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Aor-  22,  1993 


1    •- 


PR 
5^86 
Al 
1912 


Stevenson,  Robert  Louis 
Treasure  Island 


BIOGRAPHICAL    EDITION^   >, 

_ ,V 

;i    $ 

RE  AS  UK 


ISLAND 


BY 


WITH  A  PREFACE  BY  MRS.   STEVENSON 


. 


,  v 

- 

' 


NEW   YORK 

CHARLES   SCRIBNER'S   SONS 
1912 


PR 

5^ 
Al 

19: 


\ 


Copyright,  1894 
BY  ROBERT  Louis  STEVENSOK 

Copyright,  1905 
BY  CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   EDITION 

OF    THE    WORKS    OF 

ROBERT    LOUIS    STEVENSON 
TREASURE   ISLAND 


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pass 
old  la 

with 


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.^om    driving 
did  not,  apparently. 


THE  BIOGRAPHICAL  EDITION 
OF  STEVENSON'S  WORKS 


NOVELS  AND  ROMANCES 
TREASURE  ISLAND 
PRINCE  OTTO 
KIDNAPPED 
THE  BLACK  ARROW 
THE  MASTER  OF  BALLANTRAE 
THE  WRONG  BOX 
THE  WRECKER 
DAVID  BALFOUR 
THE  EBB-TIDE 
WEIR  OF  HERiMISTON 
ST.  IVES 

SHORTER  STORIES 
NEW  ARABIAN  NIGHTS 
THE  DYNAMITER 
THE  MERRY  MEN.  containing  DR.  JEKYLL 

AND  MR.  HYDE 
ISLAND  NIGHTS'  ENTERTAINMENTS 

ESS  A  VS,  TRA  I'ELS  &>  SKETCHES 

AN  INLAND  VOYAGE 

TRAVELS  WITH  A  DONKEY 

V1RGINIBUS  PUER1SQUE 

FAMILIAR  STUDIES 

THE  AMATEUR  EMIGRANT,  containing  THE 

SILVERADO  SQUATTERS 
MEMORIES  AND  PORTRAITS 
IN  THE  SOUTH  SEAS 
ACROSS  THE  PLAINS 
ESSAYS  OF  TRAVEL  AND  IN  THE  ART  OF 

WRITING 
LAY  MORALS  AND  OTHER  PAPERS 

POEMS 
COMPLETE  POEMS   

THE  LETTERS  OF  ROBERT  LOUIS 

STEVENSON.    4  vols. 
THE  LIFE  OF  ROBERT  LOUIS  STEVENSON 

By  Graham  Balfour.    Abridged  Edition  In  one  volume 


Thirty-one  volumes.     Sold  singly  or  in  sets 
Per  volume,  doth,  Si.oo:  Limf  Leather,  fi.2j  ; 


CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS,  NEW  YORK 


PREFACE 

TO 

THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    EDITION 

IT  was  a  season  of  rain  and  chill  weather  that 
we  spent  in  the  cottage  of  the  late  Miss 
McGregor,  though  the  townspeople  called  the 
cold,  steady,  penetrating  drizzle  "  just  misting." 
In  Scotland  a  fair  day  appears  to  mean  fairly  wet. 
It  is  quite  fair,  now,"  they  will  say,  when  you 
can  hardly  distinguish  the  houses  across  the  street. 
Queen  Victoria,  who  had  endeared  herself  greatly 
to  the  folk  of  the  neighbourhood,  showed  a  true 
Scottish  spirit  in  her  indifference  to  the  weather. 
Her  Majesty  was  in  the  habit  of  driving  out  to  take 
tea  in  the  open,  accompanied  by  a  couple  of  ladies- 
in-waiting.  The  road  from  Balmoral  ran  not  far 
behind  the  late  Miss  McGregor's  cottage;  and  as 
the  queen  always  drove  in  an  open  carriage,  with 
her  tea  basket  strapped  on  behind,  we  could  see  her 
pass  very  plainly.  Our  admiration  for  the  sturdy 
old  lady  was  very  much  tempered  by  our  sympathy 
with  the  ladies-in-waiting,  with  whom  driving 
backward  on  the  front  seat  did  not,  apparently, 

Copyright,  1905,  by  Charles  Scribner's  Sons 


vi  PREFACE 

agree.  Their  poor  noses  were  very  red,  and  the 
expression  of  their  faces  anxious,  not  to  say  cross,' 
as  they  miserably  coughed  and  sneezed. 

Our  first  visitors  were  Mr.  Sidney  Colvin  and 
Mr.  Edmund  Gosse.  We  could  hardly  expect  men 
like  these  to  take  an  abiding  interest  in  the  pastimes 
of  even  their  own  queen,  and  we  had  no  other  out- 
side attraction  to  offer.  However,  there  was  one 
amusement  that  the  family,  at  least,  enjoyed  keenly, 
in  which  we  could  ask  them  to  join.  As  has  been 
told  elsewhere,  at  the  eager  pleading  of  my  twelve- 
year-old  son,  Lloyd  Osbourne,  a  story  then  called 
The  Sea  Cook  was  being  written  for  his  espe- 
cial benefit,  a  chapter  each  day  to  be  read  in  the 
otherwise  dull  afternoon.  Though  this  tale,  begun 
without  any  fixed  plan,  was  intended  to  make  the 
enforced  seclusion  of  the  child  less  irksome,  there 
was  one  other  in  the  audience  whose  interest  was 
as  intense,  and  whose  suggestions  and  criticisms 
were  always  purposeful  and  valuable.  My  hus- 
band's voice  was  extraordinarily  thrilling  and  sym- 
pathetic, with  a  fine  dramatic  quality.  I  have 
never  heard  anything  quite  like  it,  even  on  the 
stage.  I  remember,  in  a  room  full  of  people,  some 
one  speaking  in  a  disparaging  manner  of  Walt 
Whitman.  With  no  comment  my  husband  reached 
up  to  a  shelf,  took  down  Leaves  of  Grass,  and 
began  reading  "  A  Stranger  from  Alabama."  By 


PREFACE  vii 

the  time  he  had  come  to  the  line  "  I  almost  think 
I  can  see  her,"  the  entire  company  were  streaming 
tears,  and  the  scoffer  was  silenced  by  his  own 
emotion.  My  father-in-law  would  sit  entranced 
during  our  daily  chapter,  his  noble  head  bent  for- 
ward, his  great,  glowing  eyes  fixed  on  his  son's 
face.  Every  incident  of  the  story  could  be  read 
in  his  changing  countenance.  At  any  slip  in  style, 
or  taste,  or  judgment  he  would  perceptibly  wince. 
I  shall  always  believe  that  something  unusual  and 
great  was  lost  to  the  world  in  Thomas  Stevenson. 
One  could  almost  see  the  struggle  between  the 
creature  of  cramped  hereditary  conventions  and 
environment,  and  the  man  nature  had  intended  him 
to  be.  Fortunately  for  my  husband  he  inherited 
from  this  tragic  father  his  genius  and  wide  hu- 
manity alone.  The  natural  gaiety  of  Margaret 
Stevenson,  who  lived  as  a  bird  sings,  for  very  joy 
of  it,  she  passed  down  to  her  son,  who  needed  it 
all  —  and  had  it  all  —  to  carry  him  safely  through 
the  monotony  of  suffering  that  he  endured  for  so 
many  years  with  such  unfailing  cheerfulness. 

Treasure  Island,  which,  before  the  advent  of 
our  visitors,  had  been  thought  of  simply  as  an 
amusement  for  a  small  boy  condemned  to  the  in- 
action of  an  indoor  life  by  the  inclement  weather, 
now,  under  the  stimulus  of  the  admiration  of  men 
like  Mr.  Colvin  and  Mr.  Gosse,  began  to  be  re- 


viii  PREFACE 

garded  seriously  as  a  possible  novel;  and  the 
arrangement  for  its  serial  publication  by  Dr.  Japp 
filled  its  author  with  fresh  enthusiasm  not  unmixed 
with  apprehension. 

Fifteen  chapters  were  finished  and  read  in 
Braemar,  and  several  in  Weybridge,  when  autumn 
came  upon  us  unawares,  and  it  was  time  to  make 
our  flitting  to  Davos.  We  carried  the  unfinished 
novel  with  us  on  the  journey,  as  we  rather  expected 
to  stop  and  rest  en  route,  and  my  husband  thought 
he  might  feel  inclined  to  add  a  chapter  or  two  on 
the  way.  But,  alas,  we  carried  something  else: 
a  toy  theatre  for  the  lad,  who  had  preceded  us  with 
his  tutor;  also  sheets  of  unpainted  sets,  penny 
plain,  and  a  fine,  large  box  of  water-colours,  that 
Lloyd  might  have  the  joy  of  painting  his  own 
scenes.  The  first  night  we  stopped  we  opened  the 
package  of  manuscript,  which  also  contained  the 
theatre  sets  and  the  paints.  I  began  idly  trying 
the  colours  on  one  of  the  plains.  My  enthusiasm 
rose  with  action,  and  I  was  soon  absorbed  in  the 
sport.  My  husband  watched  me  for  a  moment, 
and  then  he,  too,  fell  a  victim.  We  painted  on  and 
on,  until  the  night  was  almost  spent,  only  ceasing 
with  the  end  of  our  material,  and  Treasure  Island 
went  back  into  the  parcel  as  it  came  out. 

At  Davos  the  work  was  again  taken  up,  but  inter- 
mittently. Had  it  not  been  appearing  as  a  serial, 


PREFACE  ix 

I  doubt  if  it  would  ever  have  been  finished.  Writ- 
ing for  serial  publication  in  haste  is  a  somewhat 
precarious  occupation.  I  remember,  when  we  once 
stopped  for  a  day  or  two  at  Lyons,  my  husband's 
dismay  when  he  sat  down  to  write  a  chapter  of 
The  Black  Arrow  to  find  that  he  had  forgotten 
how  to  extricate  his  hero  from  an  apparently  im- 
possible position.  He  could  only  make  a  new, 
somewhat  lame  invention  to  take  the  place  of  what 
was  originally  meant  to  be  a  most  thrilling  and 
ingenious  escape. 

If  play  promised  more  pleasure  than  work  there 
was  no  weak  hesitation  in  my  husband's  choice. 
He  chose  play  with  the  ardour  of  a  boy,  and  while 
he  played  there  was  no  other  thought  in  his  mind 
but  the  game.  We  had  taken,  for  this  second 
winter  in  Davos,  a  cottage  called  the  Chalet  am 
Stein.  The  lower  floor  contained  a  large  room, 
unused  because  it  possessed  no  facilities  for  heating. 
On  the  bare  floor  an  immense  map  was  drawn  in 
chalk ;  here  the  man  and  the  boy  spent  many  hours 
at  a  sort  of  Kriegspiel  beyond  my  capacity  to  under- 
stand. They  would  come  upstairs  when  their 
fingers  became  too  cold  to  make  their  shots,  blue- 
lipped  and  shivering,  their  eyes  shining,  and  their 
faces  fairly  illuminated  with  excitement. 

When  this  was  denied  him  by  his  doctors  my 
husband  found  another  form  of  entertainment 


x  PREFACE 

With  some  blocks  of  wood  and  a  small  chisel  ob- 
tained from  the  local  carpenter  he  made  rude  wood- 
engravings,  wrote  verses  under  them,  and  called 
them  "  moral  emblems."  I  afterwards  got  him 
some  pear-wood  blocks  and  proper  engraving 
tools;  but  with  the  elimination  of  di^culties  his 
interest  waned.  Thus,  between  intervals  of  play 
and  other  work,  and  occasional  attacks  of  illness, 
the  last  pages  of  the  novel  were  finished  and  sent 
off  to  the  publishers  from  the  Chalet  am  Stein. 

Until  the  unexpected  popular  success  of  Treas- 
ure Island,  my  husband  had  hoped  or  looked  for 
nothing  more  to  follow  from  his  work  than  a 
modest  livelihood,  and  perhaps  a  succes  d'estime. 
The  latter  he  was  almost  assured  of  by  the  criti- 
cisms of  such  men  as  Philip  Gilbert  Hamerton, 
Sidney  Colvin,  and  Edmund  Gosse.  Much  has 
been  said  concerning  the  labour  he  found  necessary 
in  order  to  maintain  the  high  level  of  his  style, 
the  "  sedulous  ape  "  being  quoted  as  evidence.  He 
worked  hard  and  continuously  at  the  beginning  of 
his  career  when  he  was  trying  all  paths  in  search 
of  the  road  that  was  the  right  and  only  road  for 
him ;  but  having  found  it  there  was  no  more  need 
for  the  sedulous  ape.  It  is  also  true  that  he  some- 
times wrote  and  rewrote  after  he  had  "  found 
himself,"  but  more  often  his  work  came  with  great 
facility,  needing  almost  no  correction.  It  is  curious 


PREFACE  xi 

how  an  unusual  word  or  phrase  may  be  caught  up 
and  exploited  until  it  is  threadbare.  The  sedulous 
ape  is  such  an  instance.  An  expression  in  Treas- 
ure Island,  "  his  eye  gleaming  like  a  crumb  of 
glass,"  which  has  been  often  quoted  with  approba- 
tion, always  made  my  husband  wince  when  he  read 
it.  "  A  crumb,"  he  would  repeat  with  scorn ;  "  why 
a  crumb  of  glass  ?  better  a  piece  —  a  bit,  anything 

of  glass  but  a  crumb ! " 

F.  V.  DE  G.  S. 


TO 

LLOYD    OSBOURNE, 

AN   AMERICAN   GENTLEMAN, 

IN   ACCORDANCE  WITH   WHOSE  CLASSIC  TASTE 

THE   FOLLOWING   NARRATIVE   HAS   BEEN    DESIGNED, 

IT   IS   NOW,   IN    RETURN   FOR   NUMEROUS   DELIGHTFUL   HOURS 

AND   WITH   THE    KINDEST  WISHES, 


BY  HIS  AFFECTIONATE    FRIEND, 
THE   AUTHOR 


. 

••J  '£ 


, 


TO  THE  HESITATING  PURCHASER 

IF  sailor  tales  to  sailor  tunes, 

Storm  and  adventure,  heat  and  cold, 
If  schooners,  islands,  and  maroons 

And  Buccaneers  and  buried  Gold, 
And  all  the  old  romance,  retold 

Exactly  in  the  ancient  way, 
Can  please,  as  me  they  pleased  of  old, 

The  wiser  youngsters  of  to-day : 

—  So  be  it,  and  fall  on  !     If  not, 

If  studious  youth  no  longer  crave, 
His  ancient  appetites  forgot, 

Kingston,  or  Ballantyne  the  brave, 
Or  Cooper  of  the  wood  and  wave : 

So  be  it,  also !     And  may  I 
And  all  my  pirates  share  the  grave 

Where  these  and  their  creations  lie  ? 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 
MY  FIRST  BOOK  —  "TREASURE  ISLAND"     ....    xix 

PART  I 

THE   OLD   BUCCANEER 
CHAPTER 

I  THE  OLD  SEA  DOG  AT  THE  "  ADMIRAL 

BENBOW" 3 

II  BLACK  DOG  APPEARS  AND  DISAPPEARS  ...       13 

III  THE  BLACK  SPOT 23 

IV  THE  SEA-CHEST 33 

V  THE  LAST  OF  THE  BLIND  MAN 43 

VI  THE  CAPTAIN'S  PAPERS 52 

PART  II 
THE  SEA  COOK 

VII   I  GO  TO  BRISTOL 63 

VIII  AT  THE  SIGN  OF  THE  "  SPY-GLASS  "     ....  70 

IX  POWDER  AND  ARMS 79 

X  THE  VOYAGE 87 

XI   WHAT  I  HEARD  IN  THE  APPLE  BARREL    ...  96 

XII   COUNCIL  OF  WAR 106 

PART  III 
MY  SHORE  ADVENTURE 

III  How  MY  SHORE  ADVENTURE  BEGAN    ....     117 
XIV   THE  FIRST  BLOW 125 

XV  THE  MAN  OF  THE  ISLAND 134 


xviii  CONTENTS 

PART  IV 

THE   STOCKADE 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XVI    NARRATIVE  CONTINUED  BY    THE  DOCTOR: 

HOW  THE  SHIP  WAS  ABANDONED       .      .       .       147 

XVII    NARRATIVE  CONTINUED  BY   THE   DOCTOR: 

THE  JOLLY-BOAT'S  LAST  TRIP    ....     155 
XVIII   NARRATIVE    CONTINUED   BY   THE   DOCTOR: 

END  OF  THE  FIRST  DAY'S  FIGHTING     .     162 
XIX   NARRATIVE  RESUMED  BY  JIM  HAWKINS:  THE 

GARRISON  IN  THE  STOCKADE      ....    169 

XX  SILVER'S  EMBASSY 178 

XXI   THE  ATTACK 187 

PART  V 
MY   SEA  ADVENTURE 

XXII   How  MY  SEA  ADVENTURE  BEGAN    ....     199 

XXIII  THE  EBB-TIDE  RUNS 208 

XXIV  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  CORACLE 216 

XXV    I    STRIKE  THE  JOLLY   ROGER 225 

XXVI   ISRAEL  HANDS 233 

XXVII  "  PIECES  OF  EIGHT  " 246 

PART  VI 
CAPTAIN  SILVER 

XXVIII  IN  THE  ENEMY'S  CAMP 259 

XXIX  THE  BLACK  SPOT  AGAIN 271 

XXX  ON  PAROLE 281 

XXXI  THE  TREASURE  HUNT  —  FLINT'S  POINTER  292 
XXXII  THE  TREASURE  HUNT  —  THE  VOICE  AMONG 

THE  TREES 302 

XXXIII  THE  FALL  OF  A  CHIEFTAIN 311 

XXXIV  AND  LAST 320 


XXI 

ut  not 
vel. 

MY    FIRST    BOOK 
"TREASURE    ISLAND" 

IT  was  far,  indeed,  from  being  my  first  book, 
for  I  am  not  a  novelist  alone.    But  I  am  well 
aware  that  my  paymaster,  the  great  public, 
regards  what  else  I  have  written  with  indifference, 
if  not  aversion.    If  it  call  upon  me  at  all,  it  calls 
on  me  in  the  familiar  and  indelible  character ;  and 
when  I  am  asked  to  talk  of  my  first  book,  no 
question  in  the  world  but  what  is  meant  is  my  first 
novel. 

Sooner  or  later,  somehow,  anyhow,  I  was  bound 
I  was  to  write  a  novel.  It  seems  vain  to  ask  why. 
Men  are  born  with  various  manias :  from  my  earli- 
est childhood  it  was  mine  to  make  a  plaything  of 
imaginary  series  of  events;  and  as  soon  as  I  was 
able  to  write,  I  became  a  good  friend  to  the  paper- 
makers.  Reams  upon  reams  must  have  gone  to 
the  making  of  Rathillet,  the  Pentland  Rising,1  the 

1  Ne  pas  confondre.  Not  the  slim  green  pamphlet  with  the  im- 
print of  Andrew  Elliott,  for  which  (as  I  see  with  amazement  from 
the  book-lists)  the  gentlemen  of  England  are  willing  to  pay  fancy 
prices;  but  its  predecessor,  a  bulky  historical  romance  without  a 
spark  of  merit,  and  now  deleted  from  the  world. 

Copyright,  1894,  by  Robert  Louis  Stevenson 


V 
xx  M*     FIRST    BOOK 

King's  Pardon  (otherwise  Park  Whitehead),  Ed- 
ward Barren,  A  Country  Dance,  and  a  Vendetta 
in  the  West;  and  it  is  consolatory  to  remember 
that  these  reams  are  now  all  ashes,  and  have  been 
received  again  into  the  soil.  I  have  named  but 
a  few  of  my  ill-fated  efforts:  only  such,  indeed, 
as  came  to  a  fair  bulk  ere  they  were  desisted 
from;  and  even  so  they  cover  a  long  vista  of 
years.  Rathillet  was  attempted  before  fifteen,  the 
Vendetta  at  twenty-nine,  and  the  succession  of 
defeats  lasted  unbroken  till  I  was  thirty-one.  By- 
that  time  I  had  written  little  books  and  little 
essays  and  short  stories,  and  had  got  patted  on 
the  back  and  paid  for  them  —  though  not  enough 
to  live  upon.  I  had  quite  a  reputation.  I  was 
the  successful  man.  I  passed  my  days  in  toil,  the 
futility  of  which  would  sometimes  make  my  cheek 
to  burn,  —  that  I  should  spend  a  man's  energy 
upon  this  business,  and  yet  could  not  earn  a  liveli- 
hood; and  still  there  shone  ahead  of  me  an  un- 
attained  ideal.  Although  I  had  attempted  the  thing 
with  vigour  not  less  than  ten  or  twelve  times,  I 
had  not  yet  written  a  novel.  All  —  all  my  pretty 
ones  —  had  gone  for  a  little,  and  then  stopped  in- 
exorably, like  a  school-boy's  watch.  I  might  be 
compared  to  a  cricketer  of  many  years'  standing 
who  should  never  have  made  a  run.  Anybody  can 
write  a  short  story  —  a  bad  one,  I  mean  —  who 


MY    FIRST    BOOK  xxi 

has  industry  and  paper  and  time  enough;  but  not 
every  one  may  hope  to  write  even  a  bad  novel. 
It  is  the  length  that  kills.  The  accepted  novelist 
may  take  his  novel  up  and  put  it  down,  spend 
days  upon  it  in  vain,  and  write  not  any  more 
than  he  makes  haste  to  blot.  Not  so  the  beginner. 
Human  nature  has  certain  rights;  instinct  —  the 
instinct  of  self-preservation  —  forbids  that  any 
man  (cheered  and  supported  by  the  consciousness 
of  no  previous  victory)  should  endure  the  mis- 
eries of  unsuccessful  literary  toil  beyond  a  period 
to  be  measured  in  weeks.  There  must  be  some- 
thing for  hope  to  feed  upon.  The  beginner  must 
have  a  slant  of  wind,  a  lucky  vein  must  be  run- 
ning, he  must  be  in  one  of  those  hours  when  the 
words  come  and  the  phrases  balance  of  themselves 
—  even  to  begin.  And  having  begun,  what  a  dread 
looking  forward  is  that  until  the  book  shall  be 
accomplished !  For  so  long  a  time  the  slant  is  to 
continue  unchanged,  the  vein  to  keep  running;  for 
so  long  a  time  you  must  hold  at  command  the 
same  quality  of  style;  for  so  long  a  time  your 
puppets  are  to  be  always  vital,  always  consistent, 
always  vigorous.  I  remember  I  used  to  look,  in 
those  days,  upon  every  three-volume  novel  with  a 
sort  of  veneration,  as  a  feat  —  not  possibly  of  lit- 
erature—  but  at  least  of  physical  and  moral  en- 
durance and  the  courage  of  Ajax. 


xxii  MY    FIRST    BOOK 

In  the  fated  year  I  came  to  live  with  my  father 
and  mother  at  Kinnaird,  above  Pitlochry.  There 
I  walked  on  the  red  moors  and  by  the  side  of  the 
golden  burn.  The  rude,  pure  air  of  our  moun- 
tains inspirited,  if  it  did  not  inspire  us;  and  my 
wife  and  I  projected  a  joint  volume  of  bogie 
stories,  for  which  she  wrote  The  Shadow  on  the 
Bed,  and  I  turned  out  Thrawn  Janet,  and  a  first 
draft  of  The  Merry  Men.  I  love  my  native  air, 
but  it  does  not  love  me;  and  the  end  of  this  de- 
lightful period  was  a  cold,  a  fly  blister,  and  a 
migration,  by  Strathairdle  and  Glenshee,  to  the 
Castleton  of  Braemar.  There  it  blew  a  good  deal 
and  rained  in  a  proportion.  My  native  air  was 
more  unkind  than  man's  ingratitude;  and  I  must 
consent  to  pass  a  good  deal  of  my  time  between 
four  walls  in  a  house  lugubriously  known  as  "  the 
late  Miss  McGregor's  cottage."  And  now  admire 
the  finger  of  predestination.  There  was  a  school- 
boy in  the  late  Miss  McGregor's  cottage,  home  for 
the  holidays,  and  much  in  want  of  "  something 
craggy  to  break  his  mind  upon."  He  had  no 
thought  of  literature;  it  was  the  art  of  Raphael 
that  received  his  fleeting  suffrages,  and  with  the 
aid  of  pen  and  ink  and  a  shilling  box  of  water- 
colours,  he  had  soon  turned  one  of  the  rooms 
into  a  picture-gallery.  My  more  immediate  duty 
towards  the  gallery  was  to  be  showman;  but  I 


XX111 

would  sometimes  unbend  a  little,  join  the  artist 
(so  to  speak)  at  the  easel,  and  pass  the  afternoon 
with  him  in  a  generous  emulation,  making  coloured 
drawings.  On  one  of  these  occasions  I  made  the 
map  of  an  island;  it  was  elaborately  and  (I 
thought)  beautifully  coloured;  the  shape  of  it 
took  my  fancy  beyond  expression;  it  contained 
harbours  that  pleased  me  like  sonnets;  and  with 
the  unconsciousness  of  the  predestined,  I  ticketed 
my  performance  Treasure  Island.  I  am  told  there 
are  people  who  do  not  care  for  maps,  and  find  it 
hard  to  believe.  The  names,  the  shapes  of  the 
woodlands,  the  courses  of  the  roads  and  rivers, 
the  prehistoric  footsteps  of  man  still  distinctly 
traceable  up  hill  and  down  dale,  the  mills  and  the 
ruins,  the  ponds  and  the  ferries,  perhaps  the 
"  Standing  Stone  "  or  the  "  Druidic  Circle  "  on 
the  heath;  here  is  an  inexhaustible  fund  of  in- 
terest for  any  man  with  eyes  to  see,  or  twopence 
worth  of  imagination  to  understand  with.  No 
child  but  must  remember  laying  his  head  in  the 
grass,  staring  into  the  infinitesimal  forest,  and 
seeing  it  grow  populous  with  fairy  armies. 

Somewhat  in  this  way,  as  I  pored  upon  my  map 
of  Treasure  Island,  the  future  characters  of  the 
book  began  to  appear  there  visibly  among  imagi- 
nary woods;  and  their  brown  faces  and  bright 
weapons  peeped  out  upon  me  from  unexpected 


xxiv  MY    FIRST    BOOK 

quarters,  as  they  passed  to  and  fro,  fighting,  and 
hunting  treasure,  on  these  few  square  inches  of 
a  flat  projection.  The  next  thing  I  knew,  I  had 
some  paper  before  me  and  was  writing  out  a  list 
of  chapters.  How  often  have  I  done  so,  and  the 
thing  gone  no  farther !  But  there  seemed  elements 
of  success  about  this  enterprise.  It  was  to  be  a 
story  for  boys;  no  need  of  psychology  or  fine 
writing;  and  I  had  a  boy  at  hand  to  be  a  touch- 
stone. Women  were  excluded.  I  was  unable  to 
handle  a  brig  (which  the  Hispaniola  should  have 
been),  but  I  thought  I  could  make  shift  to  sail 
her  as  a  schooner  without  public  shame.  And  then 
I  had  an  idea  for  John  Silver  from  which  I  prom- 
ised myself  funds  of  entertainment:  to  take  an 
admired  friend  of  mine  (whom  the  reader  very 
likely  knows  and  admires  as  much  as  I  do),  to 
deprive  him  of  all  his  finer  qualities  and  higher 
graces  of  temperament,  to  leave  him  with  nothing 
but  his  strength,  his  courage,  his  quickness,  and 
his  magnificent  geniality,  and  to  try  to  express 
these  in  terms  of  the  culture  of  a  raw  tarpaulin. 
Such  psychical  surgery  is,  I  think,  a  common  way 
of  "  making  character;  "  perhaps  it  is,  indeed,  the 
only  way.  We  can  put  in  the  quaint  figure  that 
spoke  a  hundred  words  with  us  yesterday  by  the 
wayside ;  but  do  we  know  him  ?  Our  friend,  with 
his  infinite  variety  and  flexibility,  we  know  —  but 


MY    FIRST    BOOK  xxv 

can  we  put  him  in?  Upon  the  first  we  must  en- 
graft secondary  and  imaginary  qualities,  possibly 
all  wrong;  from  the  second,  knife  in  hand,  we 
must  cut  away  and  deduct  the  needless  arbores- 
cence  of  his  nature;  but  the  trunk  and  the  few 
branches  that  remain  we  may  at  least  be  fairly 
sure  of. 

On  a  chill  September  morning,  by  the  cheek  of 
a  brisk  fire,  and  the  rain  drumming  on  the  window, 
I  began  The  Sea  Cook,  for  that  was  the  original 
title.  I  have  begun  (and  finished)  a  number  of 
other  books,  but  I  cannot  remember  to  have  sat 
down  to  one  of  them  with  more  complacency.  It 
is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  for  stolen  waters  are 
proverbially  sweet.  I  am  now  upon  a  painful 
chapter.  No  doubt  the  parrot  once  belonged  to 
Robinson  Crusoe.  No  doubt  the  skeleton  is  con- 
veyed from  Poe.  I  think  little  of  these,  they  are 
trifles  and  details;  and  no  man  can  hope  to  have 
a  monopoly  of  skeletons  or  make  a  corner  in  talk- 
ing birds.  The  stockade,  I  am  told,  is  from  Mas- 
terman  Ready.  It  may  be,  I  care  not  a  jot. 
These  useful  writers  had  fulfilled  the  poet's  say- 
ing: departing,  they  had  left  behind  them 

"  Footprints  on  the  sands  of  time ; 
Footprints  that  perhaps  another " 

and  I  was  the  other !  It  is  my  debt  to  Washington 
Irving  that  exercises  my  conscience,  and  justly  so, 


xxvi  MY    FIRST    BOOK 

for  I  believe  plagiarism  was  rarely  carried  farther. 
I  chanced  to  pick  up  the  Tales  of  a  Traveller  some 
years  ago,  with  a  view  to  an  anthology  of  prose 
narrative,  and  the  book  flew  up  and  struck  me : 
Billy  Bones,  his  chest,  the  company  in  the  parlour, 
the  whole  inner  spirit  and  a  good  deal  of  the 
material  detail  of  my  first  chapters  —  all  were 
there,  all  were  the  property  of  Washington  Irving. 
But  I  had  no  guess  of  it  then  as  I  sat  writing  by 
the  fireside,  in  what  seemed  the  springtides  of  a 
somewhat  pedestrian  inspiration;  nor  yet  day  by 
day,  after  lunch,  as  I  read  aloud  my  morning's 
work  to  the  family.  It  seemed  to  me  original  as 
sin;  it  seemed  to  belong  to  me  like  my  right  eye. 
I  had  counted  on  one  boy;  I  found  I  had  two  in 
my  audience.  My  father  caught  fire  at  once  with 
all  the  romance  and  childishness  of  his  original 
nature.  His  own  stories,  that  every  night  of  his 
life  he  put  himself  to  sleep  with,  dealt  perpetually 
with  ships,  roadside  inns,  robbers,  old  sailors,  and 
commercial  travellers  before  the  era  of  steam.  He 
never  finished  one  of  these  romances:  the  lucky 
man  did  not  require  to!  But  in  Treasure  Island 
he  recognised  something  kindred  to  his  own  imagi- 
nation ;  it  was  his  kind  of  picturesque ;  and  he  not 
only  heard  with  delight  the  daily  chapter,  but  set 
himself  actively  to  collaborate.  When  the  time 
came  for  Billy  Bones's  chest  to  be  ransacked,  he 


MY    FIRST    BOOK  xxvii 

must  have  passed  the  better  part  of  a  day  pre- 
paring, on  the  back  of  a  legal  envelope,  an  inven- 
tory of  its  contents,  which  I  exactly  followed ;  and 
the  name  of  "  Flint's  old  ship,"  the  Walrus,  was 
given  at  his  particular  request.  And  now,  who 
should  come  dropping  in,  ex  machina,  but  Dr.  Japp, 
like  the  disguised  prince  who  is  to  bring  down  the 
curtain  upon  peace  and  happiness  in  the  last  act, 
for  he  carried  in  his  pocket  not  a  horn  or  a  talis- 
man, but  a  publisher;  had,  in  fact,  been  charged 
by  my  old  friend  Mr.  Henderson  to  unearth  new 
writers  for  Young  Folks.  Even  the  ruthlessness 
of  a  united  family  recoiled  before  the  extreme 
measure  of  inflicting  on  our  guest  the  mutilated 
members  of  The  Sea  Cook;  at  the  same  time  we 
would  by  no  means  stop  our  readings,  and  ac- 
cordingly the  tale  was  begun  again  at  the  begin- 
ning, and  solemnly  redelivered  for  the  benefit  of 
Dr.  Japp.  From  that  moment  on  I  have  thought 
highly  of  his  critical  faculty;  for  when  he  left  us, 
he  carried  away  the  manuscript  in  his  portmanteau. 
Here,  then,  was  everything  to  keep  me  up  — 
sympathy,  help,  and  now  a  positive  engagement. 
I  had  chosen  besides  a  very  easy  style.  Compare 
it  with  the  almost  contemporary  Merry  Men;  one 
may  prefer  the  one  style,  one  the  other  —  't  is  an 
affair  of  character,  perhaps  of  mood;  but  no  ex- 
pert can  fail  to  see  that  the  one  is  much  more 


xxviii          MY    FIRST    BOOK 

difficult,  and  the  other  much  easier,  to  maintain. 
It  seems  as  though  a  full-grown,  experienced  man 
of  letters  might  engage  to  turn  out  Treasure 
Island  at  so  many  pages  a  day,  and  keep  his  pipe 
alight.  But  alas!  this  was  not  my  case.  Fifteen 
days  I  stuck  to  it,  and  turned  out  fifteen  chapters; 
and  then,  in  the  early  paragraphs  of  the  sixteenth, 
ignominiously  lost  hold.  My  mouth  was  empty; 
there  was  not  one  word  more  of  Treasure  Island 
in  my  bosom;  and  here  were  the  proofs  of  the 
beginning  already  waiting  me  at  the  "  Hand  and 
Spear ! "  There  I  corrected  them,  living  for  the 
most  part  alone,  walking  on  the  heath  at  Wey- 
bridge  in  dewy  autumn  mornings,  a  good  deal 
pleased  with  what  I  had  done,  and  more  appalled 
than  I  can  depict  to  you  in  words  at  what  re- 
mained for  me  to  do.  I  was  thirty-one;  I  was 
the  head  of  a  family;  I  had  lost  my  health;  I 
had  never  yet  paid  my  way,  had  never  yet  made 
two  hundred  pounds  a  year;  my  father  had  quite 
recently  bought  back  and  cancelled  a  book  that  was 
judged  a  failure;  was  this  to  be  another  and  last 
fiasco?  I  was  indeed  very  close  on  despair;  but 
I  shut  my  mouth  hard,  and  during  the  journey  to 
Davos,  where  I  was  to  pass  the  winter,  had  the 
resolution  to  think  of  other  things,  and  bury  my- 
self in  the  novels  of  M.  du  Boisgobey.  Arrived 
at  my  destination,  down  I  sat  one  morning  to  the 


MY    FIRST    BOOK  xxix 

unfinished  tale,  and  behold!  it  flowed  from  me 
like  small  talk;  and  in  a  second  tide  of  delighted 
industry,  and  again  at  the  rate  of  a  chapter  a  day, 
I  finished  Treasure  Island.  It  had  to  be  transacted 
almost  secretly.  My  wife  was  ill,  the  school-boy 
remained  alone  of  the  faithful,  and  John  Adding- 
ton  Symonds  (to  whom  I  timidly  mentioned  what 
I  was  engaged  on)  looked  on  me  askance.  He 
was  at  that  time  very  eager  I  should  write  on  the 
Characters  of  Theophrastus,  so  far  out  may  be  the 
judgments  of  the  wisest  men.  But  Symonds  (to 
be  sure)  was  scarce  the  confidant  to  go  to  for 
sympathy  in  a  boy's  story.  He  was  large-minded ; 
"  a  full  man,"  if  there  ever  was  one ;  but  the  very 
name  of  my  enterprise  would  suggest  to  him  only 
capitulations  of  sincerity  and  solecisms  of  style. 
Well,  he  was  not  far  wrong. 

Treasure  Island  —  it  was  Mr.  Henderson  who 
deleted  the  first  title,  The  Sea  Cook  —  appeared 
duly  in  the  story  paper,  where  it  figured  in  the 
ignoble  midst  without  woodcuts,  and  attracted  not 
the  least  attention.  I  did  not  care.  I  liked  the 
tale  myself,  for  much  the  same  reason  as  my  father 
liked  the  beginning :  it  was  my  kind  of  picturesque. 
I  was  not  a  little  proud  of  John  Silver  also,  and  to 
this  day  rather  admire  that  smooth  and  formidable 
adventurer.  What  was  infinitely  more  exhilarat- 
ing, I  had  passed  a  landmark;  I  had  finished  a 


xxx  MY    FIRST    BOOK 

tale,  and  written  "  The  End  "  upon  my  manuscript, 
as  I  had  not  done  since  the  Pentland  Rising,  when 
I  was  a  boy  of  sixteen,  not  yet  at  college.  In  truth 
it  was  so  by  a  set  of  lucky  accidents :  had  not  Dr. 
Japp  come  on  his  visit,  had  not  the  tale  flowed 
from  me  with  singular  ease,  it  must  have  been  laid 
aside  like  its  predecessors,  and  found  a  circuitous 
and  unlamented  way  to  the  fire.  Purists  may  sug- 
gest it  would  have  been  better  so.  I  am  not  of 
that  mind.  The  tale  seems  to  have  given  much 
pleasure,  and  it  brought  (or  was  the  means  of 
bringing)  fire  and  food  and  wine  to  a  deserving 
family  in  which  I  took  an  interest.  I  need  scarce 
say  I  mean  my  own. 

But  the  adventures  of  Treasure  Island  are  not 
yet  quite  at  an  end.  I  had  written  it  up  to  the 
map.  The  map  was  the  chief  part  of  my  plot. 
For  instance,  I  had  called  an  islet  "  Skeleton 
Island,"  not  knowing  what  I  meant,  seeking  only 
for  the  immediate  picturesque;  and  it  was  to  jus- 
tify this  name  that  I  broke  into  the  gallery  of 
Mr.  Poe  and  stole  Flint's  pointer.  And  in  the 
same  way,  it  was  because  I  had  made  two  harbours 
that  the  Hispaniola  was  sent  on  her  wanderings 
with  Israel  Hands.  The  time  came  when  it  was 
decided  to  republish,  and  I  sent  in  my  manuscript 
and  the  map  along  with  it  to  Messrs.  Cassell.  The 
proofs  came,  they  were  corrected,  but  I  heard  noth- 


MY    FIRST    BOOK  xxxi 

ing  of  the  map.  I  wrote  and  asked;  was  told  it 
had  never  been  received,  and  sat  aghast.  It  is 
one  thing  to  draw  a  map  at  random,  set  a  scale 
in  one  corner  of  it  at  a  venture,  and  write  up  a 
story  to  the  measurements.  It  is  quite  another  to 
have  to  examine  a  whole  book,  make  an  inventory 
of  all  the  allusions  contained  in  it,  and  with  a 
pair  of  compasses  painfully  design  a  map  to  suit 
the  data.  I  did  it,  and  the  map  was  drawn  again 
in  my  father's  office,  with  embellishments  of  blow- 
ing whales  and  sailing  ships ;  and  my  father  himself 
brought  into  service  a  knack  he  had  of  various 
writing,  and  elaborately  forged  the  signature  of 
Captain  Flint  and  the  sailing  directions  of  Billy 
Bones.  But  somehow  it  was  never  Treasure  Island 
to  me. 

I  have  said  it  was  the  most  of  the  plot.  I  might 
almost  say  it  was  the  whole.  A  few  reminiscences 
of  Poe,  Defoe,  and  Washington  Irving,  a  copy  of 
Johnson's  Buccaneers,  the  name  of  the  Dead  Man's 
Chest  from  Kingsley's  "  At  Last,"  some  recollec- 
tions of  canoeing  on  the  high  seas,  a  cruise  in  a 
fifteen-ton  schooner  yacht,  and  the  map  itself  with 
its  infinite,  eloquent  suggestion,  made  up  the  whole 
of  my  materials.  It  is  perhaps  not  often  that  a 
map  figures  so  largely  in  a  tale;  yet  it  is  always 
important.  The  author  must  know  his  countryside, 
whether  real  or  imaginary,  like  his  hand ;  the  dis- 


xxxii         MY    FIRST    BOOK 

tances,  the  points  of  the  compass,  the  place  of  the 
sun's  rising,  the  behaviour  of  the  moon,  should  all 
be  beyond  cavil.  And  how  troublesome  the  moon 
is !  I  have  come  to  grief  over  the  moon  in  Prince 
Otto;  and,  so  soon  as  that  was  pointed  out  to  me, 
adopted  a  precaution  which  I  recommend  to  other 
men  —  I  never  write  now  without  an  almanac. 
With  an  almanac,  and  the  map  of  the  country  and 
the  plan  of  every  house,  either  actually  plotted  on 
paper  or  clearly  and  immediately  apprehended  in 
the  mind,  a  man  may  hope  to  avoid  some  of  the 
grossest  possible  blunders.  With  the  map  before 
him,  he  will  scarce  allow  the  sun  to  set  in  the  east, 
as  it  does  in  the  Antiquary.  With  the  almanac  at 
hand,  he  will  scarce  allow  two  horsemen,  journey- 
ing on  the  most  urgent  affair,  to  employ  six  days, 
from  three  of  the  Monday  morning  till  late  in  the 
Saturday  night,  upon  a  journey  of,  say,  ninety  or 
a  hundred  miles;  and  before  the  week  is  out,  and 
still  on  the  same  nags,  to  cover  fifty  in  one  day, 
as  he  may  read  at  length  in  the  inimitable  novel 
of  Rob  Roy.  And  it  is  certainly  well,  though  far 
from  necessary,  to  avoid  such  croppers.  But  it  is 
my  contention  —  my  superstition,  if  you  like  — 
that  he  who  is  faithful  to  his  map,  and  consults  it, 
and  draws  from  it  his  inspiration,  daily  and  hourly, 
gains  positive  support,  and  not  mere  negative 
immunity  from  accident.  The  tale  has-a  root  there ; 


MY    FIRST    BOOK  xxxiii 

ft  grows  in  that  soil;  it  has  a  spine  of  its  own 
behind  the  words.  Better  if  the  country  be  real, 
and  he  has  walked  every  foot  of  it  and  knows 
every  milestone.  But,  even  with  imaginary  places, 
he  will  do  well  in  the  beginning  to  provide  a  map. 
As  he  studies  it,  relations  will  appear  that  he  had 
not  thought  upon.  He  will  discover  obvious  though 
unsuspected  short  cuts  and  footpaths  for  his  mes- 
sengers; and  even  when  a  map  is  not  all  the  plot, 
as  it  was  in  Treasure  Island,  it  will  be  found  to  be 
a  mine  of  suggestion. 

ROBERT  Louis  STEVENSON. 


PART   1 
THE   OLD   BUCCANEER 


-  •-•-       ^  .-v 

«M$0M)t?  ''£ 

ffi-  ••-•";••"*        •<f> 

1  **^i  rrt?  j         A  ^5 
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D 


CHAPTER   I 

THE   OLD   SEA   DOG  AT   THE   "ADMIRAL 
BENBOW  " 

SQUIRE  TRELAWNEY,  Dr.  Livesey,  and 
the  rest  of  these  gentlemen  having  asked 
me  to  write  down  the  whole  particulars 
about  Treasure  Island,  from  the  beginning  to  the 
end,  keeping  nothing  back  but  the  bearings  of  the 
island,  and  that  only  because  there  is  still  treasure 
not  yet  lifted,  I  take  up  my  pen  in  the  year  of 
grace  17 — ,  and  go  back  to  the  time  when  my 
father  kept  the  "  Admiral  Benbow  "  inn,  and  the 
brown  old  seaman,  with  the  sabre  cut,  first  took 
up  his  lodging  under  our  roof. 

I  remember  him  as  if  it  were  yesterday,  as  he 
came  plodding  to  the  inn  door,  his  sea-chest  fol- 
lowing behind  him  in  a  hand-barrow;  a  tall, 
strong,  heavy,  nut-brown  man;  his  tarry  pigtail 
falling  over  the  shoulders  of  his  soiled  blue  coat; 
his  hands  ragged  and  scarred,  with  black,  broken 
nails;  and  the  sabre  cut  across  one  cheek,  a  dirty, 
livid  white.  1  remember  him  looking  round  the 
cove  and  whistling  to  himself  as  he  did  so,  and 


.vEASURE    ISLAND 

.1  breaking  out  in  that  old  sea-song  that  he 
sang  so  often  afterwards: 

"Fifteen  men  on  the  dead  man's  chest — 
Yo-ho-ho,  and  a  bottle  of  rum ! " 

in  the  high,  old  tottering  voice  that  seemed  to 
have  been  tuned  and  broken  at  the  capstan  bars. 
Then  lie  rapped  on  the  door  with  a  bit  of  stick 
like  a  handspike  that  he  carried,  and  when  my 
father  appeared,  called  roughly  for  a  glass  of  rum. 
This,  when  it  was  brought  to  him,  he  drank 
slowly,  like  a  connoisseur,  lingering  on  the  taste, 
and  still  looking  about  him  at  the  cliffs  and  up 
at  our  signboard. 

"  This  is  a  handy  cove,"  says  he,  at  length ; 
"  and  a  pleasant  sittyated  grog-shop.  Much  com- 
pany, mate  ?  " 

My  father  told  him  no,  very  little  company,  the 
more  was  the  pity. 

"Well,  then,"  said  he,  "this  is  the  berth  for 
me.  Here  you,  matey,"  he  cried  to  the  man  who 
trundled  the  barrow ;  "  bring  up  alongside  and  help 
up  my  chest.  I  '11  stay  here  a  bit,"  he  continued. 
"  I  'm  a  plain  man ;  rum  and  bacon  and  eggs  is 
what  I  want,  and  that  head  up  there  for  to  watch 
ships  off.  What  you  mought  call  me?  You 
mought  call  me  captain.  Oh,  I  see  what  you  're 
at  —  there;"  and  he  threw  down  three  or  four 


TREASURE    ISLAND          7 

gold  pieces  on  the  threshold.  "  You  can  tell"7-!10 
when  I  've  worked  through  that,"  says  he,  looking 
as  fierce  as  a  commander. 

And,  indeed,  bad  as  his  clothes  were,  and 
coarsely  as  he  spoke,  he  had  none  of  the  appear- 
ance of  a  man  who  sailed  before  the  mast;  but 
seemed  like  a  mate  or  skipper,  accustomed  to  be 
obeyed  or  to  strike.  The  man  who  came  with 
the  barrow  told  us  the  mail  had  set  him  down 
the  morning  before  at  the  "  Royal  George ; "  that 
he  had  inquired  what  inns  there  were  along  the 
coast,  and  hearing  ours  well  spoken  of,  I  suppose, 
and  described  as  lonely,  had  chosen  it  from  the 
others  for  his  place  of  residence.  And  that  was 
all  we  could  learn  of  our  guest. 

He  was  a  very  silent  man  by  custom.  All  day 
he  hung  round  the  cove,  or  upon  the  cliffs,  with 
a  brass  telescope;  all  evening  he  sat  in  a  corner 
of  the  parlour  next  the  fire,  and  drank  rum  and 
water  very  strong.  Mostly  he  would  not  speak 
when  spoken  to;  only  look  up  sudden  and  fierce, 
and  blow  through  his  nose  like  a  fog-horn ;  and 
we  and  the  people  who  came  about  our  house 
soon  learned  to  let  him  be.  Every  day,  when  he 
came  back  from  his  stroll,  he  would  ask  if  any 
seafaring  men  had  gone  by  along  the  road?  At 
first  we  thought  it  was  the  want  of  company  of 
his  own  kind  that  made  him  ask  this  question; 


.vEASURE     ISLAND 

at  last  we  began  to  see  he  was  desirous  to 
avoid  them.  When  a  seaman  put  up  at  the 
"  Admiral  Benbow  "  (as  now  and  then  some  did, 
making  by  the  coast  road  for  Bristol),  he  would 
look  in  at  him  through  the  curtained  door  before 
he  entered  the  parlour;  and  he  was  always  sure 
to  be  as  silent  as  a  mouse  when  any  such  was 
present.  For  me,  at  least,  there  was  no  secret 
about  the  matter;  for  I  was,  in  a  way,  a  sharer 
in  his  alarms.  He  had  taken  me  aside  one  day, 
and  promised  me  a  silver  fourpenny  on  the  first 
of  every  month  if  I  would  only  keep  my  "  weather- 
eye  open  for  a  seafaring  man  with  one  leg,"  and 
let  him  know  the  moment  he  appeared.  Often 
enough,  when  the  first  of  the  month  came  round, 
and  I  applied  to  him  for  my  wage,  he  would  only 
blow  through  his  nose  at  me,  and  stare  me  down ; 
but  before  the  week  was  out  he  was  sure  to  think 
better  of  it,  bring  me  my  fourpenny  piece,  and 
repeat  his  orders  to  look  out  for  "  the  seafaring 
man  with  one  leg." 

How  that  personage  haunted  my  dreams,  I 
need  scarcely  tell  you.  On  stormy  nights,  when 
the  wind  shook  the  four  corners  of  the  house,  and 
the  surf  roared  along  the  cove  and  up  the  cliffs, 
I  would  see  him  in  a  thousand  forms,  and  with  a 
thousand  diabolical  expressions.  Now  the  leg 
would  be  cut  off  at  the  knee,  now  at  the  hip; 


TREASURE     ISLAND          7 

now  he  was  a  monstrous  kind  of  a  creature  who 
had  never  had  but  the  one  leg,  and  that  in  the 
middle  of  his  body.  To  see  him  leap  and  run 
and  pursue  me  over  hedge  and  ditch  was  the  worst 
of  nightmares.  And  altogether  I  paid  pretty  dear 
for  my  monthly  fourpenny  piece>  in  the  shape  of 
these  abominable  fancies. 

But  though  I  was  so  terrified  by  the  idea  of  the 
seafaring  man  with  one  leg,  I  was  far  less  afraid 
of  the  captain  himself  than  anybody  else  who 
knew  him.  There  were  nights  when  he  took  a 
deal  more  rum  and  water  than  his  head  would 
carry;  and  then  he  would  sometimes  sit  and  sing 
his  wicked,  old,  wild  sea-songs,  minding  nobody; 
but  sometimes  he  would  call  for  glasses  round, 
and  force  all  the  trembling  company  to  listen  to 
his  stories  or  bear  a  chorus  to  his  singing.  Often 
I  have  heard  the  house  shaking  with  "  Yo-ho-ho, 
and  a  bottle  of  rum ; "  all  the  neighbours  joining 
in  for  dear  life,  with  the  fear  of  death  upon  them, 
and  each  singing  louder  than  the  other,  to  avoid 
remark.  For  in  these  fits  he  was  the  most  over- 
riding companion  ever  known;  he  would  slap 
his  hand  on  the  table  for  silence  all  round;  he 
would  fly  up  in  a  passion  of  anger  at  a  question, 
or  sometimes  because  none  was  put,  and  so  he 
judged  the  company  was  not  following  his  story. 
Nor  would  he  allow  any  one  to  leave  the  inn 


8          TREASURE    ISLAND 

till  he  had  drunk  himself  sleepy  and  reeled  off 
to  bed. 

His  stories  were  what  frightened  people  worst 
of  all.  Dreadful  stories  they  were;  about  hang- 
ing, and  walking  the  plank,  and  storms  at  sea, 
and  the  Dry  Tortugas,  and  wild  deeds  and  places 
on  the  Spanish  Main.  By  his  own  account  he 
must  have  lived  his  life  among  some  of  the 
wickedest  men  that  God  ever  allowed  upon  the 
sea;  and  the  language  in  which  he  told  these 
stories  shocked  our  plain  country  people  almost 
as  much  as  the  crimes  that  he  described.  My 
father  was  always  saying  the  inn  would  be  ruined, 
for  people  would  soon  cease  coming  there  to  be 
tyrannised  over  and  put  down,  and  sent  shiver- 
ing to  their  beds;  but  I  really  believe  his  pres- 
ence did  us  good.  People  were  frightened  at 
the  time,  but  on  looking  back  they  rather  liked 
it;  it  was  a  fine  excitement  in  a  quiet  country 
life;  and  there  was  even  a  party  of  the  younger 
men  who  pretended  to  admire  him,  calling  him 
a  "  true  sea-dog,"  and  a  "  real  old  salt,"  and  such 
like  names,  and  saying  there  was  the  sort  of  man 
that  made  England  terrible  at  sea. 

In  one  way,  indeed,  he  bade  fair  to  ruin  us; 
for  he  kept  on  staying  week  after  week,  and  at 
last  month  after  month,  so  that  all  the  money 
had  been  long  exhausted,  and  still  my  father  never 


TREASURE    ISLAND          9 

plucked  up  the  heart  to  insist  on  having  more.  If 
ever  he  mentioned  it,  the  captain  blew  through 
his  nose  so  loudly,  that  you  might  say  he  roared, 
and  stared  my  poor  father  out  of  the  room.  I 
have  seen  him  wringing  his  hands  after  such  a 
rebuff,  and  I  am  sure  the  annoyance  and  the  terror 
he  lived  in  must  have  greatly  hastened  his  early 
and  unhappy  death. 

All  the  time  he  lived  with  us  the  captain  made 
no  change  whatever  in  his  dress  but  to  buy  some 
stockings  from  a  hawker.  One  of  the  cocks  of  his 
hat  having  fallen  down,  he  let  it  hang  from  that 
day  forth,  though  it  was  a  great  annoyance  when 
it  blew.  I  remember  the  appearance  of  his  coat, 
which  he  patched  himself  up-stairs  in  his  room, 
and  which,  before  the  end,  was  nothing  but  patches. 
He  never  wrote  or  received  a  letter,  and  he  never 
spoke  with  any  but  the  neighbours,  and  with  these, 
for  the  most  part,  only  when  drunk  on  rum.  The 
great  sea-chest  none  of  us  had  ever  seen  open. 

He  was  only  once  crossed,  and  that  was  towards 
the  end,  when  my  poor  father  was  far  gone  in  a 
decline  that  took  him  off.  Dr.  Livesey  came  late 
one  afternoon  to  see  the  patient,  took  a  bit  of 
dinner  from  my  mother,  and  went  into  the  parlour 
to  smoke  a  pipe  until  his  horse  should  come  down 
from  the  hamlet,  for  we  had  no  stabling  at  the  old 
"  Benbow."  I  followed  him  in,  and  I  remember 


10        TREASURE     ISLAND 

observing  the  contrast  the  neat,  bright  doctor,  with 
his  powder  as  white  as  snow,  and  his  bright,  black 
eyes  and  pleasant  manners,  made  with  the  coltish 
country  folk,  and  above  all,  with  that  filthy,  heavy, 
bleared  scarecrow  of  a  pirate  of  ours,  sitting  far 
gone  in  rum,  with  his  arms  on  the  table.  Suddenly 
he  —  the  captain,  that  is  —  began  to  pipe  up  his 
eternal  song: 

"  Fifteen  men  on  the  dead  man's  chest  — 

Yo-ho-ho,  and  a  bottle  of  rum ! 
Drink  and  the  devil  had  done  for  the  rest  — 
Yo-ho-ho,  and  a  bottle  of  rum  ! " 

At  first  I  had  supposed  "  the  dead  man's  chest " 
to  be  that  identical  big  box  of  his  up-stairs  in  the 
front  room,  and  the  thought  had  been  mingled  in 
my  nightmares  with  that  of  the  one-legged  sea- 
faring man.  But  by  this  time  we  had  all  long 
ceased  to  pay  any  particular  notice  to  the  song;  it 
was  new,  that  night,  to  nobody  but  Dr.  Livesey, 
and  on  him  I  observed  it  did  not  produce  an  agree- 
able effect,  for  he  looked  up  for  a  moment  quite 
angrily  before  he  went  on  with  his  talk  to  old 
Taylor,  the  gardener,  on  a  new  cure  for  the  rheu- 
matics. In  the  meantime,  the  captain  gradually 
brightened  up  at  his  own  music,  and  at  last  flapped 
his  hand  upon  the  table  before  him  in  a  way  we 
all  knew  to  mean  —  silence.  The  voices  stopped  at 
once,  all  but  Dr.  Livesey's;  he  went  en  as  before, 


TREASURE     ISLAND        n 

speaking  clear  and  kind,  and  drawing  briskly  at 
his  pipe  between  every  word  or  two.  The  captain 
glared  at  him  for  awhile,  flapped  his  hand  again, 
glared  still  harder,  and  at  last  broke  out  with  a 
villainous,  low  oath :  "  Silence,  there,  between 
decks!" 

"  Were  you  addressing  me,  sir  ?  "  says  the  doc- 
tor; and  when  the  ruffian  had  told  him,  with 
another  oath,  that  this  was  so,  "I  have  only  one 
thing  to  say  to  you,  sir,"  replies  the  doctor,  "  that 
if  you  keep  on  drinking  rum,  the  world  will  soon 
be  quit  of  a  very  dirty  scoundrel !  " 

The  old  fellow's  fury  was  awful.  He  sprang  to 
his  feet,  drew  and  opened  a  sailor's  clasp-knife, 
and,  balancing  it  open  on  the  palm  of  his  hand, 
threatened  to  pin  the  doctor  to  the  wall. 

The  doctor  never  so  much  as  moved.  He  spoke 
to  him,  as  before,  over  his  shoulder,  and  in  the 
same  tone  of  voice;  rather  high,  so  that  all  the 
room  might  hear,  but  perfectly  calm  and  steady: 

"  If  you  do  not  put  that  knife  this  instant  in 
your  pocket,  I  promise,  upon  my  honour,  you  shall 
hang  at  the  next  assizes." 

Then  followed  a  battle  of  looks  between  them; 
but  the  captain  soon  knuckled  under,  put  up  his 
weapon,  and  resumed  his  seat,  grumbling  like  a 
beaten  dog. 

"  And  now,  sir,"  continued  the  doctor,  "  since  I 


12        TREASURE     ISLAND 

now  know  there  's  such  a  fellow  in  my  district,  you 
may  count  I  '11  have  an  eye  upon  you  day  and 
night.  I  'm  not  a  doctor  only ;  I  'm  a  magistrate ; 
and  if  I  catch  a  breath  of  complaint  against  you, 
if  it 's  only  for  a  piece  of  incivility  like  to-night's, 
I  '11  take  effectual  means  to  have  you  hunted  down 
and  routed  out  of  this.  Let  that  suffice." 

Soon  after  Dr.  Livesey's  horse  came  to  the  door, 
and  he  rode  away;  but  the  captain  held  his  peace 
that  evening,  and  for  many  evenings  to  come. 


. 


CHAPTER   II 

BLACK   DOG   APPEARS   AND   DISAPPEARS 

IT   was   not   very   long   after   this   that   there 
occurred  the  first  of  the  mysterious  events 
that  rid  us  at  last  of  the  captain,  though  not, 
as  you  will  see,  of  his  affairs.    It  was  a  bitter  cold 
winter,  with  long,  hard  frosts  'and  heavy  gales; 
and  it  was  plain  from  the  first  that  my  poor  father 
was  little  likely  to  see  the  spring.     He  sank  daily, 
and  my  mother  and  I  had  all  the  inn  upon  our 
hands;   and  were  kept  busy  enough,  without  pay- 
ing much  regard  to  our  unpleasant  guest. 

It  was  one  January  morning,  very  early  —  a 
pinching,  frosty  morning  —  the  cove  all  grey  with 
hoar-frost,  the  ripple  lapping  softly  on  the  stones, 
the  sun  still  low  and  only  touching  the  hilltops  and 
shining  far  to  seaward.  The  captain  had  risen 
earlier  than  usual,  and  set  out  down  the  beach,  his 
cutlass  swinging  under  the  broad  skirts  of  the  old 
blue  coat,  his  brass  telescope  under  his  arm,  his  hat 
tilted  back  upon  his  head.  I  remember  his  breath 
hanging  like  smoke  in  his  wake  as  he  strode  off, 
and  the  last  sound  I  heard  of  him,  as  he  turned  the 


i4        TREASURE     ISLAND 

big  rock,  was  a  loud  snort  of  indignation,  as  though 
his  mind  was  still  running  upon  Dr.  Livesey. 

Well,  mother  'was  up-stairs  with  father ;  and  I 
was  laying  the  breakfast-table  against  the  captain's 
return,  when  the  parlour  door  opened,  and  a  man 
stepped  in  on  whom  I  had  never  set  my  eyes  before. 
He  was  a  pale,  tallowy  creature,  wanting  two 
fingers  of  the  left  hand;  and,  though  he  wore  a 
cutlass,  he  did  not  look  much  like  a  fighter.  I  had 
always  my  eye  open  for  seafaring  men,  with  one 
leg  or  two,  and  I  remember  this  one  puzzled  me. 
He  was  not  sailorly,  and  yet  he  had  a  smack  of 
the  sea  about  him  too. 

I  asked  him  what  was  for  his  service,  and  he  said 
he  would  take  rum ;  but  as  I  was  going  out  of  the 
room  to  fetch  it  he  sat  down  upon  a  table,  and 
motioned  me  to  draw  near.  I  paused  where  I  was, 
with  my  napkin  in  my  hand. 

"  Come  here,  sonny/'  says  he.  "  Come  nearer 
here." 

I  took  a  step  nearer. 

"  Is  this  here  table  for  my  mate  Bill  ?  "  he  asked, 
with  a  kind  of  leer. 

I  told  him  I  did  not  know  his  mate  Bill :  and  this 
was  for  a  person  who  stayed  in  our  house,  whom 
we  called  the  captain. 

"  Well,"  said  he,  "  my  mate  Bill  would  be  called 
the  captain,  as  like  as  not.  He  has  a  cut  on  one 


TREASURE    ISLAND        15 

cheek,  and  a  mighty  pleasant  way  with  him,  par- 
ticularly in  drink,  has  my  mate  Bill.  We  '11  put 
it,  for  argument  like,  that  your  captain  has  a  cut 
on  one  cheek  —  and  we  '11  put  it,  if  you  like,  that 
that  cheek  's  the  right  one.  Ah,  well !  I  told  you. 
Now,  is  my  mate  Bill  in  this  here  house?  " 

I  told  him  he  was  out  walking. 

"  Which  way,  sonny?    Which  way  is  he  gone?  " 

And  when  I  had  pointed  out  the  rock  and  told 
him  how  the  captain  was  likely  to  return,  and  how 
soon,  and  answered  a  few  other  questions,  "  Ah," 
said  he,  "  this  '11  be  as  good  as  drink  to  my  mate 
Bill." 

The  expression  of  his  face  as  he  said  these  words 
was  not  at  all  pleasant,  and  I  had  my  own  reasons 
for  thinking  that  the  stranger  was  mistaken,  even 
supposing  he  meant  what  he  said.  But  it  was  no 
affair  of  mine,  I  thought;  and,  besides,  it  was 
difficult  to  know  what  to  do.  The  stranger  kept 
hanging  about  $ust  inside  the  inn  door,  peering 
round  the  corner  like  a  cat  waiting  for  a  mouse. 
Once  I  stepped  out  myself  into  the  road,  but  he 
immediately  called  me  back,  and,  as  I  did  not  obey 
quick  enough  for  his  fancy,  a  most  horrible  change 
came  over  his  tallowy  face,  and  he  ordered  me  in, 
with  an  oath  that  made  me  jump.  As  soon  as  I 
was  back  again  he  returned  to  his  former  manner, 
half  fawning,  half  sneering,  patted  me  on  the 


16        TREASURE     ISLAND 

shoulder,  told  me  I  was  a  good  boy,  and  he  had 
taken  quite  a  fancy  to  me.  "  I  have  a  son  of  my 
own,"  said  he,  "  as  like  you  as  two  blocks,  and  he  's 
all  the  pride  of  my  'art.  But  the  great  thing  for 
boys  is  discipline,  sonny  —  discipline.  Now,  if 
you  had  sailed  along  of  Bill,  you  would  n't  have 
stood  there  to  be  spoke  to  twice  —  not  you.  That 
was  never  Bill's  way,  nor  the  way  of  sich  as  sailed 
with  him.  And  here,  sure  enough,  is  my  mate  Bill, 
with  a  spy-glass  under  his  arm,  bless  his  old  'art, 
to  be  sure.  You  and  me  '11  just  go  back  into  the 
parlour,  sonny,  and  get  behind  the  door,  and  we  '11 
give  Bill  a  little  surprise  —  bless  his  'art,  I  say 
again." 

So  saying,  the  stranger  backed  along  with  me 
into  the  parlour,  and  put  me  behind  him  in  the 
corner,  so  that  we  were  both  hidden  by  the  open 
door.  I  was  very  uneasy  and  alarmed,  as  you  may 
fancy,  and  it  rather  added  to  my  fears  to  observe 
that  the  stranger  was  certainly  frightened  himself. 
He  cleared  the  hilt  of  his  cutlass  and  loosened  the 
blade  in  the  sheath ;  and  all  the  time  we  were  wait- 
ing there  he  kept  swallowing  as  if  he  felt  what  we 
used  to  call  a  lump  in  the  throat. 

At  last  in  strode  the  captain,  slammed  the  door 
behind  him,  without  looking  to  the  right  or  left, 
and  marched  straight  across  the  room  to  where  his 
breakfast  awaited  him. 


TREASURE     ISLAND         17 

"  Bill,"  said  the  stranger,  in  ?  voice  that  I 
thought  he  had  tried  to  make  bold  ,and  big. 

The  captain  spun  round  on  his  heel  and  fronted 
us;  all  the  brown  had  gone  out  of  his  face,  and 
even  his  nose  was  blue ;  he  had  the  look  of  a  man 
who  sees  a  ghost,  or  the  evil  onCj  or  something 
worse,  if  anything  can  be;  and,  upon  my  word,  I 
felt  sorry  to  see  him,  all  in  a  moment,  turn  so  old 
and  sick. 

"Come,  Bill,  you  know  me;  you  know  an  old 
shipmate,  Bill,  surely,"  said  the  stranger. 

The  captain  made  a  sort  of  gasp. 

"Black  Dog!"  said  he. 

"And  who  else?"  returned  the  other,  getting 
more  at  his  ease.  "  Black  Dog  as  ever  was,  come 
for  to  see  his  old  shipmate  Billy,  at  the  '  Admiral 
Benbow  '  inn.  Ah,  Bill,  Bill,  we  have  seen  a  sight 
of  times,  us  two,  since  I  lost  them  two  talons," 
holding  up  his  mutilated  hand. 

"  Now,  look  here,"  said  the  captain ;  "  you  Ve 
run  me  down;  here  I  am;  well,  then,  speak  up: 
what  is  it?" 

"That's  you,  Bill,"  returned  Black  Dog, 
"you  're  in  the  right  of  it,  Billy.  I  '11  have  a  glass 
of  rum  from  this  dear  child  here,  as  I  Ve  took  such 
a  liking  to;  and  we  '11  sit  down,  if  you  please,  and 
talk  square,  like  old  shipmates." 

When    I    returned    with    the    rum,    they   were 

VOL.  VI.  —  2 


i8 

already  seated  on  either  side  of  the  captain's 
breakfast-table  —  Black  Dog  next  to  the  door, 
and  sitting  sideways,  so  as  to  have  one  eye  on 
his  old  shipmate,  and  one,  as  I  thought,  on  his 
retreat. 

He  bade  me  go,  and  leave  the  door  wide  open. 
"  None  of  your  keyholes  for  me,  sonny,"  he  said ; 
and  I  left  them  together,  and  retired  into  the 
bar. 

For  a  long  time,  though  I  certainly  did  my  best 
to  listen,  I  could  hear  nothing  but  a  low  gabbling; 
but  at  last  the  voices  began  to  grow  higher,  and  I 
could  pick  up  a  word  or  two,  mostly  oaths,  from 
the  captain. 

"  No,  no,  no,  no ;  and  an  end  of  it ! "  he  cried 
once.  And  again,  "  If  it  comes  to  swinging,  swing 
all,  say  I." 

Then  all  of  a  sudden  there  was  a  tremendous 
explosion  of  oaths  and  other  noises  —  the  chair  and 
table  went  over  in  a  lump,  a  clash  of  steel  followed, 
and  then  a  cry  of  pain,  and  the  next  instant  I  saw 
Black  Dog  in  full  flight,  and  the  captain  hotly 
pursuing,  both  with  drawn  cutlasses,  and  the 
former  streaming  blood  from  the  left  shoulder. 
Just  at  the  door,  the  captain  aimed  at  the  fugitive 
one  last  tremendous  cut,  which  would  certainly 
have  split  him  to  the  chine  had  it  not  been  inter- 
cepted by  our  big  signboard  of  Admiral  Benbow 


TREASURE    ISLAND        19 

You  may  see  the  notch  on  the  lower  side  of  the 
frame  to  this  day. 

That  blow  was  the  last  of  the  battle.  Once 
out  upon  the  road,  Black  Dog,  in  spite  of  his 
wound,  showed  a  wonderful  clean  pair  of  heels, 
and  disappeared  over  the  edge  of  the  hill  in  half 
a  minute.  The  captain,  for  his  part,  stood  staring 
at  the  signboard  like  a  bewildered  man.  Then 
he  passed  his  hand  over  his  eyes  several  times, 
and  at  last  turned  back  into  the  house. 

"Jim,"  says  he,  "rum;"  and  as  he  spoke,  he 
reeled  a  little,  and  caught  himself  with  one  hand 
against  the  wall. 

"  Are  you  hurt  ?  "  cried  I. 

"  Rum,"  he  repeated.  "  I  must  get  away  from 
here.  Rum !  rum !  " 

I  ran  to  fetch  it;  but  I  was  quite  unsteadied 
by  all  that  had  fallen  out,  and  I  broke  one  glass 
and  fouled  the  tap,  and  while  I  was  still  getting 
in  my  own  way,  I  heard  a  loud  fall  in  the  parlour, 
and,  running  in,  beheld  the  captain  lying  full  length 
upon  the  floor.  At  the  same  instant  my  mother, 
alarmed  by  the  cries  and  fighting,  came  running 
down-stairs  to  help  me.  Between  us  we  raised 
his  head.  He  was  breathing  very  loud  and  hard; 
but  his  eyes  were  closed,  and  his  face  a  horrible 
colour. 

"  Dear,   deary  me,"   cried  my  mother,   "  what 


20        TREASURE    ISLAND 

a  disgrace  upon  the  house !  And  your  poor  father 
sick!" 

In  the  meantime,  we  had  no  idea  what  to  do 
to  help  the  captain,  nor  any  other  thought  but 
that  he  had  got  his  death-hurt  in  the  scuffle  with 
the  stranger.  I  got  the  rum,  to  be  sure,  and  tried 
to  put  it  down  his  throat;  but  his  teeth  were 
tightly  shut,  and  his  jaws  as  strong  as  iron.  It 
was  a  happy  relief  for  us  when  the  door  opened 
and  Dr.  Livesey  came  in,  on  his  visit  to  my 
father. 

"Oh,  doctor,"  we  cried,  "what  shall  we  do? 
Where  is  he  wounded?" 

"Wounded?  A  fiddle-stick's  end!"  said  the 
doc-tor.  "  No  more  wounded  than  you  or  I.  The 
man  has  had  a  stroke,  as  I  warned  him.  Now, 
Mrs.  Hawkins,  just  you  run  up-stairs  to  your 
husband,  and  tell  him,  if  possible,  nothing  about 
it.  For  my  part,  I  must  do  my  best  to  save  this 
fellow's  trebly  worthless  life;  and,  Jim,  you  get 
me  a  basin." 

When  I  got  back  with  the  basin,  the  doctor 
had  already  ripped  up  the  captain's  sleeve,  and 
exposed  his  great  sinewy  arm.  It  was  tattooed 
in  several  places.  "  Here  's  luck,"  "  A  fair  wind," 
and  "  Billy  Bones  his  fancy,"  were  very  neatly 
and  clearly  executed  on  the  forearm ;  and  up  near 
the  shoulder  there  was  a  sketch  of  a^  gallows  and 


TREASURE     ISLAND        21 

a  man  hanging  from  it  —  done,  as  I  thought,  with 
great  spirit. 

"  Prophetic,"  said  the  doctor,  touching  this 
picture  with  his  finger.  "  And  now,  Master  Billy 
Bones,  if  that  be  your  name,  we  '11  have  a  look 
at  the  colour  of  your  blood.  Jim,"  he  said,  "  are 
you  afraid  of  blood  ?  " 

"  No,  sir,"  said  I. 

"Well,  then,"  said  he,  "you  hold  the  basin;" 
and  with  that  he  took  his  lancet  and  opened  a 
vein. 

A  great  deal  of  blood  was  taken  before  the 
captain  opened  his  eyes  and  looked  mistily  about 
him.  First  he  recognised  the  doctor  with  an  un- 
mistakable frown;  then  his  glance  fell  upon  me, 
and  he  looked  relieved.  But  suddenly  his  colour 
changed,  and  he  tried  to  raise  himself,  crying: 

"Where's  Black  Dog?" 

"  There  is  no  Black  Dog  here,"  said  the  doctor, 
"  except  what  you  have  on  your  own  back.  You 
have  been  drinking  rum;  you  have  had  a  stroke, 
precisely  as  I  told  you;  and  I  have  just,  very 
much  against  my  own  will,  dragged  you  head-fore- 
most out  of  the  grave.  Now,  Mr.  Bones " 

"  That 's  not  my  name,"  he  interrupted. 

"  Much  I  care,"  returned  the  doctor.  "  It 's 
the  name  of  a  buccaneer  of  my  acquaintance ;  and 
I  call  you  by  it  for  the  sake  of  shortness,  and. 


22        TREASURE     ISLAND 

what  I  have  to  say  to  you  is  this :  one  glass  of 
rum  won't  kill  you,  but  if  you  take  one  you  '11 
take  another  and  another,  and  I  stake  my  wig  if 
you  don't  break  off  short,  you  '11  die  —  do  you 
understand  that  ?  —  die,  and  go  to  your  own  place, 
like  the  man  in  the  Bible.  Come,  now,  make  an 
effort.  I  '11  help  you  to  your  bed  for  once." 

Between  us,  with  much  trouble,  we  managed  to 
hoist  him  up-stairs,  and  laid  him  on  his  bed, 
where  his  head  fell  back  on  the  pillow,  as  if  he 
were  almost  fainting. 

"  Now,  mind  you,"  said  the  doctor,  "  I  clear 
my  conscience  —  the  name  of  rum  for  you  is 
death." 

And  with  that  he  went  off  to  see  my  father, 
taking  me  with  him  by  the  arm. 

"  This  is  nothing,"  he  said,  as  soon  as  he  had 
closed  the  door.  "  I  have  drawn  blood  enough 
to  keep  him  quiet  awhile;  he  should  lie  for  a 
week  where  he  is  —  that  is  the  best  thing  for  him 
and  you;  but  another  stroke  would  settle  him." 


iy 


CHAPTER    III 

THE   BLACK   SPOT 

A"  OUT  noon  I  stopped  at  the  captain's  door 
with  some  cooling  drinks  and  medicines. 
He  was  lying  very  much  as  we  had  left 
him,  only  a  little  higher,  and  he  seemed  both 
weak  and  excited. 

"  Jim,"  he  said,  "  you  're  the  only  one  here 
that 's  worth  anything ;  and  you  know  I  've  been 
always  good  to  you.  Never  a  month  but  I  've 
given  you  a  silver  fourpenny  for  yourself.  And 
now  you  see,  mate,  I  'm  pretty  low,  and  deserted 
by  all ;  and,  Jim,  you  '11  bring  me  one  noggin  of 
rum,  now,  won't  you,  matey  ?  " 

"  The  doctor "  I  began. 

But  he  broke  in,  cursing  the  doctor  in  a  feeble 
voice,  but  heartily.  "  Doctors  is  all  swabs,"  he 
said ;  "  and  that  doctor  there,  why,  what  do  he 
know  about  seafaring  men?  I  been  in  places  hot 
as  pitch,  and  mates  dropping  round  with  Yellow 
Jack,  and  the  blessed  land  a-heaving  like  the  sea 
with  earthquakes  —  what  do  the  doctor  know  of 
lands  like  that?  —  and  I  livjedtqn  rjum,  I  tell  you. 

" 


22          TREASURE     ISLAND 

wh  's  been  meat  and  drink,  and  man  and  wife,  to 
rme;  and  if  I  'm  not  to  have  my  rum  now  I  'm  a 
poor  old  hulk  on  a  lee  shore,  my  blood  '11  be  on 
you,  Jim,  and  that  doctor  swab;"  and  he  ran  on 
again  for  awhile  with  curses.  "  Look,  Jim,  how 
my  fingers  ridges,"  he  continued,  in  the  pleading 
tone.  "  I  can't  keep  'em  still,  not  I.  I  have  n't 
had  a  drop  this  blessed  day.  That  doctor 's  a 
fool,  I  tell  you.  If  I  don't  have  a  drain  o'  rum, 
Jim,  I  '11  have  the  horrors ;  I  seen  some  on  'em 
already.  I  seen  old  Flint  in  the  corner  there,  be- 
hind you;  as  plain  as  print,  I  seen  him;  and  if 
I  get  the  horrors,  I  'm  a  man  that  has  lived  rough, 
and  I  '11  raise  Cain.  Your  doctor  hisself  said  one 
glass  would  n't  hurt  me.  I  '11  give  you  a  golden 
guinea  for  a  noggin,  Jim." 

He  was  growing  more  and  more  excited,  and 
this  alarmed  me  for  my  father,  who  was  very 
low  that  day,  and  needed  quiet;  besides,  I  was 
reassured  by  the  doctor's  words,  now  quoted 
to  me,  and  rather  offended  by  the  offer  of  a 
bribe. 

"  I  want  none  of  your  money,"  said  I,  "  but 
what  you  owe  my  father.  I  '11  get  you  one  glass, 
and  no  more." 

When  I  brought  it  to  him,  he  seized  it  greedily, 
and  drank  it  out. 

"  Ay,  ay,"  said  he,  "  that 's  some-  better,  sure 


TREASURE     ISLAND        25 

enough.  And  now,  matey,  did  that  doctor  say 
how  long  I  was  to  lie  here  in  this  old  berth  ?  " 

"  A  week  at  least,"  said  I. 

"  Thunder !  "  he  cried.  "  A  week !  I  can't  do 
that ;  they  'd  have  the  black  spot  on  me  by  then. 
The  lubbers  is  going  about  to  get  the  wind  of 
me  this  blessed  moment ;  lubbers  as  could  n't  keep 
what  they  got,  and  want  to  nail  what  is  another's. 
Is  that  seamanly  behaviour,  now,  I  want  to  know  ? 
But  I  'm  a  saving  soul.  I  never  wasted  good 
money  of  mine,  nor  lost  it  neither ;  and  I  '11  trick 
'em  again.  I  'm  not  afraid  on  'em.  I  '11  shake 
out  another  reef,  matey,  and  daddle  'em  again." 

As  he  was  thus  speaking,  he  had  risen  from 
bed  with  great  difficulty,  holding  to  my  shoulder 
with  a  grip  that  almost  made  me  cry  out,  and 
moving  his  legs  like  so  much  dead  weight.  His 
words,  spirited  as  they  were  in  meaning,  con- 
trasted sadly  with  the  weakness  of  the  voice  in 
which  they  were  uttered.  He  paused  when  he 
had  got  into  a  sitting  position  on  the  edge. 

"  That  doctor  's  done  me,"  he  murmured.  "  My 
ears  is  singing.  Lay  me  back." 

Before  I  could  do  much  to  help  him  he  had 
fallen  back  again  to  his  former  place,  where  he 
lay  for  awhile  silent. 

"  Jim,"  he  said,  at  length,  "  you  saw  that  sea- 
faring man  to-day?" 


26        TREASURE     ISLAND 

"Black  Dog?"  I  asked. 

"Ah!  Black  Dog,"  says  he.  "He's  a  bad 
'  un ;  but  there  's  worse  that  put  him  on.  Now, 
if  I  can't  get  away  nohow,  and  they  tip  me  the 
black  spot,  mind  you,  it 's  my  old  sea-chest 
they're  after;  you  get  on  a  horse  —  you  can, 
can't  you?  Well,  then,  you  get  on  a  horse,  and 
go  to  —  well,  yes,  I  will !  —  to  that  eternal  doctor 
swab,  and  tell  him  to  pipe  all  hands  —  magistrates 
and  sich  —  and  he  '11  lay  'em  aboard  at  the  '  Ad- 
miral Benbow '  —  all  old  Flint's  crew,  man  and 
boy,  all  on  'em  that 's  left.  I  was  first  mate,  I 
was,  old  Flint's  first  mate,  and  I  'm  the  on'y  one 
as  knows  the  place.  He  gave  it  me  at  Savannah, 
when  he  lay  a-dying,  like  as  if  I  was  to  now,  you 
see.  But  you  won't  peach  unless  they  get  the 
black  spot  on  me,  or  unless  you  see  that  Black 
Dog  again,  or  a  seafaring  man  with  one  leg,  Jim 
—  him  above  all." 

"  But  what  is  the  black  spot,  captain?  "  I  asked. 

"  That 's  a  summons,  mate.  I  '11  tell  you  if 
they  get  that.  But  you  keep  your  weather-eye 
open,  Jim,  and  I  '11  share  with  you  equals,  upon 
my  honour." 

He  wandered  a  little  longer,  his  voice  growing 
weaker;  but  soon  after  I  had  given  him  his 
medicine,  which  he  took  like  a  child,  with  the  re- 
mark, "  If  ever  a  seaman  wanted  drags,  it 's  me," 


TREASURE     ISLAND        27 

he  fell  at  last  into  a  heavy,  swoon-like  sleep,  in 
which  I  left  him.  What  I  should  have  done  had 
all  gone  well  I  do  not  know.  Probably  I  should, 
have  told  the  whole  story  to  the  doctor;  for  I 
was  in  mortal  fear  lest  the  captain  should  repent 
of  his  confessions  and  make  an  end  of  me.  But 
as  things  fell  out,  my  poor  father  died  quite  sud- 
denly that  evening,  which  put  all  other  matters 
on  one  side.  Our  natural  distress,  the  visits  of 
the  neighbours,  the  arranging  of  the  funeral,  and 
all  the  work  of  the  inn  to  be  carried  on  in  the 
meanwhile,  kept  me  so  busy  that  'I  had  scarcely 
time  to  think  of  the  captain,  far  less  to  be  afraid 
of  him. 

He  got  down-stairs  next  morning,  to  be  sure, 
and  had  his  meals  as  usual,  though  he  ate  little, 
and  had  more,  I  am  afraid,  than  his  usual  supply 
of  rum,  for  he  helped  himself  out  of  the  bar, 
scowling  and  blowing  through  his  nose,  and  no 
one  dared  to  cross  him.  On  the  night  before  the 
funeral  he  was  as  drunk  as  ever;  and  it  was 
shocking,  in  that  house  of  mourning,  to  hear  him 
singing  away  at  his  ugly  old  sea-song;  but,  weak 
as  he  was,  we  were  all  in  the  fear  of  death  for 
him,  and  the  doctor  was  suddenly  taken  up  with 
a  case  many  miles  away,  and  was  never  near  the 
house  after  my  father's  death.  I  have  said  the 
captain  was  weak;  and  indeed  he  seemed  rather 


?8        TREASURE     ISLAND 

to  grow  weaker  than  regain  his  strength.  He 
clambered  up  and  down  stairs,  and  went  from  the 
parlour  to  the  bar  and  back  again,  and  sometimes 
put  his  nose  out  of  doors  to  smell  the  sea,  holding 
on  to  the  walls  as  he  went  for  support,  and 
breathing  hard  and  fast  like  a  man  on  a  steep 
mountain.  He  never  particularly  addressed  me, 
and  it  is  my  belief  he  had  as  good  as  forgotten 
his  confidences;  but  his  temper  was  more  flighty, 
and,  allowing  for  his  bodily  weakness,  more  vio- 
lent than  ever.  He  had  an  alarming  way  now 
when  he  was  drunk  of  drawing  his  cutlass  and 
laying  it  bare  before  him  on  the  table.  But.  with 
all  that,  he  minded  people  less,  and  seemed  shut 
up  in  his  own  thoughts  and  rather  wandering. 
Once,  for  instance,  to  our  extreme  wonder,  he 
piped  up  to  a  different  air,  a  kind  of  country 
love-song,  that  he  must  have  learned  in  his  youth 
before  he  had  begun  to  follow  the  sea. 

So  things  passed  until,  the  day  after  the  funeral, 
and  about  three  o'clock  of  a  bitter,  foggy,  frosty 
afternoon,  I  was  standing  at  the  door  for  a  mo- 
ment, full  of  sad  thoughts  about  my  father,  when 
I  saw  some  one  drawing  slowly  near  along  the 
road.  He  was  plainly  blind,  for  he  tapped  before 
him  with  a  stick,  and  wore  a  great  green  shade 
over  his  eyes  and  nose;  and  he  was  hunched,  as 
if  with  age  or  weakness,  and  wore^  a  huge  old 


TREASURE     ISLAND        29 

tattered  sea-cloak  with  a  hood,  that  made  him 
appear  positively  deformed.  I  never  saw  in  my 
life  a  more  dreadful  looking  figure.  He  stopped 
a  little  from  the  inn,  and,  raising  his  voice  in  an 
odd  sing-song,  addressed  the  air  in  front  of  him: 

"  Will  any  kind  friend  inform  a  poor  blind 
man,  who  has  lost  the  precious  sight  of  his  eyes 
in  the  gracious  defence  of  his  native  country,  Eng- 
land, and  God  bless  King  George !  —  where  or  in 
what  part  of  this  country  he  may  now  be?" 

"  You  are  at  the  '  Admiral  Benbow/  Black  Hill 
Cove,  my  good  man,"  said  I. 

"  I  hear  a  voice,"  said  he  —  "a  young  voice. 
Will  you  give  me  your  hand,  my  kind  young 
friend,  and  lead  me  in  ?  " 

I  held  out  my  hand,  and  the  horrible,  soft- 
spoken,  eyeless  creature  gripped  it  in  a  moment 
like  a  vice.  I  was  so  much  startled  that  I 
struggled  to  withdraw;  but  the  blind  man  pulled 
me  close  up  to  him  with  a  single  action  of  his 
arm. 

"  Now,  boy,"  he  said,  "  take  me  in  to  the 
captain." 

"  Sir,"  said  I,  "  upon  my  word  I  dare  not." 

"Oh,"  he  sneered,  "that's  it!  Take  me  in 
straight,  or  I  '11  break  your  arm." 

Arid  he  gave  it,  as  he  spoke,  a  wrench  that 
made  me  cry  out. 


30        TREASURE     ISLAND 

"  Sir,"  said  I,  "  it  is  for  yourself  I  mean.  The 
captain  is  not  what  he  used  to  be.  He  sits  with 
a  drawn  cutlass.  Another  gentleman " 

"  Come,  now,  march,"  interrupted  he ;  and  I 
never  heard  a  voice  so  cruel,  and  cold,  and  ugly 
as  that  blind  man's.  It  cowed  me  more  than  the 
pain;  and  I  began  to  obey  him  at  once,  walking 
straight  in  at  the  door  and  towards  the  parlour, 
where  our  sick  old  buccaneer  was  sitting,  dazed 
with  rum.  The  blind  man  clung  close  to  me, 
holding  me  in  one  iron  fist,  and  leaning  almost 
more  of  his  weight  on  me  than  I  could  carry. 
"  Lead  me  straight  up  to  him,  and  when  I  'm  in 
view,  cry  out,  '  Here 's  a  friend  for  you,  Bill.' 
If  you  don't,  I  '11  do  this; "  and  with  that  he  gave 
me  a  twitch  that  I  thought  would  have  made  me 
faint.  Between  this  and  that,  I  was  so  utterly 
terrified  of  the  blind  beggar  that  I  forgot  my 
terror  of  the  captain,  and  as  I  opened  the  parlour 
door,  cried  out  the  words  he  had  ordered  in  a 
trembling  voice. 

The  poor  captain  raised  his  eyes,  and  at  one 
look  the  rum  went  out  of  him,  and  left  him  star- 
ing sober.  The  expression  of  his  face  was  not  so 
much  of  terror  as  of  mortal  sickness.  He  made 
a  movement  to  rise,  but  I  do  not  believe  he  had 
enough  force  left  in  his  body. 

"Now,  Bill,  sit  where  you  are/'^aid  the  beg- 


TREASURE     ISLAND        31 

gar.  "  If  I  can't  see,  I  can  hear  a  finger  stirring. 
Business  is  business.  Hold  out  your  left  hand. 
Boy,  take  his  left  hand  by  the  wrist,  and  bring 
it  near  to  my  right." 

We  both  obeyed  him  to  the  letter,  and  I  saw 
him  pass  something  from  the  hollow  of  the  hand 
that  held  his  stick  into  the  palm  of  the  captain's, 
which  closed  upon  it  instantly. 

"And  now  that's  done,"  said  the  blind  man; 
and  at  the  words  he  suddenly  left  hold  of  me, 
and  with  incredible  accuracy  and  nimbleness, 
skipped  out  of  the  parlour  and  into  the  road, 
where,  as  I  still  stood  motionless,  I  could  hear 
his  stick  go  tap-tap-tapping  into  the  distance. 

It  was  some  time  before  either  I  or  the  captain 
seemed  to  gather  our  senses;  but  at  length,  and 
about  at  the  same  moment,  I  released  his  wrist, 
which  I  was  still  holding,  and  he  drew  in  his 
hand  and  looked  sharply  into  the  palm. 

"  Ten  o'clock !  "  he  cried.  "  Six  hours.  We  '11 
do  them  yet ;  "  and  he  sprang  to  his  feet. 

Even  as  he  did  so,  he  reeled,  put  his  hand  to 
his  throat,  stood  swaying  for  a  moment,  and  then, 
with  a  peculiar  sound,  fell  from  his  whole  height 
face  foremost  to  the  floor. 

I  ran  to  him  at  once,  calling  to  my  mother. 
But  haste  was  all  in  vain.  The  captain  had  been 
struck  dead  by  thundering  apoplexy.  It  is  a  curi- 


32        TREASURE    ISLAND 

ous  thing  to  understand,  for  I  had  certainly  never 
liked  the  man,  though  of  late  I  had  begun  to  pity 
him,  but  as  soon  as  I  saw  that  he  was  dead,  I 
burst  into  a  flood  of  tears.  It  was  the  second 
death  I  had  known,  and  the  sorrow  of  the  first 
was  still  fresh  in  my  heart. 


CHAPTER   IV 

THE   SEA-CHEST 

I  LOST  no  time,  of  course,  in  telling  my 
mother  all  that  I  knew,  and  perhaps  should 
have  told  her  long  before,  and  we  saw  our- 
selves at  once  in  a  difficult  and  dangerous  posi- 
tion. Some  of  the  man's  money  —  if  he  had  any 
—  was  certainly  due  to  us;  but  it  was  not  likely 
that  our  captain's  shipmates,  above  all  the  two 
specimens  seen  by  me,  Black  Dog  and  the  blind 
beggar,  would  be  inclined  to  give  up  their  booty 
in  payment  of  the  dead  man's  debts.  The  cap- 
tain's order  to  mount  at  once  and  ride  for  Dr. 
Livesey  would  have  left  my  mother  alone  and 
unprotected,  which  was  not  to  be  thought  of. 
Indeed,  it  seemed  impossible  for  either  of  us  to 
remain  much  longer  in  the  house:  the  fall  of 
coals  in  the  kitchen  grate,  the  very  ticking  of  the 
clock,  filled  us  with  alarms.  The  neighbourhood, 
to  our  ears,  seemed  haunted  by  approaching  foot- 
steps; and  what  between  the  dead  body  of  the 
captain  on  the  parlour  floor,  and  the  thought  of 
that  detestable  blind  beggar  hovering  near  at  hand, 
VOL.  vr.  —  3 


34        TREASURE     ISLAND 

and  ready  to  return,  there  were  moments  when, 
as  the  saying  goes,  I  jumped  in  my  skin  for 
terror.  Something  must  speedily  be  resolved 
upon;  and  it  occurred  to  us  at  last  to  go  forth 
together  and  seek  help  in  the  neighbouring  ham- 
let. No  sooner  said  than  done.  Bareheaded  as 
we  were,  we  ran  out  at  once  in  the  gathering 
evening  and  the  frosty  "fog. 

The  hamlet  lay  not  many  hundred  yards  away, 
though  out  of  view,  on  the  other  side  of  the  next 
cove;  and  what  greatly  encouraged  me,  it  was  in 
an  opposite  direction  from  that  whence  the  blind 
man  had  made  his  appearance,  and  whither  he 
had  presumably  returned.  We  were  not  many 
minutes  on  the  road,  though  we  sometimes  stopped 
to  lay  hold  of  each  other  and  hearken.  But  there 
was  no  unusual  sound  —  nothing  but  the  low  wash 
of  the  ripple  and  the  croaking  of  the  inmates  of 
the  wood. 

It  was  already  candle-light  when  we  reached 
the  hamlet,  and  I  shall  never  forget  how  much  I 
was  cheered  to  see  the  yellow  shine  in  doors  and 
windows;  but  that,  as  it  proved,  was  the  best  of 
the  help  we  were  likely  to  get  in  that  quarter. 
For  —  you  would  have  thought  men  would  have 
been  ashamed  of  themselves  —  no  soul  would  con- 
sent to  return  with  us  to  the  "  Admiral  Ben- 
bow."  The  more  we  told  of  our  -troubles,  the 


TREASURE     ISLAND        35 

more  —  man,  woman,  and  child  —  they  clung  to. 
the  shelter  of  their  houses.  The  name  of  Cap- 
tain Flint,  though  it  was  strange  to  me,  was 
well  enough  known  to  some  there,  and  carried 
a  great  weight  of  terror.  Some  of  the  men 
who  had  been  to  field-work  on  the  far  side  of 
the  "  Admiral  Benbow  "  remembered,  besides,  to 
have  seen  several  strangers  on  the  road,  and, 
taking  them  to  be  smugglers,  to  have  bolted 
away;  and  one  at  least  had  seen  a  little  lugger 
in  what  we  called  Kitt's  Hole.  For  that  matter, 
any  one  who  was  a  comrade  of  the  captain's 
was  enough  to  frighten  them  to  death.  And  the 
short  and  the  long  of  the  matter  was,  that  while 
we  could  get  several  who  were  willing  enough 
to  ride  to  Dr.  Livesey's,  which  lay  in  another 
direction,  not  one  would  help  us  to  defend  the 
inn. 

They  say  cowardice  is  infectious;  but  then 
argument  is,  on  the  other  hand,  a  great  embold- 
ener; and  so  when  each  had  said  his  say,  my 
mother  made  them  a  speech.  She  would  not,  she 
declared,  lose  money  that  belonged  to  her  father- 
less boy;  "if  none  of  the  rest  of  you  dare,"  she 
said,  "  Jim  and  I  dare.  Back  we  will  go,  the 
way  we  came,  and  small  thanks  to  you  big,  hulk- 
ing, chicken-hearted  men.  We  '11  have  that  chest 
open,  if  we  die  for  it.  And  I  '11  thank  you  for 


36        TREASURE    ISLAND 

that  bag,  Mrs.  Crossley,  to  bring  back  our  lawful 
money  in." 

Of  course  I  said  I  would  go  with  my  mother; 
and  of  course  they  all  cried  out  at  our  foolhardi- 
ness;  but  even  then  not  a  man  would  go  along 
with  us.  All  they  would  do  was  to  give  me 
a  loaded  pistol,  lest  we  were  attacked;  and  to 
promise  to  have  horses  ready  saddled,  in  case  we 
were  pursued  on  our  return;  while  one  lad  was 
to  ride  forward  to  the  doctor's  in  search  of  armed 
assistance. 

My  heart  was  beating  finely  when  we  two  set 
forth  in  the  cold  night  upon  this  dangerous  ven- 
ture. A  full  moon  was  beginning  to  rise  and 
peered  redly  through  the  upper  edges  of  the  fog, 
and  this  increased  our  haste,  for  it  was  plain,  be- 
fore we  came  forth  again,  that  all  would  be  as 
bright  as  day,  and  our  departure  exposed  to  the 
eyes  of  any  watchers.  We  slipped  along  the 
hedges,  noiseless  and  swift,  nor  did  we  see  or 
hear  anything  to  increase  our  terrors,  till,  to  our 
relief,  the  door  of  the  "  Admiral  Benbow "  had 
closed  behind  us. 

I  slipped  the  bolt  at  once,  and  we  stood  and 
panted  for  a  moment  in  the  dark,  alone  in  the 
house  with  the  dead  captain's  body.  Then  my 
mother  got  a  candle  in  the  bar,  and,  holding  each 
other's  hands,  we  advanced  into  the  ^parlour.  He 


TREASURE    ISLAND        37 

lay  as  we  had  left  him,  on  his  back,  with  his  eyes 
open,  and  one  arm  stretched  out. 

"  Draw  down  the  blind,  Jim,"  whispered  my 
mother ;  "  they  might  come  and  watch  outside. 
And  now,"  said  she,  when  I  had  done  so,  "  we 
have  to  get  the  key  off  that;  and  who  's  to  touch 
it,  I  should  like  to  know !  "  and  she  gave  a  kind 
of  sob  as  she  said  the  words. 

I  went .  down  on  my  knees  at  once.  On  the 
floor  close  to  his  hand  there  was  a  little  round 
of  paper,  blackened  on  the  one  side.  I  could  not 
doubt  that  this  was  the  black  spot;  and  taking 
it  up,  I  found  written  on  the  other  side,  in  a  very 
good,  clear  hand,  this  short  message :  "  You  have 
till  ten  to-night." 

"  He  had  till  ten,  mother,"  said  I ;  and  just  as 
I  said  it,  our  old  clock  began  striking.  This  sud- 
den noise  startled  us  shockingly;  but  the  news 
was  good,  for  it  was  only  six. 

"  Now,  Jim,"  she  said,  "  that  key." 

I  felt  in  his  pockets,  one  after  another.  A  few 
small  coins,  a  thimble,  and  some  thread  and  big 
needles,  a  piece  of  pigtail  tobacco  bitten  away  at 
the  end,  his  gully  with  the  crooked  handle,  a 
pocket  compass,  and  a  tinder-box,  were  all  that 
they  contained,  and  I  began  to  despair. 

"  Perhaps  it 's  round  his  neck,"  suggested  my 
mother. 


3  8        TREASURE     ISLAND 

Overcoming  a  strong  repugnance,  I  tore  open 
his  shirt  at  the  neck,  and  there,  sure  enough, 
hanging  to  a  bit  of  tarry  string,  which  I  cut  with 
his  own  gully,  we  found  the  key.  At  this  tri- 
umph we  were  filled  with  hope,  and  hurried  up- 
stairs, without  delay,  to  the  little  room  where  he 
had  slept  so  long,  and  where  his  box  had  stood 
since  the  day  of  his  arrival. 

It  was  like  any  other  seaman's  chest  on  the 
outside,  the  initial  "  B."  burned  on  the  top  of  it 
with  a  hot  iron,  and  the  corners  somewhat  smashed 
and  broken  as  by  long,  rough  usage. 

"Give  me  the  key,"  said  my  mother;  and 
though  the  lock  was  very  stiff,  she  had  turned  it 
and  thrown  back  the  lid  in  a  twinkling. 

A  strong  smell  of  tobacco  and  tar  rose  from 
the  interior,  but  nothing  was  to  be  seen  on  the 
top  except  a  suit  of  very  good  clothes,  care- 
fully brushed  and  folded.  They  had  never  been 
worn,  my  mother  said.  Under  that,  the  miscel- 
lany began  —  a  quadrant,  a  tin  canikin,  several 
sticks  of  tobacco,  two  brace  of  very  handsome 
pistols,  a  piece  of  bar  silver,  an  old  Spanish 
watch  and  some  other  trinkets  of  little  value 
and  mostly  of  foreign  make,  a  pair  of  com- 
passes mounted  with  brass,  and  five  or  six  curi- 
ous West  Indian  shells.  I  have  often  wondered 
since  why  he  should  have  carried- about  these 


TREASURE     ISLAND        39 

shells  with  him  in  his  wandering,  guilty,  and 
hunted  life. 

In  the  meantime,  we  had  found  nothing  of  any 
value  but  the  silver  and  the  trinkets,  and  neither 
of  these  were  in  our  way.  Underneath  there  was 
an  old  boat-cloak,  whitened  with  sea-salt  on  many 
a  harbour-bar.  My  mother  pulled  it  up  with  im- 
patience, and  there  lay  before  us,  the  last  things 
in  the  chest,  a  bundle  tied  up  in  oilcloth,  and 
looking  like  papers,  and  a  canvas  bag,  that  gave 
forth,  at  a  touch,  the  jingle  of  gold. 

"  I  '11  show  these  rogues  that  I  'm  an  honest 
woman,"  said  my  mother.  "  I  '11  have  my  dues, 
and  not  a  farthing  over.  Hold  Mrs.  Crossley's 
bag."  And  she  began  to  count  over  the  amount 
of  the  captain's  score  from  the  sailor's  bag  into 
the  one  that  I  was  holding. 

It  was  a  long,  difficult  business,  for  the  coins 
were  of  all  countries  and  sizes  —  doubloons,  and 
louis-d'ors,  and  guineas,  and  pieces  of  eight,  and 
I  know  not  what  besides,  all  shaken  together  at  ran- 
dom. The  guineas,  too,  were  about  the  scarcest, 
and  it  was  with  these  only  that  my  mother  knew 
how  to  make  her  count. 

When  we  were  about  half-way  through,  I  sud- 
denly put  my  hand  upon  her  arm;  for  I  had 
heard  in  the  silent,  frosty  air,  a  sound  that  brought 
my  heart  into  my  mouth  —  the  tap-tapping  of  the 


4o        TREASURE    ISLAND 

blind  man's  stick  upon  the  frozen  road.  It  drew 
nearer  and  nearer,  while  we  sat  holding  our 
breath.  Then  it  struck  sharp  on  the  inn  door, 
and  then  we  could  hear  the  handle  being  turned, 
and  the  bolt  rattling  as  the  wretched  being  tried 
to  enter;  and  then  there  was  a  long  time  of 
silence  both  within  and  without.  At  last  the  tap- 
ping re-commenced,  and,  to  our  indescribable  joy 
and  gratitude,  died  slowly  away  again  until  it 
ceased  to  be  heard. 

"  Mother,"  said  I,  "  take  the  whole  and  let 's 
be  going;"  for  I  was  sure  the  bolted  door  must 
have  seemed  suspicious,  and  would  bring  the 
whole  hornet's  nest  about  our  ears;  though  how 
thankful  I  was  that  I  had  bolted  it,  none  could 
tell  who  had  never  met  that  terrible  blind 
man. 

But  my  mother,  frightened  as  she  was,  would 
not  consent  to  take  a  fraction  more  than  was  due 
to  her,  and  was  obstinately  unwilling  to  be  con- 
tent with  less.  It  was  not  yet  seven,  she  said, 
by  a  long  way;  she  knew  her  rights  and  she 
would  have  them;  and  she  was  still  arguing  with 
me,  when  a  little  low  whistle  sounded  a  good 
way  off  upon  the  hill.  That  was  enough,  and 
more  than  enough,  for  both  of  us. 

"  I  '11  take  what  I  have,"  she  said,  jumping  to 
her  feet. 


TREASURE     ISLAND        41 

"  And  I  '11  take  this  to  square  the  count,"  said 
I,  picking  up  the  oilskin  packet. 

Next  moment  we  were  both  groping  down- 
stairs, leaving  the  candle  by  the  empty  chest; 
and  the  next  we  had  opened  the  door  and  were 
in  full  retreat.  We  had  not  started  a  moment 
too  soon.  The  fog  was  rapidly  dispersing;  al- 
ready the  moon  shone  quite  clear  on  the  high 
ground  on  either  side;  and  it  was  only  in  the 
exact  bottom  of  the  dell  and  round  the  tavern 
door  that  a  thin  veil  still  hung  unbroken  to  con- 
ceal the  first  steps  of  our  escape.  Far  less  than 
half-way  to  the  hamlet,  very  little  beyond  the 
bottom  of  the  hill,  we  must  come  forth  into  the 
moonlight.  Nor  was  this  all;  for  the  sound  of 
several  footsteps  running  came  already  to  our 
ears,  and  as  we  looked  back  in  their  direction,  a 
light  tossing  to  and  fro  and  still  rapidly  advanc- 
ing, showed  that  one  of  the  new-comers  carried 
a  lantern. 

"  My  dear,"  said  my  mother  suddenly,  "  take 
the  money  and  run  on.  I  am  going  to  faint." 

This  was  certainly  the  end  for  both  of  us,  I 
thought.  How  I  cursed  the  cowardice  of  the 
neighbours;  how  I  blamed  my  poor  mother  for 
her  honesty  and  her  greed,  for  her  past  foolhardi- 
ness  and  present  weakness!  We  were  just  at  the 
little  bridge,  by  good  fortune;  and  I  helped  her, 


42        TREASURE     ISLAND 

tottering  as  she  was,  to  the  edge  of  the  bank, 
where,  sure  enough,  she  gave  a  sigh  and  fell  on 
my  shoulder.  I  do  not  know  how  I  found  the 
strength  to  do  it  at  all,  and  I  am  afraid  it  was 
roughly  done;  but  I  managed  to  drag  her  down 
the  bank  and  a  little  way  under  the  arch.  Far- 
ther I  could  not  move  her,  for  the  bridge  was 
too  low  to  let  me  do  more  than  crawl  below  it. 
So  there  we  had  to  stay  —  my  mother  almost 
entirely  exposed,  and  both  of  us  within  earshot 
of  the  inn. 


CHAPTER   V 

THE   LAST   OF   THE   BLIND    MAN 

MY  curiosity,  in  a  sense,  was  stronger 
than  my  fear;  for  I  could  not  remain 
where  I  was,  but  crept  back  to  the 
bank  again,  whence,  sheltering  my  head  behind  a 
bush  of  broom,  I  might  command  the  road  before 
our  door.  I  was  scarcely  in  position  ere  my  ene- 
mies began  to  arrive,  seven  or  eight  of  them, 
running  hard,,  their  feet  beating  out  of  time  along 
the  road,  and  the  man  with  the  lantern  some  paces 
in  front.  Three  men  ran  together,  hand  in  hand; 
and  I  made  out,  even  through  the  mist,  that  the 
middle  man  of  this  trio  was  the  blind  beggar. 
The  next  moment  his  voice  showed  me  that  I  was 
right. 

"  Down  with  the  door !  "  he  cried. 

"Ay,  ay,  sir!"  answered  two  or  three;  and 
a  rush  was  made  upon  the  "  Admiral  Benbow," 
the  lantern-bearer  following;  and  then  I  could 
see  them  pause,  and  hear  speeches  passed  in  a 
lower  key,  as  if  they  were  surprised  to  find  the 
door  open.  But  the  pause  was  brief,  for  the 


44        TREASURE     ISLAND 

blind  man  again  issued  his  commands.  His  voice 
sounded  louder  and  higher,  as  if  he  were  afire 
with  eagerness  and  rage. 

"  In,  in,  in !  "  he  shouted,  and  cursed  them  for 
their  delay. 

Four  or  five  of  them  obeyed  at  once,  two  re- 
maining on  the  road  with  the  formidable  beggar. 
There  was  a  pause,  then  a  cry  of  surprise,  and 
then  a  voice  shouting  from  the  house: 

"  Bill 's  dead." 

But  the  blind  man  swore  at  them  again  for  their 
delay. 

"  Search  him,  some  of  you  shirking  lubbers, 
and  the  rest  of  you  aloft  and  get  the  chest,"  he 
cried. 

I  could  hear  their  feet  rattling  up  our  old 
stairs,  so  that  the  house  must  have  shook  with  it. 
Promptly  afterwards,  fresh  sounds  of  astonish- 
ment arose;  the  window  of  the  captain's  room 
was  thrown  open  with  a  slam  and  a  jingle  of 
broken  glass;  and  a  man  leaned  out  into  the 
moonlight,  head  and  shoulders,  and  addressed 
the  blind  beggar  on  the  road  below  him. 

"  Pew,"  he  cried,  "  they  've  been  before  us. 
Some  one  's  turned  the  chest  out  alow  and  aloft." 

"Is  it  there?"  roared  Pew. 

"The  money's  there." 

The  blind  man  cursed  the  money". 


TREASURE    ISLAND        45 

"  Flint's  fist,  I  mean,"  he  cried. 

"  We  don't  see  it  here  nohow,"  returned  the 
man. 

"  Here,  you  below  there,  is  it  on  Bill  ?  "  cried 
the  blind  man  again. 

At  that,  another  fellow,  probably  he  who  had 
remained  below  to  search  the  captain's  body, 
came  to  the  door  of  the  inn.  "  Bill 's  been  over- 
hauled a'ready,"  said  he,  "  nothin'  left." 

"  It 's  these  people  of  the  inn  —  it 's  that  boy. 
I  wish  I  had  put  his  eyes  out ! "  cried  the  blind 
man,  Pew.  "  They  were  here  no  time  ago  —  they 
had  the  door  bolted  when  I  tried  it.  Scatter,  lads, 
and  find  'em." 

"  Sure  enough,  they  left  their  glim  here/'  said 
the  fellow  from  the  window. 

"Scatter  and  find  'em!  Rout  the  house  out!" 
reiterated  Pew,  striking  with  his  stick  upon  the 
road. 

Then  there  followed  a  great  to-do  through  all 
our  old  inn,  heavy  feet  pounding  to  and  fro,  fur- 
niture thrown  over,  doors  kicked  in,  until  the 
very  rocks  re-echoed,  and  the  men  came  out  again, 
one  after  another,  on  the  road,  and  declared  that 
we  were  nowhere  to  be  found.  And  just  then 
the  same  whistle  that  had  alarmed  my  mother 
and  myself  over  the  dead  captain's  money  was 
once  more  clearly  audible  through  the  night,  but 


46        TREASURE    ISLAND 

this  time  twice  repeated.  I  had  thought  it  to  be 
the  blind  man's  trumpet,  so  to  speak,  summon- 
ing his  crew  to  the  assault ;  but  I  now  found  that 
it  was  a  signal  from  the  hillside  towards  the 
hamlet,  and,  from  its  effect  upon  the  buccaneers, 
a  signal  to  warn  them  of  approaching  danger. 

"  There  's  Dirk  again,"  said  one.  "  Twice ! 
We  '11  have  to  budge,  mates." 

"  Budge,  you  skulk !  "  cried  Pew.  "  Dirk  was 
a  fool  and  a  coward  from  the  first  —  you  would  n't 
mind  him.  They  must  be  close  by;  they  can't 
be  far;  you  have  your  hands  on  it.  Scatter  and 
look  for  them,  dogs!  Oh,  shiver  my  soul,"  he 
cried,  "  if  I  had  eyes !  " 

This  appeal  seemed  to  produce  some  effect,  for 
two  of  the  fellows  began  to  look  here  and  there 
among  the  lumber,  but  half-heartedly,  I  thought, 
and  with  half  an  eye  to  their  own  danger  all  the 
time,  while  the  rest  stood  irresolute  on  the  road. 

"  You  have  your  hands  on  thousands,  you  fools, 
and  you  hang  a  leg!  You  'd  be  as  rich  as  kings 
if  you  could  find  it,  and  you  know  it 's  here,  and 
you  stand  there  skulking.  There  was  n't  one  of 
you  dared  face  Bill,  and  I  did  it  —  a  blind  man ! 
And  I  'm  to  lose  my  chance  for  you !  I  'm  to  be  a 
poor,  crawling  beggar,  sponging  for  rum,  when  I 
might  be  rolling  in  a  coach !  If  you  had  the  pluck 
of  a  weevil  in  a  biscuit  you  would  catch  them  still.'*' 


TREASURE    ISLAND        47 

"  Hang  it,  Pew,  we  've  got  the  doubloons !  " 
grumbled  one. 

"  They  might  have  hid  the  blessed  thing,"  said 
another.  "  Take  the  Georges,  Pew,  and  don't  stand 
here  squalling." 

Squalling  was  the  word  for  it,  Pew's  anger  rose 
so  high  at  these  objections ;  till  at  last,  his  passion 
completely  taking  the  upper-hand,  he  struck  at  them 
right  and  left  in  his  blindness,  and  his  stick  sounded 
heavily  on  more  than  one. 

These,  in  their  turn,  cursed  back  at  the  blind 
miscreant,  threatened  him  in  horrid  terms,  and 
tried  in  vain  to  catch  the  stick  and  wrest  it  from 
his  grasp. 

This  quarrel  was  the  saving  of  us ;  for  while  it 
was  still  raging,  another  sound  came  from  the  top 
of  the  hill  on  the  side  of  the  hamlet  —  the  tramp 
of  horses  galloping.  Almost  at  the  same  time  a 
pistol-shot,  flash  and  report,  came  from  the  hedge 
side.  And  that  was  plainly  the  last  signal  of 
danger ;  for  the  buccaneers  turned  at  once  and  ran, 
separating  in  every  direction,  one  seaward  along 
the  cove,  one  slant  across  the  hill,  and  so  on,  so 
that  in  half  a  minute  not  a  sign  of  them  remained 
but  Pew.  Him  they  had  deserted,  whether  in 
sheer  panic  or  out  of  revenge  for  his  ill  words 
and  blows,  I  know  not ;  but  there  he  remained  be- 
hind, tapping  up  and  down  the  road  in  a  frenzy, 


48        TREASURE    ISLAND 

and  groping  and  calling  for  his  comrades.  Finally 
he  took  the  wrong  turn,  and  ran  a  few  steps  past 
me,  towards  the  hamlet,  crying: 

"  Johnny,  Black  Dog,  Dirk,"  and  other  names, 
"  you  won't  leave  old  Pew,  mates  —  not  old 
Pew ! " 

Just  then  the  noise  of  horses  topped  the  rise,  and 
four  or  five  riders  came  in  sight  in  the  moonlight, 
and  swept  at  full  gallop  down  the  slope. 

At  this  Pew  saw  his  error,  turned  with  a  scream, 
and  ran  straight  for  the  ditch,  into  which  he  rolled. 
But  he  was  on  his  feet  again  in  a  second,  and  made 
another  dash,  now  utterly  bewildered,  right  under 
the  nearest  of  the  coming  horses. 

The  rider  tried  to  save  him,  but  in  vain.  Down 
went  Pew  with  a  cry  that  rang  high  into  the 
night;  and  the  four  hoofs  trampled  and  spurned 
him  and  passed  by.  He  fell  on  his  side,  then 
gently  collapsed  upon  his  face,  and  moved  no 
more. 

I  leaped  to  my  feet  and  hailed  the  riders.  They 
were  pulling  up,  at  any  rate,  horrified  at  the  ac- 
cident; and  I  soon  saw  what  they  were.  One, 
tailing  out  behind  the  rest,  was  a  lad  that  had  gone 
from  the  hamlet  to  Dr.  Livesey's;  the  rest  were 
revenue  officers,  whom  he  had  met  by  the  way,  and 
with  whom  he  had  had  the  intelligence  to  return 
at  once.  Some  news  of  the  lugger  in  Kitt's  Hole 


TREASURE     ISLAND        49 

had  found  its  way  to  Supervisor  Dance,  and  set 
him  forth  that  night  in  our  direction,  and  to  that 
circumstance  my  mother  and  I  owed  our  preser- 
vation from  death. 

Pew  was  dead,  stone  dead.  As  for  my  mother, 
when  we  had  carried  her  up  to  the  hamlet,  a  little 
cold  water  and  salts  and  that  soon  brought  her  back 
again,  and  she  was  none  the  worse  for  her  terror, 
though  she  still  continued  to  deplore  the  balance  of 
the  money.  In  the  meantime  the  supervisor  rode 
on,  as  fast  as  he  could,  to  Kitt's  Hole ;  but  his  men 
had  to  dismount  and  grope  down  the  dingle,  lead- 
ing, and  sometimes  supporting,  their  horses,  and 
in  continual  fear  of  ambushes ;  so  it  was  no  great 
matter  for  surprise  that  when  they  got  down  to  the 
Hole  the  lugger  was  already  under  way,  though  still 
close  in.  He  hailed  her.  A  voice  replied,  telling 
him  to  keep  out  of  the  moonlight,  or  he  would  get 
some  lead  in  him,  and  at  the  same  time  a  bullet 
whistled  close  by  his  arm.  Soon  after,  the  lugger 
doubled  the  point  and  disappeared.  Mr.  Dance 
stood  there,  as  he  said,  "  like  a  fish  out  of  water," 

and  all  he  could  do  was  to  despatch  a  man  to  B 

to  warn  the  cutter.  "  And  that,"  said  he,  "  is  just 
about  as  good  as  nothing.  They  Ve  got  off  clean, 
and  there  Js  an  end.  Only,"  he  added,  "  I  'm  glad 
I  trod  on  Master  Pew's  corns ; "  for  by  this  time 
he  had  heard  my  story. 
VOL.  vi.  —  t 


5o        TREASURE    ISLAND 

I  went  back  with  him  to  the  "  Admiral  Benbovv," 
and  you -cannot  imagine  a  house  in  such  a  state  of 
smash;  the  very  clock  had  been  thrown  down  by 
these  fellows  in  their  furious  hunt  after  my  mother 
and  myself ;  and  though  nothing  had  actually  been 
taken  away  except  the  captain's  money-bag  and 
a  little  silver  from  the  till,  I  could  see  at  once  that 
we  were  ruined.  Mr.  Dance  could  make  nothing 
of  the  scene. 

"They  got  the  money,  you  say?  Well,  then, 
Hawkins,  what  in  fortune  were  they  after?  More 
money,  I  suppose?  " 

"  No,  sir ;  not  money,  I  think,"  replied  I.  "  In 
fact,  sir,  I  believe  I  have  the  thing  in  my  breast- 
pocket; and,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  I  should  like  to 
get  it  put  in  safety." 

"  To  be  sure,  boy ;  quite  right,"  said  he.  "  I  '11 
take  it,  if  you  like." 

"  I  thought,  perhaps,  Dr.  Livesey "  I  began. 

"  Perfectly  right,"  he  interrupted,  very  cheerily, 
"  perfectly  right  —  a  gentleman  and  a  magistrate. 
And,  now  I  come  to  think  of  it,  I  might  as  well 
ride  round  there  myself  and  report  to  him  or 
squire.  Master  Pew  's  dead,  when  all 's  done ;  not 
that  I  regret  it,  but  he  's  dead,  you  see,  and  people 
will  make  it  out  against  an  officer  of  his  Majesty's 
revenue,  if  make  it  out  they  can.  Now,  I  '11  tell 
you,  Hawkins :  if  you  like,  I  '11  take  you  along." 


TREASURE    ISLAND        51 

I  thanked  him  heartily  for  the  offer,  and  we 
walked  back  to  the  hamlet  where  the  horses  were. 
By  the  time  I  had  told  mother  of  my  purpose  they 
were  all  in  the  saddle. 

"  Dogger/'  said  Mr.  Dance,  "  you  have  a  good 
horse;  take  up  this  lad  behind  you." 

As  soon  as  I  was  mounted,  holding  on  to 
Dogger's  belt,  the  supervisor  gave  the  word,  and 
the  party  struck  out  at  a  bouncing  trot  on  the  road 
to  Dr.  Livesey's  house. 


CHAPTER   VI 

THE   CAPTAIN'S   PAPERS 

WE  rode  hard  all  the  way,  till  we  drew  up 
before  Dr.  Livesey's  door.  The  house 
was  all  dark  to  the  front. 

Mr.  Dance  told  me  to  jump  down  and  knock, 
and  Dogger  gave  me  a  stirrup  to  descend  by.  The 
door  was  opened  almost  at  once  by  the  maid. 

"Is  Dr.  Livesey  in?"  I  asked. 

No,  she  said;  he  had  come  home  in  the  after- 
noon, but  had  gone  up  to  the  Hall  to  dine  and  pass 
the  evening  with  the  squire. 

"  So  there  we  go,  boys,"  said  Mr.  Dance. 

This  time,  as  the  distance  was  short,  I  did  not 
mount,  but  ran  with  Dogger's  stirrup-leather  to 
the  lodge  gates,  and  up  the  long,  leafless,  moonlit 
avenue  to  where  the  white  line  of  the  Hall  build- 
ings looked  on  either  hand  on  great  old  gar- 
dens. Here  Mr.  Dance  dismounted,  and,  taking 
me  along  with  him,  was  admitted  at  a  word  into 
the  house. 

The  servant  led  us  down  a  matted  passage,  and 
showed  us  at  the  end  into  a  great  library,  all  lined 


TREASURE     ISLAND        53 

with  bookcases  and  busts  upon  the  top  of  them, 
where  the  squire  and  Dr.  Livesey  sat,  pipe  in  hand, 
on  either  side  of  a  bright  fire. 

I  had  never  seen  the  squire  so  near  at  hand.  He 
was  a  tall  man,  over  six  feet  high,  and  broad  in 
proportion,  and  he  had  a  bluff,  rough-and-ready 
face,  all  roughened  and  reddened  and  lined  in  his 
long  travels.  His  eyebrows  were  very  black,  and 
moved  readily,  and  this  gave  him  a  look  of  some 
temper,  not  bad,  you  would  say,  but  quick  and 
high. 

"  Come  in,  Mr.  Dance,"  says  he,  very  stately  and 
condescending. 

"  Good-evening,  Dance,"  says  the  doctor,  with 
a  nod.  "  And  good-evening  to  you,  friend  Jim. 
What  good  wind  brings  you  here?" 

The  supervisor  stood  up  straight  and  stiff,  and 
told  his  story  like  a  lesson;  and  you  should  have 
seen  how  the  two  gentlemen  leaned  forward  and 
looked  at  each  other,  and  forgot  to  smoke  in  their 
surprise  and  interest.  When  they  heard  how  my 
mother  went  back  to  the  inn,  Dr.  Livesey  fairly 
slapped  his  thigh,  and  the  squire  cried  "Bravo!" 
and  broke  his  long  pipe  against  the  grate.  Long 
before  it  was  done,  Mr.  Trelawney  (that,  you  will 
remember,  was  the  squire's  name)  had  got  up  from 
his  seat,  and  was  striding  about  the  room,  and  the 
doctor,  as  if  to  hear  the  better,  had  taken  off  his 


54        TREASURE     ISLAND 

powdered  wig,  and  sat  there,  looking  very  strange 
indeed  with  his  own  close-cropped,  black  poll. 

At  last  Mr.  Dance  finished  the  story. 

"  Mr.  Dance,"  said  the  squire,  "  you  are  a  very 
noble  fellow.  And  as  for  riding  down  that  black, 
atrocious  miscreant,  I  regard  it  as  an  act  of  virtue, 
sir,  like  stamping  on  a  cockroach.  This  lad  Haw- 
kins is  a  trump,  I  perceive.  Hawkins,  will  you  ring 
that  bell?  Mr.  Dance  must  have  some  ale." 

"  And  so,  Jim,"  said  the  doctor,  "  you  have  the 
thing  that  they  were  after,  have  you?" 

"  Here  it  is,  sir,"  said  I,  and  gave  him  the  oil- 
skin packet. 

The  doctor  looked  it  all  over,  as  if  his  fingers 
were  itching  to  open  it ;  but,  instead  of  doing  that, 
he  put  it  quietly  in  the  pocket  of  his  coat. 

"  Squire,"  said  he,  "  when  Dance  has  had  his  ale 
he  must,  of  course,  be  off  on  his  Majesty's  service; 
but  I  mean  to  keep  Jim  Hawkins  here  to  sleep  at 
my  house,  and,  with  your  permission,  I  propose 
we  should  have  up  the  cold  pie,  and  let  him  sup." 

"  As  you  will,  Livesey,"  said  the  squire;  "  Haw- 
kins has  earned  better  than  cold  pie." 

So  a  big  pigeon  pie  was  brought  in  and  put  on  a 
side-table,  and  I  made  a  hearty  supper,  for  I  was 
as  hungry  as  a  hawk,  while  Mr.  Dance  was  further 
complimented,  and  at  last  dismissed. 

"  And  now,  squire,"  said  the  doctor. 


TREASURE     ISLAND        55 

''  And  now,  Livesey,"  said  the  squire  in  the 
same  breath. 

"  One  at  a  time,  one  at  a  time,"  laughed  Dr. 
Livesey.  "  You  have  heard  of  this  Flint,  I 
suppose  ?  " 

"  Heard  of  him!  "  cried  the  squire.  "  Heard  of 
him,  you  say!  He  was  the  bloodthirstiest  buc- 
caneer that  sailed.  Blackbeard  was  a  child  to 
Flint.  The  Spaniards  were  so  prodigiously  afraid 
of  him,  that,  I  tell  you,  sir,  I  was  sometimes  proud 
he  was  an  Englishman.  I  've  seen  his  top-sails 
with  these  eyes,  off  Trinidad,  and  the  cowardly 
son  of  a  rum-puncheon  that  I  sailed  with  put  back 
—  put  back,  sir,  into  Port  of  Spain." 

"  Well,  I  've  heard  of  him  myself,  in  England," 
said  the  doctor.  "  But  the  point  is,  had  he  money?" 

"  Money!  "  cried  the  squire.  "  Have  you  heard 
the  story?  What  were  these  villains  after  but 
money?  What  do  they  care  for  but  money?  For 
what  would  they  risk  their  rascal  carcasses  but 
money  ?  " 

"  That  we  shall  soon  know,"  replied  the  doctor. 
"  But  you  are  so  confoundedly  hot-headed  and 
exclamatory  that  I  cannot  get  a  word  in.  What 
I  want  to  know  is  this:  Supposing  that  I  have 
here  in  my  pocket  some  clue  to  where  Flint  buried 
his  treasure,  will  that  treasure  amount  to  much?  " 

"  Amount,   sir !  "   cried   the   squire.      "  It   will 


56        TREASURE    ISLAND 

amount  to  this :  if  we  have  the  clue  you  talk  about, 
I  fit  out  a  ship  in  Bristol  dock,  and  take  you  and 
Hawkins  here  along,  and  I  '11  have  that  treasure 
if  I  search  a  year." 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  doctor.  "  Now,  then,  if 
Jim  is  agreeable,  we'll  open  the  packet;"  and  he 
laid  it  before  him  on  the  table. 

The  bundle  was  sewn  together,  and  the  doctor 
had  to  get  out  his  instrument-case,  and  cut  the 
stitches  with  his  medical  scissors.  It  contained 
two  things  —  a  book  and  a  sealed  paper. 

"  First  of  all  we  '11  try  the  book,"  observed  the 
doctor. 

The  squire  and  I  were  both  peering  over  his 
shoulder  as  he  opened  it,  for  Dr.  Livesey  had 
kindly  motioned  me  to  come  round  from  the  side- 
table,  where  I  had  been  eating,  to  enjoy  the  sport 
of  the  search.  On  the  first  page  there  were  only 
some  scraps  of  writing,  such  as  a  man  with  a  pen 
in  his  hand  might  make  for  idleness  or  practice. 
One  was  the  same  as  the  tattoo  mark,  "  Billy 
Bones  his  fancy ;  "  then  there  was  "  Mr.  W.  Bones, 
mate."  "No  more  rum."  "Off  Palm  Key  he 
got  itt ;  "  and  some  other  snatches,  mostly  single 
words  and  unintelligible.  I  could  not  help  won- 
dering who  it  was  that  had  "  got  itt,"  and  what 
<(  itt "  was  that  he  got.  A  knife  in  his  back  as 
iike  as  not. 


TREASURE     ISLAND        57 

"  Not  much  instruction  there,"  said  Dr.  Livesey, 
as  he  passed  on. 

The  next  ten  or  twelve  pages  were  filled  with 
a  curious  series  of  entries.  There  was  a  date  at 
one  end  of  the  line  and  at  the  other  a  sum  of 
money,  as  in  common  account-books;  but  instead 
of  explanatory  writing,  only  a  varying  number 
of  crosses  between  the  two.  On  the  I2th  of  June, 
1745,  for  instance,  a  sum  of  seventy  pounds  had 
plainly  become  due  to  some  one,  and  there  was 
nothing  but  six  crosses  to  explain  the  cause.  In 
a  few  cases,  to  be  sure,  the  name  of  a  place  would 
be  added,  as  "  Offe  Caraccas ;  "  or  a  mere  entry  of 
latitude  and  longitude,  as  "  62°  17'  20",  19°  2'  40"." 

The  record  lasted  over  nearly  twenty  years,  the 
amount  of  the  separate  entries  growing  larger  as 
time  went  on,  and  at  the  end  a  grand  total  had 
been  made  out  after  five  or  six  wrong  additions, 
and  these  words  appended,  "  Bones,  his  pile." 

"  I  can't  make  head  or  tail  of  this,"  said  Dr. 
Livesey. 

"  The  thing  is  as  clear  as  noonday,"  cried  the 
squire.  "  This  is  the  black-hearted  hound's  ac- 
count-book. These  crosses  stand  for  the  names 
of  ships  or  towns  that  they  sank  or  plundered. 
The  sums  are  the  scoundrel's  share,  and  where  he 
feared  an  ambiguity,  you  see  he  added  something 
clearer.  '  Offe  Caraccas,'  now ;  you  see,  here  was 


58        TREASURE    ISLAND 

some  unhappy  vessel  boarded  off  that  coast.  God 
help  the  poor  souls  that  manned  her  —  coral  long 
ago." 

"  Right ! "  said  the  doctor.  "  See  what  it  is  to 
be  a  traveller.  Right !  And  the  amounts  increase, 
you  see,  as  he  rose  in  rank." 

There  was  little  else  in  the  volume  but  a  few 
bearings  of  places  noted  in  the  blank  leaves 
towards  the  end,  and  a  table  for  reducing  French, 
English,  and  Spanish  moneys  to  a  common  value. 

"  Thrifty  man !  "  cried  the  doctor.  "  He  was  n't 
the  one  to  be  cheated." 

"  And  now,"  said  the  squire,  "  for  the  other." 

The  paper  had  been  sealed  in  several  places 
with  a  thimble  by  way  of  seal;  the  very  thimble, 
perhaps,  that  I  had  found  in  the  captain's  pocket. 
The  doctor  opened  the  seals  with  great  care,  and 
there  fell  out  the  map  of  an  island,  with  latitude 
and  longitude,  soundings,  names  of  hills,  and  bays 
and  inlets,  and  every  particular  that  would  be 
needed  to  bring  a  ship  to  a  safe  anchorage  upon 
its  shores.  It  was  about  nine  miles  long  and  five 
across,  shaped,  you  might  say,  like  a  fat  dragon 
standing  up,  and  had  two  fine  land-locked  har- 
bours, and  a  hill  in  the  centre  part  marked  "  The 
Spy-glass."  There  were  several  additions  of  a 
later  date;  but,  above  all,  three  crosses  of  red 
ink  —  two  on  the  north  part  of  the  island,  one  in 


TREASURE     ISLAND        59 

the  south-west,  and,  beside  this  last,  in  the  same 
red  ink,  and  in  a  small,  neat  hand,  very  different 
from  the  captain's  tottery  characters,  these  words : 
"  Bulk  of  treasure  here." 

Over  on  the  back  the  same  hand  had  written 
this  further  information: 

"  Tall  tree,  Spy-glass  shoulder,  bearing  a  point  to  the  N.  of 
N.  N.  E. 

"  Skeleton  Island  E.  S.  E.  and  by  E. 

"  Ten  feet. 

"  The  bar  silver  is  in  the  north  cache ;  you  can  find  it  by  the 
trend  of  the  east  hummock,  ten  fathoms  south  of  the  black  crag 
with  the  face  on  it. 

"  The  arms  are  easy  found,  in  the  sandhill,  N.  point  of  north 
inlet  cape,  bearing  E.  and  a  quarter  N.  "  T  F  " 

That  was  all;  but  brief  as  it  was,  and,  to  me, 
incomprehensible,  it  filled  the  squire  and  Dr.  Live- 
sey  with  delight. 

"  Livesey,"  said  the  squire,  "  you  will  give  up 
this  wretched  practice  at  once.  To-morrow  I  start 
for  Bristol.  In  three  weeks'  time  —  three  weeks! 
—  two  weeks  —  ten  days  —  we  '11  have  the  best 
ship,  sir,  and  the  choicest  crew  in  England. 
Hawkins  shall  come  as  cabin-boy.  You  '11  make 
a  famous  cabin-boy,  Hawkins.  You,  Livesey,  are 
ship's  doctor ;  I  am  admiral.  We  '11  take  Red- 
ruth,  Joyce,  and  Hunter.  We  '11  have  favourable 
winds,  a  quick  passage,  and  not  the  least  diffi- 
culty in  finding  the  spot,  and  money  to  eat  — 


60        TREASURE    ISLAND 

to  roll  in  —  to  play  duck  and  drake  with  ever 
after." 

"  Trelawney,"  said  the  doctor,  "  I  '11  go  with 
you ;  and  I  '11  go  bail  for  it,  so  will  Jim,  and  be 
a  credit  to  the  undertaking.  There 's  only  one 
man  I  'm  afraid  of." 

"  And  who  's  that  ?  "  cried  the  squire.  "  Name 
the  dog,  sir !  " 

"You,"  replied  the  doctor;  "for  you  cannot 
hold  your  tongue.  We  are  not  the  only  men 
who  know  of  this  paper.  These  fellows  who 
attacked  the  inn  to-night  —  bold,  desperate  blades, 
for  sure  —  and  the  rest  who  stayed  aboard  that 
lugger,  and  more,  I  dare  say,  not  far  off,  are, 
one  and  all,  through  thick  and  thin,  bound  that 
they  '11  get  that  money.  We  must  none  of  us  go 
alone  till  we  get  to  sea.  Jim  and  I  shall  stick 
together  in  the  meanwhile :  you  '11  take  Joyce  and 
Hunter  when  you  ride  to  Bristol,  and,  from  first 
to  last,  not  one  of  us  must  breathe  a  word  of 
what  we've  found." 

"  Livesey,"  returned  the  squire,  "  you  are  al- 
ways in  the  right  of  it.  I  '11  be  as  silent  as  the 
grave." 


PART    II 
THE  SEA  COOK 


JL   .*.$     "•  < 

BluJU 


&     li 


CHAPTER   VII 
I   GO   TO   BRISTOL 

JT  was  longer  than  the  squire  imagined  ere 
we  were  ready  for  the  sea,  and  none  of  our 
first  plans  —  not  even  Dr.  Livesey's,  of  keep- 
ing me  beside  him  —  could  be  carried  out  as  we 
intended.  The  doctor  had  to  go  to  London  for 
a  physician  to  take  charge  of  his  practice;  the 
squire  was  hard  at  work  at  Bristol;  and  I  lived 
on  at  the  Hall  under  the  charge  of  old  Redruth, 
the  gamekeeper,  almost  a  prisoner,  but  full  of 
sea-dreams  and  the  most  charming  anticipations 
of  strange  islands  and  adventures.  I  brooded  by 
the  hour  together  over  the  map,  all  the  details  of 
which  I  well  remembered.  Sitting  by  the  fire  in 
the  housekeeper's  room,  I  approached  that  island 
in  my  fancy,  from  every  possible  direction;  I  ex- 
plored every  acre  of  its  surface ;  I  climbed  a  thou- 
sand times  to  that  tall  hill  they  call  the  Spy-glass, 
and  from  the  top  enjoyed  the  most  wonderful  and 
changing  prospects.  Sometimes  the  isle  was  thick 
with  savages,  with  whom  we  fought;  sometimes 
full  of  dangerous  animals  that  hunted  us;  but  in 


64        TREASURE     ISLAND 

all  my  fancies  nothing  occurred  to  me  so  strange 
and  tragic  as  our  actual  adventures. 

So  the  weeks  passed  on,  till  one  fine  day  there 
came  a  letter  addressed  to  Dr.  Livesey,  with  this 
addition,  "  To  be  opened,  in  the  case  of  his  ab- 
sence, by  Tom  Redruth  or  young  Hawkins." 
Obeying  this  order,  we  found,  or  rather,  I  found 
—  for  the  gamekeeper  was  a  poor  hand  at  read- 
ing anything  but  print  —  the  following  impor- 
tant news: 

"  Old  Anchor  Inn,  Bristol,  March  I,  17 — . 

"DEAR  LIVESEY,  —  As  I  do  not  know  whether  you  are 
at  the  Hall  or  still  in  London,  I  send  this  in  double  to  both 
places. 

"  The  ship  is  bought  and  fitted.  She  lies  at  anchor,  ready 
for  sea.  You  never  imagined  a  sweeter  schooner — a  child 
might  sail  her  —  two  hundred  tons  ;  name,  Hispaniola. 

"  I  got  her  through  my  old  friend,  Blandly,  who  has  proved 
himself  throughout  the  most  surprising  trump.  The  admi- 
rable fellow  literally  slaved  in  my  interest,  and  so,  I  may  say, 
did  every  one  in  Bristol,  as  soon  as  they  got  wind  of  the  port 
we  sailed  for  —  treasure,  I  mean." 

"  Redruth,"  said  I,  interrupting  the  letter, 
"  Dr.  Livesey  will  not  like  that.  The  squire  has 
been  talking,  after  all." 

"Well,  who's  a  better  right?"  growled  the 
gamekeeper.  "  A  pretty  rum  go  if  squire  ain't 
to  talk  for  Dr.  Livesey,  I  should  think." 

At  that  I  gave  up  all  attempt  at  commentary, 
and  read  straight  on: 


TREASURE    ISLAND        65 

"  Blandly  himself  found  the  Htspaniola,  and  by  the  most 
admirable  management  got  her  for  the  merest  trifle.  There 
is  a  class  of  men  in  Bristol  monstrously  prejudiced  against 
Blandly.  They  go  the  length  of  declaring  that  this  honest 
creature  would  do  anything  for  money,  that  the  Hispaniola 
belonged  to  him,  and  that  he  sold  it  me  absurdly  high  —  the 
most  transparent  calumnies.  None  of  them  dare,  however, 
to  deny  the  merits  of  the  ship. 

"  So  far  there  was  not  a  hitch.  The  workpeople,  to  be  sure 
—  riggers  and  what  not  —  were  most  annoyingly  slow ;  but 
time  cured  that.  It  was  the  crew  that  troubled  me. 

"  I  wished  a  round  score  of  men  —  in  case  of  natives, 
buccaneers,  or  the  odious  French  —  and  I  had  the  worry  of 
the  deuce  itself  to  find  so  much  as  half  a  dozen,  till  the  most 
remarkable  stroke  of  fortune  brought  me  the  very  man  that  I 
required. 

"  I  was  standing  on  the  dock,  when,  by  the  merest  accident, 
I  fell  in  talk  with  him.  I  found  he  was  an  old  sailor,  kept  a 
public-house,  knew  all  the  seafaring  men  in  Bristol,  had  lost 
his  health  ashore,  and  wanted  a  good  berth  as  cook  to  get 
to  sea  again.  He  had  hobbled  down  there  that  morning,  he 
said,  to  get  a  smell  of  the  salt. 

"I  was  monstrously  touched  —  so  would  you  have  been  — 
and,  out  of  pure  pity,  I  engaged  him  on  the  spot  to  be  ship's 
cook.  Long  John  Silver,  he  is  called,  and  has  lost  a  leg ;  but 
that  I  regarded  as  a  recommendation,  since  he  lost  it  in  his 
country's  service,  under  the  immortal  Hawke.  He  has  no  pen- 
sion, Livesey.  Imagine  the  abominable  age  we  live  in  ! 

"Well,  sir,  I  thought  I  had  only  found  a  cook,  but  it  was  a 
crew  I  had  discovered.  Between  Silver  and  myself  we  got 
together  in  a  few  days  a  company  of  the  toughest  old  salts  im- 
aginable —  not  pretty  to  look  at,  but  fellows,  by  their  faces,  of 
the  most  indomitable  spirit.  I  declare  we  could  fight  a  frigate. 

"  Long  John  even  got  rid  of  two  out  of  the  six  or  seven  I 
had  already  engaged.  He  showed  me  in  a  moment  that  they 
were  just  the  sort  of  fresh-water  swabs  we  had  to  fear  in  an 
adventure  of  importance. 


66        TREASURE    ISLAND 

"  I  am  in  the  most  magnificent  health  and  spirits,  eating 
like  a  bull,  sleeping  like  a  tree,  yet  I  shall  not  enjoy  a  moment 
till  I  hear  my  old  tarpaulins  tramping  round  the  capstan. 
Seaward  ho  !  Hang  the  treasure  !  It 's  the  glory  of  the  sea 
that  has  turned  my  head.  So  now,  Livesey,  come  post ;  do 
not  lose  an  hour,  if  you  respect  me. 

"  Let  young  Hawkins  go  at  once  to  see  his  mother,  with 
Redruth  for  a  guard;  and  then  both  come  full  speed  to 

Bristo!'  "JOHN  TRELAWNEY. 

"  Postscript.  —  I  did  not  tell  you  that  Blandly,  who,  by  the 
way,  is  to  send  a  consort  after  us  if  we  don't  turn  up  by  the 
end  of  August,  had  found  an  admirable  fellow  for  sailing- 
master —  a  stiff  man,  which  I  regret,  but,  in  all  other  re- 
spects, a  treasure.  Long  John  Silver  unearthed  a  very 
competent  man  for  a  mate,  a  man  named  Arrow.  I  have  a 
boatswain  who  pipes,  Livesey  ;  so  things  shall  go  man-o'-war 
fashion  on  board  the  good  ship  Hispaniola. 

"  I  forgot  to  tell  you  that  Silver  is  a  man  of  substance ;  I 
know  of  my  own  knowledge  that  he  has  a  banker's  account, 
which  has  never  been  overdrawn.  He  leaves  his  wife  to  man- 
age the  inn ;  and  as  she  is  a  woman  of  colour,  a  pair  of  old 
bachelors  like  you  and  I  may  be  excused  for  guessing  that  it 
is  the  wife,  quite  as  much  as  the  health,  that  sends  him  back 
to  roving.  «j  j. 

"  P.  P.  S.  — Hawkins  may  stay  one  night  with  his  mother. 

"  T.  T." 

You  can  fancy  the  excitement  into  which  that 
letter  put  me.  I  was  half  beside  myself  with 
glee;  and  if  ever  I  despised  a  man,  it  was  old 
Tom  Redruth,  who  could  do  nothing  but  grumble 
and  lament.  Any  of  the  under-gamekeepers  would 
gladly  have  changed  places  with  him;  but  such 


TREASURE    ISLAND        67 

was  not  the  squire's  pleasure,  and  the  squire's 
pleasure  was  like  law  among  them  all.  Nobody 
but  old  Redruth  would  have  dared  so  much  as 
even  to  grumble. 

The  next  morning  he  and  I  set  out  on  foot  for 
the  "  Admiral  Benbow,"  and  there  I  found  my 
mother  in  good  health  and  spirits.  The  captain, 
who  had  so  long  been  a  cause  of  so  much 
discomfort,  was  gone  where  the  wicked  cease 
from  troubling.  The  squire  had  had  everything 
repaired,  and  the  public  rooms  and  the  sign  re- 
painted, and  had  added  some  furniture  —  above 
all  a  beautiful  arm-chair  for  mother  in  the  bar. 
He  had  found  her  a  boy  as  an  apprentice  also,  so 
that  she  should  not  want  help  while  I  was  gone. 

It  was  on  seeing  that  boy  that  I  understood, 
for  the  first  time,  my  situation.  I  had  thought 
up  to  that  moment  of  the  adventures  before  me, 
not  at  all  of  the  home  that  I  was  leaving;  and 
now,  at  sight  of  this  clumsy  stranger,  who  was 
to  stay  here  in  my  place  beside  my  mother,  I 
had  my  first  attack  of  tears.  I  am  afraid  I  led 
that  boy  a  dog's  life;  for  as  he  was  new  to  the 
work,  I  had  a  hundred  opportunities  of  setting 
him  right  and  putting  him  down,  and  I  was  not 
slow  to  profit  by  them. 

The  night  passed,  and  the  next  day,  after  din- 
ner, Redruth  and  I  were  afoot  again,  and  on  the 


68        TREASURE     ISLAND 

road.  I  said  good-bye  to  mother  and  the  cove 
where  I  had  lived  since  I  was  born,  and  the 
dear  old  "  Admiral  Benbow  "  —  since  he  was  re- 
painted, no  longer  quite  so  dear.  One  of  my  last 
thoughts  was  of  the  captain,  who  had  so  often 
strode  along  the  beach  with  his  cocked  hat,  his 
sabre-cut  cheek,  and  his  old  brass  telescope.  Next 
moment  we  had  turned  the  corner,  and  my  home 
was  out  of  sight. 

The  mail  picked  us  up  about  dusk  at  the 
"  Royal  George  "  on  the  heath.  I  was  wedged  in 
between  Redruth  and  a  stout  old  gentleman,  and 
in  spite  of  the  swift  motion  and  the  cold  night 
air,  I  must  have  dozed  a  great  deal  from  the  very 
first,  and  then  slept  like  a  log  up  hill  and  down 
dale  through  stage  after  stage;  for  when  I  was 
awakened,  at  last,  it  was  by  a  punch  in  the  ribs, 
and  I  opened  my  eyes,  to  find  that  we  were  stand- 
ing still  before  a  large  building  in  a  city  street, 
and  that  the  day  had  already  broken  a  long  time- 

"  Where  are  we  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Bristol,"  said  Tom.     "  Get  down." 

Mr.  Trelawney  had  taken  up  his  residence  at 
an  inn  far  down  the  docks,  to  superintend  thr 
work  upon  the  schooner.  Thither  we  had  now 
to  walk,  and  our  way,  to  my  great  delight,  lay 
along  the  quays  and  beside  the  great  multitude 
of  ships  of  all  sizes  and  rigs  anct  nations.  In 


TREASURE     ISLAND        69 

one,  sailors  were  singing  at  their  work;  in  an- 
other, there  were  men  aloft,  high  over  my  head, 
hanging  to  threads  that  seemed  no  thicker  than 
a  spider's.  Though  I  had  lived  by  the  shore  all 
my  life,  I  seemed  never  to  have  been  near  the 
sea  till  then.  The  smell  of  tar  and  salt  was  some- 
thing new.  I  saw  the  most  wonderful  figure- 
heads, that  had  all  been  far  over  the  ocean.  I 
saw,  besides,  many  old  sailors,  with  rings  in  their 
ears,  and  whiskers  curled  in  ringlets,  and  tarry 
pigtails,  and  their  swaggering,  clumsy  sea-walk; 
and  if  I  had  seen  as  many  kings  or  archbishops 
I  could  not  have  been  more  delighted. 

And  I  was  going  to  sea  myself;  to  sea  in  a 
schooner,  with  a  piping  boatswain,  and  pig-tailed 
singing  seamen;  to  sea,  bound  for  an  unknown 
island,  and  to  seek  for  buried  treasures! 

While  I  was  still  in  this  delightful  drea.m,  we 
came  suddenly  in  front  of  a  large  inn,  and  met 
Squire  Trelawney,  all  dressed  out  like  a  sea- 
officer,  in  stout  blue  cloth,  coming  out  of  the 
door  with  a  smile  on  his  face,  and  a  capital  imita- 
tion of  a  sailor's  walk. 

"  Here  you  are,"  he  cried,  "  and  the  doctor 
came  last  night  from  London.  Bravo!  the  ship's 
company  complete !  " 

"  Oh,  sir,"  cried  I,  "  when  do  we  sail  ?  " 

"  Sail !  "  says  he.     "  We  sail  to-morrow !  " 


CHAPTER   VIII 

AT  THE   SIGN   OF   THE    "SPY-GLASS" 

WHEN  I  had  done  breakfasting  the 
squire  gave  me  a  note  addressed  to 
John  Silver,  at  the  sign  of  the  "  Spy- 
glass," and  told  me  I  should  easily  find  the  place 
by  following  the  line  of  the  docks,  and  keeping 
a  bright  look-out  for  a  little  tavern  with  a  large 
brass  telescope  for  sign.  I  set  off,  overjoyed  at 
this  opportunity  to  see  some  more  of  the  ships 
and  seamen,  and  picked  my  way  among  a  great 
crowd  of  people  and  carts  and  bales,  for  the  dock 
was  now  at  its  busiest,  until  I  found  the  tavern 
in  question. 

It  was  a  bright  enough  little  place  of  entertain- 
ment. The  sign  was  newly  painted;  the  win- 
dows had  neat  red  curtains;  the  floor  was  cleanly 
sanded.  There  was  a  street  on  each  side,  and 
an  open  door  on  both,  which  made  the  large,  low 
room  pretty  clear  to  see  in,  in  spite  of  clouds  of 
tobacco  smoke. 

The    customers    were    mostly    seafaring    men; 


TREASURE    ISLAND        71 

and  they  talked  so  loudly  that  I  hung  at  the  door, 
almost  afraid  to  enten 

As  I  was  waiting,  a  man  came  out  of  a  side 
room,  and,  at  a  glance,  I  was  sure  he  must  be 
Long  John.  His  left  leg  was  cut  off  close  by 
the  hip,  and  under  the  left  shoulder  he  carried 
a  crutch,  which  he  managed  with  wonderful  dex- 
terity, hopping  about  upon  it  like  a  bird.  He 
was  very  tall  and  strong,  with  a  face  as  big  as 
a  ham  —  plain  and  pale,  but  intelligent  and  smil- 
ing. Indeed,  he  seemed  in  the  most  cheerful 
spirits,  whistling  as  he  moved  about  among  the 
tables,  with  a  merry  word  or  a  slap  on  the 
shoulder  for  the  more  favoured  of  his  guests. 

Now,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  from  the  very  first 
mention  of  Long  John  in  Squire  Trelawney's 
letter,  I  had  taken  a  fear  in  my  mind  that  he 
might  prove  to  be  the  very  one-legged  sailor 
whom  I  had  watched  for  so  long  at  the  old 
"  Benbow."  But  one  look  at  the  man  before  me 
was  enough.  I  had  seen  the  captain,  and  Black 
Dog,  and  the  blind  man  Pew,  and  I  thought  I 
knew  what  a  buccaneer  was  like  —  a  very  differ- 
ent creature,  according  to  me,  from  this  clean 
and  pleasant-tempered  landlord. 

I  plucked  up  courage  at  once,  crossed  the  thresh- 
old, and  walked  right  up  to  the  man  where  he 
stood,  propped  on  his  crutch,  talking  to  a  customer. 


72        TREASURE     ISLAND 

"Mr.  Silver,  sir?"  I  asked,  holding  out  the 
note. 

"Yes,  my  lad,"  said  he;  "such  is  my  name, 
to  be  sure.  And  who  may  you  be?"  And  then 
as  he  saw  the  squire's  letter,  he  seemed  to  me 
to  give  something  almost  like  a  start. 

"  Oh ! "  said  he,  quite  loud,  and  offering  his 
hand,  "  I  see.  You  are  our  new  cabin-boy ; 
pleased  I  am  to  see  you." 

And  he  took  my  hand  in  his  large  firm  grasp. 

Just  then  one  of  the  customers  at  the  far  side 
rose  suddenly  and  made  for  the  door.  It  was 
close  by  him,  and  he  was  out  in  the  street  in  a 
moment.  But  his  hurry  had  attracted  my  notice, 
and  I  recognised  him  at  a  glance.  It  was  the 
tallow-faced  man,  wanting  two  fingers,  who  had 
come  first  to  the  "  Admiral  Benbow." 

"Oh,"  I  cried,  "stop  him!   it's  Black  Dog!" 

"  I  don't  care  two  coppers  who  he  is,"  cried 
Silver.  "  But  he  has  n't  paid  his  score.  Harry, 
run  and  catch  him." 

One  of  the  others  who  was  nearest  the  door 
leaped  up,  and  started  in  pursuit. 

"  If  he  were  Admiral  Hawke  he  shall  pay  his 
score,"  cried  Silver;  and  then,  relinquishing  my 
hand  —  "Who  did  you  say  he  was?"  he  asked. 
"Black  what?" 

"  Dog,  sir,"  said  I.     "  Has  Mr.  Trelawney  not 


TREASURE     ISLAND        73 

told  you  of  the  buccaneers?  He  was  one  of 
them." 

"  So  ?  "  cried  Silver.  "  In  my  house !  Ben,  run 
and  help  Harry.  One  of  those  swabs,  was  he? 
Was  that  you  drinking  with  him,  Morgan?  Step 
up  here." 

The  man  whom  he  called  Morgan  —  an  old, 
grey-haired,  mahogany- faced  sailor  —  came  for- 
ward pretty  sheepishly,  rolling  his  quid. 

"  Now,  Morgan,"  said  Long  John,  very  sternly ; 
"  you  never  clapped  your  eyes  on  that  Black  — 
Black  Dog  before,  did  you,  now?" 

"  Not  I,  sir,"  said  Morgan,  with  a  salute. 

"  You  did  n't  know  his  name,  did  you  ?  " 

"  No,  sir." 

"  By  the  powers,  Tom  Morgan,  it 's  as  good 
for  you !  "  exclaimed  the  landlord.  "  If  you  bad 
been  mixed  up  with  the  like  of  that,  you  would 
never  have  put  another  foot  in  my  house,  you 
may  lay  to  that.  And  what  was  he  saying  to 
you?" 

"  I  don't  rightly  know,  sir,"  answered  Morgan. 

"  Do  you  call  that  a  head  on  your  shoulders, 
or  a  blessed  dead-eye?  "  cried  Long  John.  "  Don't 
rightly  know,  don't  you !  Perhaps  you  don't  hap- 
pen to  rightly  know  who  you  was  speaking  to, 
perhaps?  Come,  now,  what  was  he  jawing  — 
v'yages,  cap'ns,  ships  ?  Pipe  up !  What  was  it  ?  " 


74        TREASURE     ISLAND 

"  We  was  a-talkin'  of  keel-hauling,"  answered 
Morgan. 

"Keel-hauling,  was  you?  and  a  mighty  suit- 
able thing,  too,  and  you  may  lay  to  that.  Get 
back  to  your  place  for  a  lubber,  Tom." 

And  then,  as  Morgan  rolled  back  to  his  seat, 
Silver  added  to  me  in  a  confidential  whisper,  that 
was  very  flattering,  as  I  thought: 

"  He 's  quite  an  honest  man,  Tom  Morgan, 
on'y  stupid.  And  now,"  he  ran  on  again,  aloud, 
'let's  see  —  Black  Dog?  No,  I  don't  know  the 
name,  not  I.  Yet  I  kind  of  think  I  've  —  yes, 
I  've  seen  the  swab.  He  used  to  come  here  with 
a  blind  beggar,  he  used." 

"  That  he  did,  you  may  be  sure,"  said  I. 
"  I  knew  that  blind  man,  too.  His  name  was 
Pew." 

"It  was!"  cried  Silver,  now  quite  excited. 
"  Pew !  That  were  his  name  for  certain.  Ah, 
he  looked  a  shark,  he  did!  If  we  run  down  this 
Black  Dog,  now,  there  '11  be  news  for  Cap'n  Tre- 
lawney !  Ben  's  a  good  runner ;  few  seamen  run 
better  than  Ben.  He  should  run  him  down,  hand 
over  hand,  by  the  powers!  He  talked  o'  keel- 
hauling, did  he?  I'll  keel-haul  him!" 

All  the  time  he  was  jerking  out  these  phrases 
he  was  stumping  up  and  down  the  tavern  on  his 
crutch,  slapping  tables  with  his  hand,  and  giving 


TREASURE     ISLAND        75 

such  a  show  of  excitement  as  would  have  con- 
vinced an  Old  Bailey  judge  or  a  Bow  Street 
runner.  My  suspicions  had  been  thoroughly  re- 
awakened on  finding  Black  Dog  at  the  "  Spy- 
glass," and  I  watched  the  cook  narrowly.  But 
he  was  too  deep,  and  too  ready,  and  too  clever 
for  me,  and  by  the  time  the  two  men  had  come 
back  out  of  breath,  and  confessed  that  they  had 
lost  the  track  in  a  crowd,  and  been  scolded  like 
thieves,  I  would  have  gone  bail  for  the  innocence 
of  Long  John  Silver. 

"  See  here,  now,  Hawkins,"  said  he,  "  here  's  a 
blessed  hard  thing  on  a  man  like  me,  now,  ain't 
it  ?  There  's  Cap'n  Trelawney  —  what 's  he  to 
think?  Here  I  have  this  confounded  son  of  a 
Dutchman  sitting  in  my  own  house,  drinking  of 
my  own  rum!  Here  you  comes  and  tells  me  of  it 
plain;  and  here  I  let  him  give  us  all  the  slip  be- 
fore my  blessed  dead-lights !  Now,  Hawkins,  you 
do  me  justice  with  the  cap'n.  You  're  a  lad,  you 
are,  but  you  're  as  smart  as  paint.  I  see  that  when 
you  first  came  in.  Now,  here  it  is:  What  could 
I  do,  with  this  old  timber  I  hobble  on?  When  I 
was  an  A  B  master  mariner  I  'd  have  come  up 
alongside  of  him,  hand  over  hand,  and  broached 
him  to  in  a  brace  of  old  shakes,  I  would;  but 
now "  " 

And   then,   all   of   a   sudden,   he   stopped,   and 


76        TREASURE     ISLAND 

his  jaw  dropped  as  though  he  had  remembered 
something. 

"  The  score !  "  he  burst  out.  "  Three  goes  o' 
rum !  Why,  shiver  my  timbers,  if  I  had  n't  for- 
gotten my  score!" 

And,  falling  on  a  bench,  he  laughed  until  the 
tears  ran  down  his  cheeks.  I  could  not  help  join- 
ing ;  and  we  laughed  together,  peal  after  peal,  until 
the  tavern  rang  again. 

"  Why,  what  a  precious  old  sea-calf  I  am ! "  he 
said,  at  last,  wiping  his  cheeks.  "  You  and  me 
should  get  on  well,  Hawkins,  for  I  '11  take  my  davy 
I  should  be  rated  ship's  boy.  But,  come,  now,  stand 
by  to  go  about.  This  won't  do.  Booty  is  dooty, 
messmates.  I  '11  put  on  my  old  cocked  hat,  and 
step  along  of  you  to  Cap'n  Trelawney,  and  report 
this  here  affair.  For,  mind  you,  it 's  serious,  young 
Hawkins ;  and  neither  you  nor  me  's  come  out  of 
it  with  what  I  should  make  so  bold  as  to  call  credit. 
Nor  you  neither,  says  you;  not  smart  —  none  of 
the  pair  of  us  smart.  But  dash  my  buttons !  that 
was  a  good  'un  about  my  score." 

And  he  began  to  laugh  again,  and  that  so 
heartily,  that  though  I  did  not  see  the  joke  as  he 
did,  I  was  again  obliged  to  join  him  in  his  mirth. 

On  our  little  walk  along  the  quays,  he  made 
himself  the  most  interesting  companion,  telling 
me  about  the  different  ships  that  we  passed  by, 


TREASURE     ISLAND        77 

their  rig,  tonnage,  and  nationality,  explaining  the 
work  that  was  going  forward  —  how  one  was  dis- 
charging, another  taking  in  cargo,  and  a  third 
making  ready  for  sea;  and  every  now  and  then 
telling  me  some  little  anecdote  of  ships  or  seamen, 
or  repeating  a  nautical  phrase  till  I  had  learned  it 
perfectly.  I  began  to  see  that  here  was  one  of 
the  best  of  possible  shipmates. 

When  we  got  to  the  inn,  the  squire  and  Dr. 
Livesey  were  seated  together,  finishing  a  quart  of 
ale  with  a  toast  in  it,  before  they  should  go  aboard 
the  schooner  on  a  visit  of  inspection. 

Long  John  told  the  story  from  first  to  last, 
with  a  great  deal  of  spirit  and  the  most  perfect 
truth.  "  That  was  how  it  were,  now,  were  n't  it, 
Hawkins  ?  "  he  would  say,  now  and  again,  and  I 
could  always  bear  him  entirely  out. 

The  two  gentlemen  regretted  that  Black  Dog 
had  got  away;  but  we  all  agreed  there  was  noth- 
ing to  be  done,  and  after  he  had  been  compli- 
mented, Long  John  took  up  his  en14--'  and 
departed. 

"  All  hands  aboard  by  four  this  afternoon," 
shouted  the  squire,  after  him. 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  cried  the  cook,  in  the  passage. 

"  Well,  squire,"  said  Dr.  Livesey,  "  I  don't  put 
much  faith  in  your  discoveries,  as  a  general  thing; 
but  I  will  say  this,  John  Silver  suits  me." 


78        TREASURE     ISLAND 

"  The  man 's  a  perfect  trump,"  declared  the 
squire. 

"  And  now,"  added  the  doctor,  "  Jim  may  come 
on  board  with  us,  may  he  not  ?  " 

"  To  be  sure  he  may,"  says  squire.  "  Take  your 
hat,  Hawkins,  and  we  '11  see  the  ship." 


CHAPTER   IX 

POWDER    AND   ARMS 

THE  Hispaniola  lay  some  way  out,  and  we 
went  under  the  figureheads  and  round 
the  sterns  of  many  other  ships,  and  their 
cables  sometimes  grated  underneath  our  keel,  and 
sometimes  swung  above  us.  At  last,  however,  we 
got  alongside,  and  were  met  and  saluted  as  we 
stepped  aboard  by  the  mate,  Mr.  Arrow,  a  brown 
old  sailor,  with  earrings  in  his  ears  and  a  squint. 
He  and  the  squire  were  very  thick  and  friendly, 
but  I  soon  observed  that  things  were  not  the  same 
between  Mr.  Trelawney  and  the  captain. 

.This  last  was  a  sharp-looking  man,  who  seemed 
angry  with  everything  on  board,  and  was  soon  to 
tell  us  why,  for  we  had  hardly  got  down  into  the 
cabin  when  a  sailor  followed  us. 

"  Captain    Smollett,    sir,   axing   to   speak   with 
you,"  said  he. 

"  I  am  always  at  the  captain's  orders.     Show 
him  in,"  said  the  squire. 

The  captain,  who  was  close  behind  his  messen- 
ger, entered  at  once,  and  shut  the  door  behind  him. 


8o        TREASURE     ISLAND 

"  Well,  Captain  Smollett,  what  have  you  to  say? 
All  well,  I  hope ;  all  shipshape  and  seaworthy  ?  " 

"  Well,  sir,"  said  the  captain,  "  better  speak 
plain,  I  believe,  even  at  the  risk  of  offence.  I 
don't  like  this  cruise;  I  don't  like  the  men;  and 
I  don't  like  my  officer.  That 's  short  and  sweet." 

"  Perhaps,  sir,  you  don't  like  the  ship?  "  inquired 
the  squire,  very  angry,  as  I  could  see. 

"  I  can't  speak  as  to  that,  sir,  not  having  seen 
her  tried,"  said  the  captain.  "  She  seems  a  clever 
craft;  more  I  can't  say." 

"  Possibly,  sir,  you  may  not  like  your  employer, 
either?  "  says  the  squire. 

But  here  Dr.  Livesey  cut  in. 

"  Stay  a  bit,"  said  he,  "  stay  a  bit.  No  use  of 
such  questions  as  that  but  to  produce  ill-feeling. 
The  captain  has  said  too  much  or  he  has  said  too 
little,  and  I  'm  bound  to  say  that  I  require  an  ex- 
planation of  his  words.  You  don't,  you  say,  like 
this  cruise.  Now,  why?" 

"  I  was  engaged,  sir,  on  what  we  call  sealed 
orders,  to  sail  this  ship  for  that  gentleman  where 
he  should  bid  me,"  said  the  captain.  "  So  far  so 
good.  But  now  I  find  that  every  man  before  the 
mast  knows  more  than  I  do.  I  don't  call  that  fair, 
now,  do  you?  " 

"  No,"  said  Dr.  Livesey,  "  I  don't." 

"  Next,"  said  the  captain,  "  I  learn  we  are  going 


TREASURE     ISLAND        81 

after  treasure  —  hear  it  from  my  own  hands,  mind 
you.  Now,  treasure  is  ticklish  work;  I  don't  like 
treasure  voyages  on  any  account ;  and  I  don't  like 
them,  above  all,  when  they  are  secret,  and  when 
(begging  your  pardon,  Mr.  Trelawney)  the  secret 
has  been  told  to  the  parrot." 

"  Silver's  parrot?  "  asked  the  squire. 

"  It 's  a  way  of  speaking,"  said  the  captain. 
"  Blabbed,  I  mean.  It 's  my  belief  neither  of  you 
gentlemen  know  what  you  are  about ;  but  I  '11  tell 
you  my  way  of  it  —  life  or  death,  and  a  close  run." 

"  That  is  all  clear,  and,  I  dare  say,  true  enough," 
replied  Dr.  Livesey.  "  We  take  the  risk ;  but  we 
are  not  so  ignorant  as  you  believe  us.  Next,  you 
say  you  don't  like  the  crew.  Are  they  not  good 
seamen  ?  " 

"  I  don't  like  them,  sir,"  returned  Captain 
Smollett.  "And  I  think  I  should  have  had  the 
dhoosing  of  my  own  hands,  if  you  go  to  that." 

"  Perhaps  you  should,"  replied  the  doctor.  "  My 
friend  should,  perhaps,  have  taken  you  along  with 
him;  but  the  slight,  if  there  be  one,  was  uninten- 
tional. And  you  don't  like  Mr.  Arrow  ?  " 

"  I  don't,  sir.  I  believe  he  's  a  good  seaman ; 
but  he  's  too  free  with  the  crew  to  be  a  good  officer. 
A  mate  should  keep  himself  to  himself  —  should  n't 
drink  with  the  men  before  the  mast ! " 

"  Do  you  mean  he  drinks  ?  "   cried  the  squire. 
VOL.  vi. — 6 


82        TREASURE     ISLAND 

"  No,  sir,"  replied  the  captain ;  "  only  that  he  's 
too  familiar." 

"  Well,  now,  and  the  short  and  long  of  it, 
captain  ?  "  asked  the  doctor.  "  Tell  us  what  you 
want." 

"  Well,  gentlemen,  are  you  determined  to  go  on 
this  cruise?  " 

"  Like  iron,"  answered  the  squire. 

"  Very  good,"  said  the  captain.  "  Then,  as 
you  Ve  heard  me  very  patiently,  saying  things  that 
I  could  not  prove,  hear  me  a  few  words  more. 
They  are  putting  the  powder  and  the  arms  in  the 
fore  hold.  Now,  you  have  a  good  place  under  the 
cabin;  why  not  put  them  there?  —  first  point. 
Then  you  are  bringing  four  of  your  own  people 
with  you,  and  they  tell  me  some  of  them  are  to 
be  berthed  forward.  Why  not  give  them  the  berths 
here  beside  the  cabin  ?  —  second  point." 

"Any  more?"  asked  Mr.  Trelawney. 

"  One  more,"  said  the  captain.  "  There  's  been 
too  much  blabbing  already." 

"  Far  too  much,"  agreed  the  doctor. 

"  I  '11  tell  you  what  I  Ve  heard  myself,"  con- 
tinued Captain  Smollett :  "  that  you  have  a  map 
of  an  island ;  that  there 's  crosses  on  the  map 
to  show  where  treasure  is;  and  that  the  island 

lies "     And  then  he  named  the-  latitude  and 

longitude  exactly. 


TREASURE    ISLAND        83 

"  I  never  told  that,"  cried  the  squire,  "  to  a 
soul!" 

"  The  hands  know  it,  sir,"  returned  the  captain. 

"  Livesey,  that  must  have  been  you  or  Haw- 
kins," cried  the  squire. 

"  It  does  n't  much  matter  who  it  was,"  replied 
the  doctor.  And  I  could  see  that  neither  he  nor 
the  captain  paid  much  regard  to  Mr.  Trelawney's 
protestations.  Neither  did  I,  to  be  sure,  he  was 
so  loose  a  talker ;  yet  in  this  case  I  believe  he  was 
really  right,  and  that  nobody  had  told  the  situa- 
tion of  the  island. 

"  Well,  gentlemen,"  continued  the  captain,  "  I 
don't  know  who  has  this  map;  but  I  make  it  a 
point,  it  shall  be  kept  secret  even  from  me  and 
Mr.  Arrow.  Otherwise  I  would  ask  you  to  let 
me  resign." 

"  I  see,"  said  the  doctor.  "  You  wish  us  to  keep 
this  matter  dark,  and  to  make  a  garrison  of  the 
stern  part  of  the  ship,  manned  with  my  friend's 
own  people,  and  provided  with  all  the  arms  and 
powder  on  board.  In  other  words,  you  fear  a 
mutiny." 

"  Sir,"  said  Captain  Smollett,  "  with  no  inten- 
tion to  take  offence,  I  deny  your  right  to  put 
words  into  my  mouth.  No  captain,  sir,  would  be 
justified  in  going  to  sea  at  all  if  he  had  ground 
enough  to  say  that.  As  for  Mr.  Arrow,  I  believe 


84        TREASURE     ISLAND 

him  thoroughly  honest;  some  of  the  men  are  the 
same;  all  may  be  for  what  I  know.  But  I  am 
responsible  for  the  ship's  safety  and  the  life  of 
every  man  Jack  aboard  of  her.  I  see  things  going, 
as  I  think,  not  quite  right.  And  I  ask  you  to  take 
certain  precautions,  or  let  me  resign  my  berth. 
And  that 's  all." 

''  Captain  Smollett,"  began  the  doctor,  with  a 
smile,  "did  ever  you  hear  the  fable  of  the  mountain 
and  the  mouse  ?  You  '11  excuse  me,  I  dare  say,  but 
you  remind  me  of  that  fable.  When  you  came  in 
here  I  '11  stake  my  wig  you  meant  more  than  this." 

"  Doctor,"  said  the  captain,  "  you  are  smart. 
When  I  came  in  here  I  meant  to  get  discharged. 
I  had  no  thought  that  Mr.  Trelawney  would  hear 
a  word." 

"  No  more  I  would,"  cried  the  squire.  "  Had 
Livesey  not  been  here  I  should  have  seen  you  to 
the  deuce.  As  it  is,  I  have  heard  you.  I  will  do 
as  you  desire;  but  I  think  the  worse  of  you." 

"  That 's  as  you  please,  sir,"  said  the  captain. 
"  You  '11  find  I  do  my  duty." 

And  \vith  that  he  took  his  leave. 

"  Trelawney,"  said  the  doctor,  "  contrary  to  all 
my  notions,  I  believe  you  have  managed  to  get 
two  honest  men  on  board  with  you  —  that  man 
and  John  Silver." 

"Silver,   if  you  like,"   cried  the  squire;   "but 


TREASURE     ISLAND        85 

as  for  that  intolerable  humbug,  I  declare  I  think 
his  conduct  unmanly,  unsailorly,  and  downright 
un-English." 

"  Well,"  says  the  doctor,  "  we  shall  see." 

When  we  came  on  deck,  the  men  had  begun 
already  to  take  out  the  arms  and  powder,  yo-ho- 
ing  at  their  work,  while  the  captain  and  Mr. 
Arrow  stood  by  superintending. 

The  new  arrangement  was  quite  to  my  liking. 
The  whole  schooner  had  been  overhauled;  six 
berths  had  been  made  astern,  out  of  what  had 
been  the  after-part  of  the  main  hold;  and  this  set 
of  cabins  was  only  joined  to  the  galley  and  fore- 
castle by  a  sparred  passage  on  the  port  side.  It 
had  been  originally  meant  that  the  captain,  Mr. 
Arrow,  Hunter,  Joyce,  the  doctor,  and  the  squire, 
were  to  occupy  these  six  berths.  Now,  Redruth 
and  I  were  to  get  two  of  them,  and  Mr.  Arrow 
and  the  captain  were  to  sleep  on  deck  in  the  com- 
panion, which  had  been  enlarged  on  each  side  till 
you  might  almost  have  called  it  a  round-house. 
Very  low  it  was  still,  of  course;  but  there  was 
room  to  swing  two  hammocks,  and  even  the  mate 
seemed  pleased  with  the  arrangement.  Even  he, 
perhaps,  had  been  doubtful  as  to  the  crew,  but 
that  is  only  guess ;  for,  as  you  shall  hear,  we  had 
not  long  the  benefit  of  his  opinion. 

We  were  all  hard  at  work,  changing  the  powder 


86        TREASURE     ISLAND 

and  the  berths,  when  the  last  man  or  two,  and 
Long  John  along  with  them,  came  off  in  a  shore- 
boat. 

The  cook  came  up  the  side  like  a  monkey  for 
cleverness,  and,  as  soon  as  he  saw  what  was 
doing,  "  So  ho,  mates !  "  says  he,  "  what 's  this  ?  " 

"  We  're  a-changing  of  the  powder,  Jack,"  an- 
swers one. 

"  Why,  by  the  powers,"  cried  Long  John,  "  if 
we  do,  we  '11  miss  the  morning  tide !  " 

"  My  orders !  "  said  the  captain  shortly.  "  You 
may  go  below,  my  man.  Hands  will  want  supper." 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  answered  the  cook;  and,  touch- 
ing his  forelock,  he  disappeared  at  once  in  the 
direction  of  his  galley. 

"  That 's  a  good  man,  captain,"  said  the  doctor. 

"  Very  likely,  sir,"  replied  Captain  Smollett. 
"  Easy  with  that,  men  —  easy,"  he  ran  on,  to  the 
fellows  who  were  shifting  the  powder;  and  then 
suddenly  observing  me  examining  the  swivel  we 
carried  amidships,  a  long  brass  nine  —  "  Here,  you 
ship's  boy,"  he  cried,  "  out  o'  that !  Off  with  you 
to  the  cook  and  get  some  work." 

And  then  as  I  was  hurrying  off  I  heard  him 
say,  quite  loudly,  to  the  doctor: 

"  I  '11  have  no  favourites  on  my  ship." 

I  assure  you  I  was  quite  of  the  squire's  way  of 
thinking,  and  hated  the  captain  deeply. 


CHAPTER   X 

THE   VOYAGE 

AL  that  night  we  were  in  a  great  bustle 
getting  things  stowed  in  their  place,  and 
boatfuls  of  the  squire's  friends,  Mr. 
Blandly  and  the  like,  coming  off  to  wish  him  a 
good  voyage  and  a  safe  return.  We  never  had 
a  night  at  the  "  Admiral  Benbow "  when  I  had 
half  the  work;  and  I  was  dog-tired  when,  a  little 
before  dawn,  the  boatswain  sounded  his  pipe,  and 
the  crew  began  to  man  the  capstan-bars.  I  might 
have  been  twice  as  weary,  yet  I  would  not  have 
left  the  deck;  all  was  so  new  and  interesting  to 
me  —  the  brief  commands,  the  shrill  note  of  the 
whistle,  the  men  bustling  to  their  places  in  the 
glimmer  of  the  ship's  lanterns. 

"  Now,  Barbecue,  tip  us  a  stave,"  cried  one 
voice. 

"  The  old  one,"  cried  another. 

"  Ay,  ay,  mates,"  said  Long  John,  who  was 
standing  by,  with  his  crutch  under  his  arm,  and 
at  once  broke  out  in  the  air  and  words  I  knew 
so  well  — 


88        TREASURE    ISLAND 

"  Fifteen  men  on  the  dead  man's  chest  "  — 
And  then  the  whole  crew  bore  chorus  — 
"  Yo-ho-ho,  and  a  bottle  of  rum ! " 

And  at  the  third  "ho!"  drove  the  bars  before 
them  with  a  will. 

Even  at  that  exciting  moment  it  carried  me  back 
to  the  old  "  Admiral  Benbow  "  in  a  second ;  and 
I  seemed  to  hear  the  voice  of  the  captain  piping 
in  the  chorus.  But  soon  the  anchor  was  short 
up ;  soon  it  was  hanging  dripping  at  the  bows ; 
soon  the  sails  began  to  draw,  and  the  land  and 
shipping  to  flit  by  on  either  side;  and  before  I 
could  lie  down  to  snatch  an  hour  of  slumber  the 
Hispaniola  had  begun  her  voyage  to  the  Isle  of 
Treasure. 

I  am  not  going  to  relate  that  voyage  in  detail. 
It  was  fairly  prosperous.  The  ship  proved  to  be 
a  good  ship,  the  crew  were  capable  seamen,  and 
the  captain  thoroughly  understood  his  business. 
But  before  we  came  the  length  of  Treasure  Island, 
two  or  three  things  had  happened  which  require 
to  be  known. 

Mr.  Arrow,  first  of  all,  turned  out  even  worse 
than  the  captain  had  feared.  He  had  no  command 
among  the  men,  and  people  did  what  they  pleased 
with  him.  But  that  was  by  no  means  the  worst 
of  it;  for  after  a  day  or  two  at  sea  he  began  to 


TREASURE    ISLAND        89 

appear  on  deck  with  hazy  eye,  red  cheeks,  stut- 
tering tongue,  and  other  marks  of  drunkenness. 
Time  after  time  he  was  ordered  below  in  dis- 
grace. Sometimes  he  fell  and  cut  himself;  some- 
times he  lay  all  day  long  in  his  little  bunk  at  one 
side  of  the  companion;  sometimes  for  a  day  or 
two  he  would  be  almost  sober  and  attend  to  his 
work  at  least  passably. 

In  the  meantime,  we  could  never  make  out 
where  he  got  the  drink.  That  was  the  ship's 
mystery.  Watch  him  as  we  pleased,  we  could  do 
nothing  to  solve  it;  and  when  we  asked  him  to 
his  face,  he  would  only  laugh,  if  he  were  drunk, 
and  if  he  were  sober,  deny  solemnly  that  he  ever 
tasted  anything  but  water. 

He  was  not  only  useless  as  an  officer,  and  a 
bad  influence  amongst  the  men,  but  it  was  plain 
that  at  this  rate  he  must  soon  kill  himself  out- 
right; so  nobody  was  much  surprised,  nor  very 
sorry,  when  one  dark  night,  with  a  head  sea,  he 
disappeared  entirely  and  was  seen  no  more. 

"  Overboard !  "  said  the  captain.  "  Well,  gentle- 
men, that  saves  the  trouble  of  putting  him  in 
irons." 

But  there  we  were,  without  a  mate;  and  it  was 
necessary,  of  course,  to  advance  one  of  the  men. 
The  boatswain,  Job  Anderson,  was  the  likeliest 
man  aboard,  and,  though  he  kept  his  old  title,  he 


9o        TREASURE     ISLAND 

served  in  a  way  as  mate.  Mr.  Trelawney  had  fol- 
lowed the  sea,  and  his  knowledge  made  him  very 
useful,  for  he  often  took  a  watch  himself  in  easy 
weather.  And  the  coxswain,  Israel  Hands,  was  a 
careful,  wily,  old,  experienced  seaman,  who  could 
be  trusted  at  a  pinch  with  almost  anything. 

He  was  a  great  confidant  of  Long  John  Silver, 
and  so  the  mention  of  his  name  leads  me  on  to 
speak  of  our  ship's  cook,  Barbecue,  as  the  men 
called  him. 

Aboard  ship  he  carried  his  crutch  by  a  lanyard 
round  his  neck,  to  have  both  hands  as  free  as 
possible.  It  was  something  to  see  him  wedge  the 
foot  of  the  crutch  against  a  bulkhead,  and,  propped 
against  it,  yielding  to  every  movement  of  the  ship, 
get  on  with  his  cooking  like  some  one  safe  ashore. 
Stfll  more  strange  was  it  to  see  him  in  the  heaviest 
of  weather  cross  the  deck.  He  had  a  line  or  two 
rigged  up  to  help  him  across  the  widest  spaces  — 
Long  John's  earrings,  they  were  called;  and  he 
would  hand  himself  from  one  place  to  another, 
now  using  the  crutch,  now  trailing  it  alongside  by 
the  lanyard,  as  quickly  as  another  man  could  walk. 
Yet  some  of  the  men  who  had  sailed  with  him 
before  expressed  their  pity  to  see  him  so  reduced. 

"  He 's  no  common  man,  Barbecue,"  said  the 
coxswain  to  me.  "  He  had  good  schooling  in  his 
young  days,  and  can  speak  like  a  book  when  so 


TREASURE    ISLAND        91 

minded ;  and  brave  —  a  lion  's  nothing  alongside 
of  Long  John!  I  seen  him  grapple  four,  and 
knock  their  heads  together  —  him  unarmed." 

All  the  crew  respected  and  even  obeyed  him. 
He  had  a  way  of  talking  to  each,  and  doing 
everybody  some  particular  service.  To  me  he  was 
unweariedly  kind;  and  always  glad  to  see  me  in 
the  galley,  which  he  kept  as  clean  as  a  new  pin ; 
the  dishes  hanging  up  burnished,  and  his  parrot 
in  a  cage  in  one  corner. 

"  Come  away,  Hawkins,"  he  would  say;  "  come 
and  have  a  yarn  with  John.  Nobody  more  wel- 
come than  yourself,  my  son.  Sit  you  down  and 
hear  the  news.  Here  's  Cap'n  Flint  —  I  calls  my 
parrot  Cap'n  Flint,  after  the  famous  buccaneer  — 
here  's  Cap'n  Flint  predicting  success  to  our  v'yage. 
Was  n't  you,  cap'n  ?  " 

And  the  parrot  would  say,  with  great  rapidity, 
"  Pieces  of  eight !  pieces  of  eight !  pieces  of 
eight !  "  till  you  wondered  that  it  was  not  out  of 
breath,  or  till  John  threw  his  handkerchief  over 
the  cage. 

"  Now,  that  bird,"  he  would  say,  "  is,  maybe, 
two  hundred  years  old,  Hawkins  —  they  lives  for 
ever  mostly ;  and  if  anybody  's  seen  more  wicked- 
ness, it  must  be  the  devil  himself.  She  's  sailed 
with  England,  the  great  Cap'n  England,  the  pirate. 
She  's  been  at  Madagascar,  and  at  Malabar,  and 


92        TREASURE     ISLAND 

Surinam,  and  Providence,  and  Portobello.  She 
was  at  the  fishing  up  of  the  wrecked  plate  ships. 
It 's  there  she  learned  '  Pieces  of  eight,'  and  little 
wonder;  three  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  of  'em, 
Hawkins !  She  was  at  the  boarding  of  the  Viceroy 
of  the  Indies  out  of  Goa,  she  was ;  and  to  look  at 
her  you  would  think  she  was  a  babby.  But  you 
smelt  powder  —  did  n't  you,  cap'n  ?  " 

"  Stand  by  to  go  about,"  the  parrot  would 
scream. 

"  Ah,  she  's  a  handsome  craft,  she  is,"  the  cook 
would  say,  and  give  her  sugar  from  his  pocket, 
and  then  the  bird  would  peck  at  the  bars  and 
swear  straight  on,  passing  belief  for  wickedness. 
"  There,"  John  would  add,  "  you  can't  touch  pitch 
and  not  be  mucked,  lad.  Here 's  this  poor  old 
innocent  bird  o'  mine  swearing  blue  fire,  and  none 
the  wiser,  you  may  lay  to  that.  She  would  swear 
the  same,  in  a  manner  of  speaking,  before  chap- 
lain." And  John  would  touch  his  forelock  with  a 
solemn  way  he  had,  that  made  me  think  he  was 
the  best  of  men. 

In  the  meantime,  the  squire  and  Captain  Smollett 
were  still  on  pretty  distant  terms  with  one  another. 
The  squire  made  no  bones  about  the  matter;  he 
despised  the  captain.  The  captain,  on  his  part, 
never  spoke  but  when  he  was  spoken^  to,  and  then 
sharp  and  short  and  dry,  and  not  a  word  wasted. 


TREASURE    ISLAND        93 

He  owned,  when  driven  into  a  corner,  that  he 
seemed  to  have  been  wrong  about  the  crew,  that 
some  of  them  were  as  brisk  as  he  wanted  to  see, 
and  all  had  behaved  fairly  well.  As  for  the  ship, 
he  had  taken  a  downright  fancy  to  her.  "  She  '11 
lie  a  point  nearer  the  wind  than  a  man  has  a  right 
to  expect  of  his  own  married  wife,  sir.  But,"  he 
would  add,  "  all  I  say  is  we  're  not  home  again, 
and  I  don't  like  the  cruise." 

The  squire,  at  this,  would  turn  away  and  march 
up  and  down  the  deck,  chin  in  air. 

"  A  trifle  more  of  that  man,"  he  would  say,  "  and 
I  shall  explode." 

We  had  some  heavy  weather,  which  only  proved 
the  qualities  of  the  Hispaniola.  Every  man  on 
board  seemed  well  content,  and  they  must  have 
been  hard  to  please  if  they  had  been  otherwise;  for 
it  is  my  belief  there  was  never  a  ship's  company 
so  spoiled  since  Noah  put  to  sea.  Double  grog 
was  going  on  the  least  excuse;  there  was  duff  on 
odd  days,  as,  for  instance,  if  the  squire  heard  it 
was  any  man's  birthday;  and  always  a  barrel  of 
apples  standing  broached  in  the  waist,  for  any  one 
to  help  himself  that  had  a  fancy. 

"  Never  knew  good  come  of  it  yet,"  the  captain 
said  to  Dr.  Livesey.  "  Spoil  foc's'le  hands,  make 
devils.  That 's  my  belief." 

But  good  did  come  of  the  apple  barrel,  as  you 


94        TREASURE     ISLAND 

shall  hear;  for  if  it  had  not  been  for  that,  we 
should  have  had  no  note  of  warning,  and  might 
all  have  perished  by  the  hand  of  treachery. 

This  was  how  it  came  about. 

We  had  run  up  the  trades  to  get  the  wind  of  the 
island  we  were  after  —  I  am  not  allowed  to  be  more 
plain  —  and  now  we  were  running  down  for  it 
with  a  bright  look-out  day  and  night.  It  was  about 
the  last  day  of  our  outward  voyage,  by  the  largest 
computation;  some  time  that  night,  or,  at  latest, 
before  noon  of  the  morrow,  we  should  sight  the 
Treasure  Island.  We  were  heading  S.  S.  W.,  and 
had  a  steady  breeze  abeam  and  a  quiet  sea.  The 
Hispaniola  rolled  steadily,  dipping  her  bowsprit 
now  and  then  with  a  whiff  of  spray.  All  was 
drawing  alow  and  aloft;  every  one  was  in  the 
bravest  spirits,  because  we  were  now  so  near  an 
end  of  the  first  part  of  our  adventure. 

Now,  just  after  sundown,  when  all  my  work 
was  over,  and  I  was  on  my  way  to  my  berth,  it 
occurred  to  me  that  I  should  like  an  apple.  I  ran 
on  deck.  The  watch  was  all  forward  looking  out 
for  the  island.  The  man  at  the  helm  was  watching 
the  luff  of  the  sail,  and  whistling  away  gently 
to  himself ;  and  that  was  the  only  sound  excepting 
the  swish  of  the  sea  against  the  bows  and  around 
the  sides  of  the  ship.  ^ 

In  I  got  bodily  into  the  apple  barrel,  and  found 


TREASURE     ISLAND        95 

there  was  scarce  an  apple  left;  but,  sitting  down 
there  in  the  dark,  what  with  the  sound  of  the 
waters  and  the  rocking  movement  of  the  ship,  I 
had  either  fallen  asleep,  or  was  on  the  point  of 
doing  so,  when  a  heavy  man  sat  down  with  rather 
a  clash  close  by.  The  barrel  shook  as  he  leaned  his 
shoulders  against  it,  and  I  was  just  about  to  jump 
up  when  the  man  began  to  speak.  It  was  Silver's 
voice,  and,  before  I  had  heard  a  dozen  words,  I 
would  not  have  shown  myself  for  all  the  world, 
but  lay  there,  trembling  and  listening,  in  the  ex- 
treme of  fear  and  curiosity;  for  from  these  dozen 
words  I  understood  that  the  lives  of  all  the  honest 
men  aboard  depended  upon  me  alone. 


CHAPTER   XI 
WHAT  I   HEARD   IN   THE   APPLE   BARREL 

NO,  not  I,"  said  Silver.  "Flint  was 
cap'n ;  I  was  quartermaster,  along  of 
my  timber  leg.  The  same  broadside 
I  lost  my  leg,  old  Pew  lost  his  dead-lights.  It 
was  a  master  surgeon,  him  that  ampytated  me  — 
out  of  college  and  all  —  Latin  by  the  bucket,  and 
what  not;  but  he  was  hanged  like  a  dog,  and  sun- 
dried  like  the  rest,  at  Corso  Castle.  That  was 
Roberts'  men,  that  was,  and  corned  of  changing 
names  to  their  ships  —  Royal  Fortune  and  so  on. 
Now,  what  a  ship  was  christened,  so  let  her  stay, 
I  says.  So  it  was  with  the  Cassandra,  as  brought 
us  all  safe  home  from  Malabar,  after  England  took 
the  Viceroy  of  the  Indies;  so  it  was  with  the  old 
Walrus,  Flint's  old  ship,  as  I  've  seen  a-muck  with 
the  red  blood  and  fit  to  sink  with  gold." 

"  Ah !  "  cried  another  voice,  that  of  the  youngest 
hand  on  board,  and  evidently  full  of  admiration, 
"  he  was  the  flower  of  the  flock,  was  Flint !  " 

"  Davis  was  a  man,  too,  by  all  accounts,"  said 
Silver.  "  I  never  sailed  along  of  him ;  first  with 


TREASURE    ISLAND        97 

England,  then  with  Flint,  that 's  my  story ;  and 
now  here  on  my  own  account,  in  a  manner  of 
speaking.  I  laid  by  nine  hundred  safe,  from  Eng- 
land, and  two  thousand  after  Flint.  That  ain't 
bad  for  a  man  before  the  mast  —  all  safe  in  bank. 
'T  ain't  earning  now,  it 's  saving  does  it,  you  may 
lay  to  that.  Where  's  all  England's  men  now  ? 
I  dunno.  Where  's  Flint's  ?  Why,  most  on  'em 
aboard  here,  and  glad  to  get  the  duff  —  been  beg- 
ging before  that,  some  on  'em.  Old  Pew,  as  had 
lost  his  sight,  and  might  have  thought  shame, 
spends  twelve  hundred  pound  in  a  year,  like  a  lord 
in  Parliament.  Where  is  he  now  ?  Well,  he 's 
dead  now  and  under  hatches;  but  for  two  year 
before  that,  shiver  my  timbers !  the  man  was  starv- 
ing. He  begged,  and  he  stole,  and  he  cut  throats, 
and  starved  at  that,  by  the  powers !  " 

"  Well,  it  ain't  much  use,  after  all,"  said  the 
young  seaman. 

"  'T  ain't  much  use  for  fools,  you  may  lay  to 
it  —  that,  nor  nothing,"  cried  Silver.  "  But  now, 
you  look  here :  you  're  young,  you  are,  but  you  're 
as  smart  as  paint.  I  see  that  when  I  set  my  eyes 
on  you,  and  I  '11  talk  to  you  like  a  man." 

You  may  imagine  how  I  felt  when  I  heard  this 
abominable  old  rogue  addressing  another  in  the- 
very  same  words  of  flattery  as  he  had  used  to  my- 
self. I  think,  if  I  had  been  able,  that  I  would  have 

VOL.    VI.  —  7 


98        TREASURE    ISLAND 

killed  him  through  the  barrel.  Meantime,  he  ran 
on,  little  supposing  he  was  overheard. 

"  Here  it  is  about  gentlemen  of  fortune.  They 
lives  rough,  and  they  risk  swinging,  but  they  eat 
and  drink  like  fighting-cocks,  and  when  a  cruise 
is  done,  why,  it 's  hundreds  of  pounds  instead  of 
hundreds  of  farthings  in  their  pockets.  Now,  the 
most  goes  for  rum  and  a  good  fling,  and  to  sea 
again  in  their  shirts.  But  that 's  not  the  course  I 
lay.  I  puts  it  all  away,  some  here,  some  there,  and 
none  too  much  anywheres,  by  reason  of  suspicion. 
I  'm  fifty,  mark  you ;  once  back  from  this  cruise, 
I  set  up  gentleman  in  earnest.  Time  enough,  too, 
says  you.  Ah,  but  I  Ve  lived  easy  in  the  mean- 
time; never  denied  myself  o'  nothing  heart  desires, 
and  slep'  soft  and  ate  dainty  all  my  days,  but  when 
at  sea.  And  how  did  I  begin?  Before  the  mast, 
like  you ! " 

"Well,"  said  the  other,  "but  all  the  other 
money  's  gone  now,  ain't  it  ?  You  dare  n't  show 
face  in  Bristol  after  this." 

"  Why,  where  might  you  suppose  it  was  ?  "  asked 
Silver,  derisively. 

"  At  Bristol,  in  banks  and  places,"  answered  his 
companion. 

"It  were,"  said  the  cook;  "it  were  when  we 
weighed  anchor.  But  my  old  missis,  has  it  all  by 
now.  And  the  '  Spy-glass  '  is  sold,  lease  and  good- 


TREASURE    ISLAND        99 

will  and  rigging ;  and  the  old  girl 's  off  to  meet 
me.  I  would  tell  you  where,  for  I  trust  you;  but 
it  Vd  make  jealousy  among  the  mates." 

"And  can  you  trust  your  missis?"  asked  the 
other. 

"  Gentlemen  of  fortune,"  returned  the  cook, 
"  usually  trusts  little  among  themselves,  and  right 
they  are,  you  may  lay  to  it.  But  I  have  a  way  with 
me,  I  have.  When  a  mate  brings  a  slip  on  his 
cable  —  one  as  knows  me,  I  mean  —  it  won't  be 
in  the  same  world  with  old  John.  There  was  some 
that  was  feared  of  Pew,  and  some  that  was  feared 
of  Flint;  but  Flint  his  own  self  was  feared  of 
me.  Feared  he  was,  and  proud.  They  was  the 
roughest  crew  afloat,  was  Flint's;  the  devil  him- 
self would  have  been  feared  to  go  to  sea  with 
them.  Well,  now,  I  tell  you,  I  'm  not  a  boasting 
man,  and  you  seen  yourself  how  easy  I  keep 
company;  but  when  I  was  quartermaster,  lambs 
was  n't  the  word  for  Flint's  old  buccaneers. 
Ah,  you  may  be  sure  of  yourself  in  old  John's 
ship." 

"Well,  I  tell  you  now,"  replied  the  lad,  "I 
did  n't  half  a  quarter  like  the  job  till  I  had  this 
talk  with  you,  John ;  but  there  's  my  hand  on  it 
now." 

"  And  a  brave  lad  you  were,  and  smart,  too," 
answered  Silver,  shaking  hands  so  heartily4  that 


ioo      TREASURE     ISLAND 

all  the  barrel  shook,  "  and  a  finer  figurehead  for 
a  gentleman  of  fortune  I  never  clapped  my  eyes 
on." 

By  this  time  I  had  begun  to  understand  the 
meaning  of  their  terms.  By  a  "  gentleman  of 
fortune "  they  plainly  meant  neither  more  nor 
less  than  a  common  pirate,  and  the  little  scene 
that  I  had  overheard  was  the  last  act  in  the  cor- 
ruption of  one  of  the  honest  hands  —  perhaps  of 
the  last  one  left  aboard.  But  on  this  point  I 
was  soon  to  be  relieved,  for,  Silver  giving  a  little 
whistle,  a  third  man  strolled  up  and  sat  down  by 
the  party. 

"  Dick  's  square,"  said  Silver. 

"  Oh,  I  know'd  Dick  was  square,"  returned  the 
voice  of  the  coxswain,  Israel  Hands.  "  He  's  no 
fool,  is  Dick."  And  he  turned  his  quid  and  spat. 
"  But,  look  here,"  he  went  on,  "  here 's  what  I 
want  to  know,  Barbecue:  how  long  are  we 
a-going  to  stand  off  and  on  like  a  blessed  bum- 
boat  ?  I  Ve  had  a'most  enough  o'  Cap'n  Smol- 
lett ;  he 's  hazed  me  long  enough,  by  thunder ! 
I  want  to  go  into  that  cabin,  I  do.  I  want  their 
pickles  and  wines,  and  that." 

"  Israel,"  said  Silver,  "  your  head  ain't  much 
account,  nor  ever  was.  But  you  're  able  to  hear, 
I  reckon;  leastways,  your  ears  is -.big  enough. 
Now,  here  's  what  I  say :  you  '11  berth  forward, 


TREASURE     ISLAND       ioi 

and  you  '11  live  hard,  and  you  '11  speak  soft,  and 
you'll  keep  sober,  till  I  give  the  word;  and  you 
may  lay  to  that,  my  son." 

"  Well,  I  don't  say  no,  do  I  ? "  growled  the 
coxswain.  "  What  I  say  is,  when  ?  That 's  what 
I  say." 

"  WThen !  by  the  powers !  "  cried  Silver.  "  Well, 
now,  if  you  want  to  know,  I  '11  tell  you  when. 
The  last  moment  I  can  manage ;  and  that 's  when. 
Here 's  a  first-rate  seaman,  Cap'n  Smollett,  sails 
the  blessed  ship  for  us.  Here  's  this  squire  and 
doctor  with  a  map  and  such  —  I  don't  know 
where  it  is,  do  I?  No  more  do  you,  says  you. 
Well,  then,  I  mean  this  squire  and  doctor  shall 
find  the  stuff,  and  help  us  to  get  it  aboard,  by  the 
powers !  Then  we  '11  see.  If  I  was  sure  of  you 
all,  sons  of  double  Dutchmen,  I  'd  have  Cap'n 
Smollett  navigate  us  half-way  back  again  before 
I  struck." 

"  Why,  we  're  all  seamen  aboard  here,  I  should 
think,"  said  the  lad  Dick. 

"  We  're  all  foc's'le  hands,  you  mean,"  snapped 
Silver.  "  We  can  steer  a  course,  but  who  's  to 
set  one  ?  That 's  what  all  you  gentlemen  split  on, 
first  and  last.  If  I  had  my  way,  I  'd  have  Cap'n 
Smollett  work  us  back  into  the  trades  at  least; 
then  we  'd  have  no  blessed  miscalculations  and  a 
spoonful  of  water  a  day.  But  I  know  the  sort 


102      TREASURE    ISLAND 

you  are.  I  '11  finish  with  'em  at  the  island,  as 
soon 's  the  blunt 's  on  board,  and  a  pity  it  is. 
But  you  're  never  happy  till  you  're  drunk.  Split 
my  sides,  I  've  a  sick  heart  to  sail  with  the  likes 
of  you!" 

"  Easy  all,  Long  John,"  cried  Israel.  "  Who  's 
a-crossin'  of  you  ?  " 

"  Why,  how  many  tall  ships,  think  ye,  now, 
have  I  seen  laid  aboard?  and  how  many  brisk 
lads  drying  in  the  sun  at  Execution  Dock  ?  "  cried 
Silver,  "  and  all  for  this  same  hurry  and  hurry 
and  hurry.  You  hear  me?  I  seen  a  thing  or  two 
at  sea,  I  have.  If  you  would  on'y  lay  your  course, 
and  a  p'int  to  windward,  you  would  ride  in  car- 
riages, you  would.  But  not  you!  I  know  you. 
You  '11  have  your  mouthful  of  rum  to-morrow, 
and  go  hang." 

"  Everybody  know'd  you  was  a  kind  of  a  chap- 
ling,  John ;  but  there  's  others  as  could  hand  and 
steer  as  well  as  you,"  said  Israel.  "  They  liked  a 
bit  o'  fun,  they  did.  They  wasn't  so  high  and 
dry,  nohow,  but  took  their  fling,  like  jolly  com- 
panions every  one." 

"So?"  says  Silver.  "Well,  and  where  are 
they  now?  Pew  was  that  sort,  and  he  died  a 
beggar-man.  Flint  was,  and  he  died  of  rum  at 
Savannah.  Ah,  they  was  a  sweet  crew,  they  was! 
on'y,  where  are  they  ?  " 


TREASURE     ISLAND      103 

"  But,"  asked  Dick,  "  when  we  do  lay  'em 
athwart,  what  are  we  to  do  with  'em,  anyhow  ?  " 

"There's  the  man  for  me!"  cried  the  cook, 
admiringly.  "  That 's  what  I  call  business.  Well, 
what  would  you  think?  Put  'em  ashore  like  ma- 
roons? That  would  have  been  England's  way. 
Or  cut  'em  down  like  that  much  pork?  That 
would  have  been  Flint's  or  Billy  Bones's." 

"  Billy  was  the  man  for  that,"  said  Israel. 
"'Dead  men  don't  bite,'  says  he.  Well,  he's 
dead  now  hisself;  he  knows  the  long  and  short 
on  it  now;  and  if  ever  a  rough  hand  come  to 
port,  it  was  Billy." 

"  Right  you  are,"  said  Silver,  "  rough  and 
ready.  But  mark  you  here :  I  'm  an  easy  man 
—  I  'm  quite  the  gentleman,  says  you ;  but  this 
time  it 's  serious.  Dooty  is  dooty,  mates.  I  give 
my  vote  —  death.  When  I  'm  in  Parlyment,  and 
riding  in  my  coach,  I  don't  want  none  of  these 
sea-lawyers  in  the  cabin  a-coming  home,  unlocked 
for,  like  the  devil  at  prayers.  Wait  is  what  I 
say;  but  when  the  time  comes,  why  let  her 
rip!" 

"  John,"  cries  the  coxswain,  "  you  're  a  man !  " 

"  You  '11  say  so,  Israel,  when  you  see,"  said 
Silver.  "  Only  one  thing  I  claim  —  I  claim  Tre- 
lawney.  I  '11  wring  his  calf's  head  off  his  body 
with  these  hands.  Dick !  "  he  added,  breaking  off, 


io4      TREASURE     ISLAND 

"  you  just  jump  up,  like  a  sweet  lad,  and  get  me 
an  apple,  to  wet  my  pipe  like." 

You  may  fancy  the  terror  I  was  in!  I  should 
have  leaped  out  and  run  for  it,  if  I  had  found  the 
strength;  but  my  limbs  and  heart  alike  misgave 
me.  I  heard  Dick  begin  to  rise,  and  then  some 
one  seemingly  stopped  him,  and  the  voice  of 
Hands  exclaimed : 

"  Oh,  stow  that !  Don't  you  get  sucking  of 
that  bilge,  John.  Let 's  have  a  go  of  the  rum." 

"  Dick,"  said  Silver,  "  I  trust  you.  I  've  a 
gauge  on  the  keg,  mind.  There  's  the  key ;  you 
fill  a  pannikin  and  bring  it  up." 

Terrified  as  I  was,  I  could  not  help  thinking 
to  myself  that  this  must  have  been  how  Mr. 
Arrow  got  the  strong  waters  that  destroyed  him. 

Dick  was  gone  but  a  little  while,  and  during 
his  absence  Israel  spoke  straight  on  in  the  cook's 
ear.  It  was  but  a  word  or  two  that  I  could  catch, 
and  yet  I  gathered  some  important  news;  for, 
besides  other  scraps  that  tended  to  the  same  pur- 
pose, this  whole  clause  was  audible :  "  Not  an- 
other man  of  them  '11  jine."  Hence  there  were 
still  faithful  men  on  board. 

When  Dick  returned,  one  after  another  of  the 
trio  took  the  pannikin  and  drank  —  one  "  To 
luck;"  another  with  a  "Here's  to -.old  Flint;" 
and  Silver  himself  saying,  in  a  kind  of  song, 


TREASURE     ISLAND       105 

"  Here  's  to  ourselves,  and  hold  your  luff,  plenty 
of  prizes  and  plenty  of  duff." 

Just  then  a  sort  of  brightness  fell  upon  me  in 
the  barrel,  and,  looking  up,  I  found  the  moon 
had  risen,  and  was  silvering  the  mizzen-top  and 
shining  white  on  the  luff  of  the  fore-sail;  and 
almost  at  the  same  time  the  voice  of  the  look-out 
shouted,  "Land  ho!" 


CHAPTER  XII 

COUNCIL   OF   WAR 

THERE  was  a  great  rush  of  feet  across 
the  deck.  I  could  hear  people  tumbling 
up  from  the  cabin  and  the  foc's'le;  and, 
slipping  in  an  instant  outside  my  barrel,  I  dived 
behind  the  fore-sail,  made  a  double  towards  the 
stern,  and  came  out  upon  the  open  deck  in  time 
to  join  Hunter  and  Dr.  Livesey  in  the  rush  for 
the  weather  bow. 

There  all  hands  were  already  congregated.  A 
belt  of  fog  had  lifted  almost  simultaneously  with 
the  appearance  of  the  moon.  Away  to  the  south- 
west of  us  we  saw  two  low  hills,  about  a  couple 
of  miles  apart,  and  rising  behind  one  of  them  a 
third  and  higher  hill,  whose  peak  was  still  buried 
in  the  fog.  All  three  seemed  sharp  and  conical 
in  figure. 

So  much  I  saw,  almost  in  a  dream,  for  I  had 
not  yet  recovered  from  my  horrid  fear  of  a 
minute  or  two  before.  And  then  I  heard  the 
voice  of  Captain  Smollett  issuing  erders.  The 
Hispaniola  was  laid  a  couple  of  points  nearer  the 


TREASURE     ISLAND       107 

wind,  and  now  sailed  a  course  that  would  just 
clear  the  island  on  the  east. 

"  And  now,  men,"  said  the  captain,  when  all 
was  sheeted  home,  "  has  any  one  of  you  ever  seen 
that  land  ahead?" 

"  I  have,  sir,"  said  Silver.  "  I  've  watered  there 
with  a  trader  I  was  cook  in." 

"  The  anchorage  is  on  the  south,  behind  an 
islet,  I  fancy  ?  "  asked  the  captain. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  Skeleton  Island  they  calls  it.  It 
were  a  main  place  for  pirates  once,  and  a  hand 
we  had  on  board  knowed  all  their  names  for  it. 
That  hill  to  the  nor'ard  they  calls  the  Fore-mast 
Hill;  there  are  three  hills  in  a  row  running 
south'ard  —  fore,  main,  and  mizzen,  sir.  But  the 
main  —  that 's  the  big  'un,  with  the  cloud  on  it 

—  they  usually  calls  the  Spy-glass,  by  reason  of 
a  look-out  they  kept  when  they  was  in  the  anchor- 
age cleaning ;    for  it 's  there  they  cleaned  their 
ships,  sir,  asking  your  pardon." 

"  I  have  a  chart  here,"  says  Captain  Smollett. 
"  See  if  that 's  the  place." 

Long  John's  eyes  burned  in  his  head  as  he 
took  the  chart;  but,  by  the  fresh  look  of  the 
paper,  I  knew  he  was  doomed  to  disappointment. 
This  was  not  the  map  we  found  in  Billy  Bones's 
chest,  but  an  accurate  copy,  complete  in  all  things 

—  names  and  heights  and  soundings  —  with  the 


io8      TREASURE    ISLAND 

single  exception  of  the  red  crosses  and  the  written 
notes.  Sharp  as  must  have  been  his  annoyance, 
Silver  had  the  strength  of  mind  to  hide  it. 

"  Ves,  sir,"  said  he,  "  this  is  the  spot,  to  be 
sure;  and  very  prettily  drawed  out.  Who  might 
have  done  that,  I  wonder?  The  pirates  were  too 
ignorant,  I  reckon.  Ay,  here  it  is :  '  Capt.  Kidd's 
Anchorage '  —  just  the  name  my  shipmate  called 
it.  There  's  a  strong  current  runs  along  the  south, 
and  then  away  nor'ard  up  the  west  coast.  Right 
you  was,  sir,"  says  he,  "  to  haul  your  wind  and 
keep  the  weather  of  the  island.  Leastways,  if 
such  was  your  intention  as  to  enter  and  careen, 
and  there  ain't  no  better  place  for  that  in  these 
waters." 

"  Thank  you,  my  man,"  says  Captain  Smollett. 
"  I  '11  ask  you,  later  on,  to  give  us  a  help.  You 
may  go." 

I  was  surprised  at  the  coolness  with  which 
John  avowed  his  knowledge  of  the  island;  and  I 
own  I  was  half  frightened  when  I  saw  him  draw- 
ing nearer  to  myself.  He  did  not  know,  to  be 
sure,  that  I  had  overheard  his  council  from  the 
apple  barrel,  and  yet  I  had,  by  this  time,  taken 
such  a  horror  of  his  cruelty,  duplicity,  and  power, 
that  I  could  scarce  conceal  a  shudder  when  he  laid 
his  hand  upon  my  arm. 

"  Ah,"  says  he,  "  this  here  is  a  sweet  spot,  this 


TREASURE     ISLAND       109 

island  —  a  sweet  spot  for  a  lad  to  get  ashore  on. 
You  '11  bathe,  and  you  '11  climb  trees,  and  you  '11 
hunt  goats,  you  will ;  and  you  '11  get  aloft  on 
them  hills  like  a  goat  yourself.  Why,  it  makes 
me  young  again.  I  was  going  to  forget  my 
timber  leg,  I  was.  It 's  a  pleasant  thing  to  be 
young,  and  have  ten  toes,  and  you  may  lay  to 
that.  When  you  want  to  go  a  bit  of  exploring, 
you  just  ask  old  John,  and  he  '11  put  up  a  snack 
for  you  to  take  along." 

And  clapping  me  in  the  friendliest  way  upon 
the  shoulder,  he  hobbled  off  forward,  and  went 
below. 

Captain  Smollett,  the  squire,  and  Dr.  Livesey 
were  talking  together  on  the  quarter-deck,  and, 
anxious  as  I  was  to  tell  them  my  story,  I  durst 
not  interrupt  them  openly.  While  I  was  still  cast- 
ing about  in  my  thoughts  to  find  some  probable 
excuse,  Dr.  Livesey  called  me  to  his  side.  He 
had  left  his  pipe  below,  and  being  a  slave  to 
tobacco,  had  meant  that  I  should  fetch  it;  but 
as  soon  as  I  was  near  enough  to  speak  and  not 
to  be  overheard,  I  broke  out  immediately :  "  Doc- 
tor, let  me  speak.  Get  the  captain  and  squire 
down  to  the  cabin,  and  then  make  some  pretence 
to  send  for  me.  I  have  terrible  news." 

The  doctor  changed  countenance  a  little,  but 
next  moment  he  was  master  of  himself. 


no      TREASURE     ISLAND 

"  Thank  you,  Jim,"  said  he,  quite  loudly,  "  that 
was  all  I  wanted  to  know,"  as  if  he  had  asked 
me  a  question. 

And  with  that  he  turned  on  his  heel  and  re- 
joined the  other  two.  They  spoke  together  for  a 
little,  and  though  none  of  them  started,  or  raised 
his  voice,  or  so  much  as  whistled,  it  was  plain 
enough  that  Dr.  Livesey  had  communicated  my 
request;  for  the  next  thing  that  I  heard  was  the 
captain  giving  an  order  to  Job  Anderson,  and  all 
hands  were  piped  on  deck. 

"My  lads,"  said  Captain  Smollett,  "I've  a 
word  to  say  to  you.  This  land  that  we  have 
sighted  is  the  place  we  have  been  sailing  for. 
Mr.  Trelawney,  being  a  very  open-handed  gen- 
tleman, as  we  all  know,  has  just  asked  me  a  word 
or  two,  and  as  I  was  able  to  tell  him  that  every 
man  on  board  had  done  his  duty,  alow  and  aloft, 
as  I  never  ask  to  see  it  done  better,  why,  he  and  I 
and  the  doctor  are  going  below  to  the  cabin  to 
drink  your  health  and  luck,  and  you  '11  have  grog 
served  out  for  you  to  drink  our  health  and  luck. 
I  '11  tell  you  what  I  think  of  this :  I  think  it 
handsome.  And  if  you  think  as  I  do,  you  '11 
give  a  good  sea  cheer  for  the  gentleman  that 
does  it." 

The  cheer  followed  —  that  was  -a  matter  of 
course;  but  it  rang  out  so  full  and  hearty,  that 


TREASURE    ISLAND       in 

I  confess  I  could  hardly  believe  these  same  men 
were  plotting  for  our  blood. 

"  One  more  cheer  for  Cap'n  Smollett,"  cried 
Long  John,  when  the  first  had  subsided. 

And  this  also  was  given  with  a  will. 

On  the  top  of  that  the  three  gentlemen  went 
below,  and  not  long  after,  word  was  sent  for- 
ward that  Jim  Hawkins  was  wanted  in  the 
cabin. 

I  found  them  all  three  seated  round  the  table, 
a  bottle  of  Spanish  wine  and  some  raisins  before 
them,  and  the  doctor  smoking  away,  with  his  wig 
on  his  lap,  and  that,  I  knew,  was  a  sign  that  he 
was  agitated.  The  stern  window  was  open,  for 
it  was  a  warm  night,  and  you  could  see  the  moon 
shining  behind  on  the  ship's  wake. 

"  Now,  Hawkins,"  said  the  squire,  "  you  have 
something  to  say.  Speak  up." 

I  did  as  I  was  bid,  and  as  x  short  as  I  could 
make  it,  told  the  whole  details  of  Silver's  con- 
versation. Nobody  interrupted  me  till  I  was  done, 
nor  did  any  one  of  the  three  of  them  make  so 
much  as  a  movement,  but  they  kept  their  eyes 
upon  my  face  from  first  to  last. 

"  Jim,"  said  Dr.  Livesey,  "  take  a  seat." 

And  they  made  me  sit  down  at  table  beside 
them,  poured  me  out  a  glass  of  wine,  filled  my 
hands  with  raisins,  and  all  three,  one  after  the 


ii2      TREASURE     ISLAND 

other,  and  each  with  a  bow,  drank  my  good 
health,  and  their  service  to  me,  for  my  luck  and 
courage. 

"  Now,  captain,"  said  the  squire,  "  you  were 
right  and  I  was  wrong.  I  own  myself  an  ass, 
and  I  await  your  orders." 

"  No  more  an  ass  than  I,  sir,"  returned  the 
captain.  "  I  never  heard  of  a  crew  that  meant 
to  mutiny  but  what  showed  signs  before,  for  any 
man  that  had  an  eye  in  his  head  to  see  the  mis- 
chief and  take  steps  according.  But  this  crew," 
he  added,  "  beats  me." 

"  Captain,"  said  the  doctor,  "  with  your  per- 
mission, that 's  Silver.  A  very  remarkable  man." 

"  He  'd  look  remarkably  well  from  a  yard-arm, 
sir,"  returned  the  captain.  "  But  this  is  talk ; 
this  don't  lead  to  anything.  I  see  three  or  four 
points,  and  with  Mr.  Trelawney's  permission,  I  '11 
name  them." 

"  You,  sir,  are  the  captain.  It  is  for  you  to 
speak,"  says  Mr.  Trelawney,  grandly. 

"  First  point,"  began  Mr.  Smollett.  "  We  must 
go  on,  because  we  can't  turn  back.  If  I  gave  the 
word  to  go  about,  they  would  rise  at  once.  Sec- 
ond point,  we  have  time  before  us  —  at  least, 
until  this  treasure 's  found.  Third  point,  there 
are  faithful  hands.  Now,  sir,  it 's  "got  to  come 
to  blows  sooner  or  later;  and  what  I  propose 


TREASURE     ISLAND       113 

is,  to  take  time  by  the  forelock,  as  the  saying  is, 
and  come  to  blows  some  fine  day  when  they  least 
expect  it.  We  can  count,  I  take  it,  on  your  own 
home  servants,  Mr.  Trelawney?" 

"  As  upon  myself,"  declared  the  squire. 
'  Three,"     reckoned    the    captain,     "  ourselves 
make    seven,    counting    Hawkins,    here.      Now, 
about  the  honest  hands  ?  " 

"  Most  likely  Trelawney's  own  men,"  said  the 
doctor;  "those  he  had  picked  up  for  himself, 
before  he  lit  on  Silver." 

"  Nay,"  replied  the  squire,  "  Hands  was  one  of 
mine." 

"  I  did  think  I  could  have  trusted  Hands," 
added  the  captain. 

"  And  to  think  that  they  're  all  Englishmen !  " 
broke  out  the  squire.  "  Sir,  I  could  find  it  in  my 
heart  to  blow  the  ship  up." 

"  Well,  gentlemen,"  said  the  captain,  "  the  best 
that  I  can  say  is  not  much.  We  must  lay  to,  if 
you  please,  and  keep  a  bright  look-out.  It 's  try- 
ing on  a  man,  I  know.  It  would  be  pleasanter  to 
come  to  blows.  But  there  's  no  help  for  it  till  we 
know  our  men.  Lay  to,  and  whistle  for  a  wind, 
that 's  my  view." 

"  Jim  here,"  said  the  doctor,  "  can  help  us  more 
than  any  one.  The  men  are  not  shy  with  him, 
and  Jim  is  a  noticing  lad." 

VOL.  vi.  —  8  v 


n4      TREASURE     ISLAND 

"  Hawkins,  I  put  prodigious  faith  in  you," 
added  the  squire. 

I  began  to  feel  pretty  desperate  at  this,  for  I 
felt  altogether  helpless;  and  yet,  by  an  odd  train 
of  circumstances,  it  was  indeed  through  me  that 
safety  came.  In  the  meantime,  talk  as  we  pleased, 
there  were  only  seven  out  of  the  twenty-six  on 
whom  we  knew  we  could  rely;  and  out  of  these 
seven  one  was  a  boy,  so  that  the  grown  men  on 
our  side  were  six  to  their  nineteen. 


PART  III 
MY  SHORE  ADVENTURE 


CHAPTER   XIII 

HOW  MY  SHORE  ADVENTURE  BEGAN 

THE  appearance  of  the  island  when  I 
came  on  deck  next  morning  was  alto- 
gether changed.  Although  the  breeze 
had  now  utterly  ceased,  we  had  made  a  great 
deal  of  way  during  the  night,  and  were  now  lying 
becalmed  about  half  a  mile  to  the  south-east  of 
the  low  eastern  coast.  Grey-coloured  woods  cov- 
ered a  large  part  of  the  surface.  This  even  tint 
was  indeed  broken  up  by  streaks  of  yellow 
sandbreak  in  the  lower  lands,  and  by  many  tall 
trees  of  the  pine  family,  out-topping  the  others 
—  some  singly,  some  in  clumps;  but  the  general 
colouring  was  uniform  and  sad.  The  hills  ran 
up  clear  above  the  vegetation  in  spires  of  naked 
rock.  All  were  strangely  shaped,  and  the  Spy- 
glass, which  was  by  three  or  four  hundred  feet  the 
tallest  on  the  island,  was  likewise  the  strangest 
in  configuration,  running  up  sheer  from  almost 
every  side,  and  then  suddenly  cut  off  at  the  top 
like  a  pedestal  to  put  a  statue  on. 

The  Hispaniola  was  rolling  scuppers  under  in 


u8      TREASURE    ISLAND 

the  ocean  swell.  The  booms  were  tearing  at  the 
blocks,  the  rudder  was  banging  to  and  fro,  and 
the  whole  ship  creaking,  groaning,  and  jumping 
like  a  manufactory.  I  had  to  cling  tight  to  the 
backstay,  and  the  world  turned  giddily  before  my 
eyes;  for  though  I  was  a  good  enough  sailor 
when  there  was  way  on,  this  standing  still  and 
being  rolled  about  like  a  bottle  was  a  thing  I 
never  learned  to  stand  without  a  qualm  or  so, 
above  all  in  the  morning,  on  an  empty  stomach. 

Perhaps  it  was  this  —  perhaps  it  was  the  look 
of  the  island,  with  its  grey,  melancholy  woods, 
and  wild  stone  spires,  and  the  surf  that  we  could 
both  see  and  hear  foaming  and  thundering  on  the 
steep  beach  —  at  least,  although  the  sun  shone 
bright  and  hot,  and  the  shore  birds  were  fishing 
and  crying  all  around  us,  and  you  would  have 
thought  any  one  would  have  been  glad  to  get  to 
land  after  being  so  long  at  sea,  my  heart  sank,  as 
the  saying  is,  into  my  boots;  and  from  that  first 
look  onward,  I  hated  the  very  thought  of  Treasure 
Island. 

We  had  a  dreary  morning's  work  before  us,  for 
there  was  no  sign  of  any  wind,  and  the  boats  had  to 
be  got  out  and  manned,  and  the  ship  warped  three 
or  four  miles  round  the  corner  of  the  island,  and 
up  the  narrow  passage  to  the  haven  behind  Skele- 
ton Island.  I  volunteered  for  one  of  the  boats, 


TREASURE    ISLAND      119 

where  I  had,  of  course,  no  business.  The  heat  was 
sweltering,  and  the  men  grumbled  fiercely  over  their 
work.  Anderson  was  in  command  of  my  boat,  and 
instead  of  keeping  the  crew  in  order,  he  grumbled 
as  loud  as  the  worst. 

"Well,"  he  said,  with  an  oath,  "it's  not  for 
ever." 

I  thought  this  was  a  very  bad  sign;  for,  up  to 
that  day,  the  men  had  gone  briskly  and  willingly 
about  their  business;  but  the  very  sight  of  the 
island  had  relaxed  the  cords  of  discipline. 

All  the  way  in,  Long  John  stood  by  the  steers- 
man and  conned  the  ship.  He  knew  the  passage 
like  the  palm  of  his  hand ;  and  though  the  man  in 
the  chains  got  eve; /where  more  water  than  was 
down  in  the  chart,  Joh.  ^er  hesitated  once. 

"  There  's  a  strong  scoui  .1  the  ebb,"  he  said, 
"  and  this  here  passage  has  oeen  dug  out,  in  a 
manner  of  speaking,  with  a  spade." 

We  brought  up  just  where  the  anchor  was  in  the 
chart,  about  a  third  of  a  mile  from  each  shore, 
the  mainland  on  one  side,  and  Skeleton  Island 
on  the  other.  The  bottom  was  clean  sand.  The 
plunge  of  our  anchor  sent  up  clouds  of  birds 
wheeling  and  crying  over  the  woods;  but  in  less 
than  a  minute  they  were  down  again,  and  all  was 
once  more  silent. 

The  place  was  entirely  land-locked,  buried  in 


120      TREASURE    ISLAND 

woods,  the  trees  coming  right  down  to  high-water 
mark,  the  shores  mostly  flat,  and  the  hilltops  stand- 
ing round  at  a  distance  in  a  sort  of  amphitheatre, 
one  here,  one  there.  Two  little  rivers,  or,  rather, 
two  swamps,  emptied  out  into  this  pond,  as  you 
might  call  it;  and  the  foliage  round  that  part  of 
the  shore  had  a  kind  of  poisonous  brightness. 
From  the  ship,  we  could  see  nothing  of  the  house 
or  stockade,  for  they  were  quite  buried  among 
trees;  and  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  chart  on  the 
companion,  we  might  have  been  the  first  that  had 
ever  anchored  there  since  the  island  arose  out  of 
the  seas. 

There  was  not  a  breath  of  air  moving,  nor  a 
sound  but  that  of  the  surf  booming  half  a  mile 
away  along  the  beaches  and  against  the  rocks  out- 
side. A  peculiar  stagnant  smell  hung  over  the 
anchorage  —  a  smell  of  sodden  leaves  and  rotting 
tree  trunks.  I  observed  the  doctor  sniffing  and 
sniffing,  like  some  one  tasting  a  bad  egg. 

"  I  don't  know  about  treasure,"  he  said,  "  but 
I  '11  stake  my  wig  there  's  fever  here." 

If  the  conduct  of  the  men  had  been  alarming  in 
the  boat,  it  became  truly  threatening  when  they 
had  come  aboard.  They  lay  about  the  deck  growl- 
ing together  in  talk.  The  slightest  order  was  re- 
ceived with  a  black  look,  and  grudgingly  and 
carelessly  obeyed.  Even  the  honest  hands  must 


TREASURE    ISLAND       121 

have  caught  the  infection,  for  there  was  not  one 
man  aboard  to  mend  another.  Mutiny,  it  was 
plain,  hung  over  us  like  a  thunder-cloud. 

And  it  was  not  only  we  of  the  cabin  party  who 
perceived  the  danger.  Long  John  was  hard  at 
work  going  from  group  to  group,  spending  himself 
in  good  advice,  and  as  for  example  no  man  could 
have  shown  a  better.  He  fairly  outstripped  him- 
self in  willingness  and  civility;  he  was  all  smiles 
to  every  one.  If  an  order  were  given,  John  would 
be  on  his  crutch  in  an  instant,  with  the  cheeriest 
"  Ay,  ay,  sir!  "  in  the  world;  and  when  there  was 
nothing  else  to  do,  he  kept  up  one  song  after 
another,  as  if  to  conceal  the  discontent  of  the  rest. 

Of  all  the  gloomy  features  of  that  gloomy  after- 
noon, this  obvious  anxiety  on  the  part  of  Long 
John  appeared  the  worst. 

We  held  a  council  in  the  cabin. 

"  Sir,"  said  the  captain,  "  if  I  risk  another  order, 
the  whole  ship  '11  come  about  our  ears  by  the  run. 
You  see,  sir,  here  it  is.  I  get  a  rough  answer,  do 
I  not?  Well,  if  I  speak  back,  pikes  will  be  going 
in  two  shakes ;  if  I  don't,  Silver  will  see  there  's 
something  under  that,  and  the  game  's  up.  Now, 
we  've  only  one  man  to  rely  on." 

"  And  who  is  that  ?  "  asked  the  squire. 

"  Silver,  sir,"  returned  the  captain ;  "  he 's  as 
anxious  as  you  and  I  to  smother  things  up.  This 


122      TREASURE    ISLAND 

is  a  tiff;  he  'd  soon  talk  'em  out  of  it  if  he  had  the 
chance,  and  what  I  propose  to  do  is  give  him  the 
chance.  Let 's  allow  the  men  an  afternoon  ashore. 
If  they  all  go,  why,  we  '11  fight  the  ship.  If  they 
none  of  them  go,  well,  then,  we  hold  the  cabin,  and 
God  defend  the  right.  If  some  go,  you  mark  my 
words,  sir,  Silver  '11  bring  'em  aboard  again  as 
mild  as  lambs." 

It  was  so  decided ;  loaded  pistols  were  served  out 
to  all  the  sure  men;  Hunter,  Joyce,  and  Redruth 
were  taken  into  our  confidence,  and  received  the 
news  with  less  surprise  and  a  better  spirit  than  we 
had  looked  for,  and  then  the  captain  went  on  deck 
and  addressed  the  crew. 

"  My  lads,"  said  he,  "  we  've  had  a  hot  day,  and 
are  all  tired  and  out  of  sorts.  A  turn  ashore  '11 
hurt  nobody  —  the  boats  are  still  in  the  water ;  you 
can  take  the  gigs,  and  as  many  as  please  may  go 
ashore  for  the  afternoon.  I  '11  fire  a  gun  half  an 
hour  before  sundown." 

I  believe  the  silly  fellows  must  have  thought 
they  would  break  their  shins  over  treasure  as  soon 
as  they  were  landed;  for  they  all  came  out  of 
their  sulks  in  a  moment,  and  gave  a  cheer  that 
started  the  echo  in  a  far-away  hill,  and  sent  the 
birds  once  more  flying  and  squalling  round  the 
anchorage. 

The  captain  was  too  bright  to  be  in  the  way. 


TREASURE     ISLAND       123 

He  whipped  out  of  sight  in  a  moment,  leaving 
Silver  to  arrange  the  party;  and  I  fancy  it  was 
as  well  he  did  so.  Had  he  been  on  deck,  he  could 
no  longer  so  much  as  have  pretended  not  to  un- 
derstand the  situation.  It  was  as  plain  as  day. 
Silver  was  the  captain,  and  a  mighty  rebellious 
crew  he  had  of  it.  The  honest  hands  —  and  I 
was  soon  to  see  it  proved  that  there  were  such 
on  board  —  must  have  been  very  stupid  fellows. 
Or,  rather,  I  suppose  the  truth  was  this,  that  all 
hands  were  disaffected  by  the  example  of  the 
ringleaders  —  only  some  more,  some  less;  and  a 
few,  being  good  fellows  in  the  main,  could  neither 
be  led  nor  driven  any  further.  It  is  one  thing  to 
be  idle  and  skulk,  and  quite  another  to  take  a 
ship  and  murder  a  number  of  innocent  men.  .. 

At  last,  however,  the  party  was  made  up.  Six 
fellows  were  to  stay  on  board,  and  the  remaining 
thirteen,  including  Silver,  began  to  embark. 

Then  it  was  that  there  came  into  my  head  the 
first  of  the  mad  notions  that  contributed  so  much 
to  save  our  lives.  If  six  men  were  left  by  Silver, 
it  was  plain  our  party  could  not  take  and  fight 
the  ship;  and  since  only  six  were  left,  it  was 
equally  plain  that  the  cabin  party  had  no  present 
need  of  my  assistance.  It  occurred  to  me  at  once 
to  go  ashore.  In  a  jiffy  I  had  slipped  over  the 
side,  and  curled  up  in  the  fore-sheets  of  the  near- 


i24      TREASURE     ISLAND 

est  boat,  and  almost  at  the  same  moment  she 
shoved  off. 

No  one  took  notice  of  me,  only  the  bow  oar 
saying,  "  Is  that  you,  Jim  ?  Keep  your  head 
down."  But  Silver,  from  the  other  boat,  looked 
sharply  over  and  called  out  to  know  if  that  were 
me;  and  from  that  moment  I  began  to  regret 
what  I  had  done. 

The  crews  raced  for  the  beach;  but  the  boat  I 
was  in,  having  some  start,  and  being  at  once  the 
lighter  and  the  better  manned,  shot  far  ahead  of 
her  consort,  and  the  bow  had  struck  among  the 
shore-side  trees,  and  I  had  caught  a  branch  and 
swung  myself  out,  and  plunged  into  the  nearest 
thicket,  while  Silver  and  the  rest  were  still  a  hun- 
dred yards  behind. 

"  Jim,  Jim !  "  I  heard  him  shouting. 

But  you  may  suppose  I  paid  no  heed;  jumping, 
ducking,  and  breaking  through,  I  ran  straight  be- 
fore my  nose,  till  I  could  run  no  longer. 


CHAPTER   XIV 

THE   FIRST  BLOW 

I  WAS  so  pleased  at  having  given  the  slip  to 
Long  John,  that  I  began  to  enjoy  myself 
and  look  around  me  with  some  interest  on 
the  strange  land  that  I  was  in. 

I  had  crossed  a  marshy  tract  full  of  willows, 
bulrushes,  and  odd,  outlandish,  swampy  trees ;  and 
I  had  now  come  out  upon  the  skirts  of  an  open 
piece  of  undulating,  sandy  country,  about  a  mile 
long,  dotted  with  a  few  pines,  and  a  great  num- 
ber of  contorted  trees,  not  unlike  the  oak  in 
growth,  but  pale  in  the  foliage,  like  willows.  On 
the  far  side  of  the  open  stood  one  of  the  hills, 
with  two  quaint,  craggy  peaks,  shining  vividly  in 
the  sun. 

I  now  felt  for  the  first  time  the  joy  of  explora- 
tion. The  isle  was  uninhabited ;  my  shipmates  I 
had  left  behind,  and  nothing  lived  in  front  of  me 
but  dumb  brutes  and  fowls.  I  turned  hither  and 
thither  among  the  trees.  Here  and  there  were 
flowering  plants,  unknown  to  me;  here  and  there 
I  saw  snakes,  and  one  raised  his  head  from  a 


126      TREASURE     ISLAND 

ledge  of  rock  and  hissed  at  me  with  a  noise  not 
unlike  the  spinning  of  a  top.  Little  did  I  sup- 
pose that  he  was  a  deadly  enemy,  and  that  the 
noise  was  the  famous  rattle. 

Then  I  came  to  a  long  thicket  of  these  oak- 
like  trees  —  live,  or  evergreen,  oaks,  I  heard  after- 
wards they  should  be  called  —  which  grew  low 
along  the  sand  like  brambles,  the  boughs  curiously 
twisted,  the  foliage  compact,  like  thatch.  The 
thicket  stretched  down  from  the  top  of  one  of 
the  sandy  knolls,  spreading  and  growing  taller  as 
it  went,  until  it  reached  the  margin  of  the  broad, 
reedy  fen,  through  which  the  nearest  of  the 
little  rivers  soaked  its  way  into  the  anchorage. 
The  marsh  was  steaming  in  the  strong  sun,  and 
the  outline  of  the  Spy-glass  trembled  through  the 
haze. 

All  at  once  there  began  to  go  a  sort  of  bustle 
among  the  bulrushes;  a  wild  duck  flew  up  with 
a  quack,  another  followed,  and  soon  over  the 
whole  surface  of  the  marsh  a  great  cloud  of  birds 
hung  screaming  and  circling  in  the  air.  I  judged 
at  once  that  some  of  my  shipmates  must  be  draw- 
ing near  along  the  borders  of  the  fen.  Nor  was 
I  deceived ;  for  soon  I  heard  the  very  distant  and 
low  tones  of  a  human  voice,  which,  as  I  continued 
to  give  ear,  grew  steadily  louder  and^nearer. 

This  put  me  in  a  great  fear,   and   I   crawled 


TREASURE     ISLAND       127 

under  cover  of  the  nearest  live-oak,  and  squatted 
there,  hearkening,  as  silent  as  a  mouse. 

Another  voice  answered;  and  then  the  first 
voice,  which  I  now  recognised  to  be  Silver's,  once 
more  took  up  the  story,  and  ran  on  for  a  long 
while  in  a  stream,  only  now  and  again  interrupted 
by  the  other.  By  the  sound  they  must  have  been 
talking  earnestly,  and  almost  fiercely;  but  no  dis- 
tinct word  came  to  my  hearing. 

At  last  the  speakers  seemed  to  have  paused,  and 
perhaps  to  have  sat  down;  for  not  only  did  they 
cease  to  draw  any  nearer,  but  the  birds  them- 
selves began  to  grow  more  quiet,  and  to  settle 
again  to  their  places  in  the  swamp. 

And  now  I  began  to  feel  that  I  was  neglecting 
my  business;  that  since  I  had  been  so  foolhardy 
as  to  come  ashore  with  these  desperadoes,  the 
least  I  could  do  was  to  overhear  them  at  their 
councils;  and  that  my  plain  and  obvious  duty 
was  to  draw  as  close  as  I  could  manage,  under 
the  favourable  ambush  of  the  crouching  trees. 

I  could  tell  the  direction  of  the  speakers  pretty 
exactly,  not  only  by  the  sound  of  their  voices,  but 
by  the  behaviour  of  the  few  birds  that  still  hung 
in  alarm  above  the  heads  of  the  intruders. 

Crawling  on  all-fours,  I  made  steadily  but 
slowly  towards  them;  till  at  last,  raising  my 
head  to  an  aperture  among  the  leaves,  I  could 


128      TREASURE     ISLAND 

see  clear  down  into  a  little  green  dell  beside  the 
marsh,  and  closely  set  about  with  trees,  where 
Long  John  Silver  and  another  of  the  crew  stood 
face  to  face  in  conversation. 

The  sun  beat  full  upon  them.  Silver  had 
thrown  his  hat  beside  him  on  the  ground,  and 
his  great,  smooth,  blond  face,  all  shining  with 
heat,  was  lifted  to  the  other  man's  in  a  kind  of 
appeal. 

•"  Mate,"  he  was  saying,  "  it 's  because  I  thinks 
gold  dust  of  you  —  gold  dust,  and  you  may  lay 
to  that !  If  I  had  n't  took  to  you  like  pitch,  do 
you  think  I  'd  have  been  here  a- warning  of  you  ? 
All  's  up  —  you-  can't  make  nor  mend ;  it 's  to 
save  your  neck  that  I  'm  a-speaking,  and  if  one 
of  the  wild  'uns  knew  it,  where  'ud  I  be,  Tom 
—  now,  tell  me,  where  'ud  I  be  ?  " 

"  Silver,"  said  the  other  man  —  and  I  observed 
he  was  not  only  red  in  the  face,  but  spoke  as 
hoarse  as  a  crow,  and  his  voice  shook,  too,  like  a 
taut  rope  —  "  Silver,"  says  he,  "  you  're  old,  and 
you  're  honest,  or  has  the  name  for  it ;  and  you  've 
money,  too,  which  lots  of  poor  sailors  has  n't ; 
and  you  're  brave,  or  I  'm  mistook.  And  will 
you  tell  me  you  '11  let  yourself  be  led  away  with 
that  kind  of  a  mess  of  swabs?  not  you!  As  sure 
as  God  sees  me,  I'd  sooner  lose  my- hand.  If  I 
turn  agin  my  dooty " 


TREASURE     ISLAND       129 

And  then  all  of  a  sudden  he  was  interrupted 
by  a  noise.  I  had  found  one  of  the  honest  hands 
—  well,  here,  at  that  same  moment,  came  news 
of  another.  Far  away  out  in  the  marsh  there 
arose,  all  of  a  sudden,  a  sound  like  the  cry  of 
anger,  then  another  on  the  back  of  it ;  and  then 
one  horrid,  long-drawn  scream.  The  rocks  of  the 
Spy-glass  re-echoed  it  a  score  of  times ;  the  whole 
troop  of  marsh-birds  rose  again,  darkening  heaven, 
with  a  simultaneous  whirr;  and  long  after  that 
death  yell  was  still  ringing  in  my  brain,  silence 
had  re-established  its  empire,  and  only  the  rustle 
of  the  redescending  birds  and  the  boom  of  the 
distant  surges  disturbed  the  languor  of  the 
afternoon. 

Tom  had  leaped  at  the  sound,  like  a  horse  at 
the  spur;  but  Silver  had  not  winked  an  eye.  He 
stood  where  he  was,  resting  lightly  on  his  crutch, 
watching  his  companion  like  a  snake  about  to 
spring. 

"  John !  "  said  the  sailor,  stretching  out  his  hand. 

"Hands  off!"  cried  Silver,  leaping  back  a 
yard,  as  it  seemed  to  me,  with  the  speed  and 
security  of  a  trained  gymnast. 

"  Hands  off,  if  you  like,  John  Silver,"  said  the 
other.  "  It 's  a  black  conscience  that  can  make 
you  feared  of  me.  But,  in  heaven's  name,  tell 
me  what  was  that?" 


130      TREASURE    ISLAND 

:'That?"  returned  Silver,  smiling  away,  but 
warier  than  ever,  his  eye  a  mere  pin-point  in  his 
big  face,  but  gleaming  like  a  crumb  of  glass. 
"That?  Oh,  I  reckon  that'll  be  Alan." 

And  at  this  poor  Tom  flashed  out  like  a  hero. 

"  Alan !  "  he  cried.  "  Then  rest  his  soul  for  a 
true  seaman!  And  as  for  you,  John  Silver,  long 
you  've  been  a  mate  of  mine,  but  you  're  mate  of 
mine  no  more.  If  I  die  like  a  dog,  I  '11  die  in  my 
dooty.  You  've  killed  Alan,  have  you  ?  Kill  me. 
too,  if  you  can.  But  I  defies  you." 

And  with  that,  this  brave  fellow  turned  his 
back  directly  on  the  cook,  and  set  off  walking 
for  the  beach.  But  he  was  not  destined  to  go 
far.  With  a  cry,  John  seized  the  branch  of  a 
tree,  whipped  the  crutch  out  of  his  armpit,  and 
sent  that  uncouth  missile  hurtling  through  the 
air.  It  struck  poor  Tom,  point  foremost,  and 
with  stunning  violence,  right  between  the  shoulders 
in  the  middle  of  his  back.  His  hands  flew  up, 
he  gave  a  sort  of  gasp,  and  fell. 

Whether  he  were  injured  much  or  little,  none 
could  ever  tell.  Like  enough,  to  judge  from  the 
sound,  his  back  was  broken  on  the  spot.  But  he 
had  no  time  given  him  to  recover.  Silver,  agile 
as  a  monkey,  even  without  leg  or  crutch,  was  on 
the  top  of  him  next  moment,  and"  had  twice 
buried  his  knife  up  to  the  hilt  in  that  defenceless 


TREASURE     ISLAND       131 

1)ody.  From  my  place  of  ambush,  I  could  hear 
him  pant  aloud  as  he  struck  the  blows. 

I  do  not  know  what  it  rightly  is  to  faint,  but 
I  do  know  that  for  the  next  little  while  the  whole 
world  swam  away  from  before  me  in  a  whirling- 
mist;  Silver  and  the  birds,  and  the  tall  Spy-glass 
hilltop,  going  round  and  round  and  topsy-turvy 
before  my  eyes,  and  all  manner  of  bells  ringing 
and  distant  voices  shouting  in  my  ear. 

When  I  came  again  to  myself,  the  monster  had 
pulled  himself  together,  his  crutch  under  his  arm, 
his  hat  upon  his  head.  Just  before  him  Tom  lay 
motionless  upon  the  sward;  but  the  murderer 
minded  him  not  a  whit,  cleansing  his  blood- 
stained knife  the  while  upon  a  wisp  of  grass. 
Everything  else  was  unchanged,  the  sun  still  shin- 
ing mercilessly  on  the  steaming  marsh  and  the 
tall  pinnacle  of  the  mountain,  and  I  could  scarce 
persuade  myself  that  murder  had  been  actually 
done,  and  a  human  life  cruelly  cut  short  a  moment 
since,  before  my  eyes. 

But  now  John  put  his  hand  into  his  pocket, 
brought  out  a  whistle,  and  blew  upon  it  several 
modulated  blasts,  that  rang  far  across  the  heated 
air.  I  could  not  tell,  of  course,  the  meaning  of 
the  signal;  but  it  instantly  awoke  my  fears. 
More  men  would  be  coming.  I  might  be  dis- 
covered. They  had  already  slain  two  of  the 


132      TREASURE    ISLAND 

honest  people;  after  Tom  and  Alan,  might  not 
I  come  next? 

Instantly  I  began  to  extricate  myself  and  crawl 
back  again,  with  what  speed  and  silence  I  could 
manage,  to  the  more  open  portion  of  the  wood. 
As  I  did  so,  I  could  hear  hails  coming  and  going 
between  the  old  buccaneer  and  his  comrades,  and 
this  sound  of  danger  lent  me  wings.  As  soon  as 
I  was  clear  of  the  thicket,  I  ran  as  I  never  ran 
before,  scarce  minding  the  direction  of  my  flight, 
so  long  as  it  led  me  from  the  murderers;  and  as 
I  ran,  fear  grew  and  grew  upon  me,  until  it  turned 
into  a  kind  of  frenzy. 

Indeed,  could  any  one  be  more  entirely  lost 
than  I?  When  the  gun  fired,  how  should  I  dare 
to  go  down  to  the  boats  among  those  fiends,  still 
smoking  from  their  crime?  Would  not  the  first 
of  them  who  saw  me  wring  my  neck  like  a 
snipe's?  Would  not  my  absence  itself  be  an  evi- 
dence to  them  of  my  alarm,  and  therefore  of  my 
fatal  knowledge?  It  was  all  over,  I  thought. 
Good-bye  to  the  Hispaniola;  good-bye  to  the 
squire,  the  doctor,  and  the  captain!  There  was 
nothing  left  for  me  but  death  by  starvation,  or 
death  by  the  hands  of  the  mutineers. 

All  this  while,  as  I  say,  I  was  still  running,  and, 
without  taking  any  notice,  I  had  drawn  near  to 
the  foot  of  the  little  hill  with  the  two  peaks,  and 


TREASURE    ISLAND      133 

had  got  into  a  part  of  the  island  where  the  live- 
oaks  grew  more  widely  apart,  and  seemed  more 
like  forest  trees  in  their  bearing  and  dimensions. 
Mingled  with  these  were  a  few  scattered  pines, 
some  fifty,  some  nearer  seventy,  feet  high.  The 
air,  too,  smelt  more  freshly  than  down  beside  the 
marsh. 

And  here  a  fresh  alarm  brought  me  to  a  stand 
still  with  a  thumping  heart. 


FROM  the  side  of  the  hill,  which  was  here 
steep  and  stony,  a  spout  of  gravel  was 
dislodged,  and  fell  rattling  and  bounding 
through  the  trees.  My  eyes  turned  instinctively 
in  that  direction,  and  I  saw  a  figure  leap  with 
great  rapidity  behind  the  trunk  of  a  pine.  What 
it  was,  whether  bear  or  man  or  monkey,  I  could 
in  no  wise  tell.  It  seemed  dark  and  shaggy; 
more  I  knew  not.  But  the  terror  of  this  new 
apparition  brought  me  to  a  stand. 

I  was  now,  it  seemed,  cut  off  upon  both  sides; 
behind  me  the  murderers,  before  me  this  lurking 
nondescript.  And  immediately  I  began  to  pre- 
fer the  dangers  that  I  knew  to  those  I  knew  not. 
Silver  himself  appeared  less  terrible  in  contrast 
with  this  creature  of  the  woods,  and  I  turned  on 
my  heel,  and,  looking  sharply  behind  me  over  my 
shoulder,  began  to  retrace  my  steps  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  boats. 

Instantly  the  figure  reappeared,  and,  making  a 
wide  circuit,  began  to  head  me  off.  I  was  tired, 


TREASURE     ISLAND       135 

at  any  rate;  but  had  I  been  as  fresh  as  when  I 
rose,  I  could  see  it  was  in  vain  for  me  to  contend 
in  speed  with  such  an  adversary.  From  trunk  to 
trunk  the  creature  flitted  like  a  deer,  running 
manlike  on  two  legs,  but  unlike  any  man  that  I 
had  ever  seen,  stooping  almost  double  as  it  ran. 
Yet  a  man  it  was,  I  could  no  longer  be  in  doubt 
about  that. 

I  began  to  recall  what  I  had  heard  of  canni- 
bals. I  was  within  an  ace  of  calling  for  help. 
But  the  mere  fact  that  he  was  a  man,  however 
wild,  had  somewhat  reassured  me,  and  my  fear 
of  Silver  began  to  revive  in  proportion.  I  stood 
still,  therefore,  and  cast  about  for  some  method 
of  escape ;  and  as  I  was  so  thinking,  the  recol- 
lection of  my  pistol  flashed  into  my  mind.  As 
soon  as  I  remembered  I  was  not  defenceless, 
courage  glowed  again  in  my  heart;  and  I  set 
my  face  resolutely  for  this  man  of  the  island, 
and  walked  briskly  towards  him. 

He  was  concealed,  by  this  time,  behind  another 
tree  trunk;  but  he  must  have  been  watching  me 
closely,  for  as  soon  as  I  began  to  move  in  his 
direction  he  reappeared  and  took  a  step  to  meet 
me.  Then  he  hesitated,  drew  back,  came  for- 
ward again,  and  at  last,  to  my  wonder  and  con- 
fusion, threw  himself  on  his  knees  and  held  out 
his  clasped  hands  in  supplication. 


136      TREASURE     ISLAND 

At  that  I  once  more  stopped. 

"  Who  are  you  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Ben  Gunn,"  he  answered,  and  his  voice  sounded 
hoarse  and  awkward,  like  a  rusty  lock.  "  I  'm 
poor  Ben  Gunn,  I  am ;  and  I  have  n't  spoke  with 
a  Christian  these  three  years." 

I  could  now  see  that  he  was  a  white  man  like 
myself,  and  that  his  features  were  even  pleasing. 
His  skin,  wherever  it  was  exposed,  was  burnt  by 
the  sun;  even  his  lips  were  black;  and  his  fair 
eyes  looked  quite  startling  in  so  dark  a  face.  Of 
all  the  beggar-men  that  I  had  seen  or  fancied,  he 
was  the  chief  for  raggedness.  He  was  clothed 
with  tatters  of  old  ship's  canvas  and  old  sea  cloth ; 
and  this  extraordinary  patchwork  was  all  held  to- 
gether by  a  system  of  the  most  various  and  in- 
congruous fastenings,  brass  buttons,  bits  of  stick, 
and  loops  of  tarry  gaskin.  About  his  waist  he 
wore  an  old  brass-buckled  leather  belt,  which  was 
the  one  thing  solid  in  his  whole  accoutrement. 

"  Three  years !  "  I  cried.  "  Were  you  ship- 
wrecked ?  " 

"  Nay,  mate,"  said  he  —  "  marooned." 

I  had  heard  the  word,  and  I  knew  it  stood  for 
a  horrible  kind  of  punishment  common  enough 
among  the  buccaneers,  in  which  the  offender  is  put 
ashore  with  a  little  powder  and  shot,  and  left 
behind  on  some  desolate  and  distant  island. 


TREASURE    ISLAND       137 

"  Marooned  three  years  agone,"  he  continued, 
"  and  lived  on  goats  since  then,  and  berries,  and 
oysters.  Wherever  a  man  is,  says  I,  a  man  can  do 
for  himself.  But,  mate,  my  heart  is  sore  for  Chris- 
tian diet.  You  might  n't  happen  to  have  a  piece 
of  cheese  about  you,  now  ?  No  ?  Well,  many  's 
the  long  night  I  Ve  dreamed  of  cheese  —  toasted, 
mostly  —  and  woke  up  again,  and  here  I  were." 

"  If  ever  I  can  get  aboard  again,"  said  I,  "  you 
shall  have  cheese  by  the  stone." 

All  this  time  he  had  been  feeling  the  stuff  of  my 
jacket,  smoothing  my  hands,  looking  at  my  boots, 
and  generally,  in  the  intervals  of  his  speech,  show- 
ing a  childish  pleasure  in  the  presence  of  a  fellow- 
creature.  But  at  my  last  words  he  perked  up  into 
a  kind  of  startled  slyness. 

"  If  ever  you  can  get  aboard  again,  says  you?  " 
he  repeated.  "  Why,  now,  who  's  to  hinder  you  ?  " 

"  Not  you,  I  know,"  was  my  reply. 

"  And  right  you  was,"  he  cried.  "  Now  you  — 
what  do  you  call  yourself,  mate?  " 

"  Jim,"  I  told  him. 

"  Jim,  Jim,"  says  he,  quite  pleased  apparently. 
"  Well,  now,  Jim,  I  've  lived  that  rough  as  you  'd 
be  ashamed  to  hear  of.  Now,  for  instance,  you 
would  n't  think  I  had  had  a  pious  mother  —  to 
look  at  me?  "  he  asked. 

"  Why,  no,  not  in  particular,"  I  answered. 


138      TREASURE     ISLAND 

"Ah,  well,"  said  he,  "but  I  had  —  remarkable 
pious.  And  I  was  a  civil,  pious  boy,  and  could 
rattle  off  my  catechism  that  fast,  as  you  could  n't 
tell  one  word  from  another.  And  here  's  what  it 
come  to,  Jim,  and  it  begun  with  chuck-farthen  on 
the  blessed  grave-stones !  That 's  what  it  begun 
with,  but  it  went  further  'n  that ;  and  so  my  mother 
told  me,  and  predicked  the  whole,  she  did,  the  pious 
woman !  But  it  were  Providence  that  put  me  here. 
I  've  thought  it  all  out  in  this  here  lonely  island, 
and  I  'm  back  on  piety.  You  don't  catch  me  tasting 
rum  so  much;  but  just  a  thimbleful  for  luck,  of 
course,  the  first  chance  I  have.  I  'm  bound  I  '11 
be  good,  and  I  see  the  way  to.  And,  Jim  "  — 
looking  all  round  him,  and  lowering  his  voice  to  a 
whisper  —  "I  'm  rich." 

I  now  felt  sure  that  the  poor  fellow  had  gone 
crazy  in  his  solitude,  and  I  suppose  I  must  have 
shown  the  feeling  in  my  face;  for  he  repeated  the 
statement  hotly: 

"  Rich !  rich !  I  says.  And  I  '11  tell  you  what : 
I  '11  make  a  man  of  you,  Jim.  Ah,  Jim,  you  '11 
bless  your  stars,  you  will,  you  was  the  first  that 
found  me ! " 

And  at  this  there  came  suddenly  a  lowering 
shadow  over  his  face,  and  he  tightened  his  grasp 
upon  my  hand,  and  raised  a  forefinger  threaten- 
ingly before  my  eyes. 


TREASURE    ISLAND      139 

"  Now,  Jim,  you  tell  me  true:  that  ain't  Flint's 
ship  ?  "  he  asked. 

At  this  I  had  a  happy  inspiration.  I  began  to 
believe  that  I  had  found  an  ally,  and  I  answered 
him  at  once. 

"  It 's  not  Flint's  ship,  and  Flint  is  dead ;  but 
I  '11  tell  you  true,  as  you  ask  me  —  there  are  some 
of  Flint's  hands  aboard;  worse  luck  for  the  rest 
of  us." 

"  Not  a  man  —  with  one  —  leg?  "  he  gasped. 

"Silver?"  I  asked. 

"  Ah,  Silver !  "  says  he ;   "  that  were  his  name." 

"  He  's  the  cook;   and  the  ringleader,  too." 

He  was  still  holding  me  by  the  wrist,  and  at  that 
he  gave  it  quite  a  wring. 

"  If  you  was  sent  by  Long  John,"  he  said,  "  I  'm 
as  good  as  pork,  and  I  know  it.  But  where  was 
you,  do  you  suppose?  " 

I  had  made  my  mind  up  in  a  moment,  and  by 
way  of  answer  told  him  the  whole  story  of  our 
voyage,  and  the  predicament  in  which  we  found 
ourselves.  He  heard  me  with  the  keenest  inter- 
est, and  when  I  had  done  he  patted  me  on  the 
head. 

"  You  're  a  good  lad,  Jim,"  he  said ;  "  and  you  're 
all  in  a  clove  hitch,  ain't  you?  Well,  you  just  put 
your  trust  in  Ben  Gunn  —  Ben  Gunn  's  the  man  to 
do  it.  Would  you  think  it  likely,  now,  that  your 


1 40      TREASURE     ISLAND 

squire  would  prove  a  liberal-minded  one  in  case  of 
help  —  him  being  in  a  clove  hitch,  as  you  remark?  " 

I  told  him  the  squire  was  the  most  liberal  of  men. 

"  Ay,  but  you  see,"  returned  Ben  Gunn,  "  I 
did  n't  mean  giving  me  a  gate  to  keep,  and  a  shuit 
of  livery  clothes,  and  such ;  that 's  not  my  mark, 
Jim.  What  I  mean  is,  would  he  be  likely  to  come 
down  to  the  toon  of,  say  one  thousand  pounds  out 
of  money  that 's  as  good  as  a  man's  own  already  ?  " 

"  I  am  sure  he  would,"  said  I.  "  As  it  was,  all 
hands  were  to  share." 

"  And  a  passage  home?  "  he  added,  with  a  look 
of  great  shrewdness. 

"  Why/'  I  cried,  "  the  squire 's  a  gentleman. 
And  besides,  if  we  got  rid  of  the  others,  we  should 
want  you  to  help  work  the  vessel  home." 

"  Ah,"  said  he,  "  so  you  would."  And  he 
seemed  very  much  relieved. 

"  Now,  I  '11  tell  you  what,"  he  went  on.  "  So 
much  I  '11  tell  you,  and  no  more.  I  were  in  Flint's 
ship  when  he  buried  the  treasure ;  he  and  six  along 
—  six  strong  seamen.  They  was  ashore  nigh  on 
a  week,  and  us  standing  off  and  on  in  the  old 
Walrus.  One  fine  day  up  went  the  signal,  and  here 
come  Flint  by  himself  in  a  little  boat,  and  his 
head  done  up  in  a  blue  scarf.  The  sun  was  getting 
up,  and  mortal  white  he  looked  abouUthe  cutwater. 
But,  there  he  was,  you  mind,  and  the  six  all  dead  — 


TREASURE     ISLAND       141 

dead  and  buried.  How  he  done  it,  not  a  man 
aboard  us  could  make  out.  It  was  battle,  murder, 
and  sudden  death,  leastways  —  him  against  six. 
Billy  Bones  was  the  mate;  Long  John,  he  was 
quartermaster;  and  they  asked  him  where  the 
treasure  was.  '  Ah,'  says  he,  '  you  can  go  ashore, 
if  you  like,  and  stay,'  he  says ;  '  but  as  for  the  ship, 
she  '11  beat  up  for  more,  by  thunder ! '  That 's 
what  he  said. 

"  Well,  I  was  in  another  ship  three  years  back, 
and  we  sighted  this  island.  '  Boys,'  said  I,  '  here  's 
Flint's  treasure;  let 's  land  and  find  it.'  The  cap'n 
was  displeased  at  that;  but  my  messmates  were 
all  of  a  mind,  and  landed.  Twelve  days  they  looked 
for  it,  and  every  day  they  had  the  worse  word  for 
me,  until  one  fine  morning  all  hands  went  aboard. 
'As  for  you,  Benjamin  Gunn,'  says  they,  'here's 
a  musket/  they  says,  '  and  a  spade,  and  pickaxe. 
You  can  stay  here,  and  find  Flint's  money  for 
yourself,'  they  says. 

"  Well,  Jim,  three  years  have  I  been  here,  and 
not  a  bite  of  Christian  diet  from  that  day  to  this. 
But  now,  you  look  here;  look  at  me.  Do  I  look 
like  a  man  before  the  mast?  No,  says  you.  Nor 
I  weren't,  neither,  I  says." 

And  with  that  he  winked  and  pinched  me  hard. 

"  Just  you  mention  them  words  to  your  squire, 
Jim  "  —  he  went  on :  "  Nor  he  were  n't  neither  — 


i42      TREASURE     ISLAND 

that 's  the  words.  Three  years  he  were  the  man  of 
this  island,  light  and  dark,  fair  and  rain ;  and  some- 
times he  would,  maybe,  think  upon  a  prayer  (says 
you),  and  sometimes  he  would,  maybe,  think  of  his 
old  mother,  so  be  as  she  's  alive  (you  '11  say)  ;  but 
the  most  part  of  Gunn's  time  (this  is  what  you  '11 
say)  —  the  most  part  of  his  time  was  took  up  with 
another  matter.  And  then  you  '11  give  him  a  nip, 
like  I  do." 

And  he  pinched  me  again  in  the  most  confi- 
dential manner. 

"  Then,"  he  continued  —  "  then  you  '11  up,  and 
you  '11  say  this :  —  Gunn  is  a  good  man  (you  '11 
say),  and  he  puts  a  precious  sight  more  confi- 
dence —  a  precious  sight,  mind  that  —  in  a  gen'le- 
man  born  than  in  these  gen'lemen  of  fortune, 
having  been  one  hisself." 

"  Well,"  I  said,  "  I  don't  understand  one  word 
that  you  Ve  been  saying.  But  that 's  neither  here 
nor  there,  for  how  am  I  to  get  on  board  ?  " 

"Ah,"  said  he,  "that's  the  hitch,  for  sure. 
Well,  there  's  my  boat,  that  I  made  with  my  two 
hands.  I  keep  her  under  the  white  rock.  If  the 
worst  come  to  the  worst,  we  might  try  that  after 
dark.  Hi !  "  he  broke  out,  "  what 's  that?  " 

For  just  then,  although  the  sun  had  still  an 
hour  or  two  to  run,  all  the  echoes  of  the  island 
awoke  and  bellowed  to  the  thunder  of  a  cannon. 


TREASURE     ISLAND       143 

"They  have  begun  to  fight!"  I  cried.  "Fol- 
low me." 

And  I  began  to  run  towards  the  anchorage,  my 
terrors  all  forgotten;  while,  close  at  my  side,  the 
marooned  man  in  his  goatskins  trotted  easily  and 
lightly. 

"Left,  left,"  says  he;  "keep  to  your  left  hand, 
mate  Jim !  Under  the  trees  with  you !  Theer  's 
where  I  killed  my  first  goat.  They  don't  come 
down  here  now ;  they  're  all  mastheaded  on  them 
mountings  for  the  fear  of  Benjamin  Gunn.  Ah! 
and  there  's  the  cetemery  "  —  cemetery,  he  must 
have  meant.  "  You  see  the  mounds  ?  I  come 
here  and  prayed,  nows  and  thens,  when  I  thought 
maybe  a  Sunday  would  be  about  doo.  It  were  n't 
quite  a  chapel,  but  it  seemed  more  solemn  like; 
and  then,  says  you,  Ben  Gunn  was  short-handed 
—  no  chapling,  nor  so  much  as  a  Bible  and  a 
flag,  you  says." 

So  he  kept  talking  as  I  ran,  neither  expecting 
nor  receiving  any  answer. 

The  cannon-shot  was  followed,  after  a  consider- 
able interval,  by  a  volley  of  small  arms. 

Another  pause,  and  then,  not  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  in  front  of  me,  I  beheld  the  Union  Jack 
flutter  in  the  air  above  a  wood. 


PART   IV 
THE   STOCKADE 


CHAPTER   XVI 

NARRATIVE    CONTINUED   BY   THE    DOCTOR: 
HOW   THE   SHIP  WAS   ABANDONED 

IT  was  about  half-past  one  —  three  bells  in  the 
sea  phrase  —  that  the  two  boats  went  ashore 
from  the  Hispaniola.  The  captain,  the  squire, 
and  I  were  talking  matters  over  in  the  cabin. 
Had  there  been  a  breath  of  wind,  we  should  have 
fallen  on  the  six  mutineers  who  were  left  aboard 
with  us,  slipped  our  cable,  and  away  to  sea.  But 
the  wind  was  wanting;  and,  to  complete  our  help- 
lessness, down  came  Hunter  with  the  news  that 
Jim  Hawkins  had  slipped  into  a  boat  and  was 
gone  ashore  with  the  rest. 

It  never  occurred  to  us  to  doubt  Jim  Hawkins; 
but  we  were  alarmed  for  his  safety.  With  the 
men  in  the  temper  they  were  in,  it  seemed  an 
even  chance  if  we  should  see  the  lad  again.  We 
ran  on  deck.  The  pitch  was  bubbling  in  the 
seams;  the  nasty  stench  of  the  place  turned  me 
sick;  if  ever  a  man  smelt  fever  and  dysentery, 
it  was  in  that  abominable  anchorage.  The  six 
scoundrels  were  sitting  grumbling  under  a  sail  in 


148      TREASURE     ISLAND 

the  forecastle;  ashore  we  could  see  the  gigs  made 
fast,  and  a  man  sitting  in  each,  hard  by  where 
the  river  runs  in.  One  of  them  was  whistling 
"  Lillibullero." 

Waiting  was  a  strain;  and  it  was  decided  that 
Hunter  and  I  should  go  ashore  with  the  jolly- 
boat,  in  quest  of  information. 

The  gigs  had  leaned  to  their  right;  but  Hunter 
and  I  pulled  straight  in,  in  the  direction  of  the 
stockade  upon  the  chart.  The  two  who  were  left 
guarding  their  boats  seemed  in  a  bustle  at  our 
appearance;  "Lillibullero"  stopped  off,  and  I 
could  see  the  pair  discussing  what  they  ought  to 
do.  Had  they  gone  and  told  Silver,  all  might 
have  turned  out  differently;  but  they  had  their 
orders,  I  suppose,  and  decided  to  sit  quietly  where 
they  were  and  hark  back  again  to  "  Lillibullero." 

There  was  a  slight  bend  in  the  coast,  and  I 
steered  so  as  to  put  it  between  us;  even  before 
we  landed  we  had  thus  lost  sight  of  the  gigs.  I 
jumped  out  and  came  as  near  running  as  I  durst, 
with  a  big  silk  handkerchief  under  my  hat  for 
coolness'  sake,  and  a  brace  of  pistols  ready  primed 
for  safety. 

I  had  not  gone  a  hundred  yards  when  I  reached 
the  stockade. 

This  was  how  it  was:  a  spring  of  clear  water 
rose  almost  at  the  top  of  a  knoll.  Well,  on  the 


TREASURE    ISLAND      149 

knoll,  and  enclosing  the  spring,  they  had  clapped 
a  stout  log-house,  fit  to  hold  two  score  of  people 
on  a  pinch,  and  loopholed  for  musketry  on  every 
side.  All  round  this  they  had  cleared  a  wide 
space,  and  then  the  thing  was  completed  by  a 
paling  six  feet  high,  without  door  or  opening,  too 
strong  to  pull  down  without  time  and  labour,  and 
too  open  to  shelter  the  besiegers.  The  people  in 
the  log-house  had  them  in  every  way;  they  stood 
quiet. in  shelter  and  shot  the  others  like  partridges. 
All  they  wanted  was  a  good  watch  and  food ;  for, 
short  of  a  complete  surprise,  they  might  have  held 
the  place  against  a  regiment. 

What  particularly  took  my  fancy  was  the  spring. 
For,  though  we  had  a  good  enough  place  of  it  in 
the  cabin  of  the  Hispaniola,  with  plenty  of  arms 
and  ammunition,  and  things  to  eat,  and  excellent 
wines,  there  had  been  one  thing  overlooked  —  we 
had  no  water.  I  was  thinking  this  over,  when 
there  came  ringing  over  the  island  the  cry  of  a 
man  at  the  point  of  death.  I  was  not  new  to  vio- 
lent death  —  I  have  served  his  Royal  Highness 
the  Duke  of  Cumberland,  and  got  a  wound  my- 
self at  Fontenoy  —  but  I  know  my  pulse  went  dot 
and  carry  one.  "  Jim  Hawkins  is  gone,"  was  my 
first  thought. 

It  is  something  to  have  been  an  old  soldier,  but 
more  still  to  have  been  a  doctor.  There  is  no 


150      TREASURE    ISLAND 

time  to  dilly-dally  in  our  work.  And  so  now  I 
made  up  my  mind  instantly,  and  with  no  time 
lost  returned  to  the  shore,  and  jumped  on  board 
the  jolly-boat. 

By  good  fortune  Hunter  pulled  a  good  oar.  We 
made  the  water  fly ;  and  the  boat  was  soon  along- 
side, and  I  aboard  the  schooner. 

I  found  them  all  shaken,  as  was  natural.  The 
squire  was  sitting  down,  as  white  as  a  sheet, 
thinking  of  the  harm  he  had  led  us  to,  the.  good 
soul !  and  one  of  the  six  forecastle  hands  was 
little  better. 

"  There  's  a  man,"  says  Captain  Smollett,  nod- 
ding towards  him,  "  new  to  this  work.  He  came 
nigh-hand  fainting,  doctor,  when  he  heard  the 
cry.  Another  touch  of  the  rudder  and  that  man 
would  join  us." 

I  told  my  plan  to  the  captain,  and  between  us 
we  settled  on  the  details  of  its  accomplishment. 

We  put  old  Redruth  in  the  gallery  between  the 
cabin  and  the  forecastle,  with  three  or  four  loaded 
muskets  and  a  mattress  for  protection.  Hunter 
brought  the  boat  round  under  the  stern-port,  and 
Joyce  and  I  set  to  work  loading  her  with  powder- 
tins,  muskets,  bags  of  biscuits,  kegs  of  pork,  a 
cask  of  cognac,  and  my  invaluable  medicine- 
chest. 

In   the  meantime,   the   squire   and   the   captain 


TREASURE    ISLAND      151 

stayed  on  deck,  and  the  latter  hailed  the  cox- 
swain, who  was  the  principal  man  aboard. 

"  Mr.  Hands,"  he  said,  "  here  are  two  of  us 
with  a  brace  of  pistols  each.  If  any  one  of  you 
six  makes  a  signal  of  any  description,  that  man  's 
dead." 

They  were  a  good  deal  taken  aback;  and,  after 
a  little  consultation,  one  and  all  tumbled  down  the 
fore  companion,  thinking,  no  doubt,  to  take  us  on 
the  rear.  But  when  they  saw  Redruth  waiting 
for  them  in  the  sparred  gallery,  they  went  about 
ship  at  once,  and  a  head  popped  out  again  on 
deck. 

"  Down,  dog !  "  cries  the  captain. 

And  the  head  popped  back  again ;  and  we  heard 
no  more,  for  the  time,  of  these  six  very  faint- 
hearted seamen. 

By  this  time,  tumbling  things  in  as  they  came, 
we  had  the  jolly-boat  loaded  as  much  as  we  dared. 
Joyce  and  I  got  out  through  the  stern-port,  and 
we  made  for  shore  again,  as  fast  as  oars  could 
take  us. 

This  second  trip  fairly  aroused  the  watchers 
along  shore.  "  Lillibullero  "  was  dropped  again ; 
and  just  before  we  lost  sight  of  them  behind  the 
little  point,  one  of  them  whipped  ashore  and  dis- 
appeared. I  had  half  a  mind  to  change  my  plan 
and  destroy  their  boats,  but  I  feared  that  Silver 


152      TREASURE    ISLAND 

and  the  others  might  be  close  at  hand,  and  all 
might  very  well  be  lost  by  trying  for  too  much. 

We  had  soon  touched  land  in  the  same  place  as 
before,  and  set  to  provision  the  block-house.  All 
three  made  the  first  journey,  heavily  laden,  and 
tossed  our  stores  over  the  palisade.  Then,  leav- 
ing Joyce  to  guard  them  —  one  man,  to  be  sure, 
but  with  half-a-dozen  muskets  —  Hunter  and  I 
returned  to  the  jolly-boat,  and  loaded  ourselves 
once  more.  So  we  proceeded  without  pausing  to 
take  breath,  till  the  whole  cargo  was  bestowed, 
when  the  two  servants  took  up  their  position  in 
the  block-house,  and  I,  with  all  my  power,  sculled 
back  to  the  Hispaniola. 

That  we  should  have  risked  a  second  boat-load 
seems  more  daring  than  it  really  was.  They  had 
the  advantage  of  numbers,  of  course,  but  we  had 
the  advantage  of  arms.  Not  one  of  the  men  ashore 
had  a  musket,  and  before  they  could  get  within 
range  for  pistol  shooting,  we  flattered  ourselves 
we  should  be  able  to  give  a  good  account  of  a  half- 
dozen  at  least. 

The  squire  was  waiting  for  me  at  the  stern  win- 
dow, all  his  faintness  gone  from  him.  He  caught 
the  painter  and  made  it  fast,  and  we  fell  to  loading 
the  boat  for  our  very  lives.  Pork,  powder,  and 
biscuit  was  the  cargo,  with  only  a  musket  and  a 
cutlass  apiece  for  the  squire  and  me  and  Redruth 


TREASURE     ISLAND       153 

and  the  captain.  The  rest  of  the  arms  and  powder 
we  dropped  overboard  in  two  fathoms  and  a  half 
of  water,  so  that  we  could  see  the  bright  steel  shin- 
ing far  below  us  in  the  sun,  on  the  clean,  sandy 
bottom. 

By  this  time  the  tide  was  beginning  to  ebb,  and 
the  ship  was  swinging  round  to  her  anchor.  Voices 
were  heard  faintly  halloaing  in  the  direction  of  the 
two  gigs ;  and  though  this  reassured  us  for  Joyce 
and  Hunter,  who  were  well  to  the  eastward,  it 
warned  our  party  to  be  off. 

Redruth  retreated  from  his  place  in  the  gallery4, 
and  dropped  into  the  boat,  which  we  then  brought 
round  to  the  ship's  counter,  to  be  handier  for 
Captain  Smollett. 

"  Now,  men,"  said  he,  "  do  you  hear  me?  " 

There  was  no  answer  from  the  forecastle. 

"It's  to  you,  Abraham  Gray  —  it's  to  you  I 
am  speaking." 

Still  no  reply. 

"  Gray,"  resumed  Mr.  Smollett,  a  little  louder, 
"  I  am  leaving  this  ship,  and  I  order  you  to  follow 
your  captain.  I  know  you  are  a  good  man  at  bot- 
tom, and  I  dare  say  not  one  of  the  lot  of  you  's  as 
bad  as  he  makes  out.  I  have  my  watch  here  in 
my  hand;  I  give  you  thirty  seconds  to  join  me 
in." 

There  was  a  pause. 


i54      TREASURE     ISLAND 

"  Come,  my  fine  fellow,"  continued  the  captain, 
"  don't  hang  so  long  in  stays.  I  'm  risking  my 
life,  and  the  lives  of  these  good  gentlemen,  every 
second/' 

There  was  a  sudden  scuffle,  a  sound  of  blows, 
and  out  burst  Abraham  Gray  with  a  knife-cut  on 
the  side  of  the  cheek,  and  came  running  to  the 
captain,  like  a  dog  to  the  whistle. 

"  I  'm  with  you,  sir,"  said  he. 

And  the  next  moment  he  and  the  captain  had 
propped  aboard  of  us,  and  we  had  shoved  off  and 
given  way. 

We  were  clear  out  of  the  ship;  but  not  yet 
ashore  in  our  staekade. 


CHAPTER   XVII 

NARRATIVE  CONTINUED  BY  THE  DOCTOR: 
THE  JOLLY-BOAT'S    LAST   TRIP 

THIS  fifth  trip  was  quite  different  from 
any  of  the  others.  In  the  first  place, 
the  little  gallipot  of  a  boat  that  we  were 
in  was  gravely  overloaded.  Five  grown  men,  and 
three  of  them  —  Trelawney,  Redruth,  and  the  cap- 
tain—  over  six  feet  high,  was  already  more  than 
she  was  meant  to  carry.  Add  to  that  the  powder, 
pork,  and  bread-bags.  The  gunwale  was  lipping 
astern.  Several  times  we  shipped  a  little  water, 
and  my  breeches  and  the  tails  of  my  coat  were  all 
soaking  wet  before  we  had  gone  a  hundred  yards. 

The  captain  made  us  trim  the  boat,  and  we  got 
her  to  lie  a  little  more  evenly.  All  the  same,  we 
were  afraid  to  breathe. 

In  the  second  place,  the  ebb  was  now  making 
—  a  strong  rippling  current  running  westward 
through  the  basin,  and  then  south'ard  and  sea- 
ward down  the  straits  by  which  we  had  entered 
in  the  morning.  Even  the  ripples  were  a  danger 
to  our  overloaded  craft;  but  the  worst  of  k  was 


156      TREASURE     ISLAND 

that  we  were  swept  out  of  our  true  course,  and 
away  from  our  proper  landing-place  behind  the 
point.  If  we  let  the  current  have  its  way  we 
should  come  ashore  beside  the  gigs,  where  the 
pirates  might  appear  at  any  moment. 

"  I  cannot  keep  her  head  for  the  stockade,  sir," 
said  I  to  the  captain.  I  was  steering,  while  he 
and  Redruth,  two  fresh  men,  were  at  the  oars. 
"  The  tide  keeps  washing  her  down.  Could  you 
pull  a  little  stronger  ?  " 

"  Not  without  swamping  the  boat,"  said  he. 
"  You  must  bear  up,  sir,  if  you  please  —  bear  up 
until  you  see  you  're  gaining." 

I  tried,  and  found  by  experiment  that  the  tide 
kept  sweeping  us  westward  until  I  had  laid  her 
head  due  east,  or  just  about  right  angles  to  the 
way  we  ought  to  go. 

"  We  '11  never  get  ashore  at  this  rate,"  said  I. 

"  If  it 's  the  only  course  that  we  can  lie,  sir,  we 
must  even  lie  it,"  returned  the  captain.  "  We  must 
keep  upstream.  You  see,  sir,"  he  went  on,  "  if 
once  we  dropped  to  leeward  of  the  landing-place, 
it 's  hard  to  say  where  we  should  get  ashore, 
besides  the  chance  of  being  boarded  by  the 
gigs;  whereas,  the  way  we  go  the  current  must 
slacken,  and  then  we  can  dodge  back  along  the 
shore." 

"  The  current 's  less  a' ready,  sir,"  said  the  man 


TREASURE     ISLAND       157 

Gray,  who  was  sitting  in  the  fore-sheets ;  "  you  can 
ease  her  off  a  bit." 

"  Thank  you,  my  man,"  said  I,  quite  as  if  noth- 
ing had  happened;  for  we  had  all  quietly  made 
up  our  minds  to  treat  him  like  one  of  ourselves. 

Suddenly  the  captain  spoke  up  again,  and  I 
thought  his  voice  was  a  little  changed. 

"The  gun!"  said  he. 

"  I  have  thought  of  that,"  said  I,  for  I  made 
sure  he  was  thinking  of  a  bombardment  of  the 
fort.  "  They  could  never  get  the  gun  ashore,  and 
if  they  did,  they  could  never  haul  it  through  the 
woods." 

"  Look  astern,  doctor,"  replied  the  captain. 

We  had  entirely  forgotten  the  long  nine;  and 
there,  to  our  horror,  were  the  five  rogues  busy 
about  her,  getting  off  her  jacket,  as  they  called 
the  stout  tarpaulin  cover  under  which  she  sailed. 
Not  only  that,  but  it  flashed  into  my  mind  at  the 
same  moment  that  the  round-shot  and  the  powder 
for  the  gun  had  been  left  behind,  and  a  stroke 
with  an  axe  would  put  it  all  into  the  possession 
of  the  evil  ones  aboard. 

"  Israel  was  Flint's  gunner,"  said  Gray,  hoarsely. 

At  any  risk,  we  put  the  boat's  head  direct  for 
the  landing-place.  By  this  time  we  had  got  so  far 
out  of  the  run  of  the  current  that  we  kept  steerage 
way  even  at  our  necessarily  gentle  rate  of  rowing, 


158      TREASURE     ISLAND 

and  I  could  keep  her  steady  for  the  goal.  But  the 
worst  of  it  was,  that  with  the  course  I  now  held, 
we  turned  our  broadside  instead  of  our  stern  to  the 
Hispaniola,  and  offered  a  target  like  a  barn  door. 

I  could  hear,  as  well  as  see,  that  brandy-faced 
rascal,  Israel  Hands,  plumping  down  a  round-shot 
on  the  deck. 

"  Who  's  the  best  shot  ?  "  asked  the  captain. 

"  Mr.  Trelawney,  out  and  away,"  said  I. 

"  Mr.  Trelawney,  will  you  please  pick  me  off 
one  of  these  men,  sir?  Hands,  if  possible,"  said 
the  captain. 

Trelawney  was  as  cool  as  steel.  He  looked  to 
the  priming  of  his  gun. 

"  Now,"  cried  the  captain,  "  easy  with  that  gun, 
sir,  or  you  '11  swamp  the  boat.  All  hands  stand 
by  to  trim  her  when  he  aims." 

The  squire  raised  his  gun,  the  rowing  ceased, 
and  we  leaned  over  to  the  other  side  to  keep  the 
balance,  and  all  was  so  nicely  contrived  that  we 
did  not  ship  a  drop. 

They  had  the  gun,  by  this  time,  slewed  round 
upon  the  swivel,  and  Hands,  who  was  at  the 
muzzle  with  the  rammer,  was,  in  consequence,  the 
most  exposed.  However,  we  had  no  luck;  for 
just  as  Trelawney  fired,  down  he  stooped,  the  ball 
whistled  over  him,  and  it  was  one^of  the  other 
four  who  fell. 


TREASURE     ISLAND       159 

The  cry  he  gave  was  echoed,  not  only  by  his 
companions  on  board,  but  by  a  great  number  of 
voices  from  the  shore,  and  looking  in  that  direc- 
tion I  saw  the  other  pirates  trooping  out  from 
among  the  trees  and  tumbling  into  their  places  in 
the  boats. 

"  Here  come  the  gigs,  sir,"  said  I. 

"  Give  way  then,"  cried  the  captain.  "  We 
must  n't  mind  if  we  swamp  her  now.  If  we  can't 
get  ashore,  all  's  up." 

"  Only  one  of  the  gigs  is  being  manned,  sir,"  I 
added,  "  the  crew  of  the  other  most  likely  going 
round  by  shore  to  cut  us  off." 

"  They  '11  have  a  hot  run,  sir,"  returned  the 
captain.  "  Jack  ashore,  you  know.  It 's  not 
them  I  mind ;  it 's  the  round-shot.  Carpet  bowls ! 
My  lady's  maid  could  n't  miss.  Tell  us,  squire, 
when  you  see  the  match,  and  we  '11  hold 
water." 

In  the  meanwhile  we  had  been  making  headway 
at  a  good  pace  for  a  boat  so  overloaded,  and  we 
had  shipped  but  little  water  in  the  process.  We 
were  now  close  in ;  thirty  or  forty  strokes  and  we 
should  beach  her ;  for  the  ebb  had  already  disclosed 
a  narrow  belt  of  sand  below  the  clustering  trees. 
The  gig  was  no  longer  to  be  feared ;  the  little  point 
had  already  concealed  it  from  our  eyes.  The  ebb- 
tide, which  had  so  cruelly  delayed  us,  was  now 


160      TREASURE     ISLAND 

making  reparation,  and  delaying  our  assailants. 
The  one  source  of  danger  was  the  gun. 

"  If  I  durst,"  said  the  captain,  "  I  'd  stop  and 
pick  off  another  man." 

But  it  was  plain  that  they  meant  nothing  should 
delay  their  shot.  They  had  never  so  much  as 
looked  at  their  fallen  comrade,  though  he  was  not 
dead,  and  I  could  see  him  trying  to  crawl  away. 

"  Ready !  "  cried  the  squire. 

"  Hold !  "  cried  the  captain,  quick  as  an  echo. 

And  he  and  Redruth  backed  with  a  great  heave 
that  sent  her  stern  bodily  under  water.  The  re- 
port fell  in  at  the  same  instant  of  time.  This  was 
the  first  that  Jim  heard,  the  sound  of  the  squire's 
shot  not  having  reached  him.  Where  the  ball 
passed,  not  one  of  us  precisely  knew ;  but  I  fancy 
it  must  have  been  over  our  heads,  and  that  the 
wind  of  it  may  have  contributed  to  our  disaster. 

At  any  rate,  the  boat  sank  by  the  stern,  quite 
gently,  in  three  feet  of  water,  leaving  the  captain 
and  myself,  facing  each  other,  on  our  feet.  The 
other  three  took  complete  headers,  and  came  up 
again,  drenched  and  bubbling. 

So  far  there  was  no  great  harm.  No  lives  were 
lost,  and  we  could  wade  ashore  in  safety.  But 
there  were  all  our  stores  at  the  bottom,  and,  to  make 
things  worse,  only  two  guns  out  of  £ve  remained 
in  a  state  for  service.  Mine  I  had  snatched  from 


TREASURE     ISLAND       161 

my  knees  and  held  over  my  head,  by  a  sort  of 
instinct.  As  for  the  captain,  he  had  carried  his 
over  his  shoulder  by  a  bandoleer,  and,  like  a  wise 
man,  lock  uppermost.  The  other  three  had  gone 
down  with  the  boat. 

To  add  to  our  concern,  we  heard  voices  already 
drawing  near  us  in  the  woods  along  shore ;  and  we 
had  not  only  the  danger  of  being  cut  off  from  the 
stockade  in  our  half -crippled  state,  but  the  fear 
before  us  whether,  if  Hunter  and  Joyce  were  at- 
tacked by  half  a  dozen,  they  would  have  the  sense 
and  conduct  to  stand  firm.  Hunter  was  steady, 
that  we  knew ;  Joyce  was  a  doubtful  case  —  a 
pleasant,  polite  man  for  a  valet,  and  to  brush  one's 
clothes,  but  not  entirely  fitted  for  a  man  of  war. 

With  all  this  in  our  minds,  we  waded  ashore  as 
fast  as  we  could,  leaving  behind  us  the  poor  jolly- 
boat,  and  a  good  half  of  all  our  powder  and 
provisions. 


VOL.  vr  ~ 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

NARRATIVE  CONTINUED  BY  THE  DOCTOR  : 
END    OF   THE    FIRST    DAY'S    FIGHTING 

WE  made  our  best  speed  across  the  strip 
of  wood  that  now  divided  us  from,  the 
stockade;  and  at  every  step  we  took 
the  voices  of  the  buccaneers  rang  nearer.  Soon 
we  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  we  should  have  a  brush  for  it  in 
earnest,  and  looked  to  my  priming. 

"  Captain,"  said  I,  "  Trelawney  is  the  dead  shot. 
Give  him  your  gun;  his  own  is  useless." 

They  exchanged  guns,  and  Trelawney,  silent  and 
cool  as  he  had  been  since  the  beginning  of  the 
bustle,  hung  a  moment  on  his  heel  to  see  that  all 
was  fit  for  service.  At  the  same  time,  observing 
Gray  to  be  unarmed,  I  handed  him  my  cutlass.  It 
did  all  our  hearts  good  to  see  him  spit  in  his  hand, 
knit  his  brows,  and  make  the  blade  sing  through 
the  air.  It  was  plain  from  every  line"t)f  his  body 
that  our  new  hand  was  worth  his  salt. 


TREASURE     ISLAND      163 

Forty  paces  farther  we  came  to  the  edge  of  the 
wood  and  saw  the  stockade  in  front  of  us.  We 
struck  the  enclosure  about  the  middle  of  the  south 
side,  and,  almost  at  the  same  time,  seven  mutineers 
—  Job  Anderson,  the  boatswain,  at  their  head  — 
appeared  in  full  cry  at  the  south-western  corner. 

They  paused,  as  if  taken  aback;  and  before 
they  recovered,  not  only  the  squire  and  I,  but 
Hunter  and  Joyce  from  the  block-house,  had  time 
to  fire.  The  four  shots  came  in  rather  a  scattering 
volley ;  but  they  did  the  business :  one  of  the 
enemy  actually  fell,  and  the  rest,  without  hesitation, 
turned  and  plunged  into  the  trees. 

After  reloading,  we  walked  down  the  outside  of 
the  palisade  to  see  to  the  fallen  enemy.  He  was 
stone  dead  —  shot  through  the  heart. 

We  began  to  rejoice  over  our  good  success,  when 
just  at  that  moment  a  pistol  cracked  in  the  bush,  a 
ball  whistled  close  past  my  ear,  and  poor  Tom 
Redruth  stumbled  and  fell  his  length  on  the  ground. 
Both  the  squire  and  I  returned  the  shot ;  but  as  we 
had  nothing  to  aim  at,  it  is  probable  we  only  wasted 
powder.  Then  we  reloaded,  and  turned  our  atten- 
tion to  poor  Tom. 

The  captain  and  Gray  were  already  examining 
him ;  and  I  saw  with  half  an  eye  that  all  was  over. 

I  believe  the  readiness  of  our  return  volley  had 
scattered  the  mutineers  once  more,  for  we  were 


164      TREASURE     ISLAND 

suffered  without  further  molestation  to  get  the 
poor  old  gamekeeper  hoisted  over  the  stockade, 
and  carried,  groaning  and  bleeding,  into  the  log- 
house. 

Poor  old  fellow,  he  had  not  uttered  one  word  of 
surprise,  complaint,  fear,  or  even  acquiescence,  from 
the  very  beginning  of  our  troubles  till  now,  when 
we  had  laid  him  down  in  the  log-house  to  die.  He 
had  lain  like  a  Trojan  behind  his  rnattress  in  the 
gallery ;  he  had  followed  every  order  silently,  dog- 
gedly, and  well ;  he  was  the  oldest  of  our  party  by 
a  score  of  years ;  and  now,  sullen,  old,  serviceable 
servant,  it  was  he  that  was  to  die. 

The  squire  dropped  down  beside  him  on  his 
knees  and  kissed  his  hand,  crying  like  a  child. 

"  Be  I  going,  doctor  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Tom,  my  man,"  said  I,  "  you  're  going  home." 

"  I  wish  I  had  had  a  lick  at  them  with  the  gun 
first,"  he  replied. 

"  Tom,"  said  the  squire,- "  say  you  forgive  me, 
won't  you  ?  " 

"  Would  that  be  respectful  like,  from  me  to 
you.  squire  ? "  was  the  answer.  "  Howsoever, 
so  be  it,  amen !  " 

After  a  little  while  of  silence,  he  said  he  thought 
somebody  might  read  a  prayer.  "  It 's  the  custom, 
sir,"  he  added,  apologetically.  And  -not  long  after, 
without  another  word,  he  passed  away. 


TREASURE     ISLAND      165 

In  the  meantime  the  captain,  whom  I  had  ob- 
served to  be  wonderfully  swollen  about  the  chest 
and  pockets,  had  turned  out  a  great  many  various 
stores  —  the  British  colours,  a  Bible,  a  coil  of 
stoutish  rope,  pen,  ink,  the  logbook,  and  pounds 
of  tobacco.  He  had  found  a  longish  fir-tree  lying 
felled  and  trimmed  in  the  enclosure,  and,  with  the 
help  of  Hunter,  he  had  set  it  up  at  the  corner  of 
the  log-house,  where  the  trunks  crossed  and  made 
an  angle.  Then  climbing  on  the  roof,  he  had  with 
his  own  hand  bent  and  run  up  the  colours. 

This  seemed  mightily  to  relieve  him.  He  re- 
entered  the  log-house,  and  set  about  counting  up 
the  stores,  as  if  nothing  else  existed.  But  he  had  an 
eye  on  Tom's  passage  for  all  that ;  and  as  soon  as 
all  was  over,  came  forward  with  another  flag,  and 
reverently  spread  it  on  the  body. 

"  Don't  you  take  on,  sir,"  he  said,  shaking  the 
squire's  hand.  "  All 's  well  with  him ;  no  fear  for 
a  hand  that 's  been  shot  down  in  his  duty  to  captain 
and  owner.  It  may  n't  be  good  divinity,  but  it 's 
a  fact." 

Then  he  pulled  me  aside. 

"  Dr.  Livesey,"  he  said,  "  in  how  many  weeks 
do  you  and  squire  expect  the  consort?  " 

I  told  him  it  was  a  question,  not  of  weeks,  but  of 
months;  that  if  we  were  not  back  by  the  end  of 
August,  Blandly  was  to  send  to  find  us ;  but  neither 


sooner  nor  later.     "  You  can  calculate  for  your- 
self," I  said. 

"  Why,  yes,"  returned  the  captain,  scratching 
his  head,  "  and  making  a  large  allowance,  sir,  for 
all  the  gifts  of  Providence,  I  should  say  we  were 
pretty  close  hauled." 

"  How  do  you  mean  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  It 's  a  pity,  sir,  we  lost  that  second  load. 
That 's  what  I  mean,"  replied  the  captain.  "  As 
for  powder  and  shot,  we  '11  do.  But  the  rations 
are  short,  very  short  —  so  short,  Dr.  Livesey, 
that  we  're,  perhaps,  as  well  without  that  extra 
mouth." 

And  he  pointed  to  the  dead  body  under  the  flag. 

Just  then,  with  a  roar  and  a  whistle,  a  round- 
shot  passed  high  above  the  roof  of  the  log-house 
and  plumped  far  beyond  us  in  the  wood. 

"Oho!"  said  the  captain.  "Blaze  away! 
You  Ve  little  enough  powder  already,  my  lads." 

At  the  second  trial,  the  aim  was  better,  and  the 
ball  descended  inside  the  stockade,  scattering  a 
cloud  of  sand,  but  doing  no  further  damage. 

"  Captain,"  said  the  squire,  "  the  house  is  quite 
invisible  from  the  ship.  It  must  be  the  flag  they 
are  aiming  at.  Would  it  not  be  wiser  to  take 
it  in?" 

"  Strike  my  colours !  "  cried  the  captain.  "  No, 
sir,  not  I ;  "  and,  as  soon  as  he  had  said  the  words, 


TREASURE     ISLAND       167 

I  think  we  all  agreed  with  him.  For  it  was  not  only 
a  piece  of  stout,  seamanly,  good  feeling;  it  was 
good  policy  besides,  and  showed  our  enemies  that 
we  despised  their  cannonade. 

All  through  the  evening  they  kept  thundering 
away.  Ball  after  ball  flew  over  or  fell  short,  or 
kicked  up  the  sand  in  the  enclosure ;  but  they  had  to 
fire  so  high  that  the  shot  fell  dead  and  buried  itself 
in  the  soft  sand.  We  had  no  ricochet  to  fear;  and 
though  one  popped  in  through  the  roof  of  the  log- 
house  and  out  again  through  the  floor,  we  soon 
got  used  to  that  sort  of  horse-play,  and  minded  it 
no  more  than  cricket. 

"  There  is  one  thing  good  about  all  this,"  ob- 
served the  captain :  "  the  wood  in  front  of  us  is 
likely  clear.  The  ebb  has  made  a  good  while ;  our 
stores  should  be  uncovered.  Volunteers  to  go  and 
bring  in  pork." 

Gray  and  Hunter  were  the  first  to  come  forward. 
Well  armed,  they  stole  out  of  the  stockade;  but 
it  proved  a  useless  mission.  The  mutineers  were 
bolder  than  we  fancied,  or  they  put  more  trust  in 
Israel's  gunnery.  For  four  or  five  of  them  were 
busy  carrying  off  our  stores,  and  wading  out  with 
them  to  one  of  the  gigs  that  lay  close  by,  pull- 
ing an  oar  or  so  to  hold  her  steady  against  the 
current.  Silver  was  in  the  stern-sheets  in  com- 
mand ;  and  every  man  of  them  was  now  pro- 


168      TREASURE     ISLAND 

vided  with  a  musket  from  some  secret  magazine 
of  their  own. 

The  captain  sat  down  to  his  log,  and  here  is  the 
beginning  of  the  entry: 

"  Alexander  Smollett,  master ;  David  Livesey, 
ship's  doctor;  Abraham  Gray,  carpenter's  mate; 
John  Trelawney,  owner;  John  Hunter  and  Rich- 
ard Joyce,  owner's  servants,  landsmen  —  being  all 
that  is  left  faithful  of  the  ship's  company  —  with 
stores  for  ten  days  at  short  rations,  came  ashore 
this  day,  and  flew  British  colours  on  the  log-house 
in  Treasure  Island.  Thomas  Redruth,  owner's 
servant,  landsman,  shot  by  the  mutineers;  James 
Hawkins,  cabin-boy " 

And  at  the  same  time  I  was  wondering  over 
poor  Jim  Hawkins's  fate. 

A  hail  on  the  land  side. 

"  Somebody  hailing  us,"  said  Hunter,  who  was 
on  guard. 

"  Doctor !  squire !  captain !  Hullo,  Hunter,  is 
that  you?"  came  the  cries. 

And  I  ran  to  the  door  in  time  to  see  Jim  Haw- 
kins, safe  and  sound,  come  climbing  over  the 
stockade. 


CHAPTER   XIX 

NARRATIVE   RESUMED   BY  JIM   HAWKINS : 
THE   GARRISON   IN   THE   STOCKADE 

A  soon  as  Ben  Gunn  saw  the  colours  he  came 
to  a  halt,  stopped  me  by  the  arm,  and  sat 
down. 

"  Now,"  said  he,  "  there 's  your  friends,  sure 
enough." 

"  Far  more  likely  it's  the  mutineers,"!  answered. 

"  That!  "  he  cried.  "  Why,  in  a  place  like  this, 
where  nobody  puts  in  but  gen'lemen  of  fortune, 
Silver  would  fly  the  Jolly  Roger,  you  don't  make 
no  doubt  of  that.  No ;  that 's  your  friends. 
There  's  been  blows,  too,  and  I  reckon  your  friends 
has  had  the  best  of  it;  and  here  they  are  ashore 
in  the  old  stockade,  as  was  made  years  and  years 
ago  by  Flint.  Ah,  he  was  the  man  to  have  a  head- 
piece, was  Flint!  Barring  rum,  his  match  were 
never  seen.  He  were  afraid  of  none,  not  he;  on'y 
Silver  —  Silver  was  that  genteel." 

"  Well,"  said  I,  "  that  may  be  so,  and  so  be  it ; 
all  the  more  reason  that  I  should  hurry  on  and 
join  my  friends." 


i  yo      TREASURE     ISLAND 

"  Nay,  mate,"  returned  Ben,  "  not  you.  You  're 
a  good  boy,  or  I  'm  mistook ;  but  you  're  on'y  a  boy, 
all  told.  Now,  Ben  Gunn  is  fly.  Rum  would  n't 
bring  me  there,  where  you  're  going  —  not  rum 
would  n't,  till  I  see  your  born  gen'leman,  and  gets 
it  on  his  word  of  honour.  And  you  won't  forget 
my  words:  '  A  precious  sight  (that 's  what  you'll 
say),  a  precious  sight  more  confidence  '  —  and  then 
nips  him." 

And  he  pinched  me  the  third  time  with  the  same 
air  of  cleverness. 

"  And  when  Ben  Gunn  is  wanted,  you  know 
where  to  find  him,  Jim.  Just  wheer  you  found  him 
to-day.  And  him  that  comes  is  to  have  a  white 
thing  in  his  hand :  and  he  's  to  come  alone.  Oh ! 
and  you  '11  say  this :  '  Ben  Gunn,'  says  you,  '  has 
reasons  of  his  own.'  ' 

"  Well,"  said  I,  "  I  believe  I  understand.  You 
have  something  to  propose,  and  you  wish  to  see 
the  squire  or  the  doctor ;  and  you  're  to  be  found 
where  I  found  you.  Is  that  al!  ?  " 

"And  when?  says  you,"  he  added.  "Why, 
from  about  noon  observation  to  about  six  bells." 

"  Good,"  said  I,  "  and  now  may  I  go?  " 

"You  won't  forget?"  he  inquired,  anxiously. 
"  Precious  sight,  and  reasons  of  his  own,  says  you. 
Reasons  of  his  own ;  that 's  the  mamstay ;  as  be- 
tween man  and  man.  Well,  then  "  —  still  holding 


TREASURE     ISLAND       171 

me  —  "I  reckon  you  can  go,  Jim.  And,  Jim,  if 
you  was  to  see  Silver,  you  would  n't  go  for  to  sell 
Ben  Gunn?  wild  horses  wouldn't  draw  it  from 
you?  No,  says  you.  And  if  them  pirates  camp 
ashore,  Jim,  what  would  you  say  but  there  'd  be 
widders  in  the  morning?  " 

Here  he  was  interrupted  by  a  loud  report,  and 
a  cannon  ball  came  tearing  through  the  trees  and 
pitched  in  the  sand,  not  a  hundred  yards  from  where 
we  two  were  talking.  The  next  moment  each  of  us 
had  taken  to  his  heels  in  a  different  direction. 

For  a  good  hour  to  come  frequent  reports  shook 
the  island,  and  balls  kept  crashing  through  the 
woods.  I  moved  from  hiding-place  to  hiding-place, 
always  pursued,  or  so  it  seemed  to  me,  by  these 
terrifying  missiles.  But  towards  the  end  of  the 
bombardment,  though  still  I  durst  not  venture  in 
the  direction  of  the  stockade,  where  the  balls  fell 
oftenest,  I  had  begun,  in  .a  manner,  to  pluck  up 
my  heart  again ;  and  after  a  long  detour  to  the 
east,  crept  down  among  the  shore-side  trees. 

The  sun  had  just  set,  the  sea  breeze  was  rustling 
and  tumbling  in  the  woods,  and  ruffling  the  grey 
surface  of  the  anchorage;  the  tide,  too,  was  far 
out,  and  great  tracts  of  sand  lay  uncovered;  the 
air,  after  the  heat  of  the  day,  chilled  me  through 
my  jacket. 

The  Hispaniola  still  lay  where  she  had  anchored ; 


172      TREASURE     ISLAND 

but,  sure  enough,  there  was  the  Jolly  Roger  —  the 
black  flag  of  piracy  —  flying  from  her  peak.  Even 
as  I  looked,  there  came  another  red  flash  and  an- 
other report,  that  sent  the  echoes  clattering,  and 
one  more  round  shot  whistled  through  the  air. 
It  was  the  last  of  the  cannonade. 

I  lay  for  some  time,  watching  the  bustle  which 
succeeded  the  attack.  Men  were  demolishing  some- 
thing with  axes  on  the  beach  near  the  stockade ;  the 
poor  jolly-boat,  I  afterwards  discovered.  Away, 
near  the  mouth  of  the  river,  a  great  fire  was  glow- 
ing among  the  trees,  and  between  that  point  and 
the  ship  one  of  the  gigs  kept  coming  and  going, 
the  men,  whom  I  had  seen  so  gloomy,  shouting 
at  the  oars  like  children.  But  there  was  a  sound 
in  their  voices  which  suggested  rum. 

At  length  I  thought  I  might  return  towards  the 
stockade.  I  was  pretty  far  down  on  the  low,  sandy 
spit  that  encloses  the  anchorage  to  the  east,  and  is 
joined  at  half-water  to  Skeleton  Island;  and  now, 
as  I  rose  to  my  feet,  I  saw,  some  distance  further 
down  the  spit,  and  rising  from  among  low  bushes, 
an  isolated  rock,  pretty  high,  and  peculiarly  white 
in  colour.  It  occurred  to  me  that  this  might  be  the 
white  rock  of  which  Bert  Gunn  had  spoken,  and 
that  some  day  or  other  a  boat  might  be  wanted, 
and  I  should  know  where  to  look  fqr  one. 

Then  I  skirted  among  the  woods  until  I  had 


TREASURE     ISLAND       173 

regained  the  rear,  or  shoreward  side,  of  the  stock- 
ade, and  was  soon  warmly  welcomed  by  the  faith- 
ful party. 

I  had  soon  told  my  story,  and  began  to  look 
about  me.  The  log-house  was  made  of  unsquared 
trunks  of  pine  —  roof,  walls,  and  floor.  The  latter 
stood  in  several  places  as  much  as  a  foot  or  a  foot 
and  a  half  above  the  surface  of  the  sand.  There 
was  a  porch  at  the  door,  and  under  this  porch  the 
little  spring  welled  up  into  an  artificial  basin  of  a 
rather  odd  kind  —  no  other  than  a  great  ship's 
kettle  of  iron,  with  the  bottom  knocked  out,  and 
sunk  "  to  her  bearings,"  as  the  captain  said,  among 
the  sand. 

Little  had  been  left  beside  the  framework  of  the 
house;  but  in  one  corner"  there  was  a  stone  slab 
laid  down  by  way  of  hearth,  and  an  old  rusty  iron 
basket  to  contain  the  fire. 

The  slopes  of  the  knoll  and  all  the  inside  of  the 
stockade  had  been  cleared  of  timber  to  build  the 
house,  and  we  could  see  by  the  stumps  what  a  fine 
and  lofty  grove  had  been  destroyed.  Most  of  the 
soil  had  been  washed  away  or  buried  in  drift  after 
the  removal  of  the  trees ;  only  where  the  streamlet 
ran  down  from  the  kettle  a  thick  bed  of  moss  and 
some  ferns  and  little  creeping  bushes  were  still 
green  among  the  sand.  Very  close  around  the 
stockade  —  too  close  for  defence,  they  said  —  the 


174      TREASURE     ISLAND 

wood  still  flourished  high  and  dense,  all  of  fir  on 
the  land  side,  but  towards  the  sea  with  a  large  ad- 
mixture of  live-oaks. 

The  cold  evening  breeze,  of  which  I  have  spoken, 
whistled  through  every  chink  of  the  rude  building, 
and  sprinkled  the  floor  with  a  continual  rain  of  fine 
sand.  There  was  sand  in  our  eyes,  sand  in  our 
teeth,  sand  in  our  suppers,  sand  dancing  in  the 
spring  at  the  bottom  of  the  kettle,  for  all  the  world 
like  porridge  beginning  to  boil.  Our  chimney  was 
a  square  hole  in  the  roof;  it  was  but  a  little  part 
of  the  smoke  that  found  its  way  out,  and  the  rest 
eddied  about  the  house,  and  kept  us  coughing  and 
piping  the  eye. 

Add  to  this  that  Gray,  the  new  man,  had  his 
face  tied  up  in  a  bandage  for  a  cut  he  had  got  in 
breaking  away  from  the  mutineers ;  and  that  poor 
old  Tom  Redruth,  still  unburied,  lay  along  the 
wall,  stiff  and  stark,  under  the  Union  Jack. 

If  we  had  been  allowed  to  sit  idle,  we  should  all 
have  fallen  in  the  blues,  but  Captain  Smollett  was 
never  the  man  for  that.  All  hands  were  called  up 
before  him,  and  he  divided  us  into  watches.  The 
doctor,  and  Gray,  and  I,  for  one ;  the  squire,  Hunter, 
and  Joyce,  upon  the  other.  Tired  though  we  all 
were,  two  were  sent  out  for  firewood;  two  more 
were  set  to  dig  a  grave  for  Redruth;  the  doctor 
was  named  cook;  I  was  put  sentry  at  the  door; 


TREASURE     ISLAND      175 

and  the  captain  himself  went  from  one  to  another, 
keeping  up  our  spirits  and  lending  a  hand  wherever 
it  was  wanted. 

From  time  to  time  the  doctor  came  to  the  door 
for  a  little  air  and  to  rest  his  eyes,  which  were 
almost  smoked  out  of  his  head;  and  whenever  he 
did  so,  he  had  a  word  for  me. 

"  That  man  Smollett,"  he  said  once,  "  is  a 
better  man  than  I  am.  And  when  I  say  that  it 
means  a  deal,  Jim." 

Another  time  he  came  and  was  silent  for  awhile. 
Then  he  put  his  head  on  one  side,  and  looked  at 
me. 

"  Is  this  Ben  Gunn  a  man  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  do  not  know,  sir,"  said  I.  "  I  am  not  very 
sure  whether  he  's  sane." 

"  If  there  's  any  doubt  about  the  matter,  he  is," 
returned  the  doctor.  "  A  man  who  has  been  three 
years  biting  his  nails  on  a  desert  island,  Jim,  can't 
expect  to  appear  as  sane  as  you  or  me.  It  does  n't 
lie  in  human  nature.  Was  it  cheese  you  said  he 
had  a  fancy  for?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,  cheese,"  I  answered. 

"  Well,  Jim,"  says  he,  "  just  see  the  good  that 
comes  of  being  dainty  in  your  food.  You  've  seen 
my  snuff-box,  have  n't  you  ?  And  you  never  saw 
me  take  snuff ;  the  reason  being  that  in  my  snuff- 
box I  carry  a  piece  of  Parmesan  cheese  —  a  cheese 


176      TREASURE     ISLAND 

made  in  Italy,  very  nutritious.  Well,  that 's  for 
Ben  Gunn!" 

Before  supper  was  eaten  we  buried  old  Tom  in 
the  sand,  and  stood  round  him  for  awhile  bare- 
headed in  the  breeze.  A  good  deal  of  firewood  had 
been  got  in,  but  not  enough  for  the  captain's  fancy ; 
and  he  shook  his  head  over  it,  and  told  us  we 
"  must  get  back  to  this  to-morrow  rather  livelier." 
Then,  when  we  had  eaten  our  pork,  and  each  had 
a  good  stiff  glass  of  brandy  grog,  the  three  chiefs 
got  together  in  a  corner  to  discuss  our  prospects. 

It  appears  they  were  at  their  wit's  end  what  to 
do,  the  stores  being  so  low  that  we  must  have  been 
starved  into  surrender  long  before  help  came.  But 
our  best  hope,  it  was  decided,  was  to  kill  off  the 
buccaneers  until  they  either  hauled  down  their  flag 
or  ran  away  with  the  Hispaniola.  From  nineteen 
they  were  already  reduced  Lo  fifteen,  two  others 
were  wounded,  and  one,  at  least  —  the  man  shot 
beside  the  gun  —  severely  wounded,  if  he  Were  not 
dead.  Every  time  we  had  a  crack  at  them,  we  were 
to  take  it,  saving  our  own  lives,  with  the  extremest 
care.  And,  besides  that,  we  had  two  able  allies  — 
rum  and  the  climate. 

As  for  the  first,  though  we  were  about  half  a 
mile  away,  we  could  hear  them  roaring  and  sing- 
ing late  into  the  night;  and  as  for  the  second,  the 
doctor  staked  his  wig  that,  camped  where  they 


TREASURE     ISLAND       177 

were  in  the  marsh,  and  unprovided  with  remedies, 
the  half  of  them  would  be  on  their  backs  before  a 
week. 

"  So,"  he  added,  "  if  we  are  not  all  shot  down 
first,  they  '11  be  glad  to  be  packing  in  the  schooner. 
It 's  always  a  ship,  and  they  can  get  to  buccaneer- 
ing again,  I  suppose." 

"  First  ship  that  ever  I  lost,"  said  Captain  Smol- 
lett. 

I  was  dead  tired,  as  you  may  fancy ;  and  when  I 
got  to  sleep,  which  was  not  till  after  a  great  deal 
of  tossing,  I  slept  like  a  log  of  wood. 

The  rest  had  long  been  up,  and  had  already 
breakfasted  and  increased  the  pile  of  firewood  by 
about  half  as  much  again,  when  I  was  wakened  by 
a  bustle  and  the  sound  of  voices. 

"  Flag  of  truce !  "  I  heard  some  one  say ;  and 
then,  immediately  after,  with  a  cry  of  surprise, 
"Silver  himself!" 

And,  at  that,  up  I  jumped,  and,  rubbing  my  eyes, 
ran  to  a  loophole  in  the  wall. 


.  vi.  —  12 


CHAPTER   XX 

SILVER'S   EMBASSY 

SURE  enough,  there  were  two  men  just  out- 
side the  stockade,  one  of  them  waving  a 
white  cloth ;  the  other,  no  less  a  person  than 
Silver  himself,  standing  placidly  by. 

It  was  still  quite  early,  and  the  coldest  morning 
that  I  think  I  ever  was  abroad  in;  a  chill  that 
pierced  into  the  marrow.  The  sky  was  bright  and 
cloudless  overhead,  and  the  tops  of  the  trees  shone 
rosily  in  the  sun.  But  where  Silver  stood  with 
his  lieutenant  all  was  still  in  shadow,  and  they 
waded  knee  deep  in  a  low,  white  vapour  that  had 
crawled  during  the  night  out  of  the  morass.  The 
chill  and  the  vapour  taken  together  told  a  poor 
tale  of  the  island.  It  was  plainly  a  damp,  feverish, 
unhealthy  spot. 

"  Keep  indoors,  men,"  said  the  captain.  "  Ten 
to  one  this  is  a  trick." 

Then  he  hailed  the  buccaneer. 

"  Who  goes  ?    Stand,  or  we  fire." 

"  Flag  of  truce,"  cried  Silver. 

The  captain  was  in  the  porch,  keeping  himself 


TREASURE     ISLAND       179 

carefully  out  of  the  way  of  a  treacherous  shot 
should  any  be  intended.  He  turned  and  spoke  to 
us: 

"  Doctor's  watch  on  the  look-out.  Dr.  Livesey, 
take  the  north  side,  if  you  please;  Jim,  the  east; 
Gray,  west.  The  watch  below,  all  hands  to  load 
muskets.  Lively,  men,  and  careful." 

And  then  he  turned  again  to  the  mutineers. 

"  And  what  do  you  want  with  your  flag  of 
truce  ?  "  he  cried. 

This  time  it  was  the  other  man  who  replied. 

"  Cap'n  Silver,  sir,  to  come  on  board  and  make 
terms,"  he  shouted. 

"Cap'n  Silver!  Don't  know  him.  Who 'she?" 
cried  the  captain.  And  we  could  hear  him  adding 
to  himself:  "Cap'n,  is  it?  My  heart,  and  here's 
promotion !  " 

Long  John  answered  for  himself. 

"  Me,  sir.  These  poor  lads  have  chosen  me 
cap'n,  after  your  desertion,  sir  "  —  laying  a  par- 
ticular emphasis  upon  the  word  "  desertion." 
"  We  're  willing  to  submit,  if  we  can  come  to  terms, 
and  no  bones  about  it.  All  I  ask  is  your  word, 
Cap'n  Smollett,  to  let  me  safe  and  sound  out  of 
this  here  stockade,  and  one  minute  to  get  out  o' 
shot  before  a  gun  is  fired." 

"  My  man,"  said  Captain  Smollett,  "  I  have  not 
the  slightest  desire  to  talk  to  you.  If  you  wish 


i8o      TREASURE     ISLAND 

to  talk  to  me,  you  can  come,  that 's  all.  If  there  's 
any  treachery,  it  '11  be  on  your  side,  and  the  Lord 
help  you." 

"  That 's  enough,  cap'n,"  shouted  Long  John, 
cheerily.  "  A  word  from  you  's  enough.  I  know 
a  gentleman,  and  you  may  lay  to  that." 

We  could  see  the  man  who  carried  the  flag  of 
truce  attempting  to  hold  Silver  back.  Nor  was 
that  wonderful,  seeing  how  cavalier  had  been  the 
captain's  answer.  But  Silver  laughed  at  him  aloud, 
and  slapped  him  on  the  back,  as  if  the  idea  of 
alarm  had  been  absurd.  Then  he  advanced  to  the 
stockade,  threw  over  his  crutch,  got  a  leg  up,  and 
with  great  vigour  and  skill  succeeded  in  surmount- 
ing the  fence  and  dropping  safely  to  the  other  side. 

I  will  confess  that  I  was  far  too  much  taken 
up  with  what  was  going  on  to  be  of  the  slightest 
use  as  sentry;  indeed,  I  had  already  deserted  my 
eastern  loophole,  and  crept  up  behind  the  captain, 
who  had  now  seated  himself  on  the  threshold,  with 
his  elbows  on  his  knees,  his  head  in  his  hands,  and 
his  eyes  fixed  on  the  water,  as  it  bubbled  out  of 
the  old  iron  kettle  in  the  sand.  He  was  whistling 
to  himself,  "  Come,  Lasses  and  Lads." 

Silver  had  terrible  hard  work  getting  up  the 
knoll.  What  with  the  steepness  of  the  incline,  the 
thick  tree  stumps,  and  the  soft  sand,  he  and  his 
crutch  were  as  helpless  as  a  ship  in  stays.  But  he 


stuck  to  it  like  a  man  in  silence,  and  at  last  arrived 
before  the  captain,  whom  he  saluted  in  the  hand- 
somest style.  He  was  tricked  out  in  his  best;  an 
immense  blue  coat,  thick  with  brass  buttons,  hung 
as  low  as  to  his  knees,  and  a  fine  laced  hat  was 
set  on  the  back  of  his  head. 

"  Here  you  are,  my  man,"  said  the  captain,  rais- 
ing his  head.  "  You  had  better  sit  down." 

"You  ain't  a-going  to  let  me  inside,  cap'n?" 
complained  Long  John.  "  It 's  a  main  cold  morn- 
ing, to  be  sure,  sir,  to  sit  outside  upon  the  sand." 

"  Why,  Silver,"  said  the  captain,  "  if  you  had 
pleased  to  be  an  honest  man,  you  might  have  been 
sitting  in  your  galley.  It 's  your  own  doing. 
You  're  either  my  ship's  cook  —  and  then  you 
were  treated  handsome  —  or  Cap'n  Silver,  a  com- 
mon mutineer  and  pirate,  and  then  you  can  go 
hang!" 

"  Well,  well,  cap'n,"  returned  the  sea  cook,  sit- 
ting down  as  he  was  bidden  on  the  sand,  "  you  '11 
have  to  give  me  a  hand  up  again,  that 's  all.  A 
sweet  pretty  place  you  have  of  it  here.  Ah,  there  's 
Jim !  The  top  of  the  morning  to  you,  Jim.  Doc- 
tor, here  's  my  service.  Why,  there  you  all  are 
together  like  a  happy  family,  in  a  manner  of 
speaking." 

"  If  you  have  anything  to  say,  my  man,  better 
say  it,"  said  the  captain. 

,<  if 


182      TREASURE    ISLAND 

"  Right  you  were,  Cap'n  Smollett,"  replied 
Silver.  "  Dooty  is  dooty,  to  be  sure.  Well,  now, 
you  look  here,  that  was  a  good  lay  of  yours  last 
night.  I  don't  deny  it  was  a  good  lay.  Some  of 
you  pretty  handy  with  a  handspike-end.  And  I  '11 
not  deny  neither  but  what  some  of  my  people  was 
shook  —  maybe  all  was  shook ;  maybe  I  was  shook 
myself;  maybe  that's  why  I'm  here  for  terms. 
But  you  mark  me,  cap'n,  it  won't  do  twice,  by 
thunder !  We  '11  have  to  do  sentry-go,  and  ease 
off  a  point  or  so  on  the  rum.  Maybe  you  think 
we  were  all  a  sheet  in  the  wind's  eye.  But  I  '11 
tell  you  I  was  sober;  I  was  on'y  dog  tired;  and 
if  I  'd  awoke  a  second  sooner  I  'd  'a'  caught  you 
at  the  act,  I  would.  He  was  n't  dead  when  I  got 
round  to  him,  not  he." 

"  Well  ? "  says  Captain  Smollett,  as  cool  as 
can  be. 

All  that  Silver  said  was  a  riddle  to  him,  but  you 
would  never  have  guessed  it  from  his  tone.  As 
for  me,  I  began  to  have  an  inkling.  Ben  Gunn's 
last  words  came  back  to  my  mind.  I  began  to 
suppose  that  he  had  paid  the  buccaneers  a  visit 
while  they  all  lay  drunk  together  round  their  fire, 
and  I  reckoned  up  with  glee  that  we  had  only 
fourteen  enemies  to  deal  with. 

"Well,  here  it  is,"  said  Silver.  -"We  want 
that  treasure,  and  we  '11  have  it  —  that 's  our 


TREASURE     ISLAND      183 

point!  You  would  just  as  soon  save  your  lives, 
I  reckon ;  and  that 's  yours.  You  have  a  chart, 
have  n't  you?  " 

"  That 's  as  may  be,"  replied  the  captain. 

"  Oh,  well,  you  have,  I  know  that,"  returned 
Long  John.  "  You  need  n't  be  so  husky  with  a 
man;  there  ain't  a  particle  of  service  in  that,  and 
you  may  lay  to  it.  What  I  mean  is,  we  want  your 
chart.  Now,  I  never  meant  you  no  harm,  myself." 

"  That  won't  do  with  me,  my  man,"  interrupted 
the  captain.  "  We  know  exactly  what  you  meant 
to  do,  and  we  don't  care;  for  now,  you  see,  you 
can't  do  it." 

And  the  captain  looked  at  him  calmly,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  fill  a  pipe. 

"  If  Abe  Gray "  Silver  broke  out. 

"  Avast  there !  "  cried  Mr.  Smollett.  "  Gray 
told  me  nothing,  and  I  asked  him  nothing;  and 
what 's  more,  I  would  see  you  and  him  and  this 
whole  island  blown  clean  out  of  the  water  into 
blazes  first.  So  there 's  my  mind  for  you,  my 
man,  on  that." 

This  little  whiff  of  temper  seemed  to  cool  Silver 
down.  He  had  been  growing  nettled  before,  but 
now  he  pulled  himself  together. 

"  Like  enough,"  said  he.  "  I  would  set  no  limits 
to  what  gentlemen  might  consider  shipshape,  or 
might  not,  as  the  case  were.  And,  seein'  as  how 


184      TREASURE    ISLAND 

you  are  about  to  take  a  pipe,  cap'n,  I  '11  make  so 
free  as  do  likewise." 

And  he  filled  a  pipe  and  lighted  it;  and  the  two 
men  sat  silently  smoking  for  quite  a  while,  now 
looking  each  other  in  the  face,  now  stopping  their 
tobacco,  now  leaning  forward  to  spit.  It  was  as 
good  as  the  play  to  see  them. 

"  Now,"  resumed  Silver,  "  here  it  is.  You  give 
us  the  chart  to  get  the  treasure  by,  and  drop  shoot- 
ing poor  seamen,  and  stoving  of  their  heads  in 
while  asleep.  You  do  that,  and  we  '11  offer  you  a 
choice.  Either  you  come  aboard  along  of  us,  once 
the  treasure  shipped,  and  then  I  '11  give  you  my 
affy-davy,  upon  my  word  of  honour,  to  clap  you 
somewhere  safe  ashore.  Or,  if  that  ain't  to  your 
fancy,  some  of  my  hands  being  rough,  and  having 
old  scores,  on  account  of  hazing,  then  you  can 
stay  here,  you  can.  We  '11  divide  stores  with  you, 
man  for  man ;  and  I  '11  give  my  affy-davy,  as  be- 
fore, to  speak  the  first  ship  I  sight,  and  send  'em 
here  to  pick  you  up.  Now  you  '11  own  that 's  talk- 
ing. Handsomer  you  could  n't  look  to  get.  not 
you.  And  I  hope  "  —  raising  his  voice  —  "  that 
all  hands  in  this  here  block-house  will  overhaul  my 
words,  for  what  is  spoke  to  one  is  spoke  to  all." 

Captain  Smollett  rose  from  his  seat,  and  knocked 
out  the  ashes  of  his  pipe  in  the  palm  of  his  left 
hand. 


TREASURE    ISLAND      185 

"Is  that  all?"  he  asked. 

"  Every  last  word,  by  thunder!  "  answered  John. 
"  Refuse  that,  and  you  've  seen  the  last  of  me  but 
musket-balls." 

"  Very  good,"  said  the  captain.  "  Now  you  '11 
hear  me.  If  you  '11  come  up  one  by  one,  unarmed, 
I  '11  engage  to  clap  you  all  in  irons,  and  take  you 
home  to  a  fair  trial  in  England.  If  you  won't,  my 
name  is  Alexander  Smollett,  I 've  flown  my  sov- 
ereign's colours,  and  I  '11  see  you  all  to  Davy  Jones. 
You  can't  find  the  treasure.  You  can't  sail  the 
ship  —  there  's  not  a  man  among  you  fit  to  sail 
the  ship.  You  can't  fight  us  —  Gray,  there,  got 
away  from  five  of  you.  Your  ship 's  in  irons, 
Master  Silver;  you're  on  a  lee  shore,  and  so 
you  '11  find.  I  stand  here  and  tell  you  so ;  and 
they're  the  last  good  words  you'll  get  from  me; 
for,  in  the  name  of  heaven,  I  '11  put  a  bullet  in 
your  back  when  next  I  meet  you.  Tramp,  my  lad. 
Bundle  out  of  this,  please,  hand  over  hand,  and 
double  quick." 

Silver's  face  was  a  picture;  his  eyes  started  in 
his  head  with  wrath.  He  shook  the  fire  out  of 
his  pipe. 

"  Give  me  a  hand  up !  "  he  cried. 

"  Not  I,"  returned  the  captain. 

"  Who  '11  give  me  a  hand  up?  "  he  roared. 

Not  a  man  among  us  moved.     Growling  the 


i86      TREASURE     ISLAND 

foulest  imprecations,  he  crawled  along  the  sand  till 
he  got  hold  of  the  porch  and  could  hoist  himself 
again  upon  his  crutch.  Then  he  spat  into  the 
spring. 

"There!"  he  cried,  "that's  what  I  think  of 
ye.  Before  an  hour  's  out,  I  '11  stove  in  your  old 
block-house  like  a  rum  puncheon.  Laugh,  by  thun- 
der, laugh !  Before  an  hour  's  out,  ye  '11  laugh  upon 
the  other  side.  Them  that  die  '11  be  the  lucky  ones." 

And  with  a  dreadful  oath  he  stumbled  off, 
ploughed  down  the  sand,  was  helped  across  the 
stockade,  after  four  or  five  failures,  by  the  man 
with  the  flag  of  truce,  and  disappeared  in  an  in- 
stant afterwards  among  the  trees. 


CHAPTER   XXI 

THE   ATTACK 

A  soon  as  Silver  disappeared,  the  captain, 
who  had  been  closely  watching  him, 
turned  towards  the  interior  of  the  house, 
and  found  not  a  man  of  us  at  his  post  but  Gray. 
It  was  the  first  time  we  had  ever  seen  him  angry. 

"  Quarters ! "  he  roared.  And  then,  as  we  all 
slunk  back  to  our  places,  "  Gray,"  he  said,  "  I  '11 
put  your  name  in  the  log ;  you  've  stood  by  your 
duty  like  a  seaman.  Mr.  Trelawney,  I  'm  surprised 
at  you,  sir.  Doctor,  I  thought  you  had  worn  the 
king's  coat!  If  that  was  how  you  served  at 
Fontenoy,  sir,  you  'd  have  been  better  in  your 
berth." 

The  doctor's  watch  were  all  back  at  their  loop- 
holes, the  rest  were  busy  loading  the  spare  mus- 
kets, and  every  one  with  a  red  face,  you  may  be 
certain,  and  a  flea  in  his  ear,  as  the  saying  is. 

The  captain  looked  on  for  awhile  in  silence. 
Then  he  spoke. 

"  My  lads,"  said  he,  "  I  Ve  given  Silver  a  broad- 
side. I  pitched  it  in  red-hot  on  purpose;  and  be- 


i88      TREASURE    ISLAND 

fore  the  hour  's  out>  as  he  said,  we  shall  be  boarded. 
We  're  outnumbered,  I  need  n't  tell  you  that,  but 
we  fight  in  shelter;  and,  a  minute  ago,  I  should 
have  said  we  fought  with  discipline.  I  've  no 
manner  of  doubt  that  we  can  drub  them,  if  you 
choose." 

Then  he  went  the  rounds,  and  saw,  as  he  said, 
that  all  was  clear. 

On  the  two  short  sides  of  the  house,  east  and 
west,  there  were  only  two  loopholes ;  on  the  south 
side  where  the  porch  was,  two  again;  and  on  the 
north  side,  five.  There  was  a  round  score  of  mus- 
kets for  the  seven  of  us;  the  firewood  had  been 
built  into  four  piles  —  tables,  you  might  say  —  one 
about  the  middle  of  each  side,  and  on  each  of  these 
tables  some  ammunition  and  four  loaded  muskets 
were  laid  ready  to  the  hand  of  the  defenders.  In 
the  middle,  the  cutlasses  lay  ranged. 

"  Toss  out  the  fire,"  said  the  captain ;  "  the  chill 
is  past,  and  we  must  n't  have  smoke  in  our  eyes." 

The  iron  fire  basket  was  carried  bodily  out  by 
Mr.  Trelawney,  and  the  embers  smothered  among 
sand. 

"  Hawkins  has  n't  had  his  breakfast.  Hawkins, 
help  yourself,  and  back  to  your  post  to  eat  it,"  con- 
tinued Captain  Smollett.  "  Lively,  now,  my  lad ; 
you  '11  want  it  before  you  've  done.  Hunter,  serve 
out  a  round  of  brandy  to  all  hands." 


TREASURE     ISLAND       189 

And  while  this  was  going  on,  the  captain  com- 
pleted, in  his  own  mind,  the  plan  of  the  defence. 

"  Doctor,  you  will  take  the  door,"  he  resumed. 
"  See,  and  don't  expose  yourself ;  keep  within,  and 
fire  through  the  porch.  Hunter,  take  the  east  side, 
there.  Joyce,  you  stand  by  the  west,  my  man. 
Mr.  Trelawney,  you  are  the  best  shot  —  you  and 
Gray  will  take  this  long  north  side,  with  the  five 
loopholes ;  it 's  there  the  danger  is.  If  they  can 
get  up  to  it,  and  fire  in  upon  us  through  our 
own  ports,  things  would  begin  to  look  dirty. 
Hawkins,  neither  you  nor  I  are  much  account  at 
the  shooting ;  we  '11  stand  by  to  load  and  bear  a 
hand." 

As  the  captain  had  said,  the  chill  was  past.  As 
soon  as  the  sun  had  climbed  above  our  girdle  of 
trees,  it  fell  with  all  its  force  upon  the  clearing, 
and  drank  up  the  vapours  at  a  draught.  Soon  the 
sand  was  baking,  and  the  resin  melting  in  the  logs 
of  the  block-house.  Jackets  and  coats  were  flung 
aside;  shirts  thrown  open  at  the  neck,  and  rolled 
up  to  the  shoulders;  and  we  stood  there,  each  at 
his  post,  in  a  fever  of  heat  and  anxiety. 

An  hour  passed  away. 

"  Hang  them !  "  said  the  captain.  "  This  is  as 
dull  as  the  doldrums.  Gray,  whistle  for  a  wind." 

.And  just  at  that  moment  came  the  first  news 
of  the  attack. 


190      TREASURE     ISLAND 

"  If  you  please,  sir,"  said  Joyce,  "  if  I  see  any 
one  am  I  to  fire?  " 

"  I  told  you  so !  "  cried  the  captain. 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  returned  Joyce,  with  the  same 
quiet  civility. 

Nothing  followed  for  a  time;  but  the  remark 
had  set  us  all  on  the  alert,  straining  ears  and  eyes 
—  the  musketeers  with  their  pieces  balanced  in 
their  hands,  the  captain  out  in  the  middle  of  the 
block-house,  with  his  mouth  very  tight  and  a  frown 
on  his  face. 

So  some  seconds  passed,  till  suddenly  Joyce 
whipped  up  his  musket  and  fired.  The  report  had 
scarcely  died  away  ere  it  was  repeated  and  re- 
peated from  without  in  a  scattering  volley,  shot 
behind  shot,  like  a  string  of  geese,  from  every  side 
of  the  enclosure.  Several  bullets  struck  the  log- 
house,  but  not  one  entered;  and,  as  the  smoke 
cleared  away  and  vanished,  the  stockade  and  the 
woods  around  it  looked  as  quiet  and  empty  as  be- 
fore. Not  a  bough  waved,  not  the  gleam  of  a  mus- 
ket-barrel betrayed  the  presence  of  our  foes. 

"  Did  you  hit  your  man  ?  "  asked  the  captain. 

"  No,  sir,"  replied  Joyce.    "  I  believe  not,  sir." 

"Next  best  thing  to  tell  the  truth,"  muttered 
Captain  Smollett.  "  Load  his  gun,  Hawkins. 
How  many  should  you  say  there  were  on  your 
side,  doctor  ?  " 


TREASURE     ISLAND       191 

"  I  know  precisely,"  said  Dr.  Livesey.  "  Three 
shots  were  fired  on  this  side.  I  saw  the  three 
flashes  —  two  close  together  —  one  farther  to  the 
west." 

"Three!"  repeated  the  captain.  "And  how 
many  on  yours,  Mr.  Trelawney  ?  " 

But  this  was  not  so  easily  answered.  There 
had  come  many  from  the  north  —  seven,  by  the 
squire's  computation;  eight  or  nine,  according  to 
Gray.  From  the  east  and  west  only  a  single  shot 
had  been  fired.  It  was  plain,  therefore,  that  the 
attack  would  be  developed  from  the  north,  and 
that  on  the  other  three  sides  we  were  only  to  be 
annoyed  by  a  show  of  hostilities.  But  Captain 
Smollett  made  no  change  in  his  arrangements.  If 
the  mutineers  succeeded  in  crossing  the  stockade, 
he  argued,  they  would  take  possession  of  any  un- 
protected loophole,  and  shoot  us  down  like  rats  in 
our  own  stronghold. 

Nor  had  we  much  time  left  to  us  for  thought. 
Suddenly,  with  a  loud  huzza.,  a  little  cloud  of 
pirates  leaped  from  the  woods  on  the  north  side, 
and  ran  straight  on  the  stockade.  At  the  same 
moment,  the  fire  was  once  more  opened  from  the 
woods,  and  a  rifle  ball  sang  through  the  doorway, 
and  knocked  the  doctor's  musket  into  bits. 

The  boarders  swarmed  over  the  fence  like  mon- 
keys. Squire  and  Gray  fired  again  and  yet  again ; 


192      TREASURE     ISLAND 

three  men  fell,  one  forwards  into  the  enclosure, 
two  back  on  the  outside.  But  of  these,  one  was 
evidently  more  frightened  than  hurt,  for  he  was 
on  his  feet  again  in  a  crack,  and  instantly  disap- 
peared among  the  trees. 

Two  had  bit  the  dust,  one  had  fled,  four  had 
made  good  their  footing  inside  our  defences ;  while 
from  the  shelter  of  the  woods  seven  or  eight  men, 
each  evidently  supplied  with  several  muskets,  kept 
up  a  hot  though  useless  fire  on  the  log-house. 

The  four  who  had  boarded  made  straight  before 
them  for  the  building,  shouting  as  they  ran,  and 
the  men  among  the  trees  shouted  back  to  encour- 
age them.  Several  shots  were  fired;  but,  such 
was  the  hurry  of  the  marksmen,  not  one  appears 
to  have  taken  effect.  In  a  moment,  the  four 
pirates  had  swarmed  up  the  mound  and  were 
upon  us. 

The  head  of  Job  Anderson,  the  boatswain,  ap- 
peared at  the  middle  loophole. 

"  At  'em,  all  hands  —  all  hands !  "  he  roared,  in 
a  voice  of  thunder. 

At  the  same  moment,  another  pirate  grasped 
Hunter's  musket  by  the  muzzle,  wrenched  it  from 
his  hands,  plucked  it  through  the  loophole,  and, 
with  one  stunning  blow,  laid  the  poor  fellow 
senseless  on  the  floor.  Meanwhile  a" third,  running 
unharmed  all  round  the  house,  appeared  suddenly 


TREASURE     ISLAND       193 

in  the  doorway,  and  fell  with  his  cutlass  on  the 
doctor. 

Our  position  was  utterly  reversed.  A  moment 
since  we  were  firing,  under  cover,  at  an  exposed 
enemy;  now  it  was  we  who  lay  uncovered,  and 
could  not  return  a  blow. 

The  log-house  was  full  of  smoke,  to  which  we 
owed  our  comparative  safety.  Cries  and  confu- 
sion, the  flashes  and  reports  of  pistol  shots,  and 
one  loud  groan,  rang  in  my  ears. 

"  Out,  lads,  out,  and  fight  'em  in  the  open ! 
Cutlasses !  "  cried  the  captain. 

I  snatched  a  cutlass  from  the  pile,  and  some 
one,  at  the  same  time  snatching  another,  gave  me 
a  cut  across  the  knuckles  which  I  hardly  felt.  I 
dashed  out  of  the  door  into  the  clear  sunlight. 
Some  one  was  close  behind,  I  knew  not  whom. 
Right  in  front,  the  doctor  was  pursuing  his  assail- 
ant down  the  hill,  and,  just  as  my  eyes  fell  upon 
him,  beat  down  his  guard,  and  sent  him  sprawl- 
ing on  his  back,  with  a  great  slash  across  the  face. 

"Round  the  house,  lads!  round  the  house!" 
cried  the  captain;  and  even  in  the  hurly-burly  I 
perceived  a  change  in  his  voice. 

Mechanically,  I  obeyed,  turned  eastwards,  and 
with  my  cutlass  raised,  ran  round  the  corner  of 
the  house.  Next  moment  I  was  face  to  face  with 
Anderson.  He  roared  aloud,  and  his  hanger  went 

VOL.  VI.  —  13 


i94      TREASURE     ISLAND 

up  above  his  head,  flashing  in  the  sunlight.  I 
had  not  time  to  be  afraid,  but,  as  the  blow  still 
hung  impending,  leaped  in  a  trice  upon  one  side, 
and  missing  my  foot  in  the  soft  sand,  rolled  head- 
long down  the  slope. 

When  I  had  first  sallied  from  the  door,  the 
other  mutineers  had  been  already  swarming  up 
the  palisade  to  make  an  end  of  us.  One  man, 
in  a  red  night-cap,  with  his  cutlass  in  his  mouth, 
had  even  got  upon  the  top  and  thrown  a  leg  across. 
Well,  so  short  had  been  the  interval,  that  when 
I  found  my  feet  again  all  was  in  the  same  posture, 
the  fellow  with  the  red  night-cap  still  half-way 
over,  another  still  just  showing  his  head  above 
the  top  of  the  stockade.  And  yet,  in  this  breath 
of  time,  the  fight  was  over,  and  the  victory  was 
ours. 

Gray,  following  close  behind  me,  had  cut  down 
the  big  boatswain  ere  he  had  time  to  recover  from 
his  lost  blow.  Another  had  been  shot  at  a  loop- 
hole in  the  very  act  of  firing  into  the  house,  and 
now  lay  in  agony,  the  pistol  still  smoking  in  his 
hand.  A  third,  as  I  had  seen,  the  doctor  had  dis- 
posed of  at  a  blow.  Of  the  four  who  had  scaled 
the  palisade,  one  only  remained  unaccounted  for, 
and  he,  having  left  his  cutlass  on  the  field,  was 
now  clambering  out  again  with  the"  fear  of  death 
upon  him. 


TREASURE    ISLAND      195 

"  Fire  —  fire  from  the  house !  "  cried  the  doc- 
tor. "  And  you,  lads,  back  into  cover." 

But  his  words  were  unheeded,  no  shot  was 
fired,  and  the  last  boarder  made  good  his  es- 
cape, and  disappeared  with  the  rest  into  the 
wood.  In  three  seconds  nothing  remained  of  the 
attacking  party  but  the  five  who  had  fallen,  four 
on  the  inside,  and  one  on  the  outside,  of  the 
palisade. 

The  doctor  and  Gray  and  I  ran  full  speed  for 
shelter.  The  survivors  would  soon  be  back  where 
they  had  left  their  muskets,  and  at  any  moment 
the  fire  might  recommence. 

The  house  was  by  this  time  somewhat  cleared 
of  smoke,  and  we  saw  at  a  glance  the  price  we 
had  paid  for  victory.  Hunter  lay  beside  his  loop- 
hole, stunned ;  Joyce  by  his,  shot  through  the  head, 
never  to  move  again;  while  right  in  the  centre, 
the  squire  was  supporting  the  captain,  one  as  pale 
as  the  other. 

"  The  captain  's  wounded,"  said  Mr.  Trelawney. 

"  Have  they  run  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Smollett. 

"  All  that  could,  you  may  be  bound,"  returned 
the  doctor;  "but  there's  five  of  them  will  never 
run  again." 

"  Five !  "  cried  the  captain.  "  Come,  that 's  bet- 
ter. Five  against  three  leaves  us  four  to  nine. 
That 's  better  odds  than  we  had  at  starting.  We 


were  seven  to  nineteen  then,  or  thought  we  were, 
and  that 's  as  bad  to  bear."  1 

1  The  mutineers  were  soon  only  eight  in  nnmber,  for  the  man 
shot  by  Mr.  Trelawney  on  board  the  schooner  died  that  same  even- 
ing of  his  wound.  But  this  was,  of  course,  not  known  till  after  by 
the  faithful  party. 


PART   V 
MY  SEA   ADVENTURE 


CHAPTER   XXII 

HOW   MY   SEA   ADVENTURE   BEGAN 

THERE  was  no  return  of  the  mutineers  — 
not  so  much  as  another  shot  out  of  the 
woods.    They  had  "  got  their  rations  for 
that  day  "  as  the  captain  put  it,  and  we  had  the 
place  to  ourselves  and  a  quiet  time  to  overhaul  the 
wounded  and  get  dinner.     Squire  and  I  cooked 
outside  in  spite  of  the  danger,  and  even  outside 
we  could  hardly  tell  what  we  were  at,  for  horror 
of  the  loud  groans  that  reached  us  from  the  doc- 
tor's patients. 

Out  of  the  eight  men  who  had  fallen  in  the 
action,  only  three  still  breathed  —  that  one  of  the 
pirates  who  had  been  shot  at  the  loophole,  Hunter, 
and  Captain  Smollett;  and  of  these  the  first  two 
were  as  good  as  dead;  the  mutineer,  indeed,  died 
under  the  doctor's  knife,  and  Hunter,  do  what  we 
could,  never  recovered  consciousness  in  this  world. 
He  lingered  all  day,  breathing  loudly  like  the  old 
buccaneer  at  home  in  his  apoplectic  fit;  but  the 
bones  of  his  chest  had  been  crushed  by  the  blow 
and  his  skull  fractured  in  falling,  and  some  time 


200      TREASURE    ISLAND 

in  the  following  night,  without  sign  or  sound,  he 
went  to  his  Maker. 

As  for  the  captain,  his  wounds  were  grievous 
indeed,  but  not  dangerous.  No  organ  was  fatally 
injured.  Anderson's  ball  —  for  it  was  Job  that 
shot  him  first  —  had  broken  his  shoulder-blade  and 
touched  the  lung,  not  badly;  the  second  had  only 
torn  and  displaced  some  muscles  in  the  calf.  He 
was  sure  to  recover,  the  doctor  said,  but,  in  the 
meantime  and  for  weeks  to  come,  he  must  not 
walk  nor  move  his  arm,  nor  so  much  as  speak 
when  he  could  help  it. 

My  own  accidental  cut  across  the  knuckles  was 
a  flea-bite.  Dr.  Livesey  patched  it  up  with  plaster, 
and  pulled  my  ears  for  me  into  the  bargain. 

After  dinner  the  squire  and  the  doctor  sat  by 
the  captain's  side  awhile  in  consultation;  and 
when  they  had  talked  to  their  hearts'  content,  it 
being  then  a  little  past  noon,  the  doctor  took  up 
his  hat  and  pistols,  girt  on  a  cutlass,  put  the  chart 
in  his  pocket,  and  with  a  musket  over  his  shoulder, 
crossed  the  palisade  on  the  north  side,  and  set  off 
briskly  through  the  trees. 

Gray  and  I  were  sitting  together  at  the  far  end 
of  the  block-house,  to  be  out  of  earshot  of  our 
officers  consulting;  and  Gray  took  his  pipe  out  of 
his  mouth  and  fairly  forgot  to  put  it^back  again, 
so  thunderstruck  he  was  at  this  occurrence. 


TREASURE     ISLAND      201 

"  Why,  in  the  name  of  Davy  Jones/'  said  he, 
"is  Dr.  Livesey  mad  ?  " 

"  Why,  no,"  says  I.  "  He  's  about  the  last  of 
this  crew  for  that,  I  take  it." 

"  Well,  shipmate,"  said  Gray,  "  mad  he  may  not 
be;  but  if  he  's  not,  you  mark  my  words,  /  am." 

"I  take  it,"  replied  I,  "  the  doctor  has  his  idea; 
and  if  I  am  right,  he 's  going  now  to  see  Ben 
Gunn." 

I  was  right,  as  appeared  later ;  but,  in  the  mean- 
time, the  house  being  stifling  hot,  and  the  little 
patch  of  sand  inside  the  palisade  ablaze  with  mid- 
day sun,  I  began  to  get  another  thought  into  my 
head,  which  was  not  by  any  means  so  right.  What 
I  began  to  do  was  to  envy  the  doctor,  walking  in 
the  cool  shadow  of  the  woods,  with  the  birds  about 
him,  and  the  pleasant  smell  of  the  pines,  while  I 
sat  grilling,  with  my  clothes  stuck  to  the  hot  resin, 
and  so  much  blood  about  me,  and  so  many  poor 
dead  bodies  lying  all  around,  that  I  took  a  disgust 
of  the  place  that  was  almost  as  strong  as  fear. 

All  the  time  I  was  washing  out  the  block-house, 
and  then  washing  up  the  things  from  dinner,  this 
disgust  and  envy  kept  growing  stronger  and 
stronger,  till  at  last,  being  near  a  bread-bag,  and 
no  one  then  observing  me,  I  took  the  first  step 
towards  my  escapade,  and  filled  both  pockets  of 
mv  coat  with  biscuit. 


202      TREASURE    ISLAND 

I  was  a  fool,  if  you  like,  and  certainly  I  was 
going  to  do  a  foolish,  over-bold  act;  but  I  was 
determined  to  do  it  with  all  the  precautions  in  my 
power.  These  biscuits,  should  anything  befall  me, 
would  keep  me,  at  least,  from  starving  till  far  on 
in  the  next  day. 

The  next  thing  I  laid  hold  of  was  a  brace 
of  pistols,  and  as  I  already  had  a  powder-horn 
and  bullets,  I  felt  myself  well  supplied  with 
arms. 

As  for  the  scheme  I  had  in  my  head,  it  was  not 
a  bad  one  in  itself.  I  was  to  go  down  the  sandy 
spit  that  divides  the  anchorage  on  the  east  from 
the  open  sea,  find  the  white  rock  I  had  observed 
last  evening,  and  ascertain  whether  it  was  there 
or  not  that  Ben  Gunn  had  hidden  his  boat ;  a  thing 
quite  worth  doing,  as  I  still  believe.  But  as  I  was 
certain  I  should  not  be  allowed  to  leave  the  en- 
closure, my  only  plan  was  to  take  French  leave, 
and  slip  out  when  nobody  was  watching;  and  that 
was  so  bad  a  way  of  doing  it  as  made  the  thing 
itself  wrong.  But  I  was  only  a  boy,  and  I  had 
made  my  mind  up. 

Well,  as  things  at  last  fell  out,  I  found  an  ad- 
mirable opportunity.  The  squire  and  Gray  were 
busy  helping  the  captain  with  his  bandages;  the 
coast  was  clear;  I  made  a  bolt  for  it  over  the 
stockade  and  into  the  thickest  of  the  trees,  and 


TREASURE     ISLAND      203 

before  my  absence  was  observed  I  was  out  of  cry 
of  my  companions. 

This  was  my  second  folly,  far  worse  than  the 
first,  as  I  left  but  two  sound  men  to  guard  the 
house;  but  like  the  first,  it  was  a  help  towards 
saving  all  of  us. 

I 'took  my  way  straight  for  the  east  coast  of 
the  island,  for  I  was  determined  to  go  down 
the  sea  side  of  the  spit  to  avoid  all  chance  of 
observation  from  the  anchorage.  It  was  already 
late  in  the  afternoon,  although  still  warm  and 
sunny.  As  I  continued  to  thread  the  tall  woods 
I  could  hear  from  far  before  me  not  only  the 
continuous  thunder  of  the  surf,  but  a  certain 
tossing  of  foliage  and  grinding  of  boughs  which 
showed  me  the  sea  breeze  had  set  in  higher  than 
usual.  Soon  cool  draughts  of  air  began  to  reach 
me;  and  a  few  steps  farther  I  came  forth  into 
the  open  borders  of  the  grove,  and  saw  the  sea 
lying  blue  and  sunny  to  the  horizon,  and  the 
surf  tumbling  and  tossing  its  foam  along  the 
beach. 

I  have  never  seen  the  sea  quiet  round  Treasure 
Island.  The  sun  might  blaze  overhead,  the  air  be 
without  a  breath,  the  surface  smooth  and  blue,  but 
still  these  great  rollers  would  be  running  along 
all  the  external  coast,  thundering  and  thundering 
by  day  and  night;  and  I  scarce  believe  there  is 


204      TREASURE    ISLAND 

one  spot  in  the  island  where  a  man  would  be  out 
of  earshot  of  their  noise. 

I  walked  along  beside  the  surf  with  great  en- 
joyment, till,  thinking  I  was  now  got  far  enough 
to  the  south,  I  took  the  cover  of  some  thick  bushes, 
and  crept  warily  up  to  the  ridge  of  the  spit. 

Behind  me  was  the  sea,  in  front  the  anchorage. 
The  sea  breeze,  as  though  it  had  the  sooner  blown 
itself  out  by  its  unusual  violence,  was  already  at 
an  end;  it  had  been  succeeded  by  light,  variable 
airs  from  the  south  and  south-east,  carrying  great 
banks  of  fog;  and  the  anchorage,  under  lee  of 
Skeleton  Island,  lay  still  and  leaden  as  when  first 
we  entered  it.  The  Hispaniola,  in  that  unbroken 
mirror,  was  exactly  portrayed  from  the  truck  to 
the  water-line,  the  Jolly  Roger  hanging  from  her 
peak. 

Alongside  lay  one  of  the  gigs,  Silver  in  the 
stern-sheets  —  him  I  could  always  recognise  — 
while  a  couple  of  men  were  leaning  over  the  stern 
bulwarks,  one  of  them  with  a  red  cap  —  the  very 
rogue  that  I  had  seen  some  hours  before  stride- 
legs  upon  the  palisade.  Apparently  they  were 
talking  and  laughing,  though  at  that  distance  — 
upwards  of  a  mile  —  I  could,  of  course,  hear  no 
word  of  what  was  said.  All  at  once,  there  began 
the  most  horrid,  unearthly  screaming,  which  at 
first  startled  me  badly,  though  I  had  soon  remem- 


TREASURE     ISLAND      205 

bered  the  voice  of  Captain  Flint,  and  even  thought 
I  could  make  out  the  bird  by  her  bright  plumage 
as  she  sat  perched  upon  her  master's  wrist. 

Soon  after  the  jolly-boat  shoved  off  and  pulled 
for  shore,  and  the  man  with  the  red  cap  and  his 
comrade  went  below  by  the  cabin  companion. 

Jurt  about  the  same  time  the  sun  had  gone  down 
behind  the  Spy-glass,  and  as  the  fog  was  collect- 
ing rapidly,  it  began  to  grow  dark  in  earnest.  I 
saw  I  must  lose  no  time  if  I  were  to  find  the  boat 
that  evening. 

The  white  rock,  visible  enough  above  the  brush, 
was  still  some  eighth  of  a  mile  further  down  the 
spit,  and  it  took  me  a  goodish  while  to  get  up  with 
it,  crawling,  often  on  all-fours,  among  the  scrub. 
Night  had  almost  come  when  I  laid  my  hand  on 
its  rough  sides.  Right  below  it  there  was  an  ex- 
ceedingly small  hollow  of  green  turf,  hidden  by 
banks  and  a  thick  underwood  about  knee-deep,  that 
grew  there  very  plentifully;  and  in  the  centre  of 
the  dell,  sure  enough,  a  little  tent  of  goat-skins, 
like  what  the  gipsies  carry  about  with  them  in 
England. 

I  dropped  into  the  hollow,  lifted  the  side  of  the 
tent,  and  there  was  Ben  Gunn's  boat  —  home-made 
if  ever  anything  was  home-made :  a  rude,  lop-sided 
framework  of  tough  wood,  and  stretched  upon  that 
a  covering  of  goat-skin,  with  the  hair  inside.  The 


206      TREASURE     ISLAND 

thing  was  extremely  small,  even  for  me,  ario^  $  in 
hardly  imagine  that  it  could  have  floated  with  a 
full-sized  man.  There  was  one  thwart  set  as  low 
as  possible,  a  kind  of  stretcher  in  the  bows,  and  a 
double  paddle  for  propulsion. 

I  had  not  then  seen  a  coracle,  such  as  the  ancient 
Britons  made,  but  I  have  seen  one  since,  and  I  can 
give  you  no  fairer  idea  of  Ben  Gunn's  boat  than 
by  saying  it  was  like  the  first  and  the  worst  coracle 
ever  made  by  man.  But  the  great  advantage  of  the 
coracle  it  certainly  possessed,  for  it  was  exceedingly 
light  and  portable. 

Well,  now  that  I  had  found  the  boat,  you  would 
have  thought  I  had  had  enough  of  truantry  for 
once;  but,  in  the  meantime,  I  had  taken  another 
notion,  and  become  so  obstinately  fond  of  it,  that 
I  would  have  carried  it  out,  I  believe,  in  the  teeth 
of  Captain  Smollett  himself.  This  was  to  slip  out 
under  cover  of  the  night,  cut  the  Hispaniola  adrift, 
and  let  her  go  ashore  where  she  fancied.  I  had 
quite  made  up  my  mind  that  the  mutineers,  after 
their  repulse  of  the  morning,  had  nothing  nearer 
their  hearts  than  to  up  anchor  and  away  to  sea; 
this,  I  thought,  it  would  be  a  fine  thing  to  pre- 
vent, and  now  that  I  had  seen  how  they  left  their 
watchmen  unprovided  with  a  boat,  I  thought  it 
might  be  done  with  little  risk. 

Down  I  sat  to  wait  for  darkness,  and  made  a 


TREASURE     ISLAND      207 

hearty  meal  of  biscuit.  It  was  a  night  out  of  ten 
thousand  for  my  purpose.  The  fog  had  now 
buried  all  heaven.  As  the  last  rays  of  daylight 
dwindled  and  disappeared,  absolute  blackness  settled 
down  on  Treasure  Island.  And  when,  at  last,  I 
shouldered  the  coracle,  and  groped  my  way  stum- 
blingly  out  of  the  hollow  where  I  had  supped, 
there  were  but  two  points  visible  on  the  whole 
anchorage. 

One  was  the  great  fire  on  shore,  by  which  the 
defeated  pirates  lay  carousing  in  the  swamp.  The 
other,  a  mere  blur  of  light  upon  the  darkness,  in- 
dicated the  position  of  the  anchored  ship.  She 
had  swung  round  to  the  ebb  —  her  bow  was  now 
towards  me  —  the  only  lights  on  board  were  in 
the  cabin;  and  what  I  saw  was  merely  a  reflec- 
tion on  the  fog  of  the  strong  rays  that  flowed 
from  the  stern  window. 

The  ebb  had  already  run  some  time,  and  I  had 
to  wade  through  a  long  belt  of  swampy  sand, 
where  I  sank  several  times  above  the  ankle,  before 
I  came  to  the  edge  of  the  retreating  water,  and 
wading  a  little  way  in,  with  some  strength  and 
dexterity,  set  my  coracle,  keel  downwards,  on  the 
surface. 


CHAPTER   XXIII 

THE   EBB-TIDE   RUNS 

THE  coracle  —  as  I  had  ample  reason  to 
know  before  I  was  done  with  her  —  was 
a  very  safe  boat  for  a  person  of  my 
height  and  weight,  both  buoyant  and  clever  in  a 
seaway;  but  she  was  the  most  cross-grained  lop- 
sided craft  to  manage.  Do  as  you  pleased,  she 
always  made  more  leeway  than  anything  else,  and 
turning  round  and  round  was  the  manoeuvre  she 
was  best  at.  Even  Ben  Gunn  himself  has  ad- 
mitted that  she  was  "  queer  to  handle  till  you 
knew  her  way." 

Certainly  I  did  not  know  her  way.  She  turned 
in  every  direction  but  the  one  I  was  bound  to  go; 
the  most  part  of  the  time  we  were  broadside  on, 
and  I  am  very  sure  I  never  should  have  made  the 
ship,  at  all  but  for  the  tide.  By  good  fortune, 
paddle  as  I  pleased,  the  tide  was  still  sweeping 
me  down;  and  there  lay  the  Hispaniola  right  in 
the  fair  way,  hardly  to  be  missed. 

First  she  loomed  before  me  like  a"  blot  of  some- 
thing yet  blacker  than  darkness,  then  her  spars 


TREASURE     ISLAND      209 

and  hull  began  to  take  shape,  and  the  next  mo- 
ment, as  it  seemed  (for,  the  further  I  went,  the 
brisker  grew  the  current  of  the  ebb),  I  was  along- 
side of  her  hawser,  and  had  laid  hold. 

The  hauser  was  as  taut  as  a  bowstring,  and  the 
current  so  strong  she  pulled  upon  her  anchor.  All 
round  the  hull,  in  the  blackness,  the  rippling  cur- 
rent bubbled  and  chattered  like  a  little  mountain 
stream.  One  cut  with  my  sea-gully,  and  the  His- 
paniola  would  go  humming  down  the  tide. 

So  far  so  good;  but  it  next  occurred  to  my 
recollection  that  a  taut  hawser,  suddenly  cut,  is 
a  thing  as  dangerous  as  a  kicking  horse.  Ten  to 
one,  if  I  were  so  foolhardy  as  to  cut.  the  Hispaniola 
from  her  anchor,  I  and  the  coracle  would  be 
knocked  clean  out  of  the  water. 

This  brought  me  to  a  full  stop,  and  if  fortune 
had  not  again  particularly  favoured  me,  I  should 
have  had  to  abandon  my  design.  But  the  light 
airs  which  had  begun  blowing  from  the  south-east 
and  south  had  hauled  round  after  nightfall  into 
the  south-west.  Just  while  I  was  meditating,  a 
puff  came,  caught  the  Hispaniola,  and  forced  her 
up  into  the  current;  and  to  my  great  joy,  I  felt 
the  hawser  slacken  in  my  grasp,  and  the  hand 
by  which  I  held  it  dip  for  a  second  under  water. 

With  that  I  made  my  mind  up,  took  out  my 
gully,  opened  it  with  my  teeth,  and  cut  one  strand 
toL.  vr. — 14 


210      TREASURE     ISLAND 

after  another,  till  the  vessel  swung  only  by  two. 
Then  I  lay  quiet,  waiting  to  sever  these  last  when 
the  strain  should  be  once  more  lightened  by  a 
breath  of  wind. 

All  this  time  I  had  heard  the  sound  of  loud 
voices  from  the  cabin ;  but,  to  say  truth,  my  mind 
had  been  so  entirely  taken  up  with  other  thoughts 
that  I  had  scarcely  given  ear.  Now,  however, 
when  I  had  nothing  else  to  do,  I  began  to  pay 
more  heed. 

One  I  recognised  for  the  coxswain's,  Israel 
Hands,  that  had  been  Flint's  gunner  in  former 
days.  The  other  was,  of  course,  my  friend  of 
the  red  night-cap.  Both  men  were  plainly  the 
worse  of  drink,  and  they  were  still  drinking ;  for, 
even  while  I  was  listening,  one  of  them,  with  a 
drunken  cry,  opened  the  stern  window  and  threw 
out  something,  which  I  divined  to  be  an  empty 
bottle.  But  they  were  not  only  tipsy;  it  was 
plain  that  they  were  furiously  angry.  Oaths  flew 
like  hailstones,  and  every  now  and  then  there  came 
forth  such  an  explosion  as  I  thought  was  sure  to 
end  in  blows.  But  each  time  the  quarrel  passed 
off,  and  the  voices  grumbled  lower  for  awhile, 
until  the  next  crisis  came,  and,  in  its  turn,  passed 
away  without  result. 

On  shore;  I  could  see  the  glow'of  the  great 
camp  fire  burning  warmly  through  the  shore-side 


TREASURE    ISLAND      211 

trees.  Some  one  was  singing,  a  dull,  old,  droning 
sailor's  song,  with  a  droop  and  a  quaver  at  the 
end  of  every  verse,  and  seemingly  no  end  to  it  at 
all  but  the  patience  of  the  singer.  I  had  heard  it 
on  the  voyage  more  than  once,  and  remembered 
these  words: 

"  But  one  man  of  her  crew  alive, 
What  put  to  sea  with  seventy-five." 

And  I  thought  it  was  a  ditty  rather  too  dolefully 
appropriate  for  a  company  that  had  met  such  cruel 
losses  in  the  morning.  But,  indeed,  from  what  I 
saw,  all  these  buccaneers  were  as  callous  as  the 
sea  they  sailed  on. 

At  last  the  breeze  came;  the  schooner  sidled 
and  drew  nearer  in  the  dark;  I  felt  the  hawser 
slacken  once  more,  and  with  a  good,  tough  effort, 
cut  the  last  fibres  through. 

The  breeze  had  but  little  action  on  the  coracle, 
and  I  was  almost  instantly  swept  against  the  bows 
of  the  Hispaniola.  At  the  same  time  the  schooner 
began  to  turn  upon  her  heel,  spinning  slowly,  end 
for  end,  across  the  current. 

I  wrought  like  a  fiend,  for  I  expected  every 
moment  to  be  swamped;  and  since  I  found  I 
could  not  push  the  coracle,  directly  off,  I  now 
shoved  straight  astern.  At  length  I  was  clear  of 
my  dangerous  neighbour;  and  just  as  I  gave  the 


212      TREASURE     ISLAND 

last  impulsion,  my  hands  came  across  a  light  cord 
that  was  trailing  overboard  across  the  stern  bul- 
warks. Instantly  I  grasped  it. 

Why  I  should  have  done  so  I  can  hardly  say. 
It  was  at  first  mere  instinct;  but  once  I  had  it  in 
my  -hands  and  found  it  fast,  curiosity  began  to 
get  the  upper  hand,  and  I  determined  I  should 
have  one  look  through  the  cabin  window. 

I  pulled  in  hand  over  hand  on  the  cord,  and, 
when  I  judged  myself  near  enough,  rose  at  in- 
finite risk  to  about  half  my  height,  and  thus  com- 
manded the  roof  and  a  slice  of  the  interior  of  the 
cabin. 

By  this  time  the  schooner  and  her  little  consort 
were  gliding  pretty  swiftly  through  the  water; 
indeed,  we  had  already  fetched  up  level  with  the 
camp  fire.  The  ship  was  talking,  as  sailors  say, 
loudly,  treading  the  innumerable  ripples  with  an 
incessant  weltering  splash;  and  until  I  got  my 
eye  above  the  window-sill  I  could  not  comprehend 
why  the  watchmen  had  taken  no  alarm.  One 
glance,  however,  was  sufficient;  and  it  was  only 
one  glance  that  I  durst  take  from  that  unsteady 
skiff.  It  showed  me  Hands  and  his  companion 
locked  together  in  deadly  wrestle,  each  with  a 
hand  upon  the  other's  throat. 

I  dropped  upon  the  thwart  again,  none  too 
soon,  for  I  was  near  overboard.  I  could  see 


TREASURE    ISLAND      213 

nothing  for  the  moment,  but  these  two  furious, 
encrimsoned  faces,  swaying  together  under  the 
smoky  lamp;  and  I  shut  my  eyes  to  let  them 
grow  once  more  familiar  with  the  darkness. 

The  endless  ballad  had  come  to  an  end  at  last, 
and  the  whole  diminished  company  about  the 
camp  fire  had  broken  into  the  chorus  I  had  heard 
so  often: 

"  Fifteen  men  on  the  dead  man's  chest  — 

Yo-ho-ho,  and  a  bottle  of  rum  ! 
Drink  and  the  devil  had  done  for  the  rest  — 
Yo-ho-ho,  and  a  bottle  of  rum  !  " 

I  was  just  thinking  how  busy  drink  and  the 
devil  were  at  that  very  moment  in  the  cabin  of 
the  Hispaniola,  when  I  was  surprised  by  a  sud- 
den lurch  of  the  coracle.  At  the  same  moment 
she  yawed  sharply  and  seemed  to  change  her 
course.  The  speed  in  the  meantime  had  strangely 
increased. 

I  opened  my  eyes  at  once.  All  round  me  were 
little  ripples,  combing  over  with  a  sharp,  bristling 
sound  and  slightly  phosphorescent.  The  His- 
paniola herself,  a  few  yards  in  whose  wake  I 
was  still  being  whirled  along,  seemed  to  stagger 
in  her  course,  and  I  saw  her  spars  toss  a  little 
against  the  blackness  of  the  night;  nay,  as  I 
looked  longer,  I  made  sure  she  also  was  wheeling 
to  the  southward. 


2i4      TREASURE     ISLAND 

I  glanced  over  my  shoulder,  and  my  heart 
jumped  against  my  ribs.  There,  right  behind  me, 
was  the  glow  of  the  camp  fire.  The  current  had 
turned  at  right  angles,  sweeping  round  along  with 
it  the  tall  schooner  and  the  little  dancing  coracle; 
ever  quickening,  ever  bubbling  higher,  ever  mut- 
tering louder,  it  went  spinning  through  the  nar- 
rows for  the  open  sea. 

Suddenly  the  schooner  in  front  of  me  gave  a 
violent  yaw,  turning,  perhaps,  through  twenty 
degrees;  and  almost  at  the  same  moment  one 
shout  followed  another  from  on  board;  I  could 
hear  feet  pounding  on  the  companion  ladder;  and 
I  knew  that  the  two  drunkards  had  at  last  been 
interrupted  in  their  quarrel  and  awakened  to  a 
sense  of  their  disaster. 

I  lay  down  flat  in  the  bottom  of  that  wretched 
skiff,  and  devoutly  recommended  my  spirit  to 
its  Maker.  At  the  end  of  the  straits,  I  made 
sure  we  must  fall  into  some  bar  of  raging 
breakers,  where  all  my  troubles  would  be  ended 
speedily;  and  though  I  could,  perhaps,  bear  to 
die,  I  could  not  bear  to  look  upon  my  fate  as  it 
approached. 

So  I  must  have  lain  for  hours,  continually 
beaten  to  and  fro  upon  the  billows,  now  and  again 
wetted  with  flying  sprays,  and  never  ceasing  to 
expect  death  at  the  next  plunge.  Gradually  weari- 


TREASURE     ISLAND      215 

ness  grew  upon  me;  a  numbness,  an  occasional 
stupor,  fell  upon  my  mind  even  in  the  midst  of 
my  terrors;  until  sleep  at  last  supervened,  and 
in  my  sea-tossed  coracle  I  lay  and  dreamed  of 
home  and  the  old  "  Admiral  Benbow." 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

THE   CRUISE   OF   THE   CORACLE 

IT  was  broad  day  when  I  awoke,  and  found 
myself  tossing  at  the  south-west  end  of 
Treasure  Island.  The  sun  was  up,  but  was 
still  hid  from  me  behind  the  great  bulk  of  the 
Spy-glass,  which  on  this  side  descended  almost 
to  the  sea  in  formidable  cliffs. 

Haulbowline  Head  and  Mizzen-mast  Hill  were 
at  my  elbow;  the  hill  bare  and  dark,  the  head 
bound  with  cliffs  forty  or  fifty  feet  high,  and 
fringed  with  great  masses  of  fallen  rock.  I  was 
scarce  a  quarter  of  a  mile  to  seaward,  and  it  was 
my  first  thought  to  paddle  in  and  land. 

That  notion  was  soon  given  over.  Among  the 
fallen  rocks  the  breakers  spouted  and  bellowed; 
loud  reverberations,  heavy  sprays  flying  and  fall- 
ing, succeeded  one  another  from  second  to  second ; 
and  I  saw  myself,  if  I  ventured  nearer,  dashed  to 
death  upon  the  rough  shore,  or  spending  my 
strength  in  vain  to  scale  the  beetling  crags. 

Nor  was  that  all ;  for  crawling  together  on  flat 
tables  of  rock,  or  letting  themselves  drop  into  the 


TREASURE     ISLAND      217 

sea  with  loud  reports,  I  beheld  huge  slimy  mon- 
sters —  soft  snails,  as  it  were,  of  incredible  big- 
ness —  two  or  three  score  of  them  together, 
making  the  rocks  to  echo  with  their  barkings. 

I  have  understood  since  that  they  were  sea 
lions,  and  entirely  harmless.  But  the  look  of 
them,  added  to  the  difficulty  of  the  shore  and  the 
high  running  of  the  surf,  was  more  than  enough 
to  disgust  me  of  that  landing  place.  I  felt  will- 
ing rather  to  starve  at  sea  than  to  confront  such 
perils. 

In  the  meantime  I  had  a  better  chance,  as  I 
supposed,  before  me.  North  of  Haulbowline 
Head,  the  land  runs  in  a  long  way,  leaving,  at 
low  tide,  a  long  stretch  of  yellow  sand.  To  the 
north  of  that,  again,  there  comes  another  cape 
—  Cape  of  the  Woods,  as  it  was  marked  upon  the 
chart  —  buried  in  tall  green  pines,  which  descended 
to  the  margin  of  the  sea. 

I  remembered  what  Silver  had  said  about  the 
current  that  sets  northward  along  the  whole  west 
coast  of  Treasure  Island;  and  seeing  from  my 
position  that  I  was  already  under  its  influence,  I 
preferred  to  leave  Haulbowline  Head  behind  me, 
and  reserve  my  strength  for  an  attempt  to  land 
upon  the  kindlier-looking  Cape  of  the  Woods. 

There  was  a  great,  smooth  swell  upon  the  sea. 
The  wind  blowing  steady  and  gentle  from  the 


218      TREASURE     ISLAND 

south,  there  was  no  contrariety  between  that  and 
the  current,  and  the  billows  rose  and  fell  unbroken. 

Had  it  been  otherwise,  I  must  long  ago  have 
perished;  but  as  it  was,  it  is  surprising  how  easily 
and  securely  my  little  and  light  boat  could  ride. 
Often,  as  I  still  lay  at  the  bottom,  and  kept  no 
more  than  an  eye  above  the  gunwale,  I  would  see 
a  big  blue  summit  heaving  close  above  me;  yet 
the  coracle  would  but  bounce  a  little,  dance  as  if 
on  springs,  and  subside  on  the  other  side  into  the 
trough  as  lightly  as  a  bird. 

I  began  after  a  little  to  grow  very  bold,  and 
sat  up  to  try  my  skill  at  paddling.  But  even  a 
small  change  in  the  disposition  of  the  weight  will 
produce  violent  changes  in  the  behaviour  of  a 
coracle.  And  I  had  hardly  moved  before  the  boat, 
giving  up  at  once  her  gentle  dancing  movement, 
ran  straight  down  a  slope  of  water  so  steep  that 
it  made  me  giddy,  and  struck  her  nose,  with  a 
spout  of  spray,  deep  into  the  side  of  the  next 
wave. 

I  was  drenched  and  terrified,  and  fell  instantly 
back  into  my  old  position,  whereupon  the  coracle 
seemed  to  find  her  head  again,  and  led  me  as 
softly  as  before  among  the  billows.  It  was  plain 
she  was  not  to  be  interfered  with,  and  at  that 
rate,  since  I  could  in  no  way  influence  her  course, 
what  hope  had  I  left  of  reaching  land? 


TREASURE     ISLAND      219 

I  began  to  be  horribly  frightened,  but  I  kept 
my  head,  for  all  that.  First,  moving  with  all  care, 
I  gradually  baled  out  the  coracle  with  my  sea-cap ; 
then  getting  my  eye  once  more  above  the  gun- 
wale, I  set  myself  to  study  how  it  was  she  man- 
aged to  slip  so  quietly  through  the  rollers. 

I  found  each  wave,  instead  of  the  big,  smooth 
glossy  mountain  it  looks  from  shore,  or  from  a 
vessel's  deck,  was  for  all  the  world  like  any  range 
of  hills  on  the  dry  land,  full  of  peaks  and  smooth 
places  and  valleys.  The  coracle,  left  to  herself, 
turning  from  side  to  side,  threaded,  so  to  speak, 
her  way  through  these  lower  parts,  and  avoided 
the  steep  slopes  and  higher,  toppling  summits  of 
the  wave. 

"  Well,  now,"  thought  I  to  myself,  "  it  is  plain 
I  must  lie  where  I  am,  and  not  disturb  the  bal- 
ance; but  it  is  plain,  also,  that  I  can  put  the 
paddle  over  the  side,  and  from  time  to  time,  in 
smooth  places,  give  her  a  shove  or  two  towards 
land."  No  sooner  thought  upon  than  done. 
There  I  lay  on  my  elbows,  in  the  most  trying 
attitude,  and  every  now  and  again  gave  a  weak 
stroke  or  two  to  turn  her  head  to  shore. 

It  was  very  tiring,  and  slow  work,  yet  I  did 
visibly  gain  ground;  and,  as  we  drew  near  the 
Cape  of  the  Woods,  though  I  saw  I  must  infal- 
libly miss  that  point,  I  had  still  made  some  hun- 


220      TREASURE     ISLAND 

dred  yards  of  easting.  I  was,  indeed,  close  in. 
I  could  see  the  cool,  green  tree-tops  swaying  to- 
gether in  the  breeze,  and  I  felt  sure  I  should  make 
the  next  promontory  without  fail. 

It  was  high  time,  for  I  now  began  to  be  tor- 
tured with  thirst.  The  glow  of  the  sun  from 
above,  its  thousand- fold  reflection  from  the  waves, 
the  sea-water  that  fell  and  dried  upon  me,  caking 
my  very  lips  with  salt,  combined  to  make  my 
throat  burn  and  my  brain  ache.  The  sight  of  the 
trees  so  near  at  hand  had  almost  made  me  sick 
with  longing;  but  the  current  had  soon  carried 
me  past  the  point;  and,  as  the  next  reach  of  sea 
opened  out,  I  beheld  a  sight  that  changed  the 
nature  of  my  thoughts. 

Right  in  front  of  me,  not  half  a  mile  away,  I 
beheld  the  Hispaniola  under  sail.  I  made  sure, 
of  course,  that  I  should  be  taken;  but  I  was  so 
distressed  for  want  of  water,  that  I  scarce  knew 
whether  to  be  glad  or  sorry  at  the  thought;  and, 
long  before  I  had  come  to  a  conclusion,  surprise 
had  taken  entire  possession  of  my  mind,  and  I 
could  do  nothing  but  stare  and  wonder. 

The  Hispaniola  was  under  her  main-sail  and 
two  jibs,  and  the  beautiful  white  canvas  shone  in 
the  sun  like  snow  or  silver.  When  I  first  sighted 
her,  all  her  sails  were  drawing;  she  was  laying  a 
course  about  north-west ;  and  I  presumed  the  men 


TREASURE     ISLAND      221 

on  board  were  going  round  the  island  on  their 
way  back  to  the  anchorage.  Presently  she  began 
to  fetch  more  and  more  to  the  westward,  so  that 
I  thought  they  had  sighted  me  and  were  going 
about  in  chase.  At  last,  however,  she  fell  right 
into  the  wind's  eye,  was  taken  dead  aback,  and 
stood  there  awhile  helpless,  with  her  sails  shivering. 

"  Clumsy  fellows,"  said  I ;  "  they  must  still  be 
drunk  as  owls."  And  I  thought  how  Captain 
Smollett  would  have  set  them  skipping. 

Meanwhile,  the  schooner  gradually  fell  off,  and 
filled  again  upon  another  tack,  sailed  swiftly  for 
a  minute  or  so,  and  brought  up  once  more  dead 
in  the  wind's  eye.  Again  and  again  was  this  re- 
peated. To  and  fro,  up  and  down,  north,  south, 
east,  and  west,  the  Hispaniola  sailed  by  swoops 
and  dashes,  and  at  each  repetition  ended  as  she 
had  begun,  with  idly  flapping  canvas.  It  became 
plain  to  me  that  nobody  was  steering.  And,  if 
so,  where  were  the  men?  Either  they  were  dead 
drunk,  or  had  deserted  her,  I  thought,  and  per- 
haps if  I  could  get  on  board,  I  might  return  the 
vessel  to  her  captain. 

The  current  was  bearing  coracle  and  schooner 
southward  at  an  equal  rate.  As  for  the  Barter's 
sailing,  it  was  so  wild  and  intermittent,  and  she 
hung  each  time  so  long  in  irons,  that  she  certainly 
gained  nothing,  if  she  did  not  even  lose.  If  only 


222      TREASURE     ISLAND 

I  dared  to  sit  up  and  paddle,  I  made  sure  that  I 
could  overhaul  her.  The  scheme  had  an  air  of 
adventure  that  inspired  me,  and  the  thought  of 
the  water  breaker  beside  the  fore  companion 
doubled  my  growing  courage. 

Up  I  got,  was  welcomed  almost  instantly  by 
another  cloud  of  spray,  but  this  time  stuck  to  my 
purpose;  and  set  myself,  with  all  my  strength  and 
caution,  to  paddle  after  the  unsteered  Hispaniola. 
Once  I  shipped  a  sea  so  heavy  that  I  had  to  stop 
and  bail,  with  my  heart  fluttering  like  a  bird; 
but  gradually  I  got  into  the  way  of  the  thing, 
and  guided  my  coracle  among  the  waves,  with 
only  now  and  then  a  blow  upon  her  bows  and  a 
dash  of  foam  in  my  face. 

I  was  now  gaining  rapidly  on  the  schooner;  I 
could  see  the  brass  glisten  on  the  tiller  as  it 
banged  about;  and  still  no  soul  appeared  upon 
her  decks.  I  could  not  choose  but  suppose  she 
was  deserted.  If  not,  the  men  were  lying  drunk 
below,  where  I  might  batten  them  down,  perhaps, 
and  do  what  I  chose  with  the  ship. 

For  some  time  she  had  been  doing  the  worst 
thing  possible  for  me  —  standing  still.  She 
headed  nearly  due  south,  yawing,  of  course,  all 
the  time.  Each  time  she  fell  off  her  sails  partly 
filled,  and  these  brought  her,  in  a  moment,  right 
to  the  wind  again.  I  have  said  this  was  the  worst 


TREASURE    ISLAND      223 

thing  possible  for  me;  for  helpless  as  she  looked 
in  this  situation,  with  the  canvas  cracking  like 
cannon,  and  the  blocks  trundling  and  banging  on 
the  deck,  she  still  continued  to  run  away  from 
me,  not  only  with  the  speed  of  the  current,  but 
by  the  whole  amount  of  her  leeway,  which  was 
naturally  great. 

But  now,  at  last,  I  had  my  chance.  The  breeze 
fell,  for  some  seconds,  very  low,  and  the  current 
gradually  turning  her,  the  Hispaniola  revolved 
slowly  round  her  centre,  and  at  last  presented  me 
her  stern,  with  the  cabin  window  still  gaping 
open,  and  the  lamp  over  the  table  still  burning  on 
into  the  day.  The  main-sail  hung  drooped  like  a 
banner.  She  was  stock-still,  but  for  the  current. 

For  the  last  little  while  I  had  even  lost;  but 
now,  redoubling  my  efforts,  I  began  once  more 
to  overhaul  the  chase. 

I  was  not  a  hundred  yards  from  her  when  the 
wind  came  again  in  a  clap;  she  filled  on  the  port 
tack,  and  was  off  again,  stooping  and  skimming 
like  a  swallow. 

My  first  impulse  was  one  of  despair,  but  my 
second  was  towards  joy.  Round  she  came,  till 
she  was  broad-side  on  to  me  —  round  still  till  she 
had  covered  a  half,  and  then  two-thirds,  and  then 
three-quarters  of  the  distance  that  separated  us. 
I  could  see  the  waves  boiling  white  under  her 


224      TREASURE     ISLAND 

forefoot.     Immensely  tall  she  looked  to  me  from 
my  low  station  in  the  coracle. 

And  then,  of  a  sudden,  I  began  to  comprehend. 
I  had  scarce  time  to  think  —  scarce  time  to  act 
and  save  myself.  I  was  on  the  summit  of  one 
swell  when  the  schooner  came  stooping  over  the 
next.  The  bowsprit  was  over  my  head.  I  sprang 
to  my  feet,  and  leaped,  stamping  the  coracle  under 
water.  With  one  hand  I  caught  the  jib-boom, 
while  my  foot  was  lodged  between  the  stay  and 
the  brace;  and  as  I  still  clung  there  panting,  a 
dull  blow  told  me  that  the  schooner  had  charged 
down  upon  and  struck  the  coracle,  and  that  I 
was  left  without  retreat  on  the  Hispaniola. 


CHAPTER   XXV 

I   STRIKE   THE  JOLLY   ROGER 

I  HAD  scarce  gained  a  position  on  the  bowsprit, 
when  the  flying  jib  flapped  and  filled  upon 
the  other  tack,  with  a  report  like  a  gun.  The 
schooner  trembled  to  her  keel  under  the  reverse; 
but  next  moment,  the  other  sails  still  drawing,  the 
jib  flapped  back  again,  and  hung  idle. 

This  had  nearly  tossed  me  off  into  the  sea ;  and 
now  I  lost  no  time,  crawled  back  along  the  bow- 
sprit, and  tumbled  head-foremost  on  the  deck. 

I  was  on  the  lee  side  of  the  forecastle,  and  the 
main-sail,  which  was  still  drawing,  concealed  from 
me  a  certain  portion  of  the  after-deck.  Not  a 
soul  was  to  be  seen.  The  planks,  which  had  not 
been  swabbed  since  the  mutiny,  bore  the  print  of 
many  feet;  and  an  empty  bottle,  broken  by  the 
neck,  tumbled  to  and  fro  like  a  live  thing  in  the 
scuppers. 

Suddenly  the  Hispaniola  came  right  into  the 
wind.  The  jibs  behind  me  cracked  aloud;  the 
rudder  slammed  to ;  the  whole  ship  gave  a  sicken- 
ing heave  and  shudder,  and  at  the  same  moment 

VOL.  VI.  —  15 


226      TREASURE     ISLAND 

the  main-boom  swung  inboard,  the  sheet  groaning 
in  the  blocks,  and  showed  me  the  lee  after-deck. 

There  were  the  two  watchmen,  sure  enough: 
red-cap  on  his  back,  as  stiff  as  a  handspike,  with 
his  arms  stretched  out  like  those  of  a  crucifix,  and 
his  teeth  showing  through  his  open  lips;  Israel 
Hands  propped  against  the  bulwarks,  his  chin  on 
his  chest,  his  hands  lying  open  before  him  on  the 
deck,  his  face  as  white,  under  its  tan,  as  a  tallow 
candle. 

For  awhile  the  ship  kept  bucking  and  sidling 
like  a  vicious  horse,  the  sails  filling,  now  on  one 
tack,  now  on  another,  and  the  boom  swinging  to 
and  fro  till  the  mast  groaned  aloud  under  the 
strain.  Now  and  again,  too,  there  would  come  a 
cloud  of  light  sprays  over  the  bulwark,  and  a 
heavy  blow  of  the  ship's  bows  against  the  swell: 
so  much  heavier  weather  was  made  of  it  by  this 
great  rigged  ship  than  by  my  home-made,  lop- 
sided coracle,  now  gone  to  the  bottom  of  the  sea. 

At  every  jump  of  the  schooner,  red-cap  slipped 
to  and  fro;  but  —  what  was  ghastly  to  behold  — 
neither  his  attitude  nor  his  fixed  teeth-disclosing 
grin  was  anyway  disturbed  by  this  rough  usage. 
At  every  jump,  too,  Hands  appeared  still  more  to 
sink  into  himself  and  settle  down  upon  the  deck, 
his  feet  sliding  ever  the  farther  out,  -and  the  whole 
body  canting  towards  the  stern,  so  that  his  face 


TREASURE     ISLAND      227 

became,  little  by  little,  hid  from  me;  and  at  last 
I  could  see  nothing  beyond  his  ear  and  the  frayed 
ringlet  of  one  whisker. 

At  the  same  time,  I  observed,  around  both  of 
them,  splashes  of  dark  blood  upon  the  planks,  and 
began  to  feel  sure  that  they  had  killed  each  other 
in  their  drunken  wrath. 

While  I  was  thus  looking  and  wondering,  in  a 
calm  moment,  when  the  ship  was  still,  Israel  Hands 
turned  partly  round,  and,  with  a  low  moan,  writhed 
himself  back  to  the  position  in  which  I  had  seen 
him  first.  The  moan,  which  told  of  pain  and  deadly 
weakness,  and  the  way  in  which  his  jaw  hung  open, 
went  right  to  my  heart.  But  when  I  remembered 
the  talk  I  had  overheard  from  the  apple  barrel,  all 
pity  left  me. 

I  walked  aft  until  I  reached  the  main-mast. 

"  Come  aboard,  Mr.  Hands,"  I  said,  ironically. 

He  rolled  his  eyes  round  heavily;  but  he  was 
too  far  gone  to  express  surprise.  All  he  could  do 
was  to  utter  one  word,  "  Brandy." 

It  occurred  to  me  there  was  no  time  to  lose; 
and,  dodging  the  boom  as  it  once  more  lurched 
across  the  deck,  I  slipped  aft,  and  down  the  com- 
panion stairs  into  the  cabin. 

It  was  such  a  scene  of  confusion  as  you  can 
hardly  fancy.  All  the  lockfast  places  had  been 
broken  open  in  quest  of  the  chart.  The  floor  was 


228      TREASURE     ISLAND 

thick  with  mud,  where  ruffians  had  sat  down  to 
drink  or  consult  after  wading  in  the  marshes  round 
their  camp.  The  bulkheads,  all  painted  in  clear 
white,  and  beaded  round  with  gilt,  bore  a  pattern 
of  dirty  hands.  Dozens  of  empty  bottles  clinked 
together  in  corners  to  the  rolling  of  the  ship.  One 
of  the  doctor's  medical  books  lay  open  on  the 
table,  half  of  the  leaves  gutted  out,  I  suppose,  for 
pipelights.  In  the  midst  of  all  this  the  lamp  still 
cast  a  smoky  glow,  obscure  and  brown  as  umber. 

I  went  into  the  cellar ;  all  the  barrels  were  gone, 
and  of  the  bottles  a  most  surprising  number  had 
been  drunk  out  and  thrown  away.  Certainly,  since 
the  mutiny  began,  not  a  man  of  them  could  ever 
have  been  sober. 

Foraging  about,  I  found  a  bottle  with  some 
brandy  left,  for  Hands;  and  for  myself  I  routed 
out  some  biscuit,  some  pickled  fruits,  a  great  bunch 
of  raisins,  and  a  piece  of  cheese.  With  these  I 
came  on  deck,  put  down  my  own  stock  behind  the 
rudder  head,  and  well  out  of  the  coxswain's  reach, 
went  forward  to  the  water-breaker,  and  had  a  good, 
deep  drink  of  water,  and  then,  and  not  till  then, 
gave  Hands  the  brandy. 

He  must  have  drunk  a  gill  before  he  took  the 
bottle  from  his  mouth. 

"  Aye,"  said  he,  "  by  thunder,  -but  I  wanted 
some  o'  that!" 


TREASURE    ISLAND      229 

I  had  sat  down  already  in  my  own  corner  and 
begun  to  eat. 

"  Much  hurt?  "  I  asked  him. 

He  grunted,  or,  rather,  I  might  say,  he  barked. 

"  If  that  doctor  was  aboard,"  he  said,  "  I  'd  be 
right  enough  in  a  couple  of  turns;  but  I  don't 
have  no  manner  of  luck,  you  see,  and  that 's 
what 's  the  matter  with  me.  As  for  that  swab, 
he  's  good  and  dead,  he  is,"  he  added,  indicating 
the  man  with  the  red  cap.  "  He  warn't  no  sea- 
man, anyhow.  And  where  mought  you  have  come 
from?" 

"  Well,"  said  I,  "  I  've  come  aboard  to  take  pos- 
session of  this  ship,  Mr.  Hands ;  and  you  '11  please 
regard  me  as  your  captain  until  further  notice." 

He  looked  at  me  sourly  enough,  but  said  noth- 
ing. Some  of  the  colour  had  come  back  into  his 
cheeks,  though  he  still  looked  very  sick,  and  still 
continued  to  slip  out  and  settle  down  as  the  ship 
banged  about. 

"  By-the-by,"  I  continued,  "  I  can't  have  these 
colours,  Mr.  Hands;  and,  by  your  leave,  I  '11  strike 
'em.  Better  none  than  these." 

And,  again  dodging  the  boom,  I  ran  to  the 
colour  lines,  handed  down  their  cursed  black  flag, 
and  chucked  it  overboard. 

"  God  save  the  king! "  said  I,  waving  my  cap; 
"and  there's  an  end  to  Captain  Silver!" 


230      TREASURE     ISLAND 

He  watched  me  keenly  and  slyly,  his  chin  all 
the  while  on  his  breast. 

"  I  reckon,"  he  said  at  last  —  "I  reckon,  Cap'n 
Hawkins,  you  '11  kind  of  want  to  get  ashore,  now. 
S'pose  we  talks." 

"  Why,  yes,"  says  I,  "  with  all  my  heart,  Mr. 
Hands.  Say  on."  And  I  went  back  to  my  meal 
with  a  good  appetite. 

"  This  man,"  he  began,  nodding  feebly  at  the 
corpse  —  "  O'Brien  were  his  name  —  a  rank  Ire- 
lander  —  this  man  and  me  got  the  canvas  on  her, 
meaning  for  to  sail  her  back.  Well,  he  's  dead 
now,  he  is  —  as  dead  as  bilge ;  and  who  's  to  sail 
this  ship,  I  don't  see.  Without  I  gives  you  a  hint, 
you  ain't  that  man,  as  far  's  I  can  tell.  Now,  look 
here,  you  gives  me  food  and  drink,  and  a  old  scarf 
or  ankecher  to  tie  my  wound  up,  you  do ;  and  I  '11 
tell  you  how  to  sail  her ;  and  that 's  about  square 
all  round,  I  take  it." 

"  I  '11  tell  you  one  thing,"  says  I :  "  I  'm  not 
going  back  to  Captain  Kidd's  anchorage.  I  mean 
to  get  into  North  Inlet,  and  beach  her  quietly 
there." 

"  To  be  sure  you  did,"  he  cried.  "  Why,  I  ain't 
sich  an  infernal  lubber,  after  all.  I  can  see,  can't 
I  ?  I  've  tried  my  fling,  I  have,  and  I  've  lost,  and 
it 's  you  has  the  wind  of  me.  North-  Inlet  ?  Why, 
I  have  n't  no  ch'ice,  not  I !  I  'd  help  you  sail 


TREASURE    ISLAND      231 

her  up  to  Execution  Dock,  by  thunder!  so  I 
would." 

Well,  as  it  seemed  to  me,  there  was  some  sense 
in  this.  We  struck  our  bargain  on  the  spot.  In 
three  minutes  I  had  the  Hispaniola  sailing  easily 
before  the  wind  along  the  coast  of  Treasure  Island, 
with  good  hopes  of  turning  the  northern  point  ere 
noon,  and  beating  down  again  as  far  as  North 
Inlet  before  high  water,  when  we  might  beach  her 
safely,  and  wait  till  the  subsiding  tide  permitted 
us  to  land. 

Then  I  lashed  the  tiller  and  went  below  to  my 
own  chest,  where  I  got  a  soft  silk  handkerchief 
of  my  mother's.  With  this,  and  with  my  aid, 
Hands  bound  up  the  great  bleeding  stab  he  had 
received  in  the  thigh,  and  after  he  had  eaten  a 
little  and  had  a  swallow  or  two  more  of  the 
brandy,  he  began  to  pick  up  visibly,  sat  straighter 
up,  spoke  louder  and  clearer,  and  looked  in  every 
way  another  man. 

The  breeze  served  us  admirably.  We  skimmed 
before  it  like  a  bird,  the  coast  of  the  island  flash- 
ing by,  and  the  view  changing  every  minute.  Soon 
we  were  past  the  high  lands  and  bowling  beside 
lew,  sandy  country,  sparsely  dotted  with  dwarf 
pines,  and  soon  we  were  beyond  that  again,  and 
had  turned  the  corner  of  the  rocky  hill  that  ends 
the  island  on  the  north. 


232      TREASURE    ISLAND 

I  was  greatly  elated  with  my  new  command,  and 
pleased  with  the  bright,  sunshiny  weather  and  these 
different  prospects  of  the  coast.  I  had  now  plenty 
of  water  and  good  things  to  eat,  and  my  conscience, 
which  had  smitten  me  hard  for  my  desertion,  was 
quieted  by  the  great  conquest  I  had  made.  I 
should,  I  think,  have  had  nothing  left  me  to  desire 
but  for  the  eyes  of  the  coxswain  as  they  followed 
me  derisively  about  the  deck,  and  the  odd  smile 
that  appeared  continually  on  his  face.  It  was  a 
smile  that  had  in  it  something  both  of  pain  and 
weakness  —  a  haggard,  old  man's  smile ;  but  there 
was,  besides  that,  a  grain  of  derision,  a  shadow  of 
treachery  in  his  expression  as  he  craftily  watched, 
and  watched,  and  watched  me  at  my  work. 


CHAPTER   XXVI 

ISRAEL   HANDS 

THE  wind,   serving  us  to  a  desire,  now 
hauled   into   the   west.      We   could   run 
so  much  the  easier  from  the  north-east 
corner  of  the  island  to  the  mouth  of  the  North 
Inlet.     Only,  as  we  had  no  power  to  anchor,  and 
dared  not  beach  her  till  the  tide  had  flowed  a 
good  deal  farther,  time  hung  on  our  hands.    The 
coxswain  told  me  how  to  lay  the  ship  to;    after 
a  good  many  trials  I  succeeded,  and  we  both  sat 
in  silence,  over  another  meal. 

"  Cap'n,"  said  he,  at  length,  with  that  same 
uncomfortable  smile,  "  here 's  my  old  shipmate, 
O'Brien;  s'pose  you  was  to  heave  him  overboard. 
I  ain't  partic'lar  as  a  rule,  and  I  don't  take  no 
blame  for  settling  his  hash;  but  I  don't  reckon 
him  ornamental,  now,  do  you  ?  " 

"  I  'm  not  strong  enough,  and  I  don't  like  the 
job;  and  there  he  lies,  for  me,"  said  I. 

"  This  here  's  an  unlucky  ship  —  this  Hispaniolirt 
Jim,"  he  went  on,  blinking.  "  There  's  a  powe^l 
of  men  been  killed  in  this  Hispaniola  —  a  sigh(, 


234      TREASURE     ISLAND 

o'  poor  seamen  dead  and  gone  since  you  and  me 
took  ship  to  Bristol.  I  never  seen  sich  dirty  luck, 
not  I.  There  was  this  here  O'Brien,  now  —  he 's 
dead,  ain't  he  ?  Well,  now,  I  'm  no  scholar,  and 
you  're  a  lad  as  can  read  and  figure ;  and,  to  put 
it  straight,  do  you  take  it  as  a  dead  man  is  dead 
for  good,  or  do  he  come  alive  again  ?  " 

"  You  can  kill  the  body,  Mr.  Hands,  but  not 
the  spirit;  you  must  know  that  already,"  I  re- 
plied. "  O'Brien  there  is  in  another  world,  and 
maybe  watching  us." 

"  Ah !  "  says  he.     "  Well,  that 's  unfort'nate 
appears  as  if  killing  parties  was  a  waste  of  tii 
Howsomever,  sperrits  don't  reckon  for  much, 
what  I  've  seen.     I  '11  chance  it  with  the  sperri 
Jim.     And  now,  you  've  spoke  up  free,  and  I 
take  it  kind  if  you  'd  step  down  into  that  thei 
cabin  and  get  me  a  —  well,  a  —  shiver  my  tim 
bers !    I  can't  hit  the  name  on  't ;    well,  you  get 
me  a  bottle  of  wine,  Jim  —  this  here  brandy  's  too 
strong  for  my  head." 

Now,  the  coxswain's  hesitation  seemed  to  be 
unnatural ;  and  as  for  the  notion  of  his  preferring 
wine  to  brandy,  I  entirely  disbelieved  it.  The 
whole  story  was  a  pretext.  He  wanted  me  to 
>ave  the  deck  —  so  much  was  plain ;  but  with 
what  purpose  I  could  in  no  way  "imagine.  His 
eyes  never  met  mine;  they  kept  wandering  to  and 


TREASURE     ISLAND      235 

fro,  up  and  down,  now  with  a  look  to  the  sky, 
now  with  a  flitting  glance  upon  the  dead  O'Brien. 
All  the  time  he  kept  smiling,  and  putting  his 
tongue  out  in  the  most  guilty,  embarrassed  man- 
ner, so  that  a  child  could  have  told  that  he  was 
bent  on  some  deception.  I  was  prompt  with  my 
answer,  however,  for  I  saw  where  my  advantage 
lay;  and  that  with  a  fellow  so  densely  stupid  I 
could  easily  conceal  my  suspicions  to  the  end. 

"  Some  wine?  "  I  said.  "  Far  better.  Will  you 
have  white  or  red  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  reckon  it 's  about  the  blessed  same  to 
me,  shipmate,"  he  replied ;  "  so  it 's  strong,  and 
plenty  of  it,  what's  the  odds?" 

"  All  right,"  I  answered.  "  I  '11  bring  you  port, 
Mr.  Hands.  But  I  '11  have  to  dig  for  it." 

With  that  I  scuttled  down  the  companion  with 
all  the  noise  I  could,  slipped  off  my  shoes,  ran 
quietly  along  the  sparred  gallery,  mounted  the 
forecastle  ladder,  and  popped  my  head  out  of  the 
fore  companion.  I  knew  he  would  not  expect  to 
see  me  there;  yet  I  took  every  precaution  pos- 
sible; and  certainly  the  worst  of  my  suspicions 
proved  too  true. 

He  had  risen  from  his  position  to  his  hands 
and  knees;  and,  though  his  leg  obviously  hurt 
him  pretty  sharply  when  he  moved  —  for  I  could 
hear  him  stifle  a  groan  —  yet  it  was  at  a  good, 


236      TREASURE    ISLAND 

rattling  rate  that  he  trailed  himself  across  the 
deck.  In  half  a  minute  he  had  reached  the  port 
scuppers,  and  picked,  out  of  a  coil  of  rope,  a  long 
knife,  or  rather  a  short  dirk,  discoloured  to  the 
hilt  with  blood.  He  looked  upon  it  for  a  moment, 
thrusting  forth  his  under  jaw,  tried  the  point  upon 
his  hand,  and  then,  hastily  concealing  it  in  the 
bosom  of  his  jacket,  trundled  back  again  into  his 
old  place  against  the  bulwark. 

This  was  all  that  I  required  to  know.  Israel 
could  move  about;  he  was  now  armed;  and  if 
he  had  been  at  so  much  trouble  to  get  rid  of  me, 
it  was  plain  that  I  was  meant  to  be  the  victim. 
What  he  would  do  afterwards  —  whether  he  would 
try  to  crawl  right  across  the  island  from  North 
Inlet  to  the  camp  among  the  swamps,  or  whether 
he  would  fire  Long  Tom,  trusting  that  his  own 
comrades  might  come  first  to  help  him,  was,  of 
course,  more  than  I  could  say. 

Yet  I  felt  sure  that  I  could  trust  him  in  one 
point,  since  in  that  our  interests  jumped  together, 
and  that  was  in  the  disposition  of  the  schooner. 
We  both  desired  to  have  her  stranded  safe  enough, 
in  a  sheltered  place,  and  so  that,  when  the  time 
came,  she  could  be  got  off  again  with  as  little 
labour  and  danger  as  might  be;  and  until  that 
was  done  I  considered  that  my  life  would  cer- 
tainly be  spared. 


TREASURE    ISLAND      237 

While  I  was  thus  turning  the  business  over  in 
my  mind,  I  had  not  been  idle  with  my  body.  I 
had  stolen  back  to  the  cabin,  slipped  once  more 
into  my  shoes,  and  laid  my  hand  at  random  on  a 
bottle  of  wine,  and  now,  with  this  for  an  excuse, 
I  made  my  re-appearance  on  the  deck. 

Hands  lay  as  I  had  left  him,  all  fallen  together 
in  a  bundle,  and  with  his  eyelids  lowered,  as 
though  he  were  too  weak  to  bear  the  light.  He 
looked  up,  however,  at  my  coming,  knocked  the 
neck  off  the  bottle,  like  a  man  who  had  done  the 
same  thing  often,  and  took  a  good  swig,  with  his 
favourite  toast  of  "  Here  's  luck !  "  Then  he  lay 
quiet  for  a  little,  and  then,  pulling  out  a  stick  of 
tobacco,  begged  me  to  cut  him  a  quid. 

"  Cut  me  a  junk  o'  that,"  says  he,  "  for  I 
have  n't  no  knife,  and  hardly  strength  enough,  so 
be  as  I  had.  Ah,  Jim,  Jim,  I  reckon  I  've  missed 
stays !  Cut  me  a  quid,  as  '11  likely  be  the  last, 
lad;  for  I  'm  for  my  long  home,  and  no  mistake." 

"Well,"  said  I,  "I'll  cut  you  some  tobacco; 
but  if  I  was  you  and  thought  myself  so  badly,  I 
would  go  to  my  prayers,  like  a  Christian  man." 

"  Why  ?  "  said  he.     "  Now,  you  tell  me  why." 

"  Why  ?  "  I  cried.  "  You  were  asking  me  just 
now  about  the  dead.  You  've  broken  your  trust  ; 
you  Ve  lived  in  sin  and  lies  and  blood ;  there  's 
a  man  you  killed  lying  at  your  feet  this  moment; 


238       TREASURE     ISLAND 

and  you  ask  me  why!  For  God's  mercy,  Mr. 
Hands,  that's  why." 

I  spoke  with  a  little  heat,  thinking  of  the  bloody 
dirk  he  had  hidden  in  his  pocket,  and  designed, 
in  his  ill  thoughts,  to  end  me  with.  He,  for  his 
part,  took  a  great  draught  of  the  wine,  and  spoke 
with  the  most  unusual  solemnity. 

"  For  thirty  years,"  he  said,  "  I  Ve  sailed  the 
seas,  and  seen  good  and  bad,  better  and  worse, 
fair  weather  and  foul,  provisions  running  out, 
knives  going,  and  what  not.  Well,  now  I  tell 
you,  I  never  seen  good  come  o'  goodness  yet. 
Him  as  strikes  first  is  my  fancy;  dead  men 
don't  bite;  them's  my  views  —  amen,  so  be  it. 
And  now,  you  look  here,"  he  added,  suddenly 
changing  his  tone,  "  we  Ve  had  about  enough 
of  this  foolery.  The  tide 's  made  good  enough 
by  now.  You  just  take  my  orders,  Cap'n 
Hawkins,  and  we  '11  sail  slap  in  and  be  done 
with  it." 

All  told,  we  had  scarce  two  miles  to  run ;  but  the 
navigation  was  delicate,  the  entrance  to  this  north- 
ern anchorage  was  not  only  narrow  and  shoal,  but 
lay  east  and  west,  so  that  the  schooner  must  be 
nicely  handled  to  be  got  in.  I  think  I  was  a  good, 
prompt  subaltern,  and  I  am  very  sure  that  Hands 
was  an  excellent  pilot;  for  we  went  about  and 
about,  and  dodged  in,  shaving  the  banks,  with  a 


TREASURE    ISLAND      239 

certainty  and  a  neatness  that  were  a  pleasure  to 
behold. 

Scarcely  had  we  passed  the  heads  before  the 
land  closed  around  us.  The  shores  of  North  Inlet 
were  as  thickly  wooded  as  those  of  the  southern 
anchorage ;  but  the  space  was  longer  and  narrower, 
and  more  like,  what  in  truth  it  was,  the  estuary  of 
a  river.  Right  before  us,  at  the  southern  end,  we 
saw  the  wreck  of  a  ship  in  the  last  stages  of  dilapi- 
dation. It  had  been  a  great  vessel  of  three  masts, 
but  had  lain  so  long  exposed  to  the  injuries  of  the 
weather,  that  it  was  hung  about  with  great  webs 
of  dripping  seaweed,  and  on  the  deck  of  it  shore 
bushes  had  taken  root,  and  now  flourished  thick 
with  flowers.  It  was  a  sad  sight,  but  it  showed  us 
that  the  anchorage  was  calm. 

"  Now,"  said  Hands,  "  look  there ;  there  's  a 
pet  bit  for  to  beach  a  ship  in.  Fine  flat  sand, 
never  a  catspaw,  trees  all  around  of  it,  and  flowers 
a-blowing  like  a  garding  on  that  old  ship." 

"  And  once  beached,"  I  inquired,  "  how  shall  we 
get  her  off  again?  " 

"  Why,  so,"  he  replied :  "  you  take  a  line  ashore 
there  on  the  other  side  at  low  water:  take  a  turn 
about  one  o'  them  big  pines ;  bring  it  back,  take  a 
turn  round  the  capstan,  and  lie-to  for  the  tide. 
Come  high  water,  all  hands  take  a  pull  upon  the 
line,  and  off  she  comes  as  sweet  as  natur'.  And 


24o      TREASURE     ISLAND 

now,  boy,  you  stand  by.  We  're  near  the  bit  now, 
and  she 's  too  much  way  on  her.  Starboard  a 
little  —  so  —  steady  —  starboard  —  larboard  a 
little  —  steady  —  steady !  " 

So  he  issued  his  commands,  which  I  breathlessly 
obeyed ;  till,  all  of  a  sudden,  he  cried,  "  Now,  my 
hearty,  luff !  "  And  I  put  the  helm  hard  up,  and 
the  Hispaniola  swung  round  rapidly,  and  ran  stem 
on  for  the  low  wooded  shore. 

The  excitement  of  these  last  manoeuvres  had 
somewhat  interfered  with  the  watch  I  had  kept 
hitherto,  sharply  enough,  upon  the  coxswain.  Even 
then  I  was  still  so  much  interested,  waiting  for 
the  ship  to  touch,  that  I  had  quite  forgot  the  peril 
that  hung  over  my  head,  and  stood  craning  over 
the  starboard  bulwarks  and  watching  the  ripples 
spreading  wide  before  the  bows.  I  might  have 
fallen  without  a  struggle  for  my  life,  had  not  a 
sudden  disquietude  seized  upon  me,  and  made  me 
turn  my  head.  Perhaps  I  had  heard  a  creak,  or 
seen  his  shadow  moving  with  the  tail  of  my  eye; 
perhaps  it  was  an  instinct  like  a  cat's;  but,  sure 
enough,  when  I  looked  round,  there  was  Hands, 
already  half-way  towards  me,  with  the  dirk  in  his 
right  hand. 

We  must  both  have  cried  out  aloud  when  our 
eyes  met;  but  while  mine  was  the  shrill  cry  of 
terror,  his  was  a  roar  of  fury  like  a  charging  bull's. 


TREASURE     ISLAND      241 

At  the  same  instant  he  threw  himself  forward,  and 
I  leaped  sideways  towards  the  bows.  As  I  did  so, 
I  let  go  of  the  tiller,  which  sprang  sharp  to  lee- 
ward ;  and  I  think  this  saved  my  life,  for  it  struck 
Hands  across  the  chest,  and  stopped  him,  for  the 
moment,  dead. 

Before  he  could  recover,  I  was  safe  out  of  the 
corner  where  he  had  me  trapped,  with  all  the  deck 
to  dodge  about.  Just  forward  of  the  main-mast  I 
stopped,  drew  a  pistol  from  my  pocket,  took  a  cool 
aim,  though  he  had  already  turned  and  was  once 
more  coming  directly  after  me,  and  drew  the 
trigger.  The  hammer  fell,  but  there  followed 
neither  flash  nor  sound;  the  priming  was  useless 
with  sea-water.  I  cursed  myself  for  my  neglect. 
Why  had  not  I,  long  before,  reprimed  and  reloaded 
my  only  weapons?  Then  I  should  not  have  been 
as  now,  a  mere  fleeing  sheep  before  this  butcher. 

Wounded  as  he  was,  it  was  wonderful  how  fast 
he  could  move,  his  grizzled  hair  tumbling  over  his 
face,  and  his  face  itself  as  red  as  a  red  ensign  with 
his  haste  and  fury.  I  had  no  time  to  try  my  other 
pistol,  nor,  indeed,  much  inclination,  for  I  was 
sure  it  would  be  useless.  One  thing  I  saw  plainly : 
I  must  not  simply  retreat  before  him,  or  he  would 
speedily  hold  me  boxed  into  the  bows,  as  a  moment 
since  he  had  so  nearly  boxed  me  in  the  stern.  Once 
so  caught,  and  nine  or  ten  inches  of  the  blood- 

*OL.  VI.  —  l6 


242      TREASURE     ISLAND 

stained  dirk  would  be  my  last  experience  on  this 
side  of  eternity.  I  placed  my  palms  against  the 
main-mast,  which  was  of  a  goodish  bigness,  and 
waited,  every  nerve  upon  the  stretch. 

Seeing  that  I  meant  to  dodge,  he  also  paused ; 
and  a  moment  or  two  passed  in  feints  on  his  part, 
and  corresponding  movements  upon  mine.  It  was 
such  a  game  as  I  had  often  played  at  home  about 
the  rocks  of  Black  Hill  Cove;  but  never  before, 
you  may  be  sure,  with  such  a  wildly  beating  heart 
as  now.  Still,  as  I  say,  it  was  a  boy's  game,  and 
I  thought  I  could  hold  my  own  at  it,  against  an 
elderly  seaman  with  a  wounded  thigh.  Indeed, 
my  courage  had  begun  to  rise  so  high,  that  I 
allowed  myself  a  few  darting  thoughts  on  what 
would  be  the  end  of  the  affair;  and  while  I  saw 
certainly  that  I  could  spin  it  out  for  long,  I  saw  no 
hope  of  any  ultimate  escape. 

Well,  while  things  stood  thus,  suddenly  the 
Hispaniola  struck,  staggered,  ground  for  an  instant 
in  the  sand,  and  then,  swift  as  a  blow,  canted  over 
to  the  port  side,  till  the  deck  stood  at  an  angle  of 
forty-five  degrees,  and  about  a  puncheon  of  water 
splashed  into  the  scupper  holes,  and  lay,  in  a  pool, 
between  the  deck  and  bulwark. 

We  were  both  cf  us  capsized  in  a  second,  and 
both  of  us  rolled,  almost  together,  into  the  scuppers ; 
the  dead  red-cap,  with  his  arms  still  spread  out, 


TREASURE     ISLAND      243 

tumbling  stiffly  after  us.  So  near  were  we,  indeed, 
that  my  head  came  against  the  coxswain's  foot  with 
a  crack  that  made  my  teeth  rattle.  Blow  and  all, 
I  was  the  first  afoot  again;  for  Hands  had  got 
involved  with  the  dead  body.  The  sudden  canting 
of  the  ship  had  made  the  deck  no  place  for  running 
on;  I  had  to  find  some  new  way  of  escape,  and 
that  upon  the  instant,  for  my  foe  was  almost  touch- 
ing me.  Quick  as  thought,  I  sprang  into  the  mizzen 
shrouds,  rattled  up  hand  over  hand,  and  did  not 
draw  a  breath  till  I  was  seated  on  the  cross-trees. 

I  had  been  saved  by  being  prompt;  the  dirk 
had  struck  not  half  a  foot  below  me,  as  I  pursued 
my  upward  flight;  and  there  stood  Israel  Hands 
with  his  mouth  open  and  his  face  upturned  to  mine, 
a  perfect  statue  of  surprise  and  disappointment. 

Now  that  I  had  a  moment  to  myself,  I  lost  no 
time  in  changing  the  priming  of  my  pistol,  and 
then,  having  one  ready  for  service,  and  to  make 
assurance  doubly  sure,  I  proceeded  to  draw  the 
load  of  the  other,  and  recharge  it  afresh  from  the 
beginning. 

My  new  employment  struck  Hands  all  of  a  heap ; 
he  began  to  see  the  dice  going  against  him;  and 
after  an  obvious  hesitation,  he  also  hauled  himself 
heavily  into  the  shrouds,  and,  with  the  dirk  in  his 
teeth,  began  slowly  and  painfully  to  mount.  It 
cost  him  no  end  of  time  and  groans  to  haul  his 


244      TREASURE    ISLAND 

wounded  leg  behind  him;  and  I  had  quietly  fin- 
ished my  arrangements  before  he  was  much  more 
than  a  third  of  the  way  up.  Then,  with  a  pistol 
in  either  hand,  I  addressed  him. 

"  One  more  step,  Mr.  Hands,"  said  I,  "  and  I  '11 
blow  your  brains  out!  Dead  men  don't  bite,  you 
know,"  I  added,  with  a  chuckle. 

He  stopped  instantly.  I  could  see  by  the  working 
of  his  face  that  he  was  trying  to  think,  and  the 
process  was  so  slow  and  laborious  that,  in  my  new- 
found security,  I  laughed  aloud.  At  last,  with  a 
swallow  or  two,  he  spoke,  his  face  still  wearing 
the  same  expression  of  extreme  perplexity.  In 
order  to  speak  he  had  to  take  the  dagger  from  his 
mouth,  but,  in  all  else,  he  remained  unmoved. 

"  Jim,"  says  he,  "  I  reckon  we  're  fouled,  you 
and  me,  and  we  '11  have  to  sign  articles.  I  'd  have 
had  you  but  for  that  there  lurch :  but  I  don't  have 
no  luck,  not  I ;  and  I  reckon  I  '11  have  to  strike, 
which  comes  hard,  you  see,  for  a  master  mariner 
to  a  ship's  younker  like  you,  Jim." 

I  was  drinking  in  his  words  and  smiling  away, 
as  conceited  as  a  cock  upon  a  wall,  when,  all  in  a 
breath,  back  went  his  right  hand  over  his  shoulder. 
Something  sang  like  an  arrow  through  the  air;  I 
felt  a  blow  and  then  a  sharp  pang,  and  there  I  was 
pinned  by  the  shoulder  to  the  mast.  In  the  horrid 
pain  and  surprise  of  the  moment  —  I  scarce  can 


TREASURE    ISLAND      245 

say  it  was  by  my  own  volition,  and  I  am  sure  it 
was  without  a  conscious  aim  —  both  my  pistols 
went  off,  and  both  escaped  out  of  my  hands. 
They  did  not  fall  alone;  with  a  choked  cry,  the 
coxswain  loosed  his  grasp  upon  the  shrouds,  and 
plunged  head  first  into  the  water. 


CHAPTER   XXVII 

"PIECES   OF   EIGHT" 

OWING  to  the  cant  of  the  vessel,  the  masts 
hung  far  out  over  the  water,  and  from 
my  perch  on  the  cross-trees  I  had  nothing 
below  me  but  the  surface  of  the  bay.  Hands,  who 
was  not  so  far  up,  was,  in  consequence,  nearer  to 
the  ship,  and  fell  between  me  and  the  bulwarks. 
He  rose  once  to  the  surface  in  a  lather  of  foam 
and  blood,  and  then  sank  again  for  good.  As  the 
water  settled,  I  could  see  him  lying  huddled  to- 
gether on  the  clean,  bright  sand  in  the  shadow  of 
the  vessel's  sides.  A  fish  or  two  whipped  past  his 
body.  Sometimes,  by  the  quivering  of  the  water, 
he  appeared  to  move  a  little,  as  if  he  were  trying  to 
rise.  But  he  was  dead  enough,  for  all  that,  being 
both  shot  and  drowned,  and  was  food  for  fish  in 
the  very  place  where  he  had  designed  my  slaughter. 
I  was  no  sooner  certain  of  this  than  I  began  to 
feel  sick,  faint,  and  terrified.  The  hot  blood  was 
running  over  my  back  and  chest.  The  dirk,  where 
it  had  pinned  my  shoulder  to  the  mast,  seemed  to 
burn  like  a  hot  iron ;  yet  it  was  not  so  much  these 


TREASURE     ISLAND      247 

real  sufferings  that  distressed  me,  for  these,  it 
seemed  to  me,  I  could  bear  without  a  murmur;  it 
was  the  horror  I  had  upon  my  mind  of  falling  from 
the  cross-trees  into  that  still  green  water  beside 
the  body  of  the  coxswain. 

I  clung  with  both  hands  till  my  nails  ached,  and 
I  shut  my  eyes  as  if  to  cover  up  the  peril.  Grad- 
ually my  mind  came  back  again,  my  pulses  quieted 
down  to  a  more  natural  time,  and  I  was  once  more 
in  possession  of  myself. 

It  was  my  first  thought  to  pluck  forth  the  dirk; 
but  either  it  stuck  too  hard  or  my  nerve  failed  me ; 
and  I  desisted  with  a  violent  shudder.  Oddly 
enough,  that  very  shudder  did  the  business.  The 
knife,  in  fact,  had  come  the  nearest  in  the  world 
to  missing  me  altogether;  it  held  me  by  a  mere 
pinch  of  skin,  and  this  the  shudder  tore  away. 
The  blood  ran  down  the  faster,  to  be  sure;  but  I 
was  my  own  master  again,  and  only  tacked  to  the 
mast  by  my  coat  and  shirt. 

These  last  I  broke  through  with  a  sudden  jerk, 
and  then  regained  the  deck  by  the  starboard 
shrouds.  For  nothing  in  the  world  would  I  have 
again  ventured,  shaken  as  I  was,  upon  the  over- 
hanging port  shrouds,  from  which  Israel  had  so 
lately  fallen. 

I  went  below,  and  did  what  I  could  for  my 
wound;  it  pained  me  a  good  deal,  and  still  bled 


248      TREASURE     ISLAND 

freely;  but  it  was  neither  deep  nor  dangerous,  nor 
did  it  greatly  gall  me  when  I  used  my  arm.  Then 
I  looked  around  me,  and  as  the  ship  was  now,  in  a 
sense,  my  own,  I  began  to  think  of  clearing  it  from 
its  last  passenger  —  the  dead  man,  O'Brien. 

He  had  pitched,  as  I  have  said,  against  the  bul- 
warks, where  he  lay  like  some  horrible,  ungainly 
sort  of  puppet ;  life-size,  indeed,  but  how  different 
from  life's  colour  or  life's  comeliness !  In  that 
position,  I  could  easily  have  my  way  with  him; 
and  as  the  habit  of  tragical  adventures  had  worn 
off  almost  all  my  terror  for  the  dead,  I  took  him 
by  the  waist  as  if  he  had  been  a  sack  of  bran,  and, 
with  one  good  heave,  tumbled  him  overboard.  He 
went  in  with  a  sounding  plunge ;  the  red  cap  came 
off,  and  remained  floating  on  the  surface;  and  as 
soon  as  the  splash  subsided,  I  could  see  him  and 
Israel  lying  side  by  side,  both  wavering  with  the 
tremulous  movement  of  the  water.  O'Brien, 
though  still  quite  a  young  man,  was  very  bald. 
There  he  lay,  with  that  bald  head  across  the  knees 
of  the  man  who  had  killed  him,  and  the  quick 
fishes  steering  to  and  fro  over  both. 

I  was  now  alone  upon  the  ship ;  the  tide  had  just 
turned.  The  sun  was  within  so  few  degrees  of 
setting  that  already  the  shadow  of  the  pines  upon 
the  western  shore  began  to  reach  right  across  the 
anchorage,  and  fall  in  patterns  on  the  deck.  The 


TREASURE    ISLAND      249 

evening  breeze  had  sprung  up,  and  though  it  was 
well  warded  off  by  the  hill  with  the  two  peaks 
upon  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  ship.  The  jibs 
I  speedily  doused  and  brought  tumbling  to  the 
deck;  but  the  main-sail  was  a  harder  matter.  Of 
course,  when  the  schooner  canted  over,  the  boom 
had  swung  out-board,  and  the  cap  of  it  and  a  foot 
or  two  of  sail  hung  even  under  water.  I  thought 
this  made  it  still  more  dangerous;  yet  the  strain 
was  so  heavy  that  I  half  feared  to  meddle.  At 
last,  I  got  my  knife  and  cut  the  halyards.  The 
peak  dropped  instantly,  a  great  belly  of  loose  can- 
vas floated  broad  upon  the  water;  and  since,  pull 
as  I  liked,  I  could  not  budge  the  downhall,  that 
was  the  extent  of  what  I  could  accomplish.  For 
the  rest,  the  Hispaniola  must  trust  to  luck,  like 
myself. 

By  this  time  the  whole  anchorage  had  fallen 
into  shadow  —  the  last  rays,  I  remember,  falling 
through  a  glade  of  the  wood,  and  shining  bright 
as  jewels,  on  the  flowery  mantle  of  the  wreck.  It 
began  to  be  chill;  the  tide  was  rapidly  fleeting 
seaward,  the  schooner  settling  more  and  more  on 
her  beam-ends. 

I  scrambled  forward  and  looked  over.    It  seemed 


250      TREASURE     ISLAND 

shallow  enough,  and  holding  the  cut  hawser  in 
both  hands  for  a  last  security,  I  let  myself  drop 
softly  overboard.  The  water  scarcely  reached  my 
waist;  the  sand  was  firm  and  covered  with  ripple 
marks,  and  I  waded  ashore  in  great  spirits,  leav- 
ing the  Hispaniola  on  her  side,  with  her  main-sail 
trailing  wide  upon  the  surface  of  the  bay.  About 
the  same  time  the  sun  went  fairly  down,  and  the 
breeze  whistled  low  in  the  dusk  among  the  toss- 
ing pines. 

At  least,  and  at  last,  I  was  off  the  sea,  nor  had 
I  returned  thence  empty  handed.  There  lay  the 
schooner,  clear  at  last  from  buccaneers  and  ready 
for  our  own  men  to  board  and  get  to  sea  again. 
I  had  nothing  nearer  my  fancy  than  to  get  home 
to  the  stockade  and  boast  of  my  achievements. 
Possibly  I  might  be  blamed  a  bit  for  my  truantry, 
but  the  recapture  of  the  Hispaniola  was  a  clench- 
ing answer,  and  I  hoped  that  even  Captain  Smol- 
lett would  confess  I  had  not  lost  my  time. 

So  thinking,  and  in  famous  spirits,  I  began  to 
set  my  face  homeward  for  the  block-house  and 
my  companions.  I  remembered  that  the  most 
easterly  of  the  rivers  which  drain  into  Captain 
Kidd's  anchorage  ran  from  the  two-peaked  hill 
upon  my  left ;  and  I  bent  my  course  in  that  direc- 
tion that  I  might  pass  the  stream  while  it  was 
small.  The  wood  was  pretty  open,  and  keeping 


TREASURE     ISLAND      251 

along  the  lower  spurs,  I  had  soon  turned  the  cor- 
ner of  that  hill,  and  not  long  after  waded  to  the 
mid-calf  across  the  water-course. 

This  brought  me  near  to  where  I  had  encoun- 
tered Ben  Gunn,  the  maroon;  and  I  walked  more 
circumspectly,  keeping  an  eye  on  every  side.  The 
dusk  had  come  nigh  hand  completely,  and,  as  I 
opened  out  the  cleft  between  the  two  peaks,  I  be- 
came aware  of  a  wavering  glow  against  the  sky, 
where,  as  I  judged,  the  man  of  the  island  was 
cooking  his  supper  before  a  roaring  fire.  And 
yet  I  wondered,  in  my  heart,  that  he  should  show 
himself  so  careless.  For  if  I  could  see  this  radi- 
ance, might  it  not  reach  the  eyes  of  Silver  him- 
self where  he  camped  upon  the  shore  among  the 
marshes  ? 

Gradually  the  night  fell  blacker;  it  was  all  I 
could  do  to  guide  myself  even  roughly  towards 
my  destination;  the  double  hill  behind  me  and 
the  Spy-glass  on  my  right  hand  loomed  faint 
and  fainter;  the  stars  were  few  and  pale;  and 
in  the  low  ground  where  I  wandered  I  kept 
tripping  among  bushes  and  rolling  into  sandy 
pits. 

Suddenly  a  kind  of  brightness  fell  about  me.  I 
looked  up;  a  pale  glimmer  of  moonbeams  had 
alighted  on  the  summit  of  the  Spy-glass,  and  soon 
after  I  saw  something  broad  and  silvery  moving 


252      TREASURE     ISLAND 

low  down  behind  the  trees,  and  knew  the  moon 
had  risen. 

With  this  to  help  me,  I  passed  rapidly  over  what 
remained  to  me  of  my  journey;  and,  sometimes 
walking,  sometimes  running,  impatiently  drew  near 
to  the  stockade.  Yet,  as  I  began  to  thread  the 
grove  that  lies  before  it,  I  was  not  so  thought- 
less but  that  I  slacked  my  pace  and  went  a  trifle 
warily.  It  would  have  been  a  poor  end  of  my 
adventures  to  get  shot  down  by  my  own  party  in 
mistake. 

The  moon  was  climbing  higher  and  higher;  its 
light  began  to  fall  here  and  there  in  masses  through 
the  more  open  districts  of  the  wood;  and  right  in 
front  of  me  a  glow  of  a  different  colour  appeared 
among  the  trees.  It  was  red  and  hot,  and  now 
and  again  it  was  a  little  darkened  —  as  it  were 
the  embers  of  a  bonfire  smouldering. 

For  the  life  of  me,  I  could  not  think  what  it 
might  be. 

At  last  I  came  right  down  upon  the  borders  of 
the  clearing.  The  western  end  was  already  steeped 
in  moonshine ;  the  rest,  and  the  block-house  itself, 
still  lay  in  a  black  shadow,  chequered  with  long, 
silvery  streaks  of  light.  On  the  other  side  of  the 
house  an  immense  fire  had  burned  Jtself  into  clear 
embers  and  shed  a  steady,  red  reverberation,  con- 
trasted strongly  with  the  mellow  paleness  of  the 


TREASURE    ISLAND      253 

moon.  There  was  not  a  soul  stirring,  nor  a  sound 
beside  the  noises  of  the  breeze. 

I  stopped,  with  much  wonder  in  my  heart,  and 
perhaps  a  little  terror  also.  It  had  not  been  our 
way  to  build  great  fires;  we  were,  indeed,  by  the 
captain's  orders,  somewhat  niggardly  of  firewood ; 
and  I  began  to  fear  that  something  had  gone 
wrong  while  I  was  absent. 

I  stole  round  by  the  eastern  end,  keeping  close 
in  shadow,  and  at  a  convenient  place,  where  the 
darkness  was  thickest,  crossed  the  palisade. 

To  make  assurance  surer,  I  got  upon  my  hands 
and  knees,  and  crawled,  without  a  sound,  towards 
the  corner  of  the  house.  As  I  drew  nearer,  my 
heart  was  suddenly  and  greatly  lightened.  It 
is  not  a  pleasant  noise  in  itself,  and  I  have 
often  complained  of  it  at  other  times;  but  just 
then  it  was  like  music  to  hear  my  friends 
snoring  together  so  loud  and  peaceful  in  their 
sleep.  The  sea  cry  of  the  watch,  that  beautiful 
"  All 's  well,"  never  fell  more  reassuringly  on  my 
ear. 

In  the  meantime,  there  was  no  doubt  of  one 
thing;  they  kept  an  infamous  bad  watch.  If  it 
had  been  Silver  and  his  lads  that  were  now  creep- 
ing in  on  them,  not  a  soul  would  have  seen  day- 
break. That  was  what  it  was,  thought  I,  to  have 
the  captain  wounded;  and  again  I  blamed  myself 


254      TREASURE     ISLAND 

sharply  for  leaving  them  in  that  danger  with  so 
few  to  mount  guard. 

By  this  time  I  had  got  to  the  door  and  stood 
up.  All  was  dark  within,  so  that  I  could  distin- 
guish nothing  by  the  eye.  As  for  sounds,  there 
was  the  steady  drone  of  the  snorers,  and  a  small 
occasional  noise,  a  flickering  or  pecking  that  I 
could  in  no  way  account  for. 

With  my  arms  before  me  I  walked  steadily  in. 
I  should  lie  down  in  my  own  place  ( I  thought,  with 
a  silent  chuckle)  and  enjoy  their  faces  when  they 
found  me  in  the  morning. 

My  foot  struck  something  yielding  —  it  was  a 
sleeper's  leg;  and  he  turned  and  groaned,  but 
without  awakening. 

And  then,  all  of  a  sudden,  a  shrill  voice  broke 
forth  out  of  the  darkness: 

"  Pieces  of  eight !  pieces  of  eight !  pieces  of 
eight !  pieces  of  eight !  pieces  of  eight !  "  and  so 
forth,  without  pause  or  change,  like  the  clacking 
of  a  tiny  mill. 

Silver's  green  parrot,  Captain  Flint !  It  was 
she  whom  I  had  heard  pecking  at  a  piece  of  bark; 
it  was  she,  keeping  better  watch  than  any  human 
being,  who  thus  announced  my  arrival  with  her 
wearisome  refrain. 

I  had  no  time  left  me  to  recover. "  At  the  sharp, 
clipping  tone  of  the  parrot,  the  sleepers  awoke  and 


TREASURE     ISLAND      255 

sprang  up;  and  with  a  mighty  oath,  the  voice  of 
Silver  cried: 

"Who  goes?" 

I  turned  to  run,  struck  violently  against  one 
person,  recoiled,  and  ran  full  into  the  arms  of  a 
second,  who,  for  his  part,  closed  upon  and  held 
me  tight. 

"  Bring  a  torch,  Dick/'  said  Silver,  when  my 
capture  was  thus  assured. 

And  one  of  the  men  left  the  log-house,  and  pres- 
ently returned  with  a  lighted  brand. 


PART   VI 
CAPTAIN   SILVER 


CHAPTER   XXVIII 

IN   THE    ENEMY'S   CAMP 

THE  red  glare  of  the  torch,  lighting  up  the 
interior  of  the  block-house,  showed  me 
the  worst  of  my  apprehensions  realised. 
The  pirates  "were  in  possession  of  the  house  and 
stores:    there  was  the  cask  of  cognac,  there  were 
the  pork  and  bread,  as  before;   and,  what  tenfold 
increased  my  horror,  not  a  sign  of  any  prisoner. 
I  could  only  judge  that  all  had  perished,  and  my 
heart  smote  me  sorely  that  I  had  not  been  there 
to  perish  with  them. 

There  were  six  of  the  buccaneers,  all  told;  not 
another  man  was  left  alive.  Five  of  them  were 
on  their  feet,  flushed  and  swollen,  suddenly  called 
out  of  the  first  sleep  of  drunkenness.  The  sixth 
had  only  risen  upon  his  elbow;  he  was  deadly 
pale,  and  the  blood-stained  bandage  round  his  head 
told  that  he  had  recently  been  wounded,  and  still 
more  recently  dressed.  I  remembered  the  man 
who  had  been  shot  and  had  run  back  among  the 
woods  in  the  great  attack,  and  doubted  not  that 
this  was  he. 


The  parrot  sat,  preening  her  plumage,  on  Long 
John's  shoulder.  He  himself,  I  thought,  looked 
somewhat  paler  a'.nd  more  stern  than  I  was  used 
to.  He  still  wore  the  fine  broadcloth  suit  in  which 
he  had  fulfilled  hi'S  mission,  but  it  was  bitterly  the 
worse  for  wear,  daubed  with  clay  and  torn  with 
the  sharp  briers  of  the  wood. 

"  So,"  said  he,  "  here 's  Jim  Hawkins,  shiver 
my  timbers!  dropped  in,  like,  eh?  Well,  come,  I 
take  that  friendly." 

And  thereupon  he  sat  down  across  the  brandy 
cask,  and  began  to  fill  a  pipe. 

"  Give  me  a  loan  of  the  link,  Dick,"  said  he ; 
and  then,  when  he  had  a  good  light,  "  That  '11  do, 
lad,"  he  added ;  "  stick  the  glim  in  the  wood  heap ; 
and  you,  gentlemen,  bring  yourselves  to !  —  you 
need  n't  stand  up  for  Mr.  Hawkins ;  he  'II  excuse 
you,  you  may  lay  to  that.  And  so,  Jim  "  —  stop- 
ping the  tobacco  —  "  here  you  were,  and  quite  a 
pleasant  surprise  for  poor  old  John.  I  see  you 
were  smart  when  first  I  set  my  eyes  on  you;  but 
this  here  gets  away  from  me  clean,  it  do." 

To  all  this,  as  may  be  well  supposed,  I  made  no 
answer.  They  had  set  me  with  my  back  against 
the  wall;  and  I  stood  there,  looking  Silver  in 
the  face,  pluckily  enough,  I  hope,  to  all  out- 
ward appearance,  but  with  black  despair  in  my 
heart. 


TREASURE    ISLAND      261 

Silver  took  a  whiff  or  two  of  his  pipe  with  great 
composure,  and 'then  ran  on  again. 

"  Now,  you  see,  Jim,  so  be  as  you  are  here," 
says  he,  "  I  '11  give  you  a  piece  of  my  mind.  I  've 
always  liked  you,  I  have,  for  a  lad  of  spirit,  and 
the  picter  of  my  own  self  when  I  was  young  and 
handsome.  I  always  wanted  you  to  jine  and  take 
your  share,  and  die  a  gentleman,  and  now,  my 
cock,  you  've  got  to.  Cap'n  Smollett 's  a  fine  sea- 
man, as  I  '11  own  up  to  any  day,  but  stiff  on  dis- 
cipline. '  Dooty  is  dooty,'  says  he,  and  right  he 
is.  Just  you  keep  clear  of  the  cap'n.  The  doctor 
himself  is  gone  dead  again  you  — '  ungrateful 
scamp '  was  what  he  said ;  and  the  short  and  the 
long  of  the  whole  story  is  about  here:  you  can't 
go  back  to  your  own  lot,  for  they  won't  have  you ; 
and,  without  you  start  a  third  ship's  company  all 
by  yourself,  which  might  be  lonely,  you  '11  have  to 
jine  with  Cap'n  Silver." 

So  far  so  good.  My  friends,  then,  were  still 
alive,  and  though  I  partly  believed  the  truth  of 
Silver's  statement,  that  the  cabin  party  were  in- 
censed at  me  for  my  desertion,  I  was  more  re- 
lieved than  distressed  by  what  I  heard. 

"  I  don't  say  nothing  as  to  your  being  in  our 
hands,"  continued  Silver,  "  though  there  you  are, 
and  you  may  lay  to  it.  I  'm  all  for  argyment ;  I 
never  seen  good  come  out  o'  threatening.  If  you 


262      TREASURE     ISLAND 

like  the  service,  well,  you  '11  jine;  and  if  you  don't, 
Jim,  why,  you  're  free  to  answer*  no  —  free  and 
welcome,  shipmate;  and  if  fairer  can  be  said  by 
mortal  seaman,  shiver  my  sides !  " 

"  Am  I  to  answer  then?  "  I  asked,  with  a  very 
tremulous  voice.  Through  all  this  sneering  talk, 
I  was  made  to  feel  the  threat  of  death  that  over- 
hung me,  and  my  cheeks  burned  and  my  heart 
beat  painfully  in  my  breast. 

"  Lad,"  said  Silver,  "  no  one 's  a-pressing  of 
you.  Take  your  bearings.  None  of  us  won't 
hurry  you,  mate;  time  goes  so  pleasant  in  your 
company,  you  see." 

"  Well,"  says  I,  growing  a  bit  bolder,  "  if  I  'm 
to  choose,  I  declare  I  have  a  right  to  know  what 's 
what,  and  why  you  're  here,  and  where  my  friends 
are." 

"  Wot 's  wot  ?  "  repeated  one  of  the  buccaneers, 
in  a  deep  growl.  "  Ah,  he  'd  be  a  lucky  one  as 
knowed  that !  " 

"  You  '11,  perhaps,  batten  down  your  hatches  till 
you  're  spoke  to,  my  friend,"  cried  Silver  trucu- 
lently to  this  speaker.  And  then,  in  his  first  gra- 
cious tones,  he  replied  to  me :  "  Yesterday  morning, 
Mr.  Hawkins,"  said  he,  "  in  the  dog-watch,  down 
came  Dr.  Livesey  with  a  flag  of  truce.  Says  he, 
*  Cap'n  Silver,  you  're  sold  out.  Ship  's  gone.' 
Well,  maybe  we  'd  been  taking  a  glass,  and  a  song 


TREASURE     ISLAND      263 

to  help  it  round.  I  won't  say  no.  Leastways, 
none  of  us  had  looked  out.  We  looked  out,  and 
by  thunder!  the  old  ship  was  gone.  I  never  seen 
a  pack  o'  fools  look  fishier;  and  you  may  lay  to 
that,  if  I  tells  you  that  looked  the  fishiest.  '  Well/ 
says  the  doctor,  *  let 's  bargain.'  We  bargained, 
him  and  I,  and  here  we  are :  stores,  brandy,  block- 
house, the  firewood  you  was  thoughtful  enough  to 
cut,  and,  in  a  manner  of  speaking,  the  whole 
blessed  boat,  from  cross-trees  to  keelson.  As  for 
them,  they  Ve  tramped ;  I  don't  know  where  's  they 
are." 

He  drew  again  quietly  at  his  pipe. 

"  And  lest  you  should  take  it  into  that  head  of 
yours,"  he  went  on,  "  that  you  was  included  in  the 
treaty,  here  's  the  last  word  that  was  said :  '  How 
many  are  you,'  says  I,  'to  leave?'  'Four,'  says 
he  —  '  four,  and  one  of  us  wounded.  As  for  that 
boy,  I  don't  know  where  he  is,  confound  him/ 
says  he,  '  nor  I  don't  much  care.  We  're  about 
sick  of  him.'  These  was  his  words." 

"Is  that  all?"  I  asked. 

"  Well,  it 's  all  that  you  're  to  hear,  my  son," 
returned  Silver. 

"  And  now  I  am  to  choose?  " 

"  And  now  you  are  to  choose,  and  you  may 
lay  to  that,"  said  Silver. 

"  Well,"  said  I,  "  I  am  not  such  a  fool  but  I 


164      TREASURE     ISLAND 

know  pretty  well  what  I  have  to  look  for.  Let 
the  worst  come  to  the  worst,  it 's  little  I  care. 
I  've  seen  too  many  die  since  I  fell  in  with  you. 
But  there  's  a  thing  or  two  I  have  to  tell  you,"  I 
said,  and  by  this  time  I  was  quite  excited ;  "  and 
the  first  is  this :  here  you  are,  in  a  bad  way :  ship 
lost,  treasure  lost,  men  lost;  your  whole  business 
gone  to  wreck;  and  if  you  want  to  know  who  did 
it  —  it  was  I !  I  was  in  the  apple  barrel  the  night 
we  sighted  land,  and  I  heard  you,  John,  and  you, 
Dick  Johnson,  and  Hands,  who  is  now  at  the  bot- 
tom of  the  sea,  and  told  every  word  you  said  be- 
fore the  hour  was  out.  And  as  for  the  schooner, 
it  was  I  who  cut  her  cable,  and  it  was  I  that  killed 
the  men  you  had  aboard  of  her,  and  it  was  I  who 
brought  her  where  you  '11  never  see  her  more,  not 
one  of  you.  The  laugh  's  on  my  side ;  I  've  had 
the  top  of  this  business  from  the  first ;  I  no  more 
fear  you  than  I  fear  a  fly.  Kill  me,  if  you  please, 
or  spare  me.  But  one  thing  I  '11  say,  and  no  more ; 
if  you  spare  me,  bygones  are  bygones,  and  when 
you  fellows  are  in  court  for  piracy,  I  '11  save  you 
all  I  can.  It  is  for  you  to  choose.  Kill  another 
and  do  yourselves  no  good,  or  spare  me  and  keep 
a  witness  to  save  you  from  the  gallows." 

I  stopped,  for,  I  tell  you,  I  was  out  of  breath, 
and,  to  my  wonder,  not  a  man  of  them  moved, 
but  all  sat  staring  at  me  like  as  many  sheep. 


TREASURE    ISLAND      265 

And  while  they  were  still  staring,  I  broke  out 
again : 

"  And  now,  Mr.  Silver,"  I  said,  "  I  believe 
you  're  the  best  man  here,  and  if  things  go  to 
the  worst,  I  '11  take  it  kind  of  you  to  let  the  doc- 
tor know  the  way  I  took  it." 

"  I  '11  bear  it  in  mind,"  said  Silver,  with  an 
accent  so  curious  that  I  could  not,  for  the  life 
of  me,  .decide  whether  he  were  laughing  at  my 
request,  or  had  been  favourably  affected  by  my 
courage. 

"  I  '11  put  one  to  that,"  cried  the  old  mahogany- 
faced  seaman  —  Morgan  by  name  —  whom  I  had 
seen  in  Long  John's  public-house  upon  the  quays 
of  Bristol.  "  It  was  him  that  knowed  Black  Dog." 

"  Well,  and  see  here,"  added  the  sea-cook.  "  I  '11 
put  another  again  to  that,  by  thunder!  for  it  was 
this  same  boy  that  faked  the  chart  from  Billy 
Bones.  First  and  last,  we  've  split  upon  Jim 
Hawkins !  " 

"  Then  here  goes ! "  said  Morgan,  with  an  oath. 

And  he  sprang  up,  drawing  his  knife  as  if  he 
had  been  twenty. 

"  Avast,  there !  "  cried  Silver.  "  Who  are  you, 
Tom  Morgan  ?  Maybe  you  thought  you  was  cap'n 
here,  perhaps.  By  the  powers,  but  I  '11  teach  you 
better !  Cross  me,  and  you  '11  go  where  many  a 
good  man  's  gone  before  you,  first  and  last,  these 


266      TREASURE     ISLAND 

thirty  year  back  —  some  to  the  yard-arm,  shiver 
my  timbers!  and  some  by  the  board,  and  all  to 
feed  the  fishes.  There  's  never  a  man  looked  me 
between  the  eyes  and  seen  a  good  day  a'terwards, 
Tom  Morgan,  you  may  lay  to  that." 

Morgan  paused ;  but  a  hoarse  murmur  rose  from 
the  others. 

"  Tom  's  right,"  said  one. 

"  I  stood  hazing  long  enough  from  one,"  added 
another.  "  I  '11  be  hanged  if  I  '11  be  hazed  by  you, 
John  Silver." 

"  Did  any  of  you  gentlemen  want  to  have  it  out 
with  me?"  roared  Silver,  bending  far  forward 
from  his  position  on  the  keg,  with  his  pipe  still 
glowing  in  his  right  hand.  "  Put  a  name  on  what 
you  're  at ;  you  ain't  dumb,  I  reckon.  Him  that 
wants  shall  get  it.  Have  I  lived  this  many  years, 
and  a  son  of  a  rum  puncheon  cock  his  hat  athwart 
my  hawse  at  the  latter  end  of  it?  You  know  the 
way ;  you  're  all  gentlemen  o'  fortune,  by  your 
account.  Well,  I  'm  ready.  Take  a  cutlass,  him 
that  dares,  and  I  '11  see  the  colour  of  his  inside, 
crutch  and  all,  before  that  pipe  's  empty." 

Not  a  man  stirred;  not  a  man  answered. 

"That's  your  sort,  is  it?"  he  added,  returning 
his  pipe  to  his  mouth.  "  Well,  you  're  a  gay  lot 
to  look  at,  anyway.  Not  much  worth  to  fight, 
you  ain't.  P'r'aps  you  can  understand  King 


TREASURE     ISLAND      267 

George's  English.  I  'm  cap'n  here  by  'lection. 
I  'm  cap'n  here  because  I  'm  the  best  man  by  a 
long  sea-mile.  You  won't  fight,  as  gentlemen  o' 
fortune  should ;  then,  by  thunder,  you  '11  obey,  and 
you  may  lay  to  it!  I  like  that  boy,  now;  I  never 
seen  a  better  boy  than  that.  He  's  more  a  man  than 
any  pair  of  rats  of  you  in  this  here  house,  and  what 
I  say  is  this :  let  me  see  him  that  '11  lay  a  hand  on 
him  —  that 's  what  I  say,  and  you  may  lay  to  it." 

There  was  a  long  pause  after  this.  I  stood 
straight  up  against  the  wall,  my  heart  still  going 
like  a  sledge-hammer,  but  with  a  ray  of  hope  now 
shining  in  my  bosom.  Silver  leant  back  against 
the  wall,  his  arms  crossed,  his  pipe  in  the  corner 
of  his  mouth,  as  calm  as  though  he  had  been  in 
church;  yet  his  eye  kept  wandering  furtively,  and 
he  kept  the  tail  of  it  on  his  unruly  followers.  They, 
on  their  part,  drew  gradually  together  towards  the 
far  end  of  the  block-house,  and  the  low  hiss  of  their 
whispering  sounded  in  my  ear  continuously,  like 
a  stream.  One  after  another,  they  would  look  up, 
and  the  red  light  of  the  torch  would  fall  for  a 
second  on  their  nervous  faces;  but  it  was  not  to- 
wards me,  it  was  towards  Silver  that  they  turned 
their  eyes. 

"  You  seem  to  have  a  lot  to  say,"  remarked 
Silver,  spitting  far  into  the  air.  "  Pipe  up  and  let 
me  hear  it,  or  lay  to." 


268      TREASURE     ISLAND 

"  Ax  your  pardon,  sir,"  returned  one  of  the 
men,  "  you  're  pretty  free  with  some  of  the  rules ; 
maybe  you  '11  kindly  keep  an  eye  upon  the  rest. 
This  crew's  dissatisfied;  this  crew  don't  vally 
bullying  a  marlinspike;  this  crew  has  its  rights 
like  other  crews,  I  '11  make  so  free  as  that ;  and 
by  your  own  rules,  I  take  it  we  can  talk  together. 
I  ax  your  pardon,  sir,  acknowledging  you  for  to 
be  capting  at  this  present;  but  I  claim  my  right, 
and  steps  outside  for  a  council." 

And  with  an  elaborate  sea-salute,  this  fellow,  a 
long,  ill-looking,  yellow-eyed  man  of  five  and 
thirty,  stepped  coolly  towards  the  door  and  disap- 
peared out  of  the  house.  One  after  another,  the 
rest  followed  his  example;  each  making  a  salute 
as  he  passed ;  each  adding  some  apology.  "  Ac- 
cording to  rules,"  said  one.  "  Fo'c's'le  council," 
said  Morgan.  And  so  with  one  remark  or  another, 
all  marched  out,  and  left  Silver  and  me  alone  with 
the  torch. 

The  sea-cook  instantly  removed  his  pipe. 

"  Now,  look  you  here,  Jim  Hawkins,"  he  said,  in 
a  steady  whisper,  that  was  no  more  than  audible, 
"  you  're  within  half  a  plank  of  death,  and,  what 's 
a  long  sight  worse,  of  torture.  They  're  going  to 
throw  me  off.  But,  you  mark,  I  stand  by  you 
through  thick  and  thin.  I  did  nl  mean  to ;  no, 
not  till  you  spoke  up.  I  was  about  desperate  to 


TREASURE     ISLAND      269 

lose  that  much  blunt,  and  be  hanged  into  the  bar- 
gain. But  I  see  you  was  the  right  sort.  I  says 
to  myself:  You  stand  by  Hawkins,  John,  and 
Hawkins  '11  stand  by  you.  You  're  his  last  card, 
and,  by  the  living  thunder,  John,  he  's  yours !  Back 
to  back,  says  I.  You  save  your  witness,  and  he  '11 
save  your  neck !  " 

I  began  dimly  to  understand. 

"  You  mean  all 's  lost  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Ay,  by  gum,  I  do !  "  he  answered.  "  Ship 
gone,  neck  gone  —  that 's  the  size  of  it.  Once  I 
looked  into  that  bay,  Jim  Hawkins,  and  seen  no 
schooner  —  well,  I  'm  tough,  but  I  gave  out.  As 
for  that  lot  and  their  council,  mark  me,  they  're 
outright  fools  and  cowards.  I  '11  save  your  life  — 
if  so  be  as  I  can  —  from  them.  But,  see  here, 
Jim  —  tit  for  tat  —  you  save  Long  John  from 
swinging." 

I  was  bewildered ;  it  seemed  a  thing  so  hopeless 
he  was  asking  —  he,  the  old  buccaneer,  the  ring- 
leader throughout. 

"  What  I  can  do,  that  I  '11  do,"  I  said. 

"  It 's  a  bargain !  "  cried  Long  John.  "  You 
speak  up  plucky,  and,  by  thunder!  I  Ve  a  chance." 

He  hobbled  to  the  torch,  where  it  stood  propped 
among  the  firewood,  and  took  a  fresh  light  to  his 
pipe. 

"  Understand    me,    Jim,"    he    said,    returning. 


270      TREASURE     ISLAND 

"  I  've  a  head  on  my  shoulders,  I  have.  I  'm  on 
squire's  side  now.  I  know  you  've  got  that  ship 
safe  somewheres.  How  you  done  it,  I  don't  know, 
but  safe  it  is.  I  guess  Hands  and  O'Brien  turned 
soft.  I  never  much  believed  in  neither  of  them. 
Now  you  mark  me.  I  ask  no  questions,  nor  I 
won't  let  others.  I  know  when  a  game  's  up,  I 
do ;  and  I  know  a  lad  that 's  staunch.  Ah,  you 
that 's  young  —  you  and  me  might  have  done  a 
power  of  good  together!" 

He  drew  some  cognac  from  the  cask  into  a  tin 
canikin. 

"Will  you  taste,  messmate?"  he  asked;  and 
when  I  had  refused :  "  Well,  I  '11  take  a  drain  my- 
self, Jim,"  said  he.  "  I  need  a  caulker,  for  there  's 
trouble  on  hand.  And,  talking  o'  trouble,  why  did 
that  doctor  give  me  the  chart,  Jim  ?  " 

My  face  expressed  a  wonder  so  unaffected  that 
he  saw  the  needlessness  of  further  questions. 

"Ah,  well,  he  did,  though,"  said  he.  "And 
there  's  something  under  that,  no  doubt  —  some- 
thing, surely,  under  that,  Jim  —  bad  or  good." 

And  he  took  another  swallow  of  the  brandy, 
shaking  his  great  fair  head  like  a  man  who  looks 
forward  to  the  worst. 


CHAPTER   XXIX 

THE   BLACK   SPOT   AGAIN 

THE  council  of  the  buccaneers  had  lasted 
some  time,  when  one  of  them  re-entered 
the  house,  and  with  a  repetition  of  the 
same  salute,  which  had  in  my  eyes  an  ironical  air, 
begged  for  a  moment's  loan  of  the  torch.  Silver 
briefly  agreed ;  and  this  emissary  retired  again, 
leaving  us  together  in  the  dark. 

"  There  's  a  breeze  coming,  Jim,"  said  Silver, 
who  had,  by  this  time,  adopted  quite  a  friendly 
and  familiar  tone. 

I  turned  to  the  loophole  nearest  me  and  looked 
out.  The  embers  of  the  great  fire  had  so  far 
burned  themselves  out,  and  now  glowed  so  low 
and  duskily,  that  I  understood  why  these  con- 
spirators desired  a  torch.  About  half-way  down 
the  slope  to  the  stockade,  they  were  collected  iii 
a  group;  one  held  the  light;  another  was  on  his 
knees  in  their  midst,  and  I  saw  the  blade  of  an 
open  knife  shine  in  his  hand  with  varying  colours, 
in  the  moon  and  torch  light.  The  rest  were  all 
somewhat  stooping,  as  though  watching  the  ma- 


272      TREASURE     ISLAND 

nceuvres  of  this  last.  I  could  just  make  out  that 
he  had  a  book  as  well  as  a  knife  in  his  hand ;  and 
was  still  wondering  how  anything  so  incongruous 
had  come  in  their  possession,  when  the  kneeling 
figure  rose  once  more  to  his  feet,  and  the  whole 
party  began  to  move  together  towards  the  house. 

"Here  they  come,"  said  I;  and  I  returned  to 
my  former  position,  for  it  seemed  beneath  my 
dignity  that  they  should  find  me  watching  them. 

"  Well,  let  'em  come,  lad  —  let  'em  come,"  said 
Silver,  cheerily.  "  I  've  still  a  shot  in  my  locker." 

The  door  opened,  and  the  five  men,  standing 
huddled  together  just  inside,  pushed  one  of  their 
number  forward.  In  any  other  circumstances  it 
would  have  been  comical  to  see  his  slow  advance, 
hesitating  as  he  set  down  each  foot,  but  holding 
his  closed  right  hand  in  front  of  him. 

"  Step  up,  lad,"  cried  Silver.  "  I  won't  eat  you. 
Hand  it  over,  lubber.  I  know  the  rules,  I  do;  I 
won't  hurt  a  depytation." 

Thus  encouraged,  the  buccaneer  stepped  forth 
more  briskly,  and  having  passed  something  to 
Silver,  from  hand  to  hand,  slipped  yet  more 
smartly  back  again  to  his  companions. 

The  sea-cook  looked  at  what  had  been  given  him. 

"  The  black  spot !  I  thought  sp,"  he  observed. 
"Where  might  you  have  got  the  paper?  Why, 
hillo !  look  here,  now  :  this  ain't  lucky !  You  Ve 


TREASURE     ISLAND      273 

gone  and  cut  this  out  of  a  Bible.  What  fool 's  cut 
a  Bible?" 

"  Ah,  there !  "  said  Morgan  —  "  there !  Wot  did 
I  say?  No  good  '11  come  o'  that,  I  said." 

"  Well,  you  've  about  fixed  it  now,  among 
you,"  continued  Silver.  "  You  '11  all  swing  now, 
I  reckon.  What  soft-headed  lubber  had  a  Bible?  " 

"  It  was  Dick,"  said  one. 

"  Dick,  was  it?  Then  Dick  can  get  to  prayers," 
said  Silver.  "  He 's  seen  his  slice  of  luck,  has 
Dick,  and  you  may  lay  to  that." 

But  here  the  long  man  with  the  yellow  eyes 
struck  in. 

"  Belay  that  talk,  John  Silver,"  he  said.  "  This 
crew  has  tipped  you  the  black  spot  in  full  council, 
as  in  dooty  bound;  just  you  turn  it  over,  as  in 
dooty  bound,  and  see  what 's  wrote  there.  Then 
you  can  talk." 

"  Thanky,  George,"  replied  the  sea-cook.  "  You 
always  was  brisk  for  business,  and  has  the  rules  by 
heart,  George,  as  I  'm  pleased  to  see.  Well,  what 
is  it,  anyway  ?  Ah !  '  Deposed  '  —  that 's  it,  is  it  ? 
Very  pretty  wrote,  to  be  sure;  like  print,  I  swear. 
Your  hand  o'  write,  George?  Why,  you  was 
gettin'  quite  a  leadin'  man  in  this  here  crew. 
You  '11  be  cap'n  next,  I  should  n't  wonder.  Just 
oblige  me  with  that  torch  again,  will  you?  this 
pipe  don't  draw." 

VOL.   VI.  —  l8 


274      TREASURE     ISLAND 

"  Come,  now,"  said  George,  "  you  don't  fool 
this  crew  no  more.  You  're  a  funny  man,  by 
your  account ;  but  you  're  over  now,  and  you  '11 
maybe  step  down  off  that  barrel,  and  help  vote." 

"  I  thought  you  said  you  knowed  the  rules," 
returned  Silver,  contemptuously.  "  Leastways,  if 
you  don't,  I  do ;  and  I  wait  here  —  and  I  'm  still 
your  cap'n,  mind  —  till  you  outs  with  your  griev- 
ances, and  I  reply,  in  the  meantime,  your  black 
spot  ain't  worth  a  biscuit.  After  that,  we  '11  see." 

"  Oh,"  replied  George,  "  you  don't  be  under  no 
kind  of  apprehension ;  we  're  all  square,  we  are. 
First,  you  've  made  a  hash  of  this  cruise  —  you  '11 
be  a  bold  man  to  say  no  to  that.  Second,  you  let 
the  enemy  out  o'  this  here  trap  for  nothing.  Why 
did  they  want  out  ?  I  dunno ;  but  it 's  pretty  plain 
they  wanted  it.  Third,  you  would  n't  let  us  go  at 
them  upon  the  march.  Oh,  we  see  through  you, 
John  Silver ;  you  want  to  play  booty,  that 's 
what  's  wrong  with  you.  And  then,  fourth,  there  's 
this  here  boy." 

"Is  that  all?  "  asked  Silver,  quietly. 

"Enough,  too,"  retorted  George.  "We'll  all 
swing  and  sun-dry  for  your  bungling." 

"  Well,  now,  look  here,  I  '11  answer  these  four 
p'ints ;  one  after  another  I  '11  answer  'em.  I  made 
a  hash  o'  this  cruise,  did  I?  Well,  now,  you  all 
know  what  I  wanted;  and  you  all  know,  if  that 


TREASURE     ISLAND      275 

had  been  done,  that  we  'd  'a'  been  aboard  the  His- 
paniola  this  night  as  ever  was,  every  man  of  us 
alive,  and  fit,  and  full  of  good  plum-duff,  and  the 
treasure  in  the  hold  of  her,  by  thunder!  Well, 
who  crossed  me?  Who  forced  my  hand,  as  was 
the  lawful  cap'n?  Who  tipped  me  the  black  spot 
the  day  we  landed,  and  began  this  dance?  Ah, 
it 's  a  fine  dance  —  I  'm  with  you  there  —  and 
looks  mighty  like  a  hornpipe  in  a  rope's  end  at 
Execution  Dock  by  London  town,  it  does.  But 
who  done  it?  Why,  it  was  Anderson,  and  Hands, 
and  you,  George  Merry !  And  you  're  the  last 
above  board  of  that  same  meddling  crew;  and 
you  have  the  Davy  Jones's  insolence  to  up  and 
stand  for  cap'n  over  me  —  you,  that  sank  the  lot 
of  us!  By  the  powers!  but  this  tops  the  stiffest 
yarn  to  nothing." 

Silver  paused,  and  I  could  see  by  the  faces  of 
George  and  his  late  comrades  that  these  words  had 
not  been  said  in  vain. 

"  That 's  for  number  one,"  cried  the  accused, 
wiping  the  sweat  from  his  brow,  for  he  had  been 
talking  with  a  vehemence  that  shook  the  house. 
"  Why,  I  give  you  my  word,  I  'm  sick  to  speak  to 
you.  You  've  neither  sense  nor  memory,  and  I 
leave  it  to  fancy  where  your  mothers  was  that  let 
you  come  to  sea.  Sea !  Gentlemen  o'  fortune !  I 
reckon  tailors  is  your  trade." 


276      TREASURE    ISLAND 

"  Go  on,  John,"  said  Morgan.  "  Speak  up  to 
the  others." 

"  Ah,  the  others !  "  returned  John.  "  They  're 
a  nice  lot,  ain't  they?  You  say  this  cruise  is 
bungled.  Ah !  by  gum,  if  you  could  understand 
how  bad  it 's  bungled,  you  would  see !  We  're  that 
near  the  gibbet  that  my  neck  's  stiff  with  thinking 
on  it.  You  've  seen  'em,  maybe,  hanged  in  chains, 
birds  about  'em,  seamen  p'inting  'em  out  as  they 
go  down  with  the  tide.  '  Who  's  that?  '  says  one. 
'  That !  Why,  that 's  John  Silver.  I  knowed  him 
well,'  says  another.  And  you  can  hear  the  chains 
a- jangle  as  you  go  about  and  reach  for  the  other 
buoy.  Now,  that 's  about  where  we  are,  every 
mother's  son  of  us,  thanks  to  him,  and  Hands, 
and  Anderson,  and  other  ruination  fools  of  you. 
And  if  you  want  to  know  about  number  four,  and 
that  boy,  why,  shiver  my  timbers !  is  n't  he  a  hos- 
tage? Are  we  a-going  to  waste  a  hostage?  No, 
not  us;  he  might  be  our  last  chance,  and  I 
should  n't  wonder.  Kill  that  boy?  not  me,  mates! 
And  number  three?  Ah,  well,  there's  a  deal  to 
say  to  number  three.  Maybe  you  don't  count  it 
nothing  to  have  a  real  college  doctor  come  to  see 
you  every  day  —  you,  John,  with  your  head  broke 
—  or  you,  George  Merry,  that  had^the  ague  shakes 
upon  you  not  six  hours  agone,  and  has  your  eyes 
the  colour  of  lemon  peel  to  this  same  moment  on 


TREASURE     ISLAND      277 

the  clock  ?  And  maybe,  perhaps,  you  did  n't  know 
there  was  a  consort  coming,  either?  But  there  is; 
and  not  so  long  till  then ;  and  we  '11  see  who  '11  be 
glad  to  have  a  hostage  when  it  comes  to  that.  And 
as  for  number  two,  and  why  I  made  a  bargain  — 
Avell,  you  came  crawling  on  your  knees  to  me  to 
make  it  —  on  your  knees  you  came,  you  was  that 
downhearted  —  and  you  'd  have  starved,  too,  if  I 
had  n't  —  but  that 's  a  trifle !  you  look  there  — 
that's  why!" 

And  he  cast  down  upon  the  floor  a  paper  that  I 
instantly  recognised  —  none  other  than  the  chart 
on  yellow  paper,  with  the  three  red  crosses,  that 
I  had  found  in  the  oilcloth  at  the  bottom  of  the 
captain's  chest.  Why  the  doctor  had  given  it  to 
him  was  more  than  I  could  fancy. 

But  if  it  were  inexplicable  to  me,  the  appearance 
of  the  chart  was  incredible  to  the  surviving  muti- 
neers. They  leaped  upon  it  like  cats  upon  a  mouse. 
It  went  from  hand  to  hand,  one  tearing  it  from 
another;  and  by  the  oaths  and  the  cries  and  the 
childish  laughter  with  which  they  accompanied 
their  examination,  you  would  have  thought,  not 
only  they  were  fingering  the  very  gold,  but  were 
at  sea  with  it,  besides,  in  safety. 

"  Yes,"  said  one,  "  that 's  Flint,  sure  enough. 
J.  F.,  and  a  score  below,  with  a  clove  hitch  to  it; 
so  he  done  ever." 


278      TREASURE     ISLAND 

"  Mighty  pretty/'  said  George.  "  But  how  are 
we  to  get  away  with  it,  and  us  no  ship?  " 

Silver  suddenly  sprang  up,  and  supporting  him- 
self with  a  hand  against  the  wall :  "  Now  I  give 
you  warning,  George/'  he  cried.  "  One  more  word 
of  your  sauce,  and  I  '11  call  you  down  and  fight 
you.  How?  Why,  how  do  I  know?  You  had 
ought  to  tell  me  that  —  you  and  the  rest,  that  lost 
me  my  schooner,  with  your  interference,  burn  you ! 
But  not  you,  you  can't;  you  hain't  got  the  inven- 
tion of  a  cockroach.  But  civil  you  can  speak,  and 
shall,  George  Merry,  you  may  lay  to  that." 

"  That 's  fair  enow,"  said  the  old  man  Morgan. 

"  Fair !  I  reckon  so,"  said  the  sea-cook.  "  You 
lost  the  ship ;  I  found  the  treasure.  Who  's  the 
better  man  at  that?  And  now  I  resign,  by  thun- 
der !  Elect  whom  you  please  to  be  your  cap'n  now ; 
I  "m  done  with  it." 

"Silver!"  they  cried.  "Barbecue  for  ever! 
Barbecue  for  cap'n !  " 

"So  that's  the  toon,  is  it?"  cried  the  cook. 
"  George,  I  reckon  you  '11  have  to  wait  another 
turn,  friend ;  and  lucky  for  you  as  I  'm  not  a  re- 
vengeful man.  But  that  was  never  my  way.  And 
now,  shipmates,  this  black  spot  ?  'T  ain't  much 
good  now,  is  it?  Dick's  crossed^his  luck  and 
spoiled  his  Bible,  and  that 's  about  all." 

"It'll  do  to  kiss  the  book  on  still,  won't  it?" 


TREASURE    ISLAND      279 

growled  Dick,  who  was  evidently  uneasy  at  the 
curse  he  had  brought  upon  himself. 

"A  Bible  with  a  bit  cut  out!"  returned  Silver, 
derisively.  "  Not  it.  It  don't  bind  no  more  'n  a 
ballad-book." 

"Don't  it,  though?"  cried  Dick,  with  a  sort  of 
joy.  "  Well,  I  reckon  that 's  worth  having,  too." 

"  Here,  Jim  —  here  's  a  cur'osity  for  you,"  said 
Silver:  and  he  tossed  me  the  paper. 

It  was  a  round,  about  the  size  of  a  crown  piece. 
One  side  was  blank,  for  it  had  been  the  last  leaf; 
the  other  contained  a  verse  or  two  of  Revelation 
—  these  words  among  the  rest,  which  struck 
sharply  home  upon  my  mind :  "  Without  are  dogs 
and  murderers."  The  printed  side  had  been  black- 
ened with  wood  ash,  which  already  began  to  come 
off  and  soil  my  fingers ;  on  the  blank  side  had  been 
written  with  the  same  material  the  one  word  "  Dep- 
posed."  I  have  that  curiosity  beside  me  at  this 
moment;  but  not  a  trace  of  writing  now  remains 
beyond  a  single  scratch,  such  as  a  man  might  make 
with  his  thumb-nail. 

That  was  the  end  of  the  night's  business.  Soon 
after,  with  a  drink  all  round,  we  lay  down  to  sleep, 
and  the  outside  of  Silver's  vengeance  was  to  put 
George  Merry  up  for  sentinel,  and  threaten  him 
with  death  if  he  should  prove  unfaithful. 

It  was  long  ere  I  could  close  an  eye,  and  Heaven 


28o      TREASURE     ISLAND 

knows  I  had  matter  enough  for  thought  in  the  man 
whom  I  had  slain  that  afternoon,  in  my  own  most 
perilous  position,  and,  above  all,  in  the  remarkable 
game  that  I  saw  Silver  now  engaged  upon  —  keep- 
ing the  mutineers  together  with  one  hand,  and 
grasping,  with  the  other,  after  every  means,  pos- 
sible and  impossible,  to  make  his  peace  and  save 
his  miserable  life.  He  himself  slept  peacefully,  and 
snored  aloud;  yet  my  heart  was  sore  for  him, 
wicked  as  he  was,  to  think  on  the  dark  perils  that 
environed,  and  the  shameful  gibbet  that  awaited 
him. 


CHAPTER   XXX 

ON    PAROLE 

I  WAS  wakened  —  indeed,  we  were  all  wak- 
ened, for  I  could  see  even  the  sentinel  shake 
himself  together  from  where  he  had  fallen 
against  the  door-post  —  by  a  clear,  hearty  voice 
hailing  us  from  the  margin  of  the  wood : 

"  Block-house,  ahoy !  "  it  cried.  "  Here  's  the 
doctor." 

And  the  doctor  it  was.  Although  I  was  glad 
to  hear  the  sound,  yet  my  gladness  was  not  with- 
out admixture.  I  remembered  with  confusion  my 
insubordinate  and  stealthy  conduct;  and  when  I 
saw  where  it  had  brought  me  —  among  what  com- 
panions and  surrounded  by  what  dangers  —  I  felt 
ashamed  to  look  him  in  the  face. 

He  must  have  risen  in  the  dark,  for  the  day  had 
hardly  come;  and  when  I  ran  to  a  loophole  and 
looked  out,  I  saw  him  standing,  like  Silver  once 
before,  up  to  the  mid-leg  in  creeping  vapour. 

"  You,  doctor !  Top  o'  the  morning  to  you, 
sir !  "  cried  Silver,  broad  awake  and  beaming  with 
good  nature  in  a  moment.  "  Bright  and  early,  to 


282      TREASURE     ISLAND 

be  sure ;  and  it 's  the  early  bird,  as  the  saying 
goes,  that  gets  the  rations.  George,  shake  up  your 
timbers,  son,  and  help  Dr.  Livesey  over  the  ship's 
side.  All  a-doin'  well,  your  patients  was  —  all 
well  and  merry." 

So  he  pattered  on,  standing  on  the  hill-top,  with 
his  crutch  under  his  elbow,  and  one  hand  upon 
the  side  of  the  log-house  —  quite  the  old  John  in 
voice,  manner,  and  expression. 

"  We  've  quite  a  surprise  for  you,  too,  sir,"  he 
continued.  "  We  Ve  a  little  stranger  here  —  he ! 
he!  A  noo  boarder  and  lodger,  sir,  and  looking 
fit  and  taut  as  a  fiddle ;  slep'  like  a  supercargo,  he 
did,  right  alongside  of  John  —  stem  to  stem  we 
was,  all  night." 

Dr.  Livesey  was  by  this  time  across  the  stock- 
ade and  pretty  near  the  cook;  and  I  could  hear 
the  alteration  in  his  voice  as  he  said: 

"Not  Jim?" 

"  The  very  same  Jim  as  ever  was,"  says  Silver. 

The  doctor  stopped  outright,  although  he  did 
not  speak,  and  it  was  some  seconds  before  he 
seemed  able  to  move  on. 

"  Well,  well,"  he  said,  at  last,  "  duty  first  and 
pleasure  afterwards,  as  you  might  have  said  your- 
self, Silver.  Let  us  overhaul  thesje  patients  of 
yours." 

A  moment  afterwards  he  had  entered  the  block- 


TREASURE     ISLAND      283 

house,  and,  with  one  grim  nod  to  me,  proceeded 
with  his  work  among  the  sick.  He  seemed  under 
no  apprehension,  though  he  must  have  known  that 
his  life,  among  these  treacherous  demons,  depended 
on  a  hair;  and  he  rattled  on  to  his  patients  as 
if  he  were  paying  an  ordinary  professional  visit  in 
a  quiet  English  family.  His  manner,  I  suppose, 
reacted  on  the  men;  for  they  behaved  to  him  as 
if  nothing  had  occurred  —  as  if  he  were  still  "ship's 
doctor,  and  they  still  faithful  hands  before  the  mast. 

"  You  're  doing  well,  my  friend,"  he  said  to  the 
fellow  with  the  bandaged  head,  "  and  if  ever  any 
person  had  a  close  shave,  it  was  you;  your  head 
must  be  as  hard  as  iron.  Well,  George,  how  goes 
it  ?  You  're  a  pretty  colour,  certainly ;  why,  your 
liver,  man,  is  upside  down.  Did  you  take  that 
medicine  ?  Did  he  take  that  medicine,  men  ?  " 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,  he  took  it,  sure  enough,"  returned 
Morgan. 

"  Because,  you  see,  since  I  am  mutineers'  doctor, 
or  prison  doctor,  as  I  prefer  to  call  it,"  says  Dr. 
Livesey,  in  his  pleasantest  way,  "  I  make  it  a  point 
of  honour  not  to  lose  a  man  for  King  George  ( God 
bless  him!)  and  the  gallows." 

The  rogues  looked  at  each  other,  but  swallowed 
the  home-thrust  in  silence. 

"  Dick  don't  feel  well,  sir,"  said  one. 

"Don't  he?"  replied  the  doctor.     "Well,  step 


284      TREASURE     ISLAND 

up  here,  Dick,  and  let  me  see  your  tongue.  No,  I 
should  be  surprised  if  he  did!  the  man's  tongue 
is  fit  to  frighten  the  French.  Another  fever." 

"  Ah,  there,"  said  Morgan,  "  that  corned  of  sp'il- 
ing  Bibles." 

"  That  corned  —  as  you  call  it  —  of  being  ar- 
rant asses,"  retorted  the  doctor,  "  and  not  having 
sense  enough  to  know  honest  air  from  poison,  and 
the  dry  land  from  a  vile,  pestiferous  slough.  I 
think  it  most  probable  —  though,  of  course,  it  's 
only  an  opinion  —  that  you  '11  all  have  the  deuce 
to  pay  before  you  get  that  malaria  out  of  your 
systems.  Camp  in  a  bog,  would  you  ?  Silver,  I  'm 
surprised  at  you.  You  're  less  of  a  fool  than  many, 
take  you  all  round;  but  you  don't  appear  to  me 
to  have  the  rudiments  of  a  notion  of  the  rules  of 
health. 

"  Well,"  he  added,  after  he  had  dosed  them 
round,  and  they  had  taken  his  prescriptions,  with 
really  laughable  humility,  more  like  charity  school- 
children than  blood-guilty  mutineers  and  pirates 
—  "  well,  that 's  done  for  to-day.  And  now  I 
should  wish  to  have  a  talk  with  that  boy,  please." 

And  he  nodded  his  head  in  my  direction  care- 
lessly. 

George  Merry  was  at  the  door,  spitting  and 
spluttering  over  some  bad-tasted  medicine;  but  at 
the  first  word  of  the  doctor's  proposal  he  swung 


TREASURE     ISLAND      285 

round  with  a  deep  flush,  and  cried  "No!"  and 
swore. 

Silver  struck  the  barrel  with  his  open  hand. 

"  Si-lence ! "  he  roared,  and  looked  about  him 
positively  like  a  lion.  "  Doctor,"  he  went  on,  in 
his  usual  tones,  "  I  was  a-thinking  of  that,  know- 
ing as  how  you  had  a  fancy  for  the  boy.  We  're 
all  humbly  grateful  for  your  kindness,  and,  as  you 
see,  puts  faith  in  you,  and  takes  the  drugs  down 
like  that  much  grog.  And  I  take  it  I  've  found 
a  way  as  '11  suit  all.  Hawkins,  will  you  give  me 
your  word  of  honour  as  a  young  gentleman  —  for 
a  young  gentleman  you  are,  although  poor  born 
—  your  word  of  honour  not  to  slip  your  cable?" 

I  readily  gave  the  pledge  required. 

"  Then,  doctor,"  said  Silver,  "  you  just  step 
outside  o'  that  stockade,  and  once  you  're  there, 
I  '11  bring  the  boy  down  on  the  inside,  and  I 
reckon  you  can  yarn  through  the  spars.  Good- 
day  to  you,  sir,  and  all  our  dooties  to  the  squire 
and  Cap'n  Smollett." 

The  explosion  of  disapproval,  which  nothing  but 
Silver's  black  looks  had  restrained,  broke  out  im- 
mediately the  doctor  had  left  the  house.  Silver 
was  roundly  accused  of  playing  double  —  of  try- 
ing to  make  a  separate  peace  for  himself  —  of 
sacrificing  the  interests  of  his  accomplices  and  vic- 
tims; and,  in  one  word,  of  the  identical,  exact 


286      TREASURE    ISLAND 

thing  that  he  was  doing.  It  seemed  to  me  so 
obvious,  in  this  case,  that  I  could  not  imagine 
how  he  was  to  turn  their  anger.  But  he  was  twice 
the  man  the  rest  were ;  and  his  last  night's  victory 
had  given  him  a  huge  preponderance  on  their 
minds.  He  called  them  all  the  fools  and  dolts 
you  can  imagine,  said  it  was  necessary  I  should 
talk  to  the  doctor,  fluttered  the  chart  in  their  faces, 
asked  them  if  they  could  afford  to  break  the  treaty 
the  very  day  they  were  bound  a-treasure-hunting. 

"  No,  by  thunder !  "  he  cried,  "  it 's  us  must 
break  the  treaty  when  the  time  comes;  and  till 
then  I  '11  gammon  that  doctor,  if  I  have  to  ile  his 
boots  with  brandy." 

And  then  he  bade  them  get  the  fire  lit,  and 
stalked  out  upon  his  crutch,  with  his  hand  on  my 
shoulder,  leaving  them  in  a  disarray,  and  silenced 
by  his  volubility  rather  than  convinced. 

"Slow,  lad,  slow,"  he  said.  "They  might 
round  upon  us  in  a  twinkle  of  an  eye,  if  we  was 
seen  to  hurry." 

Very  deliberately,  then,  did  we  advance  across 
the  sand  to  where  the  doctor  awaited  us  on  the 
other  side  of  the  stockade,  and  as  soon  as  we  were 
within  easy  speaking  distance,  Silver  stopped. 

"You  '11  make  a  note  of  this  here_also,  doctor," 
says  he,  "  and  the  boy  '11  tell  you  how  I  saved  his 
life,  and  were  deposed  for  it,  too,  and  you  may 


TREASURE    ISLAND      287 

lay  to  that.  Doctor,  when  a  man  's  steering  as 
near  the  wind  as  me  —  playing  chuck-farthing 
with  the  last  breath  in  his  body,  like  —  you 
would  n't  think  it  too  much,  mayhap,  to  give  him 
one  good  word  ?  You  '11  please  bear  in  mind  it 's 
not  my  life  only  now  —  it 's  that  boy's  into  the 
bargain ;  and  you  '11  speak  me  fair,  doctor,  and 
give  me  a  bit  o'  hope  to  go  on,  for  the  sake  of 
mercy." 

Silver  was  a  changed  man,  once  he  was  out 
there  and  had  his  back  to  his  friends  and  the 
block-house;  his  cheeks  seemed  to  have  fallen  in, 
his  voice  trembled;  never  was  a  soul  more  dead 
in  earnest. 

"Why,  John,  you're  not  afraid?"  asked  Dr. 
Livesey. 

"  Doctor,  I  'm  no  coward ;  no,  not  I  —  not  so 
much !  "  and  he  snapped  his  fingers.  "  If  I  was 
I  would  n't  say  it.  But  I  '11  own  up  fairly,  I  've 
the  shakes  upon  me  for  the  gallows.  You  're  a 
good  man  and  a  true ;  I  never  seen  a  better  man ! 
And  you  '11  not  forget  what  I  done  good,  not  any 
more  than  you  '11  forget  the  bad,  I  know.  And 
I  step  aside  —  see  here  —  and  leave  you  and  Jim 
alone.  And  you  '11  put  that  down  for  me,  too, 
for  it 's  a  long  stretch,  is  that!  " 

So  saying,  he  stepped  back  a  little  way,  till  he 
was  out  of  earshot,  and  there  sat  down  upon  a 


288      TREASURE     ISLAND 

tree-stump  and  began  to  whistle;  spinning  round 
now  and  again  upon  his  seat  so  as  to  command  a 
sight,  sometimes  of  me  and  the  doctor,  and  some- 
times of  his  unruly  ruffians  as  they  went  to  and 
fro  in  the  sand,  between  the  fife  —  which  they 
were  busy  rekindling  —  and  the  house,  from  which 
they  brought  forth  pork  and  bread  to  make  the 
breakfast. 

"  So,  Jim,"  said  the  doctor,  sadly,  "  here  you 
are.  As  you  have  brewed,  so  shall  you  drink, 
my  boy.  Heaven  knows,  I  cannot  find  it  in  my 
heart  to  blame  you;  but  this  much  I  will  say,  be 
it  kind  or  unkind :  when  Captain  Smollett  was 
well,  you  dared  not  have  gone  off;  and  when  he 
was  ill,  and  could  n't  help  it,  by  George,  it  was 
downright  cowardly !  " 

I  will  own  that  I  here  began  to  weep.  "  Doctor," 
I  said,  "  you  might  spare  me.  I  have  blamed  my- 
self enough ;  my  life 's  forfeit  anyway,  and  I 
should  have  been  dead  by  now,  if  Silver  had  n't 
stood  for  me;  and,  doctor,  believe  this,  I  can  die 
—  and  I  dare  say  I  deserve  it  —  but  what  I  fear 
is  torture.  If  they  come  to  torture  me " 

"  Jim,"  the  doctor  interrupted,  and  his  voice  was 
quite  changed,  "  Jim,  I  can't  have  this.  Whip  over, 
and  we  '11  run  for  it." 

"  Doctor,"  said  I,  "  I  passed  my  word." 

"  I  know,  I  know,"  he  cried.     "  We  can't  help 


TREASURE     ISLAND      289 

that,  Jim,  now.  I  '11  take  it  on  my  shoulders,  holus 
bolus,  blame  and  shame,  my  boy;  but  stay  here,  I 
cannot  let  you.  Jump !  One  jump,  and  you  're  out, 
and  we  '11  run  for  it  like  antelopes." 

"  No,"  I  replied,  "  you  know  right  well  you 
would  n't  do  the  thing  yourself ;  neither  you,  nor 
squire,  nor  captain;  and  no  more  will  I.  Silver 
trusted  me;  I  passed  my  word,  and  back  I 
go.  But,  doctor,  you  did  not  let  me  finish.  If 
they  come  to  torture  me,  I  might  let  slip  a 
word  of  where  the  ship  is;  for  I  got  the  ship, 
part  by  luck  and  part  by  risking,  and  she  lies 
in  North  Inlet,  on  the  southern  beach,  and  just 
below  high  water.  At  half  tide  she  must  be 
high  and  dry." 

"  The  ship !  "  exclaimed  the  doctor. 

Rapidly  I  described  to  him  my  adventures,  and 
he  heard  me  out  in  silence. 

"  There  is  a  kind  of  fate  in  this,"  he  observed, 
when  I  had  done.  "  Every  step,  it 's  you  that  saves 
our  lives ;  and  do  you  suppose  by  any  chance  that 
we  are  going  to  let  you  lose  yours  ?  That  would  be 
a  poor  return,  my  boy.  You  found  out  the  plot; 
you  found  Ben  Gunn  —  the  best  deed  that  ever  you 
did,  or  will  do,  though  you  live  to  ninety.  Oh,  by 
Jupiter,  and  talking  of  Ben  Gunn !  why,  this  is  the 
mischief  in  person.  Silver,"  he  cried,  "  Silver !  — 
I  '11  give  you  a  piece  of  advice,"  he  continued,  as 

VOL.    VI. —  10 


290      TREASURE     ISLAND 

the  cook  drew  near  again ;  "  don't  you  be  in  any 
great  hurry  after  that  treasure." 

"  Why,  sir,  I  do  my  possible,  which  that  ain't," 
said  Silver.  "  I  can  only,  asking  your  pardon,  save 
my  life  and  the  boy's  by  seeking  for  that  treasure ; 
and  you  may  lay  to  that." 

"  Well,  Silver,"  replied  the  doctor,  "  if  that  is  so, 
I  '11  go  one  step  further :  look  out  for  squalls  when 
you  find  it." 

"  Sir,"  said  Silver,  "  as  between  man  and  man, 
that 's  too  much  and  too  little.  What  you  're  after, 
why  you  left  the  block-house,  why  you  given  me 
that  there  chart,  I  don't  know,  now,  do  I  ?  and  yet 
I  done  your  bidding  with  my  eyes  shut  and  never 
a  word  of  hope!  But  no,  this  here  's  too  much.  If 
you  won't  tell  me  what  you  mean  plain  out,  just 
say  so,  and  I  '11  leave  the  helm." 

"  No,"  said  the  doctor,  musingly,  "  I  've  no  right 
to  say  more ;  it 's  not  my  secret,  you  see,  Silver,  or, 
I  give  you  my  word,  I  'd  tell  it  you.  But  I  '11  go  as 
far  with  you  as  I  dare  go,  and  a  step  beyond ;  for 
I  '11  have  my.  wig  sorted  by  the  captain  or  I  'm 
mistaken !  And,  first,  I  '11  give  you  a  bit  of  hope : 
Silver,  if  we  both  get  alive  out  of  this  wolf-trap, 
I  '11  do  my  best  to  save  you,  short  of  perjury." 

Silver's  face  was  radiant.  "  You  could  n't  say 
more,  I  'm  sure,  sir,  not  if  you  was  my  mother," 
he  cried. 


TREASURE     ISLAND      291 

"  Well,  that 's  my  first  concession,"  added  the 
doctor.  "  My  second  is  a  piece  of  advice :  Keep 
the  boy  close  beside  you,  and  when  you  need  help, 
halloo.  I  'm  off  to  seek  it  for  you,  and  that  itself 
will  show  you  if  I  speak  at  random.  Good-bye, 
Jim/' 

And  Dr.  Livesey  shook  hands  with  me  through 
the  stockade,  nodded  to  Silver,  and  set  off  at  a  brisk 
pace  into  the  wood. 


CHAPTER   XXXI 

THE  TREASURE   HUNT  —  FLINT'S   POINTER 

"  T  IM,"  said  Silver,  when  we  were  alone,  "  if 
I  saved  your  life,  you  saved  mine ;  and  I  '11 
^  not  forget  it.  I  seen  the  doctor  waving 
you  to  run  for  it  —  with  the  tail  of  my  eye,  I  did ; 
and  I  seen  you  say  no,  as  plain  as  hearing.  Jim, 
that 's  one  to  you.  This  is  the  first  glint  of  hope 
I  had  since  the  attack  failed,  and  I  owe  it  you. 
And  now,  Jim,  we  're  to  go  in  for  this  here  treas- 
ure-hunting, with  sealed  orders,  too,  and  I  don't 
like  it;  and  you  and  me  must  stick  close,  back  to 
back  like,  and  we  '11  save  our  necks  in  spite  o'  fate 
and  fortune." 

Just  then  a  man  hailed  us  from  the  fire  that 
breakfast  was  ready,  and  we  were  soon  seated  here 
and  there  about  the  sand  over  biscuit  and  fried 
junk.  They  had  lit  a  fire  fit  to  roast  an  ox;  and 
it  was  now  grown  so  hot  that  they  could  only 
approach  it  from  the  windward,  and  even  there 
not  without  precaution.  In  the  same  wasteful 
spirit,  they  had  cooked,  I  suppose,  three  times  mor<» 
than  we  could  eat;  and  one  of  them,  with  an 


TREASURE     ISLAND      293 

empty  laugh,  threw  what  was  left  into  the  fire, 
which  blazed  and  roared  again  over  this  unusual 
fuel.  I  never  in  my  life  saw  men  so  careless  of 
the  morrow ;  hand  to  mouth  is  the  only  word  that 
can  describe  their  way  of  doing;  and  what  with 
wasted  food  and  sleeping  sentries,  though  they 
were  bold  enough  for  a  brush  and  be  done  with  it, 
I  could  see  their  entire  unfitness  for  anything  like 
a  prolonged  campaign. 

Even  Silver,  eating  away,  with  Captain  Flint 
upon  his  shoulder,  had  not  a  word  of  blame  for 
their  recklessness.  And  this  the  more  surprised 
me,  for  I  thought  he  had  never  shown  himself  so 
cunning  as  he  did  then. 

"  Ay,  mates,"  said  he,  "  it 's  lucky  you  have 
Barbecue  to  think  for  you  with  this  here  head.  I 
got  what  I  wanted,  I  did.  Sure  enough,  they  have 
the  ship.  Where  they  have  it,  I  don't  know  yet; 
but  once  we  hit  the  treasure,  we  '11  have  to  jump 
about  and  find  out.  And  then,  mates,  us  that  has 
the  boats,  I  reckon,  has  the  upper  hand." 

Thus  he  kept  running  on,  with  his  mouth  full 
of  the  hot  bacon :  thus  he  restored  their  hope  and 
confidence,  and,  I  more  than  suspect,  repaired  his 
own  at  the  same  time. 

"  As  for  hostage,"  he  continued,  "  that 's  his 
last  talk,  I  guess,  with  them  he  loves  so  dear. 
I  've  got  my  piece  o'  news,  and  thanky  to  him 


294      TREASURE     ISLAND 

for  that;  but  it's  over  and  done.  I'll  take  him 
in  a  line  when  we  go  treasure-hunting,  for  we  'II 
keep  him  like  so  much  gold,  in  case  of  accidents, 
you  mark,  and  in  the  meantime.  Once  we  got  the 
ship  and  treasure  both,  and  off  to  sea  like  jolly 
companions,  why,  then,  we  '11  talk  Mr.  Hawkins 
over,  we  will,  and  we  '11  give  him  his  share,  to  be 
sure,  for  all  his  kindness." 

It  was  no  wonder  the  men  were  in  a  good 
humour  now.  For  my  part,  I  was  horribly  cast 
down.  Should  the  scheme  he  had  now  sketched 
prove  feasible,  Silver,  already  doubly  a  traitor, 
would  not  hesitate  to  adopt  it.  Hexhad  still  a  foot 
in  either  camp,  and  there  was  no  doubt  he  would 
prefer  wealth  and  freedom  with  the  pirates  to  a 
bare  escape  from  hanging,  which  was  the  best  he 
had  to  hope  on  our  side. 

Nay,  and  even  if  things  so  fell  out  that  he  was 
forced  to  keep  his  faith  with  Dr.  Livesey,  even 
then  what  danger  lay  before  us !  What  a  moment 
that  would  be  when  the  suspicions  of  his  followers 
turned  to  certainty,  and  he  and  I  should  have  to 
fight  for  dear  life  —  he,  a  cripple,  and  I,  a  boy  — 
against  five  strong  and  active  seamen! 

Add  to  this  double  apprehension,  the  mystery 
that  still  hung  over  the  behaviour  of  my  friends; 
their  unexplained  desertion  of  the^stockade ;  their 
inexplicable  cession  of  the  chart;  or,  harder  still 


TREASURE     ISLAND      295 

to  understand,  the  doctor's  last  warning  to  Silver, 
"  Look  out  for  squalls  when  you  find  it ;  "  and  you 
will  readily  believe  how  little  taste  I  found  in  my 
breakfast,  and  with  how  uneasy  a  heart  I  set  forth 
behind  my  captors  on  the  quest  for  treasure. 

We  made  a  curious  figure,  had  any  one  been  there 
to  see  us;  all  in  soiled  sailor  clothes,  and  all  but 
me  armed  to  the  teeth.  Silver  had  two  guns  slung 
about  him  —  one  before  and  one  behind  —  besides 
the  great  cutlass  at  his  waist,  and  a  pistol  in  each 
pocket  of  his  square-tailed  coat.  To  complete  his 
strange  appearance,  Captain  Flint  sat  perched  upon 
his  shoulder  and  gabbling  odds  and  ends  of  pur- 
poseless sea-talk.  I  had  a  line  about  my  waist, 
and  followed  obediently  after  the  sea-cook,  who 
held  the  loose  end  of  the  rope,  now  in  his  free 
hand,  now  between  his  powerful  teeth.  For  all 
the  world,  I  was  led  like  a  dancing  bear. 

The  other  men  were  variously  burthened;  some 
carrying  picks  and  shovels  —  for  that  had  been 
the  very  first  necessary  they  brought  ashore  from 
the  Hispaniola  —  others  laden  with  pork,  bread, 
and  brandy  for  the  mid-day  meal.  All  the  stores, 
I  observed,  came  from  our  stock;  and  I  could  see 
the  truth  of  Silver's  words  the  night  before.  Had 
he  not  struck  a  bargain  with  the  doctor,  he  and  his 
mutineers,  deserted  by  the  ship,  must  have  been 
driven  to  subsist  on  clear  water  and  the  proceeds 


296      TREASURE    I  S  L  A  N  I> 

of  their  hunting.  Water  would  have  been  little 
to  their  taste;  a  sailor  is  not  usually  a  good  shot; 
and,  besides  all  that,  when  they  were  so  short  of 
eatables,  it  was  not  likely  they  would  be  very  flush 
of  powder. 

Well,  thus  equipped,  we  all  set  out  —  even  the 
fellow  with  the  broken  head,  who  should  certainly 
have  kept  in  shadow  —  and  straggled,  one  after 
another,  to  the  beach,  where  the  two  gigs  awaited 
us.  Even  these  bore  trace  of  the  drunken  folly  of 
the  pirates,  one  in  a  broken  thwart,  and  both  in 
their  muddy  and  unbailed  condition.  Both  were 
to  be  carried  along  with  us,  for  the  sake  of  safety ; 
and  so,  with  our  numbers  divided  between  them, 
we  set  forth  upon  the  bosom  of  the  anchorage. 

As  we  pulled  over,  there  was  some  discussion 
on  the  chart.  The  red  cross  was,  of  course,  far 
too  large  to  be  a  guide;  and  the  terms  of  the  note 
on  the  back,  as  you  will  hear,  admitted  of  some 
ambiguity.  They  ran,  the  reader  may  remember, 
thus: 

"  Tall  tree,  Spy-glass  shoulder,  bearing  a  point  to  the  N. 
of  N.N.E. 

"  Skeleton  Island  E.S.E.  and  by  E. 
"  Ten  feet." 

A  tall  tree  was  thus  the  principal  mark.  Now, 
right  before  us,  the  anchorage  was  bounded  by  a 
plateau  from  two  to  three  hundred  feet  high,  ad- 


TREASURE     ISLAND      297 

joining  on  the  north  the  sloping  southern  shoulder 
of  the  Spy-glass,  and  rising  again  towards  the 
sovrth  into  the  rough,  cliffy  eminence  called  the 
Mizzen-mast  Hill.  The  top  of  the  plateau  was 
dotted  thickly  with  pine  trees  of  varying  height. 
Every  here  and  there,  one  of  a  different  species 
rose  forty  or  fifty  feet  clear  above  its  neighbours, 
and  which  of  these  was  the  particular  "  tall  tree  " 
of  Captain  Flint  could  only  be  decided  on  the  spot, 
and  by  the  readings  of  the  compass. 

Yet,  although  that  was  the  case,  every  man  on 
board  the  boats  had  picked  a  favourite  of  his  own 
ere  we  were  half-way  over,  Long  John  alone  shrug- 
ging his  shoulders  and  bidding  them  wait  till  they 
were  there. 

We  pulled  easily,  by  Silver's  directions,  not  to 
weary  the  hands  prematurely;  and,  after  quite  a 
long  passage,  landed  at  the  mouth  of  the  second 
river  —  that  which  runs  down  a  woody  cleft  of 
the  Spy-glass.  Thence,  bending  to  our  left,  we 
began  to  ascend  the  slope  towards  the  plateau. 

At  the  first  outset,  heavy,  miry  ground  and  a 
matted,  marish  vegetation,  greatly  delayed  our 
progress;  but  by  little  and  little  the  hill  began  to 
steepen  and  become  stony  under  foot,  and  the  wood 
to  change  its  character  and  to  grow  in  a  more  open 
order.  It  was,  indeed,  a  most  pleasant  portion  of 
the  island  that  we  were  now  approaching.  A 


298      TREASURE     ISLAND 

heavy-scented  broom  ancl  many  flowering  shrubs 
had  almost  taken  the  place  of  grass.  Thickets  of 
green  nutmeg  trees  were  dotted  here  and  there 
with  the  red  columns  and  the  broad  shadow  of 
the  pines;  and  the  first  mingled  their  spice  with 
the  aroma  of  the  others.  The  air,  besides,  was 
fresh  and  stirring,  and  this,  under  the  sheer 
sunbeams,  was  a  wonderful  refreshment  to  our 
senses. 

The  party  spread  itself  abroad,  in  a  fan  shape, 
shouting  and  leaping  to  and  fro.  About  the  centre, 
and  a  good  way  behind  the  rest,  Silver  and  I  fol- 
lowed —  I  tethered  by  my  rope,  he  ploughing,  with 
deep  pants,  among  the  sliding  gravel.  From  time 
to  time,  indeed,  I  had  to  lend  him  a  hand,  or  he 
must  have  missed  his  footing  and  fallen  backward 
down  the  hill. 

We  had  thus  proceeded  for  about  half  a  mile, 
and  were  approaching  the  brow  of  the  plateau, 
when  the  man  upon  the  farthest  left  began  to  cry 
aloud,  as  if  in  terror.  Shout  after  shout  came 
from  him,  and  the  others  began  to  run  in  his 
direction. 

"  He  can't  'a'  found  the  treasure,"  said  old  Mor- 
gan, hurrying  past  us  from  the  right,  "  for  that 's 
clean  a-top." 

Indeed,  as  we  found  when  we  also  reached  the 
spot,  it  was  something  very  different.  At  the  foot 


TREASURE     ISLAND      299 

of  a  pretty  big  pine,  and  involved  in  a  green 
creeper,  which  had  even  partly  lifted  some  of  the 
smaller  bones,  a  human  skeleton  lay,  with  a  few 
shreds  of  clothing,  on  the  ground.  I  believe  a  chill 
struck  for  a  moment  to  every  heart. 

"  He  was  a  seaman,"  said  George  Merry,  who, 
bolder  than  the  rest,  had  gone  up  close,  and  was 
examining  the  rags  of  clothing.  "  Leastways,  this 
is  good  sea-cloth." 

"  Ay,  ay,"  said  Silver,  "  like  enough ;  you 
would  n't  look  to  find  a  bishop  here,  I  reckon. 
But  what  sort  of  a  way  is  that  for  bones  to  lie? 
?T  ain't  in  natur'." 

Indeed,  on  a  second  glance,  it  seemed  impos- 
sible to  fancy  that  the  body  was  in  a  natural  posi- 
tion. But  for  some  disarray  (the  work,  perhaps, 
of  the  birds  that  had  fed  upon  him,  or  of  the  slow- 
growing  creeper  that  had  gradually  enveloped  his 
remains)  the  man  lay  perfectly  straight  —  his  feet 
pointing  in  one  direction,  his  hands,  raised  above 
his  head  like  a  diver's,  pointing  directly  in  the 
opposite. 

"  I  've  taken  a  notion  into  my  old  numskull,"  ob- 
served Silver.  "  Here  's  the  compass ;  there  's  the 
tip-top  p'int  o'  Skeleton  Island,  stickin'  out  like 
a  tooth.  Just  take  a  bearing,  will  you,  along  the 
line  of  them  bones." 

It  was  done.     The  body  pointed  straight  in  the 


300      TREASURE     ISLAND 

direction  of  the  island,  and  the  compass  read  duly 
E.  S.  E.  and  by  E. 

"I  thought  so,"  cried  the  cook;  "this  here  is 
a  p'inter.  Right  up  there  is  our  line  for  the  Pole 
Star  and  the  jolly  dollars.  But,  by  thunder!  if 
it  don't  make  me  cold  inside  to  think  of  Flint. 
This  is  one  of  his  jokes,  and  no  mistake.  Him  and 
these  six  was  alone  here ;  he  killed  'em,  every  man ; 
and  this  one  he  hauled  here  and  laid  down  by 
compass,  shiver  my  timbers !  They  're  long  bones, 
and  the  hair  's  been  yellow.  Ay,  that  would  be 
Allardyce.  You  mind  Allardyce,  Tom  Morgan?" 

"  Ay,  ay,"  returned  Morgan,  "  I  mind  him ;  he 
owed  me  money,  he  did,  and  took  my  knife  ashore 
with  him." 

"  Speaking  of  knives,"  said  another,  "  why  don't 
we  find  his'n  lying  round?  Flint  warn't  the  man 
to  pick  a  seaman's  pocket;  and  the  birds,  I  guess, 
would  leave  it  be." 

"  By  the  powers,  and  that 's  true !  "  cried  Silver. 

"  There  ain't  a  thing  left  here,"  said  Merry,  still 
feeling  round  among  the  bones,  "  not  a  copper 
doit  nor  a  baccy  box.  It  don't  look  nat'ral  to  me." 

"No,  by  gum,  it  don't,"  agreed  Silver;  "not 
nat'ral,  nor  not  nice,  says  you.  Great  guns !  mess- 
mates, but  if  Flint  was  living,  this  would  be  a  hot 
spot  for  you  and  me.  Six  they  were,  and  six  are 
we ;  and  bones  is  what  they  are  now." 


TREASURE     ISLAND      301' 

"  I  saw  him  dead  with  these  here  dead-lights," 
said  Morgan.  "  Billy  took  me  in.  There  he  laid, 
with  penny-pieces  on  his  eyes." 

"  Dead  —  ay,  sure  enough  he  's  dead  and  gone 
below,"  said  the  fellow  with  the  bandage;  "but 
if  ever  sperrit  walked,  it  would  be  Flint's.  Dear 
heart,  but  he  died  bad,  did  Flint !  " 

"  Ay,  that  he  did,"  observed  another ;  "  no\v  he 
raged,  and  now  he  hollered  for  the  rum,  and  now 
he  sang.  '  Fifteen  Men  '  were  his  only  song,  mates ; 
and  I  tell  you  true,  I  never  rightly  liked  to  hear  it 
since.  It  was  main  hot,  and  the  windy  was  open, 
and  I  hear  that  old  song  comin'  out  as  clear  as 
clear  —  and  the  death-haul  on  the  man  already." 

"  Come,  come,"  said  Silver,  "  stow  this  talk. 
He  's  dead,  and  he  don't  walk,  that  I  know ;  least- 
ways, he  won't  walk  by  day,  and  you  may  lay  to 
that.  Care  killed  a  cat.  Fetch  ahead  for  the 
doubloons." 

We  started,  certainly ;  but  in  spite  of  the  hot  sun 
and  the  staring  daylight,  the  pirates  no  longer  ran 
separate  and  shouting  through  the  wood,  but  kept 
side  by  side  and  spoke  with  bated  breath.  The 
terror  of  the  dead  buccaneer  had  fallen  on  their 
spirits. 


CHAPTER   XXXII 

THE  TREASURE  HUNT  — THE  VOICE   AMONG 
THE   TREES 

PARTLY  from  the  damping  influence  of  this 
alarm,  partly  to  rest  Silver  and  the  sick  folk, 
the  whole  party  sat  down  as  soon  as  they 
had  gained  the  brow  of  the  ascent. 

The  plateau  being  somewhat  tilted  towards  the 
west,  this  spot  on  which  we  had  paused  commanded 
a  wide  prospect  on  either  hand.  Before  us,  over 
the  tree-tops,  we  beheld  the  Cape  of  the  Woods 
fringed  with  surf ;  behind,  we  not  only  looked  down 
upon  the  anchorage  and  Skeleton  Island,  but  saw 
—  clear  across  the  spit  and  the  eastern  lowlands  — 
a  great  field  of  open  sea  upon  the  east.  Sheer  above 
us  rose  the  Spy-glass,  here  dotted  with  single  pines, 
there  black  with  precipices.  There  was  no  sound 
but  that  of  the  distant  breakers,  mounting  from  all 
round,  and  the  chirp  of  countless  insects  in  the 
brush.  Not  a  man,  not  a  sail  upon  the  sea;  the 
very  largeness  of  the  view  increasedHihe  sense  of 
so'iitude. 


TREASURE     ISLAND      303 

Silver,  as  he  sat,  took  certain  bearings  with  his 
compass. 

"  There  are  three  '  tall  trees,'  "  said  he,  "  about 
in  the  right  line  from  Skeleton  Island.  '  Spy-glass 
Shoulder,'  I  take  it,  means  that  lower  p'int  there. 
It 's  child's  play  to  find  the  stuff  now.  I  Ve  half 
a  mind  to  dine  first." 

"  I  don't  feel  sharp,"  growled  Morgan.  "  Think- 
in'  o'  Flint  —  I  think  it  were  —  as  done  me." 

"  Ah,  well,  my  son,  you  praise  your  stars  he  's 
dead,"  said  Silver. 

"  He  were  an  ugly  devil,"  cried  a  third  pirate., 
with  a  shudder ;  "  that  blue  in  the  face,  too !  " 

"  That  was  how  the  rum  took  him,"  added  Merry. 
"  Blue !  well,  I  reckon  he  was  blue.  That 's  a  true 
word." 

Ever  since  they  had  found  the  skeleton  and  got 
upon  this  train  of  thought,  they  had  spoken  lower 
and  lower,  and  they  had  almost  got  to  whispering 
by  now,  so  that  the  sound  of  their  talk  hardly  in- 
terrupted the  silence  of  the  wood.  All  of  a  sudden, 
out  of  the  middle  of  the  trees  in  front  of  us,  a  thin, 
high,  trembling  voice  struck  up  the  well-known  air 
and  words  : 

u  Fifteen  men  on  the  dead  man's  chest  — 
Yo-ho-ho,  and  a  bottle  of  rum  !  " 

I  never  have  seen  men  more  dreadfully  affected 
than  the  pirates.  The  colour  went  from  their  six 


304      TREASURE     ISLANL 

faces  like  enchantment;  some  leaped  to  their  feet, 
some  clawed  hold  of  others ;  Morgan  grovelled  on 
the  ground. 

"It's  Flint,  by-    -!"  cried  Merry. 

The  song  had  stopped  as  suddenly  as  it  began  - 
broken  off,  you  would  have  said,  in  the  middle  of 
a  note,  as  though  some  one  had  laid  his  hand  upon 
the  singer's  mouth.  Coming  so  far  through  the 
clear,  sunny  atmosphere  among  the  green  tree- 
tops,  I  thought  it  had  sounded  airily  and  sweetly; 
and  the  effect  on  my  companions  was  the 
stranger. 

"  Come,"  said  Silver,  struggling  with  his  ashen 
lips  to  get  the  word  out,  "  this  won't  do.  Stand 
by  to  go  about.  This  is  a  rum  start,  and  I  can't 
name  the  voice :  but  it 's  some  one  skylarking  - 
some  one  that 's  flesh  and  blood,  and  you  may  lay 
to  that." 

His  courage  had  come  back  as  he  spoke,  and  some 
of  the  colour  to  his  face  along  with  it.  Already  the 
others  had  begun  to  lend  an  ear  to  this  encourage- 
ment, and  were  coming  a  little  to  themselves,  when 
the  same  voice  broke  out  again  —  not  this  time 
singing,  but  in  a  faint  distant  hail,  that  echoed  yet 
fainter  among  the  clefts  of  the  Spy-glass. 

"  Darby  M'Graw,"  it  wailed  —  for  that  is  the 
word  that  best  describes  the  sound  — "  Darby 
M'Graw !  Darbv  M'Graw !  "  again  and  again  and 


TREASURE     ISLAND      305 

again;  and  then  rising  a  little  higher,  and  with 
an  oath  that  I  leave  out,  "  Fetch  aft  the  rum, 
Darby!" 

The  buccaneers  remained  rooted  to  the  ground, 
their  eyes  starting  from  their  heads.  Long  after 
the  voice  had  died  away  they  still  stared  in  silence, 
dreadfully,  before  them. 

"  That  fixes  it !  "  gasped  one.     "  Let 's  go !  " 

"  They  was  his  last  words,"  moaned  Morgan, 
"  his  last  words  above  board." 

Dick  had  his  Bible  out,  and  was  praying  volubly. 
He  had  been  well  brought  up,  had  Dick,  before  he 
came  to  sea  and  fell  among  bad  companions. 

Still,  Silver  was  unconquered.  I  could  hear  his 
teeth  rattle  in  his  head;  but  he  had  not  yet 
surrendered. 

"  Nobody  in  this  here  island  ever  heard  of 
Darby,"  he  muttered ;  "  not  one  but  us  that 's  here." 
And  then,  making  a  great  effort,  "  Shipmates," 
he  cried,  "  I  'm  here  to  get  that  stuff,  and  I  '11  not 
be  beat  by  man  nor  devil.  I  never  was  feared  of 
Flint  in  his  life,  and,  by  the  powers,  I  '11  face  him 
dead.  There  's  seven  hundred  thousand  pound  not 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  here.  When  did  ever  a 
gentleman  o'  fortune  show  his  stern  to  that  much 
dollars,  for  a  boosy  old  seaman  with  a  blue  mug  — 
and  him  dead,  too  ?  " 

But  there  was  no  sign  of  re-awakening  courage 

VOL.    VI.  —  20 


3o6      TREASURE     ISLAND 

in  his  followers ;  rather,  indeed,  of  growing  terror 
at  the  irreverence  of  his  words. 

"  Belay  there,  John !  "  said  Merry.  "  Don't  you 
cross  a  sperrit." 

And  the  rest  were  all  too  terrified  to  reply.  They 
would  have  run  away  severally  had  they  dared ;  but 
fear  kept  them  together,  and  kept  them  close  by 
John,  as  if  his  daring  helped  them.  He,  on  his  part, 
had  pretty  well  fought  his  weakness  down. 

"  Sperrit  ?  Well,  maybe,"  he  said.  "  But  there 's 
one  thing  not  clear  to  me.  There  was  an  echo. 
Now,  no  man  ever  seen  a  sperrit  with  a  shadow; 
well,  then,  what 's  he  doing  with  an  echo  to  him,  I 
should  like  to  know  ?  That  ain't  in  natur,  surely  ?  " 

This  argument  seemed  weak  enough  to  me.  But 
you  can  never  tell  what  will  affect  the  superstitious, 
and,  to  my  wonder,  George  Merry  was  greatly 
relieved. 

"  Well,  that 's  so,"  he  said.  "  You  've  a  head 
upon  your  shoulders,  John,  and  no  mistake.  'Bout 
ship,  mates !  This  here  crew  is  on  a  wrong  tack,  I 
do  believe.  And  come  to  think  on  it,  it  was  like 
Flint's  voice,  I  grant  you,  but  not  just  so  clear-away 
like  it,  after  all.  It  was  liker  somebody  else's  voice 
now  —  it  was  liker ' 

"  By  the  powers,  Ben  Gunn !  "  roared  Silver. 

"  Ay,  and  so  it  were,"  cried  Morgan,  springing 
on  his  knees.  "  Ben  Gunn  it  were !  " 


TREASURE     ISLAND      307 

"  It  don't  make  much  odds,  do  it,  now?  "  asked 
Dick.  "  Ben  Gunn  's  not  here  in  the  body,  any 
more  'n  Flint." 

But  the  older  hands  greeted  this  remark  with 
scorn. 

"  Why,  nobody  minds  Ben  Gunn,"  cried  Merry ; 
"  dead  or  alive,  nobody  minds  him." 

It  was  extraordinary  how  their  spirits  had  re- 
turned, and  how  the  natural  colour  had  revived  in 
their  faces.  Soon  they  were  chatting  together,  with 
intervals  pf  listening;  and  not  long  after,  hearing 
no  further  sound,  they  shouldered  the  tools  and 
set  forth  again,  Merry  walking  first  with  Silver's 
compass  to  keep  them  on  the  right  line  with  Skeleton 
Island.  He  had  said  the  truth:  dead  or  alive, 
nobody  minded  Ben  Gunn. 

Dick  alone  still  held  his  Bible,  and  looked  around 
him  as  he  went,  with  fearful  glances ;  but  he  found 
no  sympathy,  and  Silver  even  joked  him  on  his 
precautions. 

"  I  told  you,"  said  he  —  "I  told  you,  you  had 
sp'iled  your  Bible.  If  it  ain't  no  good  to  swear  by, 
what  do  you  suppose  a  sperrit  would  give  for  it? 
Not  that !  "  and  he  snapped  his  big  fingers,  halting 
a  moment  on  his  crutch. 

But  Dick  was  not  to  be  comforted;  indeed,  it 
was  soon  plain  to  me  that  the  lad  was  falling  sick : 
hastened  by  heat,  exhaustion,  and  the  shock  of  his 


3o8      TREASURE     ISLAND 

alarm,  the  fever,  predicted  by  Dr.  Livesey,  was 
evidently  growing  swiftly  higher. 

It  was  fine  open  walking  here,  upon  the  summit ; 
our  way  lay  a  little  down-hill,  for,  as  I  have  said, 
the  plateau  tilted  towards  the  west.  The  pines, 
great  and  small,  grew  wide  apart;  and  even  be- 
tween the  clumps  of  nutmeg  and  azalea,  wide  open 
spaces  baked  in  the  hot  sunshine.  Striking,  as  we 
did,  pretty  near  north-west  across  the  island,  we 
drew,  on  the  one  hand,  ever  nearer  under  the 
shoulders  of  the  Spy-glass,  and  on  the  other, 
looked  ever  wider  over  that  western  bay  where  I 
had  once  tossed  and  trembled  in  the  coracle. 

The  first  of  the  tall  trees  was  reached,  and  by 
the  bearing,  proved  the  wrong  one.  So  with  the 
second.  The  third  rose  nearly  two  hundred  feet 
into  the  air  above  a  clump  of  underwood;  a  giant 
of  a  vegetable,  with  a  red  column  as  big  as  a  cot- 
tage, and  a  wide  shadow  around  in  which  a  com- 
pany could  have  manoeuvred.  It  was  conspicuous 
far  to  sea  both  on  the  east  and  west,  and  might 
have  been  entered  as  a  sailing  mark  upon  the  chart. 

But  it  was  not  its  size  that  now  impressed  my 
companions;  it  was  the  knowledge  that  seven 
hundred  thousand  pounds  in  gold  lay  somewhere 
buried  below  its  spreading  shadow.  The  thought 
of  the  money,  as  they  drew  nearer,  swallowed  up 
their  previous  terrors.  Their  eyes  burned  in  their 


TREASURE     ISLAND      309 

heads;  their  feet  grew  speedier  and  lighter;  their 
whole  soul  was  bound  up  in  that  fortune,  that 
whole  lifetime  of  extravagance  and  pleasure,  that 
lay  waiting  there  for  each  of  them. 

Silver  hobbled,  grunting,  on  his  crutch ;  his  nos- 
trils stood  out  and  quivered ;  he  cursed  like  a  mad- 
man when  the  flies  settled  on  his  hot  and  shiny 
countenance;  he  plucked  furiously  at  the  line  that 
held  me  to  him,  and,  from  time  to  time,  turned  his 
eyes  upon  me  with  a  deadly  look.  Certainly  he 
took  no  pains  to  hide  his  thoughts;  and  certainly 
I  read  them  like  print.  In  the  immediate  nearness 
of  the  gold,  all  else  had  been  forgotten ;  his  promise 
and  the  doctor's  warning  were  both  things  of  the 
past;  and  I  could  not  doubt  that  he  hoped  to  seize 
upon  the  treasure,  find  and  board  the  Hispaniola 
under  cover  of  night,  cut  every  honest  throat 
about  that  island,  and  sail  away  as  he  had  at  first 
intended,  laden  with  crimes  and  riches. 

Shaken  as  I  was  with  these  alarms,  it  was  hard 
for  me  to  keep  up  with  the  rapid  pace  of  the  treas- 
ure-hunters. Now  and  again  I  stumbled;  and  it 
was  then  that  Silver  plucked  so  roughly  at  the  rope 
and  launched  at  me  his  murderous  glances.  Dick, 
who  had  dropped  behind  us,  and  now  brought  up 
the  rear,  was  babbling  to  himself  both  prayers  and 
curses,  as  his  fever  kept  rising.  This  also  added 
to  my  wretchedness,  and,  to  crown  all,  I  was 


310      TREASURE     ISLAND 

haunted  by  the  thought  of  the  tragedy  that  had 
once  been  acted  on  that  plateau,  when  that  un- 
godly buccaneer  with  the  blue  face  —  he  who  died 
at  Savannah,  singing  and  shouting  for  drink  — 
had  there,  with  his  own  hand,  cut  down  his  six 
accomplices.  This  grove,  that  was  now  so  peace- 
ful, must  then  have  rung  with  cries,  I  thought; 
and  even  with  the  thought  I  could  believe  I  heard 
it  ringing  still. 

We  were  now  at  the  margin  of  the  thicket. 

"  Huzza,  mates,  all  together !  "  shouted  Merry ; 
and  the  foremost  broke  into  a  run. 

And  suddenly,  not  ten  yards  further,  we  beheld 
them  stop.  A  low  cry  arose.  Silver  doubled  his 
pace,  digging  away  with  the  foot  of  his  crutch  like 
one  possessed;  and  next  moment  he  and  I  had 
come  also  to  a  dead  halt. 

Before  us  was  a  great  excavation,  not  very  re- 
cent, for  the  sides  had  fallen  in  and  grass  had 
sprouted  on  the  bottom.  In  this  were  the  shaft 
of  a  pick  broken  in  two  and  the  boards  of  several 
packing-cases  strewn  around.  On  one  of  these 
boards  I  saw,  branded  with  a  hot  iron,  the  name 
Walrus —  the  name  of 'Flint's  ship. 

All  was  clear  to  probation.  The  cache  had  been 
found  and  rifled :  the  seven  hundred  thousand 
pounds  were  gone! 


nr 


CHAPTER   XXXIII 

THE   FALL   OF   A   CHIEFTAIN 

HERE  never  was  such  an  overturn  in  this 
world.  Each  of  these  six  men  was  as 
though  he  had  been  struck.  But  with 
Silver  the  blow  passed  almost  instantly.  Every 
thought  of  his  soul  had  been  set  full-stretch,  like  a 
racer,  on  that  money;  well,  he  was  brought  up  in 
a  single  second,  dead ;  and  he  kept  his  head,  found 
his  temper,  and  changed  his  plan  before  the  others 
had  had  time  to  realize  the  disappointment. 

"  Jim,"  he  whispered,  "  take  that,  and  stand  by 
for  trouble." 

And  he  passed  me  a  double-barrelled  pistol. 

At  the  same  time  he  began  quietly  moving  north- 
ward, and  in  a  few  steps  had  put  the  hollow  between 
us  two  and  the  other  five.  Then  he  looked  at  me 
and  nodded,  as  much  as  to  say,  "  Here  is  a  nar- 
row corner,"  as,  indeed,  I  thought  it  was.  His 
looks  were  now  quite  friendly;  and  I  was  so  re- 
volted at  these  constant  changes,- that  I  could  not 
forbear  whispering,  "  So  you  've  changed  sides 
again." 


3i2      TREASURE     ISLAND 

There  was  no  time  left  for  him  to  answer  in. 
The  buccaneers,  with  oaths  and  cries,  began  to  leap, 
one  after  another,  into  the  pit,  and  to  dig  with 
their  fingers,  throwing  the  boards  aside  as  they  did 
so.  Morgan  found  a  piece  of  gold.  He  held  it  up 
with  a  perfect  spout  of  oaths.  It  was  a  two-guinea 
piece,  and  it  went  from  hand  to  hand  among  them 
for  a  quarter  of  a  minute. 

"Two  guineas!"  roared  Merry,  shaking  it  at 
Silver.  "  That 's  your  seven  hundred  thousand 
pounds,  is  it  ?  You  're  the  man  for  bargains,  ain't 
you  ?  You  're  him  that  never  bungled  nothing,  you 
wooden-headed  lubber ! " 

"  Dig  away,  boys,"  said  Silver,  with  the  coolest 
insolence ;  "  you  '11  find  some  pig-nuts  and  I 
should  n't  wonder." 

"Pig-nuts!"  repeated  Merry,  in  a  scream. 
"  Mates,  do  you  hear  that?  I  tell  you,  now,  that 
man  there  knew  it  all  along.  Look  in  the  face  of 
him,  and  you  '11  see  it  wrote  there." 

"  Ah,  Merry,"  remarked  Silver,  "  standing  for 
cap'n  again?  You're  a  pushing  lad,  to  be  sure." 

But  this  time  every  one  was  entirely  in  Merry's 
favour.  They  began  to  scramble  out  of  the  ex- 
cavation, darting  furious  glances  behind  them. 
One  thing  I  observed,  which  looked  well  for  us: 
they  all  got  out  upon  the  opposite  side  from 
Silver. 


TREASURE     ISLAND      313 

Well,  there  we  stood,  two  on  one  side,  five  on 
the  other,  the  pit  between  us,  and  nobody  screwed 
up  high  enough  to  offer  the  first  blow.  Silver 
never  moved;  he  watched  them,  very  upright  on 
his  crutch,  and  looked  as  cool  as  ever  I  saw  him. 
He  was  brave,  and  no  mistake. 

At  last,  Merry  seemed  to  think  a  speech  might 
help  matters. 

"  Mates,"  says  he,  "  there  's  two  of  them  alone 
there ;  one  's  the  old  cripple  that  brought  us  all 
here  and  blundered  us  down  to  this;  the  other's 
that  cub  that  I  mean  to  have  the  heart  of.  Now, 
mates " 

He  was  raising  his  arm  and  his  voice,  and 
plainly  meant  to  lead  a  charge.  But  just  then  — 
crack !  crack !  crack !  —  three  musket-shots  flashed 
out  of  the  thicket.  Merry  tumbled  head-foremost 
into  the  excavation;  the  man  with  the  bandage 
spun  round  like  a  teetotum,  and  fell  all  his  length 
upon  his  side,  where  he  lay  dead,  but  still  twitch- 
ing ;  and  the  other  three  turned  and  ran  for  it  with 
all  their  might. 

Before  you  could  wink,  Long  John  had  fired  two 
barrels  of  a  pistol  into  the  struggling  Merry;  and 
as  the  man  rolled  up  his  eyes  at  him  in  the  last 
agony,  "  George,"  said  he,  "  I  reckon  I  settled 
you." 

At  the  same  moment  the  doctor,  Gray,  and  Ben 


3i4      TREASURE    ISLAND 

Gunn  joined  us,  with  smoking  muskets,  from 
among  the  nutmeg  trees. 

"  Forward!  "  cried  the  doctor.  "  Double  quick, 
my  lads.  We  must  head  'em  off  the  boats." 

And  we  set  off  at  a  great  pace,  sometimes  plung- 
ing through  the  bushes  to  the  chest. 

I  tell  you,  but  Silver  was  anxious  to  keep  up 
with  us.  The  work  that  man  went  through,  leap- 
ing on  his  crutch  till  the  muscles  of  his  chest  were 
fit  to  burst,  was  work  no  sound  man  ever  equalled ; 
and  so  thinks  the  doctor.  As  it  was,  he  was  al- 
ready thirty  yards  behind  us,  and  on  the  verge 
of  strangling,  when  we  reached  the  brow  of  the 
slope. 

"Doctor,"  he  hailed,  "see  there!  no  hurry!" 

Sure  enough  there  was  no  hurry.  In  a  more 
open  part  of  the  plateau,  we  could  see  the  three 
survivors  still  running  in  the  same  direction  as  they 
had  started,  right  for  Mizzen-mast  Hill.  We  were 
already  between  them  and  the  boats;  and  so  we 
four  sat  down  to  breathe,  while  Long  John,  mop- 
ping his  face,  came  slowly  up  with  us. 

"  Thank  ye  kindly,  doctor,"  says  he.  "  You 
came  in  in  about  the  nick,  I  guess,  for  me  and 
Hawkins.  And  so  it 's  you,  Ben  Gunn !  "  he  added. 
"  Well,  you  're  a  nice  one,  to  be  sure." 

"  I  'm  Be^Gunn,  I  am,"  replied  the  maroon, 
wriggling  like  an  eel  in  his  embarrassment. 


TREASURE    ISLAND      315 

:  And,"  he  added,  after  a  long  pause,  "how  do, 
Mr.  Silver?  Pretty  well,  I  thank  ye,  says  you." 

"  Ben,  Ben,"  murmured  Silver,  "  to  think  as 
you  've  done  me!  " 

The  doctor  sent  back  Gray  for  one  of  the  pick- 
axes, deserted,  in  their  flight,  by  the  mutineers: 
and  then  as  we  proceeded  leisurely  down  hill  to 
where  the  boats  were  lying,  related,  in  a  few 
words,  what  had  taken  place.  It  was  a  story  that 
profoundly  interested  Silver;  and  Ben  Gunn,  the 
half-idiot  maroon,  was  the  hero  from  beginning 
to  end. 

Ben,  in  his  long,  lonely  wanderings  about  the 
island,  had  found  the  skeleton  —  it  was  he  that  had 
rifled  it;  he  had  found  the  treasure;  he  had  dug 
it  up  (it  was  the  haft  of  his  pickaxe  that  lay  broken 
in  the  excavation)  ;  he  had  carried  it  on  his  back, 
in  many  weary  journeys,  from  the  foot  of  the  tall 
pine  to  a  cave  he  had  on  the  two-pointed  hill  at  the 
north-east  angle  of  the  island,  and  there  it  had  lain 
stored  in  safety  since  two  months  before  the  arrival 
of  the  Hispaniola. 

When  the  doctor  had  wormed  this  secret  from 
him,  on  the  afternoon  of  the  attack,  and  when,  next 
morning,  he  saw  the  anchorage  deserted,  he  had 
gone  to  Silver,  given  him  the  chart,  which  was  now 
useless  —  given  him  the  stores,  for  Ben  Gunn's 
cave  was  well  supplied  with  goats'  meat  salted  by 


ji6      TREASURE     ISLAND 

himself  —  given  anything  and  everything  to  get  a 
chance  of  moving  in  safety  from  the  stockade  to 
the  two-pointed  hill,  there  to  be  clear  of  malaria 
and  keep  a  guard  upon  the  money. 

"  As  for  you,  Jim,"  he  said,  "  it  went  against  my 
heart,  but  I  did  what  I  thought  best  for  those  who 
had  stood  by  their  duty ;  and  if  you  were  not  one  of 
these,  whose  fault  was  it?  " 

That  morning,  finding  that  I  was  to  be  involved  in 
the  horrid  disappointment  he  had  prepared  for  the 
mutineers,  he  had  run  all  the  way  to  the  cave,  and, 
leaving  the  squire  to  guard  the  captain,  had  taken 
Gray  and  the  maroon,  and  started,  making  the  diag- 
onal across  the  island,  to  be  at  hand  beside  the  pine. 
Soon,  however,  he  saw  that  our  party  had  the  start 
of  him;  and  Ben  Gtmn,  being  fleet  of  foot,  had 
been  despatched  in  front  to  do  his  best  alone.  Then 
it  had  occurred  to  him  to  work  upon  the  super- 
stitions of  his  former  shipmates ;  and  he  was  so 
far  successful  that  Gray  and  the  doctor  had  come 
up  and  were  already  ambushed  before  the  arrival 
of  the  treasure-hunters' 

"  Ah,"  said  Silver,  "  it  were  fortunate  for  me 
that  I  had  Hawkins  here.  You  would  have  let  old 
John  be  cut  to  bits,  and  never  given  it  a  thought, 
doctor." 

"  Not  a  thought,"  replied  Dr.  Livesey,  cheerily. 
by  this  time  we  had  reached  the  gigs.  The 


TREASURE     ISLAND      317 

doctor,  with  a  pickaxe,  demolished  one  of  them,  and 
then  we  all  got  aboard  the  other,  and  set  out  to  go 
round  by  sea  for  North  Inlet. 

This  was  a  run  of  eight  or  nine  miles.  Silver, 
though  he  was  almost  killed  already  with  fatigue, 
was  set  to  an  oar,  like  the  rest  of  us,  and  we  were 
soon  skimming  swiftly  over  a  smooth  sea.  Soon 
we  passed  out  of  the  straits  and  doubled  the  south- 
east corner  of  the  island,  round  which,  four  days 
ago,  we  had  towed  the  Hispaniola. 

As  we  passed  the  two-pointed  hill,  we  could  see 
the  black  mouth  of  Ben  Gunn's  cave,  and  a  figure 
standing  by  it,  leaning  on  a  musket.  It  was  the 
squire ;  and  we  waved  a  handkerchief  and  gave  him 
three  cheers,  in  which  the  voice  of  Silver  joined  as 
heartily  as  any. 

Three  miles  farther,  just  inside  the  mouth  of 
North  Inlet,  what  should  we  meet  but  the  His- 
paniola,  cruising  by  herself?  The  last  flood  had 
lifted  her;  and  had  there  been  much  wind,  or  a 
strong  tide  current,  as  in  the  southern  anchorage, 
we  should  never  have  found  her  more,  or  found 
her  stranded  beyond  help.  As  it  was,  there  was 
little  amiss,  beyond  the  wreck  of  the  main-sail. 
Another  anchor  was  got  ready,  and  dropped  in  a 
fathom  and  a  half  of  water.  We  all  pulled  round 
again  to  Rum  Cove,  the  nearest  point  for  Ben 
Gunn's  treasure-house;  and  then  Gray,  single- 


318      TREASURE     ISLAND 

handed,  returned  with  the  gig  to  the  Hispaniola, 
where  he  was  to  pass  the  night  on  guard. 

A  gentle  slope  ran  up  from  the  beach  to  the 
entrance  of  the  cave.  At  the  top,  the  squire  met 
us.  To  me  he  was  cordial  and  kind,  saying  noth- 
ing of  my  escapade,  either  in  the  way  of  blame  or 
praise.  At  Silver's  polite  salute  he  somewhat 
flushed. 

"  John  Silver,"  he  said,  "  you  're  a  prodigious 
villain  and  impostor  —  a  monstrous  impostor,  sir. 
I  am  told  I  am  not  to  prosecute  you.  Well,  then, 
I  will  not.  But  the  dead  men,  sir,  hang  about 
your  neck  like  millstones." 

"  Thank  you  kindly,  sir,"  replied  Long  John, 
again  saluting. 

"I  dare  you  to  thank  me!"  cried  the  Squire. 
"  It  is  a  gross  dereliction  of  my  duty.  Stand  back." 

And  thereupon  we  all  entered  the  cave.  It  was 
a  large,  airy  place,  with  a  little  spring  and  a  pool 
of  clear  water,  overhung  with  ferns.  The  floor 
was  sand.  Before  a  big  fire  lay  Captain  Smollett ; 
and  in  a  far  corner,  only  duskily  flickered  over  by 
the  blaze,  I  beheld  great  heaps  of  coin  and  quad- 
rilaterals built  of  bars  of  gold.  That  was  Flint's 
treasure  that  we  had  come  so  far  to  seek,  and 
that  had  cost  already  the  lives  of  seventeen  men 
from  the  Hispaniola.  How  many  it^had  cost  in 
the  amassing,  what  blood  and  sorrow,  what  good 


TREASURE     ISLAND      319 

ships  scuttled  on  the  deep,  what  brave  men  walk- 
ing the  plank  blindfold,  what  shot  of  cannon,  what 
shame  and  lies  and  cruelty,  perhaps  no  man  alive 
could  tell.  Yet  there  were  still  three  upon  that 
island  —  Silver,  and  old  Morgan,  and  Ben  Gunn 
-  who  had  each  taken  his  share  in  these  crimes, 
as  each  had  hoped  in  vain  to  share  in  the  rewa 

"  Come  in,  Jim,"  said  the  captain.     "  You  're 
good  boy  in  your  line,  Jim ;   but  I  don't  think  yo? 
and  me  '11  go  to  sea  again.     You  're  too  much  o 
the   born    favourite   for   me.      Is   that   you",   John 
Silver?    What  brings  you  here,  man?  " 

"  Come  back  to  my  dooty,  sir,"  returned  Silver. 

"  Ah ! "  said  the  captain ;  and  that  was  all  he 
said. 

What  a  supper  I  had  of  it  that  night,  with  all 
my  friends  around  me;  and  what  a  meal  it  was, 
with  Ben  Gunn's  salted  goat,  and  some  delicacies 
and  a  bottle  of  old  wine  from  the  Hispaniola. 
Never,  I  am  sure,  were  people  gayer  or  happier. 
And  there  was  Silver,  sitting  back  almost  out  of 
the  firelight,  but  eating  heartily,  prompt  to  spring 
forward  when  anything  was  wanted,  even  joining 
quietly  in  our  laughter  —  the  same  bland,  polite, 
obsequious  seaman  of  the  voyage  out. 


T 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 

AND   LAST 

HE  next  morning  we  fell  early  to  work, 
for  the  transportation  of  this  great  mass 
of  gold  near  a  mile  by  land  to  the  beach, 
and  thence  three  miles  by  boat  to  the  Hispaniola, 
was  a  considerable  task  for  so  small  a  number  of 
workmen.  The  three  fellows  still  abroad  upon  the 
island  did  not  greatly  trouble  us;  a  single  sentry 
on  the  shoulder  of  the  hill  was  sufficient  to  insure 
us  against  any  sudden  onslaught,  and  we  thought, 
besides,  they  had  had  more  than  enough  of  fighting. 

Therefore  the  work  was  pushed  on  briskly.  Gray 
and  Ben  Gunn  came  and  went  with  the  boat,  while 
the  rest,  during  their  absences,  piled  treasure  on 
the  beach.  Two  of  the  bars,  slung  in  a  rope's-end, 
made  a  good  load  for  a  grown  man  —  one  that 
he  was  glad  to  walk  slowly  with.  For  my  part, 
as  I  was  not  much  use  at  carrying,  I  was  kept 
busy  all  day  in  the  cave,  packing  the  minted  money 
into  bread-bags. 

It  was  a  strange  collection,  like-Billy  Bones's 
hoard  for  the  diversity  of  coinage,  but  so  much 


TREASURE     ISLAND      321 

larger  and  so  much  more  varied  that  I  think  I 
never  had  more  pleasure  than  in  sorting  them. 
English,  French,  Spanish,  Portuguese,  Georges, 
and  Louises,  doubloons  and  double  guineas  and 
moidores  and  sequins,  the  pictures  of  all  the  kings 
of  Europe  for  the  last  hundred  years,  strange  Ori- 
ental pieces  stamped  with  what  looked  like  wisps 
of  string  or  bits  of  spider's  web,  round  pieces  and 
square  pieces,  and  pieces  bored  through  the  middle, 
as  if  to  wear  them  round  your  neck  —  nearly  evenj 
variety  of  money  in  the  world  must,  I  think;  "Have 
found  a  place  in  that  collection;  and  for  number, 
I  am  sure  they  were  like  autumn  leaves,  so  that 
my  back  ached  with  stooping  and  my  fingers  with 
sorting  them  out. 

Day  after  day  this  work  went  on;  by  every 
evening  a  fortune  had  been  stowed  aboard,  but 
there  was  another  fortune  waiting  for  the  morrow ; 
and  all  this  time  we  heard  nothing  of  the  three 
surviving  mutineers. 

At  last  —  I  think  it  was  on  the  third  night 
—  the  doctor  and  I  were  strolling  on  the  shoul- 
der of  the  hill  where  it  overlooks  the  lowlands 
of  the  isle,  when,  from  out  the  thick  darkness 
below,  the  wind  brought  us  a  noise  between 
shrieking  and  singing.  It  was  only  a  snatch 
that  reached  our  ears,  followed  by  the  former 
silence. 


VOL.  VI.  —  21 


322      TREASURE     ISLAND 

"  Heaven  forgive  them,"  said  the  doctor,  "  't  is 
the  mutineers !  " 

"  All  drunk,  sir,"  struck  in  the  voice  of  Silver 
from  behind  us. 

Silver,  I  should  say,  was  allowed  his  entire 
liberty,  and,  in  spite  of  daily  rebuffs,  seemed  to 
regard  himself  once  more  as  quite  a  privileged  and 
friendly  dependant.  Indeed,  it  wras  remarkable 
how  well  he  bore  these  slights,  and  with  what  un- 
wearying politeness  he  kept  on  trying  to  ingratiate 
"himself  with  all.  Yet,  I  think,  none  treated  him 
better  than  a  dog;  unless  it  was  Ben  Gunn,  who 
was  still  terribly  afraid  of  his  old  quartermaster, 
or  myself,  who  had  really  something  to  thank  him 
for;  although  for  that  matter,  I  suppose,  I  had 
reason  to  think  even  worse  of  him  than  anybody 
else,  for  I  had  seen  him  meditating  a  fresh  treach- 
ery upon  the  plateau.  Accordingly,  it  was  pretty 
gruffly  that  the  doctor  answered  him. 

"  Drunk  or  raving,"  said  he. 

"Right  you  were,  sir,"  replied  Silver;  "and 
precious  little  odds  which,  to  you  and  me." 

"  I  suppose  you  would  hardly  ask  me  to  call 
you  a  humane  man,"  returned  the  doctor,  with  a 
sneer,  "  and  so  my  feelings  may  surprise  you, 
Master  Silver.  But  if  I  were  sure  they  were 
raving  —  as  I  am  morally  certain  one,  at  least,  of 
them  is  down  with  fever  —  I  should  leave  this 


TREASURE     ISLANI 

camp,  and,  at  whatever  risk  to  my  own 
take  them  the  assistance  of  my  skill." 

"  Ask   your    pardon,    sir,    you    would    b- 
wrong,"   quoth    Silver.      "  You   would   lose 
precious  life,  and  you  may  lay  to  that.     I 
your  side  now,  hand  and  glove;    and  I  shou 
wish    for   to    see   the   party   weakened,    let   i 
yourself,  seeing  as  I  know  what  I  owes  you. 
these  men  down  there,  they  could  n't  keep  t 
word  —  no,   not  supposing  they  wished  to ;    . 
what 's  more,  they  could  n't  believe  as  you^cmjki. 

"  No,"  said  the  doctor.  "  You  're  the  man  to 
keep  your  word,  we  know  that." 

Well,  that  was  about  the  last  news  we  had  of 
the  three  pirates.  Only  once  we  heard  a  gunshot 
a  great  way  off,  and  supposed  them  to  be  hunting. 
A  council  was  held,  and  it  was  decided  that  wre 
must  desert  them  on  the  island  —  to  the  huge  glee, 
I  must  say,  of  Ben  Gunn,  and  with  the  strong 
approval  of  Gray.  We  left  a  good  stock  of 
powder  and  shot,  the  bulk  of  the  salt  goat,  a 
few  medicines,  and  some  other  necessaries,  tools, 
clothing,  a  spare  sail,  a  fathom  or  two  of  rope, 
and,  by  the  particular  desire  of  the  doctor,  a  hand- 
some present  of  tobacco. 

That  was  about  our  last  doing  on  the  island. 
Before  that,  we  had  got  the  treasure  stowed,  and 
had  shipped  enough  water  and  the  remainder  of 


322     TREASURE     ISLAND 

..    TT 

nt  meat,  in  case  of  any  distress ;  and  at  last, 
the  nig  morning,  we  weighed  anchor,  which  was 
^all  that  we  could  manage,  and  stood  out  of 
iron  inie^  the  same  colours  flying  that  the  cap- 
d  flown  and  fought  under  at  the  palisade, 
three  fellows  must  have  been  watching  us 
1  e§r  than  we  thought  for,  as  we  soon  had  proved. 
,  coming  through  the  narrows,  we  had  to  lie 
tyy  near  the  southern  point,  and  there  we  saw  all 
wee  of  them  kneeling  together  on  a  spit  of  sand, 
vrtfTtheir  arms  raised  in  supplication.   It  went  to  all 
our  hearts,  I  think,  to  leave  them  in  that  wretched 
state;  but  we  could  not  risk  another  mutiny;  and 
to  take  them  home  for  the  gibbet  would  have  been 
a  cruel  sort  of  kindness.     The  doctor  hailed  them 
and  told  them  of  the  stores  we  had  left,  and  where 
they  were  to  find  them.    But  they  continued  to  call 
us  by  name,  and  appeal  to  us,  for  God's  sake,  to 
be  merciful,  and  not  leave  them  to  die  in  such  a 
place. 

At  last,  seeing  the  ship  still  bore  on  her  course, 
and  was  now  swiftly  drawing  out  of  earshot,  one 
of  them  —  I  know  not  which  it  was  —  leapt  to  his 
feet  with  a  hoarse  cry,  whipped  his  musket  to  his 
shoulder,  and  sent  a  shot  whistling  over  Silver's 
head  and  through  the  main-sail. 

After  that,  we  kept  under  cover  of  "the  bulwarks, 
and  when  next  I  looked  out  they  had  disappeared 


\ 


TREASURE     ISLANI 

from  the  spit,  and  the  spit  itself  had  almost 
out  of  sight  in  the  growing  distance.     Th; 
at  least,  the  end  of  that;  and  before  noon, 
inexpressible   joy,   the  highest  rock   of   Tr 
Island  had  sunk  into  the  blue  round  of  sea. 

We  were  so  short  of  men,  that  every  01 
board  had  to  bear  a  hand  —  only  the  captain  1 
on  a  mattress  in  the  stern  and  giving  his  ora 
for,    though    greatly    recovered,    he    was    still 
want  of  quiet.     We  laid  her  head  for  the  neai 
port  in  Spanish  America,   for  we  could  t^4- 
the  voyage  home  without   fresh  hand 
it   was,    what   with  baffling  winds   and    .   c^apR"* 
of  fresh  gales,  we  were  all  worn  out  before  we 
reached  it. 

It  was  just  at  sundown  when  we  cast  anchor  in 
a  most  beautiful  land-locked  gulf,  and  were  im- 
mediately surrounded  by  shore  boats  full  of 
negroes,  and  Mexican  Indians,  and  half-bloods, 
selling  fruits  and  vegetables,  and  offering  to  dive 
for  bits  of  money.  The  sight  of  so  many  good- 
humoured  faces  (especially  the  blacks),  the  taste 
\of  the  tropical  fruits,  and,  above  all,  the  lights 
\at  began  to  shine  in  the  town,  made  a  most 

\rming  contrast  to  our  dark  and  bloody 


yie  island  ;  and  the  doctor  and  the  squire,  ta1 
/  along  with  them,  went  ashore  to  pass  tV 
art  of  the  night.     Here  they  met  the 


322     TREASURE     ISLAND 

(I    TT 

lish  man-of-war,  fell  in  talk  with  him,  went 
^d  his  ship,  and,  in  short,  had  so  agreeable 
£,   that   day   was   breaking   when   we   came 
frorr;ide  the  Hispaniola. 

\  Gunn  was  on  deck  alone,  and,  as  soon  as 
ei'.me  on  board,  he  began,  with  wonderful  con- 
re^ons,  to  make  us  a  confession.    Silver  was  gone. 
*]»•  maroon  had  connived  at  his  escape  in  a  shore 
some  hours  ago,  and  he  now  assured  us  he 
only  done  so  to   preserve   our   lives,   which 
/ith 'uncertainly  have  been   forfeit  if  "  that  man 
our  hearts,  tie  leg  had  stayed  aboard."     But  this 
KVa's*  'iibytcill.     The  sea-cook  had  not  gone  empty- 
handed.     He  had  cut  through  a  bulkhead  unob- 
served, and  had  removed  one  of  the  sacks  of  coin, 
worth,  perhaps,  three  or  four  hundred  guineas,  to 
help  him  on  his  further  wanderings. 

I  think  we  were  all  pleased  to  be  so  cheaply  quit 
of  him. 

Well,  to  make  a  long  story  short,  we  got  a  few 
hands  on  board,  made  a  good  cruise  home,  and  the 
Hispaniola  reached  Bristol  just  as  Mr.  Blandly 
was  beginning  to  think  of  fitting  out  her  consort. 
Five  men  only  of  those  who  had  sailed  return**8 
»"''th  her.  "  Drink  and  the  devil  had  done  for  -r's 
heaa"  with  a  vengeance; "although,  to_be  sure, 

Aftei^t  quite  in  so  bad  a  case  as  that  other  sfcs> 
and  when  -about: 


Presented  to  the 

UNIVERSITY  OF  TORONTO 
LIBRARY 

by  the 

ONTARIO  LEGISLATIVE 
LIBRARY 

1980