暗黑小说

PART III My Shore Adventure（第2页）

chapter14thefirstblow

iventhesliptolongjohnthatibegantoenjoymyselfandlookaroundmewithsomeinterestonthestrangelandthatiwasin。

ihadcrossedamarshytractfullofwillows，bulrushes，andodd，outlandish，swampytrees;andihadnoweoutupontheskirtsofanopenpieceofundula，sandycountry，aboutamilelong，dottedwithafewpinesandagreatnumberofcontortedtrees，notunliketheoakingrowth，butpaleinthefoliage，likewillows。onthefarsideoftheopenstoodoneofthehills，withtwoquaint，ypeaksshiningvividlyinthesun。

inowfeltforthefirsttimethejoyofexploration。theislewasuninhabited;myshipmatesihadleftbehind，andnothinglivedinfrontofmebutdumbbrutesandfowls。iturnedhitherandthitherangthetrees。hereandtherewerefloweringplants，unknowntome;hereandthereisawsnakes，andoneraisedhisheadfromaledgeofrockandhissedatmewithanoisenotunlikethespinningofatop。littledidisupposethathewasadeadlyenemyandthatthenoisewasthefausrattle。

thenicametoalongthicketoftheseoakliketrees—live，orevergreen，oaks，iheardafterwardstheyshouldbecalled—whichgrewlowalongthesandlikebrambles，theboughscuriouslytwisted，thefoliagepact，likethatch。thethicketstretcheddownfromthetopofoneofthesandyknolls，spreadingandgrowingtallerasitwent，untilitreachedthemarginofthebroad，reedyfen，throughwhichthenearestofthelittleriverssoakeditswayintotheanchorage。themarshwassteaminginthestrongsun，andtheoutlineofthespy-glasstrembledthroughthehaze。

allatoncetherebegantogoasortofbustleangthebulrushes;awildduckflewupwithaquack，anotherfollowed，andsoonoverthewholesurfaceofthemarshagreatcloudofbirds混gscreamingandcirclingintheair。ijudgedatoncethatsomeofmyshipmatesmustbedrawingnearalongthebordersofthefen。norwasideceived，forsooniheardtheverydistantandlowtonesofahumanvoice，which，asicontinuedtogiveear，grewsteadilylouderandnearer。thisputmeinagreatfear，andicrawledundercoverofthenearestlive-oakandsquattedthere，hearkening，assilentasause。

anothervoiceanswered，andthenthefirstvoice，whichinowrecognizedtobesilvers，onceretookupthestoryandranonforalongwhileinastream，onlynowandagaininterruptedbytheother。bythesoundtheymusthavebeentalkingearnestly，andalstfiercely;butnodistinctwordcametomyhearing。

atlastthespeakersseemedtohavepausedandperhapstohavesatdown，fornotonlydidtheyceasetodrawanynearer，butthebirdsthemselvesbegantogrowrequietandtosettleagaintotheirplacesintheswamp。

andnowibegantofeelthatiwasneglecmybusiness，thatsinceihadbeensofoolhardyastoeashorewiththesedesperadoes，theleasticoulddowastooverhearthemattheircouncils，andthatmyplainandobviousdutywastodrawascloseasicouldmanage，underthefavourableambushofthecrouchingtrees。

icouldtellthedirectionofthespeakersprettyexactly，notonlybythesoundoftheirvoicesbutbythebehaviourofthefewbirdsthatstill混ginalarmabovetheheadsoftheintruders。

crawlingonallfours，imadesteadilybutslowlytowardsthem，tillatlast，raisingmyheadtoanapertureangtheleaves，icouldseecleardownintoalittlegreendellbesidethemarsh，andcloselysetaboutwithtrees，wherelongjohnsilverandanotherofthecrewstoodfacetofaceinconversation。

thesunbeatful露ponthesilverhadthrownhishatbesidehintheground，andhisgreat，soth，blondface，allshiningwithheat，wasliftedtotheothermansinakindofappeal。

"mate，"hewassaying，"itsbecauseithinksgolddustofyou—golddust，andyoumaylaytothat!ifihadnttooktoyoulikepitch，doyouthinkidhavebeenherea-warningofyou?allsup—youcantmakenormend;itstosaveyourneckthatima-speaking，andifoneofthewildunsknewit，wheredibe，tom—now，tellme，wheredibe?"

"silver，"saidtheotherman—andiobservedhewasnotonlyredintheface，butspokeashoarseasacrow，andhisvoiceshooktoo，likeatautrope—"silver，"sayshe，"youreold，andyourehonest，orhasthenameforit;andyouveneytoo，whichlotsofpoorsailorshasnt;andyourebrave，orimmistook。andwillyoutellmeyoullletyourselfbeledawaywiththatkindofamessofswabs?notyou!assureasgodseesme，idsoonerlosemyhand。ifiturnaginmydooty—"

andthenallofasuddenhewasinterruptedbyanoise。ihadfoundoneofthehonesthands—well，here，atthatsamement，camenewsofanother。farawayoutinthemarshtherearose，allofasudden，asoundlikethecryofanger，thenanotheronthebackofit;andthenonehorrid，long-drawnscreatherocksofthespy-glassre-echoeditascoreoftimes;thewholetroopofmarsh-birdsroseagain，darkeningheaven，withasimultaneouswhirr;andlongafterthatdeathyellwasstillringinginmybrain，silencehadre-establisheditsempire，andonlytherustleoftheredescendingbirdsandtheboofthedistantsurgesdisturbedthelanguoroftheafternoon。

tomhadleapedatthesound，likeahorseatthespur，butsilverhadnotwinkedaneye。hestoodwherehewas，reslightlyonhiscrutch，watchinghispanionlikeasnakeabouttospring。

"john!"saidthesailor，stretchingouthishand。

"handsoff!"criedsilver，leapingbackayard，asitseemedtome，withthespeedandsecurityofatrainedgymnast。

"handsoff，ifyoulike，johnsilver，"saidtheother。"itsablackconsciencethatcanmakeyoufearedofme。butinheavensname，tellme，whatwasthat?"

"that?"returnedsilver，smilingaway，butwarierthanever，hiseyeamerepin-pointinhisbigface，butgleaminglikeacrumbofglass。"that?oh，ireckonthatllbealan。"

andatthispointtomflashedoutlikeahero。

"alan!"hecried。"thenresthissoulforatrueseaman!andasforyou，johnsilver，longyouvebeenamateofmine，butyouremateofminenore。ifidielikeadog，illdieinmydooty。youvekilledalan，haveyou?killmetoo，ifyoucan。butidefiesyou。

andwiththat，thisbravefellowturnedhisbackdirectlyonthecookandsetoffwalkingforthebeach。buthewasnotdestinedtogofar。withacryjohnseizedthebranchofatree，whippedthecrutchoutofhisarmpit，andsentthatuncouthmissilehurtlingthroughtheair。itstruckpoortom，pointforest，andwithstunningviolence，rightbetweentheshouldersinthemiddleofhisback。hishandsflewup，hegaveasortofgasp，andfell。

whetherhewereinjuredmuchorlittle，nonecouldevertell。likeenough，tojudgefromthesound，hisbackwasbrokenonthespot。buthehadnotimegivenhimtorecover。silver，agileasankeyevenwithoutlegorcrutch，wasonthetopofhimnextmentandhadtwiceburiedhisknifeuptothehiltinthatdefencelessbody。frommyplaceofambush，icouldhearhimpantaloudashestrucktheblows。

idonotknowwhatitrightlyistofaint，butidoknowthatforthenextlittlewhilethewholeworldswamawayfrombeforemeinawhirlingmist;silverandthebirds，andthetallspy-glasshilltop，goingroundandroundandtopsy-turvybeforemyeyes，andallmannerofbellsringinganddistantvoicesshouinmyear。

whenicameagaintomyselfthensterhadpulledhimselftogether，hiscrutc混derhisarm，hishatuponhishead。justbeforehimtomlaytionlessuponthesward;butthemurderermindedhimnotawhit，cleansinghisblood-stainedknifethewhileuponawispofgrass。everythingelsewasunchanged，thesunstillshiningmercilesslyonthesteamingmarshandthetallpinnacleoftheuntain，andicouldscarcepersuademyselfthatmurderhadbeenactuallydoneandahumanlifecruellycutshortamentsincebeforemyeyes。

butnowjohnputhishandintohispocket，broughtoutawhistle，andblewuponitseveraldulatedblaststhatrangfaracrosstheheatedair。icouldnottell，ofcourse，themeaningofthesignal，butitinstantlyawokemyfears。remenwouldbeing。imightbediscovered。theyhadalreadyslaintwoofthehonestpeople;aftertomandalan，mightnotienext?

instantlyibegantoextricatemyselfandcrawlbackagain，withwhatspeedandsilenceicouldmanage，tothereopenportionofthewood。asididso，aneerandhisrades，andthissoundofdangerlentmewings。assoonasiwasclearofthethicket，iranasineverranbefore，scarcemindingthedirectionofmyflight，solongasitledmefromthemurderers;andasiran，feargrewandgrewuponmeuntilitturnedintoakindoffrenzy。

indeed，couldanyonebereentirelylostthani?whenthegunfired，howshouldidaretogodowntotheboatsangthosefiends，stillskingfromtheircrime?wouldnotthefirstofthemwhosawmewringmynecklikeasnipes?wouldnotmyabsenceitselfbeanevidencetothefmyalarm，andthereforeofmyfatalknowledge?itwasallover，ithought。goodbyetothehispaniola;good-byetothesquire，thedoctor，andthecaptain!therewasnothingleftformebutdeathbystarvationordeathbythehandsofthemutineers。

allthiswhile，asisay，iwasstillrunning，andwithouttakinganynotice，ihaddrawnneartothefootofthelittlehillwiththetwopeaksandhadgotintoapartoftheislandwherethelive-oaksgrewrewidelyapartandseemedrelikeforesttreesintheirbearinganddimensions。mingledwiththesewereafewscatteredpines，somefifty，somenearerseventy，feethigh。theairtoosmeltrefreshlythandownbesidethemarsh。

andhereafreshalarmbroughtmetoastandstillwithathumpingheart。