whenwecameondeck,themenhadbegunalreadytotakeoutthearmsandpowder,yo-ho-ingattheirwork,whilethecaptainandmr。arrowstoodbysuperintending。
thenewarrangementwasquitetomyliking。thewholeschoonerhadbeenoverhauled;sixberthshadbeenmadeasternoutofwhathadbeentheafterpartofthemainhold;andthissetofcabinswasonlyjoinedtothegalleyandforecastlebyasparredpassageontheportside。ithadbeenoriginallymeantthatthecaptain,mr。arrow,hunter,joyce,thedoctor,upythesesixberths。nowredruthandiweretogettwoofthemandmr。arrowandthecaptainweretosleepondeckinthepanion,whichhadbeenenlargedoneachsidetillyoumightalsthavecalleditaround-house。verylowitwasstill,ofcourse;buttherewasroomtoswingtwohamcks,andeventhemateseemedpleasedwiththearrangement。evenhe,perhaps,hadbeendoubtfulastothecrew,butthatisonlyguess,forasyoushallhear,wehadnotlongthebenefitofhisopinion。
wewereallhardatwork,changingthepowderandtheberths,whenthelastmanortwo,andlongjohnalongwiththem,cameoffinashore-boat。
thecookcameupthesidelikeankeyforcleverness,andassoonashesawwhatwasdoing,"soho,mates!"sayshe。"whatsthis?"
"werea-changingofthepowder,jack,"answersone。
"why,bythepowers,"criedlongjohn,"ifwedo,wellmisstherningtide!"
"myorders!"saidthecaptainshortly。"youmaygobelow,myman。handswillwantsupper。"
"aye,aye,sir,"answeredthecook,andtouchinghisforelock,hedisappearedatonceinthedirectionofhisgalley。
"thatsagoodman,captain,"saidthedoctor。
"verylikely,sir,"repliedcaptainsllett。"easywiththat,men—easy,"heranon,tothefellowswhowereshifthepowder;andthensuddenlyobservingmeexaminingtheswivelwecarriedamidships,alongbrassnine,"hereyou,shipsboy,"hecried,"outothat!offwithyoutothecookandgetsomework。"
andthenasiwashurryingoffiheardhimsay,quiteloudly,tothedoctor,"illhavenofavouritesonmyship。"
iassureyouiwasquiteofthesquireswayofthinking,andhatedthecaptaindeeply。
chapter10thevoyage
llthatnightwewereinagreatbustlegetthingsstowedintheirplace,andboatfulsofthesquiresfriends,mr。blandlyandthelike,ingofftowishhimagoodvoyageandasafereturn。weneverhadanightattheadmiralbenbowwhenihadhalfthework;andiwasdog-tiredwhen,alittlebeforedawn,theboatswainsoundedhispipeandthecrewbegantomanthecapstan-bars。imighthavebeentwiceasweary,yetiwouldnothaveleftthedeck,allwassonewandinterestome—thebriefmands,theshrillnoteofthewhistle,themenbustlingtotheirplacesintheglimmeroftheshipslanterns。
"now,barbecue,tipusastave,"criedonevoice。
"theoldone,"criedanother。
"aye,aye,mates,"saidlongjohn,whowasstandingby,withhiscrutc混derhisarm,andatoncebrokeoutintheairandwordsiknewsowell:
"fifteenmenonthedeadmanschest—"
andthenthewholecrewborechorus:—
"yo-ho-ho,andabottleofrum!"
andatthethird"ho!"drovethebarsbeforethemwithawill。
evenatthatexcimentitcarriedmebacktotheoldadmiralbenbowinasecond,andiseemedtohearthevoiceofthecaptainpipinginthechorus。butsoontheanchorwasshortup;soonitwashangingdrippingatthebows;soonthesailsbegantodraw,andthelandandshippingtoflitbyoneitherside;andbeforeicouldliedowntosnatchanhourofs露mberthehispaniolahadbegunhervoyagetotheisleoftreasure。
iamnotgoingtorelatethatvoyageindetail。itwasfairlyprosperous。theshipprovedtobeagoodship,thecrewwerecapableseamen,andthecaptainthoroughl玉nderstoodhisbusiness。butbeforewecamethelengthoftreasureisland,twoorthreethingshadhappenedwhichrequiretobeknown。
mr。arrow,firstofall,turnedoutevenworsethanthecaptainhadfeared。hehadnomandangthemen,andpeopledidwhattheypleasedwithhibutthatwasbynomeanstheworstofit,forafteradayortwoatseahebegantoappearondeckwithhazyeye,redcheeks,stutteringtongue,andothermarksofdrunkenness。timeaftertimehewasorderedbelowindisgrace。sometimeshefellandcuthimself;sometimeshelayalldaylonginhislittlebunkatonesideofthepanion;sometimesforadayortwohewouldbealstsoberandattendtohisworkatleastpassably。
inthemeantime,wecouldnevermakeoutwherehegotthedrink。thatwastheshipsmystery。watchhimaswepleased,wecoulddonothingtosolveit;andwhenweaskedhimtohisface,hewouldonlylaughifheweredrunk,andifheweresoberdenysolemnlythatheevertastedanythingbutwater。
hewasnotonl玉selessasanofficerandabadinf露enceangstthemen,butitwasplainthatatthisratehemustsoonkillhimselfoutright,sonobodywasmuchsurprised,norverysorry,whenonedarknight,withaheadsea,hedisappearedentirelyandwasseennore。
"overboard!"saidthecaptain。"well,gentlemen,thatsavesthetroubleofputhiminirons。"
buttherewewere,withoutamate;anditwasnecessary,ofcourse,toadvanceoneofthemen。theboatswain,jobanderson,wasthelikeliestmanaboard,andthoughhekepthisoldtitle,heservedinawayasmate。mr。trelawneyhadfollowedthesea,andhisknowledgemadehimver玉seful,forheoftentookawatchhimselfineasyweather。andthecoxswain,israelhands,wasacareful,wily,old,experiencedseamanwhocouldbetrustedatapinchwithalstanything。