PART III My Shore Adventure（第4页）

"silver?"iasked.

"ah，silver!"sayshe."thatwerehisname."

"hesthecook，andtheringleadertoo."

hewasstillholdingmebythewrist，andatthathegiveitquiteawring.

"ifyouwassentbylongjohn，"hesaid，"imasgoodaspork，andiknowit.butwherewasyou，doyousuppose?"

ihadmademymindupinament，andbywayofanswertoldhimthewholestoryofourvoyageandthepredicamentinwhichwefoundourselves.heheardmewiththekeenestinterest，andwhenihaddonehepattedmeonthehead.

"youreagoodlad，激m，"hesaid;"andyoureallinaclovehitch，aintyou?well，youjustputyourtrustinbengunn—bengunnsthemantodoit.wouldyouthinkitlikely，now，thatyoursquirewouldprovealiberal-mindedoneincaseofhelp—himbeinginaclovehitch，asyouremark?"

itoldhimthesquirewasthestliberalofmen.

"aye，butyousee，"returnedbengunn，"ididntmeangivingmeagatetokeep，andasuitofliveryclothes，andsuch;thatsnotmymark，激whatimeanis，wouldhebelikelytoedowntothetoonof，sayohousandpoundsoutofneythatsasgoodasamansownalready?"

"iamsurehewould，"saidi."asitwas，allhandsweretoshare."

"andapassagehome?"headdedwithalookofgreatshrewdness.

"why，"icried，"thesquiresagentleman.andbesides，ifwegotridoftheothers，weshouldwantyoutohelpworkthevesselhome."

"ah，"saidhe，"soyouwould."andheseemedverymuchrelieved.

"now，illtellyouwhat，"hewenton."somuchilltellyou，andnore.iwereinflintsshipwhenheburiedthetreasure;heandsixalong—sixstrongseamen.theywasashorenighonaweek，andusstandingoffandonintheoldwalrus.onefineda玉pwentthesignal，andhereeflintbyhimselfinalittleboat，andhisheaddoneupinab露escarf.thesunwasgetup，andrtalwhitehelookedaboutthecutwater.but，therehewas，youmind，andthesixalldead—deadandburied.howhedoneit，notamanaboarduscouldmakeout.itwasbattle，murder，andsuddendeath，leastways—himagainstsix.billyboneswasthemate;longjohn，hewasquartermaster;andtheyaskedhimwherethetreasurewas.ah，sayshe，youcangoashore，ifyoulike，andstay，hesays;butasfortheship，shellbeatupforre，byt混der!thatswhathesaid.

"well，iwasinanothershipthreeyearsback，andwesightedthisisland.boys，saidi，heresflintstreasure;letslandandfindit.thecapnwasdispleasedatthat，butmymessmateswereallofamindandlanded.twelvedaystheylookedforit，andeverydaytheyhadtheworsewordforme，untilonefinerningallhandswentaboard.asforyou，benjamingunn，saysthey，heresamusket，theysays，andaspade，andpick-axe.youcanstayhereandfindflintsneyforyourself，theysays.

"well，激m，threeyearshaveibeenhere，andnotabiteofchristiandietfromthatdaytothis.butnow，youlookhere;lookatme.doilooklikeamanbeforethemast?no，saysyou.noriwerent，neither，isays."

andwiththathewinkedandpinchedmehard.

"justyoumentionthemwordstoyoursquire，激m，"hewenton."norhewerent，neither—thatsthewords.threeyearshewerethemanofthisisland，lightanddark，fairandrain;andsometimeshewouldmaybethinkuponaprayer（saysyou），andsometimeshewouldmaybethinkofhisoldther，sobeasshesalive（youllsay）;butthestpartofgunnstime（thisiswhatyoullsay）—thestpartofhistimewastookupwithanothermatter.andthenyoullgivehimanip，likeido."

andhepinchedmeagaininthestconfidentialmanner.

"then，"hecontinued，"thenyoul露p，andyoullsaythis:gunnisagoodman（youllsay），andheputsaprecioussightreconfidence—aprecioussight，mindthat—inagenlemanbornthaninthesegenlemanoffortune，havingbeenonehisself."

"well，"isaid，"idontunderstandonewordthatyouvebeensaying.butthatsneitherherenorthere;forhowamitogetonboard?"

"ah，"saidhe，"thatsthehitch，forsure.well，theresmyboat，thatimadewithmytwohands.ikeepherunderthewhiterock.iftheworstetotheworst，wemighttrythatafterdark.hi!"hebrokeout."whatsthat?"

forjustthen，althoughthesunhadstillanhourortwotorun，alltheechoesoftheislandawokeandbellowedtothet混derofacannon.

"theyhavebeguntofight!"icried."followme.

andibegantoruntowardstheanchorage，myterrorsallforgotten，whilecloseatmysidethemaroonedmaninhisgoatskinstrottedeasilyandlightly.

"left，left，"sayshe;"keeptoyourlefthand，mate激m!underthetreeswithyou!theerswhereikilledmyfirstgoat.theydontedownherenow;theyreallmastheadedonthemunsforthefearofbenjamingunn.ah!andtheresthecetemery"—cemetery，hemusthavemeant."youseetheunds?iehereandprayed，nowsandthens，whenithoughtmaybeasundaywouldbeaboutdoo.itwerentquiteachapel，butitseemedresolemnlike;andthen，saysyou，bengunnwasshort-handed—nochapling，norsomuchasabibleandaflag，yousays.

sohekepttalkingasiran，neitherexpecnorreceivinganyanswer.

thecannon-shotwasfollowedafteraconsiderableintervalbyavolleyofsmallarms.

anotherpause，andthen，notaquarterofamileinfrontofme，ibeheldtheunionjackf露tterintheairaboveawood.