICll go as far ith you as I dare go, and a ste$ beyond, for ICll have !y ig sorted by the ca$tain or IC! !istaken> 'nd first, ICll give you a bit of ho$eD Silver, if e both get alive out of this olf%tra$, ICll do !y best to save you, short of $erjury"B SilverCs face as radiant" B#ou couldnCt say !ore, IC! sure, sir, not if you as !y !other,B he cried" B;ell, thatCs !y first concession,B added the doctor" BEy second is a $iece of advice& kee$ the boy close beside you, and hen you need hel$, halloo" IC! off to seek it for you, and that itself ill sho you if I s$eak at rando!" Good%bye, 8i!"B 'nd (r" Livesey shook hands ith !e through the stockade, nodded to Silver, and set off at a brisk $ace into the ood"

(
The Treasure!hunt8lint/s Pointer
B8IE,B said Silver hen e ere alone, Bif I saved your life, you saved !ineD and ICll not forget it" I seen the doctor aving you to run for it= ith the tail of !y eye, I didD and I seen you say no, as $lain as hearing" 8i!, thatCs one to you" This is the first glint of ho$e I had since the attack failed, and I o e it you" 'nd no , 8i!, eCre to go in for this here treasure%hunting, ith sealed orders too, and I donCt like itD and you and !e !ust stick close, back to back like, and eCll save our necks in s$ite oC fate and fortune"B 8ust then a !an hailed us fro! the fire that breakfast as ready, and e ere soon seated here and there about the sand over biscuit and fried junk" They had lit a fire fit to roast an o<, and it as no gro n so hot that they could only a$$roach it fro! the ind ard, and even there not ithout $recaution" In the sa!e asteful s$irit, they had cooked, I su$$ose, three ti!es !ore than e could eatD and one of the!, ith an e!$ty laugh, thre hat as left into the fire, hich blaJed and roared again over this unusual fuel" I never in !y life sa !en so careless of the !orro D hand to !outh is the only ord that can describe their ay of doingD and hat ith asted food and slee$ing sentries, though they ere bold enough for a brush and be done ith it, I could see their entire unfitness for anything like a $rolonged ca!$aign" Even Silver, eating a ay, ith 9a$tain )lint u$on his shoulder, had not a ord of bla!e for their recklessness" 'nd this the !ore sur$rised !e, for I thought he had never sho n hi!self so cunning as he did then" B'ye, !ates,B said he, BitCs lucky you have Barbecue to think for you ith this here head" I got hat I anted, I did" Sure enough, they have the shi$" ;here they have it, I donCt kno yetD but once e hit the treasure, eCll have to ju!$ about and find out" 'nd then, !ates, us that has the boats, I reckon, has the u$$er hand"B Thus he ke$t running on, ith his !outh full of the hot baconD thus he restored their ho$e and confidence, and, I !ore than sus$ect, re$aired his o n at the sa!e ti!e" B's for hostage,B he continued, BthatCs his last talk, I guess, ith the! he loves so dear" ICve got !y $iece oC ne s, and thanky to hi! for thatD but itCs over and done" ICll take hi! in a line hen e go treasure%hunting, for eCll kee$ hi! like so !uch gold, in case of accidents, you !ark, and in the !eanti!e" 6nce e got the shi$ and treasure both and off to sea like jolly co!$anions, hy then eCll talk Er" 7a kins over, e ill, and eCll give hi! his share, to be sure, for all his kindness"B It as no onder the !en ere in a good hu!our no " )or !y $art, I as horribly cast do n" Should the sche!e he had no sketched $rove feasible,

Silver, already doubly a traitor, ould not hesitate to ado$t it" 7e had still a foot in either ca!$, and there as no doubt he ould $refer ealth and freedo! ith the $irates to a bare esca$e fro! hanging, hich as the best he had to ho$e on our side" 3ay, and even if things so fell out that he as forced to kee$ his faith ith (r" Livesey, even then hat danger lay before us> ;hat a !o!ent that ould be hen the sus$icions of his follo ers turned to certainty and he and I should have to fight for dear life=he a cri$$le and I a boy=against five strong and active sea!en> 'dd to this double a$$rehension the !ystery that still hung over the behaviour of !y friends, their une<$lained desertion of the stockade, their ine<$licable cession of the chart, or harder still to understand, the doctorCs last arning to Silver, BLook out for sGualls hen you find it,B and you ill readily believe ho little taste I found in !y breakfast and ith ho uneasy a heart I set forth behind !y ca$tors on the Guest for treasure" ;e !ade a curious figure, had anyone been there to see us=all in soiled sailor clothes and all but !e ar!ed to the teeth" Silver had t o guns slung about hi!=one before and one behind=besides the great cutlass at his aist and a $istol in each $ocket of his sGuare%tailed coat" To co!$lete his strange a$$earance, 9a$tain )lint sat $erched u$on his shoulder and gabbling odds and ends of $ur$oseless sea%talk" I had a line about !y aist and follo ed obediently after the sea%cook, ho held the loose end of the ro$e, no in his free hand, no bet een his $o erful teeth" )or all the orld, I as led like a dancing bear" The other !en ere variously burthened, so!e carrying $icks and shovels= for that had been the very first necessary they brought ashore fro! the 7ISP'3I6L'=others laden ith $ork, bread, and brandy for the !idday !eal" 'll the stores, I observed, ca!e fro! our stock, and I could see the truth of SilverCs ords the night before" 7ad he not struck a bargain ith the doctor, he and his !utineers, deserted by the shi$, !ust have been driven to subsist on clear ater and the $roceeds of their hunting" ;ater ould have been little to their tasteD a sailor is not usually a good shotD and besides all that, hen they ere so short of eatables, it as not likely they ould be very flush of $o der" ;ell, thus eGui$$ed, e all set out=even the fello ith the broken head, ho should certainly have ke$t in shado =and straggled, one after another, to the beach, here the t o gigs a aited us" Even these bore trace of the drunken folly of the $irates, one in a broken th art, and both in their !uddy and unbailed condition" Both ere to be carried along ith us for the sake of safetyD and so, ith our nu!bers divided bet een the!, e set forth u$on the boso! of the anchorage" 's e $ulled over, there as so!e discussion on the chart" The red cross as, of course, far too large to be a guideD and the ter!s of the note on the back, as you ill hear, ad!itted of so!e a!biguity" They ran, the reader !ay re!e!ber, thus&
Tall tree, S$y%glass shoulder, bearing a $oint to the 3" of 3"3"E" Skeleton Island E"S"E" and by E"

Ten feet"

' tall tree as thus the $rinci$al !ark" 3o , right before us the anchorage as bounded by a $lateau fro! t o to three hundred feet high, adjoining on the north the slo$ing southern shoulder of the S$y%glass and rising again to ards the south into the rough, cliffy e!inence called the EiJJen%!ast 7ill" The to$ of the $lateau as dotted thickly ith $ine%trees of varying height" Every here and there, one of a different s$ecies rose forty or fifty feet clear above its neighbours, and hich of these as the $articular Btall treeB of 9a$tain )lint could only be decided on the s$ot, and by the readings of the co!$ass" #et, although that as the case, every !an on board the boats had $icked a favourite of his o n ere e ere half% ay over, Long 8ohn alone shrugging his shoulders and bidding the! ait till they ere there" ;e $ulled easily, by SilverCs directions, not to eary the hands $re!aturely, and after Guite a long $assage, landed at the !outh of the second river=that hich runs do n a oody cleft of the S$y%glass" Thence, bending to our left, e began to ascend the slo$e to ards the $lateau" 't the first outset, heavy, !iry ground and a !atted, !arish vegetation greatly delayed our $rogressD but by little and little the hill began to stee$en and beco!e stony under foot, and the ood to change its character and to gro in a !ore o$en order" It as, indeed, a !ost $leasant $ortion of the island that e ere no a$$roaching" ' heavy%scented broo! and !any flo ering shrubs had al!ost taken the $lace of grass" Thickets of green nut!eg%trees ere dotted here and there ith the red colu!ns and the broad shado of the $inesD and the first !ingled their s$ice ith the aro!a of the others" The air, besides, as fresh and stirring, and this, under the sheer sunbea!s, as a onderful refresh!ent to our senses" The $arty s$read itself abroad, in a fan sha$e, shouting and lea$ing to and fro" 'bout the centre, and a good ay behind the rest, Silver and I follo ed=I tethered by !y ro$e, he $loughing, ith dee$ $ants, a!ong the sliding gravel" )ro! ti!e to ti!e, indeed, I had to lend hi! a hand, or he !ust have !issed his footing and fallen back ard do n the hill" ;e had thus $roceeded for about half a !ile and ere a$$roaching the bro of the $lateau hen the !an u$on the farthest left began to cry aloud, as if in terror" Shout after shout ca!e fro! hi!, and the others began to run in his direction" B7e canCt Ca found the treasure,B said old Eorgan, hurrying $ast us fro! the right, Bfor thatCs clean a%to$"B Indeed, as e found hen e also reached the s$ot, it as so!ething very different" 't the foot of a $retty big $ine and involved in a green cree$er, hich had even $artly lifted so!e of the s!aller bones, a hu!an skeleton lay, ith a fe shreds of clothing, on the ground" I believe a chill struck for a !o!ent to every heart" B7e as a sea!an,B said George Eerry, ho, bolder than the rest, had gone u$ close and as e<a!ining the rags of clothing" BLeast ays, this is good sea% cloth"B

B'ye, aye,B said SilverD Blike enoughD you ouldnCt look to find a bisho$ here, I reckon" But hat sort of a ay is that for bones to lieF CTainCt in naturC"B Indeed, on a second glance, it see!ed i!$ossible to fancy that the body as in a natural $osition" But for so!e disarray Hthe ork, $erha$s, of the birds that had fed u$on hi! or of the slo %gro ing cree$er that had gradually envelo$ed his re!ainsI the !an lay $erfectly straight=his feet $ointing in one direction, his hands, raised above his head like a diverCs, $ointing directly in the o$$osite" BICve taken a notion into !y old nu!bskull,B observed Silver" B7ereCs the co!$assD thereCs the ti$%to$ $Cint oC Skeleton Island, stickinC out like a tooth" 8ust take a bearing, ill you, along the line of the! bones"B It as done" The body $ointed straight in the direction of the island, and the co!$ass read duly E"S"E" and by E" BI thought so,B cried the cookD Bthis here is a $Cinter" Right u$ there is our line for the Pole Star and the jolly dollars" But, by thunder> If it donCt !ake !e cold inside to think of )lint" This is one of 7IS jokes, and no !istake" 7i! and these si< as alone hereD he killed Ce!, every !anD and this one he hauled here and laid do n by co!$ass, shiver !y ti!bers> TheyCre long bones, and the hairCs been yello " 'ye, that ould be 'llardyce" #ou !ind 'llardyce, To! EorganFB B'ye, aye,B returned EorganD BI !ind hi!D he o ed !e !oney, he did, and took !y knife ashore ith hi!"B BS$eaking of knives,B said another, B hy donCt e find hisCn lying roundF )lint arnCt the !an to $ick a sea!anCs $ocketD and the birds, I guess, ould leave it be"B BBy the $o ers, and thatCs true>B cried Silver" BThere ainCt a thing left here,B said Eerry, still feeling round a!ong the bonesD Bnot a co$$er doit nor a baccy bo<" It donCt look natCral to !e"B B3o, by gu!, it donCt,B agreed SilverD Bnot natCral, nor not nice, says you" Great guns> Eess!ates, but if )lint as living, this ould be a hot s$ot for you and !e" Si< they ere, and si< are eD and bones is hat they are no "B BI sa hi! dead ith these here deadlights,B said Eorgan" BBilly took !e in" There he laid, ith $enny%$ieces on his eyes"B B(ead=aye, sure enough heCs dead and gone belo ,B said the fello ith the bandageD Bbut if ever s$errit alked, it ould be )lintCs" (ear heart, but he died bad, did )lint>B B'ye, that he did,B observed anotherD Bno he raged, and no he hollered for the ru!, and no he sang" C)ifteen EenC ere his only song, !atesD and I tell you true, I never rightly liked to hear it since" It as !ain hot, and the indy as o$en, and I hear that old song co!inC out as clear as clear=and the death%haul on the !an already"B B9o!e, co!e,B said SilverD Bsto this talk" 7eCs dead, and he donCt alk, that I kno D least ays, he onCt alk by day, and you !ay lay to that" 9are killed a cat" )etch ahead for the doubloons"B ;e started, certainlyD but in s$ite of the hot sun and the staring daylight, the $irates no longer ran se$arate and shouting through the ood, but ke$t side by side and s$oke ith bated breath" The terror of the dead buccaneer had fallen on their s$irits"

(%
The Treasure!huntThe 6oice A#on" the Trees
P'RTL# fro! the da!$ing influence of this alar!, $artly to rest Silver and the sick folk, the hole $arty sat do n as soon as they had gained the bro of the ascent" The $lateau being so!e hat tilted to ards the est, this s$ot on hich e had $aused co!!anded a ide $ros$ect on either hand" Before us, over the tree%to$s, e beheld the 9a$e of the ;oods fringed ith surfD behind, e not only looked do n u$on the anchorage and Skeleton Island, but sa =clear across the s$it and the eastern lo lands=a great field of o$en sea u$on the east" Sheer above us rose the S$yglass, here dotted ith single $ines, there black ith $reci$ices" There as no sound but that of the distant breakers, !ounting fro! all round, and the chir$ of countless insects in the brush" 3ot a !an, not a sail, u$on the seaD the very largeness of the vie increased the sense of solitude" Silver, as he sat, took certain bearings ith his co!$ass" BThere are three Ctall treesCB said he, Babout in the right line fro! Skeleton Island" CS$y%glass shoulder,C I take it, !eans that lo er $Cint there" ItCs childCs $lay to find the stuff no " ICve half a !ind to dine first"B BI donCt feel shar$,B gro led Eorgan" BThinkinC oC )lint=I think it ere=as done !e"B B'h, ell, !y son, you $raise your stars heCs dead,B said Silver" B7e ere an ugly devil,B cried a third $irate ith a shudderD Bthat blue in the face too>B BThat as ho the ru! took hi!,B added Eerry" BBlue> ;ell, I reckon he as blue" ThatCs a true ord"B Ever since they had found the skeleton and got u$on this train of thought, they had s$oken lo er and lo er, and they had al!ost got to his$ering by no , so that the sound of their talk hardly interru$ted the silence of the ood" 'll of a sudden, out of the !iddle of the trees in front of us, a thin, high, tre!bling voice struck u$ the ell%kno n air and ords&
B)ifteen !en on the dead !anCs chest= #o%ho%ho, and a bottle of ru!>B

I never have seen !en !ore dreadfully affected than the $irates" The colour ent fro! their si< faces like enchant!entD so!e lea$ed to their feet, so!e cla ed hold of othersD Eorgan grovelled on the ground" BItCs )lint, by ==>B cried Eerry" The song had sto$$ed as suddenly as it began=broken off, you ould have said, in the !iddle of a note, as though so!eone had laid his hand u$on the singerCs !outh" 9o!ing through the clear, sunny at!os$here a!ong the

green tree%to$s, I thought it had sounded airily and s eetlyD and the effect on !y co!$anions as the stranger" B9o!e,B said Silver, struggling ith his ashen li$s to get the ord outD Bthis onCt do" Stand by to go about" This is a ru! start, and I canCt na!e the voice, but itCs so!eone skylarking=so!eone thatCs flesh and blood, and you !ay lay to that"B 7is courage had co!e back as he s$oke, and so!e of the colour to his face along ith it" 'lready the others had begun to lend an ear to this encourage!ent and ere co!ing a little to the!selves, hen the sa!e voice broke out again=not this ti!e singing, but in a faint distant hail that echoed yet fainter a!ong the clefts of the S$y%glass" B(arby ECGra ,B it ailed=for that is the ord that best describes the sound =B(arby ECGra > (arby ECGra >B again and again and againD and then rising a little higher, and ith an oath that I leave out& B)etch aft the ru!, (arby>B The buccaneers re!ained rooted to the ground, their eyes starting fro! their heads" Long after the voice had died a ay they still stared in silence, dreadfully, before the!" BThat fi<es it>B gas$ed one" BLetCs go"B BThey as his last ords,B !oaned Eorgan, Bhis last ords above board"B (ick had his Bible out and as $raying volubly" 7e had been ell brought u$, had (ick, before he ca!e to sea and fell a!ong bad co!$anions" Still Silver as unconGuered" I could hear his teeth rattle in his head, but he had not yet surrendered" B3obody in this here island ever heard of (arby,B he !utteredD Bnot one but us thatCs here"B 'nd then, !aking a great effort& BShi$!ates,B he cried, BIC! here to get that stuff, and ICll not be beat by !an or devil" I never as feared of )lint in his life, and, by the $o ers, ICll face hi! dead" ThereCs seven hundred thousand $ound not a Guarter of a !ile fro! here" ;hen did ever a gentle!an oC fortune sho his stern to that !uch dollars for a booJy old sea!an ith a blue !ug=and hi! dead tooFB But there as no sign of rea akening courage in his follo ers, rather, indeed, of gro ing terror at the irreverence of his ords" BBelay there, 8ohn>B said Eerry" B(onCt you cross a s$errit"B 'nd the rest ere all too terrified to re$ly" They ould have run a ay severally had they daredD but fear ke$t the! together, and ke$t the! close by 8ohn, as if his daring hel$ed the!" 7e, on his $art, had $retty ell fought his eakness do n" BS$erritF ;ell, !aybe,B he said" BBut thereCs one thing not clear to !e" There as an echo" 3o , no !an ever seen a s$errit ith a shado D ell then, hatCs he doing ith an echo to hi!, I should like to kno F That ainCt in naturC, surelyFB This argu!ent see!ed eak enough to !e" But you can never tell hat ill affect the su$erstitious, and to !y onder, George Eerry as greatly relieved" B;ell, thatCs so,B he said" B#ouCve a head u$on your shoulders, 8ohn, and no !istake" CBout shi$, !ates> This here cre is on a rong tack, I do believe" 'nd co!e to think on it, it as like )lintCs voice, I grant you, but not just so clear%a ay like it, after all" It as liker so!ebody elseCs voice no =it as liker =B

BBy the $o ers, Ben Gunn>B roared Silver" B'ye, and so it ere,B cried Eorgan, s$ringing on his knees" BBen Gunn it ere>B BIt donCt !ake !uch odds, do it, no FB asked (ick" BBen GunnCs not here in the body any !oreCn )lint"B But the older hands greeted this re!ark ith scorn" B;hy, nobody !inds Ben Gunn,B cried EerryD Bdead or alive, nobody !inds hi!"B It as e<traordinary ho their s$irits had returned and ho the natural colour had revived in their faces" Soon they ere chatting together, ith intervals of listeningD and not long after, hearing no further sound, they shouldered the tools and set forth again, Eerry alking first ith SilverCs co!$ass to kee$ the! on the right line ith Skeleton Island" 7e had said the truth& dead or alive, nobody !inded Ben Gunn" (ick alone still held his Bible, and looked around hi! as he ent, ith fearful glancesD but he found no sy!$athy, and Silver even joked hi! on his $recautions" BI told you,B said he=BI told you you had s$Ciled your Bible" If it ainCt no good to s ear by, hat do you su$$ose a s$errit ould give for itF 3ot that>B and he sna$$ed his big fingers, halting a !o!ent on his crutch" But (ick as not to be co!fortedD indeed, it as soon $lain to !e that the lad as falling sickD hastened by heat, e<haustion, and the shock of his alar!, the fever, $redicted by (r" Livesey, as evidently gro ing s iftly higher" It as fine o$en alking here, u$on the su!!itD our ay lay a little do nhill, for, as I have said, the $lateau tilted to ards the est" The $ines, great and s!all, gre ide a$artD and even bet een the clu!$s of nut!eg and aJalea, ide o$en s$aces baked in the hot sunshine" Striking, as e did, $retty near north% est across the island, e dre , on the one hand, ever nearer under the shoulders of the S$y%glass, and on the other, looked ever ider over that estern bay here I had once tossed and tre!bled in the coracle" The first of the tall trees as reached, and by the bearings $roved the rong one" So ith the second" The third rose nearly t o hundred feet into the air above a clu!$ of under ood=a giant of a vegetable, ith a red colu!n as big as a cottage, and a ide shado around in hich a co!$any could have !anoeuvred" It as cons$icuous far to sea both on the east and est and !ight have been entered as a sailing !ark u$on the chart" But it as not its siJe that no i!$ressed !y co!$anionsD it as the kno ledge that seven hundred thousand $ounds in gold lay so!e here buried belo its s$reading shado " The thought of the !oney, as they dre nearer, s allo ed u$ their $revious terrors" Their eyes burned in their headsD their feet gre s$eedier and lighterD their hole soul as found u$ in that fortune, that hole lifeti!e of e<travagance and $leasure, that lay aiting there for each of the!" Silver hobbled, grunting, on his crutchD his nostrils stood out and GuiveredD he cursed like a !ad!an hen the flies settled on his hot and shiny countenanceD he $lucked furiously at the line that held !e to hi! and fro! ti!e to ti!e turned his eyes u$on !e ith a deadly look" 9ertainly he took no $ains to hide his thoughts, and certainly I read the! like $rint" In the

i!!ediate nearness of the gold, all else had been forgotten& his $ro!ise and the doctorCs arning ere both things of the $ast, and I could not doubt that he ho$ed to seiJe u$on the treasure, find and board the 7ISP'3I6L' under cover of night, cut every honest throat about that island, and sail a ay as he had at first intended, laden ith cri!es and riches" Shaken as I as ith these alar!s, it as hard for !e to kee$ u$ ith the ra$id $ace of the treasure%hunters" 3o and again I stu!bled, and it as then that Silver $lucked so roughly at the ro$e and launched at !e his !urderous glances" (ick, ho had dro$$ed behind us and no brought u$ the rear, as babbling to hi!self both $rayers and curses as his fever ke$t rising" This also added to !y retchedness, and to cro n all, I as haunted by the thought of the tragedy that had once been acted on that $lateau, hen that ungodly buccaneer ith the blue face=he ho died at Savannah, singing and shouting for drink=had there, ith his o n hand, cut do n his si< acco!$lices" This grove that as no so $eaceful !ust then have rung ith cries, I thoughtD and even ith the thought I could believe I heard it ringing still" ;e ere no at the !argin of the thicket" B7uJJa, !ates, all together>B shouted EerryD and the fore!ost broke into a run" 'nd suddenly, not ten yards further, e beheld the! sto$" ' lo cry arose" Silver doubled his $ace, digging a ay ith the foot of his crutch like one $ossessedD and ne<t !o!ent he and I had co!e also to a dead halt" Before us as a great e<cavation, not very recent, for the sides had fallen in and grass had s$routed on the botto!" In this ere the shaft of a $ick broken in t o and the boards of several $acking%cases stre n around" 6n one of these boards I sa , branded ith a hot iron, the na!e ;'LR2S=the na!e of )lintCs shi$" 'll as clear to $robation" The 9'97E had been found and rifledD the seven hundred thousand $ounds ere gone>

((
The 8all o+ a .hie+tain
T7ERE never as such an overturn in this orld" Each of these si< !en as as though he had been struck" But ith Silver the blo $assed al!ost instantly" Every thought of his soul had been set full%stretch, like a racer, on that !oneyD ell, he as brought u$, in a single second, deadD and he ke$t his head, found his te!$er, and changed his $lan before the others had had ti!e to realiJe the disa$$oint!ent" B8i!,B he his$ered, Btake that, and stand by for trouble"B 'nd he $assed !e a double%barrelled $istol" 't the sa!e ti!e, he began Guietly !oving north ard, and in a fe ste$s had $ut the hollo bet een us t o and the other five" Then he looked at !e and nodded, as !uch as to say, B7ere is a narro corner,B as, indeed, I thought it

as" 7is looks ere not Guite friendly, and I as so revolted at these constant changes that I could not forbear his$ering, BSo youCve changed sides again"B There as no ti!e left for hi! to ans er in" The buccaneers, ith oaths and cries, began to lea$, one after another, into the $it and to dig ith their fingers, thro ing the boards aside as they did so" Eorgan found a $iece of gold" 7e held it u$ ith a $erfect s$out of oaths" It as a t o%guinea $iece, and it ent fro! hand to hand a!ong the! for a Guarter of a !inute" BT o guineas>B roared Eerry, shaking it at Silver" BThatCs your seven hundred thousand $ounds, is itF #ouCre the !an for bargains, ainCt youF #ouCre hi! that never bungled nothing, you ooden%headed lubber>B B(ig a ay, boys,B said Silver ith the coolest insolenceD ByouCll find so!e $ig% nuts and I shouldnCt onder"B BPig%nuts>B re$eated Eerry, in a screa!" BEates, do you hear thatF I tell you no , that !an there kne it all along" Look in the face of hi! and youCll see it rote there"B B'h, Eerry,B re!arked Silver, Bstanding for ca$Cn againF #ouCre a $ushing lad, to be sure"B But this ti!e everyone as entirely in EerryCs favour" They began to scra!ble out of the e<cavation, darting furious glances behind the!" 6ne thing I observed, hich looked ell for us& they all got out u$on the o$$osite side fro! Silver" ;ell, there e stood, t o on one side, five on the other, the $it bet een us, and nobody scre ed u$ high enough to offer the first blo " Silver never !ovedD he atched the!, very u$right on his crutch, and looked as cool as ever I sa hi!" 7e as brave, and no !istake" 't last Eerry see!ed to think a s$eech !ight hel$ !atters" BEates,B says he, BthereCs t o of the! alone thereD oneCs the old cri$$le that brought us all here and blundered us do n to thisD the otherCs that cub that I !ean to have the heart of" 3o , !ates=B 7e as raising his ar! and his voice, and $lainly !eant to lead a charge" But just then=crack> crack> crack>=three !usket%shots flashed out of the thicket" Eerry tu!bled head fore!ost into the e<cavationD the !an ith the bandage s$un round like a teetotu! and fell all his length u$on his side, here he lay dead, but still t itchingD and the other three turned and ran for it ith all their !ight" Before you could ink, Long 8ohn had fired t o barrels of a $istol into the struggling Eerry, and as the !an rolled u$ his eyes at hi! in the last agony, BGeorge,B said he, BI reckon I settled you"B 't the sa!e !o!ent, the doctor, Gray, and Ben Gunn joined us, ith s!oking !uskets, fro! a!ong the nut!eg%trees" B)or ard>B cried the doctor" B(ouble Guick, !y lads" ;e !ust head Ce! off the boats"B 'nd e set off at a great $ace, so!eti!es $lunging through the bushes to the chest" I tell you, but Silver as an<ious to kee$ u$ ith us" The ork that !an ent through, lea$ing on his crutch till the !uscles of his chest ere fit to burst, as ork no sound !an ever eGualledD and so thinks the doctor" 's it as, he

as already thirty yards behind us and on the verge of strangling hen e reached the bro of the slo$e" B(octor,B he hailed, Bsee there> 3o hurry>B Sure enough there as no hurry" In a !ore o$en $art of the $lateau, e could see the three survivors still running in the sa!e direction as they had started, right for EiJJen!ast 7ill" ;e ere already bet een the! and the boatsD and so e four sat do n to breathe, hile Long 8ohn, !o$$ing his face, ca!e slo ly u$ ith us" BThank ye kindly, doctor,B says he" B#ou ca!e in in about the nick, I guess, for !e and 7a kins" 'nd so itCs you, Ben Gunn>B he added" B;ell, youCre a nice one, to be sure"B BIC! Ben Gunn, I a!,B re$lied the !aroon, riggling like an eel in his e!barrass!ent" B'nd,B he added, after a long $ause, Bho do, Er" SilverF Pretty ell, I thank ye, says you"B BBen, Ben,B !ur!ured Silver, Bto think as youCve done !e>B The doctor sent back Gray for one of the $ick%a<es deserted, in their flight, by the !utineers, and then as e $roceeded leisurely do nhill to here the boats ere lying, related in a fe ords hat had taken $lace" It as a story that $rofoundly interested SilverD and Ben Gunn, the half%idiot !aroon, as the hero fro! beginning to end" Ben, in his long, lonely anderings about the island, had found the skeleton= it as he that had rifled itD he had found the treasureD he had dug it u$ Hit as the haft of his $ick%a<e that lay broken in the e<cavationID he had carried it on his back, in !any eary journeys, fro! the foot of the tall $ine to a cave he had on the t o%$ointed hill at the north%east angle of the island, and there it had lain stored in safety since t o !onths before the arrival of the 7ISP'3I6L'" ;hen the doctor had or!ed this secret fro! hi! on the afternoon of the attack, and hen ne<t !orning he sa the anchorage deserted, he had gone to Silver, given hi! the chart, hich as no useless=given hi! the stores, for Ben GunnCs cave as ell su$$lied ith goatsC !eat salted by hi!self= given anything and everything to get a chance of !oving in safety fro! the stockade to the t o%$ointed hill, there to be clear of !alaria and kee$ a guard u$on the !oney" B's for you, 8i!,B he said, Bit ent against !y heart, but I did hat I thought best for those ho had stood by their dutyD and if you ere not one of these, hose fault as itFB That !orning, finding that I as to be involved in the horrid disa$$oint!ent he had $re$ared for the !utineers, he had run all the ay to the cave, and leaving the sGuire to guard the ca$tain, had taken Gray and the !aroon and started, !aking the diagonal across the island to be at hand beside the $ine" Soon, ho ever, he sa that our $arty had the start of hi!D and Ben Gunn, being fleet of foot, had been dis$atched in front to do his best alone" Then it had occurred to hi! to ork u$on the su$erstitions of his for!er shi$!ates, and he as so far successful that Gray and the doctor had co!e u$ and ere already a!bushed before the arrival of the treasure%hunters" B'h,B said Silver, Bit ere fortunate for !e that I had 7a kins here" #ou ould have let old 8ohn be cut to bits, and never given it a thought, doctor"B

B3ot a thought,B re$lied (r" Livesey cheerily" 'nd by this ti!e e had reached the gigs" The doctor, ith the $ick%a<e, de!olished one of the!, and then e all got aboard the other and set out to go round by sea for 3orth Inlet" This as a run of eight or nine !iles" Silver, though he as al!ost killed already ith fatigue, as set to an oar, like the rest of us, and e ere soon ski!!ing s iftly over a s!ooth sea" Soon e $assed out of the straits and doubled the south%east corner of the island, round hich, four days ago, e had to ed the 7ISP'3I6L'" 's e $assed the t o%$ointed hill, e could see the black !outh of Ben GunnCs cave and a figure standing by it, leaning on a !usket" It as the sGuire, and e aved a handkerchief and gave hi! three cheers, in hich the voice of Silver joined as heartily as any" Three !iles farther, just inside the !outh of 3orth Inlet, hat should e !eet but the 7ISP'3I6L', cruising by herselfF The last flood had lifted her, and had there been !uch ind or a strong tide current, as in the southern anchorage, e should never have found her !ore, or found her stranded beyond hel$" 's it as, there as little a!iss beyond the reck of the !ain%sail" 'nother anchor as got ready and dro$$ed in a fatho! and a half of ater" ;e all $ulled round again to Ru! 9ove, the nearest $oint for Ben GunnCs treasure% houseD and then Gray, single%handed, returned ith the gig to the 7ISP'3I6L', here he as to $ass the night on guard" ' gentle slo$e ran u$ fro! the beach to the entrance of the cave" 't the to$, the sGuire !et us" To !e he as cordial and kind, saying nothing of !y esca$ade either in the ay of bla!e or $raise" 't SilverCs $olite salute he so!e hat flushed" B8ohn Silver,B he said, ByouCre a $rodigious villain and i!$oster=a !onstrous i!$oster, sir" I a! told I a! not to $rosecute you" ;ell, then, I ill not" But the dead !en, sir, hang about your neck like !ill%stones"B BThank you kindly, sir,B re$lied Long 8ohn, again saluting" BI dare you to thank !e>B cried the sGuire" BIt is a gross dereliction of !y duty" Stand back"B 'nd thereu$on e all entered the cave" It as a large, airy $lace, ith a little s$ring and a $ool of clear ater, overhung ith ferns" The floor as sand" Before a big fire lay 9a$tain S!ollettD and in a far corner, only duskily flickered over by the blaJe, I beheld great hea$s of coin and Guadrilaterals built of bars of gold" That as )lintCs treasure that e had co!e so far to seek and that had cost already the lives of seventeen !en fro! the 7ISP'3I6L'" 7o !any it had cost in the a!assing, hat blood and sorro , hat good shi$s scuttled on the dee$, hat brave !en alking the $lank blindfold, hat shot of cannon, hat sha!e and lies and cruelty, $erha$s no !an alive could tell" #et there ere still three u$on that island=Silver, and old Eorgan, and Ben Gunn= ho had each taken his share in these cri!es, as each had ho$ed in vain to share in the re ard" B9o!e in, 8i!,B said the ca$tain" B#ouCre a good boy in your line, 8i!, but I donCt think you and !eCll go to sea again" #ouCre too !uch of the born favourite for !e" Is that you, 8ohn SilverF ;hat brings you here, !anFB B9o!e back to !y dooty, sir,B returned Silver"

B'h>B said the ca$tain, and that as all he said" ;hat a su$$er I had of it that night, ith all !y friends around !eD and hat a !eal it as, ith Ben GunnCs salted goat and so!e delicacies and a bottle of old ine fro! the 7ISP'3I6L'" 3ever, I a! sure, ere $eo$le gayer or ha$$ier" 'nd there as Silver, sitting back al!ost out of the firelight, but eating heartily, $ro!$t to s$ring for ard hen anything as anted, even joining Guietly in our laughter=the sa!e bland, $olite, obseGuious sea!an of the voyage out"

()
And Last
T7E ne<t !orning e fell early to ork, for the trans$ortation of this great !ass of gold near a !ile by land to the beach, and thence three !iles by boat to the 7ISP'3I6L', as a considerable task for so s!all a nu!ber of ork!en" The three fello s still abroad u$on the island did not greatly trouble usD a single sentry on the shoulder of the hill as sufficient to ensure us against any sudden onslaught, and e thought, besides, they had had !ore than enough of fighting" Therefore the ork as $ushed on briskly" Gray and Ben Gunn ca!e and ent ith the boat, hile the rest during their absences $iled treasure on the beach" T o of the bars, slung in a ro$eCs end, !ade a good load for a gro n !an=one that he as glad to alk slo ly ith" )or !y $art, as I as not !uch use at carrying, I as ke$t busy all day in the cave $acking the !inted !oney into bread%bags" It as a strange collection, like Billy BonesCs hoard for the diversity of coinage, but so !uch larger and so !uch !ore varied that I think I never had !ore $leasure than in sorting the!" English, )rench, S$anish, Portuguese, Georges, and Louises, doubloons and double guineas and !oidores and seGuins, the $ictures of all the kings of Euro$e for the last hundred years, strange 6riental $ieces sta!$ed ith hat looked like is$s of string or bits of s$iderCs eb, round $ieces and sGuare $ieces, and $ieces bored through the !iddle, as if to ear the! round your neck=nearly every variety of !oney in the orld !ust, I think, have found a $lace in that collectionD and for nu!ber, I a! sure they ere like autu!n leaves, so that !y back ached ith stoo$ing and !y fingers ith sorting the! out" (ay after day this ork ent onD by every evening a fortune had been sto ed aboard, but there as another fortune aiting for the !orro D and all this ti!e e heard nothing of the three surviving !utineers" 't last=I think it as on the third night=the doctor and I ere strolling on the shoulder of the hill here it overlooks the lo lands of the isle, hen, fro! out the thick darkness belo , the ind brought us a noise bet een shrieking and singing" It as only a snatch that reached our ears, follo ed by the for!er silence"

B7eaven forgive the!,B said the doctorD BCtis the !utineers>B B'll drunk, sir,B struck in the voice of Silver fro! behind us" Silver, I should say, as allo ed his entire liberty, and in s$ite of daily rebuffs, see!ed to regard hi!self once !ore as Guite a $rivileged and friendly de$endent" Indeed, it as re!arkable ho ell he bore these slights and ith hat un earying $oliteness he ke$t on trying to ingratiate hi!self ith all" #et, I think, none treated hi! better than a dog, unless it as Ben Gunn, ho as still terribly afraid of his old Guarter!aster, or !yself, ho had really so!ething to thank hi! forD although for that !atter, I su$$ose, I had reason to think even orse of hi! than anybody else, for I had seen hi! !editating a fresh treachery u$on the $lateau" 'ccordingly, it as $retty gruffly that the doctor ans ered hi!" B(runk or raving,B said he" BRight you ere, sir,B re$lied SilverD Band $recious little odds hich, to you and !e"B BI su$$ose you ould hardly ask !e to call you a hu!ane !an,B returned the doctor ith a sneer, Band so !y feelings !ay sur$rise you, Easter Silver" But if I ere sure they ere raving=as I a! !orally certain one, at least, of the! is do n ith fever=I should leave this ca!$, and at hatever risk to !y o n carcass, take the! the assistance of !y skill"B B'sk your $ardon, sir, you ould be very rong,B Guoth Silver" B#ou ould lose your $recious life, and you !ay lay to that" IC! on your side no , hand and gloveD and I shouldnCt ish for to see the $arty eakened, let alone yourself, seeing as I kno hat I o es you" But these !en do n there, they couldnCt kee$ their ord=no, not su$$osing they ished toD and hatCs !ore, they couldnCt believe as you could"B B3o,B said the doctor" B#ouCre the !an to kee$ your ord, e kno that"B ;ell, that as about the last ne s e had of the three $irates" 6nly once e heard a gunshot a great ay off and su$$osed the! to be hunting" ' council as held, and it as decided that e !ust desert the! on the island=to the huge glee, I !ust say, of Ben Gunn, and ith the strong a$$roval of Gray" ;e left a good stock of $o der and shot, the bulk of the salt goat, a fe !edicines, and so!e other necessaries, tools, clothing, a s$are sail, a fatho! or t o of ro$e, and by the $articular desire of the doctor, a handso!e $resent of tobacco" That as about our last doing on the island" Before that, e had got the treasure sto ed and had shi$$ed enough ater and the re!ainder of the goat !eat in case of any distressD and at last, one fine !orning, e eighed anchor, hich as about all that e could !anage, and stood out of 3orth Inlet, the sa!e colours flying that the ca$tain had flo n and fought under at the $alisade" The three fello s !ust have been atching us closer than e thought for, as e soon had $roved" )or co!ing through the narro s, e had to lie very near the southern $oint, and there e sa all three of the! kneeling together on a s$it of sand, ith their ar!s raised in su$$lication" It ent to all our hearts, I think, to leave the! in that retched stateD but e could not risk another !utinyD and to take the! ho!e for the gibbet ould have been a cruel sort of kindness" The doctor hailed the! and told the! of the stores e had left, and

here they ere to find the!" But they continued to call us by na!e and a$$eal to us, for GodCs sake, to be !erciful and not leave the! to die in such a $lace" 't last, seeing the shi$ still bore on her course and as no s iftly dra ing out of earshot, one of the!=I kno not hich it as=lea$t to his feet ith a hoarse cry, hi$$ed his !usket to his shoulder, and sent a shot histling over SilverCs head and through the !ain%sail" 'fter that, e ke$t under cover of the bul arks, and hen ne<t I looked out they had disa$$eared fro! the s$it, and the s$it itself had al!ost !elted out of sight in the gro ing distance" That as, at least, the end of thatD and before noon, to !y ine<$ressible joy, the highest rock of Treasure Island had sunk into the blue round of sea" ;e ere so short of !en that everyone on board had to bear a hand=only the ca$tain lying on a !attress in the stern and giving his orders, for though greatly recovered he as still in ant of Guiet" ;e laid her head for the nearest $ort in S$anish '!erica, for e could not risk the voyage ho!e ithout fresh handsD and as it as, hat ith baffling inds and a cou$le of fresh gales, e ere all orn out before e reached it" It as just at sundo n hen e cast anchor in a !ost beautiful land%locked gulf, and ere i!!ediately surrounded by shore boats full of 3egroes and Ee<ican Indians and half%bloods selling fruits and vegetables and offering to dive for bits of !oney" The sight of so !any good%hu!oured faces Hes$ecially the blacksI, the taste of the tro$ical fruits, and above all the lights that began to shine in the to n !ade a !ost char!ing contrast to our dark and bloody sojourn on the islandD and the doctor and the sGuire, taking !e along ith the!, ent ashore to $ass the early $art of the night" 7ere they !et the ca$tain of an English !an%of% ar, fell in talk ith hi!, ent on board his shi$, and, in short, had so agreeable a ti!e that day as breaking hen e ca!e alongside the 7ISP'3I6L'" Ben Gunn as on deck alone, and as soon as e ca!e on board he began, ith onderful contortions, to !ake us a confession" Silver as gone" The !aroon had connived at his esca$e in a shore boat so!e hours ago, and he no assured us he had only done so to $reserve our lives, hich ould certainly have been forfeit if Bthat !an ith the one leg had stayed aboard"B But this as not all" The sea%cook had not gone e!$ty%handed" 7e had cut through a bulkhead unobserved and had re!oved one of the sacks of coin, orth $erha$s three or four hundred guineas, to hel$ hi! on his further anderings" I think e ere all $leased to be so chea$ly Guit of hi!" ;ell, to !ake a long story short, e got a fe hands on board, !ade a good cruise ho!e, and the 7ISP'3I6L' reached Bristol just as Er" Blandly as beginning to think of fitting out her consort" )ive !en only of those ho had sailed returned ith her" B(rink and the devil had done for the rest,B ith a vengeance, although, to be sure, e ere not Guite in so bad a case as that other shi$ they sang about&
;ith one !an of her cre alive, ;hat $ut to sea ith seventy%five"

'll of us had an a!$le share of the treasure and used it isely or foolishly, according to our natures" 9a$tain S!ollett is no retired fro! the sea" Gray not only saved his !oney, but being suddenly s!it ith the desire to rise, also studied his $rofession, and he is no !ate and $art o ner of a fine full%rigged shi$, !arried besides, and the father of a fa!ily" 's for Ben Gunn, he got a thousand $ounds, hich he s$ent or lost in three eeks, or to be !ore e<act, in nineteen days, for he as back begging on the t entieth" Then he as given a lodge to kee$, e<actly as he had feared u$on the islandD and he still lives, a great favourite, though so!ething of a butt, ith the country boys, and a notable singer in church on Sundays and saintsC days" 6f Silver e have heard no !ore" That for!idable seafaring !an ith one leg has at last gone clean out of !y lifeD but I dare say he !et his old 3egress, and $erha$s still lives in co!fort ith her and 9a$tain )lint" It is to be ho$ed so, I su$$ose, for his chances of co!fort in another orld are very s!all" The bar silver and the ar!s still lie, for all that I kno , here )lint buried the!D and certainly they shall lie there for !e" 6<en and ain%ro$es ould not bring !e back again to that accursed islandD and the orst drea!s that ever I have are hen I hear the surf boo!ing about its coasts or start u$right in bed ith the shar$ voice of 9a$tain )lint still ringing in !y ears& BPieces of eight> Pieces of eight>B