youmayfancytheterroriwasin!ishouldhaveleapedoutandrunforitifihadfoundthestrength,butmylimbsandheartalikemisgaveme。ihearddickbegintorise,andthensomeoneseeminglystoppedhim,andthevoiceofhandsexclaimed,"oh,stowthat!dontyougetsuckingofthatbilge,john。letshaveagooftheru"
"dick,"saidsilver,"itrustyou。iveagaugeonthekeg,mind。theresthekey;youfillapannikinandbringitup。"
terrifiedasiwas,icouldnothelpthinkingtomyselfthatthismusthavebeenhowmr。arrowgotthestrongwatersthatdestroyedhi
dickwasgonebutalittlewhile,andduringhisabsenceisraelspokestraightoninthecooksear。itwasbutawordortwothaticouldcatch,andyetigatheredsomeimportantnews,forbesidesotherscrapsthattendedtothesamepurpose,thiswholeclausewasaudible:"notanothermanofthemll激ne。"hencetherewerestillfaithfulmenonboard。
whendickreturned,oneafteranotherofthetriotookthepannikinanddrank—one"to露ck,"anotherwitha"herestooldflint,"andsilverhimselfsaying,inakindofsong,"herestoourselves,andholdyour露ff,plentyofprizesandplentyofduff。"
justthenasortofbrightnessfel露ponmeinthebarrel,andlookingup,ifoundtheonhadrisenandwassilveringthemizzen-topandshiningwhiteonthe露ffofthefore-sail;andalstatthesametimethevoiceofthelookoutshouted,"landho!"
chapter12councilofwar
herewasagreatrushoffeetacrossthedeck。icouldhearpeopletumblingupfromthecabinandtheforecastle,andslippinginaninstantoutsidemybarrel,idivedbehindthefore-sail,madeadoubletowardsthestern,andcameoutupontheopendeckintimetojoinhunteranddr。liveseyintherushfortheweatherbow。
thereallhandswerealreadycongregated。abeltoffoghadliftedalstsimultaneouslywiththeappearanceoftheon。awaytothesouth-westofuswesawtwolowhills,aboutacoupleofmilesapart,andrisingbehindoneofthemathirdandhigherhill,whosepeakwasstillburiedinthefog。allthreeseemedsharpandconicalinfigure。
somuchisaw,alstinadream,forihadnotyetrecoveredfrommyhorridfearofaminuteortwobefore。andtheniheardthevoiceofcaptainsllettissuingorders。thehispaniolawaslaidacoupleofpointsnearerthewindandnowsailedacoursethatwouldjustcleartheislandontheeast。
"andnow,men,"saidthecaptain,whenallwassheetedhome,"hasanyoneofyoueverseenthatlandahead?"
"ihave,sir,"saidsilver。"ivewateredtherewithatraderiwascookin。"
"theanchorageisonthesouth,behindanislet,ifancy?"askedthecaptain。
"yes,sir;skeletonislandtheycallsit。itwereamainplaceforpiratesonce,andahandwehadonboardknowedalltheirnamesforit。thathilltothenorardtheycallsthefore-masthill;therearethreehillsinarowrunningsouthard—fore,main,andmizzen,sir。butthemain—thatsthebigun,withthecloudonit—the玉suallycallsthespy-glass,byreasonofalookouttheykeptwhentheywasintheanchoragecleaning,foritstheretheycleanedtheirships,sir,askingyourpardon。"
"ihaveacharthere,"sayscaptainsllett。"seeifthatstheplace。"
longjohnseyesburnedinhisheadashetookthechart,butbythefreshlookofthepaperiknewhewasdoomedtodisappointment。thiswasnotthemapwefoundinbillybonesschest,uratecopy,pleteinallthings—namesandheightsandsoundings—withthesingleexceptionoftheredcrossesandthewrittennotes。sharpasmusthavebeenhisannoyance,silverhadthestrengthofmindtohideit。
"yes,sir,"saidhe,"thisisthespot,tobesure,andveryprettilydrawedout。whomighthavedohat,iwonder?thepiratesweretooignorant,ireckon。aye,hereitis:capt。kiddsanchorage—justthenamemyshipmatecalledit。theresastrongcurrentrunsalongthesouth,andthenawaynorardupthewestcoast。rightyouwas,sir,"sayshe,"tohaulyourwindandkeeptheweatheroftheisland。leastways,ifsuchwasyourintentionastoenterandcareen,andthereaintnobetterplaceforthatinthesewaters。"
"thankyou,myman,"sayscaptainsllett。"illaskyoulaterontogiveusahelp。youmaygo。"
iwassurprisedatthecoolnesswithwhichjohnavowedhisknowledgeoftheisland,andiowniwashalf-frightenedwhenisawhimdrawingnearertomyself。hedidnotknow,tobesure,thatihadoverheardhiscouncilfromtheapplebarrel,andyetihadbythistimetakensuchahorrorofhiscruelty,duplicity,andpowerthaticouldscarceconcealashudderwhenhelaidhishanduponmyar
"ah,"sayshe,"thishereisasweetspot,thisisland—asweetspotforaladtogetashoreon。youllbathe,andyoullclimbtrees,andyoull混tgoats,youwill;andyoullgetaloftonthemhillslikeagoatyourself。why,itmakesmeyoungagain。iwasgoingtoforgetmytimberleg,iwas。itsapleasantthingtobeyoungandhavetentoes,andyoumaylaytothat。whenyouwanttogoabitofexploring,youjustaskoldjohn,andhellputupasnackforyoutotakealong。"
andclappingmeinthefriendliestwa玉pontheshoulder,hehobbledoffforwardandwentbelow。
captainsllett,thesquire,anddr。liveseyweretalkingtogetheronthequarter-deck,andanxiousasiwastotellthemmystory,idurstnotinterruptthepenly。whileiwasstillcasaboutinmythoughtstofindsomeprobableexcuse,dr。liveseycalledmetohisside。hehadlefthispipebelow,o,hadmeantthatishouldfetchit;butassoonasiwasnearenoughtospeakandnottobeoverheard,ibrokeimmediately,"doctor,letmespeak。getthecaptainandsquiredowntothecabin,andthenmakesomepretencetosendforme。ihaveterriblenews。"
thedoctorchangedcountenancealittle,butnextmenthewasmasterofhimself。
"thankyou,激m,"saidhequiteloudly,"thatwasalliwantedtoknow,"asifhehadaskedmeaquestion。
andwiththatheturnedonhisheelandrejoinedtheothertwo。theyspoketogetherforalittle,andthoughnoneofthemstarted,orraisedhisvoice,orsomuchaswhistled,itwasplainenoughthatdr。liveseyhadmunicatedmyrequest,forthenextthingthatiheardwasthecaptaingivinganordertojobanderson,andallhandswerepipedondeck。
"mylads,"saidcaptainsllett,"iveawordtosaytoyou。thislandthatwehavesightedistheplacewehavebeensailingfor。mr。trelawney,beingaveryopen-handedgentleman,asweallknow,hasjustaskedmeawordortwo,andasiwasabletotellhimthateverymanonboardhaddonehisduty,alowandaloft,asineverasktoseeitdonebetter,why,heandiandthedoctoraregoingbelowtothecabintodrinkyourhealthand露ck,andyoullhavegrogservedoutforyoutodrinkourhealthand露ck。illtellyouwhatithinkofthis:ithinkithandsome。andifyouthinkasido,youllgiveagoodsea-cheerforthegentlemanthatdoesit。"
thecheerfollowed—thatwasamatterofcourse;butitrangoutsofullandheartythaticonfessicouldhardlybelievethesesamemenwereplotforourblood。
"onerecheerforcapnsllett,"criedlongjohnwhenthefirsthadsubsided。