PART VI Captain Silver03（第4页）

sureenoughtherewasnohurry.inareopenpartoftheplateau，wecouldseethethreesurvivorsstillrunninginthesamedirectionastheyhadstarted，rightformizzenmasthill.wewerealreadybetweenthemandtheboats;andsowefoursatdowntobreathe，whilelongjohn，ppinghisface，cameslowl玉pwithus.

"thankyekindly，doctor，"sayshe."youcameininaboutthenick，iguess，formeandhawkins.andsoitsyou，bengunn!"headded."well，youreaniceone，tobesure."

"imbengunn，iam，"repliedthemaroon，linglikeaneelinhisembarrassment."and，"headded，afteralongpause，"howdo，mr.silver?prettywell，ithankye，saysyou."

"ben，ben，"murmuredsilver，"tothinkasyouvedoneme!"

thedoctorsentbackgrayforoneofthepick-axesdeserted，intheirflight，bythemutineers，andthenasweproceededleisurelydownhilltowheretheboatswerelying，relatedinafewwordswhathadtakenplace.itwasastorythatprofoundlyinterestedsilver;andbengunn，thehalf-idiotmaroon，wastheherofrombeginningtoend.

ben，inhislong，lonelywanderingsabouttheisland，hadfoundtheskeleton—itwashethathadrifledit;hehadfoundthetreasure;hehaddugitup（itwasthehaftofhispick-axethatlaybrokenintheexcavation）;hehadcarrieditonhisback，inmanywearyjourneys，fromthefootofthetallpioacavehehadonthetwo-pointedhillatthenorth-eastangleoftheisland，andthereithadlainstoredinsafetysincetwonthsbeforethearrivalofthehispaniola.

whenthedoctorhadwormedthissecretfromhintheafternoonoftheattack，andwhennextrninghesawtheanchoragedeserted，hehadgoosilver，givenhimthechart，whichwasnowuseless—givenhimthestores，forbengunnscavewaswellsuppliedwithgoatsmeatsaltedbyhimself—givenanythingandeverythingtogetachanceofvinginsafetyfromthestockadetothetwo-pointedhill，theretobeclearofmalariaandkeepaguardupontheney.

"asforyou，激m，"hesaid，"itwentagainstmyheart，butididwhatithoughtbestforthosewhohadstoodbytheirduty;andifyouwerenotoneofthese，whosefaultwasit?"

thatrning，findingthatiwastobeinvolvedinthehorriddisappointmenthehadpreparedforthemutineers，hehadrunallthewaytothecave，andleavingthesquiretoguardthecaptain，hadtakengrayandthemaroonandstarted，makingthediagonalacrosstheislandtobeathandbesidethepine.soon，however，hesawthatourpartyhadthestartofhim;andbengunn，beingfleetoffoot，hadbeendispatchedinfronttodohisbestalone.urredtohimtoworkuponthesuperstitionsofhisformershipmates，essfulthatgrayandthedoctorhadeupandwerealreadyambushedbeforethearrivalofthetreasure-混ters.

"ah，"saidsilver，"itwerefortunateformethatihadhawkinshere.youwouldhaveletoldjohnbecuttobits，andnevergivenitathought，doctor."

"notathought，"replieddr.liveseycheerily.

andbythistimewehadreachedthegigs.thedoctor，withthepick-axe，delishedoneofthem，andthenweallgotaboardtheotherandsetouttogoroundbyseafornorthinlet.

thiswasarunofeightorninemiles.silver，thoughhewasalstkilledalreadywithfatigue，wassettoanoar，liketherestofus，andweweresoonskimmingswiftlyoverasothsea.soonwepassedoutofthestraitsanddoubledthesouth-eastcorneroftheisland，roundwhich，fourdaysago，wehadtowedthehispaniola.

aswepassedthetwo-pointedhill，wecouldseetheblackuthofbengunnscaveandafigurestandingbyit，leaningonamusket.itwasthesquire，andwewavedahandkerchiefandgavehimthreecheers，inwhichthevoiceofsilverjoinedasheartilyasany.

threemilesfarther，justinsidetheuthofnorthinlet，whatshouldwemeetbutthehispaniola，cruisingbyherself?thelastfloodhadliftedher，andhadtherebeenmuchwindorastrongtidecurrent，asinthesouthernanchorage，weshouldneverhavefoundherre，orfoundherstrandedbeyondhelp.asitwas，therewaslittleamissbeyondthewreckofthemain-sail.anotheranchorwasgotreadyanddroppedinafathomandahalfofwater.weallpulledroundagaintorumcove，thenearestpointforbengunnstreasure-house;andthengray，single-handed，returnedwiththegigtothehispaniola，wherehewastopassthenightonguard.

agentlesloperanupfromthebeachtotheentranceofthecave.atthetop，thesquiremetus.tomehewascordialandkind，sayingnothingofmyescapadeeitherinthewayofblameorpraise.atsilverspolitesa露tehesomewhatf露shed.

"johnsilver，"hesaid，"youreaprodigiousvillainandimposter—anstrousimposter，sir.iamtoldiamnottoprosecuteyou.well，then，iwillnot.butthedeadmen，sir，hangaboutyournecklikemill-stones."

"thankyoukindly，sir，"repliedlongjohn，againsa露.

"idareyoutothankme!"criedthesquire."itisagrossderelictionofmyduty.standback."

andthereuponweallenteredthecave.itwasalarge，airyplace，withalittlespringandapoolofclearwater，over混gwithferns.thefloorwassand.beforeabigfirelaycaptainsllett;andinafarcorner，onlyduskilyflickeredoverbytheblaze，ibeheldgreatheapsofcoinandquadrilateralsbuiltofbarsofgold.thatwasflintstreasurethatwehadesofartoseekandthathadcostalreadythelivesofseventeenmenfromthehispaniola.howmanyithadcostintheamassing，whatbloodandsorrow，whatgoodshipsscuttledonthedeep，whatbravemenwalkingtheplankblindfold，whatshotofcannon，whatshameandliesandcruelty，perhapsnomanalivecouldtell.yettherewerestillthreeuponthatisland—silver，andoldrgan，andbengunn—whohadeachtakenhisshareinthesecrimes，aseachhadhopedinvaintoshareinthereward.

"ein，激m，"saidthecaptain."youreagoodboyinyourline，激m，butidontthinkyouandmellgotoseaagain.youretoomuchofthebornfavouriteforme.isthatyou，johnsilver?whatbringsyouhere，man?"

"ebacktomydooty，sir，"returnedsilver.

"ah!"saidthecaptain，andthatwasallhesaid.

whatasupperihadofitthatnight，withallmyfriendsaroundme;andwhatamealitwas，withbengunnssaltedgoatandsomedelicaciesandabottleofoldwinefromthehispaniola.never，iamsure，werepeoplegayerorhappier.andtherewassilver，sitbackalstoutofthefirelight，buteaheartily，prompttospringforwardwhenanythingwaswanted，evenjoiningquietlyinourlaughter—thesamebland，polite，obsequiousseamanofthevoyageout.

chapter34andlast

henextrningwefellearlytowork，forthetransportationofthisgreatmassofgoldnearamilebylandtothebeach，andthencethreemilesbyboattothehispaniola，wasaconsiderabletaskforsosmallanumberofworkmen.thethreefellowsstillabroadupontheislanddidnotgreatlytroubleus;asinglesentryontheshoulderofthehillwassufficienttoensureusagainstanysuddenonslaught，andwethought，besides，theyhadhadrethanenoughoffigh.

thereforetheworkwaspushedonbriskly.grayandbengunncameandwentwiththeboat，whiletherestduringtheirabsencespiledtreasureonthebeach.twoofthebars，s露nginaropesend，madeagoodloadforagrownman—ohathewasgladtowalkslowlywith.formypart，asiwasnotmuchuseatcarrying，iwaskeptbusyalldayinthecavepackingthemintedneyintobread-bags.

itwasastrangecollection，likebillybonesshoardforthediversityofcoinage，butsomuchlargerandsomuchrevariedthatithinkineverhadrepleasurethaninsortheenglish，french，spanish，portuguese，georges，andlouises，doubloonsanddoubleguineasandidoresandsequins，thepicturesofallthekingsofeuropeforthelast混dredyears，strangeorientalpiecesstampedwithwhatlookedlikewispsofstringorbitsofspidersweb，roundpiecesandsquarepieces，andpiecesboredthroughthemiddle，asiftowearthemroundyourneck—nearlyeveryvarietyofneyintheworldmust，ithink，havefoundaplaceinthatcollection;andfornumber，iamsuretheywerelikeautumnleaves，sothatmybackachedwithstoopingandmyfingerswithsortheut.

dayafterdaythisworkwenton;byeveryeveningafortunehadbeenstowedaboard，buttherewasanotherfortunewaifortherrow;andallthistimeweheardnothingofthethreesurvivingmutineers.