暗黑小说

PART I The Old Buccaneer02（第3页）

theblindmancursedtheney。

"flintsfist，imean，"hecried。

"wedontseeitherenohow，"returnedtheman。

"here，youbelowthere，isitonbill?"criedtheblindmanagain。

atthatanotherfellow，probablyhimwhohadremainedbelowtosearchthecaptainsbody，cametothedooroftheinn。"billsbeenoverhauledaready，"saidhe;"nothinleft。"

"itsthesepeopleoftheinn—itsthatboy。iwishihadputhiseyesout!"criedtheblindman，pew。"therewerenotimeago—theyhadthedoorboltedwhenitriedit。scatter，lads，andfinde

"sureenough，theylefttheirglimhere，"saidthefellowfromthewindow。

"scatterandfindem!routthehouseout!"reiteratedpew，strikingwithhisstickupontheroad。

thentherefollowedagreatto-dothroughallouroldinn，heavyfeetpoundingtoandfro，furniturethrownover，doorskickedin，untiltheveryrocksre-echoedandthemencameoutagain，oneafteranother，ontheroadanddeclaredthatwewerenowheretobefound。andjustthesamewhistlethathadalarmedmytherandmyselfoverthedeadcaptainsneywasoncereclearlyaudiblethroughthenight，butthistimetwicerepeated。ihadthoughtittobetheblindmanstrumpet，sotospeak，sumninghiscrewtotheassault，butinowfoundthatitwasasignalfromthehillsidetowardsthehamlet，aneers，asignaltowarnthefapproachingdanger。

"theresdirkagain，"saidone。"twice!wellhavetobudge，mates。"

"budge，youskulk!"criedpew。"dirkwasafoolandacowardfromthefirst—youwouldntmindhitheymustbecloseby;theycantbefar;youhaveyourhandsonit。scatterandlookforthem，dogs!oh，shivermysoul，"hecried，"ifihadeyes!"

thisappealseemedtoproducesomeeffect，fortwoofthefellowsbegantolookhereandthereangthe露mber，buthalf-heartedly，ithought，andwithhalfaneyetotheirowndangerallthetime，whilethereststoodirreso露teontheroad。

"youhaveyourhandsonthousands，youfools，andyouhangaleg!youdbeasrichaskingsifyoucouldfindit，andyouknowitshere，andyoustandthereskulking。therewasntoneofyoudaredfacebill，andididit—ablindman!andimtolosemychanceforyou!imtobeapoor，ar，spongingforrum，whenimightberollinginacoach!ifyouhadthep露ckofaweevilinabiscuityouwouldcatchthemstill。"

"hangit，pew，wevegotthedoubloons!"grumbledone。

"theymighthavehidtheblessedthing，"saidanother。"takethegeorges，pew，anddontstandheresqualling。"

squallingwasthewordforit;pewsangerrosesohighattheseobjectionstillatlast，hispassionpletelytakingtheupperhand，hestruckatthemrightandleftinhisblindnessandhissticksoundedheavilyonrethanone。

these，intheirturn，cursedbackattheblindmiscreant，threatenedhiminhorridterms，andtriedinvaintocatchthestickandwrestitfromhisgrasp。

thisquarrelwasthesavingofus，forwhileitwasstillraging，anothersoundcamefromthetopofthehillonthesideofthehamlet—thetrampofhorsesgalloping。alstatthesametimeapistol-shot，flashandreport，camefromthehedgeside。andthatwasplainlythelastsignalofdanger，aneersturnedatonceandran，separaineverydirection，oneseawardalongthecove，oneslantacrossthehill，andsoon，sothatinhalfaminutenotasignofthemremainedbutpew。himtheyhaddeserted，whetherinsheerpanicoroutofrevengeforhisillwordsandblowsiknownot;butthereheremainedbehind，tappingupanddowntheroadinafrenzy，andgropingandcallingforhisrades。finallyhetookawrongturnandranafewstepspastme，towardsthehamlet，crying，"johnny，blackdog，dirk，"andothernames，"youwontleaveoldpew，mates—notoldpew!"

justthenthenoiseofhorsestoppedtherise，andfourorfiveriderscameinsightintheonlightandsweptatfullgallopdowntheslope。

atthispewsawhiserror，turnedwithascream，andranstraightfortheditch，intowhichherolled。buthewasonhisfeetagaininasecondandmadeanotherdash，nowutterlybewildered，rightunderthenearestoftheinghorses。

theridertriedtosavehim，butinvain。downwentpewwithacrythatranghighintothenight;andthefourhoofstrampledandspurnedhimandpassedby。hefellonhisside，thengentlycollapseduponhisfaceandvednore。

ileapedtomyfeetandhailedtheriders。theywerepullingup，atanyrate，ident;andisoonsawwhattheywere。one，tailingoutbehindtherest，wasaladthathadgonefromthehamlettodr。liveseys;therestwererevenueofficers，whomhehadmetbytheway，andwithwhomhehadhadtheintelligencetoreturnatonce。erinkittsholehadfounditswaytosupervisordanceandsethimforththatnightinourdirection，andtothatcircumstancemytherandiowedourpreservationfromdeath。

pewwasdead，stonedead。asformyther，whenwehadcarriedheruptothehamlet，alittlecoldwaterandsaltsandthatsoonbroughtherbackagain，andshewasnoheworseforherterror，thoughshestillcontinuedtodeplorethebalanceoftheney。inthemeantimethesupervisorrodeon，asfastashecould，tokittshole;buthismenhadtodisuntandgropedownthedingle，leading，andsometimessuppor，theirhorses，andincontinualfearofambushes;erwasalread玉nderway，thoughstillclosein。hehailedher。avoicereplied，tellinghimtokeepoutoftheonlightorhewouldgetsomeleadinhim，andatthesametimeabulletwhistledclosebyhisarsoonafter，erdoubledthepointanddisappeared。mr。dancestoodthere，ashesaid，"likeafishoutofwater，"andallhecoulddowastodispatchamantob—towarnthecutter。"andthat，"saidhe，"isjustaboutasgoodasnothing。theyvegotoffclean，andtheresanend。only，"headded，"imgladitrodonmasterpewscorns，"forbythistimehehadheardmystory。

iwentbackwithhimtotheadmiralbenbow，andyoucannotimagineahouseinsuchastateofsmash;theveryclockhadbeenthrowndownbythesefellowsintheirfurious混taftermytherandmyself;andthoughnothinghadactuallybeentakenawayexceptthecaptainsney-bagandalittlesilverfromthetill，icouldseeatoncethatwewereruined。mr。dancecouldmakenothingofthescene。

"theygottheney，yousay?well，then，hawkins，whatinfortuneweretheyafter?reney，isuppose?"

"no，sir;notney，ithink，"repliedi。"infact，sir，ibelieveihavethethinginmybreastpocket;andtotellyouthetruth，ishouldliketogetitputinsafety。"

"tobesure，boy;quiteright，"saidhe。"illtakeit，ifyoulike。"

"ithoughtperhapsdr。livesey—"ibegan。

"perfectlyright，"heinterruptedverycheerily，"perfectlyright—agentlemanandamagistrate。and，nowietothinkofit，imightaswellrideroundtheremyselfandreporttohirsquire。masterpewsdead，whenallsdone;notthatiregretit，buthesdead，yousee，andpeoplewillmakeitoutagainstanofficerofhismajestysrevenue，ifmakeitouttheycan。now，illtellyou，hawkins，ifyoulike，illtakeyoualong。"

ithankedhimheartilyfortheoffer，andwewalkedbacktothehamletwherethehorseswere。bythetimeihadtoldtherofmypurposetheywereallinthesaddle。

"er，"saidmr。dance，"youhaveagoodhorse;takeupthisladbehindyou。"