PART I The Old Buccaneer02（第3页）

theblindmancursedtheney.

"flintsfist，imean，"hecried.

"wedontseeitherenohow，"returnedtheman.

"here，youbelowthere，isitonbill?"criedtheblindmanagain.

atthatanotherfellow，probablyhimwhohadremainedbelowtosearchthecaptainsbody，cametothedooroftheinn."billsbeenoverhauledaready，"saidhe;"nothinleft."

"itsthesepeopleoftheinn—itsthatboy.iwishihadputhiseyesout!"criedtheblindman，pew."therewerenotimeago—theyhadthedoorboltedwhenitriedit.scatter，lads，andfinde

"sureenough，theylefttheirglimhere，"saidthefellowfromthewindow.

"scatterandfindem!routthehouseout!"reiteratedpew，strikingwithhisstickupontheroad.

thentherefollowedagreatto-dothroughallouroldinn，heavyfeetpoundingtoandfro，furniturethrownover，doorskickedin，untiltheveryrocksre-echoedandthemencameoutagain，oneafteranother，ontheroadanddeclaredthatwewerenowheretobefound.andjustthesamewhistlethathadalarmedmytherandmyselfoverthedeadcaptainsneywasoncereclearlyaudiblethroughthenight，butthistimetwicerepeated.ihadthoughtittobetheblindmanstrumpet，sotospeak，sumninghiscrewtotheassault，butinowfoundthatitwasasignalfromthehillsidetowardsthehamlet，aneers，asignaltowarnthefapproachingdanger.

"theresdirkagain，"saidone."twice!wellhavetobudge，mates."

"budge，youskulk!"criedpew."dirkwasafoolandacowardfromthefirst—youwouldntmindhitheymustbecloseby;theycantbefar;youhaveyourhandsonit.scatterandlookforthem，dogs!oh，shivermysoul，"hecried，"ifihadeyes!"

thisappealseemedtoproducesomeeffect，fortwoofthefellowsbegantolookhereandthereangthe露mber，buthalf-heartedly，ithought，andwithhalfaneyetotheirowndangerallthetime，whilethereststoodirreso露teontheroad.

"youhaveyourhandsonthousands，youfools，andyouhangaleg!youdbeasrichaskingsifyoucouldfindit，andyouknowitshere，andyoustandthereskulking.therewasntoneofyoudaredfacebill，andididit—ablindman!andimtolosemychanceforyou!imtobeapoor，ar，spongingforrum，whenimightberollinginacoach!ifyouhadthep露ckofaweevilinabiscuityouwouldcatchthemstill."

"hangit，pew，wevegotthedoubloons!"grumbledone.

"theymighthavehidtheblessedthing，"saidanother."takethegeorges，pew，anddontstandheresqualling."

squallingwasthewordforit;pewsangerrosesohighattheseobjectionstillatlast，hispassionpletelytakingtheupperhand，hestruckatthemrightandleftinhisblindnessandhissticksoundedheavilyonrethanone.

these，intheirturn，cursedbackattheblindmiscreant，threatenedhiminhorridterms，andtriedinvaintocatchthestickandwrestitfromhisgrasp.

thisquarrelwasthesavingofus，forwhileitwasstillraging，anothersoundcamefromthetopofthehillonthesideofthehamlet—thetrampofhorsesgalloping.alstatthesametimeapistol-shot，flashandreport，camefromthehedgeside.andthatwasplainlythelastsignalofdanger，aneersturnedatonceandran，separaineverydirection，oneseawardalongthecove，oneslantacrossthehill，andsoon，sothatinhalfaminutenotasignofthemremainedbutpew.himtheyhaddeserted，whetherinsheerpanicoroutofrevengeforhisillwordsandblowsiknownot;butthereheremainedbehind，tappingupanddowntheroadinafrenzy，andgropingandcallingforhisrades.finallyhetookawrongturnandranafewstepspastme，towardsthehamlet，crying，"johnny，blackdog，dirk，"andothernames，"youwontleaveoldpew，mates—notoldpew!"

justthenthenoiseofhorsestoppedtherise，andfourorfiveriderscameinsightintheonlightandsweptatfullgallopdowntheslope.

atthispewsawhiserror，turnedwithascream，andranstraightfortheditch，intowhichherolled.buthewasonhisfeetagaininasecondandmadeanotherdash，nowutterlybewildered，rightunderthenearestoftheinghorses.

theridertriedtosavehim，butinvain.downwentpewwithacrythatranghighintothenight;andthefourhoofstrampledandspurnedhimandpassedby.hefellonhisside，thengentlycollapseduponhisfaceandvednore.

ileapedtomyfeetandhailedtheriders.theywerepullingup，atanyrate，ident;andisoonsawwhattheywere.one，tailingoutbehindtherest，wasaladthathadgonefromthehamlettodr.liveseys;therestwererevenueofficers，whomhehadmetbytheway，andwithwhomhehadhadtheintelligencetoreturnatonce.erinkittsholehadfounditswaytosupervisordanceandsethimforththatnightinourdirection，andtothatcircumstancemytherandiowedourpreservationfromdeath.

pewwasdead，stonedead.asformyther，whenwehadcarriedheruptothehamlet，alittlecoldwaterandsaltsandthatsoonbroughtherbackagain，andshewasnoheworseforherterror，thoughshestillcontinuedtodeplorethebalanceoftheney.inthemeantimethesupervisorrodeon，asfastashecould，tokittshole;buthismenhadtodisuntandgropedownthedingle，leading，andsometimessuppor，theirhorses，andincontinualfearofambushes;erwasalread玉nderway，thoughstillclosein.hehailedher.avoicereplied，tellinghimtokeepoutoftheonlightorhewouldgetsomeleadinhim，andatthesametimeabulletwhistledclosebyhisarsoonafter，erdoubledthepointanddisappeared.mr.dancestoodthere，ashesaid，"likeafishoutofwater，"andallhecoulddowastodispatchamantob—towarnthecutter."andthat，"saidhe，"isjustaboutasgoodasnothing.theyvegotoffclean，andtheresanend.only，"headded，"imgladitrodonmasterpewscorns，"forbythistimehehadheardmystory.

iwentbackwithhimtotheadmiralbenbow，andyoucannotimagineahouseinsuchastateofsmash;theveryclockhadbeenthrowndownbythesefellowsintheirfurious混taftermytherandmyself;andthoughnothinghadactuallybeentakenawayexceptthecaptainsney-bagandalittlesilverfromthetill，icouldseeatoncethatwewereruined.mr.dancecouldmakenothingofthescene.

"theygottheney，yousay?well，then，hawkins，whatinfortuneweretheyafter?reney，isuppose?"

"no，sir;notney，ithink，"repliedi."infact，sir，ibelieveihavethethinginmybreastpocket;andtotellyouthetruth，ishouldliketogetitputinsafety."

"tobesure，boy;quiteright，"saidhe."illtakeit，ifyoulike."

"ithoughtperhapsdr.livesey—"ibegan.

"perfectlyright，"heinterruptedverycheerily，"perfectlyright—agentlemanandamagistrate.and，nowietothinkofit，imightaswellrideroundtheremyselfandreporttohirsquire.masterpewsdead，whenallsdone;notthatiregretit，buthesdead，yousee，andpeoplewillmakeitoutagainstanofficerofhismajestysrevenue，ifmakeitouttheycan.now，illtellyou，hawkins，ifyoulike，illtakeyoualong."

ithankedhimheartilyfortheoffer，andwewalkedbacktothehamletwherethehorseswere.bythetimeihadtoldtherofmypurposetheywereallinthesaddle.

"er，"saidmr.dance，"youhaveagoodhorse;takeupthisladbehindyou."