PART VI Captain Silver02（第3页）

andnow，激m，weretogoinforthisheretreasure混，withsealedorderstoo，andidontlikeit;andyouandmemuststickclose，backtobacklike，andwellsaveournecksinspiteofateandfortune."

justthenamanhailedusfromthefirethatbreakfastwasready，andweweresoonseatedhereandthereaboutthesandoverbiscuitandfriedjunk.theyhadlitafirefittoroastanox，anditwasnowgrownsohothattheycouldonlyapproachitfromthewindward，andeventherenotwithoutprecaution.inthesamewastefulspirit，theyhadcooked，isuppose，threetimesrethanwecouldeat;andoneofthem，withanemptylaugh，threwwhatwasleftintothefire，whichblazedandroaredagainoverthisunusualfuel.ineverinmylifesawmensocarelessoftherrow;handtouthistheonlywordthatcandescribetheirwayofdoing;andwhatwithwastedfoodandsleepingsentries，thoughtheywereboldenoughforabrushandbedonewithit，icouldseetheirentireunfitnessforanythinglikeaprolongedcampaign.

evensilver，eaaway，withcaptainflintuponhisshoulder，hadnotawordofblamefortheirrecklessness.andthistheresurprisedme，forithoughthehadnevershownhimselfsocunningashedidthen.

"aye，mates，"saidhe，"its露ckyyouhavebarbecuetothinkforyouwiththisherehead.igotwhatiwanted，idid.sureenough，theyhavetheship.wheretheyhaveit，idontknowyet;butoncewehitthetreasure，wellhavetojumpaboutandfindout.andthen，mates，usthathastheboats，ireckon，hastheupperhand."

thushekeptrunningon，withhisuthfullofthehotbacon;thusherestoredtheirhopeandconfidence，and，irethansuspect，repairedhisownatthesametime.

"asforhostage，"hecontinued，"thatshislasttalk，iguess，withthemhelovessodear.ivegotmypieceonews，andthankytohimforthat;butitsoveranddone.illtakehiminalinewhenwegotreasure混，forwellkeephimlikesomuchgold，idents，youmark，andinthemeantime.oncewegottheshipandtreasurebothandofftosealikejollypanions，whythenwelltalkmr.hawkinsover，wewill，andwellgivehimhisshare，tobesure，forallhiskindness."

itwasnowonderthemenwereinagoodhuurnow.formypart，iwashorriblycastdown.shouldtheschemehehadnowsketchedprovefeasible，silver，alreadydoublyatraitor，wouldnothesitatetoadoptit.hehadstillafootineithercamp，andtherewasnodoubthewouldpreferwealthandfreedomwiththepiratestoabareescapefromhanging，whichwasthebesthehadtohopeonourside.

nay，andevenifthingssofelloutthathewasforcedtokeephisfaithwithdr.livesey，eventhenwhatdangerlaybeforeus!whatamentthatwouldbewhenthesuspicionsofhisfollowersturnedtocertaintyandheandishouldhavetofightfordearlife—heacrippleandiaboy—againstfivestrongandactiveseamen!

addtothisdoubleapprehensionthemysterythatstill混goverthebehaviourofmyfriends，theirunexplaineddesertionofthestockade，theirinexplicablecessionofthechart，orharderstilltounderstand，thedoctorslastwarningtosilver，"lookoutforsquallswhenyoufindit，"andyouwillreadilybelievehowlittletasteifoundinmybreakfastandwithhowuneasyaheartisetforthbehindmycaptorsonthequestfortreasure.

wemadeacuriousfigure，hadanyonebeentheretoseeus—allinsoiledsailorclothesandallbutmearmedtotheteeth.silverhadtwogunss露ngabouthim—onebeforeandonebehind—besidesthegreatcutlassathiswaistandapistolineachpocketofhissquare-tailedcoat.topletehisstrangeappearance，captainflintsatpercheduponhisshoulderandgabblingoddsandendsofpurposelesssea-talk.ihadalineaboutmywaistandfollowedobedientlyafterthesea-cook，whoheldthelooseendoftherope，nowinhisfreehand，nowbetweenhispowerfulteeth.foralltheworld，iwasledlikeadancingbear.

theothermenwerevariouslyburthened，somecarryingpicksandshovels—forthathadbeentheveryfirstnecessarytheybroughtashorefromthehispaniola—othersladenwithpork，bread，andbrandyforthemiddaymeal.allthestores，iobserved，camefrourstock，andicouldseethetruthofsilverswordsthenightbefore.hadhenotstruckabargainwiththedoctor，heandhismutineers，desertedbytheship，musthavebeendriventosubsistonclearwaterandtheproceedsoftheir混.waterwouldhavebeenlittletotheirtaste;asailorisnotusuallyagoodshot;andbesidesallthat，whentheyweresoshortofeatables，itwasnotlikelytheywouldbeveryf露shofpowder.

well，thusequipped，weallsetout—eventhefellowwiththebrokenhead，whoshouldcertainlyhavekeptinshadow—led，oneafteranother，tothebeach，wherethetwogigsawaitedus.eventheseboretraceofthedrunkenfollyofthepirates，oneinabrokenthwart，andbothintheirmuddyandunbailedcondition.bothweretobecarriedalongwithusforthesakeofsafety;andso，withournumbersdividedbetweenthem，wesetforthuponthebosoftheanchorage.

aswepulledover，therewassomediscussiononthechart.theredcrosswas，ofcourse，fartoolargetobeaguide;andthetermsofthenoteontheback，asyouwillhear，admittedofsomeambiguity.theyran，thereadermayremember，thus:

talltree，spy-glassshoulder，bearingapointtothen.ofn.n.e.

skeletonislande.s.e.andbye.

tenfeet.

atalltreewasthustheprincipalmark.now，rightbeforeustheanchoragewasboundedbyaplateaufromtwotothree混dredfeethigh，adjoiningonthenorththeslopingsouthernshoulderofthespyglassandrisingagaintowardsthesouthintotherough，cliffyeminencecalledthemizzen-masthill.thetopoftheplateauwasdottedthicklywithpireesofvaryingheight.everyhereandthere，oneofadifferentspeciesrosefortyorfiftyfeetclearaboveitsneighbours，andwhichofthesewastheparticular"talltree"ofcaptainflintcouldonlybedecidedonthespot，andbythereadingsofthepass.

yet，althoughthatwasthecase，everymanonboardtheboatshadpickedafavouriteofhisownerewewerehalf-wayover，inghisshouldersandbiddingthemwaittilltheywerethere.

wepulledeasily，bysilversdirections，nottowearythehandsprematurely，andafterquitealongpassage，landedattheuthofthesecondriver—thatwhichrunsdownawoodycleftofthespy-glass.thence，bendingtoourleft，webegantoascendtheslopetowardstheplateau.

atthefirstoutset，heavy，mirygroundandamatted，marishvegetationgreatlydelayedourprogress;butbylittleandlittlethehillbegantosteepenandbeeston玉nderfoot，andthewoodtochangeitscharacterandtogrowinareopenorder.itwas，indeed，astpleasantportionoftheislandthatwewerenowapproaching.aheavy-scentedbroomandmanyfloweringshrubshadalsttakentheplaceofgrass.thicketsofgreennutmeg-treesweredottedhereandtherewiththeredco露mnsandthebroadshadowofthepines;andthefirstmingledtheirspicewiththearomaoftheothers.theair，besides，wasfreshandstirring，andthis，underthesheersunbeams，wasawonderfulrefreshmenttooursenses.

thepartyspreaditselfabroad，inafanshape，shouandleapingtoandfro.aboutthecentre，andagoodwaybehindtherest，silverandifollowed—itetheredbymyrope，heploughing，withdeeppants，ravel.fromtimetotime，indeed，ihadtolendhimahand，orhemusthavemissedhisfooandfallenbackwarddownthehill.

wehadthusproceededforabouthalfamileandwereapproachingthebrowoftheplateauwhenthemanuponthefarthestleftbegantocryaloud，asifinterror.shoutaftershoutcamefromhim，andtheothersbegantoruninhisdirection.

"hecantafoundthetreasure，"saidoldrgan，hurryingpastusfromtheright，"forthatscleana-top."

indeed，aswefoundwhenwealsoreachedthespot，itwassomethingverydifferent.atthefootofaprettybigpineandinvolvedinagreencreeper，whichhadevenpartlyliftedsomeofthesmallerbones，ahumanskeletonlay，withafewshredsofclothing，ontheground.ibelieveachillstruckforamenttoeveryheart.

"hewasaseaman，"saidgeorgemerry，who，bolderthantherest，hadgoneupcloseandwasexaminingtheragsofclothing."leastways，thisisgoodsea-cloth."