PART I The Old Buccaneer（第1页）

chapter1theoldsea-dogatthe"admiralbenbow"

quiretrelawney，dr.livesey，andtherestofthesegentlemenhavingaskedmetowritedownthewholeparticularsabouttreasureisland，fromthebeginningtotheend，keepingnothingbackbutthebearingsoftheisland，andthatonlybecausethereisstilltreasurenotyetlifted，itakeupmypenintheyearofgrace17__andgobacktothetimewhenmyfatherkepttheadmiralbenbowinnandthebrownoldseamanwiththesabrecutfirsttookuphislodgingunderourroof.

irememberhimasifitwereyesterday，ashecameploddingtotheinndoor，hissea-chestfollowingbehindhiminahand-barrow—atall，strong，heavy，nut-brownman，histarrypigtailfallingovertheshoulderofhissoiledb露ecoat，edandscarred，withblack，brokennails，andthesabrecutacrossonecheek，adirty，lividwhite.irememberhimlookingroundthecoverandwhistlingtohimselfashedidso，andthenbreakingoutinthatoldsea-songthathesangsooftenafterwards:

"fifteenmenonthedeadmanschest—

yo-ho-ho，andabottleofrum!"

inthehigh，oldtotteringvoicethatseemedtohavebeentunedandbrokenatthecapstanbars.thenherappedonthedoorwithabitofsticklikeahandspikethathecarried，andwhenmyfatherappeared，calledroughlyforaglassofruthis，whenitwasbroughttohim，hedrankslowly，likeaconnoisseur，lingeringonthetasteandstilllookingabouthimatthecliffsandupatoursignboard.

"thisisahandycove，"saysheatlength;"andapleasantsittyatedgrog-shop.muchpany，mate?"

myfathertoldhimno，verylittlepany，therewasthepity.

"well，then，"saidhe，"thisistheberthforme.hereyou，matey，"hecriedtothemanwhotrundledthebarrow;"bringupalongsideandhelpupmychest.illstayhereabit，"hecontinued."imaplainman;siswhatiwant，andthatheaduptherefortowatchshipsoff.whatyouughtcallme?youughtcallmecaptain.oh，iseewhatyoureat—there";andhethrewdownthreeorfourgoldpiecesonthethreshold."youcantellmewheniveworkedthroughthat，"sayshe，lookingasfierceasamander.

andindeedbadashisclotheswereandcoarselyashespoke，hehadnoneoftheappearanceofamanwhosailedbeforethemast，ustomedtobeobeyedortostrike.themanwhocamewiththebarrowtoldusthemailhadsethimdowntherningbeforeattheroyalgeorge，thathehadinquiredwhatinnstherewerealongthecoast，andhearingourswellspokenof，isuppose，anddescribedaslonely，hadchosenitfromtheothersforhisplaceofresidence.andthatwasallwecouldlearnofourguest.

hewasaverysilentmanbycustoalldayhe混groundthecoveoruponthecliffswithabrasstelescope;alleveninghesatinacorneroftheparlournextthefireanddrankrumandwaterverystrong.stlyhewouldnotspeakwhenspokento，onlylookupsuddenandfierceandblowthroughhisnoselikeafog-horn;andweandthepeoplewhocameaboutourhousesoonlearnedtolethimbe.everydaywhenhecamebackfromhisstrollhewouldaskifanyseafaringmenhadgonebyalongtheroad.atfirstwethoughtitwasthewantofpanyofhisownkindthatmadehimaskthisquestion，butatlastwebegantoseehewasdesiroustoavoidthewhenaseamandidputupattheadmiralbenbow（asnowandthensomedid，makingbythecoastroadforbristol）hewouldlookinathimthroughthecurtaineddoorbeforeheenteredtheparlour;andhewasalwayssuretobeassilentasausewhenanysuchwaspresent.forme，atleast，therewasnosecretaboutthematter，foriwas，inaway，asharerinhisalarms.hehadtakenmeasideonedayandpromisedmeasilverfourpennyonthefirstofeverynthifiwouldonlykeepmy"weathereyeopenforaseafaringmanwithoneleg"andlethimknowthementheappeared.oftenenoughwhenthefirstofthenthcameroundandiappliedtohimformywage，hewouldonlyblowthroughhisnoseatmeandstaremedown，butbeforetheweekwasouthewassuretothinkbetterofit，bringmemyfourpennypiece，andrepeathisorderstolookoutfor"theseafaringmanwithoneleg."

howthatpersonagehauntedmydreams，ineedscarcelytellyou.onstormynights，whenthewindshookthefourcornersofthehouseandthesurfroaredalongthecoveandupthecliffs，iwouldseehiminathousandforms，andwithathousanddiabolicalexpressions.nowthelegwouldbecutoffattheknee，nowatthehip;nowhewasanstrouskindofacreaturewhohadneverhadbuttheoneleg，andthatinthemiddleofhisbody.toseehimleapandrunandpursuemeoverhedgeandditchwastheworstofnightmares.andaltogetheripaidprettydearformynthlyfourpennypiece，intheshapeoftheseabominablefancies.

butthoughiwassoterrifiedbytheideaoftheseafaringmanwithoneleg，iwasfarlessafraidofthecaptainhimselfthananybodyelsewhoknewhitherewerenightswhenhetookadealrerumandwaterthanhisheadwouldcarry;andthenhewouldsometimessitandsinghiswicked，old，wildseasongs，mindingnobody;butsometimeshewouldcallforglassesroundandforceallthetremblingpanytolistentohisstoriesorbearachorustohissinging.oftenihaveheardthehouseshakingwith"yo-ho-ho，andabottleofrum，"alltheneighboursjoininginfordearlife，withthefearofdeathuponthem，andeachsinginglouderthantheothertoavoidremark.forinthesefitshewasthestoverridingpanioneverknown;hewouldslaphishandonthetableforsilenceallround;hewouldfl玉pinapassionofangerataquestion，orsometimesbecausenonewasput，andsohejudgedthepanywasnotfollowinghisstory.norwouldheallowanyooleavetheinntillhehaddrunkhimselfsleepyandreeledofftobed.

hisstorieswerewhatfrightenedpeopleworstofall.dreadfulstoriestheywere—abouthanging，andwalkingtheplank，andstormsatsea，andthedrytortugas，andwilddeedsandplacesonthespanishmain.ounthemusthavelivedhislifeangsomeofthewickedestmenthatgodeveralloweduponthesea，andthelanguageinwhichhetoldthesestoriesshockedourplaincountrypeoplealstasmuchasthecrimesthathedescribed.myfatherwasalwayssayingtheinnwouldberuined，forpeoplewouldsoonceaseingtheretobetyrannizedoverandputdown，andsentshiveringtotheirbeds;butireallybelievehispresencedidusgood.peoplewerefrightenedatthetime，butonlookingbacktheyratherlikedit;itwasafineexcitementinaquietcountrylife，andtherewasevenapartyoftheyoungermenwhopretendedtoadmirehim，callinghima"truesea-dog"anda"realoldsalt"andsuchlikenames，andsayingtherewasthesortofmanthatmadeenglandterribleatsea.

inoneway，indeed，hebadefairtoruinus，forhekeptonstayingweekafterweek，andatlastnthafternth，sothatalltheneyhadbeenlongexhausted，andstillmyfatherneverp露ckedupthehearttoinsistonhavingre.ifeverhementionedit，thecaptainblewthroughhisnosesoloudlythatyoumightsayheroared，andstaredmypoorfatheroutoftherooihaveseenhimwringinghishandsaftersucharebuff，andiamsuretheannoyanceandtheterrorhelivedinmusthavegreatlyhastenedhisearlyandunhappydeath.

allthetimehelivedwithusthecaptainmadenochangewhateverinhisdressbuttobuysomestockingsfromahawker.oneofthecocksofhishathavingfallendown，heletithangfromthatdayforth，thoughitwasagreatannoyancewhenitblew.iremembertheappearanceofhiscoat，whichhepatchedhimselfupstairsinhisroom，andwhich，beforetheend，wasnothingbutpatches.heneverwroteorreceivedaletter，andheneverspokewithanybuttheneighbours，andwiththese，forthestpart，onlywhendrunkonruthegreatsea-chestnoneofushadeverseenopen.

hewasonlyoncecrossed，andthatwastowardstheend，whenmypoorfatherwasfargoneinadeclihattookhiff.dr.liveseycamelateoneafternoontoseethepatient，tookabitofdinnerfrommyther，andwentintotheparlourtoskeapipeuntilhishorseshouldedownfromthehamlet，forwehadnostablingattheoldbenbow.ifollowedhimin，andirememberobservingthecontrasttheneat，brightdoctor，withhispowderaswhiteassnowandhisbright，blackeyesandpleasantmanners，madewiththecoltishcountryfolk，andaboveall，withthatfilthy，heavy，blearedscarecrowofapirateofours，sit，fargoneinrum，withhisarmsonthetable.suddenlyhe—thecaptain，thatis—begantopipeuphiseternalsong:

"fifteenmenonthedeadmanschest—

yo-ho-ho，andabottleofrum!

drinkandthedevilhaddonefortherest—

yo-ho-ho，andabottleofrum!"

atfirstihadsupposed"thedeadmanschest"tobethatidenticalbigboxofhisupstairsinthefrontroom，andthethoughthadbeenmingledinmynightmareswiththatoftheone-edseafaringman.butbythistimewehadalllongceasedtopayanyparticularnoticetothesong;itwasnew，thatnight，tonobodybutdr.livesey，andonhimiobserveditdidnotproduceanagreeableeffect，forhelookedupforamentquiteangrilybeforehewentonwithhistalktooldtaylor，thegardener，onanewcurefortherheumatics.inthemeantime，thecaptaingraduallybrightenedupathisownmusic，andatlastflappedhishanduponthetablebeforehiminawayweallknewtomeansilence.thevoicesstoppedatonce，allbutdr.liveseys;hewentonasbeforespeakingclearandkindanddrawingbrisklyathispipebetweeneverywordortwo.thecaptainglaredathimforawhile，flappedhishandagain，glaredstillharder，andatlastbrokeoutwithavillainous，lowoath，"silence，there，betweendecks!"

"wereyouaddressingme，sir?"saysthedoctor;andwhentheruffianhadtoldhim，withanotheroath，thatthiswasso，"ihaveonlyohingtosaytoyou，sir，"repliesthedoctor，"thatifyoukeepondrinkingrum，theworldwillsoonbequitofaverydirtyscoundrel!"

theoldfellowsfurywasawful.hesprangtohisfeet，drewandopenedasailorsclasp-knife，andbalancingitopenonthepalfhishand，threatenedtopinthedoctortothewall.

thedoctorneversomuchasved.hespoketohimasbefore，overhisshoulderandinthesametoneofvoice，ratherhigh，sothatalltheroommighthear，butperfectlycalmandsteady:"ifyoudonotputthatknifethisinstantinyourpocket，ipromise，uponmyhonour，youshallhangatthenextassizes."

thenfollowedabattleoflooksbetweenthem，butthecaptainsoonknuckledunder，putuphisweapon，andresumedhisseat，grumblinglikeabeatendog.