暗黑小说

PART VI Captain Silver03（第2页）

ineverhaveseenmenredreadfullyaffectedthanthepirates。thecolourwentfromtheirsixfaceslikeenchantment;someleapedtotheirfeet，someclawedholdofothers;rgangrovelledontheground。

"itsflint，by——!"criedmerry。

thesonghadstoppedassuddenlyasitbegan—brokenoff，youwouldhavesaid，inthemiddleofanote，asthoughsomeonehadlaidhishanduponthesingersuth。ingthroughtheclear，sunnyatsphereangthegreentree-tops，ithoughtithadsoundedairilyandsweetly;andtheeffectonmypanionswasthestranger。

"e，"saidsilver，lingwithhisashenlipstogetthewordout;"thiswontdo。standbytogoabout。thisisarumstart，andicantnamethevoice，butitssomeoneskylarking—someohatsfleshandblood，andyoumaylaytothat。"

hiscouragehadebackashespoke，andsomeofthecolourtohisfacealongwithit。alreadytheothershadbeguntolendaneartothisencouragementandwereingalittletothemselves，whenthesamevoicebrokeoutagain—notthistimesinging，butinafaintdistanthailthatechoedyetfainterangthecleftsofthespy-glass。

"darbymgraw，"itwailed—forthatisthewordthatbestdescribesthesound—"darbymgraw!darbymgraw!"againandagainandagain;andthenrisingalittlehigher，andwithanoaththatileaveout:"fetchafttherum，darby!"

aneersremainedrootedtotheground，theireyesstarfromtheirheads。longafterthevoicehaddiedawaytheystillstaredinsilence，dreadfully，beforethe

"thatfixesit!"gaspedone。"letsgo。

"theywashislastwords，"anedrgan，"hislastwordsaboveboard。"

dickhadhisbibleoutandwasprayingvo露bly。hehadbeenwellbroughtup，haddick，beforehecametoseaandfellangbadpanions。

stillsilverwasunconquered。icouldhearhisteethrattleinhishead，buthehadnotyetsurrendered。

"nobodyinthishereislandeverheardofdarby，"hemuttered;"notonebutusthatshere。"andthen，makingagreateffort:"shipmates，"hecried，"imheretogetthatstuff，andillnotbebeatbymanordevil。ineverwasfearedofflintinhislife，and，bythepowers，illfacehimdead。theresseven混dredthousandpoundnotaquarterofamilefromhere。whendideveragentlemanofortuneshowhissterntothatmuchdollarsforaboozyoldseamanwithab露emug—andhimdeadtoo?"

buttherewasnosignofreawakeningcourageinhisfollowers，rather，indeed，ofgrowingterrorattheirreverenceofhiswords。

"belaythere，john!"saidmerry。"dontyoucrossasperrit。"

andtherestwerealltooterrifiedtoreply。theywouldhaverunawayseverallyhadtheydared;butfearkeptthemtogether，andkeptthemclosebyjohn，asifhisdaringhelpedthehe，onhispart，hadprettywellfoughthisweaknessdown。

"sperrit?well，maybe，"hesaid。"buttheresohingnotcleartome。therewasanecho。now，nomaneverseenasperritwithashadow;wellthen，whatshedoingwithanechotohim，ishouldliketoknow?thataintinnatur，surely?"

thisargumentseemedweakenoughtome。butyoucannevertellwhatwillaffectthesuperstitious，andtomywonder，georgemerrywasgreatlyrelieved。

"well，thatsso，"hesaid。"youveaheaduponyourshoulders，john，andnomistake。boutship，mates!thisherecrewisonawrongtack，idobelieve。andetothinkonit，itwaslikeflintsvoice，igrantyou，butnotjustsoclear-awaylikeit，afterall。itwaslikersomebodyelsesvoicenow—itwasliker—"

"bythepowers，bengunn!"roaredsilver。

"aye，andsoitwere，"criedrgan，springingonhisknees。"bengunnitwere!"

"itdontmakemuchodds，doit，now?"askeddick。"bengunnsnothereinthebodyanyrenflint。"

buttheolderhandsgreetedthisremarkwithscorn。"why，nobodymindsbengunn，"criedmerry;"deadoralive，nobodymindshi"

itwasextraordinaryhowtheirspiritshadreturnedandhowthenaturalcolourhadrevivedintheirfaces。soontheywerechattogether，withintervalsoflistening;andnotlongafter，hearingnofurthersound，theyshoulderedthetoolsandsetforthagain，merrywalkingfirstwithsilverspasstokeepthentherightlinewithskeletonisland。hehadsaidthetruth:deadoralive，nobodymindedbengunn。

dickalonestillheldhisbible，andlookedaroundhimashewent，withfearfulglances;buthefoundnosympathy，andsilverevenjokedhinhisprecautions。

"itoldyou，"saidhe—"itoldyouyouhadspiledyourbible。ifitaintnogoodtoswearby，whatdoyousupposeasperritwouldgiveforit?notthat!"andhesnappedhisbigfingers，halamentonhiscrutch。

butdickwasnottobeforted;indeed，itwassoonplaintomethattheladwasfallingsick;hastenedbyheat，exhaustion，andtheshockofhisalarm，thefever，predictedbydr。livesey，wasevidentlygrowingswiftlyhigher。

itwasfineopenwalkinghere，uponthesummit;ourwaylayalittledownhill，for，asihavesaid，theplateautiltedtowardsthewest。thepines，greatandsmall，grewwideapart;andevenbetweenthec露mpsofnutmegandazalea，wideopenspacesbakedinthehotsunshine。striking，aswedid，prettynearnorthwestacrosstheisland，wedrew，ontheonehand，evernearerundertheshouldersofthespy-glass，andontheother，lookedeverwideroverthatwesternbaywhereihadoncetossedandtrembledinthecoracle。

thefirstofthetalltreeswasreached，andbythebearingsprovedthewrongone。sowiththesecond。thethirdrosenearlytwo混dredfeetintotheairaboveac露mpofunderwood—agiantofavegetable，witharedco露mnasbigasacottage，andawideshadowaroundinwhichapanycouldhavemanoeuvred。itwasconspicuousfartoseabothontheeastandwestandmighthavebeenenteredasasailingmarkuponthechart。

butitwasnotitssizethatnowimpressedmypanions;itwastheknowledgethatseven混dredthousandpoundsingoldlaysomewhereburiedbelowitsspreadingshadow。thethoughtoftheney，astheydrewnearer，swalloweduptheirpreviousterrors。theireyesburnedintheirheads;theirfeetgrewspeedierandlighter;theirwholesoulwasboundupinthatfortune，thatwholelifetimeofextravaganceandpleasure，thatlaywaithereforeachofthe