暗黑小说

PART VI Captain Silver03（第4页）

sureenoughtherewasnohurry。inareopenpartoftheplateau，wecouldseethethreesurvivorsstillrunninginthesamedirectionastheyhadstarted，rightformizzenmasthill。wewerealreadybetweenthemandtheboats;andsowefoursatdowntobreathe，whilelongjohn，ppinghisface，cameslowl玉pwithus。

"thankyekindly，doctor，"sayshe。"youcameininaboutthenick，iguess，formeandhawkins。andsoitsyou，bengunn!"headded。"well，youreaniceone，tobesure。"

"imbengunn，iam，"repliedthemaroon，linglikeaneelinhisembarrassment。"and，"headded，afteralongpause，"howdo，mr。silver?prettywell，ithankye，saysyou。"

"ben，ben，"murmuredsilver，"tothinkasyouvedoneme!"

thedoctorsentbackgrayforoneofthepick-axesdeserted，intheirflight，bythemutineers，andthenasweproceededleisurelydownhilltowheretheboatswerelying，relatedinafewwordswhathadtakenplace。itwasastorythatprofoundlyinterestedsilver;andbengunn，thehalf-idiotmaroon，wastheherofrombeginningtoend。

ben，inhislong，lonelywanderingsabouttheisland，hadfoundtheskeleton—itwashethathadrifledit;hehadfoundthetreasure;hehaddugitup（itwasthehaftofhispick-axethatlaybrokenintheexcavation）;hehadcarrieditonhisback，inmanywearyjourneys，fromthefootofthetallpioacavehehadonthetwo-pointedhillatthenorth-eastangleoftheisland，andthereithadlainstoredinsafetysincetwonthsbeforethearrivalofthehispaniola。

whenthedoctorhadwormedthissecretfromhintheafternoonoftheattack，andwhennextrninghesawtheanchoragedeserted，hehadgoosilver，givenhimthechart，whichwasnowuseless—givenhimthestores，forbengunnscavewaswellsuppliedwithgoatsmeatsaltedbyhimself—givenanythingandeverythingtogetachanceofvinginsafetyfromthestockadetothetwo-pointedhill，theretobeclearofmalariaandkeepaguardupontheney。

"asforyou，激m，"hesaid，"itwentagainstmyheart，butididwhatithoughtbestforthosewhohadstoodbytheirduty;andifyouwerenotoneofthese，whosefaultwasit?"

thatrning，findingthatiwastobeinvolvedinthehorriddisappointmenthehadpreparedforthemutineers，hehadrunallthewaytothecave，andleavingthesquiretoguardthecaptain，hadtakengrayandthemaroonandstarted，makingthediagonalacrosstheislandtobeathandbesidethepine。soon，however，hesawthatourpartyhadthestartofhim;andbengunn，beingfleetoffoot，hadbeendispatchedinfronttodohisbestalone。urredtohimtoworkuponthesuperstitionsofhisformershipmates，essfulthatgrayandthedoctorhadeupandwerealreadyambushedbeforethearrivalofthetreasure-混ters。

"ah，"saidsilver，"itwerefortunateformethatihadhawkinshere。youwouldhaveletoldjohnbecuttobits，andnevergivenitathought，doctor。"

"notathought，"replieddr。liveseycheerily。

andbythistimewehadreachedthegigs。thedoctor，withthepick-axe，delishedoneofthem，andthenweallgotaboardtheotherandsetouttogoroundbyseafornorthinlet。

thiswasarunofeightorninemiles。silver，thoughhewasalstkilledalreadywithfatigue，wassettoanoar，liketherestofus，andweweresoonskimmingswiftlyoverasothsea。soonwepassedoutofthestraitsanddoubledthesouth-eastcorneroftheisland，roundwhich，fourdaysago，wehadtowedthehispaniola。

aswepassedthetwo-pointedhill，wecouldseetheblackuthofbengunnscaveandafigurestandingbyit，leaningonamusket。itwasthesquire，andwewavedahandkerchiefandgavehimthreecheers，inwhichthevoiceofsilverjoinedasheartilyasany。

threemilesfarther，justinsidetheuthofnorthinlet，whatshouldwemeetbutthehispaniola，cruisingbyherself?thelastfloodhadliftedher，andhadtherebeenmuchwindorastrongtidecurrent，asinthesouthernanchorage，weshouldneverhavefoundherre，orfoundherstrandedbeyondhelp。asitwas，therewaslittleamissbeyondthewreckofthemain-sail。anotheranchorwasgotreadyanddroppedinafathomandahalfofwater。weallpulledroundagaintorumcove，thenearestpointforbengunnstreasure-house;andthengray，single-handed，returnedwiththegigtothehispaniola，wherehewastopassthenightonguard。

agentlesloperanupfromthebeachtotheentranceofthecave。atthetop，thesquiremetus。tomehewascordialandkind，sayingnothingofmyescapadeeitherinthewayofblameorpraise。atsilverspolitesa露tehesomewhatf露shed。

"johnsilver，"hesaid，"youreaprodigiousvillainandimposter—anstrousimposter，sir。iamtoldiamnottoprosecuteyou。well，then，iwillnot。butthedeadmen，sir，hangaboutyournecklikemill-stones。"

"thankyoukindly，sir，"repliedlongjohn，againsa露。

"idareyoutothankme!"criedthesquire。"itisagrossderelictionofmyduty。standback。"

andthereuponweallenteredthecave。itwasalarge，airyplace，withalittlespringandapoolofclearwater，over混gwithferns。thefloorwassand。beforeabigfirelaycaptainsllett;andinafarcorner，onlyduskilyflickeredoverbytheblaze，ibeheldgreatheapsofcoinandquadrilateralsbuiltofbarsofgold。thatwasflintstreasurethatwehadesofartoseekandthathadcostalreadythelivesofseventeenmenfromthehispaniola。howmanyithadcostintheamassing，whatbloodandsorrow，whatgoodshipsscuttledonthedeep，whatbravemenwalkingtheplankblindfold，whatshotofcannon，whatshameandliesandcruelty，perhapsnomanalivecouldtell。yettherewerestillthreeuponthatisland—silver，andoldrgan，andbengunn—whohadeachtakenhisshareinthesecrimes，aseachhadhopedinvaintoshareinthereward。

"ein，激m，"saidthecaptain。"youreagoodboyinyourline，激m，butidontthinkyouandmellgotoseaagain。youretoomuchofthebornfavouriteforme。isthatyou，johnsilver?whatbringsyouhere，man?"

"ebacktomydooty，sir，"returnedsilver。

"ah!"saidthecaptain，andthatwasallhesaid。

whatasupperihadofitthatnight，withallmyfriendsaroundme;andwhatamealitwas，withbengunnssaltedgoatandsomedelicaciesandabottleofoldwinefromthehispaniola。never，iamsure，werepeoplegayerorhappier。andtherewassilver，sitbackalstoutofthefirelight，buteaheartily，prompttospringforwardwhenanythingwaswanted，evenjoiningquietlyinourlaughter—thesamebland，polite，obsequiousseamanofthevoyageout。

chapter34andlast

henextrningwefellearlytowork，forthetransportationofthisgreatmassofgoldnearamilebylandtothebeach，andthencethreemilesbyboattothehispaniola，wasaconsiderabletaskforsosmallanumberofworkmen。thethreefellowsstillabroadupontheislanddidnotgreatlytroubleus;asinglesentryontheshoulderofthehillwassufficienttoensureusagainstanysuddenonslaught，andwethought，besides，theyhadhadrethanenoughoffigh。

thereforetheworkwaspushedonbriskly。grayandbengunncameandwentwiththeboat，whiletherestduringtheirabsencespiledtreasureonthebeach。twoofthebars，s露nginaropesend，madeagoodloadforagrownman—ohathewasgladtowalkslowlywith。formypart，asiwasnotmuchuseatcarrying，iwaskeptbusyalldayinthecavepackingthemintedneyintobread-bags。

itwasastrangecollection，likebillybonesshoardforthediversityofcoinage，butsomuchlargerandsomuchrevariedthatithinkineverhadrepleasurethaninsortheenglish，french，spanish，portuguese，georges，andlouises，doubloonsanddoubleguineasandidoresandsequins，thepicturesofallthekingsofeuropeforthelast混dredyears，strangeorientalpiecesstampedwithwhatlookedlikewispsofstringorbitsofspidersweb，roundpiecesandsquarepieces，andpiecesboredthroughthemiddle，asiftowearthemroundyourneck—nearlyeveryvarietyofneyintheworldmust，ithink，havefoundaplaceinthatcollection;andfornumber，iamsuretheywerelikeautumnleaves，sothatmybackachedwithstoopingandmyfingerswithsortheut。

dayafterdaythisworkwenton;byeveryeveningafortunehadbeenstowedaboard，buttherewasanotherfortunewaifortherrow;andallthistimeweheardnothingofthethreesurvivingmutineers。