PART IV The Stockade02（第3页）

"myman，"saidcaptainsllett，"ihavenottheslightestdesiretotalktoyou.ifyouwishtotalktome，youcane，thatsall.iftheresanytreachery，itllbeonyourside，andthelordhelpyou."

"thatsenough，capn，"shoutedlongjohncheerily."awordfromyousenough.iknowagentleman，andyoumaylaytothat."

wecouldseethemanwhocarriedtheflagoftruceattemptoholdsilverback.norwasthatwonderful，seeinghowcavalierhadbeenthecaptainsanswer.butsilverlaughedathimaloudandslappedhinthebackasiftheideaofalarmhadbeenabsurd.thenheadvancedtothestockade，threwoverhiscrutch，gotalegup，eededinsurunthefenceanddroppingsafelytotheotherside.

iwillconfessthatiwasfartoomuchtakenupwithwhatwasgoingontobeoftheslightestuseassentry;indeed，ihadalreadydesertedmyeasternloopholeandcreptupbehindthecaptain，whohadnowseatedhimselfonthethreshold，withhiselbowsonhisknees，hisheadinhishands，andhiseyesfixedonthewaterasitbubbledoutoftheoldironkettleinthesand.hewaswhistling"e，lassesandlads."

silverhadterriblehardworkgetuptheknoll.whatwiththesteepnessoftheincline，thethicktreestumps，andthesoftsand，heandhiscrutchwereashelplessasashipinstays.buthestucktoitlikeamaninsilence，andatlastarrivedbeforethecaptain，whomhesa露tedinthehandsomeststyle.hewastrickedoutinhisbest;animmenseb露ecoat，thickwithbrassbuttons，混gaslowastohisknees，andafinelacedhatwassetonthebackofhishead.

"hereyouare，myman，"saidthecaptain，raisinghishead."youhadbettersitdown."

"youainta-goingtoletmeinside，capn?"plainedlongjohn."itsamaincoldrning，tobesure，sir，tositoutsideuponthesand."

"why，silver，"saidthecaptain，"ifyouhadpleasedtobeanhonestman，youmighthavebeensitinyourgalley.itsyourowndoing.youreeithermyshipscook—andthenyouweretreatedhandsome—orcapnsilver，anmutineerandpirate，andthenyoucangohang!"

"well，well，capn，"returnedthesea-cook，sitdownashewasbiddenonthesand，"youllhavetogivemeahandupagain，thatsall.asweetprettyplaceyouhaveofithere.ah，theres激m!thetopoftherningtoyou，激doctor，heresmyservice.why，thereyouallaretogetherlikeahappyfamily，inamannerofspeaking."

"ifyouhaveanythingtosay，myman，bettersayit，"saidthecaptain.

"rightyouwere，capnsllett，"repliedsilver."dootyisdooty，tobesure.wellnow，youlookhere，thatwasagoodlayofyourslastnight.idontdenyitwasagoodlay.someofyouprettyhandywithahandspike-end.andillnotdenyneitherbutwhatsomeofmypeoplewasshook—maybeallwasshook;maybeiwasshookmyself;maybethatswhyimhereforterms.butyoumarkme，capn，itwontdotwice，byt混der!wellhavetodosentry-goandeaseoffapointorsoontherumaybeyouthinkwewereallasheetinthewindseye.butilltellyouiwassober;iwasonydogtired;andifidawokeasecondsooner，idacaughtyouattheact，iwould.hewasntdeadwhenigotroundtohim，nothe."

"well?"sayscaptainsllettascoolascanbe.

allthatsilversaidwasariddletohim，butyouwouldneverhaveguesseditfromhistone.asforme，ibegantohaveaninkling.bengunnslastwordscamebacktomymind.aneersavisitwhiletheyalllaydrunktogetherroundtheirfire，andireckonedupwithgleethatwehadonlyfourteenenemiestodealwith.

"well，hereitis，"saidsilver."wewantthattreasure，andwellhaveit—thatsourpoint!youwouldjustassoonsaveyourlives，ireckon;andthatsyours.youhaveachart，haventyou?"

"thatsasmaybe，"repliedthecaptain.

"oh，well，youhave，iknowthat，"returnedlongjohn."youneedntbesohuskywithaman;thereaintaparticleofserviceinthat，andyoumaylaytoit.whatimeanis，wewantyourchart.now，inevermeantyounoharm，myself."

"thatwontdowithme，myman，"interruptedthecaptain."weknowexactlywhatyoumeanttodo，andwedontcare，fornow，yousee，youcantdoit."

andthecaptainlookedathimcalmlyandproceededtofillapipe.

"ifabegray—"silverbrokeout.

"avastthere!"criedmr.sllett."graytoldmenothing，andiaskedhimnothing;andwhatsre，iwouldseeyouandhimandthiswholeislandblowncleanoutofthewaterintoblazesfirst.sotheresmymindforyou，myman，onthat."

thislittlewhiffoftemperseemedtocoolsilverdown.hehadbeengrowingtledbefore，butnowhepulledhimselftogether.

"likeenough，"saidhe."iwouldsetnolimitstowhatgentlemenmightconsidershipshape，ormightnot，asthecasewere.andseeinashowyouareabouttotakeapipe，capn，illmakesofreeasdolikewise."

andhefilledapipeandlightedit;andthetwomensatsilentlyskingforquiteawhile，nowlookingeachotherintheface，o，nowleaningforwardtospit.itwasasgoodastheplaytoseethe

"now，"resumedsilver，"hereitis.yougiveusthecharttogetthetreasureby，anddropshoopoorseamenandstovingoftheirheadsinwhileasleep.youdothat，andwellofferyouachoice.eitheryoueaboardalongofus，oncethetreasureshipped，andthenillgiveyoumyaffy-davy，uponmywordofhonour，toclapyousomewheresafeashore.orifthatainttoyourfancy，ountofhazing，thenyoucanstayhere，youcan.welldividestoreswithyou，manforman;andillgivemyaffy-davy，asbeforetospeakthefirstshipisight，andsendemheretopickyouup.now，youllownthatstalking.handsomeryoucouldntlooktoget，nowyou.andihope"—raisinghisvoice—"thatallhandsinthishereblockhousewilloverhaulmywords，forwhatisspoketooneisspoketoall."

captainsllettrosefromhisseatandknockedouttheashesofhispipeinthepalfhislefthand.

"isthatall?"heasked.

"everylastword，byt混der!"answeredjohn."refusethat，andyouveseenthelastofmebutmusket-balls."

"verygood，"saidthecaptain."nowyoullhearme.ifyoulleuponebyone，unarmed，illengagetoclapyouallinironsandtakeyouhometoafairtrialinengland.ifyouwont，mynameisalexandersllett，iveflownmysovereignscolours，andillseeyoualltodavyjones.youcantfindthetreasure.youcantsailtheship—theresnotamanangyoufittosailtheship.youcantfightus—gray，there，goawayfromfiveofyou.yourshipsinirons，mastersilver;youreonaleeshore，andsoyoullfind.istandhereandtellyouso;andtheyrethelastgoodwordsyoullgetfromme，forinthenameofheaven，illputabulletinyourbackwhennextimeetyou.tramp，mylad.bundleoutofthis，please，handoverhand，anddoublequick."

silversfacewasapicture;hiseyesstartedinhisheadwithwrath.heshookthefireoutofhispipe.

"givemeahandup!"hecried.

"noti，"returnedthecaptain.