暗黑小说

PART III My Shore Adventure（第4页）

"silver?"iasked。

"ah，silver!"sayshe。"thatwerehisname。"

"hesthecook，andtheringleadertoo。"

hewasstillholdingmebythewrist，andatthathegiveitquiteawring。

"ifyouwassentbylongjohn，"hesaid，"imasgoodaspork，andiknowit。butwherewasyou，doyousuppose?"

ihadmademymindupinament，andbywayofanswertoldhimthewholestoryofourvoyageandthepredicamentinwhichwefoundourselves。heheardmewiththekeenestinterest，andwhenihaddonehepattedmeonthehead。

"youreagoodlad，激m，"hesaid;"andyoureallinaclovehitch，aintyou?well，youjustputyourtrustinbengunn—bengunnsthemantodoit。wouldyouthinkitlikely，now，thatyoursquirewouldprovealiberal-mindedoneincaseofhelp—himbeinginaclovehitch，asyouremark?"

itoldhimthesquirewasthestliberalofmen。

"aye，butyousee，"returnedbengunn，"ididntmeangivingmeagatetokeep，andasuitofliveryclothes，andsuch;thatsnotmymark，激whatimeanis，wouldhebelikelytoedowntothetoonof，sayohousandpoundsoutofneythatsasgoodasamansownalready?"

"iamsurehewould，"saidi。"asitwas，allhandsweretoshare。"

"andapassagehome?"headdedwithalookofgreatshrewdness。

"why，"icried，"thesquiresagentleman。andbesides，ifwegotridoftheothers，weshouldwantyoutohelpworkthevesselhome。"

"ah，"saidhe，"soyouwould。"andheseemedverymuchrelieved。

"now，illtellyouwhat，"hewenton。"somuchilltellyou，andnore。iwereinflintsshipwhenheburiedthetreasure;heandsixalong—sixstrongseamen。theywasashorenighonaweek，andusstandingoffandonintheoldwalrus。onefineda玉pwentthesignal，andhereeflintbyhimselfinalittleboat，andhisheaddoneupinab露escarf。thesunwasgetup，andrtalwhitehelookedaboutthecutwater。but，therehewas，youmind，andthesixalldead—deadandburied。howhedoneit，notamanaboarduscouldmakeout。itwasbattle，murder，andsuddendeath，leastways—himagainstsix。billyboneswasthemate;longjohn，hewasquartermaster;andtheyaskedhimwherethetreasurewas。ah，sayshe，youcangoashore，ifyoulike，andstay，hesays;butasfortheship，shellbeatupforre，byt混der!thatswhathesaid。

"well，iwasinanothershipthreeyearsback，andwesightedthisisland。boys，saidi，heresflintstreasure;letslandandfindit。thecapnwasdispleasedatthat，butmymessmateswereallofamindandlanded。twelvedaystheylookedforit，andeverydaytheyhadtheworsewordforme，untilonefinerningallhandswentaboard。asforyou，benjamingunn，saysthey，heresamusket，theysays，andaspade，andpick-axe。youcanstayhereandfindflintsneyforyourself，theysays。

"well，激m，threeyearshaveibeenhere，andnotabiteofchristiandietfromthatdaytothis。butnow，youlookhere;lookatme。doilooklikeamanbeforethemast?no，saysyou。noriwerent，neither，isays。"

andwiththathewinkedandpinchedmehard。

"justyoumentionthemwordstoyoursquire，激m，"hewenton。"norhewerent，neither—thatsthewords。threeyearshewerethemanofthisisland，lightanddark，fairandrain;andsometimeshewouldmaybethinkuponaprayer（saysyou），andsometimeshewouldmaybethinkofhisoldther，sobeasshesalive（youllsay）;butthestpartofgunnstime（thisiswhatyoullsay）—thestpartofhistimewastookupwithanothermatter。andthenyoullgivehimanip，likeido。"

andhepinchedmeagaininthestconfidentialmanner。

"then，"hecontinued，"thenyoul露p，andyoullsaythis:gunnisagoodman（youllsay），andheputsaprecioussightreconfidence—aprecioussight，mindthat—inagenlemanbornthaninthesegenlemanoffortune，havingbeenonehisself。"

"well，"isaid，"idontunderstandonewordthatyouvebeensaying。butthatsneitherherenorthere;forhowamitogetonboard?"

"ah，"saidhe，"thatsthehitch，forsure。well，theresmyboat，thatimadewithmytwohands。ikeepherunderthewhiterock。iftheworstetotheworst，wemighttrythatafterdark。hi!"hebrokeout。"whatsthat?"

forjustthen，althoughthesunhadstillanhourortwotorun，alltheechoesoftheislandawokeandbellowedtothet混derofacannon。

"theyhavebeguntofight!"icried。"followme。

andibegantoruntowardstheanchorage，myterrorsallforgotten，whilecloseatmysidethemaroonedmaninhisgoatskinstrottedeasilyandlightly。

"left，left，"sayshe;"keeptoyourlefthand，mate激m!underthetreeswithyou!theerswhereikilledmyfirstgoat。theydontedownherenow;theyreallmastheadedonthemunsforthefearofbenjamingunn。ah!andtheresthecetemery"—cemetery，hemusthavemeant。"youseetheunds?iehereandprayed，nowsandthens，whenithoughtmaybeasundaywouldbeaboutdoo。itwerentquiteachapel，butitseemedresolemnlike;andthen，saysyou，bengunnwasshort-handed—nochapling，norsomuchasabibleandaflag，yousays。

sohekepttalkingasiran，neitherexpecnorreceivinganyanswer。

thecannon-shotwasfollowedafteraconsiderableintervalbyavolleyofsmallarms。

anotherpause，andthen，notaquarterofamileinfrontofme，ibeheldtheunionjackf露tterintheairaboveawood。