PART VI Captain Silver(第2页)
"well,andseehere,"addedthesea-cook."illputanotheragaintothat,byt混der!foritwasthissameboythatfakedthechartfrombillybones.firstandlast,wevesplitupon激mhawkins!"
"thenheregoes!"saidrganwithanoath.
andhesprangup,drawinghisknifeasifhehadbeentwenty.
"avast,there!"criedsilver."whoareyou,tomrgan?maybeyouthoughtyouwascapnhere,perhaps.bythepowers,butillteachyoubetter!crossme,andyoullgowheremanyagoodmansgonebeforeyou,firstandlast,thesethirtyyearbacksometotheyard-arm,shivermytimbers,andsomebytheboard,andalltofeedthefishes.theresneveramanlookedmebetweentheeyesandseenagooddayaterwards,tomrgan,youmaylaytothat."
rganpaused,butahoarsemurmurrosefromtheothers.
"tomsright,"saidone.
"istoodhazinglongenoughfrone,"addedanother."illbehangedifillbehazedbyyou,johnsilver."
"didanyofyougentlemenwanttohaveitoutwithme?"roaredsilver,bendingfarforwardfromhispositiononthekeg,withhispipestillglowinginhisrighthand."putanameonwhatyoureat;youaintdumb,ireckon.himthatwantsshallgetit.haveilivedthismanyyears,andasonofarumpuncheoncockhishatathwartmyhawseatthelatterendofit?youknowtheway;youreallgentlemenofortune,ount.well,imready.takeacutlass,himthatdares,andillseethecolourofhisinside,crutchandall,beforethatpipesempty."
notamanstirred;notamananswered.
"thatsyoursort,isit?"headded,returninghispipetohisuth."well,youreagaylottolookat,anyway.notmuchworthtofight,youaint.eorgesenglish.imcapnherebylection.imcapnherebecauseimthebestmanbyalongsea-mile.youwontfight,asgentlemenofortuneshould;then,byt混der,youllobey,andyoumaylaytoit!ilikethatboy,now;ineverseenabetterboythanthat.hesreamanthananypairofratsofyouinthisherehouse,andwhatisayisthis:letmeseehimthatlllayahandonhim—thatswhatisay,andyoumaylaytoit."
therewasalongpauseafterthis.istoodstraightupagainstthewall,myheartstillgoinglikeasledgehammer,butwitharayofhopenowshininginmybososilverleantbackagainstthewall,hisarmscrossed,hispipeinthecornerofhisuth,ascalmasthoughhehadbeeninchurch;yethiseyekeptwanderingfurtively,andhekeptthetailofitonhisunrulyfollowers.they,ontheirpart,drewgraduallytogethertowardsthefarendoftheblockhouse,andthelowhissoftheirwhisperingsoundedinmyearcontinuously,likeastreaoneafteranother,theywouldlookup,andtheredlightofthetorchwouldfallforasecondontheirnervousfaces;butitwasnottowardsme,itwastowardssilverthattheyturnedtheireyes.
"youseemtohavealottosay,"remarkedsilver,spitfarintotheair."pipeupandletmehearit,orlayto."
"axyourpardon,sir,"returnedoneofthemen;"youreprettyfreewithsomeoftherules;maybeyoullkindlykeepaneyeupontherest.thiscrewsdissatisfied;thiscrewdontvallybullyingamarlinspike;thiscrewhasitsrightslikeothercrews,illmakesofreeasthat;andbyyourownrules,itakeitwecantalktogether.iaxyourpardon,sir,acknowledgingyoufortobecaptaingatthispresent;buticlaimmyright,andstepsoutsideforacouncil."
andwithanelaboratesea-sa露te,thisfellow,along,ill-looking,yellow-eyedmanoffiveandthirty,steppedcoollytowardsthedooranddisappearedoutofthehouse.oneafteranothertherestfollowedhisexample,eachmakingasa露teashepassed,eachaddingsomeapology."aordingtorules,"saidone."forecastlecouncil,"saidrgan.andsowithoneremarkoranotherallmarchedoutandleftsilverandmealonewiththetorch.
thesea-cookinstantlyrevedhispipe.
"now,lookyouhere,激mhawkins,"hesaidinasteadywhisperthatwasnorethanaudible,"yourewithinhalfaplankofdeath,andwhatsalongsightworse,oftorture.theyregoingtothrowmeoff.but,youmark,istandbyyouthroughthickandthin.ididntmeanto;no,nottillyouspokeup.iwasaboutdesperatetolosethatmuchb露nt,andbehangedintothebargain.butiseeyouwastherightsort.isaystomyself,youstandbyhawkins,john,andhawkinsllstandbyyou.yourehislastcard,andbythelivingt混der,john,hesyours!backtoback,saysi.yousaveyourwitness,andhellsaveyourneck!"
ibegandimlytounderstand.
"youmeanallslost?"iasked.
"aye,bygum,ido!"heanswered."shipgone,neckgone—thatsthesizeofit.onceilookedintothatbay,激mhawkins,andseennoschooner—well,imtough,butigaveout.asforthatlotandtheircouncil,markme,theyreoutrightfoolsandcowards.illsaveyourlife—ifsobeasican—fromthebut,seehere,激m—titfortat—yousavelongjohnfromswinging."
iwasbewildered;itseemedathingsohopelesshewasasking—he,aneer,theringleaderthroughout.
"whaticando,thatilldo,"isaid.
"itsabargain!"criedlongjohn."youspeakupp露cky,andbyt混der,iveachance!"
hehobbledtothetorch,whereitstoodproppedangthefirewood,andtookafreshlighttohispipe
"understandme,激m,"hesaid,returning."iveaheadonmyshoulders,ihave.insquiressidenow.iknowyouvegotthatshipsafesomewheres.howyoudoneit,idontknow,butsafeitis.iguesshandsandobrienturnedsoft.inevermuchbelievedinneitherofthenowyoumarkme.iasknoquestions,noriwontletothers.iknowwhenagamesup,ido;andiknowaladthatsstaunch.ah,youthatsyoung—youandmemighthavedoneapowerofgoodtogether!"
hedrewsomecognacfromthecaskintoatincannikin.
"willyoutaste,messmate?"heasked;andwhenihadrefused:"well,illtakeadrainmyself,激m,"saidhe."ineedacaulker,fortherestroubleonhand.andtalkingotrouble,whydidthatdoctorgivemethechart,激m?"
myfaceexpressedawondersounaffectedthathesawtheneedlessnessoffurtherquestions.
"ah,well,hedid,though,"saidhe."andtheressomethingunderthat,nodoubt—something,surely,underthat,激m—badorgood."