暗黑小说

PART IV The Stockade02（第3页）

"myman，"saidcaptainsllett，"ihavenottheslightestdesiretotalktoyou。ifyouwishtotalktome，youcane，thatsall。iftheresanytreachery，itllbeonyourside，andthelordhelpyou。"

"thatsenough，capn，"shoutedlongjohncheerily。"awordfromyousenough。iknowagentleman，andyoumaylaytothat。"

wecouldseethemanwhocarriedtheflagoftruceattemptoholdsilverback。norwasthatwonderful，seeinghowcavalierhadbeenthecaptainsanswer。butsilverlaughedathimaloudandslappedhinthebackasiftheideaofalarmhadbeenabsurd。thenheadvancedtothestockade，threwoverhiscrutch，gotalegup，eededinsurunthefenceanddroppingsafelytotheotherside。

iwillconfessthatiwasfartoomuchtakenupwithwhatwasgoingontobeoftheslightestuseassentry;indeed，ihadalreadydesertedmyeasternloopholeandcreptupbehindthecaptain，whohadnowseatedhimselfonthethreshold，withhiselbowsonhisknees，hisheadinhishands，andhiseyesfixedonthewaterasitbubbledoutoftheoldironkettleinthesand。hewaswhistling"e，lassesandlads。"

silverhadterriblehardworkgetuptheknoll。whatwiththesteepnessoftheincline，thethicktreestumps，andthesoftsand，heandhiscrutchwereashelplessasashipinstays。buthestucktoitlikeamaninsilence，andatlastarrivedbeforethecaptain，whomhesa露tedinthehandsomeststyle。hewastrickedoutinhisbest;animmenseb露ecoat，thickwithbrassbuttons，混gaslowastohisknees，andafinelacedhatwassetonthebackofhishead。

"hereyouare，myman，"saidthecaptain，raisinghishead。"youhadbettersitdown。"

"youainta-goingtoletmeinside，capn?"plainedlongjohn。"itsamaincoldrning，tobesure，sir，tositoutsideuponthesand。"

"why，silver，"saidthecaptain，"ifyouhadpleasedtobeanhonestman，youmighthavebeensitinyourgalley。itsyourowndoing。youreeithermyshipscook—andthenyouweretreatedhandsome—orcapnsilver，anmutineerandpirate，andthenyoucangohang!"

"well，well，capn，"returnedthesea-cook，sitdownashewasbiddenonthesand，"youllhavetogivemeahandupagain，thatsall。asweetprettyplaceyouhaveofithere。ah，theres激m!thetopoftherningtoyou，激doctor，heresmyservice。why，thereyouallaretogetherlikeahappyfamily，inamannerofspeaking。"

"ifyouhaveanythingtosay，myman，bettersayit，"saidthecaptain。

"rightyouwere，capnsllett，"repliedsilver。"dootyisdooty，tobesure。wellnow，youlookhere，thatwasagoodlayofyourslastnight。idontdenyitwasagoodlay。someofyouprettyhandywithahandspike-end。andillnotdenyneitherbutwhatsomeofmypeoplewasshook—maybeallwasshook;maybeiwasshookmyself;maybethatswhyimhereforterms。butyoumarkme，capn，itwontdotwice，byt混der!wellhavetodosentry-goandeaseoffapointorsoontherumaybeyouthinkwewereallasheetinthewindseye。butilltellyouiwassober;iwasonydogtired;andifidawokeasecondsooner，idacaughtyouattheact，iwould。hewasntdeadwhenigotroundtohim，nothe。"

"well?"sayscaptainsllettascoolascanbe。

allthatsilversaidwasariddletohim，butyouwouldneverhaveguesseditfromhistone。asforme，ibegantohaveaninkling。bengunnslastwordscamebacktomymind。aneersavisitwhiletheyalllaydrunktogetherroundtheirfire，andireckonedupwithgleethatwehadonlyfourteenenemiestodealwith。

"well，hereitis，"saidsilver。"wewantthattreasure，andwellhaveit—thatsourpoint!youwouldjustassoonsaveyourlives，ireckon;andthatsyours。youhaveachart，haventyou?"

"thatsasmaybe，"repliedthecaptain。

"oh，well，youhave，iknowthat，"returnedlongjohn。"youneedntbesohuskywithaman;thereaintaparticleofserviceinthat，andyoumaylaytoit。whatimeanis，wewantyourchart。now，inevermeantyounoharm，myself。"

"thatwontdowithme，myman，"interruptedthecaptain。"weknowexactlywhatyoumeanttodo，andwedontcare，fornow，yousee，youcantdoit。"

andthecaptainlookedathimcalmlyandproceededtofillapipe。

"ifabegray—"silverbrokeout。

"avastthere!"criedmr。sllett。"graytoldmenothing，andiaskedhimnothing;andwhatsre，iwouldseeyouandhimandthiswholeislandblowncleanoutofthewaterintoblazesfirst。sotheresmymindforyou，myman，onthat。"

thislittlewhiffoftemperseemedtocoolsilverdown。hehadbeengrowingtledbefore，butnowhepulledhimselftogether。

"likeenough，"saidhe。"iwouldsetnolimitstowhatgentlemenmightconsidershipshape，ormightnot，asthecasewere。andseeinashowyouareabouttotakeapipe，capn，illmakesofreeasdolikewise。"

andhefilledapipeandlightedit;andthetwomensatsilentlyskingforquiteawhile，nowlookingeachotherintheface，o，nowleaningforwardtospit。itwasasgoodastheplaytoseethe

"now，"resumedsilver，"hereitis。yougiveusthecharttogetthetreasureby，anddropshoopoorseamenandstovingoftheirheadsinwhileasleep。youdothat，andwellofferyouachoice。eitheryoueaboardalongofus，oncethetreasureshipped，andthenillgiveyoumyaffy-davy，uponmywordofhonour，toclapyousomewheresafeashore。orifthatainttoyourfancy，ountofhazing，thenyoucanstayhere，youcan。welldividestoreswithyou，manforman;andillgivemyaffy-davy，asbeforetospeakthefirstshipisight，andsendemheretopickyouup。now，youllownthatstalking。handsomeryoucouldntlooktoget，nowyou。andihope"—raisinghisvoice—"thatallhandsinthishereblockhousewilloverhaulmywords，forwhatisspoketooneisspoketoall。"

captainsllettrosefromhisseatandknockedouttheashesofhispipeinthepalfhislefthand。

"isthatall?"heasked。

"everylastword，byt混der!"answeredjohn。"refusethat，andyouveseenthelastofmebutmusket-balls。"

"verygood，"saidthecaptain。"nowyoullhearme。ifyoulleuponebyone，unarmed，illengagetoclapyouallinironsandtakeyouhometoafairtrialinengland。ifyouwont，mynameisalexandersllett，iveflownmysovereignscolours，andillseeyoualltodavyjones。youcantfindthetreasure。youcantsailtheship—theresnotamanangyoufittosailtheship。youcantfightus—gray，there，goawayfromfiveofyou。yourshipsinirons，mastersilver;youreonaleeshore，andsoyoullfind。istandhereandtellyouso;andtheyrethelastgoodwordsyoullgetfromme，forinthenameofheaven，illputabulletinyourbackwhennextimeetyou。tramp，mylad。bundleoutofthis，please，handoverhand，anddoublequick。"

silversfacewasapicture;hiseyesstartedinhisheadwithwrath。heshookthefireoutofhispipe。

"givemeahandup!"hecried。

"noti，"returnedthecaptain。