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15 - Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson · Classic Adventure Books - Daily

0:01
Speaker 1: Chapter twenty nine, The black Spot. Again. The council of
0:07
Speaker 1: the buccaneers had lasted some time when one of them
0:10
Speaker 1: re entered the house, and, with the repetition of the
0:13
Speaker 1: same salute, which had in my eyes an ironical air,
0:17
Speaker 1: begged for a moment's loan of the torch. Silver briefly agreed,
0:21
Speaker 1: and this emissary retired again, leaving us together in the dark.
0:26
Speaker 1: There is a breeze, come in, Jim, said Silver, who
0:30
Speaker 1: had by this time adopted quite a friendly and familiar tone.
0:34
Speaker 1: I turned to the loop hole nearest me and looked out.
0:38
Speaker 1: The embers of the great fire had so far burned
0:41
Speaker 1: themselves out, and now glowed so low and duskily that
0:45
Speaker 1: I understood why these conspirators desired a torch. About half
0:50
Speaker 1: way down the slope to the stockade, they were collected
0:53
Speaker 1: in a group. One held the light, another was on
0:57
Speaker 1: his knees in their midst, and I saw the blame
1:00
Speaker 1: maid of an open knife shine in his hand, with
1:02
Speaker 1: varying colors in the moon and torchlight. The rest were
1:06
Speaker 1: all somewhat stooping, as though watching the maneuvers of this
1:11
Speaker 1: last I could just make out that he had a
1:14
Speaker 1: book as well as a knife in his hand, and
1:17
Speaker 1: was still wondering how anything so incongruous had come in
1:20
Speaker 1: their possession, when the kneeling figure rose once more to
1:24
Speaker 1: his feet, and the whole party began to move together
1:28
Speaker 1: toward the house. Here they come, said I, and returned
1:33
Speaker 1: to my former position, for it seemed beneath my dignity
1:36
Speaker 1: that they should find me watching them. Wow, let em come, Lad,
1:41
Speaker 1: let em come, said Silver cheerily. Oh, I've still a
1:46
Speaker 1: shot in my locker. The door opened, and the five
1:50
Speaker 1: men standing huddled together just inside, pushed one of their
1:54
Speaker 1: number forward. In any other circumstances, it would have been
1:58
Speaker 1: comical to see his slow advance, hesitating as he set
2:02
Speaker 1: down each foot, but holding his closed right hand in
2:06
Speaker 1: front of him, Step up, Lad, cried Silver, I won't
2:11
Speaker 1: eat you. Hand it over, lubber. I know the rules
2:15
Speaker 1: to I won't hurt a deputation. Thus encouraged, the buccaneer
2:20
Speaker 1: stepped forth more briskly, and, having passed something to Silver
2:24
Speaker 1: from hand to hand, slipped yet more smartly back again
2:28
Speaker 1: to his companions. The sea cook looked at what had
2:32
Speaker 1: been given him, the black spot, he thought, so he
2:37
Speaker 1: observed where might you've got the paper. Oh hello, look here,
2:43
Speaker 1: now he eat this lucky you've got and cut this
2:47
Speaker 1: out of a bible. A fool's cut a bible. Oh there,
2:53
Speaker 1: said Morgan. There what did I say? No? Good'll come
2:57
Speaker 1: o that? I said, Well you've at fixed it now
3:01
Speaker 1: among you, continued Silver, you'll all swing now, I reckon
3:07
Speaker 1: what soft headed lubber and a bible? It was? Dick
3:12
Speaker 1: said one, Dick? Was it? Then Dick can get to prayers,
3:18
Speaker 1: said Silver. He's seen his slice and lookers, Dick, and
3:22
Speaker 1: you may later that. But here the long man with
3:25
Speaker 1: the yellow eyes struck in belay that talk, John Silver,
3:30
Speaker 1: He said, this crew has tipped you the black spot
3:34
Speaker 1: in full council as duty bound. Just you turn it
3:39
Speaker 1: over as in duty bound and see what's wrote there.
3:43
Speaker 1: Then you can talk. Thank'ee. George replied the sea cook.
3:49
Speaker 1: You always was brisk for business and as the rules
3:53
Speaker 1: by heart. George, as I'm pleased to see. Wow, what
3:58
Speaker 1: is it anyway? Ah deposed, that's it is it?
4:05
Speaker 2: Well?
4:06
Speaker 1: Very pretty wrote to be sure like print. I swear
4:11
Speaker 1: your hand a right. George. Why you was getting quite
4:15
Speaker 1: the leading man, and this here crew you'll be cap
4:19
Speaker 1: next I shouldn't wonder. Just oblige me with that tarch again?
4:24
Speaker 1: Will youer this pipe? Don't draw? Come now, said George.
4:30
Speaker 1: You don't fool this crew no more. You're a funny
4:33
Speaker 1: man by your account. But you're over now, and you'll
4:37
Speaker 1: maybe step down off that barrel and help vote. I
4:42
Speaker 1: thought you said you know the rules, returned Silver contemptuously. Leastwise,
4:49
Speaker 1: if you don't, I do, And I wait here, and
4:53
Speaker 1: I'm still your cap mind to you out with your grievances,
4:58
Speaker 1: and I reply in the meantime you're black spyin't worth
5:03
Speaker 1: a biscuit? After that we'll see, oh, replied George, you
5:10
Speaker 1: don't be under no kind of apprehension. We're all square.
5:15
Speaker 1: We are. First, you've made a hash of this cruise.
5:20
Speaker 1: You'll be a bold man to say no to that. Second,
5:23
Speaker 1: you let the enemy out of this here trap for nothing.
5:27
Speaker 1: Why did they want out? I don't know, but it's
5:31
Speaker 1: pretty plain they wanted it. Third, you wouldn't let us
5:36
Speaker 1: go at them upon the march. Ah, we see through you,
5:41
Speaker 1: John Silver. You want to play booty, that's what's wrong
5:45
Speaker 1: with you. And then fourth, there's this here boy. Is
5:51
Speaker 1: that all asked? Silver? Quietly enough too, retorted George, we'll
5:58
Speaker 1: all swing and sew dry for your bungling. Well, now
6:03
Speaker 1: look here, I'll answer these four points one after another.
6:08
Speaker 1: I'll answer him. He made a hash of this cruise,
6:12
Speaker 1: did I? Well, now you all know what I wanted,
6:16
Speaker 1: and you all know if it had been done that
6:20
Speaker 1: we'd have been a boar this spaniel of this night.
6:22
Speaker 1: As ever was every man of us alive and fit
6:26
Speaker 1: and full of good plum duff and the treasure in
6:30
Speaker 1: the hold of her by thunder Well, who crusted me,
6:33
Speaker 1: who fassed my hand, as was the lawful cap'n who
6:38
Speaker 1: tipped me the blacks spot the day we landed and
6:41
Speaker 1: began this dance. Ah, it's a fine dance. I'm with
6:46
Speaker 1: you there. And it looks mighty like a horned pipe
6:49
Speaker 1: in a rope, said execution Duck by London Town. It does.
6:54
Speaker 1: But who done it? It was Anderson and hands and you, George,
7:01
Speaker 1: and you're the last above border that same Meddlin crew,
7:05
Speaker 1: and you have the Davy Jones insolence to up and
7:08
Speaker 1: stand for cap'n over me, you that sunk the lot
7:13
Speaker 1: of us by their powers. But this tops the stiffest
7:17
Speaker 1: yarn to nothing. Silver paused, and I could see by
7:22
Speaker 1: the faces of George and his late comrades that these
7:25
Speaker 1: words had not been said in vain. That's for number one,
7:31
Speaker 1: cried the accused, wiping the sweat from his brow, for
7:35
Speaker 1: he had been talking with a vehemence that shook the house.
7:39
Speaker 1: Why I give you my word? I am sick to
7:43
Speaker 1: speak to you. You've neither sense nor memory, and I
7:47
Speaker 1: leave it to fancy. Where your mother's words that let
7:51
Speaker 1: you come to see? See, gentlemen of fortune, I reckon tailors?
7:57
Speaker 1: Is your trade on? John, said Morgan. Speak up to
8:03
Speaker 1: the others. Ah. The others returned John. They're a nice lie,
8:09
Speaker 1: they you say. This cruise is bungled. Ah by gum.
8:14
Speaker 1: If you can understand how bad it's bungled, you would
8:17
Speaker 1: see were that near the gibbet? That my neck stiff
8:20
Speaker 1: with thinking on it. You've seen them maybe hanged in chains,
8:25
Speaker 1: birds about them, seemen pointing them out as they go
8:29
Speaker 1: down with the tide. Who's that? Says one?
8:32
Speaker 2: That?
8:33
Speaker 1: Bye, that's John Silver, I knowed him well, says another.
8:38
Speaker 1: And you near the chains of jangle as you go
8:41
Speaker 1: about and reach for the other boy. Now that's about
8:45
Speaker 1: where we are every mother's son of us thanks to
8:48
Speaker 1: him and Hans and Anderson and other ruination fools of you.
8:54
Speaker 1: And if you want to know about number four and
8:56
Speaker 1: that boy, why shiver my timbers. Isn't he a hostage?
9:01
Speaker 1: Are we going to waste a hostage? No? Not us.
9:06
Speaker 1: He might be our last chance. I shouldn't wonder kill
9:10
Speaker 1: that boy, not me mates. And number three, wow, well
9:16
Speaker 1: there's a deal to say the number three. Maybe you
9:20
Speaker 1: don't count it nothing to have a real college doctor
9:23
Speaker 1: come to see you every day, You John with your
9:27
Speaker 1: head broke, or you George Mary that add the EU
9:31
Speaker 1: shakes upon you not six hours are gone, and adds
9:35
Speaker 1: your eyes the color of lemon peels to the same
9:38
Speaker 1: moment on the clock. And maybe perhaps you didn't know
9:41
Speaker 1: there was a concert coming either, but there is, and
9:46
Speaker 1: not so long till then, and we'll see you. We'll
9:49
Speaker 1: be glad to have hostage when it comes to that.
9:53
Speaker 1: And as for number two, why I made a bargain, Well,
9:57
Speaker 1: you come crawling on your knees to meet him on
10:01
Speaker 1: your knees. You came. You was that downhearted, And you'd
10:05
Speaker 1: have starved too if I hadn't. But that's a trifle.
10:10
Speaker 1: You look there, that's why. And he cast down upon
10:13
Speaker 1: the floor a paper that I instantly recognized, none other
10:18
Speaker 1: than the chart on yellow paper with the three red
10:21
Speaker 1: crosses that I had found in the oilcloth at the
10:24
Speaker 1: bottom of the captain's chest. Why the doctor had given
10:28
Speaker 1: it to him was more than I could fancy. But
10:32
Speaker 1: if it were inexplicable to me, the appearance of the
10:35
Speaker 1: chart was incredible to the surviving mutineers. They leaped upon
10:39
Speaker 1: it like cats upon a mouse. It went from hand
10:42
Speaker 1: to hand, one tearing it from another. And by the
10:46
Speaker 1: oaths and the cries and the childish laughter with which
10:50
Speaker 1: they accompanied their examination, you would have thought not only
10:54
Speaker 1: they were fingering the very gold, but were at sea
10:58
Speaker 1: with it. Besides in safety, yes, said one. That's flint
11:03
Speaker 1: for sure, j F. And a score below with a
11:06
Speaker 1: close hitch to it. So he ever done. Mighty pretty,
11:11
Speaker 1: said George. But how are we to get away with it?
11:14
Speaker 1: And ask no ship? Silver? Suddenly sprang up and, supporting
11:19
Speaker 1: himself with a hand against the wall. New I give
11:23
Speaker 1: you warning, George, he cried, one more worthy or sauce,
11:29
Speaker 1: and I'll call you down and fight you.
11:31
Speaker 2: Hell, Why how do I know you had ought to
11:36
Speaker 2: tell me that you and the rest that lost me
11:39
Speaker 2: my schooner with your interference, burn you, but not you.
11:44
Speaker 1: You can't. You ain't got the invention of a cupcroach.
11:48
Speaker 1: But civil you can speak, and you shall. George, Mary,
11:51
Speaker 1: you mate later. That that's fairy now, said the old
11:55
Speaker 1: man Morgan fair. I reckon, soul, said the sea cook.
12:00
Speaker 1: You lost the ship, but I found the treasure. Who's
12:04
Speaker 1: the better man at that? And now I resigned by
12:07
Speaker 1: thunder elect whom you pleased to be your cap'n Now
12:11
Speaker 1: I'm dumb with it. Silver they cried barbecue forever, barbecue
12:17
Speaker 1: for captain. So that's the tune, is it? Cried the
12:22
Speaker 1: cook George. I reckon, You'll have to wait another turn, friend,
12:27
Speaker 1: and looky for you, as I'm not a revengeful man.
12:31
Speaker 1: But that was never my way. And now, shipmates, this
12:36
Speaker 1: black spot take much good? Now, is it? Dick's crust
12:41
Speaker 1: his luck and spoiled his bible. And that's about all
12:46
Speaker 1: it'll do to kiss the book on, still, won't it?
12:49
Speaker 1: Growled Dick, who was evidently uneasy at the curse he
12:52
Speaker 1: had brought upon himself a bible with a bit cut
12:56
Speaker 1: out returned Silver derisively. Not it it don't boign more
13:02
Speaker 1: than a ballad book, don't it, though, cried Dick, with
13:06
Speaker 1: a sort of joy. Well, I reckon that's worth having too,
13:11
Speaker 1: ere Jim, here's a curiosity for you, said Silver, and
13:16
Speaker 1: he tossed me the paper. It was around about the
13:19
Speaker 1: size of a crown piece. One side was blank, for
13:23
Speaker 1: it had been the last leaf. The other contained a
13:26
Speaker 1: verse or two of revelation, these words among the rest,
13:30
Speaker 1: which struck sharply home upon my mind without our dogs
13:36
Speaker 1: and murderers. The printed side had been blackened with wood ash,
13:41
Speaker 1: which already began to come off and soil my fingers.
13:44
Speaker 1: On the blank side had been written with the same material.
13:48
Speaker 1: The one word deposed, I have that curiosity beside me
13:54
Speaker 1: at this moment, But not a trace of writing now remains,
13:58
Speaker 1: beyond a single scratch, such as a man might make
14:02
Speaker 1: with his thumb nail. That was the end of the
14:04
Speaker 1: night's business. Soon after, with a drink all round, we
14:08
Speaker 1: lay down to sleep, and the outside of Silver's vengeance
14:11
Speaker 1: was to put George Merry up for sentinel and threaten
14:14
Speaker 1: him with death if he should prove unfaithful. It was
14:19
Speaker 1: long ere I could close an eye, and Heaven knows,
14:23
Speaker 1: I had matter enough for thought in the man whom
14:25
Speaker 1: I had slain that afternoon, in my own most perilous position,
14:30
Speaker 1: and above all, in the remarkable game that I saw
14:33
Speaker 1: Silver now engaged upon keeping the mutineers together with one
14:38
Speaker 1: hand and grasping with the other, after every means possible
14:42
Speaker 1: and impossible, to make his peace and save his miserable life,
14:47
Speaker 1: he himself slept peacefully and snored aloud. Yet my heart
14:52
Speaker 1: was sore for him, wicked as he was to think
14:55
Speaker 1: on the dark perils that environed and the shameful gibbet
15:00
Speaker 1: that awaited him. End of Chapter twenty nine, Chapter thirty
15:08
Speaker 1: on Parole. I was wakened, indeed we were all wakened,
15:13
Speaker 1: for I could see even the Sentinel shake himself together
15:17
Speaker 1: from where he had fallen against the doorpost, by a clear,
15:20
Speaker 1: hearty voice hailing us from the margin of the wood
15:24
Speaker 1: block house. Ahoy, it cried, here's the doctor, and the
15:31
Speaker 1: doctor it was. Although I was glad to hear the sound,
15:34
Speaker 1: yet my gladness was not without admixture. I remembered with
15:39
Speaker 1: confusion my insubordinate and stealthy conduct. And when I saw
15:44
Speaker 1: where it had brought me among what companions, and surrounded
15:48
Speaker 1: by what dangers. I had felt ashamed to look him
15:51
Speaker 1: in the face. He must have risen in the dark,
15:54
Speaker 1: for the day had hardly come. And when I ran
15:57
Speaker 1: to a loophole and looked out, I saw him stand
16:00
Speaker 1: like silver once before, up to the midleg in creeping vapor.
16:05
Speaker 1: You doctor, top of the mornin to you, sir, cried Silver,
16:10
Speaker 1: broad awake and beaming with good nature in a moment
16:15
Speaker 1: bright and early, to be sure, And it's the early bird,
16:18
Speaker 1: as the saying goes against the rations. George, shake up
16:23
Speaker 1: your timbers, son, and help doctor Livesey over the ship's side.
16:27
Speaker 1: All a doin well, your patience was all well and merry.
16:32
Speaker 1: So he patted on, standing on the hilltop with his
16:36
Speaker 1: crutch under his elbow and one hand upon the side
16:39
Speaker 1: of the log house. Quite the old John in voice,
16:43
Speaker 1: manner and expression. We've cuite a surprise for you too, sir,
16:48
Speaker 1: he continued, We've got a little stranger here. He he
16:52
Speaker 1: a new border and larger, sir, and looking fit and
16:56
Speaker 1: taut as a fiddle. Slep like a super cargo he
16:59
Speaker 1: did right alongside of John Stem the stem we was
17:04
Speaker 1: all night. Doctor Livesey was by this time across the
17:08
Speaker 1: stockade and pretty near the cook, and I could hear
17:11
Speaker 1: the alternation in his voice, as he said, not Jim,
17:15
Speaker 1: the very same Jim, as ever was said Silver. The
17:20
Speaker 1: doctor stopped outright, although he did not speak, and it
17:23
Speaker 1: was some seconds before he seemed able to move on. Well, well,
17:28
Speaker 1: he said, at last, duty first, and pleasure afterwards, as
17:33
Speaker 1: you might have said yourself, Silver, let us overhaul these
17:36
Speaker 1: patients of yours. A moment afterwards he had entered the blockhouse,
17:41
Speaker 1: and with one grim nod to me, proceeded with his
17:44
Speaker 1: work among the sick. He seemed under no apprehension, though
17:48
Speaker 1: he must have known that his life among these treacherous
17:51
Speaker 1: demons depended on a hair, and he rattled on to
17:55
Speaker 1: his patients as if he were paying an ordinary professional
17:58
Speaker 1: visit in a quiet English family. His manner, I suppose,
18:03
Speaker 1: reacted on the men, for they behaved to him as
18:06
Speaker 1: if nothing had occurred, as if he were still ship's doctor,
18:10
Speaker 1: and they still faithful hands before the mast. You're doing well,
18:15
Speaker 1: my friend, he said to the fellow with the bandaged head.
18:19
Speaker 1: And if ever a person had a close shave, it
18:21
Speaker 1: was you. Your head must be as hard as iron. Well, George,
18:26
Speaker 1: how goes it? You're a pretty color? Certainly? Why your
18:30
Speaker 1: liver man is upside down? Did you take that medicine?
18:35
Speaker 1: Did he take that medicine? Men? Ay? Ay, sir? He
18:38
Speaker 1: took his sure enough, returned Morgan. Because you see, since
18:43
Speaker 1: I'm a mucineer's doctor, or prison doctor, as I prefer
18:47
Speaker 1: to call it, says doctor Livesey in his pleasantest way,
18:51
Speaker 1: I make it a point of honor not to lose
18:53
Speaker 1: a man for King George, God bless him and the gallows.
18:57
Speaker 1: The rogues looked at each other but swallowed the home
19:00
Speaker 1: thrust in silence. Dick, don't feel well, sir, said one,
19:06
Speaker 1: don't hear, replied the doctor. Well, step up here, Dick,
19:09
Speaker 1: and let me see your tongue. No, I should be
19:13
Speaker 1: surprised if he didn't. The man's tongue is fit to
19:16
Speaker 1: frighten the French. Another fever, Oh there, said Morgan, that
19:22
Speaker 1: comed of spilling bibles, That comed, as you call it,
19:28
Speaker 1: for being arrant asses, retorted the doctor, and not having
19:32
Speaker 1: sense enough to know honest air from prison and the
19:35
Speaker 1: dry land from a vile pestifalous slough I think it
19:39
Speaker 1: most probable, though of course it's only an opinion that
19:43
Speaker 1: you'll all have the deuce to pay before you get
19:46
Speaker 1: that malaria out of your systems. Camp in a bog
19:50
Speaker 1: would you Silver, I'm surprised at you. You're less of
19:54
Speaker 1: a fool than many take you all around. But you
19:57
Speaker 1: don't appear to me to have the rudiments of an
20:00
Speaker 1: of the rules of health. Well, he added, after he
20:04
Speaker 1: had dosed them round and they had taken his prescriptions
20:07
Speaker 1: with real laughable humility, more like charity school children than
20:13
Speaker 1: blood guilty mutineers and pirates. Well, that's done for to day,
20:18
Speaker 1: and now I should wish to have a talk with
20:20
Speaker 1: that boy, please, And he nodded his head in my
20:23
Speaker 1: direction carelessly. George Mary was at the door, spitting and
20:27
Speaker 1: spluttering over some bad tasting medicine. But at the first
20:31
Speaker 1: word of the doctor's proposal he swung round with a
20:34
Speaker 1: deep flush and cried no, and swore Silver struck the
20:40
Speaker 1: barrel with his open hand silence. He roared and looked
20:45
Speaker 1: about him positively like a lion. Doctor, he went on
20:49
Speaker 1: in his usual tones. I was thinking of that, knowing
20:53
Speaker 1: as oh, you had a fancy for the boy, We're
20:56
Speaker 1: all on lee grateful for your kindness. You see, puts
21:01
Speaker 1: faith in you and takes the drugs down like that
21:04
Speaker 1: much grog, and I'd take it. I found a waisle
21:09
Speaker 1: suit all, oh kids, will you give me your word
21:12
Speaker 1: of honor as a young gentleman for a young gentleman
21:15
Speaker 1: you are, though poor born, your word of honor not
21:19
Speaker 1: to slip your cable. I readily gave the pledge required.
21:24
Speaker 1: Then doctor said, Silver, you just step outside of that
21:30
Speaker 1: stuck aid and once you're there, or bring the boy
21:33
Speaker 1: down on the inside, and I reckon you can yarn
21:36
Speaker 1: through the spas. Good day to you, sir, and all
21:39
Speaker 1: our duties to the Squire and cap'n Smollett. The explosion
21:44
Speaker 1: of disapproval, which nothing but Silver's black looks had restrained,
21:48
Speaker 1: broke out immediately the doctor had left the house. Silver
21:52
Speaker 1: was roundly accused of playing double, of trying to make
21:56
Speaker 1: a separate peace for himself, of sacrificing the interests of
22:00
Speaker 1: his accomplishes and victims, and in one word, of the
22:04
Speaker 1: identical exact thing that he was doing. It seemed to
22:08
Speaker 1: me so obvious in this case that I should not
22:11
Speaker 1: imagine how he was to turn their anger. But he
22:15
Speaker 1: was twice the man the restore, and his last night's
22:18
Speaker 1: victory had given him a huge preponderance in their minds.
22:23
Speaker 1: He called them all the fools and dolts you can imagine,
22:27
Speaker 1: said it was necessary I should talk to the doctor,
22:30
Speaker 1: fluttered the chart in their faces, ask them if they
22:33
Speaker 1: could afford to break the treaty the very day they
22:36
Speaker 1: were bound a treasure hunting. No boy thunder, he cried,
22:41
Speaker 1: it's us must break the treaty when the time comes,
22:45
Speaker 1: and tell then I'll gammon that doctor if I have
22:49
Speaker 1: to oil his boots with brandy. And then he baded
22:52
Speaker 1: them all get the fire lit, and stalked out upon
22:55
Speaker 1: his crutch with his hand on my shoulder, leaving them
22:59
Speaker 1: in disarray and silenced by his volubility. Rather than convinced, Slow, lad, slow,
23:06
Speaker 1: he said, they might round upon us in a twinkle
23:10
Speaker 1: of an eye if we were seen to hurry very deliberately.
23:14
Speaker 1: Then did we advance across the sand to where the
23:16
Speaker 1: doctor awaited us on the other side of the stockade.
23:20
Speaker 1: And soon as we were within easy speaking distance, Silver stopped.
23:25
Speaker 1: You'll make a note of this here also, doctor, said
23:29
Speaker 1: he and the boy I'll tell you our saved his life,
23:33
Speaker 1: and we're deposed for it too. You may light that, doctor,
23:38
Speaker 1: when a man steering as near to the wind as
23:40
Speaker 1: me playing chuck Father, with a last breath in his body,
23:45
Speaker 1: like you would think it too much, mayapp to give
23:49
Speaker 1: him one good word. You please bear in mind. It's
23:53
Speaker 1: not my life only now. It's that boys into the bargain,
23:57
Speaker 1: and ye speak me fair and give me a bit
24:01
Speaker 1: of hope to go on for the sake of mercy.
24:05
Speaker 1: Silver was a changed man once he was out there
24:09
Speaker 1: and had his back to his friends and the blockhouse.
24:12
Speaker 1: His cheeks seemed to have fallen in his voice trembled.
24:16
Speaker 1: Never was a soul more dead in earnest. Why John,
24:21
Speaker 1: you're not afraid, asked doctor Livesey, Doctor, I'm no coward,
24:27
Speaker 1: No not, I not so much, And he snapped his fingers.
24:32
Speaker 1: If I was, I wouldn't say it. But I'll own
24:35
Speaker 1: up fairly. I've had the shakes upon me for the gallows.
24:39
Speaker 1: You're a good man and a true never seen a
24:42
Speaker 1: better mine. And you'll not forget why I done good,
24:46
Speaker 1: not anymore. You'll forget the bad I know. And I
24:51
Speaker 1: stepped beside see her and leave you and Jim alone,
24:55
Speaker 1: and you'll put that dome for me too, for it's
24:57
Speaker 1: a long stretch, it is so saying, he stepped back
25:02
Speaker 1: a little way till he was out of earshot, and
25:04
Speaker 1: there sat down upon a tree stump, and began to whistle,
25:08
Speaker 1: spinning round now and again upon his seat, so as
25:11
Speaker 1: to command a sight, sometimes of me and the doctor,
25:15
Speaker 1: and sometimes of his unruly ruffians, as they went to
25:19
Speaker 1: and fro in the sand between the fire which they
25:22
Speaker 1: were busy rekindling, and the house from which they brought
25:26
Speaker 1: forth pork and bread to make the breakfast. So Jim
25:31
Speaker 1: said the doctor, sadly, here you are as you have brood.
25:36
Speaker 1: So shall you drink?
25:37
Speaker 2: My boy?
25:38
Speaker 1: Heaven knows, I cannot find it in my heart to
25:41
Speaker 1: blame you, but dismuch, I will say, be it kind
25:45
Speaker 1: or unkind? When Captain Smollett was well, you dared not
25:49
Speaker 1: have gone off, And when he was ill and couldn't
25:52
Speaker 1: help it, By George, it was downright cowardly. I will
25:56
Speaker 1: own that. I here began to weep. I said you
26:01
Speaker 1: might spare me. I have blamed myself enough. My life's
26:06
Speaker 1: forfeit anyway, and I should have been dead now if
26:09
Speaker 1: Silver hadn't stood for me and Doctor believed this, I
26:12
Speaker 1: can die, and I daresay I deserve it, for what
26:16
Speaker 1: I fear is torture. If they come to torture me, Jim,
26:21
Speaker 1: the doctor interrupted, and his voice was quite changed. Jim,
26:25
Speaker 1: I can't have this whip over and we'll run for it.
26:29
Speaker 1: Doctor said I. I passed my word. I know, I know,
26:34
Speaker 1: he cried. We can't help that, Jim. Now I'll take
26:37
Speaker 1: it on my shoulders. Holus, bolus, blame and shame, my boy.
26:42
Speaker 1: But stay here. I cannot let you jump. One jump
26:45
Speaker 1: and you're out, and we'll run for it like antelopes. No,
26:50
Speaker 1: I replied, you know right well, you wouldn't do the
26:53
Speaker 1: same thing yourself. Neither you nor squire, nor captain, nor
26:57
Speaker 1: more will I Silver trust me. I passed my word,
27:01
Speaker 1: and back I go. But Doctor, you did not let
27:05
Speaker 1: me finish. If they come to torture me, I might
27:08
Speaker 1: let slip a word of where the ship is, for
27:11
Speaker 1: I got the ship part by luck and part by risking.
27:15
Speaker 1: And she lies in the north inlet, on the southern beach,
27:18
Speaker 1: and just below high water at half tired. She must
27:22
Speaker 1: be high and dry. The ship exclaimed, the doctor. Rapidly
27:26
Speaker 1: I described to him my adventures, and he heard me
27:28
Speaker 1: out in silence. There's a kind of fate in this,
27:32
Speaker 1: he observed, when I had done every step. It's you
27:36
Speaker 1: that save our lives. And you suppose, by any chance
27:40
Speaker 1: that we are going to let you lose yours, that
27:42
Speaker 1: would be a poor return. My boy, you'll found out
27:46
Speaker 1: the plot. You'll found ben Gunn the best deed that
27:49
Speaker 1: you ever did or will do, though you lived till
27:52
Speaker 1: ninety oh by Jupiter, and talking of ben Gunn, why
27:56
Speaker 1: this is the mischief in person? Silver, he cried, Silver,
28:01
Speaker 1: I'll give you a piece of advice. He continued, as
28:04
Speaker 1: the cook drew nearer again. Don't you be in any
28:07
Speaker 1: great hurry after that treasure? Why, sir, I do my possible,
28:12
Speaker 1: which that ain't? Said Silver. I can only ask in
28:16
Speaker 1: your pardon, save my life and the boys boy seeking
28:20
Speaker 1: for that treasure. And you made late that well, Silver
28:24
Speaker 1: replied the doctor. If that is so, I'll go one
28:27
Speaker 1: step father, look out for squalls when you find it, sir,
28:33
Speaker 1: said Silver. As between man and man, that's too much
28:37
Speaker 1: and too little. What year after why you left the blockhouse?
28:42
Speaker 1: Why you've given me that there chat. I don't know, now,
28:46
Speaker 1: do I? And yet I don't. You're a bit with
28:49
Speaker 1: my eyes shut and never a word of hope. But no,
28:53
Speaker 1: this here is too much. If you won't tell me
28:56
Speaker 1: what you mean played out, just say so, I'll leave
28:59
Speaker 1: the helm, No, said the doctor, musingly. I've no right
29:04
Speaker 1: to say more. It's not my secret, you see, Silver,
29:08
Speaker 1: or I give you my word, i'd tell it you.
29:11
Speaker 1: But I'll go as far with you as I dare go,
29:14
Speaker 1: not a step beyond, for i'll have my wig sorted
29:17
Speaker 1: by the captain or I'm mistaken. And first I'll give
29:21
Speaker 1: you a bit of hope, Silver, if we both get
29:24
Speaker 1: out alive, out of this wolf track, I'll do my
29:28
Speaker 1: best to save you short of perjury. Silver's face was radiant.
29:33
Speaker 1: You couldn't say more, I'm sure, sir, not if you
29:37
Speaker 1: was my mother, he cried. Well, that's my first concession,
29:43
Speaker 1: added the doctor. My second is a piece of advice.
29:46
Speaker 1: Keep the boy close beside you, and when you need help, halloo,
29:52
Speaker 1: I'm off to seek it for you, and that itself
29:55
Speaker 1: will show you if I speak at random. Good Bye,
29:58
Speaker 1: Jim and Doctor liv He shook hands with me through
30:01
Speaker 1: the stockade nodded to silver and set off at a
30:05
Speaker 1: brisk pace into the wood end of chapter thirty