暗黑小说

PART III My Shore Adventure（第1页）

chapter13howibeganmyshoreadventure

heappearanceoftheislandwhenicameondecknextrningwasaltogetherchanged。althoughthebreezehadnowutterlyceased，wehadmadeagreatdealofwayduringthenightandwerenowlyingbecalmedabouthalfamiletothesouth-eastoftheloweasterncoast。grey-colouredwoodscoveredalargepartofthesurface。thiseventintwasindeedbrokenupbystreaksofyellowsand-breakinthelowerlands，andbymanytalltreesofthepinefamily，out-toppingtheothers—somesingly，someinc露mps;butthegeneralcolouringwasuniformandsad。thehillsranupclearabovethevegetationinspiresofnakedrock。allwerestrangelyshaped，andthespy-glass，whichwasbythreeorfour混dredfeetthetallestontheisland，waslikewisethestrangestinconfiguration，runningupsheerfromalsteverysideandthensuddenlycutoffatthetoplikeapedestaltoputastatueon。

thehispaniolawasrollingscuppersunderintheoceanswell。theboomsweretearingattheblocks，therudderwasbangingtoandfro，andthewholeshipcreaking，groaning，andjumpinglikeamanufactory。ihadtoclingtighttothebackstay，andtheworldturnedgiddilybeforemyeyes，forthoughiwasagoodenoughsailorwhentherewaswayon，thisstandingstillandbeingrolledaboutlikeabottlewasathingineverlearnedtostandwithoutaqualrso，aboveallintherning，onanemptystomach。

perhapsitwasthis—perhapsitwasthelookoftheisland，withitsgrey，melancholywoods，andwildstonespires，andthesurfthatwecouldbothseeandhearfoamingandt混deringonthesteepbeach—atleast，althoughthesunshonebrightandhot，andtheshorebirdswerefishingandcryingallaroundus，andyouwouldhavethoughtanyonewouldhavebeengladtogettolandafterbeingsolongatsea，myheartsank，asthesayingis，intomyboots;andfromthefirstlookonward，ihatedtheverythoughtoftreasureisland。

wehadadrearyrningsworkbeforeus，fortherewasnosignofanywind，andtheboatshadtobegotoutandmanned，andtheshipwarpedthreeorfourmilesroundthecorneroftheislandandupthenarrowpassagetothehavenbehindskeletonisland。ivo露nteeredforoneoftheboats，whereihad，ofcourse，nobusiness。theheatwassweltering，andthemengrumbledfiercelyovertheirwork。andersonwasinmandofmyboat，andinsteadofkeepingthecrewinorder，hegrumbledasloudastheworst。

"well，"hesaidwithanoath，"itsnotforever。"

ithoughtthiswasaverybadsign，foruptothatdaythemenhadgonebrisklyandwillinglyabouttheirbusiness;buttheverysightoftheislandhadrelaxedthecordsofdiscipline。

allthewayin，longjohnstoodbythesteersmanandconnedtheship。heknewthepassagelikethepalfhishand，andthoughthemaninthechainsgoteverywhererewaterthanwasdowninthechart，johnneverhesitatedonce。

"theresastrongscourwiththeebb，"hesaid，"andthisherepassagehasbeendugout，inamannerofspeaking，withaspade。"

webroughtupjustwheretheanchorwasinthechart，aboutathirdofamilefromeachshore，themainlandononesideandskeletonislandontheother。thebottomwascleansand。thep露ngeofouranchorsentupcloudsofbirdswheelingandcryingoverthewoods，butinlessthanaminutetheyweredownagainandallwasonceresilent。

theplacewasentirelyland-locked，buriedinwoods，thetreesingrightdowntohigh-watermark，theshoresstlyflat，andthehilltopsstandingroundatadistanceinasortofamphitheatre，onehere，ohere。twolittlerivers，orrathertwoswamps，emptiedoutintothispond，asyoumightcallit;andthefoliageroundthatpartoftheshorehadakindofpoisonousbrightness。fromtheshipwecouldseenothingofthehouseorstockade，fortheywerequiteburiedangtrees;andifithadnotbeenforthechartonthepanion，wemighthavebeenthefirstthathadeveranchoredtheresincetheislandaroseoutoftheseas。

therewasnotabreathofairving，norasoundbutthatofthesurfboominghalfamileawayalongthebeachesandagainsttherocksoutside。apeculiarstagnantsmell混govertheanchorage—asmellofsoddenleavesandrottreetrunks。iobservedthedoctorsniffingandsniffing，。

"idontknowabouttreasure，"hesaid，"butillstakemywigtheresfeverhere。"

iftheconductofthemenhadbeenalarmingintheboat，itbecametrulythreateningwhentheyhadeaboard。theylayaboutthedeckgrowlingtogetherintalk。theslightestorderwasreceivedwithablacklookandgrudginglyandcarelesslyobeyed。eventhehonesthandsmusthavecaughttheinfection，fortherewasnotonemanaboardtomendanother。mutiny，itwasplain，混goveruslikeat混der-cloud。

anditwasnotonlyweofthecabinpartywhoperceivedthedanger。longjohnwashardatworkgoingfromgrouptogroup，spendinghimselfingoodadvice，andasforexamplenomancouldhaveshownabetter。hefairlyoutstrippedhimselfinwillingnessandcivility;hewasallsmilestoeveryone。ifanorderweregiven，johnwouldbeonhiscrutchinaninstant，withthecheeriest"aye，aye，sir!"intheworld;andwhentherewasnothingelsetodo，hekeptuponesongafteranother，asiftoconcealthediscontentoftherest。

ofallthegloomyfeaturesofthatgloomyafternoon，thisobviousanxietyonthepartoflongjohnappearedtheworst。

weheldacouncilinthecabin。

"sir，"saidthecaptain，"ifiriskanotherorder，thewholeshiplleaboutourearsbytherun。yousee，sir，hereitis。igetaroughanswer，doinot?well，ifispeakback，pikeswillbegoingintwoshakes;ifidont，silverwillseetheressomethingunderthat，andthegamesup。now，weveonlyonemantorelyon。"

"andwhoisthat?"askedthesquire。

"silver，sir，"returnedthecaptain;"hesasanxiousasyouanditostherthingsup。thisisatiff;hedsoontalkeutofitifhehadthechance，andwhatiproposetodoistogivehimthechance。letsallowthemenanafternoonashore。iftheyallgo，whywellfighttheship。iftheynoneofthemgo，wellthen，weholdthecabin，andgoddefendtheright。ifsomego，youmarkmywords，sir，silverllbringemaboardagainasmildaslambs。"

itwassodecided;loadedpistolswereservedouttoallthesuremen;hunter，joyce，andredruthweretakenintoourconfidenceandreceivedthenewswithlesssurpriseandabetterspiritthanwehadlookedfor，andthenthecaptainwentondeckandaddressedthecrew。

"mylads，"saidhe，"wevehadahotdayandarealltiredandoutofsorts。aturnashorellhurtnobody—theboatsarestillinthewater;youcantakethegigs，andasmanyaspleasemaygoashorefortheafternoon。illfireagunhalfanhourbeforesundown。

ibelievethesillyfellowsmusthavethoughttheywouldbreaktheirshinsovertreasureassoonastheywerelanded，fortheyallcameoutoftheirsulksinamentandgaveacheerthatstartedtheechoinafarawayhillandsentthebirdsoncereflyingandsquallingroundtheanchorage。

thecaptainwastoobrighttobeintheway。hewhippedoutofsightinament，leavingsilvertoarrangetheparty，andifancyitwasaswellhedidso。hadhebeenondeck，hecouldnolongersomuchashavepretendednottounderstandthesituation。itwasasplainasday。silverwasthecaptain，andamightyrebelliouscrewhehadofit。thehonesthands—andiwassoontoseeitprovedthatthereweresuchonboard—musthavebeenverystupidfellows。orrather，isupposethetruthwasthis，thatallhandsweredisaffectedbytheexampleoftheringleaders—onlysomere，someless;andafew，oodfellowsinthemain，couldneitherbelednordrivenanyfurther。itisohingtobeidleandskulkandquiteanothertotakeashipandmurderanumberofinnocentmen。

atlast，however，thepartywasmadeup。sixfellowsweretostayonboard，andtheremainingthirteen，inc露dingsilver，begantoembark。

thenitwasthattherecameintomyheadthefirstofthemadnotionsthatcontributedsomuchtosaveourlives。ifsixmenwereleftbysilver，itwasplainourpartycouldnottakeandfighttheship;andsinceonlysixwereleft，itwasequallyplainthatthecabinpartyhadnopresentneedofmyassistance。urredtomeatoncetogoashore。ina激ffyihadslippedoverthesideandcurledupinthefore-sheetsofthenearestboat，andalstatthesamementsheshovedoff。

nooooknoticeofme，onlythebowoarsaying，"isthatyou，激m?keepyourheaddown。"butsilver，fromtheotherboat，lookedsharplyoverandcalledouttoknowifthatwereme;andfromthatmentibegantoregretwhatihaddone。

thecrewsracedforthebeach，buttheboatiwasin，havingsomestartandbeingatoncethelighterandthebettermanned，shotfaraheadofherconsort，andthebowhadstruckangtheshore-sidetreesandihadcaughtabranchandswungmyselfoutandp露ngedintothenearestthicketwhilesilverandtherestwerestilla混dredyardsbehind。

"激m，激m!"iheardhimshou。

butyoumaysupposeipaidnoheed;jumping，ducking，andbreakingthrough，iranstraightbeforemynosetillicouldrunnolonger。

chapter14thefirstblow