暗黑小说

PART VI Captain Silver（第4页）

"goon，john，"saidrgan。"speakuptotheothers。"

"ah，theothers!"returnedjohn。"theyreanicelot，aintthey?yousaythiscruiseisbungled。ah!bygum，ifyoucouldunderstandhowbaditsbungled，youwouldsee!werethatnearthegibbetthatmynecksstiffwiththinkingonit。youveseenem，maybe，hangedinchains，birdsaboutem，seamenpineutastheygodownwiththetide。whosthat?saysone。that!why，thatsjohnsilver。iknowedhimwell，saysanother。andyoucanhearthechainsa-jangleasyougoaboutandreachfortheotherbuoy。now，thatsaboutwhereweare，everytherssonofus，thankstohim，andhands，andanderson，andotherruinationfoolsofyou。andifyouwanttoknowaboutnumberfour，andthatboy，why，shivermytimbers，isntheahostage?arewea-goingtowasteahostage?no，notus;hemightbeourlastchance，andishouldntwonder。killthatboy?notme，mates!andnumberthree?ah，well，theresadealtosaytonumberthree。maybeyoudontcountitnothingtohavearealcollegedoctortoseeyoueveryday—you，john，withyourheadbroke—oryou，georgemerry，thathadtheagueshakesuponyounotsixhoursagone，andhasyoureyesthecolouroflenpeeltothissamementontheclock?andmaybe，perhaps，youdidntknowtherewasaconsortingeither?butthereis，andnotsolongtillthen;andwellseewhollbegladtohaveahostagewhenitestothat。andasfornumbertwo，andwhyimadeabargain—well，youcamecrawlingonyourkneestometomakeit—onyourkneesyoucame，youwasthatdownhearted—andyoudhavestarvedtooifihadnt—butthatsatrifle!youlookthere—thatswhy!"

andhecastdownuponthefloorapaperthatiinstantlyrecognized—noneotherthanthechartonyellowpaper，withthethreeredcrosses，thatihadfoundintheoilclothatthebottofthecaptainschest。whythedoctorhadgivenittohimwasrethanicouldfancy。

butifitwereinexplicabletome，theappearanceofthechartwasincredibletothesurvivingmutineers。theyleapeduponitlikecatsuponause。itwentfromhandtohand，oearingitfromanother;ompaniedtheirexamination，youwouldhavethought，notonlytheywerefingeringtheverygold，butwereatseawithit，besides，insafety。

"yes，"saidone，"thatsflint，sureenough。j。f。，andascorebelow，withaclovehitchtoit;sohedoneever。"

"mightypretty，"saidgeorge。"buthowarewetogetawaywithit，andusnoship。"

silversuddenlysprangup，andsupporhimselfwithahandagainstthewall:"nowigiveyouwarning，george，"hecried。"onerewordofyoursauce，andillcallyoudownandfightyou。how?why，howdoiknow?youhadoughttotellmethat—youandtherest，thatlostmemyschooner，withyourinterference，burnyou!butnotyou，youcant;youhaintgottheinventionofacockroach。butcivilyoucanspeak，andshall，georgemerry，youmaylaytothat。"

"thatsfairenow，"saidtheoldmanrgan。

"fair!ireckonso，"saidthesea-cook。"youlosttheship;ifoundthetreasure。whosthebettermanatthat?andnowiresign，byt混der!electwhomyoupleasetobeyourcapnnow;imdonewithit。"

"silver!"theycried。"barbecueforever!barbecueforcapn!"

"sothatsthetoon，isit?"criedthecook。"george，ireckonyoullhavetowaitanotherturn，friend;and露ckyforyouasimnotarevengefulman。butthatwasnevermyway。andnow，shipmates，thisblackspot?taintmuchgoodnow，isit?dickscrossedhis露ckandspoiledhisbible，andthatsaboutall。"

"itlldotokissthebookonstill，wontit?"growleddick，whowasevidentl玉neasyatthecursehehadbroughtuponhimself。

"abiblewithabitcutout!"returnedsilverderisively。"notit。itdontbindnorenaballadbook。"

"dontit，though?"crieddickwithasortofjoy。"well，ireckonthatsworthhavingtoo。"

"here，激m—heresacurosityforyou，"saidsilver，andhetossedmethepaper。

itwasaroundaboutthesizeofacrownpiece。onesidewasblank，forithadbeenthelastleaf;theothercontainedaverseortwoofrevelation—thesewordsangtherest，whichstrucksharplyhomeuponmymind:"withoutaredogsandmurderers。"theprintedsidehadbeenblackenedwithwoodash，whichalreadybegantoeoffandsoilmyfingers;ontheblanksidehadbeenwrittenwiththesamematerialtheoneword"depposed。"ihavethatcuriositybesidemeatthisment，butnotatraceofwrinowremainsbeyondasinglescratch，suchasamanmightmakewithhisthumb-nail。

thatwastheendofthenightsbusiness。soonafter，withadrinkallround，welaydowntosleep，andtheoutsideofsilversvengeancewastoputgeorgemerr玉pforsentinelandthreatenhimwithdeathifheshouldproveunfaithful。

itwaslongereicouldcloseaneye，andheavenknowsihadmatterenoughforthoughtinthemanwhomihadslainthatafternoon，inmyownstperilousposition，andaboveall，intheremarkablegamethatisawsilvernowengagedupon—keepingthemutineerstogetherwithonehandandgraspingwiththeotheraftereverymeans，possibleandimpossible，tomakehispeaceandsavehismiserablelife。hehimselfsleptpeacefullyandsnoredaloud，yetmyheartwassoreforhim，wickedashewas，tothinkonthedarkperilsthatenvironedandtheshamefulgibbetthatawaitedhi

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waswakened—indeed，wewereallwakened，foricouldseeeventhesentinelshakehimselftogetherfromwherehehadfallenagainstthedoor-post—byaclear，heartyvoicehailingusfromthemarginofthewood:

"blockhouse，ahoy!"itcried。"heresthedoctor。"

andthedoctoritwas。althoughiwasgladtohearthesound，yetmygladnesswasnotwithoutadmixture。irememberedwithconfusionmyinsubordinateandstealthyconduct，andwhenisawwhereithadbroughtme—angwhatpanionsandsurroundedbywhatdangers—ifeltashamedtolookhimintheface。

hemusthaveriseninthedark，forthedayhadhardlye;andwhenirantoaloopholeandlookedout，isawhimstanding，likesilveroncebefore，uptothemid-legincreepingvapour。

"you，doctor!topotherningtoyou，sir!"criedsilver，broadawakeandbeamingwithgoodnatureinament。"brightandearly，tobesure;anditstheearlybird，oes，thatgetstherations。george，shakeupyourtimbers，son，andhelpdr。liveseyovertheshipsside。alla-doinwell，yourpatientswas—allwellandmerry。"