PART I The Old Buccaneer（第4页）

"now，mindyou，"saidthedoctor，"iclearmyconscience—thenameofrumforyouisdeath."

andwiththathewentofftoseemyfather，takingmewithhimbythear

"thisisnothing，"hesaidassoonashehadclosedthedoor."ihavedrawnbloodenoughtokeephimquietawhile;heshouldlieforaweekwhereheis—thatisthebestthingforhimandyou;butanotherstrokewouldsettlehi"

chapter3theblackspot

boutnoonistoppedatthecaptainsdoorwithsomecoolingdrinksandmedicines.hewaslyingverymuchaswehadlefthim，onlyalittlehigher，andheseemedbothweakandexcited.

"激m，"hesaid，"youretheonlyoneherethatsworthanything，andyouknowivebeenalwaysgoodtoyou.neveranthbutivegivenyouasilverfourpennyforyourself.andnowyousee，mate，imprettylow，anddesertedbyall;and激m，inofrum，now，wontyou，matey?"

"thedoctor—"ibegan.

buthebrokeincursingthedoctor，inafeeblevoicebutheartily."doctorsisallswabs，"hesaid;"andthatdoctorthere，why，whatdoheknowaboutseafaringmen?ibeeninplaceshotaspitch，andmatesdroppingroundwithyellowjack，andtheblessedlanda-heavingliketheseawithearthquakes—whattothedoctorknowoflandslikethat?—andilivedonrum，itellyou.itsbeenmeatanddrink，andmanandwife，tome;andifimnottohavemyrumnowimapooroldhulkonaleeshore，mybloodllbeonyou，激m，andthatdoctorswab";andheranonagainforawhilewithcurses."look，激m，howmyfingersfidges，"hecontinuedinthepleadingtone."icantkeepemstill，noti.ihaventhadadropthisblessedday.thatdoctorsafool，itellyou.ifidonthaveadrainorum，激m，illhavethehorrors;iseensomeonemalready.iseenoldflintinthecornerthere，behindyou;asplainasprint，iseenhim;andifigetthehorrors，imamanthathaslivedrough，andillraisecain.yourdoctorhisselfsaidoneglasswouldnthurtme.in，激"

hewasgrowingreandreexcited，andthisalarmedmeformyfather，whowasverylowthatdayandneededquiet;besides，iwasreassuredbythedoctorswords，nowquotedtome，andratheroffendedbytheofferofabribe.

"iwantnoneofyourney，"saidi，"butwhatyouowemyfather.illgetyouoneglass，andnore."

whenibroughtittohim，heseizeditgreedilyanddrankitout.

"aye，aye，"saidhe，"thatssomebetter，sureenough.andnow，matey，didthatdoctorsayhowlongiwastoliehereinthisoldberth?"

"aweekatleast，"saidi.

"t混der!"hecried."aweek!icantdothat;theydhavetheblackspotonmebythen.the露bbersisgoingabouttogetthewindofmethisblessedment;露bbersascouldntkeepwhattheygot，andwanttonailwhatisanothers.isthatseamanlybehaviour，now，iwanttoknow?butimasavingsoul.ineverwastedgoodneyofmine，norlostitneither;andilltrickemagain.imnotafraidoneillshakeoutanotherreef，matey，anddaddleemagain."

ashewasthusspeaking，hehadrisenfrombedwithgreatdifficulty，holdingtomyshoulderwithagripthatalstmademecryout，andvinghislegslikesomuchdeadweight.hiswords，spiritedastheywereinmeaning，contrastedsadlywiththeweaknessofthevoiceinwhichtheywereuttered.hepausedwhenhehadgotintoasitpositionontheedge.

"thatdoctorsdoneme，"hemurmured."myearsissinging.laymeback."

beforeicoulddomuchtohelphimhehadfallenbackagaintohisformerplace，wherehelayforawhilesilent.

"激m，"hesaidatlength，"yousawthatseafaringmantoday?"

"blackdog?"iasked.

"ah!blackdog，"sayshe."hesabadun;buttheresworsethatputhin.now，ificantgetawaynohow，andtheytipmetheblackspot，mindyou，itsmyoldsea-chesttheyreafter;yougetonahorse—youcan，cantyou?well，then，yougetonahorse，andgoto—well，yes，iwill!—tothateternaldoctorswab，andtellhimtopipeallhands—magistratesandsich—andhelllayemaboardattheadmiralbenbow—alloldflintscrew，manandboy，allonemthatsleft.iwasfirstmate，iwas，oldflintsfirstmate，andimtheonyoneasknowstheplace.hegaveitmeatsavannah，whenhelaya-dying，likeasifiwastonow，yousee.butyouwontpeac混lesstheygettheblackspotonme，orunlessyouseethatblackdogagainoraseafaringmanwithoneleg，激m—himaboveall."

"butwhatistheblackspot，captain?"iasked.

"thatsasumns，mate.illtellyouiftheygetthat.butyoukeepyourweather-eyeopen，激m，andillsharewithyouequals，uponmyhonour."

hewanderedalittlelonger，hisvoicegrowingweaker;butsoonafterihadgivenhimhismedicine，whichhetooklikeachild，withtheremark，"ifeveraseamanwanteddrugs，itsme，"hefellatlastintoaheavy，swoon-likesleep，inwhichilefthiwhatishouldhavedonehadallgonewellidonotknow.probablyishouldhavetoldthewholestorytothedoctor，foriwasinrtalfearlestthecaptainshouldrepentofhisconfessionsandmakeanendofme.butasthingsfellout，mypoorfatherdiedquitesuddenlythatevening，whichputallothermattersononeside.ournaturaldistress，thevisitsoftheneighbours，thearrangingofthefuneral，andalltheworkoftheinntobecarriedoninthemeanwhilekeptmesobusythatihadscarcelytimetothinkofthecaptain，farlesstobeafraidofhi