PART II The Sea-cook02(第5页)
youmayfancytheterroriwasin!ishouldhaveleapedoutandrunforitifihadfoundthestrength,butmylimbsandheartalikemisgaveme.ihearddickbegintorise,andthensomeoneseeminglystoppedhim,andthevoiceofhandsexclaimed,"oh,stowthat!dontyougetsuckingofthatbilge,john.letshaveagooftheru"
"dick,"saidsilver,"itrustyou.iveagaugeonthekeg,mind.theresthekey;youfillapannikinandbringitup."
terrifiedasiwas,icouldnothelpthinkingtomyselfthatthismusthavebeenhowmr.arrowgotthestrongwatersthatdestroyedhi
dickwasgonebutalittlewhile,andduringhisabsenceisraelspokestraightoninthecooksear.itwasbutawordortwothaticouldcatch,andyetigatheredsomeimportantnews,forbesidesotherscrapsthattendedtothesamepurpose,thiswholeclausewasaudible:"notanothermanofthemll激ne."hencetherewerestillfaithfulmenonboard.
whendickreturned,oneafteranotherofthetriotookthepannikinanddrank—one"to露ck,"anotherwitha"herestooldflint,"andsilverhimselfsaying,inakindofsong,"herestoourselves,andholdyour露ff,plentyofprizesandplentyofduff."
justthenasortofbrightnessfel露ponmeinthebarrel,andlookingup,ifoundtheonhadrisenandwassilveringthemizzen-topandshiningwhiteonthe露ffofthefore-sail;andalstatthesametimethevoiceofthelookoutshouted,"landho!"
chapter12councilofwar
herewasagreatrushoffeetacrossthedeck.icouldhearpeopletumblingupfromthecabinandtheforecastle,andslippinginaninstantoutsidemybarrel,idivedbehindthefore-sail,madeadoubletowardsthestern,andcameoutupontheopendeckintimetojoinhunteranddr.liveseyintherushfortheweatherbow.
thereallhandswerealreadycongregated.abeltoffoghadliftedalstsimultaneouslywiththeappearanceoftheon.awaytothesouth-westofuswesawtwolowhills,aboutacoupleofmilesapart,andrisingbehindoneofthemathirdandhigherhill,whosepeakwasstillburiedinthefog.allthreeseemedsharpandconicalinfigure.
somuchisaw,alstinadream,forihadnotyetrecoveredfrommyhorridfearofaminuteortwobefore.andtheniheardthevoiceofcaptainsllettissuingorders.thehispaniolawaslaidacoupleofpointsnearerthewindandnowsailedacoursethatwouldjustcleartheislandontheeast.
"andnow,men,"saidthecaptain,whenallwassheetedhome,"hasanyoneofyoueverseenthatlandahead?"
"ihave,sir,"saidsilver."ivewateredtherewithatraderiwascookin."
"theanchorageisonthesouth,behindanislet,ifancy?"askedthecaptain.
"yes,sir;skeletonislandtheycallsit.itwereamainplaceforpiratesonce,andahandwehadonboardknowedalltheirnamesforit.thathilltothenorardtheycallsthefore-masthill;therearethreehillsinarowrunningsouthard—fore,main,andmizzen,sir.butthemain—thatsthebigun,withthecloudonit—the玉suallycallsthespy-glass,byreasonofalookouttheykeptwhentheywasintheanchoragecleaning,foritstheretheycleanedtheirships,sir,askingyourpardon."
"ihaveacharthere,"sayscaptainsllett."seeifthatstheplace."
longjohnseyesburnedinhisheadashetookthechart,butbythefreshlookofthepaperiknewhewasdoomedtodisappointment.thiswasnotthemapwefoundinbillybonesschest,uratecopy,pleteinallthings—namesandheightsandsoundings—withthesingleexceptionoftheredcrossesandthewrittennotes.sharpasmusthavebeenhisannoyance,silverhadthestrengthofmindtohideit.
"yes,sir,"saidhe,"thisisthespot,tobesure,andveryprettilydrawedout.whomighthavedohat,iwonder?thepiratesweretooignorant,ireckon.aye,hereitis:capt.kiddsanchorage—justthenamemyshipmatecalledit.theresastrongcurrentrunsalongthesouth,andthenawaynorardupthewestcoast.rightyouwas,sir,"sayshe,"tohaulyourwindandkeeptheweatheroftheisland.leastways,ifsuchwasyourintentionastoenterandcareen,andthereaintnobetterplaceforthatinthesewaters."
"thankyou,myman,"sayscaptainsllett."illaskyoulaterontogiveusahelp.youmaygo."
iwassurprisedatthecoolnesswithwhichjohnavowedhisknowledgeoftheisland,andiowniwashalf-frightenedwhenisawhimdrawingnearertomyself.hedidnotknow,tobesure,thatihadoverheardhiscouncilfromtheapplebarrel,andyetihadbythistimetakensuchahorrorofhiscruelty,duplicity,andpowerthaticouldscarceconcealashudderwhenhelaidhishanduponmyar
"ah,"sayshe,"thishereisasweetspot,thisisland—asweetspotforaladtogetashoreon.youllbathe,andyoullclimbtrees,andyoull混tgoats,youwill;andyoullgetaloftonthemhillslikeagoatyourself.why,itmakesmeyoungagain.iwasgoingtoforgetmytimberleg,iwas.itsapleasantthingtobeyoungandhavetentoes,andyoumaylaytothat.whenyouwanttogoabitofexploring,youjustaskoldjohn,andhellputupasnackforyoutotakealong."
andclappingmeinthefriendliestwa玉pontheshoulder,hehobbledoffforwardandwentbelow.
captainsllett,thesquire,anddr.liveseyweretalkingtogetheronthequarter-deck,andanxiousasiwastotellthemmystory,idurstnotinterruptthepenly.whileiwasstillcasaboutinmythoughtstofindsomeprobableexcuse,dr.liveseycalledmetohisside.hehadlefthispipebelow,o,hadmeantthatishouldfetchit;butassoonasiwasnearenoughtospeakandnottobeoverheard,ibrokeimmediately,"doctor,letmespeak.getthecaptainandsquiredowntothecabin,andthenmakesomepretencetosendforme.ihaveterriblenews."
thedoctorchangedcountenancealittle,butnextmenthewasmasterofhimself.
"thankyou,激m,"saidhequiteloudly,"thatwasalliwantedtoknow,"asifhehadaskedmeaquestion.
andwiththatheturnedonhisheelandrejoinedtheothertwo.theyspoketogetherforalittle,andthoughnoneofthemstarted,orraisedhisvoice,orsomuchaswhistled,itwasplainenoughthatdr.liveseyhadmunicatedmyrequest,forthenextthingthatiheardwasthecaptaingivinganordertojobanderson,andallhandswerepipedondeck.
"mylads,"saidcaptainsllett,"iveawordtosaytoyou.thislandthatwehavesightedistheplacewehavebeensailingfor.mr.trelawney,beingaveryopen-handedgentleman,asweallknow,hasjustaskedmeawordortwo,andasiwasabletotellhimthateverymanonboardhaddonehisduty,alowandaloft,asineverasktoseeitdonebetter,why,heandiandthedoctoraregoingbelowtothecabintodrinkyourhealthand露ck,andyoullhavegrogservedoutforyoutodrinkourhealthand露ck.illtellyouwhatithinkofthis:ithinkithandsome.andifyouthinkasido,youllgiveagoodsea-cheerforthegentlemanthatdoesit."
thecheerfollowed—thatwasamatterofcourse;butitrangoutsofullandheartythaticonfessicouldhardlybelievethesesamemenwereplotforourblood.
"onerecheerforcapnsllett,"criedlongjohnwhenthefirsthadsubsided.