PART VI Captain Silver（第4页）

"goon，john，"saidrgan."speakuptotheothers."

"ah，theothers!"returnedjohn."theyreanicelot，aintthey?yousaythiscruiseisbungled.ah!bygum，ifyoucouldunderstandhowbaditsbungled，youwouldsee!werethatnearthegibbetthatmynecksstiffwiththinkingonit.youveseenem，maybe，hangedinchains，birdsaboutem，seamenpineutastheygodownwiththetide.whosthat?saysone.that!why，thatsjohnsilver.iknowedhimwell，saysanother.andyoucanhearthechainsa-jangleasyougoaboutandreachfortheotherbuoy.now，thatsaboutwhereweare，everytherssonofus，thankstohim，andhands，andanderson，andotherruinationfoolsofyou.andifyouwanttoknowaboutnumberfour，andthatboy，why，shivermytimbers，isntheahostage?arewea-goingtowasteahostage?no，notus;hemightbeourlastchance，andishouldntwonder.killthatboy?notme，mates!andnumberthree?ah，well，theresadealtosaytonumberthree.maybeyoudontcountitnothingtohavearealcollegedoctortoseeyoueveryday—you，john，withyourheadbroke—oryou，georgemerry，thathadtheagueshakesuponyounotsixhoursagone，andhasyoureyesthecolouroflenpeeltothissamementontheclock?andmaybe，perhaps，youdidntknowtherewasaconsortingeither?butthereis，andnotsolongtillthen;andwellseewhollbegladtohaveahostagewhenitestothat.andasfornumbertwo，andwhyimadeabargain—well，youcamecrawlingonyourkneestometomakeit—onyourkneesyoucame，youwasthatdownhearted—andyoudhavestarvedtooifihadnt—butthatsatrifle!youlookthere—thatswhy!"

andhecastdownuponthefloorapaperthatiinstantlyrecognized—noneotherthanthechartonyellowpaper，withthethreeredcrosses，thatihadfoundintheoilclothatthebottofthecaptainschest.whythedoctorhadgivenittohimwasrethanicouldfancy.

butifitwereinexplicabletome，theappearanceofthechartwasincredibletothesurvivingmutineers.theyleapeduponitlikecatsuponause.itwentfromhandtohand，oearingitfromanother;ompaniedtheirexamination，youwouldhavethought，notonlytheywerefingeringtheverygold，butwereatseawithit，besides，insafety.

"yes，"saidone，"thatsflint，sureenough.j.f.，andascorebelow，withaclovehitchtoit;sohedoneever."

"mightypretty，"saidgeorge."buthowarewetogetawaywithit，andusnoship."

silversuddenlysprangup，andsupporhimselfwithahandagainstthewall:"nowigiveyouwarning，george，"hecried."onerewordofyoursauce，andillcallyoudownandfightyou.how?why，howdoiknow?youhadoughttotellmethat—youandtherest，thatlostmemyschooner，withyourinterference，burnyou!butnotyou，youcant;youhaintgottheinventionofacockroach.butcivilyoucanspeak，andshall，georgemerry，youmaylaytothat."

"thatsfairenow，"saidtheoldmanrgan.

"fair!ireckonso，"saidthesea-cook."youlosttheship;ifoundthetreasure.whosthebettermanatthat?andnowiresign，byt混der!electwhomyoupleasetobeyourcapnnow;imdonewithit."

"silver!"theycried."barbecueforever!barbecueforcapn!"

"sothatsthetoon，isit?"criedthecook."george，ireckonyoullhavetowaitanotherturn，friend;and露ckyforyouasimnotarevengefulman.butthatwasnevermyway.andnow，shipmates，thisblackspot?taintmuchgoodnow，isit?dickscrossedhis露ckandspoiledhisbible，andthatsaboutall."

"itlldotokissthebookonstill，wontit?"growleddick，whowasevidentl玉neasyatthecursehehadbroughtuponhimself.

"abiblewithabitcutout!"returnedsilverderisively."notit.itdontbindnorenaballadbook."

"dontit，though?"crieddickwithasortofjoy."well，ireckonthatsworthhavingtoo."

"here，激m—heresacurosityforyou，"saidsilver，andhetossedmethepaper.

itwasaroundaboutthesizeofacrownpiece.onesidewasblank，forithadbeenthelastleaf;theothercontainedaverseortwoofrevelation—thesewordsangtherest，whichstrucksharplyhomeuponmymind:"withoutaredogsandmurderers."theprintedsidehadbeenblackenedwithwoodash，whichalreadybegantoeoffandsoilmyfingers;ontheblanksidehadbeenwrittenwiththesamematerialtheoneword"depposed."ihavethatcuriositybesidemeatthisment，butnotatraceofwrinowremainsbeyondasinglescratch，suchasamanmightmakewithhisthumb-nail.

thatwastheendofthenightsbusiness.soonafter，withadrinkallround，welaydowntosleep，andtheoutsideofsilversvengeancewastoputgeorgemerr玉pforsentinelandthreatenhimwithdeathifheshouldproveunfaithful.

itwaslongereicouldcloseaneye，andheavenknowsihadmatterenoughforthoughtinthemanwhomihadslainthatafternoon，inmyownstperilousposition，andaboveall，intheremarkablegamethatisawsilvernowengagedupon—keepingthemutineerstogetherwithonehandandgraspingwiththeotheraftereverymeans，possibleandimpossible，tomakehispeaceandsavehismiserablelife.hehimselfsleptpeacefullyandsnoredaloud，yetmyheartwassoreforhim，wickedashewas，tothinkonthedarkperilsthatenvironedandtheshamefulgibbetthatawaitedhi

chapter30onparole

waswakened—indeed，wewereallwakened，foricouldseeeventhesentinelshakehimselftogetherfromwherehehadfallenagainstthedoor-post—byaclear，heartyvoicehailingusfromthemarginofthewood:

"blockhouse，ahoy!"itcried."heresthedoctor."

andthedoctoritwas.althoughiwasgladtohearthesound，yetmygladnesswasnotwithoutadmixture.irememberedwithconfusionmyinsubordinateandstealthyconduct，andwhenisawwhereithadbroughtme—angwhatpanionsandsurroundedbywhatdangers—ifeltashamedtolookhimintheface.

hemusthaveriseninthedark，forthedayhadhardlye;andwhenirantoaloopholeandlookedout，isawhimstanding，likesilveroncebefore，uptothemid-legincreepingvapour.

"you，doctor!topotherningtoyou，sir!"criedsilver，broadawakeandbeamingwithgoodnatureinament."brightandearly，tobesure;anditstheearlybird，oes，thatgetstherations.george，shakeupyourtimbers，son，andhelpdr.liveseyovertheshipsside.alla-doinwell，yourpatientswas—allwellandmerry."