Reading Help Treasure Island Ch.IV-VI
murderous glances. Dick, who had dropped behind us and `
` now brought up the rear, was babbling to himself both `
` prayers and curses as his fever kept rising. This also `
` added to my wretchedness, and to crown all, I was haunted `
` by the thought of the tragedy that had once been acted on `
` that plateau, when that ungodly buccaneer with the blue face `
` --he who died at Savannah, singing and shouting for drink-- `
` had there, with his own hand, cut down his six accomplices. `
` This grove that was now so peaceful must then have rung with `
` cries, I thought; and even with the thought I could believe `
` I heard it ringing still. `
` `
` We were now at the margin of the thicket. `
` `
` "Huzza, mates, all together!" shouted Merry; and the `
` foremost broke into a run. `
` `
` And suddenly, not ten yards further, we beheld them stop. `
` A low cry arose. Silver doubled his pace, digging away `
` with the foot of his crutch like one possessed; and next `
` moment he and I had come also to a dead halt. `
` `
` Before us was a great excavation, not very recent, for `
` the sides had fallen in and grass had sprouted on the `
` bottom. In this were the shaft of a pick broken in two `
` and the boards of several packing-cases strewn around. `
` On one of these boards I saw, branded with a hot iron, `
` the name WALRUS--the name of Flint's ship. `
` `
` All was clear to probation. The CACHE had been found `
` and rifled; the seven hundred thousand pounds were gone! `
` `
` `
` `
` 33 `
` `
` The Fall of a Chieftain `
` `
` THERE never was such an overturn in this world. Each `
` of these six men was as though he had been struck. But `
` with Silver the blow passed almost instantly. Every `
` thought of his soul had been set full-stretch, like a `
` racer, on that money; well, he was brought up, in a `
` single second, dead; and he kept his head, found his `
` temper, and changed his plan before the others had had `
` time to realize the disappointment. `
` `
` "Jim," he whispered, "take that, and stand by for trouble." `
` `
` And he passed me a double-barrelled pistol. `
` `
` At the same time, he began quietly moving northward, `
` and in a few steps had put the hollow between us two `
` and the other five. Then he looked at me and nodded, `
` as much as to say, "Here is a narrow corner," as, `
` indeed, I thought it was. His looks were not quite `
` friendly, and I was so revolted at these constant `
` changes that I could not forbear whispering, "So you've `
` changed sides again." `
` `
` There was no time left for him to answer in. The `
` buccaneers, with oaths and cries, began to leap, one `
` after another, into the pit and to dig with their fingers, `
` throwing the boards aside as they did so. Morgan found a `
` piece of gold. He held it up with a perfect spout of oaths. `
` It was a two-guinea piece, and it went from hand to hand `
` among them for a quarter of a minute. `
` `
` "Two guineas!" roared Merry, shaking it at Silver. `
` "That's your seven hundred thousand pounds, is it? `
` You're the man for bargains, ain't you? You're him `
` that never bungled nothing, you wooden-headed lubber!" `
` `
` "Dig away, boys," said Silver with the coolest insolence; `
` "you'll find some pig-nuts and I shouldn't wonder." `
` `
` "Pig-nuts!" repeated Merry, in a scream. "Mates, do `
` you hear that? I tell you now, that man there knew it `
` all along. Look in the face of him and you'll see it `
` wrote there." `
` `
` "Ah, Merry," remarked Silver, "standing for cap'n `
` again? You're a pushing lad, to be sure." `
` `
` But this time everyone was entirely in Merry's favour. `
` They began to scramble out of the excavation, darting `
` furious glances behind them. One thing I observed, `
` which looked well for us: they all got out upon the `
` opposite side from Silver. `
` `
` Well, there we stood, two on one side, five on the `
` other, the pit between us, and nobody screwed up high `
` enough to offer the first blow. Silver never moved; he `
` watched them, very upright on his crutch, and looked as `
` cool as ever I saw him. He was brave, and no mistake. `
` `
` At last Merry seemed to think a speech might help matters. `
` `
` "Mates," says he, "there's two of them alone there; `
` one's the old cripple that brought us all here and `
` blundered us down to this; the other's that cub that I `
` mean to have the heart of. Now, mates--" `
` `
` He was raising his arm and his voice, and plainly meant `
` to lead a charge. But just then--crack! crack! crack!-- `
` three musket-shots flashed out of the thicket. Merry `
` tumbled head foremost into the excavation; the man with `
` the bandage spun round like a teetotum and fell all his `
` length upon his side, where he lay dead, but still `
` twitching; and the other three turned and ran for it `
` with all their might. `
` `
` Before you could wink, Long John had fired two barrels `
` of a pistol into the struggling Merry, and as the man `
` rolled up his eyes at him in the last agony, "George," `
` said he, "I reckon I settled you." `
` `
` At the same moment, the doctor, Gray, and Ben Gunn joined `
` us, with smoking muskets, from among the nutmeg-trees. `
` `
` "Forward!" cried the doctor. "Double quick, my lads. `
` We must head 'em off the boats." `
` `
` And we set off at a great pace, sometimes plunging `
` through the bushes to the chest. `
` `
` I tell you, but Silver was anxious to keep up with us. `
` The work that man went through, leaping on his crutch `
` till the muscles of his chest were fit to burst, was `
` work no sound man ever equalled; and so thinks the `
` doctor. As it was, he was already thirty yards behind `
` us and on the verge of strangling when we reached the `
` brow of the slope. `
` `
` "Doctor," he hailed, "see there! No hurry!" `
` `
` Sure enough there was no hurry. In a more open part of `
` the plateau, we could see the three survivors still running `
` in the same direction as they had started, right for Mizzen- `
` mast Hill. We were already between them and the boats; and `
` so we four sat down to breathe, while Long John, mopping his `
` face, came slowly up with us. `
` `
` "Thank ye kindly, doctor," says he. "You came in in `
` about the nick, I guess, for me and Hawkins. And so `
` it's you, Ben Gunn!" he added. "Well, you're a nice `
` one, to be sure." `
` `
` "I'm Ben Gunn, I am," replied the maroon, wriggling `
` like an eel in his embarrassment. "And," he added, `
` after a long pause, "how do, Mr. Silver? Pretty well, `
` I thank ye, says you." `
` `
` "Ben, Ben," murmured Silver, "to think as you've done me!" `
` `
` The doctor sent back Gray for one of the pick-axes `
` deserted, in their flight, by the mutineers, and then `
` as we proceeded leisurely downhill to where the boats `
` were lying, related in a few words what had taken `
` place. It was a story that profoundly interested `
` Silver; and Ben Gunn, the half-idiot maroon, was the `
` hero from beginning to end. `
` `
` Ben, in his long, lonely wanderings about the island, `
` had found the skeleton--it was he that had rifled it; `
` he had found the treasure; he had dug it up (it was the `
` haft of his pick-axe that lay broken in the `
` excavation); he had carried it on his back, in many `
` weary journeys, from the foot of the tall pine to a `
` cave he had on the two-pointed hill at the north-east `
` angle of the island, and there it had lain stored in `
` safety since two months before the arrival of the HISPANIOLA. `
` `
` When the doctor had wormed this secret from him on the `
` afternoon of the attack, and when next morning he saw `
` the anchorage deserted, he had gone to Silver, given `
` him the chart, which was now useless--given him the `
` stores, for Ben Gunn's cave was well supplied with `
` goats' meat salted by himself--given anything and `
` everything to get a chance of moving in safety from the `
` stockade to the two-pointed hill, there to be clear of `
` malaria and keep a guard upon the money. `
` `
` "As for you, Jim," he said, "it went against my heart, `
` but I did what I thought best for those who had stood `
` by their duty; and if you were not one of these, whose `
` fault was it?" `
` `
` That morning, finding that I was to be involved in the `
` horrid disappointment he had prepared for the `
` mutineers, he had run all the way to the cave, and `
` leaving the squire to guard the captain, had taken Gray `
` and the maroon and started, making the diagonal across `
` the island to be at hand beside the pine. Soon, `
` however, he saw that our party had the start of him; `
` and Ben Gunn, being fleet of foot, had been dispatched `
` in front to do his best alone. Then it had occurred to `
` him to work upon the superstitions of his former `
` shipmates, and he was so far successful that Gray and `
` the doctor had come up and were already ambushed before `
` the arrival of the treasure-hunters. `
`
` now brought up the rear, was babbling to himself both `
` prayers and curses as his fever kept rising. This also `
` added to my wretchedness, and to crown all, I was haunted `
` by the thought of the tragedy that had once been acted on `
` that plateau, when that ungodly buccaneer with the blue face `
` --he who died at Savannah, singing and shouting for drink-- `
` had there, with his own hand, cut down his six accomplices. `
` This grove that was now so peaceful must then have rung with `
` cries, I thought; and even with the thought I could believe `
` I heard it ringing still. `
` `
` We were now at the margin of the thicket. `
` `
` "Huzza, mates, all together!" shouted Merry; and the `
` foremost broke into a run. `
` `
` And suddenly, not ten yards further, we beheld them stop. `
` A low cry arose. Silver doubled his pace, digging away `
` with the foot of his crutch like one possessed; and next `
` moment he and I had come also to a dead halt. `
` `
` Before us was a great excavation, not very recent, for `
` the sides had fallen in and grass had sprouted on the `
` bottom. In this were the shaft of a pick broken in two `
` and the boards of several packing-cases strewn around. `
` On one of these boards I saw, branded with a hot iron, `
` the name WALRUS--the name of Flint's ship. `
` `
` All was clear to probation. The CACHE had been found `
` and rifled; the seven hundred thousand pounds were gone! `
` `
` `
` `
` 33 `
` `
` The Fall of a Chieftain `
` `
` THERE never was such an overturn in this world. Each `
` of these six men was as though he had been struck. But `
` with Silver the blow passed almost instantly. Every `
` thought of his soul had been set full-stretch, like a `
` racer, on that money; well, he was brought up, in a `
` single second, dead; and he kept his head, found his `
` temper, and changed his plan before the others had had `
` time to realize the disappointment. `
` `
` "Jim," he whispered, "take that, and stand by for trouble." `
` `
` And he passed me a double-barrelled pistol. `
` `
` At the same time, he began quietly moving northward, `
` and in a few steps had put the hollow between us two `
` and the other five. Then he looked at me and nodded, `
` as much as to say, "Here is a narrow corner," as, `
` indeed, I thought it was. His looks were not quite `
` friendly, and I was so revolted at these constant `
` changes that I could not forbear whispering, "So you've `
` changed sides again." `
` `
` There was no time left for him to answer in. The `
` buccaneers, with oaths and cries, began to leap, one `
` after another, into the pit and to dig with their fingers, `
` throwing the boards aside as they did so. Morgan found a `
` piece of gold. He held it up with a perfect spout of oaths. `
` It was a two-guinea piece, and it went from hand to hand `
` among them for a quarter of a minute. `
` `
` "Two guineas!" roared Merry, shaking it at Silver. `
` "That's your seven hundred thousand pounds, is it? `
` You're the man for bargains, ain't you? You're him `
` that never bungled nothing, you wooden-headed lubber!" `
` `
` "Dig away, boys," said Silver with the coolest insolence; `
` "you'll find some pig-nuts and I shouldn't wonder." `
` `
` "Pig-nuts!" repeated Merry, in a scream. "Mates, do `
` you hear that? I tell you now, that man there knew it `
` all along. Look in the face of him and you'll see it `
` wrote there." `
` `
` "Ah, Merry," remarked Silver, "standing for cap'n `
` again? You're a pushing lad, to be sure." `
` `
` But this time everyone was entirely in Merry's favour. `
` They began to scramble out of the excavation, darting `
` furious glances behind them. One thing I observed, `
` which looked well for us: they all got out upon the `
` opposite side from Silver. `
` `
` Well, there we stood, two on one side, five on the `
` other, the pit between us, and nobody screwed up high `
` enough to offer the first blow. Silver never moved; he `
` watched them, very upright on his crutch, and looked as `
` cool as ever I saw him. He was brave, and no mistake. `
` `
` At last Merry seemed to think a speech might help matters. `
` `
` "Mates," says he, "there's two of them alone there; `
` one's the old cripple that brought us all here and `
` blundered us down to this; the other's that cub that I `
` mean to have the heart of. Now, mates--" `
` `
` He was raising his arm and his voice, and plainly meant `
` to lead a charge. But just then--crack! crack! crack!-- `
` three musket-shots flashed out of the thicket. Merry `
` tumbled head foremost into the excavation; the man with `
` the bandage spun round like a teetotum and fell all his `
` length upon his side, where he lay dead, but still `
` twitching; and the other three turned and ran for it `
` with all their might. `
` `
` Before you could wink, Long John had fired two barrels `
` of a pistol into the struggling Merry, and as the man `
` rolled up his eyes at him in the last agony, "George," `
` said he, "I reckon I settled you." `
` `
` At the same moment, the doctor, Gray, and Ben Gunn joined `
` us, with smoking muskets, from among the nutmeg-trees. `
` `
` "Forward!" cried the doctor. "Double quick, my lads. `
` We must head 'em off the boats." `
` `
` And we set off at a great pace, sometimes plunging `
` through the bushes to the chest. `
` `
` I tell you, but Silver was anxious to keep up with us. `
` The work that man went through, leaping on his crutch `
` till the muscles of his chest were fit to burst, was `
` work no sound man ever equalled; and so thinks the `
` doctor. As it was, he was already thirty yards behind `
` us and on the verge of strangling when we reached the `
` brow of the slope. `
` `
` "Doctor," he hailed, "see there! No hurry!" `
` `
` Sure enough there was no hurry. In a more open part of `
` the plateau, we could see the three survivors still running `
` in the same direction as they had started, right for Mizzen- `
` mast Hill. We were already between them and the boats; and `
` so we four sat down to breathe, while Long John, mopping his `
` face, came slowly up with us. `
` `
` "Thank ye kindly, doctor," says he. "You came in in `
` about the nick, I guess, for me and Hawkins. And so `
` it's you, Ben Gunn!" he added. "Well, you're a nice `
` one, to be sure." `
` `
` "I'm Ben Gunn, I am," replied the maroon, wriggling `
` like an eel in his embarrassment. "And," he added, `
` after a long pause, "how do, Mr. Silver? Pretty well, `
` I thank ye, says you." `
` `
` "Ben, Ben," murmured Silver, "to think as you've done me!" `
` `
` The doctor sent back Gray for one of the pick-axes `
` deserted, in their flight, by the mutineers, and then `
` as we proceeded leisurely downhill to where the boats `
` were lying, related in a few words what had taken `
` place. It was a story that profoundly interested `
` Silver; and Ben Gunn, the half-idiot maroon, was the `
` hero from beginning to end. `
` `
` Ben, in his long, lonely wanderings about the island, `
` had found the skeleton--it was he that had rifled it; `
` he had found the treasure; he had dug it up (it was the `
` haft of his pick-axe that lay broken in the `
` excavation); he had carried it on his back, in many `
` weary journeys, from the foot of the tall pine to a `
` cave he had on the two-pointed hill at the north-east `
` angle of the island, and there it had lain stored in `
` safety since two months before the arrival of the HISPANIOLA. `
` `
` When the doctor had wormed this secret from him on the `
` afternoon of the attack, and when next morning he saw `
` the anchorage deserted, he had gone to Silver, given `
` him the chart, which was now useless--given him the `
` stores, for Ben Gunn's cave was well supplied with `
` goats' meat salted by himself--given anything and `
` everything to get a chance of moving in safety from the `
` stockade to the two-pointed hill, there to be clear of `
` malaria and keep a guard upon the money. `
` `
` "As for you, Jim," he said, "it went against my heart, `
` but I did what I thought best for those who had stood `
` by their duty; and if you were not one of these, whose `
` fault was it?" `
` `
` That morning, finding that I was to be involved in the `
` horrid disappointment he had prepared for the `
` mutineers, he had run all the way to the cave, and `
` leaving the squire to guard the captain, had taken Gray `
` and the maroon and started, making the diagonal across `
` the island to be at hand beside the pine. Soon, `
` however, he saw that our party had the start of him; `
` and Ben Gunn, being fleet of foot, had been dispatched `
` in front to do his best alone. Then it had occurred to `
` him to work upon the superstitions of his former `
` shipmates, and he was so far successful that Gray and `
` the doctor had come up and were already ambushed before `
` the arrival of the treasure-hunters. `
`