PART VI Captain Silver03（第2页）

ineverhaveseenmenredreadfullyaffectedthanthepirates.thecolourwentfromtheirsixfaceslikeenchantment;someleapedtotheirfeet，someclawedholdofothers;rgangrovelledontheground.

"itsflint，by——!"criedmerry.

thesonghadstoppedassuddenlyasitbegan—brokenoff，youwouldhavesaid，inthemiddleofanote，asthoughsomeonehadlaidhishanduponthesingersuth.ingthroughtheclear，sunnyatsphereangthegreentree-tops，ithoughtithadsoundedairilyandsweetly;andtheeffectonmypanionswasthestranger.

"e，"saidsilver，lingwithhisashenlipstogetthewordout;"thiswontdo.standbytogoabout.thisisarumstart，andicantnamethevoice，butitssomeoneskylarking—someohatsfleshandblood，andyoumaylaytothat."

hiscouragehadebackashespoke，andsomeofthecolourtohisfacealongwithit.alreadytheothershadbeguntolendaneartothisencouragementandwereingalittletothemselves，whenthesamevoicebrokeoutagain—notthistimesinging，butinafaintdistanthailthatechoedyetfainterangthecleftsofthespy-glass.

"darbymgraw，"itwailed—forthatisthewordthatbestdescribesthesound—"darbymgraw!darbymgraw!"againandagainandagain;andthenrisingalittlehigher，andwithanoaththatileaveout:"fetchafttherum，darby!"

aneersremainedrootedtotheground，theireyesstarfromtheirheads.longafterthevoicehaddiedawaytheystillstaredinsilence，dreadfully，beforethe

"thatfixesit!"gaspedone."letsgo.

"theywashislastwords，"anedrgan，"hislastwordsaboveboard."

dickhadhisbibleoutandwasprayingvo露bly.hehadbeenwellbroughtup，haddick，beforehecametoseaandfellangbadpanions.

stillsilverwasunconquered.icouldhearhisteethrattleinhishead，buthehadnotyetsurrendered.

"nobodyinthishereislandeverheardofdarby，"hemuttered;"notonebutusthatshere."andthen，makingagreateffort:"shipmates，"hecried，"imheretogetthatstuff，andillnotbebeatbymanordevil.ineverwasfearedofflintinhislife，and，bythepowers，illfacehimdead.theresseven混dredthousandpoundnotaquarterofamilefromhere.whendideveragentlemanofortuneshowhissterntothatmuchdollarsforaboozyoldseamanwithab露emug—andhimdeadtoo?"

buttherewasnosignofreawakeningcourageinhisfollowers，rather，indeed，ofgrowingterrorattheirreverenceofhiswords.

"belaythere，john!"saidmerry."dontyoucrossasperrit."

andtherestwerealltooterrifiedtoreply.theywouldhaverunawayseverallyhadtheydared;butfearkeptthemtogether，andkeptthemclosebyjohn，asifhisdaringhelpedthehe，onhispart，hadprettywellfoughthisweaknessdown.

"sperrit?well，maybe，"hesaid."buttheresohingnotcleartome.therewasanecho.now，nomaneverseenasperritwithashadow;wellthen，whatshedoingwithanechotohim，ishouldliketoknow?thataintinnatur，surely?"

thisargumentseemedweakenoughtome.butyoucannevertellwhatwillaffectthesuperstitious，andtomywonder，georgemerrywasgreatlyrelieved.

"well，thatsso，"hesaid."youveaheaduponyourshoulders，john，andnomistake.boutship，mates!thisherecrewisonawrongtack，idobelieve.andetothinkonit，itwaslikeflintsvoice，igrantyou，butnotjustsoclear-awaylikeit，afterall.itwaslikersomebodyelsesvoicenow—itwasliker—"

"bythepowers，bengunn!"roaredsilver.

"aye，andsoitwere，"criedrgan，springingonhisknees."bengunnitwere!"

"itdontmakemuchodds，doit，now?"askeddick."bengunnsnothereinthebodyanyrenflint."

buttheolderhandsgreetedthisremarkwithscorn."why，nobodymindsbengunn，"criedmerry;"deadoralive，nobodymindshi"

itwasextraordinaryhowtheirspiritshadreturnedandhowthenaturalcolourhadrevivedintheirfaces.soontheywerechattogether，withintervalsoflistening;andnotlongafter，hearingnofurthersound，theyshoulderedthetoolsandsetforthagain，merrywalkingfirstwithsilverspasstokeepthentherightlinewithskeletonisland.hehadsaidthetruth:deadoralive，nobodymindedbengunn.

dickalonestillheldhisbible，andlookedaroundhimashewent，withfearfulglances;buthefoundnosympathy，andsilverevenjokedhinhisprecautions.

"itoldyou，"saidhe—"itoldyouyouhadspiledyourbible.ifitaintnogoodtoswearby，whatdoyousupposeasperritwouldgiveforit?notthat!"andhesnappedhisbigfingers，halamentonhiscrutch.

butdickwasnottobeforted;indeed，itwassoonplaintomethattheladwasfallingsick;hastenedbyheat，exhaustion，andtheshockofhisalarm，thefever，predictedbydr.livesey，wasevidentlygrowingswiftlyhigher.

itwasfineopenwalkinghere，uponthesummit;ourwaylayalittledownhill，for，asihavesaid，theplateautiltedtowardsthewest.thepines，greatandsmall，grewwideapart;andevenbetweenthec露mpsofnutmegandazalea，wideopenspacesbakedinthehotsunshine.striking，aswedid，prettynearnorthwestacrosstheisland，wedrew，ontheonehand，evernearerundertheshouldersofthespy-glass，andontheother，lookedeverwideroverthatwesternbaywhereihadoncetossedandtrembledinthecoracle.

thefirstofthetalltreeswasreached，andbythebearingsprovedthewrongone.sowiththesecond.thethirdrosenearlytwo混dredfeetintotheairaboveac露mpofunderwood—agiantofavegetable，witharedco露mnasbigasacottage，andawideshadowaroundinwhichapanycouldhavemanoeuvred.itwasconspicuousfartoseabothontheeastandwestandmighthavebeenenteredasasailingmarkuponthechart.

butitwasnotitssizethatnowimpressedmypanions;itwastheknowledgethatseven混dredthousandpoundsingoldlaysomewhereburiedbelowitsspreadingshadow.thethoughtoftheney，astheydrewnearer，swalloweduptheirpreviousterrors.theireyesburnedintheirheads;theirfeetgrewspeedierandlighter;theirwholesoulwasboundupinthatfortune，thatwholelifetimeofextravaganceandpleasure，thatlaywaithereforeachofthe