PART III My Shore Adventure（第2页）

chapter14thefirstblow

iventhesliptolongjohnthatibegantoenjoymyselfandlookaroundmewithsomeinterestonthestrangelandthatiwasin.

ihadcrossedamarshytractfullofwillows，bulrushes，andodd，outlandish，swampytrees;andihadnoweoutupontheskirtsofanopenpieceofundula，sandycountry，aboutamilelong，dottedwithafewpinesandagreatnumberofcontortedtrees，notunliketheoakingrowth，butpaleinthefoliage，likewillows.onthefarsideoftheopenstoodoneofthehills，withtwoquaint，ypeaksshiningvividlyinthesun.

inowfeltforthefirsttimethejoyofexploration.theislewasuninhabited;myshipmatesihadleftbehind，andnothinglivedinfrontofmebutdumbbrutesandfowls.iturnedhitherandthitherangthetrees.hereandtherewerefloweringplants，unknowntome;hereandthereisawsnakes，andoneraisedhisheadfromaledgeofrockandhissedatmewithanoisenotunlikethespinningofatop.littledidisupposethathewasadeadlyenemyandthatthenoisewasthefausrattle.

thenicametoalongthicketoftheseoakliketrees—live，orevergreen，oaks，iheardafterwardstheyshouldbecalled—whichgrewlowalongthesandlikebrambles，theboughscuriouslytwisted，thefoliagepact，likethatch.thethicketstretcheddownfromthetopofoneofthesandyknolls，spreadingandgrowingtallerasitwent，untilitreachedthemarginofthebroad，reedyfen，throughwhichthenearestofthelittleriverssoakeditswayintotheanchorage.themarshwassteaminginthestrongsun，andtheoutlineofthespy-glasstrembledthroughthehaze.

allatoncetherebegantogoasortofbustleangthebulrushes;awildduckflewupwithaquack，anotherfollowed，andsoonoverthewholesurfaceofthemarshagreatcloudofbirds混gscreamingandcirclingintheair.ijudgedatoncethatsomeofmyshipmatesmustbedrawingnearalongthebordersofthefen.norwasideceived，forsooniheardtheverydistantandlowtonesofahumanvoice，which，asicontinuedtogiveear，grewsteadilylouderandnearer.thisputmeinagreatfear，andicrawledundercoverofthenearestlive-oakandsquattedthere，hearkening，assilentasause.

anothervoiceanswered，andthenthefirstvoice，whichinowrecognizedtobesilvers，onceretookupthestoryandranonforalongwhileinastream，onlynowandagaininterruptedbytheother.bythesoundtheymusthavebeentalkingearnestly，andalstfiercely;butnodistinctwordcametomyhearing.

atlastthespeakersseemedtohavepausedandperhapstohavesatdown，fornotonlydidtheyceasetodrawanynearer，butthebirdsthemselvesbegantogrowrequietandtosettleagaintotheirplacesintheswamp.

andnowibegantofeelthatiwasneglecmybusiness，thatsinceihadbeensofoolhardyastoeashorewiththesedesperadoes，theleasticoulddowastooverhearthemattheircouncils，andthatmyplainandobviousdutywastodrawascloseasicouldmanage，underthefavourableambushofthecrouchingtrees.

icouldtellthedirectionofthespeakersprettyexactly，notonlybythesoundoftheirvoicesbutbythebehaviourofthefewbirdsthatstill混ginalarmabovetheheadsoftheintruders.

crawlingonallfours，imadesteadilybutslowlytowardsthem，tillatlast，raisingmyheadtoanapertureangtheleaves，icouldseecleardownintoalittlegreendellbesidethemarsh，andcloselysetaboutwithtrees，wherelongjohnsilverandanotherofthecrewstoodfacetofaceinconversation.

thesunbeatful露ponthesilverhadthrownhishatbesidehintheground，andhisgreat，soth，blondface，allshiningwithheat，wasliftedtotheothermansinakindofappeal.

"mate，"hewassaying，"itsbecauseithinksgolddustofyou—golddust，andyoumaylaytothat!ifihadnttooktoyoulikepitch，doyouthinkidhavebeenherea-warningofyou?allsup—youcantmakenormend;itstosaveyourneckthatima-speaking，andifoneofthewildunsknewit，wheredibe，tom—now，tellme，wheredibe?"

"silver，"saidtheotherman—andiobservedhewasnotonlyredintheface，butspokeashoarseasacrow，andhisvoiceshooktoo，likeatautrope—"silver，"sayshe，"youreold，andyourehonest，orhasthenameforit;andyouveneytoo，whichlotsofpoorsailorshasnt;andyourebrave，orimmistook.andwillyoutellmeyoullletyourselfbeledawaywiththatkindofamessofswabs?notyou!assureasgodseesme，idsoonerlosemyhand.ifiturnaginmydooty—"

andthenallofasuddenhewasinterruptedbyanoise.ihadfoundoneofthehonesthands—well，here，atthatsamement，camenewsofanother.farawayoutinthemarshtherearose，allofasudden，asoundlikethecryofanger，thenanotheronthebackofit;andthenonehorrid，long-drawnscreatherocksofthespy-glassre-echoeditascoreoftimes;thewholetroopofmarsh-birdsroseagain，darkeningheaven，withasimultaneouswhirr;andlongafterthatdeathyellwasstillringinginmybrain，silencehadre-establisheditsempire，andonlytherustleoftheredescendingbirdsandtheboofthedistantsurgesdisturbedthelanguoroftheafternoon.

tomhadleapedatthesound，likeahorseatthespur，butsilverhadnotwinkedaneye.hestoodwherehewas，reslightlyonhiscrutch，watchinghispanionlikeasnakeabouttospring.

"john!"saidthesailor，stretchingouthishand.

"handsoff!"criedsilver，leapingbackayard，asitseemedtome，withthespeedandsecurityofatrainedgymnast.

"handsoff，ifyoulike，johnsilver，"saidtheother."itsablackconsciencethatcanmakeyoufearedofme.butinheavensname，tellme，whatwasthat?"

"that?"returnedsilver，smilingaway，butwarierthanever，hiseyeamerepin-pointinhisbigface，butgleaminglikeacrumbofglass."that?oh，ireckonthatllbealan."

andatthispointtomflashedoutlikeahero.

"alan!"hecried."thenresthissoulforatrueseaman!andasforyou，johnsilver，longyouvebeenamateofmine，butyouremateofminenore.ifidielikeadog，illdieinmydooty.youvekilledalan，haveyou?killmetoo，ifyoucan.butidefiesyou.

andwiththat，thisbravefellowturnedhisbackdirectlyonthecookandsetoffwalkingforthebeach.buthewasnotdestinedtogofar.withacryjohnseizedthebranchofatree，whippedthecrutchoutofhisarmpit，andsentthatuncouthmissilehurtlingthroughtheair.itstruckpoortom，pointforest，andwithstunningviolence，rightbetweentheshouldersinthemiddleofhisback.hishandsflewup，hegaveasortofgasp，andfell.

whetherhewereinjuredmuchorlittle，nonecouldevertell.likeenough，tojudgefromthesound，hisbackwasbrokenonthespot.buthehadnotimegivenhimtorecover.silver，agileasankeyevenwithoutlegorcrutch，wasonthetopofhimnextmentandhadtwiceburiedhisknifeuptothehiltinthatdefencelessbody.frommyplaceofambush，icouldhearhimpantaloudashestrucktheblows.

idonotknowwhatitrightlyistofaint，butidoknowthatforthenextlittlewhilethewholeworldswamawayfrombeforemeinawhirlingmist;silverandthebirds，andthetallspy-glasshilltop，goingroundandroundandtopsy-turvybeforemyeyes，andallmannerofbellsringinganddistantvoicesshouinmyear.

whenicameagaintomyselfthensterhadpulledhimselftogether，hiscrutc混derhisarm，hishatuponhishead.justbeforehimtomlaytionlessuponthesward;butthemurderermindedhimnotawhit，cleansinghisblood-stainedknifethewhileuponawispofgrass.everythingelsewasunchanged，thesunstillshiningmercilesslyonthesteamingmarshandthetallpinnacleoftheuntain，andicouldscarcepersuademyselfthatmurderhadbeenactuallydoneandahumanlifecruellycutshortamentsincebeforemyeyes.

butnowjohnputhishandintohispocket，broughtoutawhistle，andblewuponitseveraldulatedblaststhatrangfaracrosstheheatedair.icouldnottell，ofcourse，themeaningofthesignal，butitinstantlyawokemyfears.remenwouldbeing.imightbediscovered.theyhadalreadyslaintwoofthehonestpeople;aftertomandalan，mightnotienext?

instantlyibegantoextricatemyselfandcrawlbackagain，withwhatspeedandsilenceicouldmanage，tothereopenportionofthewood.asididso，aneerandhisrades，andthissoundofdangerlentmewings.assoonasiwasclearofthethicket，iranasineverranbefore，scarcemindingthedirectionofmyflight，solongasitledmefromthemurderers;andasiran，feargrewandgrewuponmeuntilitturnedintoakindoffrenzy.

indeed，couldanyonebereentirelylostthani?whenthegunfired，howshouldidaretogodowntotheboatsangthosefiends，stillskingfromtheircrime?wouldnotthefirstofthemwhosawmewringmynecklikeasnipes?wouldnotmyabsenceitselfbeanevidencetothefmyalarm，andthereforeofmyfatalknowledge?itwasallover，ithought.goodbyetothehispaniola;good-byetothesquire，thedoctor，andthecaptain!therewasnothingleftformebutdeathbystarvationordeathbythehandsofthemutineers.

allthiswhile，asisay，iwasstillrunning，andwithouttakinganynotice，ihaddrawnneartothefootofthelittlehillwiththetwopeaksandhadgotintoapartoftheislandwherethelive-oaksgrewrewidelyapartandseemedrelikeforesttreesintheirbearinganddimensions.mingledwiththesewereafewscatteredpines，somefifty，somenearerseventy，feethigh.theairtoosmeltrefreshlythandownbesidethemarsh.

andhereafreshalarmbroughtmetoastandstillwithathumpingheart.