暗黑小说

PART VI Captain Silver（第2页）

"well，andseehere，"addedthesea-cook。"illputanotheragaintothat，byt混der!foritwasthissameboythatfakedthechartfrombillybones。firstandlast，wevesplitupon激mhawkins!"

"thenheregoes!"saidrganwithanoath。

andhesprangup，drawinghisknifeasifhehadbeentwenty。

"avast，there!"criedsilver。"whoareyou，tomrgan?maybeyouthoughtyouwascapnhere，perhaps。bythepowers，butillteachyoubetter!crossme，andyoullgowheremanyagoodmansgonebeforeyou，firstandlast，thesethirtyyearbacksometotheyard-arm，shivermytimbers，andsomebytheboard，andalltofeedthefishes。theresneveramanlookedmebetweentheeyesandseenagooddayaterwards，tomrgan，youmaylaytothat。"

rganpaused，butahoarsemurmurrosefromtheothers。

"tomsright，"saidone。

"istoodhazinglongenoughfrone，"addedanother。"illbehangedifillbehazedbyyou，johnsilver。"

"didanyofyougentlemenwanttohaveitoutwithme?"roaredsilver，bendingfarforwardfromhispositiononthekeg，withhispipestillglowinginhisrighthand。"putanameonwhatyoureat;youaintdumb，ireckon。himthatwantsshallgetit。haveilivedthismanyyears，andasonofarumpuncheoncockhishatathwartmyhawseatthelatterendofit?youknowtheway;youreallgentlemenofortune，ount。well，imready。takeacutlass，himthatdares，andillseethecolourofhisinside，crutchandall，beforethatpipesempty。"

notamanstirred;notamananswered。

"thatsyoursort，isit?"headded，returninghispipetohisuth。"well，youreagaylottolookat，anyway。notmuchworthtofight，youaint。eorgesenglish。imcapnherebylection。imcapnherebecauseimthebestmanbyalongsea-mile。youwontfight，asgentlemenofortuneshould;then，byt混der，youllobey，andyoumaylaytoit!ilikethatboy，now;ineverseenabetterboythanthat。hesreamanthananypairofratsofyouinthisherehouse，andwhatisayisthis:letmeseehimthatlllayahandonhim—thatswhatisay，andyoumaylaytoit。"

therewasalongpauseafterthis。istoodstraightupagainstthewall，myheartstillgoinglikeasledgehammer，butwitharayofhopenowshininginmybososilverleantbackagainstthewall，hisarmscrossed，hispipeinthecornerofhisuth，ascalmasthoughhehadbeeninchurch;yethiseyekeptwanderingfurtively，andhekeptthetailofitonhisunrulyfollowers。they，ontheirpart，drewgraduallytogethertowardsthefarendoftheblockhouse，andthelowhissoftheirwhisperingsoundedinmyearcontinuously，likeastreaoneafteranother，theywouldlookup，andtheredlightofthetorchwouldfallforasecondontheirnervousfaces;butitwasnottowardsme，itwastowardssilverthattheyturnedtheireyes。

"youseemtohavealottosay，"remarkedsilver，spitfarintotheair。"pipeupandletmehearit，orlayto。"

"axyourpardon，sir，"returnedoneofthemen;"youreprettyfreewithsomeoftherules;maybeyoullkindlykeepaneyeupontherest。thiscrewsdissatisfied;thiscrewdontvallybullyingamarlinspike;thiscrewhasitsrightslikeothercrews，illmakesofreeasthat;andbyyourownrules，itakeitwecantalktogether。iaxyourpardon，sir，acknowledgingyoufortobecaptaingatthispresent;buticlaimmyright，andstepsoutsideforacouncil。"

andwithanelaboratesea-sa露te，thisfellow，along，ill-looking，yellow-eyedmanoffiveandthirty，steppedcoollytowardsthedooranddisappearedoutofthehouse。oneafteranothertherestfollowedhisexample，eachmakingasa露teashepassed，eachaddingsomeapology。"aordingtorules，"saidone。"forecastlecouncil，"saidrgan。andsowithoneremarkoranotherallmarchedoutandleftsilverandmealonewiththetorch。

thesea-cookinstantlyrevedhispipe。

"now，lookyouhere，激mhawkins，"hesaidinasteadywhisperthatwasnorethanaudible，"yourewithinhalfaplankofdeath，andwhatsalongsightworse，oftorture。theyregoingtothrowmeoff。but，youmark，istandbyyouthroughthickandthin。ididntmeanto;no，nottillyouspokeup。iwasaboutdesperatetolosethatmuchb露nt，andbehangedintothebargain。butiseeyouwastherightsort。isaystomyself，youstandbyhawkins，john，andhawkinsllstandbyyou。yourehislastcard，andbythelivingt混der，john，hesyours!backtoback，saysi。yousaveyourwitness，andhellsaveyourneck!"

ibegandimlytounderstand。

"youmeanallslost?"iasked。

"aye，bygum，ido!"heanswered。"shipgone，neckgone—thatsthesizeofit。onceilookedintothatbay，激mhawkins，andseennoschooner—well，imtough，butigaveout。asforthatlotandtheircouncil，markme，theyreoutrightfoolsandcowards。illsaveyourlife—ifsobeasican—fromthebut，seehere，激m—titfortat—yousavelongjohnfromswinging。"

iwasbewildered;itseemedathingsohopelesshewasasking—he，aneer，theringleaderthroughout。

"whaticando，thatilldo，"isaid。

"itsabargain!"criedlongjohn。"youspeakupp露cky，andbyt混der，iveachance!"

hehobbledtothetorch，whereitstoodproppedangthefirewood，andtookafreshlighttohispipe

"understandme，激m，"hesaid，returning。"iveaheadonmyshoulders，ihave。insquiressidenow。iknowyouvegotthatshipsafesomewheres。howyoudoneit，idontknow，butsafeitis。iguesshandsandobrienturnedsoft。inevermuchbelievedinneitherofthenowyoumarkme。iasknoquestions，noriwontletothers。iknowwhenagamesup，ido;andiknowaladthatsstaunch。ah，youthatsyoung—youandmemighthavedoneapowerofgoodtogether!"

hedrewsomecognacfromthecaskintoatincannikin。

"willyoutaste，messmate?"heasked;andwhenihadrefused:"well，illtakeadrainmyself，激m，"saidhe。"ineedacaulker，fortherestroubleonhand。andtalkingotrouble，whydidthatdoctorgivemethechart，激m?"

myfaceexpressedawondersounaffectedthathesawtheneedlessnessoffurtherquestions。

"ah，well，hedid，though，"saidhe。"andtheressomethingunderthat，nodoubt—something，surely，underthat，激m—badorgood。"