暗黑小说

PART III My Shore Adventure（第3页）

andhereafreshalarmbroughtmetoastandstillwithathumpingheart。

chapter15themanoftheisland

romthesideofthehill，whichwasheresteepandstony，aspoutofgravelwasdislodgedandfellrattlingandboundingthroughthetrees。myeyesturnedinstinctivelyinthatdirection，andisawafigureleapwithgreatrapiditybehindthetrunkofapine。whatitwas，whetherbearormanornkey，icouldinnowisetell。y;reiknewnot。buttheterrorofthisnewapparitionbroughtmetoastand。

iwasnow，itseemed，cutoffuponbothsides;behindmethemurderers，beforemethis露rkingnondescript。andimmediatelyibegantopreferthedangersthatiknewtothoseiknewnot。silverhimselfappearedlessterribleincontrastwiththiscreatureofthewoods，anditurnedonmyheel，andlookingsharplybehindmeovermyshoulder，begantoretracemystepsinthedirectionoftheboats。

instantlythefigurereappeared，andmakingawidecircuit，begantoheadmeoff。iwastired，atanyrate;buthadibeenasfreshaswhenirose，icouldseeitwasinvainformetocontendinspeedwithsuchanadversary。fromtrunktotrunkthecreatureflittedlikeadeer，runningmanlikeontwolegs，butunlikeanymanthatihadeverseen，stoopingalstdoubleasitran。yetamanitwas，icouldnolongerbeindoubtaboutthat。

ibegantorecallwhatihadheardofcannibals。iwaswithinanaceofcallingforhelp。butthemerefactthathewasaman，howeverwild，hadsomewhatreassuredme，andmyfearofsilverbegantoreviveinproportion。istoodstill，therefore，andcastaboutforsomemethodofescape;andasiwassothinking，therecollectionofmypistolflashedintomymind。assoonasirememberediwasnotdefenceless，courageglowedagaininmyheartandisetmyfacereso露telyforthismanoftheislandandwalkedbrisklytowardshi

hewasconcealedbythistimebehindanothertreetrunk;buthemusthavebeenwatchingmeclosely，forassoonasibegantoveinhisdirectionhereappearedandtookasteptomeetme。thenhehesitated，drewback，cameforwardagain，andatlast，tomywonderandconfusion，threwhimselfonhiskneesandheldouthisclaspedhandsinsupplication。

atthationcerestopped。

"whoareyou?"iasked。

"bengunn，"heanswered，andhisvoicesoundedhoarseandawkward，likearustylock。"impoorbengunn，iam;andihaventspokewithachristianthesethreeyears。"

icouldnowseethathewasawhitemanlikemyselfandthathisfeatureswereevenpleasing。hisskin，whereveritwasexposed，wasburntbythesun;evenhislipswereblack，andhisfaireyeslookedquitestartlinginsodarkaface。ar-menthatihadseenorfancied，edness。hewasclothedwithtattersofoldshipscanvasandoldsea-cloth，andthisextraordinarypatchworkwasallheldtogetherbyasystefthestvariousandincongruousfastenings，brassbuttons，bitsofstick，andloopsoftarrygaskin。abouthiswaistheworeanoldbrass-buckledleatherbelt，outrement。

"threeyears!"icried。"wereyoushipwrecked?"

"nay，mate，"saidhe;"marooned。"

ihadheardtheword，aneers，inwhichtheoffenderisputashorewithalittlepowderandshotandleftbehindonsomedesolateanddistantisland。

"maroonedthreeyearsagone，"hecontinued，"andlivedongoatssincethen，andberries，andoysters。whereveramanis，saysi，amancandoforhimself。but，mate，myheartissoreforchristiandiet。youmightnthappentohaveapieceofcheeseaboutyou，now?no?well，manysthelongnightivedreamedofcheese—toasted，stly—andwokeupagain，andhereiwere。"

"ifevericangetaboardagain，"saidi，"youshallhavecheesebythestone。"

allthistimehehadbeenfeelingthestuffofmyjacket，sothingmyhands，lookingatmyboots，andgenerally，intheintervalsofhisspeech，showingachildishpleasureinthepresenceofafellowcreature。butatmylastwordsheperkedupintoakindofstartledslyness。

"ifeveryoucangetaboardagain，saysyou?"herepeated。"why，now，whostohinderyou?"

"notyou，iknow，"wasmyreply。

"andrightyouwas，"hecried。"nowyou—whatdoyoucallyourself，mate?"

"激m，"itoldhi

"激m，激m，"sayshe，quitepleasedapparently。"well，now，激m，ivelivedthatroughasyoudbeashamedtohearof。now，forinstance，youwouldntthinkihadhadapiousther—tolookatme?"heasked。

"why，no，notinparticular，"ianswered。

"ah，well，"saidhe，"butihad—remarkablepious。andiwasacivil，piousboy，andcouldrattleoffmycatechismthatfast，asyoucouldnttellonewordfromanother。andhereswhatiteto，激m，anditbegunwithchuck-farthenontheblessedgrave-stones!thatswhatitbegunwith，butitwentfurthernthat;andsomythertoldme，andpredickedthewhole，shedid，thepiouswoman!butitwereprovidencethatputmehere。ivethoughtitalloutinthisherelonelyisland，andimbackonpiety。youdontcatchmetasrumsomuch，butjustathimblefulfor露ck，ofcourse，thefirstchanceihave。imboundillbegood，andiseethewayto。and，激m"—lookingallroundhimandloweringhisvoicetoawhisper—"imrich。"

inowfeltsurethatthepoorfellowhadgonecrazyinhissolitude，andisupposeimusthaveshownthefeelinginmyface，forherepeatedthestatementhotly:"rich!rich!isays。andilltellyouwhat:illmakeamanofyou，激ah，激m，youllblessyourstars，youwill，youwasthefirstthatfoundme!

andatthistherecamesuddenlyaloweringshadowoverhisface，andhetightenedhisgraspuponmyhandandraisedaforefingerthreateninglybeforemyeyes。

"now，激m，youtellmetrue:thataintflintsship?"heasked。

atthisihadahappyinspiration。ibegantobelievethatihadfoundanally，andiansweredhimatonce。

"itsnotflintsship，andflintisdead;butilltellyoutrue，asyouaskme—therearesomeofflintshandsaboard;worse露ckfortherestofus。"

"notaman—withone—leg?"hegasped。

"silver?"iasked。