Latest / Adventure Books Library / 10 - Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson
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- Chapter nineteen. Narrative resumed by Jim Hawkins the garrison in the stockade. As soon as Ben Gunn saw the colors, he came to a halt, stopped me by the arm, and sat down. Now, says he, there's your friends, sure enough, Far more likely it's the mutineers. I answered that. He cried, why in a place like this, where nobody puts him but gentlemen of fortune? Silver would fly the jolly roger. You don't make no doubt of that. Nah, that's your friends. There's been blows too, and I reckon your friend has had the best of it. And here they are ashore in the old stockade, as has made years and years ago by Flint. Ah he was the man to have a headpiece, was flint barring rum. His match was never seen. He were afraid of none, not he only silver? Silver? Was that? Genteel? Well said I that may be so, and so be it all the more reason that I should hurry on and join my friends. Nay, mate, returned Ben, not you you're a good boy, or I'm mistook, But you're only a boy all told? Now, Ben gun is fly rum wouldn't bring me there where you're going? Now rum wouldn't till I see your born gentleman and gets it on his word of honor. And you won't forget my words. A precious sight, that's what you'll say, A precious sight. More confidence, and then nips him and he pinched me the third time with the same air of cleverness. And when ben Gunn is wanted, you know where to find him, Jim, just where you found him today. An him that comes is to have a white thing in his hand, and he's to come alone. Oh, and you'll say this, ben Gunn, says you, has reasons of his own. Well, said I, I believe, I understand you have something to propose, and you wish to see the squire or the doctor. And you're to be found where I found you. Is that all? And when says you? He added, why from about noon observation to about six bells? Good, says I. And now may I go. You won't forget he inquired, anxiously precious sight, and reasons of his own, says you. Reasons of his own. That's the main stay as between man and man. Well, then, still holding me, I reckon, you can go, Jim, and Jim if you was to see silver. You wouldn't go for a cell bend gun wild orses wouldn't draw it from you, Na, says you. And if them pirates came ashore, Jim, what would you say? But there'd be widders in the morning. Here he was interrupted by a loud report, and a cannon ball came tearing through the trees and pitched in in the sand, not a hundred yards from where we two were talking. The next moment, each of us had taken to our heels in a different direction. For a good hour to come, frequent reports shook the island, and balls kept crashing through the woods. I moved from hiding place to hiding place, always pursued, or so it seemed to me, by these terrifying missiles. But toward the end of the bombardment, though still I durst not venture in the direction of the stockade where the balls fell oftenest. I had begun in a manner to pluck up my heart again, and after a long detour in the east, crept down among the shore side trees. The sun had just set. The sea breeze was rustling and tumbling in the woods, and ruffling the gray surface of the anchorage, and tied too, was far out, and great tracks of sand lay uncovered the air. After the heat of the day chilled me through my jacket. The Hispaniola still lay where she had anchored, but sure enough there was the Jolly Roger, the black flag of piracy flying from her peak. Even as I looked, there came another red flash and another report that sent the echoes clattering, and one more round shot whistled through the air. It was the last of the cannonade. I lay for some time watching the bustle which succeeded The attack men were demolishing something with axes on the beach near the stockade, the poor jolly boat. I afterwards discovered anyway near the mouth of the river a great fire was glowing among the trees, and between that point and the ship, one of the gigs kept coming and going. The men whom I had seen so gloomy shouting at the oars like children, But there was a sound in their voices which suggested rum. At length, I thought I might return towards the stockade. I was pretty far down on the low sandy spit that encloses the anchorage to the east and is joined at half water to Skeleton Island. And now, as I rose to my feet, I saw some distance farther down the spit, and rising from among low bushes, an isolated rock, pretty high and particularly white in color. It occurred to me that this might be the white rock of which ben Gunn had spoken, and that some day or other a boat might be wanted, and I should know where to look for one. Then I skirted among the woods till I had regained the rear or shoreward side of the stockade, and was soon warmly welcomed by the faithful party. I had soon told my story and began to look about me. The log house was made of unsquared trunks of pine, roof, walls and floor. The latter stood in several places as much as a foot or a foot and a half above the surface of the sand. There was a porch at the door, and under this porch the little spring welled up into an artificial basin of a rather odd kind, no other than a great ship's kettle of iron, with the bottom knocked out and sunk to her bearings. As the captain said, among the sand, little had been left beside the framework of the house, but in one corner there was a stone slab laid down by way of a hearth and an old, rusty iron bucket to contain the fire. The slopes of the knoll and all the inside of the stockade had been cleared of timber to build the house, and we could see by the stumps what a fine and lofty grove had been destroyed. Most of the soil had been washed away or buried in drift after the removal of the trees. Only where the streamlet ran down from the kettle a thick bed of moss, and some ferns and little creeping bushes were still green among the sand, Very close around the stockade, too close for defense, they said. The wood still flourished high and dense, all of fur on the land side, but toward the sea, with a large admixture of live oaks. The cold evening breeze of which I have spoken whistled through every chink of the rude building, and sprinkled the floor with a continual rain of fine sand. There was sand in our eyes, sand in our teeth, sand in our suppers, sand dancing in the spring at the bottom of the kettle for all the world, like porridge beginning to boil. Our chimney was a square hole in the roof, but it was but a little part of the smoke that found its way out, and the rest edded about the house and kept us coughing and piping. The add to this that Gray, the new Man, had his face tied up in a bandage for a cut he had got in breaking away from the mutineers. And that poor old Tom Redruth, still unburied, lay along the wall, stiff and stark under the union jack. If we had been allowed to sit idle, we should all have fallen into the blues. But Captain Smollett was never the man for that. All hands were called up before him, and he divided us into watches, the Doctor and Gray, and I for one, the squire Hunter and Joyce upon the other. Tired as we were, two men were sent out for firewood. Two more were sent to dig a gray for Redruth. The doctor was named Cook. I was put sentry at the door, and the Captain himself went from one to another, keeping up our spirits and lending a hand wherever it was wanted. From time to time the doctor came to the door for a little air and to rest his eyes, which were almost smoked out of his head, and whenever he did so, he had a word for me. That man's Smollett, he said once, is a better man than I am. And when I say that, it means a great deal Jim. Another time he came and was silent for a while. Then he put his head on one side and looked at me. Is this Ben Gunn a man? He asked? I do not know, Sir, said I I am not very sure whether he's sane. If there's any doubt about the matter, he is returned the doctor, A man who has been three years biting his nails on a desert island. Jim can't expect to appear as sane as you or me. It doesn't lie in human nature. Was it cheese? You said he had a fancy for Yes, sir, cheese, I answered, well, Jim says he just you see the good that comes of being daty in your food. You've seen my snuff box, haven't you? And you never saw me take senough, the reason being that in my snuff box I carry a piece of Parmesan cheese, a cheese made in Italy, very nutritious. Well that's for Ben Gunn. Before supper was eaten, we buried old Tom in the sand and stood round him for a while, bare headed in the breeze. A good deal of firewood had been got in, but not enough for the captain's fancy, and he shook his head over it and told us we must get back to this tomorrow, rather livelier then. When we had eaten our pork and each had a good stiff glass of brandy grog, the three chiefs got together in a corner to discuss our prospects. It appears that they were at their wits end what to do, the stores being so low that we must have been starved into surrender long before help came. But our best hope, it was decided, was to kill off the buccaneers until they either hauled down their flag or ran away with the Hispaniola. From nineteen they were already reduced to fifteen. Two others were wounded, and one at least the man shot beside the gun severely wounded if he were not dead. Every time we had a crack at them, we were to take it, saving our own lives with the extremest care. And besides that, we had two able allies, Rum and the climate. As for the first though we were about half a mile away, we could hear them roaring and singing late into the night. And as for the second, the doctor staked his wig that camped where they were in the marsh, and unprovided with remedies, half of them would be on their backs before a week. So he added, if we are not all shot down first, there'll be glad to be packing in the schooner. It's always a ship, and they can get to buccaneering again. I suppose first ship that I ever lost, said Captain Smollett. I was dead tired, as you may fancy. And when I got to sleep, which was not after a great deal of tossing, I slept like a log of wood. The rest had long been up and had already breakfasted, and increased the pile of firewood by about half as much. Again, when I was awakened by a bustle and the sound of voices, Flag of truce, I heard someone say, and then immediately after, with a cry of surprise, Silver himself. And at that I jumped up, and, rubbing my eyes, ran to a loop hole in the wall. End of chapter nineteen, Chapter twenty Silver's embassy. Sure enough, there were two men just outside the stockade, them waving a white cloth, the other no lesser person than Silver himself, standing placidly by. It was still quite early, and the coldest morning that I think I was ever abroad. In a chill that pierced into the marrow, the sky was bright and cloudless overhead, and the tops of the trees shone rosily in the sun. Where Silver stood with his lieutenant, all was still in shadow, and they waded knee deep in a low white vapor that had crawled during the night out of the morass. The chill and the vapor, taken together, told a poor tale of the island. It was plainly a damp, feverish, unhealthy spot. Keep indoors, men, said the captain ten to one. This is a trick. Then he hailed the buccaneer who goes stand aw wee fire flag of truce, cried Silver. The captain was in the porch, keeping himself carefully out of the way of a treacherous shot. Should edny be intended, He turned and spoke to us. Doctor's watch on the lookout, Doctor Livesey, take the north side, if you please, Jim the east, gray west, the watch below. All hands to load muskets, lively men and care for. And then he turned to the mutineers, And what do you want with your flag of truce? Sir? He cried? This time was the other man who replied, cap'n Silver, sir, to come on board and make terms, he shouted, Captain Silver. Don't know him? Who's he cried the captain, and we could hear him adding to himself, cap'n is it my heart? And here's promotion? Long John answered for himself, me, sir, these poor lads of chosen me, cap'noff your desertion, sir, laying a particular emphasis upon the word desertion. We're willing to submit if we can come to terms and make no bones about it. All I ask is your word, cap'n Smollett, to let me safe and sailed out of this ere stockade, and one minute to go get out a shot before a gun is fired, my man, said, Captain Smollett, I have not the slightest desire to talk to you. If you wish to talk to me, you can't come. That's all. If there's any treachery, it'll be on your side and the Lord help you. That's enough, cap'n shouted long John, cheerily a word from using enough, I know a gentleman, and you made later that we could see the man who carried the flag of truce attempting to hold Silver back. Nor was that wonderful sea, how cavalier had been the captain's answer. But Silver laughed at him aloud and slapped him on the back, as if the idea of alarm had been absurd. Then he advanced to the stockade, threw over his crutch, got a leg up, and with great vigor and skill, succeeded in surmounting the fence and dropping safely to the other side. I will confess that I was far too much taken up with what was going on to be of the slightest use as sentry. Indeed, I had already deserted my eastern loophole and crept up behind the captain, who had now seated himself on the threshold, with his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands, and his eyes fixed on the water as it bubbled out of the old iron cattle in the sand. He was whistling to himself, cumlasses and lads. Silver had terrible hard work at getting up the knoll. What with the steepness of the incline and the thick tree stumps and the soft sand and his crutch were as helpless as a ship in stays. But he stuck to it like a man in silence, and at last arrived before the captain, whom he saluted in the handsomest style. He was tricked out in his best an immense blue coat, thick with brass buttons, hung as low as to his knees, and a fine laced hat was set on the back of his head. Here you are, my man, said the captain, raising his head. You had better sit down. You wait, agora, let me inside. Capt'n complained Longjohn. It's a main cold morning to be sure, sir, to sit outside upon the sand, why silver, said the captain. If you had pleased to be an honest man, you might have been sitting in your galley. It's your own doing. You're either my ship's cook, and then you were treated handsome or cap'n over a common mutineer and pirate, and then you can go hang wow. Well, Copton returned the sea cook, sitting down as he was bidden on the sand. You're allowed to give me a hand up again. That's all a sweet pretty place you have of it. Here, Ah, there's Jim the top of the morning to you, Jim, doctor, here's my service. Why there you all are together like a happy family in a manner of speaking. If you have anything to say, my man better say it, said the captain. Right, you are cut'n. Smollett replied, silver dooty is dooty to be sure. Well, now you look here, that was a good lay of yours last night. I don't deny it was a good lay. Some of you pretty handy with a handspike hand, And I'll not deny neither. But what some of my people were shook? Maybe all was shook. Maybe I was shook myself, and maybe that's why I'm here for terms. But you mark me, cap'n. It won't do twice by thunder. We'll have to do century go and ease off a point or so on the rum. Maybe you think we were all a sheep in the wind's eye, But I'll tell you I was sober. I was only dog tired. And if i'd a woke a second sooner, i'd a caught you in the act. I would He wasn't dead when I got round to him. Not he well, said Captain Smollett, as cool as can be. All that Silver said was a riddle to him, But you would never have guessed it from his tone. As for me, I began to have an inkling. Ben Gunn's last words came back to my mind. I began to pose that he had paid the buccaneers a visit while they all lay drunk together round their fire, and I reckoned up with glee that we had only fourteen enemies to deal with. Well, here it is, said Silver, We want that treasure and we'll have it. That's our point. You would just as soon save your lives, I reckon, and that's yours. You have a chat, haven't you. That's as may be, replied the captain. Ah, well you have it. I know that, returned long John. You needn't be so husky with a man. There ain't a particle of service in that, and you may lay to it. What I mean is we want your chat now. I never meant you know, ah myself, that won't do with me, my man, interrupted the captain. We know exactly what you meant to do, and we don't care for now. You see you can't do it, And The captain looked at him calmly and proceeded to fill a pipe. If abe Gray Silver broke out, I've asked there, cried mister Smollett. Gray told me nothing, and I asked him nothing. And what's more, I would see you and him and this whole eyeland blown clear out of the water into blazes first. So there's my mind for you, my man. On that this little whiff of temper seemed to cool Silver down. He had been growing nettled before, but now he pulled himself together like enough, said he, I would set no limits to what gentlemen might consider shipshape, or might not, as the case were. And seeing as hell you are about to take a pipe, capt'n, I'll make so free as to do likewise. And he filled a pipe and lighted it, And the two men sat silently smoking for quite a while, now looking each other in the face, now stopping their tobacco, now leaning forward to spit. It was as good as the play to see them no resumed silver here it is. You give us the chap to get the treasure boy and drop shooting purse seamen and stoven of their heads in boil asleep. You do that and we'll offer you a choice. Either you come abore and along of us once the treasure's shipped, and then i'll give you a afy davy upon my word at honor to clap you somewhere safe ashore. Or if that ain't to your fancy, some of my hands being rough and having old scores on account of hazing, then you can stay here. You can. We'll devoid stores with you. Man for man, give my effie davy as before to speak the first ship I sight and send a mere to pick you up. Now, yelone, that's talking answer you could look to get not you, And I hope, raising his voice, that all hands in this ear bluckhouse will overhaul my words. For what is spoke to one is spoke to all. Captain Smollett rose from his seat and knocked out the ashes of his pipe in the palm of his left hand. Is that all? He asked, every last word by thunder, answered John. Refuse that, and you've seen the last of me. But musket balls very good, said the captain. Now you'll hear me. If you'll come up one by one unarmed, I'll engage to clap you all in irons and to tear. Make you home to a fair trial in England if you won't. My name is Alexander Smollett. I've flown my Sovereign's colors, and I'll see you all to Davy Jones. You can't find the treasure. You can't sail the ship. There's not a man among you fit to sail the ship. You can't fight us. Gray there got away from five of you. Your ship's in irons, Master Silver, you're on a lee shore, and so you'll find. I stand here and tell you so. And they're the last good words you'll get from me. For in the name of Heaven, I'll put a bullet in your back where next I meet you. Tramp, my lad bundle out of this place. Please hand over hand and double quick. Silver's face was a picture. His eyes started in his head with wrath. He shook the fire out of his pipe. Give me a hand up, he cried, Not I returned the captain. Who'll give me a hand up? He roared, Not a man among us moved, growling the foulest imprecations. He crawled along the sand till he got hold of the porch and could hoist himself again upon his crutch. Then he spat into the spring. There he cried, that's what I think of ye, before the arizel Oh, stoving your old blockhouse like a rum puncheon. Laugh, boy thunder, laugh before an hour, iseult year. Laugh upon the other side them that die'll be the lucky ones. And with a dreadful oath, he stumbled off, plowed down the sand, and was helped across the stockade after four or five failures by the man with the flag of truce, and disappeared in an instant afterward among the trees. End of chapter twenty