October 21, 2023 • 26 mins
Treasure IslandThe story is narrated by young Jim Hawkins, who becomes embroiled in a thrilling tale of piracy and buried treasure. When Jim and his mother discover a map in the chest of their inn's deceased lodger, Billy Bones, they realize it points to the legendary treasure of Captain Flint, a notorious pirate. This discovery leads to Jim embarking on a perilous voyage aboard the Hispaniola to Skeleton Island, where the treasure is believed to be hidden.During the journey, Jim discovers that a large portion of the ship's crew is composed of pirates, formerly under the command of Flint, and now led by the cunning and charismatic Long John Silver. Silver and his crew plan to mutiny once they reach the island and claim the treasure for themselves.The story unfolds with battles, treachery, loyalty, and cunning strategy. Throughout his adventure, Jim encounters danger at every turn, from deadly skirmishes with the pirates to encounters with the island's indigenous inhabitants."Treasure Island" is not just a tale of adventure but also a coming-of-age story for Jim, who must navigate moral ambiguities, learn whom to trust, and grow into his own as a young man. The novel also delves into themes of greed, loyalty, and the unpredictability of human nature.The character of Long John Silver, with his mix of ruthlessness and charm, is one of literature's most famous and complex pirates. Stevenson's vivid characters, combined with the suspenseful narrative, make "Treasure Island" a timeless tale that has captivated readers for generations.
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(00:00):
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox
recordings are in the public domain.For more information or to volunteer, please
visit LibriVox dot org. Treasure Islandby Robert Louis Stevenson, read by Adrian
(00:21):
Pratzellous, Chapter nineteen. Narrative resumedby Jim Hawkins. The garrison in the
stockade. As soon as ben Gunnsaw the colors, he came to a
halt, stopped me by the armand sat down. Now says he,
there's your friends, sure enough,Far more likely it's the mutineers. I
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answered that. He cried, whyin a place like this, where nobody
puts him but gentlemen of fortune?Silver would fly the jolly roger. You
don't make no doubt out of that. Nah, that's your friends. There's
been blows too, and I reckonyour friends has had the best of it,
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And here they are ashore in theold stockade, as has made years
and years ago by flint. Hewas the man to have a headpiece,
was flint barring rum. His matchwas never seen. He were afraid of
none, not he only silver,silver was that genteel, Well said I
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that may be so, and sobe it all the more reason that I
should hurry on and join my friends. Nay mate, returned Ben not you.
You're a good boy, or I'mmistook, but you're only a boy
all told. Now Ben Gunn isfly. Rum wouldn't bring me there where
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you're going. Now, Rum wouldn'ttill I see your born gentleman and gets
it on his word of honor.And you won't forget my words. A
precious sight, that's what you'll say, A precious sight more confidence, and
then nips him and he pinched methe third time with the same air of
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cleverness. And when ben gunn iswanted, you know where to find him,
Jim, just where you found himtoday. And him that comes is
to have a white thing in hishand, and he's to come alone.
Oh, and you'll say this,Ben Gunn says you has reasons of his
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own. Well said I, Ibelieve I understand you have something to propose,
and you wish to see the squireor the doctor. And you're to
be found where I found you.Is that all? And when says you,
he added, why from about noonobservation to about six bells, good,
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says I. And now may Igo. You won't forget he inquired
anxiously precious sight, and reasons ofhis own, says you. Reasons of
his own. That's the main stayas between man and man. Well,
then, still holding me, Ireckon, you can go, Jim,
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and Jim, if you was tosea silver, you wouldn't go for to
sell ben gun wild orses wouldn't drawit from you, no, says you.
And if them pirates came ashore,Jim, what would you say?
But there'd be widders in the mornin'Here? He was interrupted by a loud
report, and a cannon ball cametearing through the trees and pitched it in
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the sand, not a hundred yardsfrom where we two were talking. The
next moment, each of us hadtaken to our heels in a different direction.
For a good hour to come,frequent reports shook the island, and
balls kept crashing through the woods.I moved from hiding place to hiding place,
always pursued, or so it seemedto me, by these terrifying missiles.
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But toward the end of the bombardment, though still I durst not venture
in the direction of the stockade,where the balls fell oftenest. I had
begun in a manner to pluck upmy heart again, and after a long
detour in the east, crept downamong the shore side trees. The sun
had just set. The sea breezewas rustling and tumbling in the woods,
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and ruffling the gray surface of theanchorage, and tied too was far out,
and great tracks of sand lay uncoveredthe air. After the heat of
the day chilled me through my jacket. The Hispaniola still lay where she had
anchored, but sure enough there wasthe Jolly Roger, the black flag of
piracy flying from her peak. Evenas I looked, there came another red
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flash, and another report that sentthe echoes clattering, and one more round
shot whistled through the air. Itwas the last of the cannonade. I
lay for some time watching the bustlewhich succeeded. The attack men were demolishing
something with axes on the beach nearthe stockade, the poor jolly boat.
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I afterwards discovered anyway, near themouth of the river, a great fire
was glowing among the trees, andbetween that point and the ship, one
of the gigs kept coming and going. The men whom I had seen so
gloomy shouting at the oars like children, but there was a sound in their
voices which suggested rum. At length, I thought I might return towards the
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stockade. I was pretty far downon the low sandy spit that encloses the
anchorage to the east and is joinedat half water to Skeleton Island. And
now, as I rose to myfeet, I saw some distance farther down
the spit, and rising from amonglow bushes, an isolated rock, pretty
high and particularly white in It occurredto me that this might be the white
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rock of which ben Gunn had spoken, and that some day or other a
boat might be wanted, and Ishould know where to look for one.
Then I skirted among the woods tillI had regained the rear or shoreward side
of the stockade, and was soonwarmly welcomed by the faithful party. I
had soon told my story and beganto look about me. The log house
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was made of unsquared trunks of pine, roof, walls and floor. The
latter stood in several places as muchas a foot or a foot and a
half above the surface of the sand. There was a porch at the door,
and under this porch. The littlespring welled up into an artificial basin
of a rather odd kind, noother than a great ship's kettle of iron,
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with the bottom knocked out and sunkto her bearings. As the captain
said, among the sand, littlehad been left beside the framework of the
house, but in one corner therewas a stone slab laid down by way
of a hearth, and an old, rusty iron bucket to contain the fire.
The slopes of the knoll and allthe inside of the stockade had been
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cleared of timber to build the house, and we could see by the stumps
what a fine and lofty grove hadbeen destroyed. Most of the soil had
been washed away or buried in driftafter the removal of the trees. Only
where the streamlet ran down from thekettle a thick bed of moss, and
some ferns and little creeping bushes werestill green among the sand, very close
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around the stockade, too close fordefense, they said. The wood still
flourished high and dense, all offir on the land side, but toward
the sea, with a large admixtureof live oaks. The cold evening breeze
of which I have spoken, whistledthrough every chink of the rude building,
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and sprinkled the floor with a continualrain of fire sand. There was sand
in our eyes, sand in ourteeth, sand in our suppers, sand
dancing in the spring at the bottomof the kettle for all the world like
porridge beginning to boil. Our chimneywas a square hole in the roof,
But it was but a little partof the smoke that found its way out,
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And the rest eddied about the houseand kept us coughing and piping the
eye. Add to this that Gray, the new Man, had his face
tied up in a bandage for acut he had got in breaking away from
the mutineers, And that poor oldTom Redruth, still unburied, lay along
the wall, stiff and stark underthe union jack. If we had been
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allowed to sit idle, we shouldall have fallen into the blues. But
Captain Smollett was never the man forthat. All hands were called up before
him, and he divided us intowatches, the Doctor and Gray and I
for one, the squire Hunter,and Joyce upon the other. Tired as
we were, two men were sentout for firewood. Two more were sent
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to dig a grave for Redruth.The doctor was named Cook. I was
put sentry at the door, andthe Captain himself went from one to another,
keeping up our spirits and lending ahand wherever it was wanted. From
time to time the doctor came tothe door for a little air and to
rest his eyes, which were almostsmoked out of his head. And whenever
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he did so, he had aword for me. That man's Smollett,
he said once, is a betterman than I am. And when I
say that, it means a greatdeal. Jim. Another time he came
and was silent for a while.Then he put his head on one side
and looked at me. Is thisben Gunn a man? He asked?
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I do not know, Sir saidI I am not very sure whether he's
sane. If there's any doubt aboutthe matter, he is returned the doctor,
a man who has been three yearsbiting his nails on a desert islander.
Jim can't expect to appear as saneas you or me. It doesn't
lie in human nature. Was it, Cheese? You said he had a
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fancy for Yes, Sir, Cheese, I answered, well, Jim says,
he just you see the good thatcomes of being dainty in your food.
You've seen my snuff box, haven'tyou, And you never saw me
take snuff, the reason being thatin my snuff box I carry a piece
of Parmesan cheese, a cheese madein Italy, very nutritious. Well that's
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for ben Gunn. Before supper waseaten, we buried old Tom in the
sand and stood round him for awhile, bare headed. In the breeze.
A good deal of firewood had beengot in, but not enough for
the captain's fancy, and he shookhis head over it and told us we
must get back to this tomorrow,rather livelier then. When we had eaten
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our pork and each had a goodstiff glass of brandy grog, the three
chiefs got together in a corner todiscuss our prospects. It appears that they
were at their wits end what todo, the stores being so low that
we must have been starved into surrenderlong before help came. But our best
hope, it was decided, wasto kill off the buccaneers until they either
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hauled down their flag or ran awaywith the Hispaniola. From nineteen they were
already reduced to fifteen. Two otherswere wounded, and one at least the
man shot beside the gun severely woundedif he were not dead. Every time
we had a crack at them wewere to take it, saving our own
lives with the extremest care. Andbesides that, we had two able allies,
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rum and the climate. As forthe first, though we were about
half a mile away, we couldhear them roaring and singing late into the
night. And as for the second, the doctor staked his wig that camped
where they were in the marsh,and unprovided with remedies, half of them
would be on their backs before aweek. So he added, if we
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are not all shot down first,they'll be glad to be packing in the
schooner. It's always a ship,and they can get to buccaneering again.
I suppose first ship that I everlost, said Captain Smollett. I was
dead, tired, as you mayfancy, and when I got to sleep,
which was not after a great dealof tossing, I slept like a
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log of wood. The rest hadlong been up and had already breakfasted and
increased the pile of firewood by abouthalf as much. Again, when I
was awakened by a bustle and thesound of voices. Flag of truce,
I heard someone say, and thenimmediately after, with a cry of surprise,
Silver himself. And at that Ijumped up, and, rubbing my
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eyes, ran to a loop holein the wall end of chapter nineteen,
Chapter twenty Silver's embassy. Sure enough, there were two men just outside the
stockade, one of them waving awhite cloth, the other no lesser person
than Silver himself, standing placidly by. It was still quite early, and
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the coldest morning that I think Iwas ever abroad. In a chill that
pierced into the marrow, the skywas bright and cloudless overhead, and the
tops of the trees shone rosily inthe sun. Where Silver stood with his
lieutenant, all was still in shadow, and they waded knee deep in a
low white vapor that had crawled duringthe night out of the morass. The
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chill and the vapor, taken together, told a poor tale of the island.
It was plainly a damp, feverish, unhealthy spot. Keep indoors men,
said the captain ten to one.This is a trick. Then he
hailed the buccaneer who goes stand orwe fire, flag of truce, cried
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Silver. The captain was in theporch, keeping himself carefully out of the
way of a treacherous shot, shouldany be intended. He turned and spoke
to us, doctor's watch on thelookout, Doctor Livesey, take the north
side, if you please, Jimthe east, gray west, the watch
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below. All hands to load muskets, lively, men and careful. And
then he turned to the mutineers.And what do you want with your flag
of truce? Sir? He cried? This time was the other man who
replied, Captain Silver, sir,to come on board and make terms.
He shouted, Captain Silver, don'tknow him? Who's he cried the captain,
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and we could hear him adding tohimself, cap'n is it my heart?
And here's promotion? Long John answeredfor himself, me, sir,
These poor lads have chosen me,cap'n for your desertion, sir, laying
a particular emphasis upon the word desertion. We're willing to submit if we can
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come to terms and make no bonesabout it. All I ask is your
word, cap'n Smollett, to letme safe and sailed out of this ere
stockade, and one minute to go, get out a shot before a gun
is fired, my man, saidCaptain Smollett, I have not the slightest
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desire to talk to you. Ifyou wish to talk to me, you
can come, That's all. Ifthere's any treachery, it'll be on your
side, and the Lord help you. That's enough, cap'n, shouted Long
John cheerily. A word from you'senough, Oh know, a gentleman,
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and you may later that we couldsee the man who carried the flag of
truce attempting to hold Silver back.Nor was that wonderful, seeing how cavalier
had been the captain's answer. ButSilver laughed at him aloud and slapped him
on the back, as if theidea of alarm had been absurd. Then
he advanced to the stockade, threwover his crutch, got a leg up,
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and with great vigor and skill,succeeded in surmounting the fence and dropping
safely to the other side. Iwill confess that I was far too much
taken up with what was going onto be of the slightest use a sentry.
Indeed, I had already deserted myeastern loophole and crept up behind the
captain, who had now seated himselfon the threshold, his elbows on his
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knees, his head in his hands, and his eyes fixed on the water
as it bubbled out of the oldiron kettle in the sand. He was
whistling to himself, Cumlasses and lads. Silver had terrible hard work at getting
up the knoll, what with thesteepness of the incline and the thick tree
stumps and the soft sand. Heand his crutch were as helpless as a
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ship in stays. But he stuckto it like a man in silence,
and at last arrived before the captain, whom he saluted in the handsomest style.
He was tricked out in his bestan immense blue coat, thick with
brass buttons, hung as low asto his knees, and a fine laced
hat was set on the back ofhis head. Here you are, my
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man, said the captain, raisinghis head. You had better sit down,
you wait, agorn, let meinside, cup'in, complained John.
It's a main cold morning, tobe sure, sir, to sit outside
upon the sand. Why, Silver, said the captain. If you had
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pleased to be an honest man,you might have been sitting in your galley.
It's your own doing. You're eithermy ship's cook. And then you
were treated handsome or cap'n Silver,a common mutineer and pirate, and then
you can go hang wow, well, Coptain returned the sea cook, sitting
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down as he was bidden on thesand. You're allowed to give me a
hand up again. That's all asweet, pretty place you have of it.
Here. Ah, there's Jim thetop of the Marne into your gym.
Doctor. Here's my service. Whythere you all are together like a
happy family in a manner of speaking. If you have anything to say,
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my man better say it, saidthe captain. Right you are, cap'n
Smollett replied Silver, Dooty's duty tobe sure. Well, now you look
here, that was a good layof yours last night. I don't deny
it was a good lay. Someof you pretty handy with a handspike hand,
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And I'll not deny neither. Butwhat some of my people were shook?
Maybe all was shook. Maybe Iwas shook myself an maybe that's why
I'm here for terms. But youmark me, cap'n. It won't do
twice by thunder, We'll have todo Sentry, go and ease off a
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point or so on the rum.Maybe you think we were all a sheep
in the wind's eye. I'll tellyou I was sober. I was only
dog tired. An if i'd awoke a second sooner, i'd a caught
you in the act, I would. He wasn't dead when I got round
to him. Not he, well, said Captain Smollett, as cool as
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can be. All that Silver saidwas a riddle to him, but you
would never have guessed it from histone. As for me, I began
to have an inkling. Ben Gunn'slast words came back to my mind.
I began to suppose that he hadpaid the buccaneers a visit while they all
lay drunk together round their fire,and I reckoned up with glee that we
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had only fourteen enemies to deal with. Well, here it is, said
Silver, we want that treasure andwe'll have it. That's our point.
You would just as soon save yourlives, I reckon, And that's yours.
You have a chart, haven't you. That's as may be, replied
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the captain. Ah, well youhave it. I know that, returned
long John. You needn't be sohusky with a man there ain't a particle
as service in that, and youmay lay to it. What I mean
is we want your chat now.I never meant you no harm myself.
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That won't do with me, myman, interrupted the captain. We know
exactly what you meant to do,and we don't care for now you see
you can't do it. And thecaptain looked at him calmly and proceeded to
fill a pipe. If abe GraySilver broke out, I've asked there,
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cried mister Smollett. Gray told menothing, and I asked him nothing.
And what's more, I would seeyou and him and this whole island blown
clear out of the water into blazesfirst. So there's my mind for you,
my man. On that, thislittle whiff of temper seemed to cool
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Silver down. He had been growingnettled before, but now he pulled himself
together like enough, said he,I would set no limits to what gentlemen
might consider ship shape or might not, as a case were, And seeing
as hell you are about to takea pipe, cap'n, I'll make so
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free as to do likewise. Andhe filled a pipe and lighted it,
and the two men sat silently smokingfor quite a while. Now looking each
other in the face, now stoppingtheir tobacco, now leaning forward to spit.
It was as good as the plateto see them now resumed silver.
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Here it is. You give usthe chart to get the treasure, boy
and drop shootin purse, Seamen andStovin of their heads in boil as sleep.
You do that, and we'll offeryou a choice. Either you come
abore and along of us once thetreasure shipped, and then I'll give you
my affy Davy upon my word honorto clap you somewhere safe ashore. Or
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if that ain't to your fancy,some of my hands being rough and having
old scores on account of hazing,then you can stay here. You can.
We'll devoid stores with you man forman, and I'll give my affy
Davy as before to speak, thefirst ship I sight and send de mere
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to pick you up. Now,yellone that's talking Answomer, you could look
to get nut you, and Ihope, raising his voice, that all
hands in this ear blockhouse will overhaulmy words, for what is spoke to
one is spoke to all. CaptainSmollett rose from his seat and knocked out
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the ashes of his pipe in thepalm of his left hand. Is that
all? He asked? Every lastword by thunder, answered John. Refuse
that. And you've seen the lastof me. But musket balls very good,
said the captain. Now you'll hearme. If you'll come up,
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one by one unarmed, I'll engageto clap you all in irons and to
take you home to a fair trialin England. If you won't. My
name is Alexander Smollett. I've flownmy Sovereign's colors, and I'll see you
all to Davy Jones. You can'tfind the treasure. You can't sail the
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ship. There's not a man amongyou fit to sail the ship. You
can't fight us. Gray there gotaway from five of you. Your ship's
in irons. Master Silver, you'reon a lee shore, and so you'll
find. I stand here and tellyou so. And they're the last good
the worlds you'll get from me.For in the name of Heaven, I'll
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put a bullet in your back wherenext I meet you. Tramp, my
lad bundle out of this place.Please hand over hand and double quick.
Silver's face was a picture. Hiseyes started in his head with wrath.
He shook the fire out of hispipe. Give me a hand up,
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he cried, Not I returned thecaptain. Give me a hand up,
he roared. Not a man amongus moved, growling the foulest imprecations.
He crawled along the sand till hegot hold of the porch and could hoist
himself again upon his crutch. Thenhe spat into the spring. There he
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cried, that's what I think ofye before the aris el oh, stove
in your old blockhouse like a rumpuncheon, Laugh, boy, thunder,
laugh, laugh, before an houris out year. Laugh upon the other
side them that die'll be the luckyones. And with a dreadful oath,
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he stumbled off, plowed down thesand, and was helped across the stockade
after four or five failures by theman with the flag of truce, and
disappeared in an instant afterward among thetrees. End of Chapter twenty
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox
recordings are in the public domain.For more information or to volunteer, please
visit LibriVox dot org. Treasure Islandby Robert Louis Stevenson, read by Adrian
(00:21):
Pratzellous, Chapter nineteen. Narrative resumedby Jim Hawkins. The garrison in the
stockade. As soon as ben Gunnsaw the colors, he came to a
halt, stopped me by the armand sat down. Now says he,
there's your friends, sure enough,Far more likely it's the mutineers. I
(00:46):
answered that. He cried, whyin a place like this, where nobody
puts him but gentlemen of fortune?Silver would fly the jolly roger. You
don't make no doubt out of that. Nah, that's your friends. There's
been blows too, and I reckonyour friends has had the best of it,
(01:08):
And here they are ashore in theold stockade, as has made years
and years ago by flint. Hewas the man to have a headpiece,
was flint barring rum. His matchwas never seen. He were afraid of
none, not he only silver,silver was that genteel, Well said I
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that may be so, and sobe it all the more reason that I
should hurry on and join my friends. Nay mate, returned Ben not you.
You're a good boy, or I'mmistook, but you're only a boy
all told. Now Ben Gunn isfly. Rum wouldn't bring me there where
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you're going. Now, Rum wouldn'ttill I see your born gentleman and gets
it on his word of honor.And you won't forget my words. A
precious sight, that's what you'll say, A precious sight more confidence, and
then nips him and he pinched methe third time with the same air of
(02:15):
cleverness. And when ben gunn iswanted, you know where to find him,
Jim, just where you found himtoday. And him that comes is
to have a white thing in hishand, and he's to come alone.
Oh, and you'll say this,Ben Gunn says you has reasons of his
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own. Well said I, Ibelieve I understand you have something to propose,
and you wish to see the squireor the doctor. And you're to
be found where I found you.Is that all? And when says you,
he added, why from about noonobservation to about six bells, good,
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says I. And now may Igo. You won't forget he inquired
anxiously precious sight, and reasons ofhis own, says you. Reasons of
his own. That's the main stayas between man and man. Well,
then, still holding me, Ireckon, you can go, Jim,
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and Jim, if you was tosea silver, you wouldn't go for to
sell ben gun wild orses wouldn't drawit from you, no, says you.
And if them pirates came ashore,Jim, what would you say?
But there'd be widders in the mornin'Here? He was interrupted by a loud
report, and a cannon ball cametearing through the trees and pitched it in
(03:44):
the sand, not a hundred yardsfrom where we two were talking. The
next moment, each of us hadtaken to our heels in a different direction.
For a good hour to come,frequent reports shook the island, and
balls kept crashing through the woods.I moved from hiding place to hiding place,
always pursued, or so it seemedto me, by these terrifying missiles.
(04:08):
But toward the end of the bombardment, though still I durst not venture
in the direction of the stockade,where the balls fell oftenest. I had
begun in a manner to pluck upmy heart again, and after a long
detour in the east, crept downamong the shore side trees. The sun
had just set. The sea breezewas rustling and tumbling in the woods,
(04:30):
and ruffling the gray surface of theanchorage, and tied too was far out,
and great tracks of sand lay uncoveredthe air. After the heat of
the day chilled me through my jacket. The Hispaniola still lay where she had
anchored, but sure enough there wasthe Jolly Roger, the black flag of
piracy flying from her peak. Evenas I looked, there came another red
(04:55):
flash, and another report that sentthe echoes clattering, and one more round
shot whistled through the air. Itwas the last of the cannonade. I
lay for some time watching the bustlewhich succeeded. The attack men were demolishing
something with axes on the beach nearthe stockade, the poor jolly boat.
(05:15):
I afterwards discovered anyway, near themouth of the river, a great fire
was glowing among the trees, andbetween that point and the ship, one
of the gigs kept coming and going. The men whom I had seen so
gloomy shouting at the oars like children, but there was a sound in their
voices which suggested rum. At length, I thought I might return towards the
(05:38):
stockade. I was pretty far downon the low sandy spit that encloses the
anchorage to the east and is joinedat half water to Skeleton Island. And
now, as I rose to myfeet, I saw some distance farther down
the spit, and rising from amonglow bushes, an isolated rock, pretty
high and particularly white in It occurredto me that this might be the white
(06:02):
rock of which ben Gunn had spoken, and that some day or other a
boat might be wanted, and Ishould know where to look for one.
Then I skirted among the woods tillI had regained the rear or shoreward side
of the stockade, and was soonwarmly welcomed by the faithful party. I
had soon told my story and beganto look about me. The log house
(06:25):
was made of unsquared trunks of pine, roof, walls and floor. The
latter stood in several places as muchas a foot or a foot and a
half above the surface of the sand. There was a porch at the door,
and under this porch. The littlespring welled up into an artificial basin
of a rather odd kind, noother than a great ship's kettle of iron,
(06:47):
with the bottom knocked out and sunkto her bearings. As the captain
said, among the sand, littlehad been left beside the framework of the
house, but in one corner therewas a stone slab laid down by way
of a hearth, and an old, rusty iron bucket to contain the fire.
The slopes of the knoll and allthe inside of the stockade had been
(07:12):
cleared of timber to build the house, and we could see by the stumps
what a fine and lofty grove hadbeen destroyed. Most of the soil had
been washed away or buried in driftafter the removal of the trees. Only
where the streamlet ran down from thekettle a thick bed of moss, and
some ferns and little creeping bushes werestill green among the sand, very close
(07:35):
around the stockade, too close fordefense, they said. The wood still
flourished high and dense, all offir on the land side, but toward
the sea, with a large admixtureof live oaks. The cold evening breeze
of which I have spoken, whistledthrough every chink of the rude building,
(07:57):
and sprinkled the floor with a continualrain of fire sand. There was sand
in our eyes, sand in ourteeth, sand in our suppers, sand
dancing in the spring at the bottomof the kettle for all the world like
porridge beginning to boil. Our chimneywas a square hole in the roof,
But it was but a little partof the smoke that found its way out,
(08:18):
And the rest eddied about the houseand kept us coughing and piping the
eye. Add to this that Gray, the new Man, had his face
tied up in a bandage for acut he had got in breaking away from
the mutineers, And that poor oldTom Redruth, still unburied, lay along
the wall, stiff and stark underthe union jack. If we had been
(08:41):
allowed to sit idle, we shouldall have fallen into the blues. But
Captain Smollett was never the man forthat. All hands were called up before
him, and he divided us intowatches, the Doctor and Gray and I
for one, the squire Hunter,and Joyce upon the other. Tired as
we were, two men were sentout for firewood. Two more were sent
(09:05):
to dig a grave for Redruth.The doctor was named Cook. I was
put sentry at the door, andthe Captain himself went from one to another,
keeping up our spirits and lending ahand wherever it was wanted. From
time to time the doctor came tothe door for a little air and to
rest his eyes, which were almostsmoked out of his head. And whenever
(09:26):
he did so, he had aword for me. That man's Smollett,
he said once, is a betterman than I am. And when I
say that, it means a greatdeal. Jim. Another time he came
and was silent for a while.Then he put his head on one side
and looked at me. Is thisben Gunn a man? He asked?
(09:52):
I do not know, Sir saidI I am not very sure whether he's
sane. If there's any doubt aboutthe matter, he is returned the doctor,
a man who has been three yearsbiting his nails on a desert islander.
Jim can't expect to appear as saneas you or me. It doesn't
lie in human nature. Was it, Cheese? You said he had a
(10:15):
fancy for Yes, Sir, Cheese, I answered, well, Jim says,
he just you see the good thatcomes of being dainty in your food.
You've seen my snuff box, haven'tyou, And you never saw me
take snuff, the reason being thatin my snuff box I carry a piece
of Parmesan cheese, a cheese madein Italy, very nutritious. Well that's
(10:41):
for ben Gunn. Before supper waseaten, we buried old Tom in the
sand and stood round him for awhile, bare headed. In the breeze.
A good deal of firewood had beengot in, but not enough for
the captain's fancy, and he shookhis head over it and told us we
must get back to this tomorrow,rather livelier then. When we had eaten
(11:05):
our pork and each had a goodstiff glass of brandy grog, the three
chiefs got together in a corner todiscuss our prospects. It appears that they
were at their wits end what todo, the stores being so low that
we must have been starved into surrenderlong before help came. But our best
hope, it was decided, wasto kill off the buccaneers until they either
(11:28):
hauled down their flag or ran awaywith the Hispaniola. From nineteen they were
already reduced to fifteen. Two otherswere wounded, and one at least the
man shot beside the gun severely woundedif he were not dead. Every time
we had a crack at them wewere to take it, saving our own
lives with the extremest care. Andbesides that, we had two able allies,
(11:54):
rum and the climate. As forthe first, though we were about
half a mile away, we couldhear them roaring and singing late into the
night. And as for the second, the doctor staked his wig that camped
where they were in the marsh,and unprovided with remedies, half of them
would be on their backs before aweek. So he added, if we
(12:20):
are not all shot down first,they'll be glad to be packing in the
schooner. It's always a ship,and they can get to buccaneering again.
I suppose first ship that I everlost, said Captain Smollett. I was
dead, tired, as you mayfancy, and when I got to sleep,
which was not after a great dealof tossing, I slept like a
(12:43):
log of wood. The rest hadlong been up and had already breakfasted and
increased the pile of firewood by abouthalf as much. Again, when I
was awakened by a bustle and thesound of voices. Flag of truce,
I heard someone say, and thenimmediately after, with a cry of surprise,
Silver himself. And at that Ijumped up, and, rubbing my
(13:07):
eyes, ran to a loop holein the wall end of chapter nineteen,
Chapter twenty Silver's embassy. Sure enough, there were two men just outside the
stockade, one of them waving awhite cloth, the other no lesser person
than Silver himself, standing placidly by. It was still quite early, and
(13:33):
the coldest morning that I think Iwas ever abroad. In a chill that
pierced into the marrow, the skywas bright and cloudless overhead, and the
tops of the trees shone rosily inthe sun. Where Silver stood with his
lieutenant, all was still in shadow, and they waded knee deep in a
low white vapor that had crawled duringthe night out of the morass. The
(13:58):
chill and the vapor, taken together, told a poor tale of the island.
It was plainly a damp, feverish, unhealthy spot. Keep indoors men,
said the captain ten to one.This is a trick. Then he
hailed the buccaneer who goes stand orwe fire, flag of truce, cried
(14:22):
Silver. The captain was in theporch, keeping himself carefully out of the
way of a treacherous shot, shouldany be intended. He turned and spoke
to us, doctor's watch on thelookout, Doctor Livesey, take the north
side, if you please, Jimthe east, gray west, the watch
(14:43):
below. All hands to load muskets, lively, men and careful. And
then he turned to the mutineers.And what do you want with your flag
of truce? Sir? He cried? This time was the other man who
replied, Captain Silver, sir,to come on board and make terms.
He shouted, Captain Silver, don'tknow him? Who's he cried the captain,
(15:09):
and we could hear him adding tohimself, cap'n is it my heart?
And here's promotion? Long John answeredfor himself, me, sir,
These poor lads have chosen me,cap'n for your desertion, sir, laying
a particular emphasis upon the word desertion. We're willing to submit if we can
(15:33):
come to terms and make no bonesabout it. All I ask is your
word, cap'n Smollett, to letme safe and sailed out of this ere
stockade, and one minute to go, get out a shot before a gun
is fired, my man, saidCaptain Smollett, I have not the slightest
(15:54):
desire to talk to you. Ifyou wish to talk to me, you
can come, That's all. Ifthere's any treachery, it'll be on your
side, and the Lord help you. That's enough, cap'n, shouted Long
John cheerily. A word from you'senough, Oh know, a gentleman,
(16:14):
and you may later that we couldsee the man who carried the flag of
truce attempting to hold Silver back.Nor was that wonderful, seeing how cavalier
had been the captain's answer. ButSilver laughed at him aloud and slapped him
on the back, as if theidea of alarm had been absurd. Then
he advanced to the stockade, threwover his crutch, got a leg up,
(16:37):
and with great vigor and skill,succeeded in surmounting the fence and dropping
safely to the other side. Iwill confess that I was far too much
taken up with what was going onto be of the slightest use a sentry.
Indeed, I had already deserted myeastern loophole and crept up behind the
captain, who had now seated himselfon the threshold, his elbows on his
(17:00):
knees, his head in his hands, and his eyes fixed on the water
as it bubbled out of the oldiron kettle in the sand. He was
whistling to himself, Cumlasses and lads. Silver had terrible hard work at getting
up the knoll, what with thesteepness of the incline and the thick tree
stumps and the soft sand. Heand his crutch were as helpless as a
(17:25):
ship in stays. But he stuckto it like a man in silence,
and at last arrived before the captain, whom he saluted in the handsomest style.
He was tricked out in his bestan immense blue coat, thick with
brass buttons, hung as low asto his knees, and a fine laced
hat was set on the back ofhis head. Here you are, my
(17:48):
man, said the captain, raisinghis head. You had better sit down,
you wait, agorn, let meinside, cup'in, complained John.
It's a main cold morning, tobe sure, sir, to sit outside
upon the sand. Why, Silver, said the captain. If you had
(18:11):
pleased to be an honest man,you might have been sitting in your galley.
It's your own doing. You're eithermy ship's cook. And then you
were treated handsome or cap'n Silver,a common mutineer and pirate, and then
you can go hang wow, well, Coptain returned the sea cook, sitting
(18:33):
down as he was bidden on thesand. You're allowed to give me a
hand up again. That's all asweet, pretty place you have of it.
Here. Ah, there's Jim thetop of the Marne into your gym.
Doctor. Here's my service. Whythere you all are together like a
happy family in a manner of speaking. If you have anything to say,
(18:57):
my man better say it, saidthe captain. Right you are, cap'n
Smollett replied Silver, Dooty's duty tobe sure. Well, now you look
here, that was a good layof yours last night. I don't deny
it was a good lay. Someof you pretty handy with a handspike hand,
(19:19):
And I'll not deny neither. Butwhat some of my people were shook?
Maybe all was shook. Maybe Iwas shook myself an maybe that's why
I'm here for terms. But youmark me, cap'n. It won't do
twice by thunder, We'll have todo Sentry, go and ease off a
(19:41):
point or so on the rum.Maybe you think we were all a sheep
in the wind's eye. I'll tellyou I was sober. I was only
dog tired. An if i'd awoke a second sooner, i'd a caught
you in the act, I would. He wasn't dead when I got round
to him. Not he, well, said Captain Smollett, as cool as
(20:07):
can be. All that Silver saidwas a riddle to him, but you
would never have guessed it from histone. As for me, I began
to have an inkling. Ben Gunn'slast words came back to my mind.
I began to suppose that he hadpaid the buccaneers a visit while they all
lay drunk together round their fire,and I reckoned up with glee that we
(20:32):
had only fourteen enemies to deal with. Well, here it is, said
Silver, we want that treasure andwe'll have it. That's our point.
You would just as soon save yourlives, I reckon, And that's yours.
You have a chart, haven't you. That's as may be, replied
(20:55):
the captain. Ah, well youhave it. I know that, returned
long John. You needn't be sohusky with a man there ain't a particle
as service in that, and youmay lay to it. What I mean
is we want your chat now.I never meant you no harm myself.
(21:17):
That won't do with me, myman, interrupted the captain. We know
exactly what you meant to do,and we don't care for now you see
you can't do it. And thecaptain looked at him calmly and proceeded to
fill a pipe. If abe GraySilver broke out, I've asked there,
(21:38):
cried mister Smollett. Gray told menothing, and I asked him nothing.
And what's more, I would seeyou and him and this whole island blown
clear out of the water into blazesfirst. So there's my mind for you,
my man. On that, thislittle whiff of temper seemed to cool
(22:00):
Silver down. He had been growingnettled before, but now he pulled himself
together like enough, said he,I would set no limits to what gentlemen
might consider ship shape or might not, as a case were, And seeing
as hell you are about to takea pipe, cap'n, I'll make so
(22:21):
free as to do likewise. Andhe filled a pipe and lighted it,
and the two men sat silently smokingfor quite a while. Now looking each
other in the face, now stoppingtheir tobacco, now leaning forward to spit.
It was as good as the plateto see them now resumed silver.
(22:41):
Here it is. You give usthe chart to get the treasure, boy
and drop shootin purse, Seamen andStovin of their heads in boil as sleep.
You do that, and we'll offeryou a choice. Either you come
abore and along of us once thetreasure shipped, and then I'll give you
my affy Davy upon my word honorto clap you somewhere safe ashore. Or
(23:07):
if that ain't to your fancy,some of my hands being rough and having
old scores on account of hazing,then you can stay here. You can.
We'll devoid stores with you man forman, and I'll give my affy
Davy as before to speak, thefirst ship I sight and send de mere
(23:29):
to pick you up. Now,yellone that's talking Answomer, you could look
to get nut you, and Ihope, raising his voice, that all
hands in this ear blockhouse will overhaulmy words, for what is spoke to
one is spoke to all. CaptainSmollett rose from his seat and knocked out
(23:52):
the ashes of his pipe in thepalm of his left hand. Is that
all? He asked? Every lastword by thunder, answered John. Refuse
that. And you've seen the lastof me. But musket balls very good,
said the captain. Now you'll hearme. If you'll come up,
(24:17):
one by one unarmed, I'll engageto clap you all in irons and to
take you home to a fair trialin England. If you won't. My
name is Alexander Smollett. I've flownmy Sovereign's colors, and I'll see you
all to Davy Jones. You can'tfind the treasure. You can't sail the
(24:40):
ship. There's not a man amongyou fit to sail the ship. You
can't fight us. Gray there gotaway from five of you. Your ship's
in irons. Master Silver, you'reon a lee shore, and so you'll
find. I stand here and tellyou so. And they're the last good
the worlds you'll get from me.For in the name of Heaven, I'll
(25:03):
put a bullet in your back wherenext I meet you. Tramp, my
lad bundle out of this place.Please hand over hand and double quick.
Silver's face was a picture. Hiseyes started in his head with wrath.
He shook the fire out of hispipe. Give me a hand up,
(25:26):
he cried, Not I returned thecaptain. Give me a hand up,
he roared. Not a man amongus moved, growling the foulest imprecations.
He crawled along the sand till hegot hold of the porch and could hoist
himself again upon his crutch. Thenhe spat into the spring. There he
(25:48):
cried, that's what I think ofye before the aris el oh, stove
in your old blockhouse like a rumpuncheon, Laugh, boy, thunder,
laugh, laugh, before an houris out year. Laugh upon the other
side them that die'll be the luckyones. And with a dreadful oath,
(26:08):
he stumbled off, plowed down thesand, and was helped across the stockade
after four or five failures by theman with the flag of truce, and
disappeared in an instant afterward among thetrees. End of Chapter twenty
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