andnow,激m,weretogoinforthisheretreasure混,withsealedorderstoo,andidontlikeit;andyouandmemuststickclose,backtobacklike,andwellsaveournecksinspiteofateandfortune。"
justthenamanhailedusfromthefirethatbreakfastwasready,andweweresoonseatedhereandthereaboutthesandoverbiscuitandfriedjunk。theyhadlitafirefittoroastanox,anditwasnowgrownsohothattheycouldonlyapproachitfromthewindward,andeventherenotwithoutprecaution。inthesamewastefulspirit,theyhadcooked,isuppose,threetimesrethanwecouldeat;andoneofthem,withanemptylaugh,threwwhatwasleftintothefire,whichblazedandroaredagainoverthisunusualfuel。ineverinmylifesawmensocarelessoftherrow;handtouthistheonlywordthatcandescribetheirwayofdoing;andwhatwithwastedfoodandsleepingsentries,thoughtheywereboldenoughforabrushandbedonewithit,icouldseetheirentireunfitnessforanythinglikeaprolongedcampaign。
evensilver,eaaway,withcaptainflintuponhisshoulder,hadnotawordofblamefortheirrecklessness。andthistheresurprisedme,forithoughthehadnevershownhimselfsocunningashedidthen。
"aye,mates,"saidhe,"its露ckyyouhavebarbecuetothinkforyouwiththisherehead。igotwhatiwanted,idid。sureenough,theyhavetheship。wheretheyhaveit,idontknowyet;butoncewehitthetreasure,wellhavetojumpaboutandfindout。andthen,mates,usthathastheboats,ireckon,hastheupperhand。"
thushekeptrunningon,withhisuthfullofthehotbacon;thusherestoredtheirhopeandconfidence,and,irethansuspect,repairedhisownatthesametime。
"asforhostage,"hecontinued,"thatshislasttalk,iguess,withthemhelovessodear。ivegotmypieceonews,andthankytohimforthat;butitsoveranddone。illtakehiminalinewhenwegotreasure混,forwellkeephimlikesomuchgold,idents,youmark,andinthemeantime。oncewegottheshipandtreasurebothandofftosealikejollypanions,whythenwelltalkmr。hawkinsover,wewill,andwellgivehimhisshare,tobesure,forallhiskindness。"
itwasnowonderthemenwereinagoodhuurnow。formypart,iwashorriblycastdown。shouldtheschemehehadnowsketchedprovefeasible,silver,alreadydoublyatraitor,wouldnothesitatetoadoptit。hehadstillafootineithercamp,andtherewasnodoubthewouldpreferwealthandfreedomwiththepiratestoabareescapefromhanging,whichwasthebesthehadtohopeonourside。
nay,andevenifthingssofelloutthathewasforcedtokeephisfaithwithdr。livesey,eventhenwhatdangerlaybeforeus!whatamentthatwouldbewhenthesuspicionsofhisfollowersturnedtocertaintyandheandishouldhavetofightfordearlife—heacrippleandiaboy—againstfivestrongandactiveseamen!
addtothisdoubleapprehensionthemysterythatstill混goverthebehaviourofmyfriends,theirunexplaineddesertionofthestockade,theirinexplicablecessionofthechart,orharderstilltounderstand,thedoctorslastwarningtosilver,"lookoutforsquallswhenyoufindit,"andyouwillreadilybelievehowlittletasteifoundinmybreakfastandwithhowuneasyaheartisetforthbehindmycaptorsonthequestfortreasure。
wemadeacuriousfigure,hadanyonebeentheretoseeus—allinsoiledsailorclothesandallbutmearmedtotheteeth。silverhadtwogunss露ngabouthim—onebeforeandonebehind—besidesthegreatcutlassathiswaistandapistolineachpocketofhissquare-tailedcoat。topletehisstrangeappearance,captainflintsatpercheduponhisshoulderandgabblingoddsandendsofpurposelesssea-talk。ihadalineaboutmywaistandfollowedobedientlyafterthesea-cook,whoheldthelooseendoftherope,nowinhisfreehand,nowbetweenhispowerfulteeth。foralltheworld,iwasledlikeadancingbear。
theothermenwerevariouslyburthened,somecarryingpicksandshovels—forthathadbeentheveryfirstnecessarytheybroughtashorefromthehispaniola—othersladenwithpork,bread,andbrandyforthemiddaymeal。allthestores,iobserved,camefrourstock,andicouldseethetruthofsilverswordsthenightbefore。hadhenotstruckabargainwiththedoctor,heandhismutineers,desertedbytheship,musthavebeendriventosubsistonclearwaterandtheproceedsoftheir混。waterwouldhavebeenlittletotheirtaste;asailorisnotusuallyagoodshot;andbesidesallthat,whentheyweresoshortofeatables,itwasnotlikelytheywouldbeveryf露shofpowder。
well,thusequipped,weallsetout—eventhefellowwiththebrokenhead,whoshouldcertainlyhavekeptinshadow—led,oneafteranother,tothebeach,wherethetwogigsawaitedus。eventheseboretraceofthedrunkenfollyofthepirates,oneinabrokenthwart,andbothintheirmuddyandunbailedcondition。bothweretobecarriedalongwithusforthesakeofsafety;andso,withournumbersdividedbetweenthem,wesetforthuponthebosoftheanchorage。
aswepulledover,therewassomediscussiononthechart。theredcrosswas,ofcourse,fartoolargetobeaguide;andthetermsofthenoteontheback,asyouwillhear,admittedofsomeambiguity。theyran,thereadermayremember,thus:
talltree,spy-glassshoulder,bearingapointtothen。ofn。n。e。
skeletonislande。s。e。andbye。
tenfeet。
atalltreewasthustheprincipalmark。now,rightbeforeustheanchoragewasboundedbyaplateaufromtwotothree混dredfeethigh,adjoiningonthenorththeslopingsouthernshoulderofthespyglassandrisingagaintowardsthesouthintotherough,cliffyeminencecalledthemizzen-masthill。thetopoftheplateauwasdottedthicklywithpireesofvaryingheight。everyhereandthere,oneofadifferentspeciesrosefortyorfiftyfeetclearaboveitsneighbours,andwhichofthesewastheparticular"talltree"ofcaptainflintcouldonlybedecidedonthespot,andbythereadingsofthepass。
yet,althoughthatwasthecase,everymanonboardtheboatshadpickedafavouriteofhisownerewewerehalf-wayover,inghisshouldersandbiddingthemwaittilltheywerethere。
wepulledeasily,bysilversdirections,nottowearythehandsprematurely,andafterquitealongpassage,landedattheuthofthesecondriver—thatwhichrunsdownawoodycleftofthespy-glass。thence,bendingtoourleft,webegantoascendtheslopetowardstheplateau。
atthefirstoutset,heavy,mirygroundandamatted,marishvegetationgreatlydelayedourprogress;butbylittleandlittlethehillbegantosteepenandbeeston玉nderfoot,andthewoodtochangeitscharacterandtogrowinareopenorder。itwas,indeed,astpleasantportionoftheislandthatwewerenowapproaching。aheavy-scentedbroomandmanyfloweringshrubshadalsttakentheplaceofgrass。thicketsofgreennutmeg-treesweredottedhereandtherewiththeredco露mnsandthebroadshadowofthepines;andthefirstmingledtheirspicewiththearomaoftheothers。theair,besides,wasfreshandstirring,andthis,underthesheersunbeams,wasawonderfulrefreshmenttooursenses。
thepartyspreaditselfabroad,inafanshape,shouandleapingtoandfro。aboutthecentre,andagoodwaybehindtherest,silverandifollowed—itetheredbymyrope,heploughing,withdeeppants,ravel。fromtimetotime,indeed,ihadtolendhimahand,orhemusthavemissedhisfooandfallenbackwarddownthehill。
wehadthusproceededforabouthalfamileandwereapproachingthebrowoftheplateauwhenthemanuponthefarthestleftbegantocryaloud,asifinterror。shoutaftershoutcamefromhim,andtheothersbegantoruninhisdirection。
"hecantafoundthetreasure,"saidoldrgan,hurryingpastusfromtheright,"forthatscleana-top。"
indeed,aswefoundwhenwealsoreachedthespot,itwassomethingverydifferent。atthefootofaprettybigpineandinvolvedinagreencreeper,whichhadevenpartlyliftedsomeofthesmallerbones,ahumanskeletonlay,withafewshredsofclothing,ontheground。ibelieveachillstruckforamenttoeveryheart。
"hewasaseaman,"saidgeorgemerry,who,bolderthantherest,hadgoneupcloseandwasexaminingtheragsofclothing。"leastways,thisisgoodsea-cloth。"