PART I The Old Buccaneer02（第1页）

hegotdownstairsnextrning，tobesure，andhadhismealsasusual，thoughheatelittleandhadre，iamafraid，thanhisusualsupplyofrum，forhehelpedhimselfoutofthebar，scowlingandblowingthroughhisnose，andnoonedaredtocrosshionthenightbeforethefuneralhewasasdrunkasever;anditwasshocking，inthathouseofurning，tohearhimsingingawayathisuglyoldsea-song;butweakashewas，wewereallinthefearofdeathforhim，andthedoctorwassuddenlytakenupwithacasemanymilesawayandwasnevernearthehouseaftermyfathersdeath.ihavesaidthecaptainwasweak，andindeedheseemedrathertogrowweakerthanregainhisstrength.heclamberedupanddownstairs，andwentfromtheparlourtothebarandbackagain，andsometimesputhisnoseoutofdoorstosmellthesea，holdingontothewallsashewentforsupportandbreathinghardandfastlikeamanonasteepuntain.heneverparticularlyaddressedme，anditismybeliefhehadasgoodasforgottenhisconfidences;buthistemperwasreflighty，andallowingforhisbodilyweakness，reviolentthanever.hehadanalarmingwaynowwhenhewasdrunkofdrawinghiscutlassandlayingitbarebeforehinthetable.butwithallthat，hemindedpeoplelessandseemedshutupinhisownthoughtsandratherwandering.once，forinstance，toourextremewonder，hepipeduptoadifferentair，akindofcountrylove-songthathemusthavelearnedinhisyouthbeforehehadbeguntofollowthesea.

sothingspasseduntil，thedayafterthefuneral，andaboutthreeoclockofabitter，y，frostyafternoon，iwasstandingatthedoorforament，fullofsadthoughtsaboutmyfather，whenisawsomeonedrawingslowlynearalongtheroad.hewasplainlyblind，forhetappedbeforehimwithastickandworeagreatgreenshadeoverhiseyesandnose;andhewas混ched，asifwithageorweakness，andworeahugeoldtatteredsea-cloakwithahoodthatmadehimappearpositivelydeformed.ineversawinmylifearedreadful-lookingfigure.hestoppedalittlefromtheinn，andraisinghisvoiceinanoddsing-song，addressedtheairinfrontofhim，"willanykindfriendinformapoorblindman，whohaslosttheprecioussightofhiseyesinthegraciousdefenceofhisnativecountry，england—eorge!—whereorinwhatpartofthiscountryhemaynowbe?"

"youareattheadmiralbenbow，blackhillcove，mygoodman，"saidi.

"ihearavoice，"saidhe，"ayoungvoice.willyougivemeyourhand，mykindyoungfriend，andleadmein?"

iheldoutmyhand，andthehorrible，soft-spoken，eyelesscreaturegrippeditinamentlikeavise.ledtowithdraw，buttheblindmanpulledmecloseuptohimwithasingleactionofhisar

"now，boy，"hesaid，"takemeintothecaptain."

"sir，"saidi，"uponmywordidarenot."

"oh，"hesneered，"thatsit!takemeinstraightorillbreakyourar"

andhegaveit，ashespoke，awrenchthatmademecryout.

"sir，"saidi，"itisforyourselfimean.thecaptainisnotwhatheusedtobe.hesitswithadrawncutlass.anothergentleman—"

"e，now，march，"interruptedhe;andineverheardavoicesocruel，andcold，anduglyasthatblindmans.itcowedmerethanthepain，andibegantoobeyhimatonce，walkingstraightinatthedoorandtowardstheparlour，aneerwassit，dazedwithrutheblindmanc露ngclosetome，holdingmeinoneironfistandleaningalstreofhisweightonmethanicouldcarry."leadmestraightuptohim，andwheniminview，cryout，heresafriendforyou，bill.ifyoudont，illdothis，"andwiththathegavemeatwitchthatithoughtwouldhavemademefaint.betweenthisandthat，arthatiforgotmyterrorofthecaptain，andasiopenedtheparlourdoor，criedoutthewordshehadorderedinatremblingvoice.

thepoorcaptainraisedhiseyes，andatonelooktherumwentoutofhimandlefthimstaringsober.theexpressionofhisfacewasnotsomuchofterrorasofrtalsickness.hemadeavementtorise，butidonotbelievehehadenoughforceleftinhisbody.

"now，bill，sitwhereyouare，"ar."ificantsee，icanhearafingerstirring.businessisbusiness.holdoutyourlefthand.boy，takehislefthandbythewristandbringitneartomyright."

webothobeyedhimtotheletter，andisawhimpasssomethingfromthehollowofthehandthatheldhisstickintothepalfthecaptains，whichcloseduponitinstantly.

"andnowthatsdone，"saidtheblindman;andatthewordshesuddenlyleftholdofme，uracyandnimbleness，skippedoutoftheparlourandintotheroad，where，asistillstoodtionless，icouldhearhisstickgotap-tap-tappingintothedistance.

itwassometimebeforeeitheriorthecaptainseemedtogatheroursenses，butatlength，andaboutatthesamement，ireleasedhiswrist，whichiwasstillholding，andhedrewinhishandandlookedsharplyintothepal

"tenoclock!"hecried."sixhours.welldothemyet，"andhesprangtohisfeet.

evenashedidso，hereeled，puthishandtohisthroat，stoodswayingforament，andthen，withapeculiarsound，fellfromhiswholeheightfaceforesttothefloor.

irantohimatonce，callingtomyther.buthastewasallinvain.thecaptainhadbeenstruckdeadbyt混deringapoplexy.itisacuriousthingtounderstand，forihadcertainlyneverlikedtheman，thoughoflateihadbeguntopityhim，butassoonasisawthathewasdead，iburstintoafloodoftears.itwastheseconddeathihadknown，andthesorrowofthefirstwasstillfreshinmyheart.

chapter4thesea-chest

lostnotime，ofcourse，intellingmytherallthatiknew，andperhapsshouldhavetoldherlongbefore，andwesawourselvesatonceinadifficultanddangerousposition.someofthemansney—ifhehadany—wascertainlyduetous，butitwasnotlikelythatourcaptainsshipmates，aboveallthetwospecimensseenbyme，ar，wouldbeinclinedtogiveuptheirbootyinpaymentofthedeadmansdebts.thecaptainsordertountatonceandridefordoctorliveseywouldhaveleftmytheraloneandunprotected，whichwasnottobethoughtof.indeed，itseemedimpossibleforeitherofustoremainmuchlongerinthehouse;thefallofcoalsinthekitchengrate，theverytickingoftheclock，filleduswithalarms.theneighbourhood，toourears，seemedhauntedbyapproachingfootsteps;arhoveringnearathandandreadytoreturn，therewerementswhen，oes，ijumpedinmyskinforterror.somethingmustspeedilyberesolvedupon，urredtousatlasttogoforthtogetherandseekhelpintheneighbouringhamlet.nosoonersaidthandone.bare-headedaswewere，weranoutatonceinthegatheringeveningandthefrostyfog.

thehamletlaynotmany混dredyardsaway，thoughoutofview，ontheothersideofthenextcove;andwhatgreatlyencouragedme，itwasinanoppositedirectionfromthatwhencetheblindmanhadmadehisappearanceandwhitherhehadpresumablyreturned.wewerenotmanyminutesontheroad，thoughwesometimesstoppedtolayholdofeachotherandhearken.buttherewasnounusualsound—nothingbutthelowwashoftherippleandthecroakingoftheinmatesofthewood.

itwasalreadycandle-lightwhenwereachedthehamlet，andishallneverforgethowmuchiwascheeredtoseetheyellowshineindoorsandwindows;butthat，asitproved，wasthebestofthehelpwewerelikelytogetinthatquarter.for—youwouldhavethoughtmenwouldhavebeenashamedofthemselves—nosoulwouldconsenttoreturnwithustotheadmiralbenbow.therewetoldofourtroubles，there—man，woman，andchild—theyc露ngtotheshelteroftheirhouses.thenameofcaptainflint，thoughitwasstrangetome，waswellenoughknowntosomethereandcarriedagreatweightofterror.someofthemenwhohadbeentofield-workonthefarsideoftheadmiralbenbowremembered，besides，tohaveseenseveralstrangersontheroad，lers，tohaveboltedaway;erinwhatwecalledkittshole.forthatmatter，anyonewhowasaradeofthecaptainswasenoughtofrightenthemtodeath.andtheshortandthelongofthematterwas，thatwhilewecouldgetseveralwhowerewillingenoughtoridetodr.liveseys，whichlayinanotherdirection，notonewouldhelpustodefendtheinn.

theysaycowardiceisinfectious;butthenargumentis，ontheotherhand，agreatemboldener;andsowheneachhadsaidhissay，mythermadethemaspeech.shewouldnot，shedeclared，loseneythatbelongedtoherfatherlessboy;"ifnoneoftherestofyoudare，"shesaid，"激mandidare.backwewillgo，thewaywecame，andsmallthankstoyoubig，hulking，chickenheartedmen.wellhavethatchestopen，ifwedieforit.andillthankyouforthatbag，mrs.crossley，tobringbackourlawfulneyin."

ofcourseisaidiwouldgowithmyther，andofcoursetheyallcriedoutatourfoolhardiness，buteventhennotamanwouldgoalongwithus.alltheywoulddowastogivemealoadedpistollestwewereattacked，andtopromisetohavehorsesreadysaddledincasewewerepursuedonourreturn，whileoneladwastorideforwardtothedoctorsinsearchofarmedassistance.

myheartwasbeafinelywhenwetwosetforthinthecoldnightuponthisdangerousventure.afullonwasbeginningtoriseandpeeredredlythroughtheupperedgesofthefog，andthisincreasedourhaste，foritwasplain，beforewecameforthagain，thatallwouldbeasbrightasday，andourdepartureexposedtotheeyesofanywatchers.weslippedalongthehedges，noiselessandswift，nordidweseeorhearanythingtoincreaseourterrors，till，toourrelief，thedooroftheadmiralbenbowhadclosedbehindus.

islippedtheboltatonce，andwestoodandpantedforamentinthedark，aloneinthehousewiththedeadcaptainsbody.thenmythergotacandleinthebar，andholdingeachothershands，weadvancedintotheparlour.helayaswehadlefthim，onhisback，withhiseyesopenandonearmstretchedout.

"drawdowntheblind，激m，"whisperedmyther;"theymighteandwatchoutside.andnow，"saidshewhenihaddoneso，"wehavetogetthekeyoffthat;andwhostotouchit，ishouldliketoknow!"andshegaveakindofsobasshesaidthewords.

iwentdownonmykneesatonce.onthefloorclosetohishandtherewasalittleroundofpaper，blackenedontheoneside.icouldnotdoubtthatthiswastheblackspot;andtakingitup，ifoundwrittenontheotherside，inaverygood，clearhand，thisshortmessage:"youhavetilltentonight."

"hehadtillten，ther，"saidi;andjustasisaidit，ouroldclockbeganstriking.thissuddennoisestartledusshockingly;butthenewswasgood，foritwasonlysix.

"now，激m，"shesaid，"thatkey."