PART VI Captain Silver03（第5页）

dayafterdaythisworkwenton;byeveryeveningafortunehadbeenstowedaboard，buttherewasanotherfortunewaifortherrow;andallthistimeweheardnothingofthethreesurvivingmutineers.

atlast—ithinkitwasonthethirdnight—thedoctorandiwerestrollingontheshoulderofthehillwhereitoverlooksthelowlandsoftheisle，when，froutthethickdarknessbelow，thewindbroughtusanoisebetweenshriekingandsinging.itwasonlyasnatchthatreachedourears，followedbytheformersilence.

"heavenforgivethem，"saidthedoctor;"tisthemutineers!"

"alldrunk，sir，"struckinthevoiceofsilverfrombehindus.

silver，ishouldsay，wasallowedhisentireliberty，andinspiteofdailyrebuffs，seemedtoregardhimselfoncereasquiteaprivilegedandfriendlydependent.indeed，itwasremarkablehowwellheboretheseslightsandwithwhatunwearyingpolitenesshekeptontryingtoingratiatehimselfwithall.yet，ithink，noreatedhimbetterthanadog，unlessitwasbengunn，whowasstillterriblyafraidofhisoldquartermaster，ormyself，whohadreallysomethingtothankhimfor;althoughforthatmatter，isuppose，ihadreasontothinkevenworseofhimthananybodyelse，forihadseenhimmeditaafreshtreacher玉pontheplateau.aordingly，itwasprettygrufflythatthedoctoransweredhi

"drunkorraving，"saidhe.

"rightyouwere，sir，"repliedsilver;"andpreciouslittleoddswhich，toyouandme."

"isupposeyouwouldhardlyaskmetocallyouahumaneman，"returnedthedoctorwithasneer，"andsomyfeelingsmaysurpriseyou，mastersilver.butifiweresuretheywereraving—asiamrallycertainone，atleast，ofthemisdownwithfever—ishouldleavethiscamp，andatwhateverrisktomyowncarcass，takethemtheassistanceofmyskill."

"askyourpardon，sir，youwouldbeverywrong，"quothsilver."youwouldloseyourpreciouslife，andyoumaylaytothat.inyoursidenow，handandglove;andishouldntwishfortoseethepartyweakened，letaloneyourself，seeingasiknowwhatiowesyou.butthesemendownthere，theycouldntkeeptheirword—no，notsupposingtheywishedto;andwhatsre，theycouldntbelieveasyoucould."

"no，"saidthedoctor."yourethemantokeepyourword，weknowthat."

well，thatwasaboutthelastnewswehadofthethreepirates.onlyonceweheardagunshotagreatwayoffandsupposedthemtobe混.acouncilwasheld，anditwasdecidedthatwemustdesertthentheisland—tothehugeglee，imustsay，ofbengunn，andwiththestrongapprovalofgray.weleftagoodstockofpowderandshot，thebulkofthesaltgoat，afewmedicines，andsomeothernecessaries，tools，clothing，asparesail，afathortwoofrope，andbytheparticulardesireofthedoctor，o.

thatwasaboutourlastdoingontheisland.beforethat，wehadgotthetreasurestowedandhadshippedenoughwaterandtheremainderofthegoatmeatincaseofanydistress;andatlast，onefinerning，weweighedanchor，whichwasaboutallthatwecouldmanage，andstoodoutofnorthinlet，thesamecoloursflyingthatthecaptainhadflownandfoughtunderathepalisade.

thethreefellowsmusthavebeenwatchinguscloserthanwethoughtfor，aswesoonhadproved.foringthroughthenarrows，wehadtolieverynearthesouthernpoint，andtherewesawallthreeofthemkneelingtogetheronaspitofsand，withtheirarmsraisedinsupplication.itwenttoallourhearts，ithink，toleavetheminthatwretchedstate;butwecouldnotriskanothermutiny;andtotakethemhomeforthegibbetwouldhavebeenacruelsortofkindness.thedoctorhailedthemandtoldthefthestoreswehadleft，andwheretheyweretofindthebuttheycontinuedtocal露sbynameandappealtous，forgodssake，tobemercifulandnotleavethemtodieinsuchaplace.

atlast，seeingtheshipstillboreonhercourseandwasnowswiftlydrawingoutofearshot，oneofthem—iknownotwhichitwas—leapttohisfeetwithahoarsecry，whippedhismuskettohisshoulder，andsentashotwhistlingoversilversheadandthroughthemain-sail.

afterthat，wekeptundercoverofthebulwarks，andwhennextilookedouttheyhaddisappearedfromthespit，andthespititselfhadalstmeltedoutofsightinthegrowingdistance.thatwas，atleast，theendofthat;andbeforenoon，tomyinexpressiblejoy，thehighestrockoftreasureislandhadsunkintotheb露eroundofsea.

weweresoshortofmenthateveryoneonboardhadtobearahand—onlythecaptainlyingonamattressinthesternandgivinghisorders，forthoughgreatlyrecoveredhewasstillinwantofquiet.welaidherheadforthenearestportinspanishamerica，forwecouldnotriskthevoyagehomewithoutfreshhands;andasitwas，whatwithbafflingwindsandacoupleoffreshgales，wewereallwornoutbeforewereachedit.

itwasjustatsundownwhenwecastanchorinastbeautifulland-lockedgulf，andwereimmediatelysurroundedbyshoreboatsfullofnegroesandmexicanindiansandhalf-bloodssellingfruitsandvegetablesandofferingtodiveforbitsofney.thesightofsomanygood-huuredfaces（especiallytheblacks），thetasteofthetropicalfruits，andaboveallthelightsthatbegantoshineinthetownmadeastcharmingcontrasttoourdarkandbloodysojournontheisland;andthedoctorandthesquire，takingmealongwiththem，wentashoretopasstheearlypartofthenight.heretheymetthecaptainofanenglishman-of-war，fellintalkwithhim，wentonboardhisship，and，inshort，hadsoagreeableatimethatdaywasbreakingwhenwecamealongsidethehispaniola.

bengunnwasondeckalone，andassoonaswecameonboardhebegan，withwonderfulcontortions，tomakeusaconfession.silverwasgone.themaroonhadconnivedathisescapeinashoreboatsomehoursago，andhenowassuredushehadonlydonesotopreserveourlives，whichwouldcertainlyhavebeenforfeitif"thatmanwiththeoneleghadstayedaboard."butthiswasnotall.thesea-cookhadnotgoneempty-handed.hehadcutthroughabulkheadunobservedandhadrevedoneofthesacksofcoin，worthperhapsthreeorfour混dredguineas，tohelphinhisfurtherwanderings.

ithinkwewereallpleasedtobesocheaplyquitofhi

well，tomakealongstoryshort，wegotafewhandsonboard，madeagoodcruisehome，andthehispaniolareachedbristoljustasmr.blandlywasbeginningtothinkoffitoutherconsort.fivemenonlyofthosewhohadsailedreturnedwithher."drinkandthedevilhaddonefortherest，"withavengeance，although，tobesure，wewerenotquiteinsobadacaseasthatothershiptheysangabout:

withonemanofhercrewalive，

whatputtoseawithseventy-five

allofushadanampleshareofthetreasureanduseditwiselyorfoolishly，aordingtoournatures.captainsllettisnowretiredfromthesea.graynotonlysavedhisney，butbeingsuddenlysmitwiththedesiretorise，alsostudiedhisprofession，andheisnowmateandpartownerofafinefull-edship，marriedbesides，andthefatherofafamily.asforbengunn，hegotathousandpounds，whichhespentorlostinthreeweeks，ortobereexact，innieendays，ingonthetwentieth.thenhewasgivenalodgetokeep，exactlyashehadfearedupontheisland;andhestilllives，agreatfavourite，thoughsomethingofabutt，withthecountryboys，andanotablesingerinchurchonsundaysandsaintsdays.

ofsilverwehaveheardnore.thatformidableseafaringmanwithoneleghasatlastgonecleanoutofmylife;butidaresayhemethisoldnegress，andperhapsstilllivesinfortwithherandcaptainflint.itistobehopedso，isuppose，forhischancesoffortinanotherworldareverysmall.

thebarsilverandthearmsstilllie，forallthatiknow，whereflintburiedthem;andcertainlytheyshallliethereforme.oxenandwain-ursedisland;andtheworstdreamsthateverihavearewhenihearthesurfboomingaboutitscoastsorstartuprightinbedwiththesharpvoiceofcaptainflintstillringinginmyears:"piecesofeight!piecesofeight!"

theend