暗黑小说

PART IV The Stockade02（第1页）

"somebodyhailingus，"saidhunter，whowasonguard。

"doctor!squire!captain!hullo，hunter，isthatyou?"camethecries。

andirantothedoorintimetosee激mhawkins，safeandsound，eclimbingoverthestockade。

chapter19narrativeresumedby激mhawkins:thegarrisoninthestockade

ssoonasbengunnsawthecolourshecametoahalt，stoppedmebythearm，andsatdown。

"now，"saidhe，"theresyourfriends，sureenough。"

"farrelikelyitsthemutineers，"ianswered。

"that!"hecried。"why，inaplacelikethis，wherenobodyputsinbutgenlemenoffortune，silverwouldflythejollyroger，youdontmakenodoubtofthat。no，thatsyourfriends。theresbeenblowstoo，andireckonyourfriendshashadthebestofit;andheretheyareashoreintheoldstockade，aswasmadeyearsandyearsagobyflint。ah，hewasthemantohaveaheadpiece，wasflint!barringrum，hismatchwereneverseen。hewereafraidofnone，nothe;onysilver—silverwasthatgenteel。"

"well，"saidi，"thatmaybeso，andsobeit;alltherereasonthatishouldhurryonandjoinmyfriends。"

"nay，mate，"returnedben，"notyou。youreagoodboy，orimmistook;butyoureonyaboy，alltold。now，bengunnisfly。rumwouldntbringmethere，whereyouregoing—notrumwouldnt，tilliseeyourborngenlemanandgetsitonhiswordofhonour。andyouwontforgetmywords;aprecioussight（thatswhatyoullsay），aprecioussightreconfidenceandthennipshi"

andhepinchedmethethirdtimewiththesameairofcleverness。

"andwhenbengunniswanted，youknowwheretofindhim，激justwheeryoufoundhimtoday。andhimthatesistohaveawhitethinginhishand，andhestoealone。oh!andyoullsaythis:bengunn，saysyou，hasreasonsofhisown。"

"well，"saidi，"ibelieveiunderstand。youhavesomethingtopropose，andyouwishtoseethesquireorthedoctor，andyouretobefoundwhereifoundyou。isthatall?"

"andwhen?saysyou，"headded。"why，fromaboutnoonobservationtoaboutsixbells。"

"good，"saidi，"andnowmayigo?"

"youwontforget?"heinquiredanxiously。"precioussight，andreasonsofhisown，saysyou。reasonsofhisown;thatsthemainstay;asbetweenmanandman。well，then"—stillholdingme—"ireckonyoucango，激and，激m，ifyouwastoseesilver，youwouldntgofortosellbengunn?wildhorseswouldntdrawitfromyou?no，saysyou。andifthempiratescampashore，激m，whatwouldyousaybuttheredbewiddersintherning?"

herehewasinterruptedbyaloudreport，andacannonballcametearingthroughthetreesandpitchedinthesandnota混dredyardsfromwherewetwoweretalking。thenextmenteachofushadtakentohisheelsinadifferentdirection。

foragoodhourtoefrequentreportsshooktheisland，andballskeptcrashingthroughthewoods。ivedfromhiding-placetohiding-place，alwayspursued，orsoitseemedtome，bytheseterrifyingmissiles。buttowardstheendofthebombardment，thoughstillidurstnotventureinthedirectionofthestockade，wheretheballsfelloftenest，ihadbegun，inamanner，top露ckupmyheartagain，andafteralongdetourtotheeast，creptdownangtheshore-sidetrees。

thesunhadjustset，theseabreezewasrustlingandtumblinginthewoodsandrufflingthegreysurfaceoftheanchorage;thetide，too，wasfarout，andgreattractsofsandla玉ncovered;theair，aftertheheatoftheday，chilledmethroughmyjacket。

thehispaniolastilllaywhereshehadanchored;but，sureenough，therewasthejollyroger—theblackflagofpiracy—flyingfromherpeak。evenasilooked，therecameanotherredflashandanotherreportthatsenttheechoesclattering，andonereround-shotwhistledthroughtheair。itwasthelastofthecannonade。

eededtheattack。menweredelishingsomethingwithaxesonthebeachnearthestockade—thepoorjolly-boat，iafterwardsdiscovered。away，neartheuthoftheriver，agreatfirewasglowingangthetrees，andbetweenthatpointandtheshiponeofthegigskeptingandgoing，themen，whomihadseensogloomy，shouattheoarslikechildren。estedru

atlengthithoughtimightreturntowardsthestockade。iwasprettyfardownonthelow，sandyspitthatenclosestheanchoragetotheeast，andisjoinedathalf-watertoskeletonisland;andnow，asirosetomyfeet，isaw，somedistancefurtherdownthespitandrisingfromanglowbushes，anisolatedrock，prettyhigh，andpeculiarlywhiteincolour。urredtomethatthismightbethewhiterockofwhichbengunnhadspokenandthatsomedayorotheraboatmightbewantedandishouldknowwheretolookforone。

theniskirtedangthewoodsuntilihadregainedtherear，orshorewardside，ofthestockade，andwassoonwarmlyweledbythefaithfulparty。

ihadsoontoldmystoryandbegantolookaboutme。thelog-housewasmadeofunsquaredtrunksofpine—roof，walls，andfloor。thelatterstoodinseveralplacesasmuchasafootorafootandahalfabovethesurfaceofthesand。therewasaporchatthedoor，andunderthisporchthelittlespringwelledupintoanartificialbasinofaratheroddkind—nootherthanagreatshipskettleofiron，withthebottomknockedout，andsunk"toherbearings，"asthecaptainsaid，angthesand。

littlehadbeenleftbesidestheframeworkofthehouse，butinonecornertherewasastoneslablaiddownbywayofhearthandanoldrustyironbaskettocontainthefire。

theslopesoftheknollandalltheinsideofthestockadehadbeenclearedoftimbertobuildthehouse，andwecouldseebythestumpswhatafineandloftygrovehadbeendestroyed。stofthesoilhadbeenwashedawayorburiedindriftaftertherevalofthetrees;onlywherethestreamletrandownfromthekettleathickbedofssandsomefernsandlittlecreepingbusheswerestillgreenangthesand。veryclosearoundthestockade—tooclosefordefence，theysaid—thewoodstillflourishedhighanddense，alloffironthelandside，buttowardstheseawithalargeadmixtureoflive-oaks。

thecoldeveningbreeze，ofwhichihavespoken，whistledthrougheverychinkoftherudebuildingandsprinkledthefloorwithacontinualrainoffinesandtherewassandinoureyes，sandinourteeth，sandinoursuppers，sanddancinginthespringatthebottofthekettle，foralltheworldlikeporridgebeginningtoboil。ourchimneywasasquareholeintheroof;itwasbutalittlepartoftheskethatfounditswayout，andtheresteddiedaboutthehouseandkeptuscoughingandpipingtheeye。

addtothisthatgray，thenewman，hadhisfacetiedupinabandageforacuthehadgotinbreakingawayfromthemutineersandthatpooroldtomredruth，stil露nburied，layalongthewall，stiffandstark，undertheunionjack。

ifwehadbeenallowedtositidle，weshouldallhavefallenintheb露es，butcaptainsllettwasneverthemanforthat。allhandswerecalledupbeforehim，andhedividedusintowatches。thedoctorandgrayandiforone;thesquire，hunter，andjoyceupontheother。tiredthoughweallwere，twoweresentoutforfirewood;tworeweresettodigagraveforredruth;thedoctorwasnamedcook;iwasputsentryatthedoor;andthecaptainhimselfwentfrooanother，keepingupourspiritsandlendingahandwhereveritwaswanted。

fromtimetotimethedoctorcametothedoorforalittleairandtoresthiseyes，whichwerealstskedoutofhishead，andwheneverhedidso，hehadawordforme。

"thatmansllett，"hesaidonce，"isabettermanthaniaandwhenisaythatitmeansadeal，激"