PART III My Shore Adventure（第3页）

andhereafreshalarmbroughtmetoastandstillwithathumpingheart.

chapter15themanoftheisland

romthesideofthehill，whichwasheresteepandstony，aspoutofgravelwasdislodgedandfellrattlingandboundingthroughthetrees.myeyesturnedinstinctivelyinthatdirection，andisawafigureleapwithgreatrapiditybehindthetrunkofapine.whatitwas，whetherbearormanornkey，icouldinnowisetell.y;reiknewnot.buttheterrorofthisnewapparitionbroughtmetoastand.

iwasnow，itseemed，cutoffuponbothsides;behindmethemurderers，beforemethis露rkingnondescript.andimmediatelyibegantopreferthedangersthatiknewtothoseiknewnot.silverhimselfappearedlessterribleincontrastwiththiscreatureofthewoods，anditurnedonmyheel，andlookingsharplybehindmeovermyshoulder，begantoretracemystepsinthedirectionoftheboats.

instantlythefigurereappeared，andmakingawidecircuit，begantoheadmeoff.iwastired，atanyrate;buthadibeenasfreshaswhenirose，icouldseeitwasinvainformetocontendinspeedwithsuchanadversary.fromtrunktotrunkthecreatureflittedlikeadeer，runningmanlikeontwolegs，butunlikeanymanthatihadeverseen，stoopingalstdoubleasitran.yetamanitwas，icouldnolongerbeindoubtaboutthat.

ibegantorecallwhatihadheardofcannibals.iwaswithinanaceofcallingforhelp.butthemerefactthathewasaman，howeverwild，hadsomewhatreassuredme，andmyfearofsilverbegantoreviveinproportion.istoodstill，therefore，andcastaboutforsomemethodofescape;andasiwassothinking，therecollectionofmypistolflashedintomymind.assoonasirememberediwasnotdefenceless，courageglowedagaininmyheartandisetmyfacereso露telyforthismanoftheislandandwalkedbrisklytowardshi

hewasconcealedbythistimebehindanothertreetrunk;buthemusthavebeenwatchingmeclosely，forassoonasibegantoveinhisdirectionhereappearedandtookasteptomeetme.thenhehesitated，drewback，cameforwardagain，andatlast，tomywonderandconfusion，threwhimselfonhiskneesandheldouthisclaspedhandsinsupplication.

atthationcerestopped.

"whoareyou?"iasked.

"bengunn，"heanswered，andhisvoicesoundedhoarseandawkward，likearustylock."impoorbengunn，iam;andihaventspokewithachristianthesethreeyears."

icouldnowseethathewasawhitemanlikemyselfandthathisfeatureswereevenpleasing.hisskin，whereveritwasexposed，wasburntbythesun;evenhislipswereblack，andhisfaireyeslookedquitestartlinginsodarkaface.ar-menthatihadseenorfancied，edness.hewasclothedwithtattersofoldshipscanvasandoldsea-cloth，andthisextraordinarypatchworkwasallheldtogetherbyasystefthestvariousandincongruousfastenings，brassbuttons，bitsofstick，andloopsoftarrygaskin.abouthiswaistheworeanoldbrass-buckledleatherbelt，outrement.

"threeyears!"icried."wereyoushipwrecked?"

"nay，mate，"saidhe;"marooned."

ihadheardtheword，aneers，inwhichtheoffenderisputashorewithalittlepowderandshotandleftbehindonsomedesolateanddistantisland.

"maroonedthreeyearsagone，"hecontinued，"andlivedongoatssincethen，andberries，andoysters.whereveramanis，saysi，amancandoforhimself.but，mate，myheartissoreforchristiandiet.youmightnthappentohaveapieceofcheeseaboutyou，now?no?well，manysthelongnightivedreamedofcheese—toasted，stly—andwokeupagain，andhereiwere."

"ifevericangetaboardagain，"saidi，"youshallhavecheesebythestone."

allthistimehehadbeenfeelingthestuffofmyjacket，sothingmyhands，lookingatmyboots，andgenerally，intheintervalsofhisspeech，showingachildishpleasureinthepresenceofafellowcreature.butatmylastwordsheperkedupintoakindofstartledslyness.

"ifeveryoucangetaboardagain，saysyou?"herepeated."why，now，whostohinderyou?"

"notyou，iknow，"wasmyreply.

"andrightyouwas，"hecried."nowyou—whatdoyoucallyourself，mate?"

"激m，"itoldhi

"激m，激m，"sayshe，quitepleasedapparently."well，now，激m，ivelivedthatroughasyoudbeashamedtohearof.now，forinstance，youwouldntthinkihadhadapiousther—tolookatme?"heasked.

"why，no，notinparticular，"ianswered.

"ah，well，"saidhe，"butihad—remarkablepious.andiwasacivil，piousboy，andcouldrattleoffmycatechismthatfast，asyoucouldnttellonewordfromanother.andhereswhatiteto，激m，anditbegunwithchuck-farthenontheblessedgrave-stones!thatswhatitbegunwith，butitwentfurthernthat;andsomythertoldme，andpredickedthewhole，shedid，thepiouswoman!butitwereprovidencethatputmehere.ivethoughtitalloutinthisherelonelyisland，andimbackonpiety.youdontcatchmetasrumsomuch，butjustathimblefulfor露ck，ofcourse，thefirstchanceihave.imboundillbegood，andiseethewayto.and，激m"—lookingallroundhimandloweringhisvoicetoawhisper—"imrich."

inowfeltsurethatthepoorfellowhadgonecrazyinhissolitude，andisupposeimusthaveshownthefeelinginmyface，forherepeatedthestatementhotly:"rich!rich!isays.andilltellyouwhat:illmakeamanofyou，激ah，激m，youllblessyourstars，youwill，youwasthefirstthatfoundme!

andatthistherecamesuddenlyaloweringshadowoverhisface，andhetightenedhisgraspuponmyhandandraisedaforefingerthreateninglybeforemyeyes.

"now，激m，youtellmetrue:thataintflintsship?"heasked.

atthisihadahappyinspiration.ibegantobelievethatihadfoundanally，andiansweredhimatonce.

"itsnotflintsship，andflintisdead;butilltellyoutrue，asyouaskme—therearesomeofflintshandsaboard;worse露ckfortherestofus."

"notaman—withone—leg?"hegasped.

"silver?"iasked.