暗黑小说

PART IV The Stockade02（第2页）

"thatmansllett，"hesaidonce，"isabettermanthaniaandwhenisaythatitmeansadeal，激"

anothertimehecameandwassilentforawhile。thenheputhisheadononeside，andlookedatme。

"isthisbengunnaman?"heasked。

"idonotknow，sir，"saidi。"iamnotverysurewhetherhessane。"

"iftheresanydoubtaboutthematter，heis，"returnedthedoctor。"amanwhohasbeenthreeyearsbihisnailsonadesertisland，激m，cantexpecttoappearassaneasyouorme。itdoesntlieinhumannature。wasitcheeseyousaidhehadafancyfor?"

"yes，sir，cheese，"ianswered。

"well，激m，"sayshe，"justseethegoodthatesofbeingdaintyinyourfood。youveseenmysnuffbox，haventyou?andyouneversawmetakesnuff，thereasonbeingthatinmysnuff-boxicarryapieceofparmesancheese—acheesemadeinitaly，verynutritious。well，thatsforbengunn!"

beforesupperwaseatenweburiedoldtominthesandandstoodroundhimforawhilebare-headedinthebreeze。agooddealoffirewoodhadbeengotin，butnotenoughforthecaptainsfancy，andheshookhisheadoveritandtolduswe"mustgetbacktothistorrowratherlivelier。"then，whenwehadeatenourporkandeachhadagoodstiffglassofbrandygrog，thethreechiefsgottogetherinacornertodiscussourprospects。

itappearstheywereattheirwitsendwhattodo，thestoresbeingsolowthatwemusthavebeenstarvedintosurrenderlongbeforehelpcame。butourbesthope，itwasdecided，aneersuntiltheyeitherhauleddowntheirflagorranawaywiththehispaniola。fromnieentheywerealreadyreducedtofifteen，twootherswerewounded，andoneatleast—themanshotbesidethegun—severelywounded，ifhewerenotdead。everytimewehadacrackatthem，weweretotakeit，savingourownlives，withtheextremestcare。andbesidesthat，wehadtwoableallies—rumandtheclimate。

asforthefirst，thoughwewereabouthalfamileaway，wecouldhearthemroaringandsinginglateintothenight;andasforthesecond，thedoctorstakedhiswigthat，campedwheretheywereinthemarshandunprovidedwithremedies，thehalfofthemwouldbeontheirbacksbeforeaweek。

"so，"headded，"ifwearenotallshotdownfirsttheyllbegladtobepackingintheschooner。itsalwaysaship，aneeringagain，isuppose。"

"firstshipthateverilost，"saidcaptainsllett。

iwasdeadtired，asyoumayfancy;andwhenigottosleep，whichwasnottillafteragreatdealoftossing，isleptlikealogofwood。

theresthadlongbeenupandhadalreadybreakfastedandincreasedthepileoffirewoodbyabouthalfasmuchagainwheniwaswakenedbyabustleandthesoundofvoices。

"flagoftruce!"iheardsomeonesay;andthen，immediatelyafter，withacryofsurprise，"silverhimself!"

andatthat，upijumped，andrubbingmyeyes，rantoaloopholeinthewall。

chapter20silversembassy

ureenough，thereweretwomenjustoutsidethestockade，oneofthemwavingawhitecloth，theother，nolessapersonthansilverhimself，standingplacidlyby。

itwasstillquiteearly，andthecoldestrningthatithinkieverwasabroadin—achillthatpiercedintothemarrow。theskywasbrightandcloudlessoverhead，andthetopsofthetreesshonerosilyinthesun。butwheresilverstoodwithhislieutenant，allwasstillinshadow，andtheywadedknee-deepinalowwhitevapourthathadcrawledduringthenightoutoftherass。thechillandthevapourtakentogethertoldapoortaleoftheisland。itwasplainlyadamp，feverish，unhealthyspot。

"keepindoors，men，"saidthecaptain。"tentoohisisatrick。"

aneer。

"whogoes?stand，orwefire。

"flagoftruce，"criedsilver。

thecaptainwasintheporch，keepinghimselfcarefullyoutofthewayofatreacherousshot，shouldanybeintended。heturnedandspoketous，"doctorswatchonthelookout。dr。liveseytakethenorthside，ifyouplease;激m，theeast;gray，west。thewatchbelow，allhandstoloadmuskets。lively，men，andcareful。"

andthenheturnedagaintothemutineers。

"andwhatdoyouwantwithyourflagoftruce?"hecried。

thistimeitwastheothermanwhoreplied。

"capnsilver，sir，toeonboardandmaketerms，"heshouted。

"capnsilver!dontknowhiwhoshe?"criedthecaptain。andwecouldhearhimaddingtohimself，"capn，isit?myheart，andheresprotion!"

longjohnansweredforhimself。"me，sir。thesepoorladshavechosenmecapn，afteryourdesertion，sir"—layingaparticularemphasisupontheword"desertion。""werewillingtosubmit，ifwecanetoterms，andnobonesaboutit。alliaskisyourword，capnsllett，toletmesafeandsoundoutofthisherestockade，andoneminutetogetoutoshotbeforeagunisfired。

"myman，"saidcaptainsllett，"ihavenottheslightestdesiretotalktoyou。ifyouwishtotalktome，youcane，thatsall。iftheresanytreachery，itllbeonyourside，andthelordhelpyou。"