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04 - Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson · Classic Adventure Books Library

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Part two, The Sea Cook, Chapter seven. I go to Bristol.
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It was longer than the Squire imagined. Ere we were ready for the sea,
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and none of our first plans, not even Doctor Livesey's of keeping me
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beside him, could be carried out as we intended. The doctor had to
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go to London for a physician to take charge of his practice. The Squire
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was hard at work at Bristol, and I lived on at the hall,
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under the charge of Old Redruth, the gamekeeper, almost a prisoner, but
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full of sea dreams and the most charming anticipations of strange islands and adventures.
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I brooded by the hour together over the map, all the details of which
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I well remembered, sitting by the fire in the housekeeper's room. I approached
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that island in my fancy from every possible direction. I explored every acre of
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its surface. I climbed a thousand times to that tall hill they called the
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Spyglass, and from the top enjoyed the most wonderful and changing prospects. Sometimes
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the isle was thick with savages with whom we fought, sometimes full of dangerous
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animals that hunted us. But in all my fancies nothing occurred to me so
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strange and tragic as our actual adventures. So the weeks passed on till one
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fine day there came a letter addressed to doctor Livesey, with this addition,
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to be opened in the case of his absence by Tom Redruth or Young Hawkins.
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Obeying this order, we found, or rather I found, for the
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gamekeeper was a poor hand at reading anything but print the following important news Old
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Anchor Inn, Bristol, March one seventeen. Dear lives here. As I
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do not know whether you're at the Hall or still in London, I send
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this in double to both places. The ship is bought and fitted. She
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lies at Anchor ready for sea. You never imagined a sweeter schooner a child
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might sail her two hundred tons name Hispaniola. I got her through my friend
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Blandly, who has proved himself throughout the most surprising trump. The admirable fellow
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literally slaved in my interest. And so I may say, did everyone in
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Bristol as soon as they got wind of the port we sailed for treasure?
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I mean Redruth, said I, interrupting the letter. Doctor Livesey will not
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like that. The Squire has been talking. After all, Well, who's
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a better, right, growled the gamekeeper. A pretty room go if squire
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ain't to talk for doctor livesey, I should think at that. I gave
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up all attempt at commentary and read straight on. Blandly himself found his spaniola,
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and by the most admirable management, got her for the merest trifle.
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There is a class of men in Bristol monstrously prejudiced against Blandly. They go
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the length of declaring that this honest creature would do anything for money, that
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this spaniola belonged to him, and that he sold it to me absurdly high
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the most transparent calumnies. None of them dare, however, to deny the
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merits of the ship. So far there was not a hitch. The work
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people, to be sure, riggers and what not were most annoyingly slow.
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But time cured that it was the crew that troubled me. I wished to
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round up a score of men in case of Navy's buccaneers or the odious French,
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and I had the worry of the deuce itself to find so much as
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half a dozen, till the most remarkable stroke of fortune brought me the very
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man that I required. I was standing on the dark when by the merest
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accident I fell into talk with him. I found he was an old sailor,
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kept a public house, knew all the seafaring men in Bristol, had
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lost his health ashore, and wanted a good berth as cook to get to
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sea again. He had hobbled down there that morning, he said, to
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get a smell of the salt. I was monstrously touched, so would you
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have been, And out of pure pity I engaged him on the spot to
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be ship's cook. Long John Silver he has called and has lost a leg,
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but that I regarded as a recommendation, since he lost it in his
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country's service under the immortal Hawk. He has no pension, livesey imagine the
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abominable age we live in. Well, Sir, I thought I had only
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found a cook, but it was a crew I had discovered. Between Silver
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and myself, we got together in a few days, a company of the
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toughest old salts, imaginable, not pretty to look at, but fellows by
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their faces of the most indomitable spirit. I declare we could fight a frigate.
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Long John even got rid of two out of the six or seven I
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had already engaged. He showed me in a moment that they were of just
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the sort of fresh water swabs we had to fear in an adventure of importance.
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I am in the most magnificent health and spirits, eating like a bull,
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sleeping like a tree. Yet I shall not enjoy a moment till I
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hear my old tarpaulins tramping around the capstan seaward Hoe, hang the treasure.
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It's the glory of the sea that has turned my head. So now livesey,
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come post, do not lose an hour if you respect me. Let
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young Hawkins go at once to see his mother, with Red Ruth for a
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guard, and then both come full speed to Bristol. John Trelaudy p s.
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I did not tell you that Blandly, who, by the way,
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is to send a consort after us if we don't turn up by the end
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of August, had found an admirable fellow for sailing master, a stiff man,
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which I regret, but in all other respects a treasure long John Silver
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unearthed, a very competent man for a mate, a man called Arrow.
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I have a bozen who pipes lives. He so things shall go man o
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war fashion on board the good ship Hispaniola. I forgot to tell you that
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Silver is a man of substance. I know of my own knowledge that he
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has a banker's account which has never been overdrawn. He leaves his wife to
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manage the inn, and as she is a woman of color, a pair
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of old bachelors like you and I may be excused for guessing that is the
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wife, quite as much as the health that sends him back to roving j
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T. P. P. S. Hawkins may stay one night with his
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mother. J T. You can fancied the excitement into which that letter put
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me. I was half beside myself with glee. And if ever I despised
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a man, it was old Tom Redruth, who could do nothing but grumble
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and lament. Any of the under gamekeepers would gladly have changed places with him,
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But such was not the squire's pleasure, And the squire's pleasure was like
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law among them more nobody but old Redruth would have dared so much as even
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to grumble. The next morning he and I set out on foot for the
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Admiral Benbow, and there I found my mother in good health and spirits.
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The captain, who had so long been the cause of so much discomfort,
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was gone, where the wicked cease from troubling. The squire had had everything
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repaired, and the public rooms and the sign repainted, and had added some
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furniture, above all a beautiful arm chair for my mother in the bar.
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He had found her a boy as an apprentice, also so that she should
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not want help when I was gone. It was on seeing that boy that
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I understood for the first time my situation. I had thought up to that
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moment of the adventures before me, not at all of the home that I
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was leaving, And now at sight of this clumsy stranger who was to stay
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here in my place beside my mother, I had my first attack of tears.
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I am afraid I led that boy a dog's life, for he was
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new to the work. I had a hundred opportunities for setting him right and
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putting him down, and I was not slow to profit by them. The
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night passed, and the next day, after dinner, Red Ruth and I
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were afoot again, and on the road I said good bye to my mother
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and the cove where I had lived since I was born, and the dear
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old Admiral Benbow, since he was repainted not longer. Quite so, dear,
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One of my thoughts was of the Captain who had so often strode along
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the beach with his cocked hat, his saber cut cheek, and his old
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brass telescope. Next moment we had turned the corner and my home was out
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of sight. The mail picked us up about dusk at the Royal George.
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On the heath, I was wedged in between red roofs than a stout old
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gentleman, And in spite of the swift motion and the cold night air,
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I must have dozed a great deal from the very first, and then slept
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like a log up hill and down Dale through stage after stage. But when
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I was awakened at last, it was by a punch in the ribs,
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and I opened my eyes to find that we were standing still before a large
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building in a city street, and that the day had already broken a long
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time. Where are we, I asked Bristol, said Tom, get down.
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Mister Trelawney had taken up his residence at an inn far down the docks
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to superintend the work upon the schooner. Thither we had now to walk,
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and our way to my great delight, lay upon the keys, and besides
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the great multitude of ships of all sizes and rigs and nations. In one
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sailors were singing at their work. In another there were men aloft high over
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my head, hanging to threads that seemed thicker than a spider's. Though I
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had lived by the shore all my life, I seemed never to have been
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near the sea, till then the smell of tar and salt was something new.
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I saw the most wonderful figureheads that had all been far over the ocean.
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I saw besides many old sailors with rings in their ears, and whiskers
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curled in ringlets, and tarry pigtails, and their swaggering, clumsy sea walk.
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And if I had seen as many kings or archbishops, I could not
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have been more delighted. And I was going to see myself, to see
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in a schooner and a piping bowsain and pig tailed singing seamen, to see
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bound for an unknown island, and to seek for buried treasure. While I
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was still in this delightful dream, we came suddenly in front of a large
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inn and met Squire Trelawney, all dressed out like a sea officer in stout
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blue cloth, coming out of the door with a smile on his face and
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a capital imitation of a sailor's walk. Here you are, he cried,
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And the doctor came last night from London. Bravao the ship's company complete.
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Oh, sir, cried I, When do we sail? Sail? Says
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he we sail to morrow? And of Chapter seven, Chapter eight, at
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the sign of the Spyglass. When I had done breakfasting, the squire gave
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me a note addressed to John Silver at the Sign of the Spyglass, and
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he told me I should easily find the place by following the line of the
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docks and keeping a bright lookout for a little tavern with a large brass telescope
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for a sign. I set off, overjoyed at this opportunity to see some
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more of the ships and seamen, and picked my way among a great crowd
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of people and carts and bales, for the dock was now at its busiest.
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Until I found the tavern in question. It was a bright enough little
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place of entertainment. The sign was newly painted, the windows had neat red
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curtains, the floor was cleanly sanded. There was a street on either side,
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and an open door on both which made the large, low room pretty
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clear to see in in spite of clouds of tobacco smoke. The customers were
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mostly seafaring men, and they talked so loudly that I hung at the door,
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almost afraid to enter. As I was waiting, a man came out
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of a side room, and at a glance I was sure he must be
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Long John. His leg was cut off close by the hip and under the
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left shoulder. He carried a crutch, which he managed with a wonderful dexterity,
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hopping about upon it like a bird. He was very tall and strong,
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with a face as big as a ham, plain and pale, but
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intelligent and smiling. Indeed, he seemed in the most cheerful spirits, whistling
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as he moved about among the tables, with a merry word or a slap
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on the shoulder for the more favored of his guests. Now, to tell
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you the truth from the very first mention of Long John in Squire Trelorney's letter,
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I had taken a fear in my mind that he might prove to be
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the very one legged sailor whom I had watched for so long at the old
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benbow, but one look at the man before me was enough. I had
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seen the captain and black dog and the blind man pew, and I thought
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I knew what a buccaneer was like, A very different creature, according to
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me, from this clean and pleasant tempered landlord. I plucked up courage at
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once, crussed the threshold and walked right up to the man where he stood
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propped on his crutch talking to a customer. Mister Silver, Sir, I
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asked, holding out the note. Yes, moy Lard, said he.
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Such is my name, to be sure, and who may you be?
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And when he saw the Squire's letter, he seemed to me to give something
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almost like a start. Oh, said he quite aloud, and offering his
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hand. I see you are a new cabin boy. Please do I am
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to see you. And he took my hand in his large, firm grasp.
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Just then one of the customers of the far side rose suddenly and made
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for the door. It was close by him, and he was out in
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the street in a moment, but his hurry had attracted my notice, and
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I recognized him at a glance. It was the tallow faced man wanting two
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fingers who had come first to the Admiral benbow Oh, I cried stop him.
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It's black dog. I don't care two coppers who he is? Cried
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Silver, But he hasn't paid his score. Erry, run and catch him.
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One of the others, who was nearest the door, leaped up and
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started in pursuit. If he you were Admiral Hawke, he shall play his
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score, said Silver, and then, relinquishing my hand, Who did you
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say he was? He asked, black What black dog? Said? I
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has mister Trelawney not told you of the buccaneers he was one of them,
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so cried silver in my house, Ben, run and help Harry. One
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of those swabs? Was he was? That you drinking with him? Morgan?
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Step up here? The man whom he called Morgan, an old,
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gray haired, mahogany faced sailor, came forward, pretty sheepishly, rolling his
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quid. Now, Morgan, said, long John, very sternly. You
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never clapped your eyes on that black black dog before, did you? Now?
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Nay, sir, said Morgan, with a salute. You didn't know
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his name, did you, No, sir? By the powers, Tom
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Morgan, it's good for you, exclaimed the landlord, if you had been
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mixed up with the like of that, you would never put another foot in
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my house. You may lay to that. And what was he saying to
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you? Oh? I don't rightly know, sir? Answered Morgan? Do
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you call that? Ahead? On your shoulders? Are a blessed dead eye?
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Cried long John. Don't rightly know, don't you? Perhaps you don't
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happen to rightly know who you were speaking to? Perhaps come now? What
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was he jarring? Voyages? Cap'n ships? Pie up? What was it?
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He was a talking of keel hauling, answered Morgan. Keel halling was
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you, and a mighty suitable thing too, And you made late that.
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Get back to your place for a lubber Tom. And then as Morgan rolled
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back to his seat, Silver added to me in a confidential whisper that was
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very flattering, as I thought, he's quite an honest man, Tom Morgan,
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only stupid. And now he ran on again loud, let's see black
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Dog. No I don't know that name, not I Yeah, I kind
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of think, yes, yes, I've seen the swab he used to come
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here with a blowing beggary used that he did? You may be sure,
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said I. I knew that blind man too. His name was Pew.
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It was cried Silver, now quite excited Pew. That was his name,
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for certain Ah, he looked as shark, he did. And if we
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run down this black dog now there'll be news for cap'n Trelawney. Ben's a
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good runner. Few seemen run better than Ben. He should have run him
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down hand over hand, by the powers he talked to keel Allan, did
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he I'll kill all him. All the time he was jerking out these phrases,
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he was stumping up and down the tavern on his crutch, slapping tables
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with his hand, and giving such a show of excitement as would it convinced
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an old Bailey judge or a bow street runner. My suspicions had been thoroughly
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reawakened on finding black Dog at the spyglass. And I watched the cook narrowly,
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but he was too deep and too ready and too clever for me.
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And by the time the two men had come back out of breath and confessed
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that they had lost the track in a crowd and been scolded like thieves,
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I would have gone bail for the innocence of long John Silver. No see
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here Harkins said, he here is a blessed hard thing and a man like
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me, now, ain't it? There is cap'n Trelawney. What's he to
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think? Here? I have this confounded son of a Dutchman sitting here in
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my own house, drinking of my own rum. Here you comes and tells
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me of it plain, and here I let him give us, oh the
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slip before my blessed dead lights. Now hearkens, you do me justice with
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the cap'n. You're a lad, you are, But you're as smart as
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paint. I see that when you first came in now here it is.
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What could I do with this old Timberoi hobble on? When I was an
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a b master mariner, i'd a come along beside him, hand overhead and
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broached him into a brace of old shakes? I would and now? And
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then all of a sudden he stopped, and his jaw dropped, as though
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he had remembered something. The score. He burst out, three goes a
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rub, Why shiver my timbers? If I hadn't forgotten my score? And
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falling on a bench, he laughed till the tears ran down his cheeks.
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I could not help joining, and we laughed together. Peel laughed appeal till
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the tavern rang again. Why what a precious old sea calf I am,
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he said, at last, wiping his cheeks. You and me should get
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on well, hawke, for I'll take my davy. I should be rated
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ships boy. But come now stand by to go about this won't do?
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Dooty is dooty messmates. I'll put on my old cocktat and step along you
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to Captain Trelawney and report this here affair. For mind you, it's serious,
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young Harkins. And neither you nor me's come out of it with what
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I should make so bold as to call credit nor you. Neither says you
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not smart, none of the pair of as smart. But dash my buttons
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that were a good and about my score. And he began to laugh again,
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and that so heartily that though I did not see the joke as he
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did, I was again obliged to join him in his mirth. On our
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little walk along the keys, he made himself the most interesting companion, telling
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me about the different ships that we passed by, their rig tonnage, nationality,
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explaining the work that was going forward, how one was discharging another taking
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in cargo, and a third making ready for sea, and every now and
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then telling me some little anecdote of ships or seamen, or repeating a nautical
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phrase, till I had learned it perfectly. I began to see that here
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was one of the best of possible shipmates. When we got to the inn,
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the Squire and doctor Livesey were seated together finishing a quarter of ale with
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a toast in it before they should go aboard the schooner. On a visit
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of inspection. Long John told the story from first to last with a great
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deal of spirit, and the most perfect truth that was how it were?
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Now? Weren't it? Hawkins? He would say, now and again,
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and I could always bear him entirely out. The two gentlemen regretted that black
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Dog had got away, but we all agreed that there was nothing to be
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done. And after he had been complimented, Long John took up his crutch
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and departed all hands aboard for for this arm afternoon, shouted the squire after
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him. Aye aye, sir, cried the cook in the passage. Well,
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Squire, said doctor Livesey. I don't put much faith in your discoveries
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as a general thing, but I will say this, John Silver suits me.
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That man's a perfect trump, declared the Squire, and now added the
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doctor Jim may come on board with us. May he not, to be
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sure? He may, said the Squire. Take your hat, Hawkins,
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and we'll see the ship. End of Chapter eight