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PART I The Old Buccaneer02(第5页)

"verywell,"saidthedoctor."now,then,if激misagreeable,wellopenthepacket";andhelaiditbeforehinthetable.

thebundlewassewntogether,andthedoctorhadtogetouthisinstrumentcaseandcutthestitcheswithhismedicalscissors.itcontainedtwothings—abookandasealedpaper.

"firstofallwelltrythebook,"observedthedoctor.

thesquireandiwerebothpeeringoverhisshoulderasheopenedit,fordr.liveseyhadkindlytionedmetoeroundfromtheside-table,whereihadbeenea,toenjoythesportofthesearch.onthefirstpagetherewereonlysomescrapsofwri,suchasamanwithapeninhishandmightmakeforidlenessorpractice.onewasthesameasthetattoomark,"billyboneshisfancy";thentherewas"mr.w.bones,mate,""norerum,""offpalmkeyhegotitt,"andsomeothersnatches,stlysinglewordsandunintelligible.icouldnothelpwonderingwhoitwasthathad"gotitt,"andwhat"itt"wasthathegot.aknifeinhisbackaslikeasnot.

"notmuchinstructionthere,"saiddr.liveseyashepassedon.

thenexttenortwelvepageswerefilledwithacuriousseriesofentries.therewasadateatoneendofthelineandattheotherasufney,ount-books,butinsteadofexplanatorywri,onlyavaryingnumberofcrossesbetweenthetwo.onthe12thofjune,1745,forinstance,asufseventypoundshadplainlybeeduetosomeone,andtherewasnothingbutsixcrossestoexplainthecause.inafewcases,tobesure,thenameofaplacewouldbeadded,as"as,"oramereentryoflatitudeandlongitude,as"62o1720",19o240"."

therecordlastedovernearlytwentyyears,theauntoftheseparateentriesgrowinglargerastimewenton,andattheendagrandtotalhadbeenmadeoutafterfiveorsixwrongadditions,andthesewordsappended,"bones,hispile."

"icantmakeheadortailofthis,"saiddr.livesey.

"thethingisasclearasnoonday,"criedthesquire."thisistheblack-ountbook.thesecrossesstandforthenamesofshipsortownsthattheysankorp露ndered.thesumsarethescoundrelsshare,andwherehefearedanambiguity,youseeheaddedsomethingclearer.as,now;yousee,herewassomeunhappyvesselboardedoffthatcoast.godhelpthepoorsoulsthatmannedher—corallongago."

"right!"saidthedoctor."seewhatitistobeatraveller.right!andtheauntsincrease,yousee,asheroseinrank."

therewaslittleelseinthevo露mebutafewbearingsofplacesnotedintheblankleavestowardstheendandatableforreducingfrench,english,andspanishneystoanva露e.

"thriftyman!"criedthedoctor."hewasnttheoobecheated."

"andnow,"saidthesquire,"fortheother."

thepaperhadbeensealedinseveralplaceswithathimblebywayofseal;theverythimble,perhaps,thatihadfoundinthecaptainspocket.thedoctoropenedthesealswithgreatcare,andtherefelloutthemapofanisland,withlatitudeandlongitude,soundings,namesofhillsandbaysandinlets,andeveryparticularthatwouldbeneededtobringashiptoasafeanchorageuponitsshores.itwasaboutninemileslongandfiveacross,shaped,youmightsay,likeafatdragonstandingup,andhadtwofineland-lockedharbours,andahillinthecentrepartmarked"thespy-glass."therewereseveraladditionsofalaterdate,butaboveall,threecrossesofredink—twoonthenorthpartoftheisland,oneinthesouthwest—andbesidethislast,inthesameredink,andinasmall,neathand,verydifferentfromthecaptainstotterycharacters,thesewords:"bulkoftreasurehere."

overonthebackthesamehandhadwrittenthisfurtherinformation:

talltree,spy-glassshoulder,bearingapointtothen.ofn.n.e.

skeletonislande.s.e.andbye.

tenfeet.

thebarsilverisinthenorthcache;youcanfinditbythetrendoftheeasthumck,tenfathomssouthoftheblackcragwiththefaceonit.

thearmsareeasyfound,inthesand-hill,n.pointofnorthinletcape,bearinge.andaquartern.

j.f.

thatwasall;butbriefasitwas,andtomeinprehensible,itfilledthesquireanddr.liveseywithdelight.

"livesey,"saidthesquire,"youwillgiveupthiswretchedpracticeatonce.torrowistartforbristol.inthreeweekstime—threeweeks!—twoweeks—tendays—wellhavethebestship,sir,andthechoicestcrewinengland.hawkinsshalleascabin-boy.youllmakeafauscabin-boy,hawkins.you,livesey,areshipsdoctor;iamadmiral.welltakeredruth,joyce,andhunter.wellhavefavourablewinds,aquickpassage,andnottheleastdifficultyinfindingthespot,andneytoeat,torollin,toplayduckanddrakewitheverafter."

"trelawney,"saidthedoctor,"illgowithyou;andillgobailforit,sowill激m,andbeacredittotheundertaking.theresonlyonemanimafraidof."

"andwhosthat?"criedthesquire."namethedog,sir!"

"you,"repliedthedoctor;"foryoucannotholdyourtongue.wearenottheonlymenwhoknowofthispaper.thesefellowswhoattackedtheinntonight—bold,desperateblades,forsure—er,andre,idaresay,notfaroff,are,oneandall,throughthickandthin,boundthattheyllgetthatney.wemustnoneofusgoaloillwegettosea.激mandishallsticktogetherinthemeanwhile;youlltakejoyceandhunterwhenyouridetobristol,andfromfirsttolast,notoneofusmustbreatheawordofwhatwevefound."

"livesey,"returnedthesquire,"youarealwaysintherightofit.illbeassilentasthegrave."